Chapter Five
Wednesday, July 10th
"Thank you, everyone. Good work." Elizabeth walked toward Austin's head. "Fight hard, Austin." She touched his cheek and closed her eyes, saying a silent prayer. "Warren, Pietra, would you make the original ECMO checklist and send blood before you hand him off to the ICU?" She patted Steven's back and headed toward the doors. "Go home."
The woman staring back at her in the locker room mirror had dark rings underlining her eyes, but the present fright bothered her more. The thought of seeing Martin Bailey again shook her to the core.
A muted hum echoed beside her while approaching the family. Escorted by Connor Caine, a surgical fellow, Elizabeth pressed her tired shoulders back as she entered. Reverend Harold Brookfield was praying with Austin's family and friends.
As apprehensive faces turned toward her, she felt Martin's presence behind her right away. A pregnant woman stood, wrapped in the loving embrace of Dennis Bailey. "I'm Dr. Beth Reed. Austin is out of surgery and will be moved to the intensive care unit soon. Please sit, Mrs. Bailey."
"Tell me, is Austin going to survive?" Janey's voice was shaky, and tears fell from her eyes.
Connor handed her a tissue before Elizabeth took Janey's hand between hers. "That is our goal. He arrived here with no pulse caused by heavy bleeding. A collaboration of physicians performed our assessment and took some drastic measures. Three gunshots missed his vest." Her fingers pointed to the areas of entry. "A bullet in the human body is like a ball in a pinball machine. The bullets did significant damage to many of his organs, but the bleeding is stopped now. The next hurdle is to help his adjustment to the effects of the shock. This is Dr. Caine. He will stay with Austin through the morning."
"Can I visit him?" Janey dabbed at her eyes.
"Yes. How soon is the little one due?"
"Three weeks." Janey wiped her nose.
."The baby needs to stay put. Let us be responsible for Austin's health, and you protect your baby." Elizabeth let go of Janey's hand. "Austin is swollen. A lot of tubes and wires make things scarier. A device called ECMO—it stands for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation—is giving his injured lungs a rest. On the positive side, Austin's heart appears undamaged. Once he's settled, we will initiate dialysis to help his kidneys do their job. Specialized blankets and fluids are keeping him cold—the chemical reactions of the body slow down. The lowered temperature also lessens inflammation in the brain. Here is my card with my personal cell phone number on the back." She rose, helping the much taller Janey to her feet.
A man she didn't recognize stood. "Dr. Reed, my name is Pete Walter. I am the chief operations executive for Chase Medical and a physician assistant. The Bailey family asked me to be the liaison for Austin. Would you mind if we met tomorrow for a thorough discussion? This was a long surgery."
"Thank you for understanding. Not a problem—if Mrs. Bailey agrees?" Janey nodded. "Call my secretary in the morning to make an appointment. The immediate family and Mr. Walter can come with me to be with Austin." The encouraging trail of friends and fellow cops formed a cortège as they walked to the recovery room. "Once inside, keep it to just two at a time at his side, please."
"You always wanted to be a doctor." The baritone voice from her dreams spoke to her.
She turned to face him. "Hello, Marty. I'm sorry about Austin." Pleased she sounded strong, she continued, "I did my best."
The boy she adored was now a striking, handsome man. Her heart hammered in her chest, and her empty stomach knotted, threatening to weaken her knees further.
"I hope so, after what you did." His eyes turned cold.
"Tomorrow, my partner, Steven Keys, can take over," she offered, accompanied by a haggard breath.
Fay Bailey approached before her son said more. "Martin, decisions can be made with Pete in the morning. Dr. Reed just spent ten hours operating on Austin."
Gone was the sweetness she remembered from long ago. It was replaced by a cold indifference from what she did. "Fine, Mom."
"Dr. Reed, they're ready for us upstairs," Connor said.
“Please, everyone, try to rest. The next seventy-two hours will tell us more. Doctor Caine will contact you if anything changes."
At two AM, she left the eighteenth floor with her breath squeezed from her chest. She punched the illuminated elevator button with frustration. She needed to go to her office, get her purse and leave the building.
The artfully furnished 1930s-era stone home was bathed in her headlights fifteen minutes later. It wasn’t anything like the museum she grew up in or the home she shared with Lewis those few months, nor the many camps and tents she lived in working overseas; this was her safe place. Her choices.
Anxiety flooded her as she downed a broad bowl glass of pinot noir and poured a second. Bath salts scented the steamy water flowing into a deep soaking tub. Naked, she climbed inside the warm cocoon. Her limbs tingled from the rapid breaths as the wine failed to settle her jangling nerves. Her chin trembled, and her body quaked with sobs.
“Marty.” Martin Bailey, the only man she ever wanted, was back in her life. Those gorgeous gray eyes were filled with such anger, hatred, and pain. Their child, the baby he never knew about, the child she killed, compelled her to keep the distance between them. One look at his face and her heart told her he would never forgive her.
Hyperventilating, her body protected itself, and she lost consciousness. The glass tumbled from her fingertips, shattering against the tile floor as she slipped beneath the water. Moments later, coughing and sputtering, water overflowed to the white porcelain as she pulled herself up.
After dressing and cleaning up the broken glass and spilled wine, she dragged a metal box from her bedroom closet. The note from the refined pink envelope discovered six months ago made everything worse. Written in frail handwriting by her dying mother was a confession, the words now memorized:
This is my repentance to you. The box contains your letters and Marty's. One day, you would have them. With my death, I am released from my deepest fear, losing you. Your father will face his own lies. Please find your happiness, my beautiful girl. Please take what is inside and find the love we denied you. Marty never abandoned you. He loved you with all his heart. Momma.
