Brenda Returns – Chapter 11
A few weeks go by and Robin continues the new drug treatment on Hope.
"It just doesn't seem to be curing the illness, just slowing things down," Robin tells Brenda.
Brenda chews on her lower lip. "So, what does that mean? We try longer? Maybe a larger dosage?"
Robin takes a deep breath. "We've given it six weeks, Brenda."
"I have to let this sink in…" Brenda says as she turns her body away from Robin.
"I'm sorry. I really had high hopes that this treatment would work."
"I know," Brenda says, wiping away a tear.
~*~
Elizabeth sits across the table from Hope in the Pediatric waiting room at the hospital.
"What are you drawing?" she asks the little girl.
"A picture of my doll for my mommy," Hope says.
Elizabeth smiles at her and looks up to see Jax standing in the doorway.
"Hi," she says, in a surprised tone.
"Hi," he says, walking into the room. "May I?" he asks, motioning to an empty chair between the two ladies.
"Fine by me," Elizabeth says. "Is that okay with you, Hope?"
Hope looks up and smiles at Jax. "You helped my dolly."
"I sure did. How are her shoes? She still have them?"
Hope giggles. "Yes."
"Oh good," he teases.
"That's a pretty picture. How old are you, Hope?" Jax asks. He glances over at Elizabeth.
"I'm four."
He nods. "Four years old? Wow. Such a big girl."
Elizabeth watches Jax with a wary eye. She's trying to figure out what he's doing.
"Have you met Elizabeth's sons, yet? Cameron and Jake?"
Now Elizabeth's eyebrows furrow.
"Uh huh. They're nice. I like to play with them. Cameron and I like to color but Jake is too small, he doesn't color in the lines."
Jax smiles and stares blankly across the room.
"What's your name?" Hope asks, snapping Jax's attention back to her.
"It's Jax."
Hope keeps coloring. "How do you spell that?"
"Oh…it's J – A – X. Do you know all those letters?"
Hope nods and draws the letters on a blank page. "See?"
"That's very good," Elizabeth says.
"Yes, very good. I'm impressed," Jax agrees.
Brenda walks to the window and looks into the room. She usually does this after her meetings with Robin. She likes to watch how Hope interacts with other people, usually Elizabeth, before going down to her car while she waits for someone to bring Hope to her.
Today, her heart leaps up into her throat when she sees Jax sitting with them.
Jax holds up the piece of paper with his name on it and smiles. "Now, why don't you write your name on it so I know you made this for me?"
She nods and then starts to write her name below his.
Elizabeth sees Brenda out of the corner of her eye and looks her way. Brenda doesn't even notice that Elizabeth is staring at her. She only sees her daughter and Jax.
"Do you have any kids?" Hope asks Jax as she finishes drawing her "e".
"I have two step-sons. They're a little older than you. But, I'd like to have a little girl, one day."
Hope smiles up at him and hands him back the piece of paper.
When Brenda sees the two of them together, looking at each other, smiling at each other, she almost looses it. Instead, she pushes herself away from the window and leans against the wall. This is how Robin finds her.
"Brenda?" she asks.
Brenda shakes her head and puts her finger to her lips.
"I'll be down at my car."
With that, she leaves. Robin, who is still confused, stops in the doorway when she sees the three of them sitting at the table.
Elizabeth is the first to notice Robin.
"Hey," she says.
"Hi there."
"Hi Dr. Robin," Hope says.
"Hi Robin," Jax says, standing up as she walks over to them.
"Hi, Jax. What a surprise."
"I like to come down to the pediatric ward every once in awhile," he says. "How are you doing?"
She nods. "I'm good."
"Is it time for Hope to leave?" Elizabeth asks as she stands up, as well. She usually loves spending time with Hope but today, this whole scenario was making her nervous.
"Yes…it is. Hope, I see you made a new friend," Robin says, leaning down so she's closer to eye level.
"His name is Jax. Look, I drew him his name," she says, pointing to the paper Jax is still holding.
"I see that. You did a very good job."
"Come on Hope," Elizabeth says, holding out her hand.
