An Engagement For Two

Mikki thought it prudent not to comment on that as she quickly wrote a note to her receptionist. He could say anything he wanted to about Sophia, but after all, the woman was his mother. If she agreed with his assessment, in all likelihood he would become defensive and that would make further communication difficult.

Being vague about her new patient’s disposition was the best way to go.

“Let’s just try to get her better,” Mikki responded. “I’m going to call ahead so that we can get her into the radiology lab for those scans quickly.”

With that, Mikki turned away in order to make her call.

The pain abated again for a moment. Concerned that she was disrupting his life, Sophia looked up at her son. “Just leave me here, Jeffrey. You have to get to work,” she reminded him.

“Not for a few hours yet,” Jeff corrected, “and anyway, I have people to cover for me. Let’s just focus on finally getting to the bottom of this pain you’ve been having.”

A ragged sigh escaped Sophia’s lips. “Everyone dies, Jeffrey.”

His mother could never be accused of being happy-go-lucky, Jeff thought. Or an optimist. “But not today,” he told her firmly.

Sophia began to protest just as the woman she viewed as far too young to be a doctor, much less one who was exceptionally skillful, rejoined them.

“Everything’s set,” Mikki announced. “Let’s get your mother over to the hospital. We’ll use your car.”

He didn’t ask her why, but once they arrived in the hospital parking lot, the answer quickly became apparent. The doctor pointed out a space marked Physician Parking Only and told him to park there.

“My car’s a small two-door,” she explained, “and I wanted your mother to be comfortable.” Quickly getting out of his vehicle, she told Jeff, “Wait here. I’m going in to get a gurney for your mother.”

The moment the doctor walked in through the electronic doors labeled ER Entrance, Sophia grabbed her son’s arm again. “I don’t know about this, Jeffrey.”

“Well, I do, Mom. We’re here and we’re getting to the bottom of all this. You almost cut off my circulation the last time you grabbed my hand.”

“I won’t squeeze your hand again, I promise,” Sophia told him.

“That’s not the point, Mom,” Jeff said. “You’re in a great deal of pain, and we need to find out why before your condition gets any worse.”

“It’s just indigestion,” Sophia cried, trying not to writhe in pain. She was desperate to have him take her back home. She hadn’t been inside a hospital since she’d lost her husband, and just being outside one brought back terrible memories.

“Enough excuses, Mom. You’re having these tests and that’s that,” he told her firmly just as Mikki returned with a nurse and an orderly in tow. The latter two were pushing a gurney between them.

“Your chariot’s here, Mrs. Sabatino,” Mikki announced, smiling as she and the two hospital staff members approached Sophia.

Sheer panic entered Sophia’s eyes when she looked up at her son. “Jeffrey?”

He forced himself to ignore his mother’s pleading tone. “You’re going in for those tests, Mom, and I’m going to be right there with you,” he promised.

“Well, maybe during the ultrasound, but not during the CT scan,” Mikki told him. Seeing the panicked expression on his mother’s face, she added, “But I can come into the room with you.”

That did little to comfort Sophia. “But I don’t know you,” she protested.

“Well, we’ll use the time to get to know each other,” Mikki told her.

Sophia murmured something under her breath that neither the doctor nor Jeff could make out. Jeff expected to see Mikki become annoyed. After all, she was bending over backward for his mother, who was being far from her usual genial self.

But the doctor only smiled, saying something encouraging to her in response.

Theresa had been right, Jeff thought as he accompanied his mother and her new doctor into the emergency room. Dr. McKenna was an absolute treasure. She was going out of her way to humor his mother and she hadn’t lost her temper once. Most people did when his mother behaved this way. It wasn’t often, but it was grating when it happened. He dearly loved the woman, but he wasn’t blind to her faults.

Once inside the emergency room, his mother was taken to a curtained-off bed in order to prepare her for the CT scan, ultrasound and several other necessary tests. Jeff waited outside the curtained area as one of the nurses went in to help his mother change into a hospital gown.

“I’ll take good care of her,” Mikki said, coming up behind him.

Surprised—he’d assumed that the doctor had left for the time being—Jeff turned around to look at the petite dark blonde.

“What about your other patients?” he asked. He remembered that Theresa had told him the doctor had a full schedule today. That was why she’d asked him to bring his mother in so early.

“I take good care of them, too,” Mikki answered with a smile.

He had no doubt that she did. There was something exceptionally competent about the woman. “I hope they’re not all like my mother.”

She laughed, and he liked the way her blue eyes crinkled.

“Oh, you’d be surprised,” she told him. “A great many of my patients require a lot of hand-holding and reassuring.”

“How do you do it?” he marveled.

“One hand at a time” was her answer.

Just then the nurse stepped out from between the curtained-off section. “She’s all ready,” the nurse told Mikki.

The latter nodded in response. “Then let’s get the show on the road.”

“Before you get started, Doctor,” Jeff said, stopping her for a moment, “I just want to say thank you.”

Her smile was warm and genuine. “No problem,” Mikki said.

“But there will be,” he replied with a sigh.

Mikki merely laughed in response.

* * *

The tests went far more quickly than he’d thought they would. He and his mother had arrived at the hospital at eight thirty. By ten fifteen the doctor had returned to tell him that she had all the results and she’d been able to diagnose his mother’s condition.