ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE WATER PARK, CANDACE struggled between being furious with Brooke and trying not to show it. If Heath hadn’t been there, she probably would have lit into her daughter for meeting her friends at the park without talking to her first. Heath’s presence was a good thing for Brooke, and for Candace too, truth be told. She rarely blew up at the kids; when she did, she felt guilty for days. Call it intuition, but Candace had known the minute the kids showed up that their meeting hadn’t been coincidental.
“Um…” Heath leaned toward her and whispered, “I know you’re upset, but do you think I could have my hand back?”
In that moment she realized that her anger had taken the form of a death grip on his hand. She let go and with the release felt her anger ebb. “Oh, Heath, I’m sorry.”
He grinned and shook his hand, letting it go limp. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he added, “I take it you don’t believe her story?”
She glanced into the backseat where Howie and Isabel had fallen asleep and Brooke was listening to music via earphones. “I don’t know what to believe.”
Brooke had assured her mother that meeting up with the boys at the park had not been her idea. She’d admitted, however, that she and Tiffany had planned to meet there but said it had been Tiffany’s idea to tell the boys.
By the time they reached the outskirts of Deerford, Heath had convinced Candace to take Brooke at her word, and Candace knew exactly what she would do about her daughter. Brooke, no longer sullen, was chatting with Isabel, who was now wide awake.
“Mom,”—Brooke leaned forward—“Izzy says her grandmother’s making her a dress with our colors for the wedding. I told her she could be our flower girl. Wouldn’t that be great?”
Candace tensed. The last thing she needed was more to do. She hadn’t planned to have a flower girl. Her first response was to say no, but how could she when Isabel’s expression was one of pure delight?
“That’s a wonderful idea, girls, but we need to talk to Isabel’s grandmother and—”
“Buela will let me. And you should see my dress she’s making. It will be so-o-o beautiful.”
Candace managed a smile. “I’m sure it will be.” Looking over and seeing Heath’s grin broke her aggravation and made her laugh. “I know what you’re thinking. I need to go with the flow.”
He reached across the seat and massaged her neck. “Try to relax. I know putting the wedding together is a challenge, but it’ll be over before we know it.”
When they pulled into the Rodriguez’s driveway, Cesar came out to meet them. Isabel climbed out of the car and ran to him, laughing as he swept her up into his arms.
“I missed you.” He shifted her to one arm. “Did you have a good time?”
“I had lots and lots of fun, Tito. And guess what?”
“What?”
“I get to be the flower girl at the wedding.”
He raised an eyebrow in Candace’s direction. “Is that right?”
Candace nodded. “If it’s all right with you and Elena.”
“Sure.” He chuckled. “I think you’ve just made our little girl very happy.”
Isabel wriggled out of his grasp. “I have to tell Buela so she can make my dress right away.”
“She’s not here, Izzy. Buela went to work. You can see her tomorrow.”
Her shoulders sagged as she turned around. “But I need her.”
“Don’t be sad, mi bambina. There’s lots of time before the wedding.” He turned back to Heath and Candace. “Did she behave for you? Our Izzy can be quite a handful.”
“She was great.” Heath handed over Izzy’s beach bag.
“Thanks for taking her.” Cesar handed the bag to Isabel and asked her to take it inside to the laundry room.
Candace gave Isabel a hug and climbed back into the van. Hearing that Elena had gone to work prodded her to dig into her bag for her cell phone. She’d turned it off earlier and hadn’t checked it all day. Now, flipping through her messages, she said, “They must really be short staffed at the hospital. They called several times.” She sighed. “I suppose I should call in, but I really don’t want to go to work.”
“Then don’t.”
She shrugged. “I’ll see what’s going on and then decide. Besides, I could use the overtime.” Even as she spoke the words, Candace sensed that she might be running away from the task of having a talk with Brooke. Her daughter had stuffed the earplugs in again and had that apprehensive look of a child in trouble.
At two forty-five on Saturday afternoon, Anabelle pulled into the parking lot of Hope Haven and hurried toward the employee entrance.
“Elena, wait up.” Anabelle caught up to her friend and said, “I didn’t think you were coming in.”
Elena laughed. “I wasn’t planning to, but I’d no sooner walked in my house than Lorraine called again. She sounded desperate. They had three people call in sick, and one was scheduled to work ICU.”
Anabelle nodded. “This is crazy. Either everyone decided today was too beautiful outside to go to work, or a bug is spreading quickly.”
“Yeah, Lorraine says there’s a virus going around. We’re to take extra precautions until it’s made the rounds.”
“I hope it runs its course sooner rather than later.” Anabelle stepped through the doorway as Elena held the heavy door open for her.
