Disclaimer: I do not own these characters




Chapter Four: Without Words





Lu was exhausted as she walked into her apartment later that evening. She had stayed at the clinic longer than she had planned, spending the last couple of hours in the NICU with little McKenzie Abigail Kollier.

"Hey Ma." Marc greeted her when she came into the apartment.

"Hey Kiddo." Lu answered. "Sorry I'm so late." Marc shrugged, his way of saying it was okay. After all, this wasn't the first time she had been late. And it wouldn't be the last. He was used to it.

"There's some cold pizza in the fridge of ya want it." He told her.

"I'm not very hungry." Lu said as she sat down on the couch. "How was your day?"

"Okay, I guess. Nothing special. Spent most of it with Twan."

"Great. That's good."

"How was your day?" Her son asked.

"Busy. Delivered a baby that wasn't due for another two months."

"Is he okay?" Marc questioned. Lu was silent for a moment, thinking about the events of that day.

"Mom?" Marc asked, sensing that something was bothering her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, Marc. I'm okay. I was just thinking." Lu answered.


"About what?" Marc came over and sat down on the couch beside her. He couldn't help but notice how tired she looked.

"You look tired. You sure you're okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Is that baby okay?" Marc asked again. Lu slowly shook her head. "No. She has lots of problems. It was hard telling her parents that if she lives, she will never live a normal life."

"What's wrong with her?"

"She has a respiratory disorder because her lungs are underdeveloped. She is on a ventilator. And she was born with Down Syndrome. And I strongly suspect that she has other problems as well. It was hard telling her parents that she is so serious. Right now, her chances don't look good."

"I"m sorry, Mom." Marc said softly. He knew how very much his mother cared for her patients, and when something bad like this happened, she felt it deeply. He reached over and touched her hand. Sometimes words weren't needed to express his feelings or thoughts. This gentle touch conveyed his care and concern for her.

"It's getting late. I'm gonna head to bed." Lu finally said after a few moments of silence.

"Aren't you at least going to eat something, Mom?" Marc asked. He knew perfectly well that she probably hadn't taken time to eat much at the clinic that day. Lu shook her head. "No. I'll eat in the morning. Don't stay up too late." She kissed him on the cheek, got up and went into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.