CHAPTER 4

After my twenty minute shower and the fifteen minutes I took to figure out what to wear and finally decide on my favorite pair of Dereon jeans, the matching Dereon yellow tee, and a pair of yellow coark heels. In an outfit that Beyoncé herself would wear. I did my makeup and hair, deciding that I would wear my hair down and maybe get it cut since it now hung almost to my butt. I would go find Doc Jones and see about buying his old offices and see if he could tell me how to start setting things up for opening my own offices here in town. I knew I would get a lot of traffic since I grew up here, I mean everyone would want to check me out you know see how I was doing and how good I was. You know that, entire small town she came back from that fancy education. Then there's the fact that the nearest doctor is forty-five minutes away either way. I was heading downstairs again to head over to Doc Jones place when my cell went off again.

"Hay, Nana."

"Evangeline honey, are you busy?" Nana asked sounding a little frantic.

"No, not really Nana, are you alright? Is everything okay with Kati's kids?"

"Me, I'm perfect honey don't you worry about me dear. It's Jack, I think there's something wrong with him. Can you come take a look for me please?"

"Sure, what's the address?" I asked no question on Nana's instincts.

I had entered the address into the GPS on my phone, it was one of the newer developments that I didn't know very well but I was headed there and would be there with in two minutes. Jack, I remembered from Landon talking was eight years old, and the oldest of Katilyn's children. Nana had said that Kati was on her way home from Lodgers Town, the nearest to Summer Hill with a hospital, but even Lodgers Town was a good half hour away and now I was the nearest doctor. Nana sounded on the brink of hysteria when she called me, I doubt that she would have made it to Lodgers Town with three children. Nana said that she watches Kati's children while Kati's at work and as far as she's known Jack he's always been in really good health. I arrived at the apartment within a minute of the phone call and faster than the GPS said.

"Nana, what's going on?" I asked as she opened the door for me.

"Evangeline darling I'm not real sure. The poor child started complaining of a stomach ache and with the ten minutes he started puking. The boy looks so very pale. Now Jack he's a handful, always on the move, a very active kid like you were when you were young, non-stop moving and talking. But now the poor child will not do a thing. He does not want to eat and he always wants to eat and he will not drink a single thing. He's been lying on the couch not moving. He has a temperature of 101. When I talked to Kati she said this was new and he was fine when she left." Nana said leading me into the small living room where I assumed Jack was.

"Alright Nana calm down I'll take a look. Don't worry okay." I said heading towards the mop of coal black curly hair on the couch my black bag in hand.

"Who are you?" Jack asked in a small voice eyeing me as I sat beside him.

"My name is Doctor Evangeline Hanes. My Nana Elaine says that you do not feel good." I said watching him. Nana was right he did look sick.

"My belly button hurts a lot and I puked a lot." Jack said still watching me as he pointed to his stomach.

"That's bad. I hate being sick. Can I take a look and see if I can make it better?"

"Nana Laine said you'd make me feel better." Jack whispered watching me with these eyes that felt like I knew them from somewhere.

"She likes to brag about me a lot. I bet she does about you too."

"Nana Laine's really nice. She makes me cookies and calls me a handful but laughs. I like her laugh."

"Me too. Jack, can I look at your belly?"

"Sure." Jack said quietly pulling up his batman shirt for me.

"Thanks. Jack what do you like to do for fun?"

"Lots of things. My mom says that I can play soccer this year." Jack said just before he started screaming from pressing on his stomach.

"You hurt me!" Jack screamed at me and glared at me looking quite pissed off.

"Jack I'm sorry but now I know what's wrong. I even know how to fix it."

"Okay are you sure. Is it going to hurt?" Jack asked looking worried.

"Positive. Well, just a little you hang out here. I'm gonna talk to Nana for a second." I said standing and meeting Nana at the doorway.

"Eva it's just a stomach bug. Right, I'm being a paranoid old lady?"

