Page 4 of Fractured Reunion

He didn’t appear to be in pain. But he also wasn’t talking, so she wasn’t even sure he could understand her. The child didn’t look Hispanic, but that didn’t mean he’d been exposed to the English language.

The little boy cried out in pain as her hand passed over his side toward his abdomen.

“Does that hurt?” she asked.

He nodded and pressed closer to her.

At least he understood that much. “I’m Doctor Maggie. What’s your name?”

He didn’t respond.

The ambulance ride to Children’s Memorial Hospital located right next to Trinity Medical Center didn’t take long. When the EMT opened the back, she carried the little boy down and into the emergency department.

“Who do we have here?” the friendly woman at the front desk asked.

“I’m Dr. Maggie Dall, pediatric anesthesiologist, and this is a young victim of the bus crash outside the Pfister Hotel. Unfortunately, I don’t know his name.”

The woman frowned. “Where is his parent or guardian?”

“Not here.” Maggie didn’t want to say the word dead in front of the boy. “I know his last name is Johnson, and he needs to be scanned for internal bleeding. He has tenderness on the right side of his abdomen, could be a lacerated liver.”

It looked as if the woman might argue, but just then she felt someone come up to stand beside her.

“Dr. Aaron Monroe,” he said, introducing himself. “We need a room for this child ASAP.”

“Of course, Dr. Monroe. This way.” The woman stood and led them through a doorway into the emergency department.

The fact that her title hadn’t garnered the same respect made Maggie cranky, but she held her tongue. How they’d gotten through to the back didn’t matter; providing this little boy the medical care he needed did.

“I need you to lie down on the cot,” she told the child.

He shook his head, gripping her tighter. Her heart ached for him, but she had to be able to examine him.

“Please, for me,” she cajoled, trying to gently pry his arms from the locked hold he had on her neck. “I won’t leave you. I’ll stay right here with you, okay?”

He shook his head again but then relaxed his grip. “You’ll stay?”

They were the first words he’d uttered since she’d found him, and she bent her head to meet his gaze. “Yes. I’ll stay. I promise. I won’t leave you.”

He nodded, then put his hand on his abdomen. “Hurts.”

“I understand, we’re going to find out why your tummy hurts and make it all better, okay?” She smiled reassuringly, thrilled the boy was finally talking. “I’m Dr. Maggie, and I’m going to help take care of you. What’s your name?”

There was a long pause as he gazed up at her. “Joey.”

“I love the name Joey. Can you tell me if you hurt anywhere else?” She didn’t see any other obvious signs of an injury. “Your head? Your arms or legs?”

“My tummy,” he said. “Hurts.”

“Okay.” She glanced at Aaron who stood near the door, watching her interact with their young patient. When the nurse came over with a hospital gown, she took the garment from her. “Joey, can we take your shirt and pants off to put this gown on?”

“No. Don’t wanna.” His lower lip trembled. “I want my mommy.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I know you do.” She gathered him close, wishing more than anything she could present his mother.

But his mother was gone and never coming back. Something she’d have to explain to the boy sooner or later. Maybe after he’d gotten his scans to make sure he wasn’t bleeding internally. “He can stay in his clothes for a CT scan, right?” she said to the nurse.

The nurse glanced from Maggie to Aaron, then nodded. “Sure. If that’s what you want.”

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