Page 3 of Fractured Reunion

Aaron sighed and dropped his chin to his chest, knowing he’d failed her.

Again.

* * *

Maggie Dall cuddled the frightened boy close, wishing she could assure the child he would be fine. But his mother had just died, and from this moment on, this little boy’s life would be changed forever.

Dear Lord, please have mercy on this child!

“What’s your name?” she asked, smoothing a reassuring hand down the child’s back. She estimated he was between three and four years old, and a little too scrawny for her piece of mind. “Can you tell me your name?”

He shook his head, burying closer to her. His arms were wrapped tightly around her neck as if he’d never let her go.

Did he somehow sense his mother was gone? That his world had been turned upside down?

“We’ll have to get Child Protective Services involved,” Aaron said. “He may have a father or other family.”

“I know.” She squelched a flash of anger. It wasn’t Aaron’s fault that this had happened. He’d done everything he could, performing CPR and delivering shocks to save the little boy’s mother’s life.

“My name is Maggie,” she said to the little boy. “Can you say Maggie?”

The child shook his head again, gripping her tighter. So much so that she had to shift his hold so he wouldn’t cut off her airway.

“His mother’s name is Pamela Johnson,” Aaron said. “Her address is an apartment in Milwaukee. I’m sure the police will head over to see if there are other family members there.”

“Okay, but I’m going to ride along to the hospital with him.” She couldn’t have pried the little boy’s arms from around her neck if she’d wanted to. “He needs a full assessment to evaluate for internal injuries.” The fact that his mother had died as a result of the crash concerned her that the child was hurt too.

“I’ll go with you,” Aaron offered.

She frowned. “That’s not necessary. Don’t you have a presentation to give?”

He glanced at his watch. “Yes, but after lunch, so I have a few hours.”

When Maggie had signed up for the Midwest Cardiac Surgery Medical Symposium, she’d known her ex-husband was one of the esteemed presenters. But she honestly had not expected him to seek her out.

The two years since their divorce had been difficult. She had been the one to initiate the filing, but she’d done that for him, not for her.

She was the one who couldn’t have children. Aaron came from a large family, and she knew how much he’d wanted to carry on the Monroe name. She’d told herself she was doing the right thing by letting Aaron find someone else to share his life with.

Yet to her knowledge, he hadn’t.

And now that she was face-to-face with him again, she realized her heart still ached for what she’d given up.

“Ma’am?” An EMT touched her arm. “We can take the boy now.”

“I’m Dr. Maggie Dall, a pediatric anesthesiologist,” she said. “I’m going to the hospital with him.”

“Oh, uh, sure.” The EMT wasn’t about to override a physician’s decision. “Please come with me.”

She nodded and stood. Suddenly Aaron was there with his hand beneath her elbow to help steady her. She hoped he didn’t notice the tremor that rippled through her body at his touch.

“I’ll meet you at Children’s Memorial,” Aaron said, after helping her into the ambulance.

“Only if you have time.” She forced herself to give him an out. “You have a presentation to prepare for, so I’ll understand if you can’t make it.”

“I’ll meet you there,” Aaron repeated, a stubborn glint in his green eyes. Then he stepped back so the EMT could shut the ambulance doors.

The little boy relaxed his tight grip as if sensing he was safe. She continued stroking a hand down his back, whispering reassurances. Then she gently palpated his limbs.

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