“I’m not helpless, Beckett. I’ve been keeping myself alive for a long time. I don’t need you to step in and play the hero.”
My hold on my spoon tightened. “I’m nobody’s hero. Trust me.”
A knock sounded at my open office door. I looked up from packing my messenger bag to see Dolores standing there. “Cora Maxwell brought her son Jack in. He’s looking pretty miserable with a sore throat and an earache. Any chance you can squeeze him in before you head to lunch?”
I glanced at the time on my phone. I was supposed to meet Hayes and Calder in fifteen minutes, but I hated the idea of the little guy being miserable for another day. “Sure. Put them in exam room three. I’ll be right in.”
I typed out a text to Hayes and Calder, letting them know I’d be a little late and to order me a Coke. Today was one of those long ones, and it wasn’t even half over. I needed to unwind or punch something.
I left my medical coat off but grabbed my stethoscope and headed for the exam room. I could hear the cries before I even got close. I knocked gently, and a woman’s voice said for me to come in. She was petite with auburn hair and wore an ankle-length skirt and a high-necked blouse. She paced the floor, rocking her son as she walked. The boy looked to be a little over a year old, and his face was mottled red from crying.
“I’m so sorry for coming in without calling, but I didn’t know what else to do. I’ve tried everything. Elderberry. Steam. A fever reducer. Nothing helps.”
“Don’t you worry. We’ll get the little guy fixed up.”
As I moved into the room, Cora’s gaze darted around as if she expected someone to jump out from behind a door. I made a conscious effort to keep my movements extra slow. “When did he start feeling poorly?”
“Two weeks ago. It wasn’t bad at first, but I’ve really started to worry the last couple of days. I should’ve brought him in earlier, but…” Her words trailed off, and she snapped her mouth closed.
I pressed some hand sanitizer into my palms. “But?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “My husband isn’t a big fan of doctors. Thinks we need to be able to take care of these kinds of things ourselves.”
I bit back a retort as I gestured for her to bring her son to the exam table. “There’s lots you can handle from home, but there are plenty of things you can’t.” I picked up my otoscope and showed it to Cora. “I’m going to use this to look in his ears. If they’ve been bothering him, it might hurt a little.”
Cora bit her lip but nodded. She made a shushing noise as she held Jack’s head against her chest. I leaned forward, doing my best to keep the pressure gentle as I looked in his first ear. It was full of a nasty infection. “Okay, get him to switch if you can.”
Cora maneuvered the boy so I could look in his other ear. This side’s infection was even worse. My grip on the scope tightened, and I tried to swallow back my anger. “He’s got a double ear infection. I want to check his temperature and get a strep test going.”
Cora nodded, her eyes reddening. She pressed her face to her son’s. “I’m so sorry, baby. We’re gonna get you fixed up.”
I showed Jack the forehead thermometer. “This is like magic.” I pointed the device at his head, and he stared at it, transfixed. It beeped. One hundred five. Shit.
“His temp is high. I’d like to run an IV to get some fluids and meds directly into his system.”
Cora’s eyes filled. “Of course. I’m so sorry. I should’ve brought him sooner, but this was the first time we had an opening to get away.”
Something told me that she didn’t mean a break from her busy social schedule. I got a numbing patch and placed it on Jack’s arm so it could start to work. “I’ve got the number for an organization that might be able to help, Cora. They specialize in getting women o
ut of difficult situations.”
She stiffened. “We’re fine. It’s just doctors that Brandon isn’t a fan of.”
This type of thing was a delicate dance. Push too hard, and the person would run. Don’t push hard enough, and the unthinkable could happen. “If you change your mind, I’m always happy to make a call on your behalf.”
“Please, just help my son.”
“Okay.” I got the needle and line for the IV set up. One of the things I’d insisted on when we set up shop was having a full stock of emergency supplies. Wolf Gap was forty-five minutes from the nearest hospital, and these supplies could be the difference between life and death.
“All right, buddy. You’re gonna feel a little pinch.” I used my gloved hands to remove the numbing patch and cleaned the site over the vein. I held the needle in one hand and danced my fingers on my other up his arm, making silly faces and noises. Just as I blew a raspberry sound, I inserted the needle into Jack’s arm. He let out a small whine, but that was it. “There we are. What a brave boy you are.”
“I can’t believe that. He didn’t even cry.”
I wrapped a brace to Jack’s arm that would keep it straight so the IV wouldn’t move and then hooked up a tiny bag of saline. “The key is distraction. I’m going to give him some antibiotics and a small dose of pain meds. That should help him sleep this afternoon.”
Cora clutched her son to her chest. “He’s barely been sleeping at all. Only for short spurts, and only on my chest.”
“You should be able to get him down in his crib after this. Hopefully, he’ll start feeling better in twenty-four hours. I’d like to see him back here in a few days to do a recheck.”