“Me too.” Before heading up the stairs, Elena hesitated and glanced at her watch. Their shift didn’t start for another ten minutes. “Maybe it would be a good idea to pray before we start seeing patients. We’re going to need all the protection we can get.”
“Right. I’ll go to the chapel with you.”
Anabelle smiled. She loved having friends like Elena who shared her faith.
The women hurried across the lobby. Inside, the beautiful stained-glass window greeted them. There were half a dozen oak pews. The afternoon sun streamed through the stained-glass window above the altar, creating rich hues of color that splayed across the interior.
At the front of the small room stood a light oak altar and in the left front corner was a slightly raised platform. A large, dark cross of gleaming cherry stood in its center. At the base, a gentle stream of water circulated over rocks, creating a subdued and soothing burble. A variety of green plants crowded around the cross and the water’s edge.
Anabelle and Elena entered and kneeled side by side at the altar and began to quietly pray.
“Lord,” Elena began, “please let this virus pass quickly. We pray for healing of our sick employees and patients and protection for those who are well.”
“And for our families,” Anabelle added. “Let us use wisdom and discernment in dealing with this illness. Also please let the doctors find a way to treat and prevent it.”
“In Jesus’ name we pray,” Elena finished.
As they stood, a young man wearing a black suit and clerical collar emerged from Reverend Wiltshire’s office.
“Oh.” He seemed startled when he saw them. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was here.”
“Reverend Whitfield,” Elena said with a bright smile.
“Elena, nice to see you again.” He grinned. “Please call me Kevin.” The reverend offered a wide, slightly embarrassed grin. He was tall and thin with dark hair and eyes and a deep tan.
“I’m Anabelle Scott.” Anabelle shook his outstretched hand. “I work in the Cardiac Care Unit.”
“I’m glad to see you again,” Elena said, “but I didn’t think you were starting until Monday.”
His smile broadened. “I’m not, but I wanted to get a feel for the place. I’m hoping to get a head start. Elena, I can’t thank you enough for telling me about this position. I’m happy to have something so meaningful to do between my meetings and speaking engagements.”
“We’re fortunate to have you here at Hope Haven.” Elena went on, “Anabelle, Reverend Whitfield has told us the most amazing stories about how the Lord is moving among the African people. He is a miracle worker, and we are so fortunate to have him right here at Hope Haven.”
The reverend ducked his head in a humble gesture. “I’m not the miracle worker, Elena. God is. I am merely God’s servant.”
Feeling uncomfortable and not knowing why, Anabelle glanced at her watch and stepped toward the door. “Oops, I…uh…I need to go,” she said. “My shift’s starting. It was nice to meet you, Reverend. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again soon.”
Elena frowned at Anabelle’s retreating back. If she didn’t know better, Elena would have sworn her friend was uncomfortable—but why?
“I need to go too,” Elena said. “I’m happy you’re here.” She turned away and hurried after her friend.
“Anabelle, wait.” She caught up with Anabelle at the door to the stairs.
“Are you all right?” Elena asked.
“Of course.” Anabelle offered a lopsided grin. “I didn’t want to be late for my shift.”
“Yes, but…I thought…never mind.” Elena felt certain Anabelle’s behavior had something to do with meeting Reverend Whitfield, but decided not to take her suspicions any further. And maybe she had read her friend wrong.
It was bedtime before Candace had a chance to talk with Brooke, and the talk was not going well. With tears dripping down her cheeks, Brooke once again proclaimed her innocence. Candace knew the tears were not from anything she’d said, but were likely from Brooke’s fear of consequences or perhaps from remorse.
“Mother, why are you so weird about it? It’s not like we were doing anything wrong.”
Candace closed her eyes for a moment, glad that her initial anger no longer plagued her. “That may be true, honey, but I really need you to be honest with me. You made plans to meet Tiffany at the water park. You should have told me that.”
Brooke, who’d been sitting on her bed, fell back in a dramatic gesture, which Candace read as frustration. “I didn’t know for sure she was coming. She told me she might see me there.”
Candace lowered herself to the bed and dropped back much like her daughter had. She looked up at the ceiling and then at Brooke. “Okay, but when you saw what she’d done, I wish you had let me know.”
Brooke finally met her mother’s gaze. “I’m sorry, okay? And I’m sorry I invited Isabel to be a flower girl without asking you first. And I’m sorry I invited my friends to the wedding. Okay?”
Candace shifted to her side and rested her elbow on the bed. Her daughter’s melodramatic flair would have made Candace laugh if she hadn’t remembered all too well the roller-coaster ride of emotions that came with being a teenager. And she also had to address this new information. “Which friends did you invite?”
