Her phone chimed, and she jumped, almost fumbling the phone before answering. “Thank you for calling me so fast.” Megan relayed Ella’s fever and stomach pain.
“With her recent infection, I think it’s best if you bring her in as a precaution.” Her tone was calm, as usual. A tone she used even when delivering the worst of news.
Megan could never tell what the woman was thinking because of that. “What do you think it is?”
“I won’t know until I examine her. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
“We’re in Shadow Lake, so it’ll take us an hour or so to get there.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Megan shoved her phone into her pocket and ran up the stairs. Reid was holding Ella, who’d curled up in his lap. Jessie looked at them both with terror-stricken eyes.
Megan took a breath to calmly walk into the room. “Dr. Browne wants me to get Ella to the hospital.”
“I’ll call Russ. His vehicle has chains, and he’ll be our fastest transport.”
“Thank you.” Megan sat on the bed.
Reid transferred Ella to her lap. Ella moaned, her eyes glazed.
“Hang on, sweetie,” Megan said. “We’ll take you to see Dr. Browne, and she’ll make this all better again.”
Reid pulled his phone from his pocket and stepped into the hallway.
Jessie sat next to Megan and looked as if she might cry. Megan barely had enough presence of mind to deal with Ella, but Jessie needed reassurance too.
“I know you’re worried, Jessie.” Megan managed a weak smile. “But Ella will be okay.”
Megan could see Jessie didn’t believe her. Probably because Megan’s words were hollow and weak. It was hard to convince another person that her child was going to be fine when she wasn’t convinced of her own words.
Reid waited in the hospital lounge outside intensive care for word on Ella’s condition. The doctor’s initial diagnosis was pneumonia. The very thing that had shortened Diane’s life. But this was different. Diane had a cold that gradually developed into pneumonia. Ella had very few symptoms, and it came on fast.
When they’d arrived, Megan lamented letting Ella do so much tonight, but Dr. Browne said it could happen fast no matter what Ella had been doing. Still, Megan didn’t hide the fact that she was blaming herself.
Jessie slipped under his arm. “Is Ella going to be okay, Dad?”
From the moment they’d seen Ella pale and sweating, then heard the diagnosis, Reid knew Jessie would ask about her new friend. He’d been thinking about what to say to her. If he painted a rosy picture and Ella didn’t make it, then Jessie wouldn’t be able to trust him again. His only option was to be honest.
He pulled her closer. “I don’t know, Bug.”
Her chin trembled. “So she might die, like Mom did.”
“Maybe.” The single word came out in a croak, surprising him at the intensity of pain he was experiencing over the possibility of losing Ella.
A tear trickled down Jessie’s cheek, and she swiped it away. “Can we pray for her?”
“Of course.” He took Jessie’s hand and bowed his head.
“I’ll start,” Jessie said. “God, I need Your help. My new friend Ella is really sick, and I’m afraid she might not make it. I know it’s all up to You, but don’t let her die like a lot of the kids around here.”
Jessie’s voice cracked, piercing Reid’s heart. He took over. “Please direct the doctors to the right treatment and cure Ella’s pneumonia. Amen.” He squeezed Jessie’s hand.
“This is so hard.” Her eyes glistened with tears. “I really like Megan and Ella, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to them.”
Reid had brought Megan and Ella into their lives, and now he opened Jessie to more pain. The anguish in her eyes again cut him to the core. He wanted to do something to ease her pain, but there was nothing he could do. Nothing. So he quietly stood there, holding her by his side.
Russ and Sydney came into the room, and Jessie spun out of his hold. Sydney had driven Reid’s car to leave so he could stay with Megan, and Sydney and Russ would take Jessie home in the squad car.
