Silent Fear, a Medical Mystery (4 page)

When Julia snapped out of her sleep, her little face registered alarm. “What?” Rachel said inquisitively.

At the doorway, Leo had followed her. He stood against the frame like a sports clothes model, suited in a muscle shirt and gym shorts. The drawstrings dangled down the front of his lower abdomen and a lighted cigarette dangled at his lips. He exhaled into the bedroom.

Rachel focused on Julia, who immediately started squirming in her arms.

“I know you don’t like the baby around my smoking,” Leo said. “I won’t even come in. It’s kind of sexy seeing you two there.”

Rachel cuddled the baby and patted her back but Julia wiggled even more and began to cry. By bedtime, Rachel realized that despite her best attempts, Julia was having a bad evening. She was grateful that Leo did the last diapering and slipped her into her one-piece sleeper for the night.

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Sunday morning Rachel woke in a good mood, refreshed after an undisturbed night. Leo sat at the edge of the bed, turned and patted her hip. “Hey, babe,” he said. He rose and bounded to the bathroom. Rachel slipped into slipper socks and tiptoed into Julia’s room to spy on her playfulness, hoping to find her awake. She grabbed a diaper and approached the crib. Julia made baby gestures like swatting invisible bugs, but not as much as her usual animated self. She didn’t burst
into excitement when Rachel came to the crib’s side.

“Good morning, Julia. How’s my pretty girl today?” Rachel put the side rail down, leaned in, and gave her a kiss and a little upper arm squeeze. Julia’s neutral, yet wary expression changed to discomfort. Rachel placed her hand over the baby’s forehead. Maybe she had a fever. Rachel shook her head, probably not. She still had so much to learn about babies.

Rachel unsnapped the bottom of Julia’s sleeper, took the one-piece pajamas off, and put a top over her head. She pulled the sticky tabs from the dirty diaper and pulled the diaper straight out. Julia let out a painful sound, puzzling Rachel even more. “I’ll pick you up in a minute. I just don’t know what’s gotten into you.” Rachel put the diaper aside and picked up Julia’s legs to slide in a clean one. She put the new one down and began moving it under but stopped in horror.

Rachel gasped. She stared at a red circular, painful-looking area on Julia’s bottom. More alarm gripped her. The lesion wasn’t there yesterday when she had left for work. She started to blurt out for Leo, but realized she needed to be cautious. This weekend with him had left her feeling uncomfortable with their relationship. She must approach talking to him with trepidation. She put the guard rail up and walked back into the bedroom. The bathroom door opened and Leo emerged. He pulled on a tee-shirt flung on his nightstand.

“Leo, do you know what happened to Julia? She’s got a sore on her bottom.”

For a moment, Leo’s bottom jaw tensed, and then he chose his words carefully. “Babe, I didn’t want to disturb you about it last night. It was an accident. I brought hot coffee in there while I changed her yesterday. A bit dribbled from the cup. I’m sorry. She forgave me, too.” He smiled and looked into Rachel’s eyes.

Rachel didn’t know what to think. She wanted more details but it appeared as if he’d finished his explanation. “Leo, this is really bad timing. She has visitation with her father next weekend.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll be gone by then.”

Rachel turned and went back to Julia. She applied some salve to the sore, finished dressing her, and gave her a cautious hug so as to not touch her padded buttocks.

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The next morning Harold mixed his own patient list with Danny’s. Most of their patients were on the same hospital floor which pleased Harold. This morning, his right knee bothered him walking along the corridors. Sometimes it acted up from the weather; sometimes from inactivity, and at other times it ached from too much activity. He originally insulted it by playing too much tennis during college. The more he played, the better he got, until one day he pulled a ligament.

The last two patients to see for Danny were Michael Johnson and Troy Neal. He knew about their surgeries from the day before, so he glanced in their charts for any new notes since then. Troy Neal and Michael Johnson both ran a fever, which wasn’t new for Troy Neal. After surgery, in any case, post-op fevers were common and Harold knew most of them usually resolved spontaneously. Other than that, no problems had developed over night.

With a slight falter in his walk, Harold entered Michael’s room.

“Good morning, Dr. Jackowitz,” the day shift nurse, Peggy said. “Michael is the first patient I’ve checked on since getting here.” She held a plastic spirometer in her hands alongside Michael’s bedside. “I’m trying to get your partner’s young patient to use this as vibrantly as he probably plays on a basketball court.”

