Mission Creek Mother-To-Be

“What’s going on?” Jared asked, leaning down. “What’s he got?”

“My earring,” she said a little shrilly. “A diamond earring.”

“He’s got your earring in his mouth?” Jared bent down to try to get it out.

She poked her finger into the child’s mouth and felt around. Nothing. “No,” she said, pulling a shaking hand back and looking at Jared in terror. “Not anymore. He swallowed it.”

Three

“He swallowed it?” Jared picked the child up from Melanie’s lap. He was still calm, but there was an undercurrent in his voice.

She nodded, kneading her hands in front of her. “One-carat diamond stud. Oh, my God, what am I going to do?”

He gave her an impatient glance before turning his attention back to the child. “I’m sure your insurance will cover it.”

His words didn’t compute. “Insurance?”

He set the child on top of a table and told him to open wide. “Yes,” he said into Dan’s mouth, poking around with his finger. “You can get yourself a new— What did you say it was? One carat diamond?”

Melanie understood his implication. “I’m not worried about the diamond,” she said, drawing herself up. “I’m worried about the b-o-y.”

Dan looked at her with wide blue eyes. Oh, no, could he spell? She didn’t want to alarm him any more than necessary.

“The earring wasn’t huge,” she continued in a very soothing tone, with half an eye toward Dan, “but it wasn’t exactly a strawberry seed, either.” She took the other earring out of her ear and showed it to Jared. “It was this size. Can this hurt him?”

Jared took the earring and examined it. “It’s a short post, that’s good.”

She nodded eagerly. “I have them made that way because I don’t like getting poked when I sleep.”

He gave her a puzzled look.

“By the post, I mean,” she explained. “They’re sharp.”

“I see.”

Silence hung between them.

“I swallowed an ice cube once,” Melanie said, trying to reassure herself more than to inform him. “It was a lot bigger than that and it went down. Of course, I was older and it melted eventually, but still… Maybe this will go right through him, right?”

“Hopefully.”

Em came into the room from the kitchen area, with two children with wet hair. “Is something wrong?” she asked, her brow furrowed.

“It’s my fault,” Melanie said quickly. It was all she could do not to throw herself into Em’s arms, sobbing. “Dan was fiddling with my earring and I startled him and he—he swallowed it!”

“Your earring? How big was it?”

Melanie held the other one out to Em in a hand that trembled. “It was like this.”

“Oh, thank goodness it wasn’t a big one.”

Melanie was somewhat relieved. “It seems big when you think of it going through that little digestive system.”

To Melanie’s surprise, Em patted her arm kindly. “These things happen. Quite a lot around here, as a matter of fact. What do you think, Dr. Cross?” There was concern in her eyes, but at least she didn’t look alarmed.

“He needs to go upstairs for an X ray,” Jared said.

“An X ray?” Melanie’s knees felt weak. Oh, no. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

Em put a hand on her shoulder. “Now, now. It’s just a formality, to make sure it’s not stuck someplace it shouldn’t be. We always have to have an X ray, then we just let nature take its course.”

“I’ll call up there and tell them he’s coming,” Jared said briskly, going to the small office in the next room.

Melanie nodded and took the child back into her arms. Immediately he leaned his head against her chest. A sob caught in her throat, and she laid her cheek against his feathery-soft blond curls. “I’m sorry, baby. You feel okay?”

He didn’t answer, but she didn’t expect him to.

“Why don’t you take him to the X-ray department on the seventh floor now?” Em suggested. “I can hold down the fort here.”

“Do you really trust me to do that?” Melanie asked, worried that Em had forgotten who’d caused all this trouble in the first place.

“Why, of course.” Em looked surprised.

“Thank you.” Melanie’s words came out in a rush of gratitude. “I won’t let you down.”

“Melanie, dear, it was a mistake. Please don’t beat yourself up about it. Just let them check Dan out, then call Linda on the hospital phone and let her know what happened.”

Melanie nodded. “I will, absolutely.”

When Jared came back he said, “They’re waiting. I’ll take you up there. I have to pick up a chart from the seventh floor anyway.” He turned to Em. “Is Lily Palmer ready? I came down to get her for an appointment.”

“She certainly is.” Em called a child of about six over to join them.

Melanie was glad that Em and Jared were not so worried about Dan that they couldn’t think about anything else. That had to be a good sign.

“Dr. Cross!” the little girl squealed when she saw him. “Are we going to talk about my baby brother again?”

He smiled at her. “If you like.”

They all began walking toward the door.

“Whatever.” The child flipped her hair. “I’m not so sad about him coming anymore. Mommy said she’d hire me to help her when he’s here, but I don’t have to change smelly old diapers!”

“Sounds like you got a good deal,” he said, and the child laughed and ran ahead.

“Is she a patient of yours?” Melanie asked, holding Dan close as they rounded the corner to the elevators.

“A temporary one,” he answered. “Fortunately her problems were not very serious. Her mom’s a doctor here and due to give birth next month. Lily’s been having a little trouble with jealousy.”