LITMIR.BIZ

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      Returning to the hallway, he dashed to the nurses’ station and found the charge nurse charting at the desk. “Sara, do you know why the Rutherford baby hasn’t been brought to his mother?”

      The woman looked up and shrugged. “Sorry. I didn’t know he hadn’t been. She’s not my patient. We’ve been swamped since the shift change.”

      Rio was swamped by sudden anger. But he reined in his temper knowing she didn’t warrant his frustration. “The mother is breast-feeding,” he said, taking the edge from his voice. “Mind calling the nursery to find out what’s going on?”

      “Sure, Dr. Madrid. Anything else?”

      “Nope, that’s it.”

      Her gray eyes narrowed and she frowned. “Rough night?”

      Rough morning. “Just the usual.”

      She closed the chart and gave him her full attention. “Well, I hope you get some rest this weekend. We’ve got a full moon on Monday. You know what that means.”

      Yeah, he knew what full moons meant. All hell breaking loose in the baby department. He thought about his mother, in part because Sara reminded him somewhat of her—kind eyes and a worldly wisdom—but anytime he considered the moon, he thought of her. She’d wholeheartedly believed in the powers of the universe, legends learned from her Mayan heritage, but most of all she believed in the infinite power of love. And she’d loved Rio’s stepfather, though God only knew why. The man had been anything but lovable.

      He sent Sara a brief smile and a muttered, “Thanks,” then headed away.

      An unexpected sadness settled over Rio as he walked the quiet corridor. An overwhelming feeling of loss, but he considered that it only had to do in part with his mother, and more to do with losing Joanna. That realization made him take a mental step back. You couldn’t lose something you’ve never really had, he decided. And he couldn’t have Joanna, not beyond what they had shared this morning.

      By the time he made it back to his patient, Mr. Rutherford had returned to his wife with their five-year-olddaughter in tow. Rutherford stuck out his beefy hand. “Great to see you, Dr. Madrid. Thanks for everything you did last night.”

      Rio took the hand he offered for a quick, robust shake. “Your wife did all the work. I was just there to make the catch.”

      Both Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford chuckled while their frowning daughter looked on, twirling a blond curl around her finger with a vengeance.

      The door swung open to a nurse carrying a yellow bundle in her arms.

      “Looks like the guest of honor has finally arrived,” Rio said. After he took the newborn from her, the nurse rushed away as if she expected he might take her head off. Obviously Sara had read the staff the riot act over not bringing the child in sooner.

      Rio approached the bed to finally unite child with mother but first caught a glimpse of round cheeks and sleepy innocence from beneath the blanket. Another bout of melancholy crept in as he laid the baby in Mrs. Rutherford’s arms.

      “Does he have a name yet?” Rio asked.

      “Rufus Harold Jr.,” Mr. Rutherford stated with open pride.

      Rufus Rutherford. Tough break, Rio thought. “And you are?” he asked the little girl who seemed totally disinterested in her brother, if not somewhat annoyed.

      She jutted out her chin in defiance. “Rita Louise Rutherford and I don’t like babies.”

      “Rita,” Mrs. Rutherford scolded. “You haven’t even seen him yet. Come take a look.”

      “I don’t wanna.”

      A classic case of sibling rivalry, Rio decided. When Mr. Rutherford stepped forward as if to escort his daughter out, Rio put up a hand to stop him then pulled a lollipop from his lab-coat pocket and offered it to Rita. “For the big sister.”

      She seemed somewhat appeased yet still not overly thrilled as she unwrapped the candy and stuck it in her mouth. Rio knelt on her level. “My mother spoke often about the sun and moon. The sun is strong and therefore in charge of looking after the moon.” He brushed away a golden curl from her shoulder. “Since your hair is the color of the sun, then your little brother will be the moon. He’ll look to you for guidance. That’s a very important job. Think you can do that, Rita?”

      She glanced over her shoulder toward the baby then pulled the sucker from her mouth with a pop. “I guess so, as long as he doesn’t get into my stuff.”

      Rio presented his first real smile of the day when Rita gave him a winning grin. “Why don’t you try holding him?”

      After Rita nodded and handed her father the candy, Rio picked her up and put her on the bed. Mrs. Rutherford gently placed the baby in his sister’s arms and Rio saw an immediate transformation in the little girl. New life had a way of working on a person, no matter what that person’s age.

      Mrs. Rutherford looked up with a grateful expression. “Thank you, Dr. Madrid.”

      “No problem, and I’m sorry it took so long for you have your son with you.”

      While Rita continued to hold the baby, Mrs. Rutherford unwrapped the blanket to do the usual motherly allparts-accounted-for check. “Two hours is a long time to be without your child.”

      Try two months, Rio thought as Joanna’s predicament worked its way back into his brain. As he watched the family gathered around to survey the miracle, he realized how much Joanna needed to have her son with her.

      He’d been alone for so long, Rio was only beginning to realize the importance of that concept—and the extent of his own loneliness. He hadn’t stopped to consider how difficult it must be for Joanna, not having those she loved and needed nearby. He’d only considered how much he wanted her, his own desires and needs. That made him a selfish bastard, and somehow, someway, he needed to make amends.

      Starting now.

      Joanna dismissed her next-to-last patient and moved on to the final one, thankful to discover the patient was Allison Cartwright. She could use a familiar face right now, someone who might distract her from thoughts of Rio.

      As Joanna entered the exam room, Allison smiled but it immediately faded. “You look absolutely beat, Joanna.”

      She felt as if she’d taken a beating—to her heart. “It’s been a long day.” Joanna moved to the chair next to the table where Allison sat wearing a cornflower-blue exam gown, her swollen feet propped up on a stool. “How have you been feeling?”

      “Pretty good, except for the usual pregnancy woes. Caroline examined me since you were running behind.”

      Joanna tamped down her guilt. “I’m sorry. I’m not moving very fast today. Anything special to report?”

      Allison’s smile disappeared. “Actually, she’s a little concerned about my blood pressure.”

      Flipping open the chart, Joanna scanned the notes. “Your pressure is a bit high but your urine looks normal for now. However, you do have quite a bit of edema.” She set the chart down and turned her attention to Allison. “To be on the safe side, I’m going to put you on bed rest for the next couple of weeks. I also want to check you on Monday, and in the meantime, we’ll order a few lab tests.”

      Allison’s eyes widened. “Bed rest? Is that necessary? I really don’t have any extra sick leave coming to me. If I have to take off early then I run the risk of losing my job.”

      “Allison, I know it’s tough, but I don’t want to run the risk of anything happening to you or your baby. You could be facing preeclampsia and we don’t want to take any chances. Preeclampsia is a condition where—”

      “I know all about it,” Allison said. “My sister had it and so did my mother. In fact, my mother died giving birth to my sister from full-blown eclampsia.”

      Joanna’s

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