Cracks in the Sidewalk(6)

“Okay then, we start from square one.”

By the time Elizabeth watched Rebecca Sorenson write orders for several tests that afternoon, she had begun to like her. Her smile, the casual ease with which she spoke. Under other circumstances, Elizabeth could envision them becoming friends. Going to parties together. Book clubs maybe. Sharing recipes.

“Do you have any children yourself?” she asked.

“Afraid not,” the doctor answered laughingly. “I’ve yet to find my Mister Right.”

“Children are a true blessing,” Elizabeth said.

~

After spending hours at a nearby clinic, Elizabeth and her mother returned to Doctor Sorenson’s office to learn the results of the tests.

Rebecca leafed through several pages of reports. “It looks like your obstetrician was correct. This is definitely not all baby weight. Something more is going on.”

“What is it?” Elizabeth asked nervously.

The doctor shrugged sympathetically. “We don’t know yet. The tests show certain abnormalities in your system, but the source of the problem isn’t obvious. We know it’s a neurological malfunction, but to pinpoint the origin we’d need a CT scan.”

“Is that the next step?” Claire asked.

“Unfortunately no,” Doctor Sorenson replied. “We can’t do it while Elizabeth is pregnant. The scan involves radiation, and that’s harmful to an unborn child.”

She turned to Elizabeth. “Our best bet is to get you into the hospital. There, I can monitor you and control any complications that crop up. With a few more tests, maybe we’ll get lucky and find out what’s causing the problem.”

“But I have kids at home, I need to—”

Claire eased her arm across Elizabeth’s shoulder and squeezed. “Don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”

Elizabeth looked at Doctor Sorenson and asked, “Will it? Is my baby really okay?”

“Right now, yes,” Rebecca said, “and I intend to do everything possible to make sure it stays that way. You’re the one I’m worried about.”

~

JT had come to expect bad days. He’d settled into them the way one settles into riding an overcrowded bus. But this particular day was one of his worst. Before he left the house he and Elizabeth had another argument, and then Eleanor Morgan returned the opera coat she purchased last week claiming it was much too dressy.

“I can’t imagine what I was thinking,” she said as she collected her refund.

Not long after that, the sales representative from Lady Lorraine called to say his boss refused to ship any more merchandise until JT paid his outstanding invoices.

“You have three invoices that are over ninety days!” the rep growled. “You know our policy is ten days net!”

With his patience already worn thin, JT was unprepared for what greeted him at home.

“Where’s Liz?” he asked Claire, who tried to coax Kimberly into eating some green peas.

“In the hospital,” Claire answered, extending the pea-filled spoon toward Kimberly. “One little bite,” she cajoled. “They’re yummy, just try them.”

“Hospital? What hospital?”

“Saint Barnabas,” Claire answered absently. “But don’t worry, she and the baby are both okay. The doctor just wants to keep an eye on her.”

“What for? What’s wrong?”

“They don’t know yet. Doctor Sorenson said they need a CT scan to know for certain…” She turned toward JT, and in that instant Kimberly’s hand shot out and sent the peas spiraling into the air.

“Shame on you doing that!” Claire scolded. She bent to retrieve the peas from the floor.

“When is this CT scan?” JT asked, ignoring the pea rolling past his shoe.

“She’s not having it, at least not now. It’s a radiation thing that’s dangerous for the baby.”

“So why is Liz staying in the hospital?”

“The doctor just wants to keep her under observation.”

“I can’t believe this!” JT said, slamming his fist against the wall. “How long is she gonna stay there? Until she has the baby? Until we don’t have another nickel to our name? Until I’m totally bankrupt?!”

Claire tossed the handful of peas in the sink.

“Elizabeth is sick,” she said, “really sick, and all you can think about is money? You should be ashamed!”

Jeffrey didn’t jump down her throat this time. He stood there with his shoulders curling toward his chest and a hateful look in his eyes. “You’re right,” he mumbled resentfully; then he turned and walked out.

Claire expected he’d return in an hour or so, after he had time to collect himself, after he had time to reconsider the value of money when weighed against caring for someone you love. But he didn’t come back. Claire finished feeding David and Kimberly, gave them their baths, and tucked them into bed. Still thinking he’d come through the door any minute, she waited until nine-thirty then called Charlie and suggested he fix himself some soup.

“There’s no telling how long I’ll be here,” she said.

It was after eleven when she fell asleep on the sofa. When she woke the next morning, Jeffrey still had not returned.