Page 16 of Little Shattered Dreams

I leaned against the wall, thinking about what I could do to help her, and then I glanced at the time. “I’m guessing your doctor won’t be at work for a few more hours.”

“Yeah, the office doesn’t open until nine. I think there’s an after-hours number, but I don’t have it. I’d need to look it up.”

“I’ll do it. You just try to relax.”

Faith gave me the name of her doctor and the name of the office where he worked. Before I made that call, I made another one first.

The phone was answered on the first ring with a groggy, “Morning, honey.”

“Aunt Laura, I need you to come to my bungalow right now.”

She didn’t question or hesitate. “Be right there.”

In her younger years, my Aunt Laura had been a nurse. She was one of the smartest people I knew and my go-to person whenever I had a medical question of any kind. If anyone knew what to do right now, it was her.

I called the doctor’s office and an after-hours receptionist answered. She wasted no time stating the obvious. The doctor wouldn’t be in until nine. She went on to explain he was packed with back-to-back patients all day. In a nonchalant, ‘I couldn’t give a care less about your situation’ attitude, she said she’d give him the message, and he’d call meifhe got the chance.

I was in no mood for her tepid response.

“You may not care about what’s going on here, or for the woman who may be losing her baby right now, butIdo,” I said. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to give you my cell phone number. You’re going to hang up and call the doctor, and you’re going to tell him to call me right away.”

“As I explained ma’am, he’s slammed all day today. If she needs to be seen sooner, you should take her to the emergency room.”

“He has five minutes to call me, or I start calling his cell phone, and I won’t stop until he answers.”

She laughed. “His personal number isn’t listed.”

“I’m a private detective. I bet I can find it in under two minutes. Hell, maybe I’ll look up where he lives while I’m at it, and I’ll drive her straight to his house. How does that sound?”

A short pause and then, “No, don’t. What’s your number?”

I gave it to her and ended the call just as Aunt Laura arrived. I gave her a quick rundown of the situation and introduced her to Faith.

The doctor returned my call a few minutes later. As it turned out, he was awake, out for a morning jog. I told him Faith had been through a traumatic event this morning that may have caused her to start spotting. Unlike the apathetic receptionist, the doctor had something she didn’t have—manners. He thanked me for calling and explained he’d known Faith all her life. He’d even delivered her. He would arrive within the hour.

Aunt Laura stepped out of the bathroom and tipped her head to the side, urging me to follow her onto the back deck.

I did, and as I pulled the door behind me, I said, “Has she calmed down at all?”

“A little.”

“How would you say she’s doing?” I asked.

“Hard to say.”

“Her doctor will be here soon.”

“Good.”

“Has the bleeding stopped?”

“Not yet, but it is heading in that direction. You were right to call her doctor. It’s enough blood to be worrisome.”

“Did my mother tell you what happened here last night?” I asked.

Aunt Laura moved a hand to her hip and grinned. “What doyouthink?”

“Does everyone in our group know?”

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