A Light in the Window by Heidi Hostetter

Author:Heidi Hostetter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: christmas read adoption, small town christmas, inlet beach christmas, teen runaway help, family christmas read, christmas book
Publisher: Heidi Hostetter
Published: 2015-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Gordon signed the last form and handed the clipboard back to the social worker. “Is that it, then?”

The woman pursed her lips as she flipped the pages and when she reached the last one she snapped them back in place, nodding curtly. “We have a perfectly adequate recovery room at the Center—.”

“—where he will be handcuffed to the bed.”

“ – where his condition will be monitored until he is processed. I shouldn’t have to remind you that the boy is in police custody.” Having made her point, the woman’s lips thinned into a white line.

“They haven’t filed charges, and you don’t know if they will. The words came out sharper than he intended. Gordon drew a breath and steadied his voice. “He’s fourteen, so, technically, right now, he’s just a sick kid who needs a doctor.” This woman was too quick to label Zachary, and Gordon refused to let him become a checkbox on her day’s worksheet.

The social worker turned to the nurse’s station and leaned over the counter, catching the eye of a nurse working at a computer. “What is Zachary Wallofski’s progress? Room 2187.”

Althought the nurse’s smile appeared accommodating, her expression was haggard, as if she’d already put in a full day and still had hours left before she went home. After tapping a few keys on her keyboard, she glanced up from her screen. “The IV is the last thing in the doctor’s notes.” Sliding a clipboard from a stack, she trailed the page with her finger. “But the doctor wants to check him before he’s released. She flicked her gaze to the social worker. “Or moved.”

“Thank you.” Gordon offered his best smile, but she had already returned to her work.

Snapping her pen behind the metal clip, the social worker trapped the board against her chest. “I need to check with my supervisor. These rules are in place for a reason. I’ll be back shortly.”

Gordon nodded, his head pounding from lack of sleep. He wouldn’t let Zachary be moved but if she talked to her supervisor, they might discover that Gordon was just Zachary’s ride to the hospital and that his opinion didn’t matter.

He made his way to the surgical waiting room, the only place he’d found with good cell phone reception. A dark little cave room littered with cast-off chairs, chipped end tables, and arrangements of ugly plastic flowers, the room smelled strongly of antiseptic. A mounted television blared from the corner, and the laugh track grated his nerves. Reaching up, he snapped it off before sinking into a hard plastic chair.

Pulling his cell phone from his shirt pocket, Gordon scrolled to Tyra’s number. With luck, she’d already found Charlie and everything could be straightened out before lunchtime.

Tyra’s cell phone rolled immediately to voice mail. After leaving a brief message, he rose from his chair and walked to Zachary’s room to await the social worker’s decision.

***

As his bagel traveled the rickety conveyor, Charlie eyed the block of cream cheese in the bowl in front of him.

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