"Nana, how close is Kati to getting home?"

"She just called and said she was leaving in five minutes."

"Call her and tell her to stay there and meet me at the emergency room. I'm taking Jack there." I said pulling my cell out to call the hospital to let them know I was on the way with a child.

The call to the hospital in Lodgers Town took a few minutes and then it took me ten to get Jack settled in the back of the Esclade with a bag so he wouldn't puke all over the place back there on the way mainly because that would be really hard for me to have to clean for me being a doctor I didn't do puke all that well. Nana gave me Kati's cell number so I could call her. I made the call to Kati halfway there and told her what I could without alarming Jack. Jack told me about his classes and how he wants to play soccer and how his younger brother's sometimes get on his nerves and talked all the time until we got to the hospital.

"Miss Eva, will you stay with me?" Jack whispered in my ear as I carried him inside the ER to the waiting Doctor.

"If that's what you want? Hello." I said looking at the older doctor in front of me.

"Doctor Evangeline Hanes?"

"Yes and you are?" I asked the short bald man.

"Doctor Rupert, are you sure that it's his appendix?" Doctor Rupert asked watching me.

"From my exam I'm positive but you can do a CT Scan if you want to be sure for yourself."

"Evangeline, Jackson there you are. Are you okay?" Katilyn asked ignoring Doctor Rupert and kissing Jack.

Katilyn Sanders-Towling had not changed at all since I last saw her almost eight years ago. More scared and jumpy and all in the eyes but physically the same.

"Mommy, my belly button hurts." Jackson said clinging to me.

"I have it set up follow me please. You're the mother right?" Doctor Rupert asked walking next to Kati.

"Yes, Katilyn Sanders, this is my son Jackson Michael Sanders. Is he going to be alright?" Kati asked watching the doctor as she clung to Jack's hand.

"And you know Doctor Hanes?" Doctor Rupert asked.

"Yes and I trust her." Kati said as she took my hand while the CT Scan did its job.

"You know that Doctor Hanes believes that your son has appendicitis. And from this scan I would have to agree with her call. Good job Doctor. We have to do the surgery now before it ruptures. There are a few forms to fill out Miss Sanders. Doctor Hanes have you ever done one of these?" Doctor Rupert said watching me.

"Yes a few times in New York. But in this case I'd rather watch and be there for Jack if that's okay." I said glancing towards Jack who was watching me.

"Yes, that's fine. I'll get the child ready." Doctor Rupert said then turned to leave.

"Eva, what's going on?" Kati asked pleading as she turned to look at me.

"Kati, Jack has appendicitis and he has to have surgery. It's a very simple very fast procedure. You wait here with the sheriff and fill everything out. I'm going along with Jack. I'll take care of him I promise." I said then turned to Sheriff Derek standing beside Kati.

"Doctor Hanes." Sheriff Derek said with the slight nod in my direction.

"Please stay with her Sheriff?"

"Promise." Derek said taking Kati's hand from mine so that I could follow Jackson.

"Thank you." I said turning and walking away.

"Miss Eva? What's goin on?" Jack asked looking scared.

"Jack, I would never lie to you remember that always. You have appenacitis and have to have surgery. What this means is that Doctor Rupert is going to take you appendix out and you'll have a really cool scar right here." I said lifting up my tee and showing him my appendix scar.

"Really?"

"Yep and you'll get all the ice cream and pudding you can handle for a while."

"Where's my mom and dad?"

"Your mom is in the waiting room, waiting on you. And your dad's Daniel Towling right?"

"No are you going to stay with me?"

"Till the very end if you want me to." I said watching the little boy trying to figure out what he meant by that Daniel Towling wasn't his dad."

"Please?"

"Sure, Jack. I have to go wash up and put on some other clothes on real quick and then I'll be back."

I changed in to the scrubs one of the nurses gave me and washed like I was going to do the surgery then headed into the room and held Jackson's hand while Doctor Rupert did the surgery.