Page 13 of Fractured Reunion

Kyle looked at Aaron who shrugged. Then he nodded. “Rachel, will you push the IV pole as we go?”

“Ah, sure.” From the shocked expression on Rachel’s face, Maggie assumed carrying a child to the OR wasn’t normal practice.

She didn’t care. She cradled Joey close while following Kyle through the hallways to the OR suites. When the anesthesiologist met up with them, she continued to hold Joey while he was given medication to put him to sleep. Only once the little boy was completely relaxed and asleep did she allow the medical team to place the child on the OR table.

Forcing herself to back away wasn’t easy. As the medical professionals surrounded the little boy, she asked God to heal Joey.

And to guide Kyle’s skilled hands as he performed surgery.

CHAPTER FOUR

Walking back to the emergency department, Aaron glanced at Maggie. She had been unusually quiet after leaving Joey with the OR team. They’d managed to get over the hurdle of consent, but the little boy’s future was still in limbo.

With his mother gone and no other family members having been identified, it was likely Joey would end up in the foster care system. The situation was reminiscent of what his brother Adam and his wife, Krista, had gone through when a safe haven baby had been dropped off at Adam’s pediatric clinic.

“I assume Joey will be admitted to a regular room after his surgery?” Maggie asked, breaking the silence.

“Yes.” They’d reached the emergency department. She went into Joey’s room to grab her bag. “Would you like me to find out which room he’ll be in?”

“Please.” She managed a smile. “I’d like to wait in his room.”

“You’re sticking around?” He shouldn’t have been surprised after the way Maggie had clearly bonded with the child. “I assumed you had a flight back to Boston later tonight.”

“I do, but I’m not heading back yet.” She frowned, reaching into her bag for her phone. “I need to formally check out of the hotel, then contact the airline about changing my flight. I’m not due back to work until Monday, but I’ll ask my colleagues to cover for me a few more days.”

“I see.” Adam was tempted to offer her the chance to stay at his place but managed to hold back. First of all, being thrown together by chance didn’t mean a reconciliation was in their future. They’d both moved on, leaving a chasm of hurt feelings and, yeah, even some bitterness behind. But he knew Maggie well enough to know she was not going to leave Joey until she knew things were settled.

The only problem being that could take time. The last thing he wanted was to have Maggie invading his personal space for the next few days. Maybe even stretching into a full week.

“There must be a hotel close to the hospital,” she said as if reading his mind.

“There is. It’s within walking distance.” He hesitated, then said, “I can give you a ride back to the hotel. Do you have a rental car?”

“No, but I’ll get a rideshare.” She didn’t look too concerned. “I don’t want to trouble you any more than I already have. If you could please just tell me which room they’ll admit Joey into, that would be great. I can handle the rest myself.”

“Okay.” Maggie always had been fiercely independent. “But I am not on duty today, so why don’t you let me drive you back to the Pfister? I’ll call my brother Adam on the way. His wife, Krista, went through the process of being a foster parent. She might have some insight regarding Joey’s future.”

“Really?” The news piqued her interest. “I didn’t realize Adam was married.”

“All the sibs are married now, except for Andrea. She…lost her husband, Stuart, four months ago in a car crash while he was traveling.” He hated knowing he was the only one who’d failed at marriage.

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m sure it’s been difficult for Andrea and her two kids to cope.”

“Yes, the family has rallied around her, but it’s been hard.” He gestured for her to come with him. “I’m parked in the physicians parking lot.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she fell into step beside him. It had been one thing to be together while taking care of crash victims on the bus and dealing with Joey’s medical care. But now it was just the two of them.

Alone together in a way they hadn’t been in over two years.

“Are you sure about sticking around?” he asked as they approached his vehicle. “I can keep an eye on Joey’s progress.”

“I’m sure.” She gave him a nod when he opened her car door for her. “I’m the one he’s been clinging to since the accident. I won’t abandon him.”

He nodded, then closed her door. There was no denying the little boy had latched onto Maggie. But it wasn’t like she could just step in and take the boy into her home.

Could she?

It burned a little to know that she was probably considering her options regarding adopting Joey. Yet when he’d suggested they adopt a baby, she’d stared at him as if he were crazy and walked away.

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