“Tiffany and Josh and Brody.”
“Oh, Brooke. You should have asked me first.”
“I know, but it just came out. I was talking to them and…” She shifted around and sat up. Reaching for her old stuffed bear and looking rather penitent, she began rubbing her thumb across the bear’s satin-lined ear. “I invited some of my teachers too.”
Candace didn’t know what to say. “I love that you’re excited about the wedding and want to invite your friends, but why not talk to me first?”
Brooke shrugged. “I’m sorry. I just thought…never mind.”
Candace frowned, realizing her mistake. “I think I owe you an apology.”
Brooke raised her gaze. “What do you mean?”
“Heath and I made a list of people we wanted to invite to the wedding, but I didn’t think to ask you for a list.”
“So it’s okay for them to come?”
“We’ll see. Write the names down for me, and we’ll go over them.”
“Does this mean I’m not in trouble?”
Candace chuckled. “Not exactly. You need to check with me before making plans like you did today. You may not have known about the boys, but it was wrong not to talk to me right away. Tiffany needs to know that sneaking around like that isn’t acceptable.”
Brooke nodded. “I wasn’t too happy about it either, but I didn’t know what to do.”
“I understand. Believe me. But, Brooke, you need to follow your path—the right path, not one that a friend chooses for you. When you get that this-is-wrong feeling, remember that God is reminding you to step back and make the choice you think is best. Your friends might make fun of you, but in the end they’ll respect you for being a strong person.”
“That makes sense.” Brooke tipped her head to one side. “I guess with Tiffany I haven’t been very strong. Sometimes I’m afraid of losing friends if I don’t go along.”
Candace gave her daughter a hug. “True friends will accept you no matter what.”
A deep sigh. “I know you’re right, but it’s hard.”
“Sometimes it can be, but you’ll feel much better about yourself for making the right choices.” Candace kissed Brooke’s forehead and smoothed back her hair. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Brooke leaned her head on Candace’s shoulder and encircled her waist. “Oh, and thanks for not embarrassing me in front of them. I thought you were going to lose it.”
“You can thank Heath for that.”
“Really?” Brooke lifted her head and grinned.
“In a way. I didn’t want to lose my cool in front of him.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. I hope he doesn’t think I lied about the guys showing up at the water park.”
Candace smiled and tucked a strand of Brooke’s silky hair behind her ear. “Actually, he’s the one who thought I should give you the benefit of the doubt.”
Brooke raised her eyebrows. “I’ll have to remember to thank him.”
Candace moved off the bed and gave Brooke another hug. “Get me that list in the morning.”
“I will. Thanks again, Mom.”
Heath was watching a television drama with Janet when Candace came downstairs to the family room.
“How’d it go with Brooke?” Janet popped a couple of popcorn kernels into her mouth.
“Good, I think. Looks like we have a flower girl and a few extra guests to add to the invitation list.”
“And you’re okay with that?” Heath patted the sofa, and Candace settled in beside him.
“I think so. We had a good talk. I just hope next time she’s faced with something like this, she’ll be strong and make a better choice.”
“She’s a smart girl.” Heath settled his arm around her shoulders, tucking her into a comfy space. Soon now, they’d be an old married couple, and snuggling together in the evenings would become a way of life. Something she could definitely live with.
James stood at the end of the dock at Bass Lake, with cell phone in hand, long past dinner—grilled trout, greens, roasted potatoes, and s’mores. The sun had disappeared, leaving scant remnants of a scarlet sunset.
He didn’t particularly want to be out there again, but the dock was about the only place he could get a decent signal on his cell phone.
He’d been trying to reach Robbie’s parents for several hours, but to no avail. He had found Robbie in the woods just outside of camp, vomiting and barely able to stand. The teen hadn’t been able to keep anything down since well before lunch. James had done all he could for the boy here at camp, but feared dehydration. He and Bud had taken turns getting the boy to take fluids, but they seemed to be losing the battle.
“Any luck?” Bud asked as James joined him at the fire.
James shook his head. “I’m thinking about running Robbie into town myself. I don’t feel comfortable having him here all night.” At first, James had not been overly concerned, but now it looked as though Robbie might need more medical care than James could provide at the camp. The permission slip they signed allowed him and Bud to act on Robbie’s behalf in an emergency situation.
Bud nodded. “I agree. He’s running a pretty high fever and couldn’t keep the acetaminophen down.”
“I just wish I could get in touch with his folks. I hate leaving you out here alone with the boys.”
“I know, but we don’t have much choice at the moment. Everything’s under control here.”