“We’ll talk about that, then,” Harold said and introduced himself to Michael. “You were almost my patient so I’m glad to take care of you this morning for my partner.”

The youngster’s head was still wrapped and his eyes still glazed, as if anesthesia still hung on to him. “Oh,” he said. “Where are my Mom and Dad?”

“They’ll be in a little later,” Peggy said, putting down the spirometer.

Michael fumbled for the wash cloth, brought it to his mouth, and expelled saliva which kept accumulating unnecessarily.

“He’s a wet one, Dr. Jackowitz,” Peggy said.

“If those secretions are coming from your throat,” Harold said, looking closer at Michael, “it’s best to keep practicing deep breathing with this plastic bedside breathing machine.”

Michael blinked his eyes in acknowledgement. Harold leaned in with his stethoscope. “Take a good breath,” he said. Michael inhaled and slobbered more on his washcloth, Harold, and his stethoscope when he exhaled.

Harold wiped his hands on what he hoped was the clean part of the cloth from Michael and then handed it carefully to Peggy. She brought another one from a fresh linen pile.

“We’ll keep our eyes on your lungs,” Harold said. “They’re clear right now.” Harold examined the wrapping around his head; no blood stains, pus, or bulging. “Dr. Tilson will see you next time. You’ll be back on a boat or on a basketball court before you know it.”

Michael scrunched his eyebrows. “I’m groggy, but I know I don’t play basketball.”

Harold smiled at Peggy as Michael closed his eyes. “Let’s go see Mr. Neal,” he said.

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Troy Neal had his bed inclined just enough so he could stare at the liquid breakfast that sat on the tray before him. “Good morning,” Harold said when they arrived. “I’m Dr. Jackowitz, we’ve met briefly before.”

“You work with Dr. Tilson. I hope one of you will let me go home soon.” Troy scratched the unshaven stubble on his chin and looked pleadingly at the both of them.

“Except that you’re still running a fever, Mr. Neal. Dr. Tilson thinks that cleaning out the abscess yesterday went fine and it won’t need to be done again. He’ll get you discharged one of these days, I promise.”

“Actually, Dr. Jackowitz,” Peggy said, “Mr. Neal had a higher temp last night.”

Troy gestured for the hand towel near Harold as he contorted his face and vomited a small amount of fluid. Harold slid his hand and the towel underneath his chin. “I’m sorry,” Troy said. “I didn’t know that upchuck was coming until it was too late.”

Peggy grabbed the cloth, gave him a new one, and stepped to the sink to wash her hands with Harold.

“Accidents happen,” Harold said, returning to Troy. He listened to Troy’s chest and wrapped his stethoscope back around his neck. “Dr. Tilson will see you the next time. For today, you’re not going anywhere.”

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That evening, Danny’s ex-wife, Sara, felt ambivalent about going to the original Tilson’s family residence. The girls were also coming. Mary wanted to show Sara bridal magazines so they could pick out Sara’s maid of honor dress. Sara figured the chances of Danny being there were fifty-fifty. She had avoided any lengthy time with him except when it came to matters of their daughters, Annabel and Nancy, and legal matters were pretty much in the past as well. Danny’s affair had marred her femininity. She thought they had a solid marriage but the end of it signaled to her just how fickle life really was. His infidelity stung like a wound that had healed but the scar still remained.

Since Danny appeared to be getting his integrity and professionalism back the last two months, he also seemed willing to help her more often with the girls. He had requested to spend time with her … to talk or go fishing. She was too fragile to accept. She thought Danny had suffered enough after his affair as well as from the gaggle of pursuing attorneys. His troubles had been potent but condensed into a compact time frame. Her blow wasn’t as sharp all at once - it lingered longer like a slow bleed. Her greatest comfort was her two teenagers. Though losing her oldest daughter, Melissa, had almost devastated her, at least Melissa hadn’t suffered through the upheaval of her parents separation and later divorce.

Sara and the girls peeled out of their CRV in Mary Tilson’s driveway and headed to the front door. Annabel, the oldest girl, knocked and entered. She took off her baseball cap, laid it on the entry-way table, and crouched to greet Dakota who came bounding through the passageway. Sara and Nancy waited for Dakota to greet them, too.

A jovial male voice sounded from the kitchen. “By Dakota’s response,” Casey shouted, “we know you aren’t a pack of burglars. Good timing because the master chef has kabobs on the grill.”

