The Light That I'd Bless Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Reid quietly let himself into Katie’s apartment, praying that she and Jacob were both sound asleep. But his prayers went unanswered when he saw that Katie was sitting at the kitchen table, trying to soothe a crying Jacob.
A not-so-good-morning to you, Reid Oliver.
Where the hell have you been? And, so help me, if you tell me that you spent the night with that man, I’m going to take this slipper off and chuck it at your head.
Reid raised his hands in mock surrender.
Keep your slippers on.
I did not sleep with Greg. Not going to happen.
Katie’s face relaxed, a small smile forming.
Well, I’m glad to hear it. You and I both know you don’t belong with that guy.
So, where were you?
Reid was contemplating sitting at the table and spilling the whole story to his best friend when Jacob’s cries became even more pronounced.
What’s going on? Is he sick?
Eww…has there been puking? Is he contagious?
Katie shook her head.
I don’t know. He’s not running a fever and he doesn’t seem to have a cold.
He’s done this a few of times in the past few weeks. He cries like something is wrong, I give him some ibuprofen, which seems to help, and it passes. I’ve talked to Chris about it and he’s examined him, but we haven‘t figured out what‘s going on.
Reid could see that Katie was exhausted and reached out for the boy in the hopes of giving him a cursory once-over without Katie realizing it.
Mind if I take him?
Maybe a little time with his Olive will help.
Katie was grateful for the break, even for a few minutes, so she handed the crying child to Reid, who nestled Jacob into his chest. The boy immediately burrowed in, one hand clutching Reid’s shirt and the other rubbing at his eyes.
Katie, when he has these crying jags, does he always squint his eyes and furrow his brow like this?
Katie thought for a minute.
Yes, I think he does. Why?
Reid made small circles with his hand on the little boy’s back.
I think these may be headaches. Even small children who are as verbal as Jacob is sometimes have trouble pinpointing where their pain is located.
I’d give Chris a call and tell him that. It’s probably nothing to be concerned about…it could be allergies or a sinus issue, but let Chris take a look and determine if there’s anything more you should do to get to the bottom of this.
Reid reached out and smoothed Katie’s hair.
Stop looking like that, Goldilocks, Jacob will be fine. Knowing what’s going on with him is a good thing, it will help us…you figure out how to help him.
Katie nodded her head and reached into her handbag for her phone.
Once she’d called Chris and filled him in, she asked Reid to keep an eye on Jacob while she showered and dressed. One upside to having an “in” with the town’s most prominent pediatrician was the instant appointments. Chris was going to head in early to meet her at his office.
Reid held a now whimpering Jacob, rubbing his back and talking soothingly to the boy, promising all manner of treats for his trouble. Ice Cream was first on the list…with rainbow sprinkles.
When Katie returned to the living room, she looked at Reid, her blue eyes begging.
Reid, will you please go with me to Chris’ office?
I know everything is fine, but I like the idea of Jacob having two doctors on hand to allay my fears.
Reid smiled at the silly woman. As if he would have let her go without him. She may trust Doogie with her son’s health, but Reid certainly did not. He’d seen the man’s idiocy in action…proactive he was not. Reid may not be practicing medicine, but he was certainly more capable than that boob.
They arrived at Chris’ office 15 minutes later and the nurse ushered them right into an exam room, where Chris was waiting.
Reid, it’s…good…to see you again. How does it feel to be back?
Reid accepted Chris’ outstretched hand.
It is what it is, Doogie. I do apologize for springing my continuing existence on you the other day. And I’m sorry about the whole not-my-heart thing, but a heart’s a heart…as long as it’s healthy, it doesn’t really matter who it came from.
Chris rubbed his brow, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.
Yeah, I’m trying to adopt your philosophy here, Reid, but it’s not easy.
Reid gave Chris’ arm a smack.
That’s because it’s not a philosophy, it’s logic…pure and simple. You needed a heart, you got one, you’re doing well. End of story.
The other man thought for a moment.
It pains me to say it, but you’re right.
In any case, I am sorry about your brother.
As hard as it is on me, I can’t even begin to imagine what this is like for you.
