His heart constricted. He’d left the woman and her daughter who’d found their way into his heart, opening it and giving him a chance to live fully again. He would always love Diane, but it was time to move on.IfMegan didn’t come to any harm.
Please let me get there on time. And keep Megan and Ella safe. I can’t lose them.
He should trust God and leave the situation in His hands. But overwhelming fear threatened to swallow him whole. If he didn’t hear from Ingerman soon, Reid might lose his mind.
Megan sat in the chair by Ella’s bed and took her sweet little daughter’s hand. So small and fragile. From the day they’d diagnosed Ella with a tumor, Megan feared a day like this could come. She’d known it intellectually but never allowed herself to feel the terror to the fullest in her heart.
And after Orrin had walked out, she’d known if the horrific day ever happened, she would be alone. When Dr. Browne announced Ella had pneumonia, Megan had called Orrin, but he was out of the country on an assignment, and he couldn’t come home. Maybe didn’t want to come here.
And Reid? Well, he’d shown his true colors.
A chill took hold of Megan. Not the cold she’d found outdoors, but the freezing realization that Reid abandoned her again. This time, the pain nearly doubled her in half.
She laid her head on the side of the bed and thought only of Ella. Her baby clinging to life. Megan couldn’t control her tears any longer, and she sobbed into the sheet until she could cry no more.
She stared at the textured ceiling.
“God, what did I do to deserve this? Please don’t punish Ella for something I may have done. Punish me in some other way, but don’t take my Ella.”
Exhausted, Megan laid her head on the bed. A door opened behind her and footfalls came close. She was almost too tired to lift her head and see who it was. She hoped it might be Reid coming to his senses, but she knew he was gone for good.
“Megan,” Dr. Browne’s soft whisper drifted over Megan.
Not more bad news. Please, not more bad news.
Megan didn’t open her eyes right away. She wanted to pretend she was asleep. If she did, she wouldn’t have to hear more bad news, but she had to know.
She raised her head and peered at the doctor, whose face told of her sleepless night.
She smiled. “Ella’s stats have improved a bit.”
Megan shot up. “She’ll be okay, then?”
Dr. Browne held up her hand. “Let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. I’m hoping this means that by getting her here so quickly, we’ve caught the pneumonia in time.”
Thanks to Reid calling Russ and his speedy transport. “But she’s not out of the woods?”
Dr. Browne shook her head. “It’ll take some time for the drugs to really take hold, but this may be a positive indicator that they could be working.”
“You really don’t know, right?”
“Right.” She squeezed Megan’s arm. “I’ll be back to check on her soon.”
Megan nodded and the doctor left. Megan appreciated the visit, but she couldn’t let even a fraction of hope take hold only to be let down again, but she could at least cling to the positive test result.
The nurse came in carrying IV bags and went straight to the stand. “We’ve got coffee and pastries in the lounge, Ms. Cash. This early in the morning, there won’t be many people around. You could have a few minutes to yourself before your day gets started. Why don’t you go grab something while I take care of this?”
Megan didn’t want to leave Ella, but she had to eat something. With the nurse in the room, it would be a perfect time to do so.
“Thank you.” Megan left with a backward glance at Ella.
The small lounge set up for families of patients in the PICU was nearly empty, as the nurse predicted. Megan pumped coffee into a paper cup, stirred in a generous helping of cream, and listened to the sounds of the hospital coming to life for the new day. Breakfast trays clanging, people chatting, and wheels churning down the hallways. Life was going on, no matter what happened in her world.
She sipped the coffee and walked to the window. The sun grew in the sky as a glorious ball of light. It sparkled on the freshly fallen snow and seemed as if it would be a beautiful day. Megan would embrace that along with Ella showing a bit of improvement. That was a start. She would think positively and leave behind all her doubts.
“You thought you were smarter than me, didn’t you?” A deep male voice came from behind.
Megan spun. A man, eyes narrowed and angry, stood in the corner of the room. She’d seen him when she’d entered the lounge, but she’d figured he was here visiting a patient and hadn’t paid him much attention.
