Disclaimer: I do not own these characters






Chapter Ten: A Doctor's Doubts




Marc glanced across the table at his mother, who only picked at her food. He had seen this scene many times before, a definite sign that something was weighing heavy on her mind.

"Aren't you going to eat, Mom?" He questioned. Lu looked as though she were many miles away as she seemed to be staring down at her plate. When she didn't answer, the young boy tried again.

"Mom? Are you okay? Aren't you going to eat something?"

"Huh?" Lu glanced up, suddenly aware that her son was speaking to her. "Did you say something?"

"What's wrong?" Marc asked.

"Uh...nothing. I'm fine. Really." Marc took a sip of his pepsi while watching her as she continued to pick at her food.

"Mom, why aren't you eating? Did something happen at the clinic today? How's that baby?" Lu sighed.

"She's not good, Marc. Found out today that she has a heart murmur. She's fighting, but I don't think she can fight much longer."

"She's gonna die?" Marc asked. Lu nodded.

"More than likely. It will take a miracle or her to pull through." Lu answered.

"But she could make it, couldn't she?"

"Yeah. I've seen it happen before. But I don't know..."

"Come on, Mom. Don't give up on her. That's not the way you do things. Help her to fight." Lu couldn't help but smile at her son's attempt to cheer her up.

"I won't give up on her, Marc. It's just that...well, never mind." Marc eyed her suspiciously. He knew that there was something she was trying not to tell him.

"What is it, Mom? There's something you're not telling me." Lu was silent for a moment as she thought about the accusations of Bryan Kollier, and the conversation she had had with Robert Jackson before leaving the clinic that afternoon. Should she tell her son what was going on? Or should she keep it to herself? She knew it would upset him, especially when he found out what Dr. Jackson had said.

"Come on, Mom." Marc insisted. "Tell me what is going on with you." Lu took a deep breath.

"The baby's father is planning to sue me for malpractice."

"What? On what grounds?" Marc questioned.

"He feels that I should have stopped his wife's labor instead of delivering the baby so early. He says that because of that, the baby was born with so many problems."

"But you said that if you hadn't delivered her, she would have died. Did you tell him that?" Lu nodded.

"Yeah, I told him. He didn't believe me. Instead, he went to see Dr. Jackson."

"Oh great." Marc said, rolling his eyes. His opinion of Dr. Robert Jackson wasn't very high."What did Dr. Jackson say?"

"He wanted to hear my side of the story, of what happened when Miranda was brought into the ER. So I told him exactly what had happened, and why I had to deliver the baby, that it was the only way to save her life. He said that the father is planning to sue me for malpractice. He asked if I had any idea what that would look like on my record or on the record of the RWHC."

"Is that all he ever cares about? Doesn't he care about you? All he cares about is money or what looks good for Rittenhouse. Do you think he really will sue you?" Lu shrugged.

"Well, he sure seems angry enough to do it. So I would say there is a pretty good chance that he will."

"Mom, wouldn't he have to prove that you were wrong?"

"Yeah. He would have to prove that I delivered the baby unnecessarily. And I would have to prove that delivering her was the only way to save her life." Lu explained.

"What about the baby's mother? Wouldn't she side with you? Did she know that you only did it to save the baby?"

"Yeah, she knows. The cord was wrapped around the baby's neck. If we hadn't done the emergency C-Section, she would have died."

"How could Dr. Jackson not believe you?"

"He feels that I have been under some stress since Dana left. He said that he is doing whatever he can to find a replacement. But if I am going to start making hasty decisions such as delivering a child before it's time, they will need to take action."

"I can't believe it. He is blaming you. What else did he say?"

"He said that if a malpractice suit is brought up against me and the family wins the case, I will be suspended."

"But that is so unfair." Marc said. "You saved that baby's life. He should know that you would NEVER purposely do something to hurt anyone. Why doesn't he ever believe you? No matter what, he always sides with someone else. When Dr. Stowe was here, he was always on her side. But I'll bet even now Dr. Stowe would convince him that you did what was right with that baby." Marc got up and began clearing the table. "Mom, what will happen if he does sue you?"

"I don't know, Marc. Let's not worry about that right now. No use worrying about it until it happens." But as Lu busied herself with helping her son clear the table and do the dishes, she couldn't help but worry about what would happen. She knew that Dr. Jackson already seemed to believe Bryan Kollier, so anything she might say was pretty useless. Dr. Jackson had been right. She had been under much stress lately, often working into the evening hours. In addition to her own regular patients, she would spend hours in the ER.

Now Lu herself was wondering if she had done the right thing. Was Dr. Jackson right? Had she made a hasty decision? Could she have done something to prevent the early delivery? Was Bryan Kollier right with his accusations?

"Mom? What is it?" Marc asked, immediately noticing her thoughtful expression.

"Nothing, Marc. Except that maybe Mr. Kollier and Dr. Jackson are right. Maybe I am to blame for all of this." With that, Lu threw the dish towel onto the counter and stormed off to her room. Seconds later Marc heard the door slam shut.