“They rushed him out of the room to the neonatal ICU.” He looked at her. “I never heard him cry. When I went in to see him, he didn’t move. He is so tiny. I had to leave because some kind of an alarm started going off.”
She gasped. She, too, had mourned the loss of her first two grandchildren, and the thought of losing a third was something she had not let herself think about. She got up and went to the desk.
“I need information on my daughter and her baby. Katie Duncan.”
“I'm sorry, ma’am, but you have to wait for your doctor. I don't have any news.”
She turned and went back to Wade. He was staring blankly at the TV. He had stopped crying but his eyes were still bright red. Shirley was doing her best to keep it together.
“The nurse said we have to wait for the doctor.”
Wade just nodded. Shirley sat down next to her son-in-law, put an arm around him, and tried not to give up hope. She had no idea what she would do if the baby didn't make it. And she couldn't fathom the pain Katie and Wade would suffer. She closed her eyes and tried to steel herself.
****
Wade and Shirley were alone in the waiting room when Dr. Phelps came in. Shirley remained seated as Wade stood up to meet him.
“How's Katie?” he asked.
“She's fine. She'll be in recovery room six. You can see her in about an hour.”
“And my son?”
The half-smile that Larry Phelps had been wearing disappeared
“I'm sorry. The baby didn't make it.”
Wade slumped back into the chair and buried his face in his hands. Sobbing seemed to flow out from every pore of his body.
“What happened?” Shirley asked, looking down at her son-in-law.
“The baby had been too long without sufficient oxygen...I'm sorry.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
Shirley sat down next to Wade. The unthinkable had happened. She could find no words; there were no words. She wrapped her arms around him and their sobbing filled the empty room.
****
As soon as Wade felt strong enough to face Katie, he was let in to the recovery room. He walked up to the bed and took her hand.
“I love you.”
She smiled weakly.
“I love you, too.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Tired, drugged, sore.” She paused. “How's our baby?”
He realized that no one had told her. Tears welled up in his eyes, as he slowly shook his head. The doors opened at the far end of the room and a nurse wheeled in an incubator. She stopped several feet from the bed and looked at Katie.
“Would you like to say goodbye?”
Katie nodded her head and the nurse brought the small blue body, wrapped in a small blanket, over to her. Wade and Katie each took a turn holding their son. They kissed his forehead and told him they loved him.
After a little while, Katie nodded to the nurse and she came and took the tiny bundle back, put him in the incubator, and wheeled him out.
Katie closed her eyes and Wade watched as her body was wracked with sobs. He knew what she was feeling. A physical pain in the stomach that made you want to throw up, an emotional agony that made you long to curl up and die. He crawled up next to her on the bed and held her. They clung to each other and tried to let the pain flow out through their tears
Chapter 2
The small white box lay on top of a green rug, suspended over an equally small hole in the ground. Next to the tiny coffin was a shade canopy covering several rows of chairs. The sun was out and conflicted with the sense of sadness that hung over the proceedings.
Wade and Katie were in the front row, both in black, her in a dress and Wade in a suit. Shirley sat next to them, also in black, holding a Kleenex box that she and Katie plucked from occasionally. Behind them were several rows of family and friends.
Standing opposite them was the pastor who was just finishing the service with a prayer.
“....and in Jesus’s name we pray, amen”
There was a low chorus of amens from the onlookers. People slowly began to make their way to where Wade and Katie sat. Each person said how sorry they were, and to call if they needed anything. Wade nodded and thanked them as Katie sat quietly, seemingly unaware of what was going on around her.
Wade took his wife's hand.
“You all right, Kate?”
After a moment, Katie looked up and nodded. The last of the people had said goodbye and headed to the long line of cars parked along the road.
Wade turned to his mother-in-law.
“Can you take Katie to the car? I want to speak to the pastor.”
“Sure. Come on, dear, let’s go.”
Wade watched as Katie stood at her mother’s urging. She stepped towards the tiny white casket and laid her hand on it ever so softly before walking away. It broke Wade's heart to see her in such pain. He could deal with his own suffering, but watching his wife's anguish was torture.
He turned towards the pastor and, after a brief conversation, walked towards the road. There were only two cars left: his and a long, black Continental. He assumed it was the pastor's until he saw a very large redheaded man get out. He walked directly for Wade.
Wade couldn’t remember ever meeting the man. He thought for a minute that he might have been mistaken, that the man was going to speak to the pastor, but when Wade got close, the man stopped and extended his hand.
“Mr. Duncan, my name is Zebulin Johnson. I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am for your loss.”
“Thank you, Mr. Johnson.”
Wade shook his hand and went to walk by the stranger, but Mr. Johnson slipped sideways into his path. Wade was instantly annoyed.
“Do I know you?”
“No, sir, we have not met before.”
“Well, Mr...Johnson, is it? This is not a good time.”
“I know, and I apologize, but I was given your name by St. Luke's Hospital. They felt that I might be able to help you and your wife.”
“How so?”
Zeb took out a card and handed it to Wade. It said that he was a lawyer.
“We don't need any legal representation, Mr. Johnson.”
“Mr. Duncan, I assure you that I am not here in an effort to gain you as a client. In fact, I am here on behalf of a current client. They wish to make an offer to you and your wife.”
“What kind of offer?”
Wade was now both annoyed and impatient. He didn't try to hide it.
“I fear that this is neither the time nor the place to go into the details.”
Wade certainly agreed with that.
“However, when you and your wife have the time, I would very much like to come by and discuss the offer with both of you.”
Wade stared at the card for a long moment.
Johnson & Carr, Attorneys At Law.
“I'll talk with my wife and we'll let you know if we're interested.”
“That's fine. Just call my office and let me know if we can meet.”
Zeb stretched out his hand once again. Wade shook it, mumbled a goodbye, and headed for the car. When he got in, Shirley was waiting with questions.
“Who was that man?”
Wade looked back at the spot where they had met, but the lawyer was already gone.
“He's some lawyer. Said the hospital referred him to us.”
Wade could see that Shirley shared his annoyance.
“Kind of bad timing, isn't it?”
Wade nodded. Katie still seemed to be in her own world.
“Did you tell him you don't want to sue anybody?”
“I told him that, but he said that's not what he was here for. Apparently he has an offer for us from one of his clients.”