James blew out a long breath. Parents were supposed to be available or at least let him know if the status changed. “Thanks. I’ll get back as soon as I can.” James helped Robbie hobble to his van and settled him on the backseat with pillows and blankets, securing the seat belt around his middle. He was upset with himself now for not acting sooner.
Once they were on the road, James plugged in his hands-free device and called Cesar Rodriguez. If anyone could locate Robbie’s parents, he could. Cesar answered on the first ring.
“Hey. Glad I caught you. Sorry for calling so late.” James upped his speed as he hit the main road.
“Not a problem. I was up waiting for Elena to get home from work. Seems they’re shorthanded at the hospital, so she offered to work night shift.”
James explained his situation and gave him the address for the Madison home. “I’m hoping you can get in contact with them.”
“I’ll do what I can, James. Sounds like you have your hands full just dealing with their boy. I’ll call as soon as I locate them.”
“Thanks. Have them meet me at the hospital. I’m heading there now.”
Elena was just finishing up her shift when her cell phone vibrated. Recognizing the caller, she said, “Hi, honey. I’ll be home in about ten minutes.”
“No need to rush,” Cesar told her. “I just wanted to let you know that I might not be there.” He told her about James’s call and added, “James should be bringing Robbie into the ER in a few minutes. I still haven’t located his parents. No one seems to have seen them except for one of their neighbors. She saw them go out around seven this evening.”
“I know this family, Cesar. Sheila Madison has a child in Isabel’s class at school.” Elena frowned. “I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t have let James know if they were leaving town, unless…”
“What?”
“I have an idea. Sheila’s pregnant. What if she’s here in the Birthing Unit? I’ll check and call you back.”
Elena made a quick call to the labor and delivery nurse on duty and was disappointed to learn that Sheila Madison hadn’t checked in there. Signing out of ICU, Elena hurried downstairs to the ER, phoning Cesar on the way.
“She’s not having her baby, but there are a lot of people coming in with the flu virus. ER’s been swamped. If Robbie’s sick, there’s a chance one of their other children might be as well.”
“Good thinking. Let me know what, if anything, you find out.”
“I will.”
Early in the shift, after they had discharged three patients from CCU, Anabelle transferred to the emergency room. Whatever flu bug had hit the hospital employees had also brought in more than their usual share of patients. Most of them would have been better off staying home, taking lots of fluids, and avoiding the crowded waiting room. Some, however, were quite ill—like Joey Madison.
“How long will he have to stay?” The small patient’s mother—a thin, very pregnant woman—sat in the chair near the stretcher holding her son’s chubby little hand. One of the nurses had thought to give her a mask. Joey, a two-year-old, had a fever of 104 and was severely dehydrated, limp, and nonresponsive. While he might possibly have the flu, Anabelle suspected something more serious. They would need to get the test results back to confirm the diagnosis. Anabelle had just assisted with a spinal tap as they wanted to rule out meningitis.
“The doctor wants to keep him overnight,” Anabelle said. “Maybe longer. We’ll have to see how Joey responds to treatment.” She hesitated, wishing she could give the woman better news.
“Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome.” Anabelle pulled off her exam gloves and tossed them into the trash. “Can I bring you anything? Coffee, juice?”
“Thanks, but no.” Mrs. Madison shook her head and briefly closed her eyes.
Anabelle suspected the only thing the woman really needed was sleep. She turned to wash her hands and remove her mask.
In a wavering voice Mrs. Madison said, “I need to let my husband know. He’s in the waiting room with our other children. He should go home so they can all get some sleep.”
“I’ll talk with him. If you need anything, please ask.”
Stepping into the hallway, she nearly ran into her friend Elena. “Oh my goodness.” Anabelle stepped aside.
“Oops, sorry.” Elena paused and glanced around.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Anabelle asked.
“The receptionist told me I could find Sheila Madison in twenty-five.”
“Yes, but—”
Elena pulled Anabelle aside and lowered her voice. “James is bringing in Sheila’s oldest son, Robbie. He’s in Nelson’s Scout troop and is very sick. James has been trying to get hold of Robbie’s parents, but—”
“Say no more. They’ve been here for at least two hours with their little boy. We’re admitting him.”
“Thank the Lord we’ve located them. I’ll call Cesar to let him know. And James.”
Anabelle nodded. “While you’re doing that, I’ll tell Sheila about Robbie and then go to the waiting room to talk with Mr. Madison.”
Sheila took the news well, but what else could she do? “I knew I shouldn’t have let him go on that camping trip. I suspected he might not be feeling well, but he assured me that he was fine. I didn’t want to disappoint him.” She heaved a heavy sigh. “But I can’t undo what’s done.”
