Page 36 of One Last Whisper

I fear she is not long for this world. Even if she is, her mind will not much longer be able to see the world. I wonder was I the same way when I lost Annie? I can’t remember, or rather, I remember myself being as sensible and logical as ever. Clearly, I wasn’t, though, because I was committed shortly after her disappearance. The worst thing about insanity is that it so easily disguises itself as sanity.

I’m not sure if it’s wise to leave her alone, but I’ve been of far less help than I hoped to be, and someone must stay with Oliver.

So, I bow, then leave Lady Cordelia to her ghosts.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“Take a deep breath for me.”

Oliver complies with Dr. Thornton’s request, breathing in deeply and releasing it slowly. It ends in a coughing fit, as all four of his previous breaths have.

I hold Oliver’s hand on one side. Theresa holds his hand on the other side. Lady Cordelia stands behind the doctor, biting her nails in anxiety. Oliver is expressionless, but he grips my hand tightly, and I can sense his fear.

Dr. Thornton puts his stethoscope away and smiles at Oliver. “Thank you for your cooperation, Master Oliver. I’ll leave you to your own devices for a moment. Lady Cordelia and Miss Wilcox, if I could have a word.”

I squeeze his hand, and then pass it to Theresa. She takes it in her other hand and smiles at him. “So brave, Master Oliver.”

He manages a wan smile in return.

Dr. Thornton leads the two of us from the room. His smile is gone when we are out of Oliver’s view. Lady Cordelia is shaking almost uncontrollably. She is too afraid to ask the question that must be asked.

So it falls to me. “How serious is his condition, Dr. Thornton?”

The doctor sighs. “Quite serious, I’m afraid.”

Lady Cordelia releases a soft cry and presses her eyes shut. Her lips shake, and tears leak from her eyes.

“There’s hope, my lady,” the doctor continues. “In fact, there’s a very strong chance he will grow up normally and recover from this ailment with perfectly adequate lung function. But I will spare you no details. He will have a long road ahead.”

Lady Cordelia cries out again. I put an arm around her, and she leans against my shoulder. She is so frail.

“What can we do?”

Thornton sighs again. “Oliver’s problem is that his left lung is severely underdeveloped. There are holes in the brachial tubes of his right lung that cause him to aspirate fluid when he eats.”

My eyes widen. “We’ve been feeding him tea and broth.”

“You’ll want to stop that right away,” he says.

“Oh God,” I whisper. “Have we hurt him?”

“Not seriously. Not yet. It’s not a high level of aspiration either, but it’s enough to cause the coughing. The coughing, really, isn’t too much of a concern. The concern is infection. His breathing function is forty percent of normal at best, but if he contracts pneumonia or a sufficiently bad flu, what would be an irritation to us could be deadly to him.”

“OhGod!”Cordelia wails.

She drops to her knees for a moment, and I glance nervously at the room door. Lady Cordelia’s cry was no doubt heard. “What should we do?” I ask.

“I am going to recommend that he be hospitalized immediately. We have tools at the hospital that can scan his lungs thoroughly and determine if his pre-existing condition has worsened. We can also start him on a diet that will minimize the risk of aspirating fluid as well as prescribe an antibiotic that will fight infection and an expectorant that will make it easier for him to clear what he aspirates.”

“That’s so much,” Lady Cordelia whispers. “That’s so much, and he’s so small.”

She runs her hand over her face and plants it on her chin. She’s still squatting on her heels. Dr. Thornton looks decidedly uncomfortable at seeing the Countess like this, but he does his job professionally. “We can transport him in my vehicle with your permission, Lady Cordelia.”

“We’ll need my husband’s permission,” she says. “He’s Oliver’s guardian. I’m not.”

The doctor frowned. “I see. “Is there a number where he can be reached?”

Lady Cordelia takes a deep breath. “I’ll call him. It will be easier to convince him if I’m the one who delivers it.”

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