Hope stands up and grabs onto her hand. She looks back up at Jax. "Bye."
"Bye, sweetie. I hope to see you soon," he says, squatting down to her eye level.
"Do you know my mommy? Her name is Br…."
Before she could finish, Robin butt in. "Oh I doubt it, honey."
"But, she knows a lot of people here."
Elizabeth raises her eyebrows. "Come on, I know your ride is waiting. Bye Jax."
"Bye Elizabeth, thank you for letting me sit with you two beautiful ladies."
Elizabeth smiles at him and Hope waves.
"Uh, Robin, can I speak to you for a minute?" Jax asks, stopping Robin from leaving the waiting area with them.
Elizabeth and Hope stop in the doorway and Robin waves them on.
"It's okay. Hope, I'll see you later, okay?"
"Bye Dr. Robin."
They leave and Robin turns her attention back to Jax.
"Call me crazy but….is this the little girl you're trying the experimental drug on?" he asks.
Robin folds her arms across her chest and looks around the room. "Jax, you know that's doctor/patient confidentiality, I can't answer that."
"Well, if it is…she seems to be well. I hope it's working."
Robin suddenly feels like maybe this is her window of opportunity.
"Actually….without answering that question directly…" she starts. She thinks of how she can word this without getting into trouble. "What if I asked you to see if you were a match as a donor?"
"What kind of donor?" he asks, resting his hands on his hips.
"Bone marrow," she says, biting her lip.
"For Hope…..or you can't tell me…" he says, realizing she's not going to say.
"Yeah, I can't tell you. I just need to start looking for donors."
He raises an eyebrow and slowly nods. "Okay, where do I get tested?"
"Seriously?"
He gives her a mock hurt look. "Am I usually that heartless that I wouldn't do something like this for a child?"
She laughs and shakes her head. "No, but it's not that simple of a procedure if you do match."
"If it means saving a child's life," he says, looking at the doorway, "then count me in."
Robin breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Jax."
~*~
"I'm glad you agreed to have dinner with me tonight," Robin tells Brenda.
After Robin's conversation with Jax, she couldn't wait to tell Brenda and decided to get her out of the house and meet for dinner at the Metro Court.
"Me too. I know I need to quit hovering over Hope sometimes. It's good for both of us."
Robin nods as she pushes a piece of lettuce around on her plate.
"And I know I have a big decision to make," Brenda continues. "It's just so hard to think that she's not getting better because I can see more energy and life in her."
Robin agrees. "I know she's feeling better, but that's because the medicine is covering up the symptoms, not making them better."
"I know," Brenda says softly.
Brenda glances over toward the bar and sees Jax. She can't help but stare at him.
"He is so good with her," she whispers.
Robin glances over her shoulder and turns back to Brenda. "Yes, he is. Hope seems to respond really well to him."
Brenda nods and tears her eyes away from him. "It's almost like deep down, they know." Tears start to form in her eyes.
"Brenda….tell him," Robin says, reaching across the table to touch Brenda's hand.
"I want to…"
"Then, just do it. I mean, not here or anything, but tell him. He's already got a connection with her."
Brenda shakes her head. "I've kept this secret for so long, it would destroy lives if I said anything now."
Robin pulls away, knowing that if she keeps this up, it will only push Brenda away.
"I do have some interesting news."
Brenda wipes a tear from her cheek. "What's that?"
"I took the opportunity today to ask Jax if he would take the test to see if he was a bone marrow match."
Brenda's eyes get big. "For Hope?"
"Well, he doesn't know for whom. I'm sure he assumes it's for Hope and he assumes that Hope is the little girl we're trying the experimental drug on, but I wouldn't confirm anything."
"But he'll be tested without question?"
"So far…yes," Robin smiles.
Brenda smiles and then watches Carly as she approaches Jax. They talk and then hug. They do look happy together.
"I'm sorry for making you do this," Brenda says.
"Doing what?"
"All the secrets and lies you have to keep for me."
"Brenda, as a doctor, I'm supposed to keep certain secrets."
Brenda glances back at her friend and feels a little better. "If that's supposed to make me feel a little better, it has."
"Good," Robin smiles.