“Too true.” Anabelle wished she had more to offer.
“You’ll let me know when James gets here?”
“I will. And I’ll tell your husband what’s going on as well.” Anabelle hurried off, her mind already whirling with how to help this family. Chances were if two had fallen ill, the others might follow. She found Mr. Madison in the waiting room with the remaining three of their children. A little girl sat on her daddy’s lap, thumb in her mouth and twirling her hair around her finger. The other two—twin boys—lay sprawled on a sofa.
“Mr. Madison,”—Anabelle hunkered down to meet his weary blue eyes, speaking softly, hoping not to wake the children—“your wife asked me to let you know that we’re admitting Joey.”
“Oh no.” He ran his free hand over his head and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why? I thought it was the flu. We don’t have insurance.”
Anabelle placed a hand on his arm. “Don’t concern yourself with that just now. We can always work these things out. The important thing is getting Joey the medical help he needs.”
He nodded. “I suppose you’re right. How is he?”
“Stable. We’ve run some tests and the doctor will talk with you as soon as we get the results.” Anabelle rose, her knee aching as she straightened it. “Unfortunately, we have another issue.”
“Something else? Is Sheila okay?”
“She’s fine.” Anabelle pressed her lips together. “James Bell has been trying to reach you. He’s bringing your son Robbie into the ER.”
The man seemed to deflate before her eyes. “The camping trip? What happened?”
Anabelle looked up and spotted James coming from the ER into the waiting room. He’d apparently brought Robbie in through the ambulance entrance. “I don’t know the entire story, but I’ll let James tell you himself.”
James nodded toward Mr. Madison and reached forward to shake his hand. “I heard about Joey. Sounds like Robbie might have the same kind of bug.” Glancing at the three children he added, “Might be a good idea to get all of them checked. You and Sheila as well.”
“Yeah, sure.” He looked at the children and then back at James. “Can I see Robbie? Is he okay?”
Sensing his reluctance to leave the children, Anabelle said, “My shift’s over, so why don’t you go back with James and check on the rest of your family while I stay out here with the children for a few minutes. Is there anyone I can call for you?”
“Not really. My mother would come, but she lives in Arizona.” He placed the little girl carefully on the couch where he’d been sitting. She whimpered and then settled down.
“All right,” Anabelle said. “Just so you know, we have a team of volunteers who can provide short-term child care right here at Hope Haven. I can get that started for you if you’d like.”
“Um, sure. That sounds like a good plan.”
“Thanks, Anabelle,” James said over his shoulder as he and Mr. Madison headed for the double doors. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Anabelle feared she’d overwhelmed the poor man with her offer but got to work setting up the child care by calling the volunteer emergency number, which rang up Phyllis Getty. Phyllis, a small, energetic eighty-six-year-old, could run circles around most of the nurses. Phyllis spent more time at Hope Haven than any of the volunteers—mostly because she loved it—and made herself available for times like this.
Phyllis answered on the second ring, her raspy voice immediately recognizable. Anabelle explained the situation with the Madisons. “The family’s going to need some help over the next few days.”
“Say no more. I’m on my way.”
By the time Phyllis arrived, Anabelle was more than ready to go home. She’d been fine while she’d been busy and moving during her shift, but sitting with the children had almost put her to sleep.
Before heading out, however, she went back into the ER to check on the Madison boys. Elena and James were standing outside one of the ER rooms.
“Hi, Anabelle,” Elena called as she approached the nurses’ station. “Thanks for your help.”
Anabelle shrugged. “We both did what we had to do.”
“For sure.”
“How are the kids?” Anabelle reached up and tucked her reading glasses into the pocket of her lab coat.
“Not good,” Elena said. “Both boys have been admitted.” She glanced down the hall to where James was talking to Mr. Madison. “Things are settling down now that Joey’s upstairs in General Medicine, and Robbie will be going up in a few minutes.”
Anabelle nodded. “They’re fortunate that James was with Robbie on that camping trip. Someone else might not have known to bring him in.”
“I know. I just hope the boys pull through.”
“Mmm. They’ll certainly be in my prayers.”
“Mine too.”
Anabelle yawned. “Excuse me. It’s been a long day. I don’t know about you, but I’m going home.”
“I’m with you.”
Anabelle started to follow Elena when their substitute chaplain walked in. “Pastor Kevin!” Elena lit up. “Thank you so much for coming. Did you see Joey?”
Reverend Whitfield nodded. “I did. He’s awake now and is doing much better.”
“I knew he would be. You have that special healing touch,” Elena said.
He grinned, his teeth pure white against his dark tan. “I just try to follow God’s orders.”