Chapter Seventy-Four

Pushing the ICU room door open, Leah poked her head in before she slowly stepped inside and waited by the door. Trapper was standing at the side of the bed, looking at the patient's chart. Moving the earpieces of his stethoscope to his ears, he listened to her heart. After that, he stood silently looking down at the child's face, the picture of unknowing serenity, before he gently placed his hand on her forehead. It appeared the doctor had a huge soft spot for suffering children.

Turning and noticing Leah at the door, Trapper quietly replaced the chart at the foot of the bed, and went to her. "How is she?" asked Leah.

"Her fever isn't coming down with the antibiotics. Her EKG isn't any better either. I think we'll have to start looking for a heart. Why are you still here?"

"I'm restless. I don't think I could sleep anyway. Where are her parents? I didn't see anyone in the waiting room."

"Apparently, they're in the parking lot."

"What?"

Nodding at the door, he took her arm and guided her outside, telling her about the Keller's situation as they walked down the hall.

"When are you going to tell them?"

"I'm going to send someone for them now."

Stopping in the hall, turning to him and placing her hands on his chest, she said, "I'll go."

He held her hands against him, his weariness showing on his face with heavy eyelids and deep frown lines. "I don't know if that's a good idea considering the day you've had."

"I wouldn't volunteer if I didn't think I could handle it. Please?" she said, looking hopefully into his eyes.

"All right," he said softly with a slight smile. "They're in a blue station wagon with Nevada plates. Bring them to my office."

Calvin Keller stirred at the sound of tapping on the window of his station wagon half expecting to see a policeman or security officer telling him to move on. He wiped his eyes when he saw a blonde woman with a pleasant smile looking down at him and rolled the window down halfway.

"Mr. Keller?" He nodded. "I'm Leah Haverty, a board member here at the hospital. Dr. McIntyre would like to see you in his office.

"Is Jenny okay?"

"She's stable. But her fever isn't breaking, and Dr. McIntyre would like to talk to you about the next step in her treatment."

Gently shaking his wife awake, he said, "Abby, Dr. McIntyre wants to see us about Jenny."

"Is she all right?" the woman asked sleepily.

"Hi, Mrs. Keller. She's still stable. Dr. McIntyre wants to update you."

"Mom, I'm hungry."

"You'll have to wait until morning, Kelly. Go back to sleep. Your father and I have to go back into the hospital."

As the Keller's were exiting the car, Leah looked in on the children who where both trying to sleep curled up in the back seat. "How old are these two?"

"Thirteen and fourteen."

"Why don't we take them with us? I think I can find a place for them to get more comfortable, and even find something to eat. Did they have dinner?"

The Kellers looked shamefully at one another. "Not much, but they're all right."

Leah gave them a muted smile. "Please. I'd like to help if I can."

The entire family of Kellers entered the hospital with Leah who stopped at the nurse's desk when she went by emergency. "Gloria, you're working tonight?"

"Double shift. I'm covering for Ernie."

"Do you have time to do something for me?"

"Sure. It's quiet tonight," Gloria said, smiling. "It will give me something to do."

"Would you call housekeeping and ask them to take two cots with linens and pillows up to my office and set them up?" Reaching into her pocket, Leah drew out some cash. "Take these two to the cafeteria and get them some sandwiches and milk, and then take them to my office." She turned to the two children. "I'm going to trust you to be on your best behavior. Remember, you're in a hospital. Now, Nurse Brancusi is going to take you to get something to eat. You are to take it to my office. There's a table there where you can sit while you eat. It's late, so after you eat I want you to go right to bed. Don't leave my office. Someone will come get you when it's time to go."

The two children looked at their parents who looked at one another anxiously before they looked at Nurse Brancusi. "Don't worry folks. Ms. Haverty just has a bigger than normal heart."

"Ha," laughed Leah. "Good one."

The Kellers nodded and the children when quietly off with Gloria.

Trapper was waiting for them with coffee when they entered his office. "I know this is unusual, but if you don't mind, I'd like to stay," said Leah. "I have some personal experience with what you're dealing with, and I'd like to offer support if I can."

"Mr. and Mrs. Keller, Leah is the hospital's Chief Information Officer. She overseas our computer systems, but she's does have some unique experience. However, if you don't want to discuss Jenny with her here, that's your right."

"No, it's all right," said Mr. Keller. "Ms. Haverty has already been a great help."

"Would you like some coffee?" asked Trapper.