But I do want you to know that everything that happened gave me a new perspective on my life. I don’t plan on wasting this chance, Reid.
They both turned at the sound of a sniffle, to see a smiling Katie.
Okay, Doogie, let’s get to the matter at hand.
Katie’s told me that Jacob’s had a few crying spells recently that can’t seem to be explained. I happened to be present for one of them and noticed that his behavior indicates that he may be experiencing head pain.
Katie handed Jacob over to Chris, who gently laid him down on the exam table.
After taking his temperature and checking his blood pressure, he looked in Jacob’s ears, nose and throat. He then moved on to testing the boy’s reflexes.
Reid watched Chris’ examination, feeling the familiar itch to step in. Unfamiliar; however, was the feeling in his stomach…the burning, the clenching. He’d never wanted to know what a parent felt like when their child was sick, and now he found himself in a position that he imagined felt very similar.
Finally, he could no longer just stand by and watch.
Chris, do you mind if I take a look?
Chris stepped aside.
Be my guest. How could I refuse after you actually humbled yourself and used my real name?
Reid proceeded to initiate tests aimed at assessing Jacob’s motor functions. He schooled his features, as he always had done when examining a patient, careful not to betray any emotion or concern.
Katie, has Jacob been at all unsteady on his feet? For example, has he been falling more than usual lately?
Katie thought for a moment.
Isn’t the fact that they’re unsteady on their feet the reason they’re called “toddlers”?
Yes, he is a little on the clumsy side lately, but I’ve attributed that to the fact that he’s always ramming around head first. His feet move faster than his brain and he trips himself up.
Why? Reid, you’re scaring me.
Reid carefully searched for the right words, an action that was completely foreign to him. He’d always been one to get right to the point, beating around the bush served no purpose. He glanced quickly at Chris to ascertain whether the other doctor was following his train of thought. He saw immediately that Chris was, indeed, on the same page, so he answered her as calmly as he could.
Look, Katie, anytime a child has headaches and experiences issues with balance and coordination, I like to err on the side of caution.
Like I said before, we may be looking at a sinus or inner ear problem, so it’s in Jacob’s best interest to get to the bottom of it so we can work on making him better. I think getting an MRI is a reasonable start in investigating what‘s causing these issues.
Because of his age, he’ll need to be sedated. Has Jacob had anything to eat in the last few hours? I saw that you’d given him some water at home, but that won‘t be a problem by the time they‘re able to perform the test.
As Katie answered his questions, Reid could see the fear taking up residence in her eyes. As her friend, he wished that he could reach out and quell it, but as a doctor…former doctor…he knew that he shouldn’t make promises he couldn’t keep. They needed to know what they were dealing with before he could begin to find the words to comfort her.
Reid, can you be there for the MRI? I know that you’re on a self-imposed sabbatical right now, but I need you to do this for m…and for Jacob.
Chris interrupted and told Katie that he would call Susan Stewart, the current Chief of Staff, to ask if Reid could be granted temporary privileges. He sent Katie out to the waiting room, telling her that he and Reid would both need to speak to Susan.
As soon as Katie left the room, Chris turned to Reid.
I know what you’re thinking, but he’s really young. You usually don’t see this sort of thing before 6 at the earliest, although I know that there are always exceptions. I honestly never even considered it.
I’ll get them to take Jacob in as an emergency so we don’t have to wait. I don’t think it should be a problem.
Please tell me that you’re willing to at least help get us through the MRI. I get that you aren’t ready to be the superhero you were before, but Katie needs you right now.
Reid nodded his acquiescence.
If you can get Susan to allow it, I’ll sit in on the MRI and look at the scans as they come up. I’ve never wanted to be wrong so much in my entire life.
And, Doogie, don’t beat yourself up over this, it’s not something that anyone would think of right away. I’ve just seen it before.
While you work on Dr. Stewart, I‘ll call Greg Channing and ask him if he can meet us there…another set of eyes wouldn‘t hurt, and, as much as it pains me to say it, he‘s good at what he does.
A/N...I hate...HATE...the sick child thing on soaps. It turns my stomach (probably a little too close to home these days, with being a mom and all} but I've gone and introduced it into my own story. Bear with me?