Dakota swayed his tail back and forth and led them to the back where the big patio doors let the early evening light stream into the kitchen. Casey and Mary stood on opposite ends of the island but met Sara and the girls, giving them big hugs.

“Hey, what’s the long look for?” Casey asked Nancy.

“She always has a long look,” Annabel chimed in, flashing her auburn eyes at Casey.

“Better than what you look like,” Nancy said.

“Enough, girls,” Sara said.

“It smells good out there,” Annabel said.

“He’s a good cook,” Nancy said, “but Grandpa’s restaurant was better.” She straightened her hair and hid her ears because she thought they were too big. She rubbed Dakota’s back end which pushed against her legs.

“Nancy,” Sara said, “will you please be polite!”

“What, like Annabel?”

“Oh, pleeease,” Annabel chimed.

“You two better watch it,” Casey said. “I’m going to become your uncle, which will give me the right to ground you both.”

“Casey, you already have my permission,” Sara said. “And you probably had Danny’s a long time ago.”

Casey winked at Annabel who ran her tongue over her braces.

“Okay, muscle man,” Mary said, “why don’t you check on our dinner? I need to show Sara and the girls some dress options for the wedding.”

“Yes, gorgeous.” Casey put his hand into her mid-shoulder length hair, found her neck, and gave it a quick massage. “And despite what Miss Sulky says,” he said looking at Nancy, “my grilled dinner gets five stars.”

Mary showed Sara and the girls the dresses she had in mind. “I personally like the brownish-purple color for Fall and the knee length,” Mary said pointing at side-by-side magazine pages. “We can do the elbow length sleeve if you all would like.”

“I think these look fine,” Sara said. “I like the gathered fabric at the waistline. What do you think, girls?”

“Cool,” Annabel said. “I’ll be able to wear it for Senior Prom next Spring, too.”

Nancy snickered. “If it still fits you by then.”

“I’ll fit in it when I’m twenty, egghead. I’m more active than you’ll ever be.”

“Okay, if it’s settled,” Mary said, “I’ll buy them and you three need to get fitted soon.”

“By the way,” Sara said, “you haven’t told us. Where are you going on a honeymoon?”

“We’re talking about going to my previous stomping grounds in Alaska. Casey hasn’t been there. Besides, I still have artwork in a gallery which I need to decide about.”

Annabel lowered her head. “Melissa would have been in college there by now, Mary.”

“I know, sweetheart. I know.”

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When Danny arrived home he found everyone eating dinner on the patio, including Sara. He opened a back door as Dakota anxiously awaited to greet him. “Hey, Dakota.” Danny rumpled Dakota’s wavy coat as the dog weaved between his legs.

“We’re about finished but we saved you some,” Casey said, as he stopped scraping the grill clean.

“Thanks,” Danny said. His heart quickened when he focused on Sara. “Hi Sara, it’s nice to see you.”

“You too, Danny,” she said. He showered her with a spirited smile and she noted his genuine rapport with Dakota.

“Hey Dad,” Nancy said. “We’re coming over this weekend.”

“Good. I hope you don’t mind that Julia will be here, too.”

“That’s big news, Danny,” Mary said. “Don’t you think we need to get a little prepared? Babies need special things, you know.”

Danny shot a wistful glance at Sara. “I know, I’ve had experience.”

“Dad,” Annabel said, “there are a few old things in the basement at the house. You and Mom were a bit like pack rats.”

Danny looked at Sara. “That’s fine with me,” Sara said. “You girls can bring over any baby items you find.”

“I’ll help you buy anything else, Danny,” Casey said.

“Thanks.” Danny took the platter which had the last kabob and pushed the meat, onions, and peppers off the skewer. Mary went in the house for another wine glass, and placed it in front of him.

“Annabel has good news,” Sara said.

Rotating her head to show everyone, Annabel raised her upper lip as much as she could.

Nancy shook her head. “What is that supposed to mean, you idiot?”

Annabel shot her a fiery glance. “Why don’t you car wash the inside of your mouth!”

Casey went over to Annabel from behind and gently gave her a head lock. Annabel reached up and pushed his arm away. “When are you getting your braces off?” Casey asked. “You haven’t even had them on that long.”

“In time for the wedding.” Annabel beamed.

“The orthodontist said she didn’t have much of a bite issue,” Sara said. “The crooked tooth has straightened and aligned with the others.”