Both nodded. Leah motioned to Trapper, sending him to his desk while she prepared the coffee. "We have Jenny on some very strong antibiotics, but her fever isn't coming down. Her EKG, what we use to monitor her heart, isn't showing any improvement either. She's having several abnormal beats every few minutes which means that the heart is still very stressed. Considering the damage from the infection, I don't think it's going to get any better." He paused while Leah passed out the coffee.

"You mentioned a heart transplant earlier," said Mr. Keller.

"I'd like to give her a little more time to see if she can fight the infection, but I would suggest we get her on the list for a heart."

"On a list? If she needs a heart now, how long will that take?" asked Mrs. Keller worriedly.

Scratching his chin, Trapper said, "Well, when we put her on the list, we add her current condition, so those who are most critical get first consideration. It will depend on how many others are on the list in more danger or as much danger as Jenny. We also have to match her blood and tissue types, so the hearts that do become available may not be a match for her. There's no guarantee we'll get a heart immediately."

"What happens if we can't get a heart," Mr. Keller asked softly.

When Trapper smiled, Leah wondered how he managed it, facing what he knew were enormous risks.

"We'll do everything we can to keep her stable until we find one."

"Dr. McIntyre, we can't pay for this. We have nothing left but our car and our clothes. We've even hocked our wedding bands."

"That's where I come in," said Leah, glancing at Trapper who looked warily at her. "Mr. Keller, what did you do for a living?"

"I was a loan officer at a savings and loan. I lost my job when they collapsed and haven't been able to find anyone willing to hire me for even basic work."

"Can you get me a resume?"

"I have some copies of my resume in the car. Why?"

"Because I'd like to interview you for a job. I need to hire several tape technicians for the hospital's data center. It's probably different from anything you've ever done, but if you have a capacity for finance, this should be fairly easy for you to learn. It probably doesn't pay what you made as a loan officer, but it's a decent income. I can also help you and your family find a place to live until you get on your feet. And if we can get this all done before Dr. McIntyre finds a heart, the insurance coverage you'll get here will cover most of it."

Mrs. Keller broke down. "This is too much to handle at once. Our daughter is on death's door, and a woman we don't know has just swooped in to save us. Is this real?"

Smiling, Trapper said, "It's very real, Mrs. Keller. Leah has a background that drives her to this, especially when a child is involved. And she can help you get through all the special needs of a heart transplant. She's a heart recipient herself."

The two Kellers stared open-mouthed at her.

"Well, I'm going to work on getting you a hotel room while you go look in on Jenny," said Leah, standing. "I'll bring the children to ICU when I'm done and give you directions to the hotel. Mr. Keller, can you come to my office at ten tomorrow morning with your resume?"

"Yes, of course."

When the Kellers left the hospital neither Mr. nor Mrs. Keller said a word. Between their concern for Jenny and their disbelief in the help they were receiving, they had no idea what to say.

"It's midnight," said Trapper, walking up behind as Leah she stood on the sidewalk in front of the hospital watching the Kellers drive away.

She leaned into his side when he draped his arm across her shoulders. "Yes, doctor, it is midnight. What are you still doing here?"

"I have a critical patient."

"Do you always stay all night when you have critical patients? Why do you have a house?" she asked, teasingly.

Slowly turning his head and giving her a tired look, he said, "Don't argue with me, woman. Go home and go to bed."

"What if I sleep on your sofa?"

"Then I won't have a place to sleep."

Groaning, Leah gave in. "All right. I'll call a cab since you drove the Jeep. But I don't think I'll sleep. It's been a little while since I've been there alone. Can't they page you if anything changes with Jenny?"

"She's too critical. Her heart could fail at any minute, and if I'm that far away, I won't be able to do her much good. But I want you to go to my house. If Mark is around, he won't be looking for you there."

"So you want me to sleep with this on my mind in a strange house and in a strange bed?" asked Leah, leaning back to get a good look at his face.

"I'm sending you home with something to help you sleep." She gave him a stern look and took a deep breath. "And you will take it," he continued, giving her his own severe look . "You're supposed to be resting. You're not supposed to be working longer than eight hours, and if you don't stop, I can always officially send you home."

"I'm not a contractor anymore. I'm a member of the board."

"That doesn't matter. If I tell Arnold that you need the rest, you will be ordered to go home and rest."

She jerked her arm from around him at the same time she pushed herself away with her other hand and huffed, turning back to the hospital.

"Home is that way," he said, pointing south.

"Do you mind if I get my things?" she said loudly over her shoulder as she continued her walk toward the front doors of the hospital.