Dylan and the Baby Doctor

Author:Sherryl Woods [Woods, Sherryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: And Baby Makes Three
ISBN: 9780373243099
Publisher: Silhouette Books
Published: 2000-03-31T23:00:00+00:00

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Chapter Nine

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Dylan and Jeb were almost out the door when the phone rang. Everyone froze. Kelsey's heart began to thud dully as it had every time a call came in. She reached for the receiver with fingers that trembled so badly she could barely grasp it. "Hello."

"Mommy?"

Bobby's voice sounded scratchy and hoarse. "Baby, are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Don't feel good, Mommy." Kelsey had never felt so thoroughly helpless in her entire life. Maternal instinct as much as her professional training kicked in. Thank heaven Bobby was now old enough to answer a few simple questions. "Where does it hurt, sweetie? Your tummy? Your head?"

"All over. I'm hot, Mommy."

Her fury and frustration boiled over. "Put your daddy on the phone, baby. Okay?"

Paul came on the line. "He's fine," he said before she could get a word out. "It's just a little fever. It's no big deal, so don't go making a federal case out of it."

"I want him home, Paul. I'm the doctor. I'll be the judge of whether or not he's seriously ill."

"Kids get fevers. It's nothing," he insisted.

"Does he have a cold? Is that it? Have you been taking him in and out of air-conditioning?''

"Tsk-tsk," he chided. "You know I'm not going to answer something like that. Gotta run, Kelsey. Bobby wants some orange juice. I'll be in touch."

"Paul!" she shouted, but she could hear the click of his receiver being put back into place. "Dammit, Paul." This time the words came out as a frustrated whisper.

Her gaze sought out Lizzy, then automatically shifted to Dylan. It didn't seem to matter that she was furious at him for deceiving her about his own custody situation. She still looked to him for strength. How had that happened in such a short time? How did she know that despite everything, despite the angry accusations she had hurled at him, she could still trust him? With just a glance from her, he crossed the kitchen in three long strides. He pulled a chair up close beside her.

"Bobby's sick?" he asked.

"Paul says it's just a fever. Maybe he's right. He's probably right," she said more emphatically, "But I hate not being there, not knowing for sure."

"Of course you do," Lizzy said. "But stop a minute. Bobby's never had more than the sniffles. He's the healthiest little boy I've ever seen. There's no reason to imagine that this is anything more than that."

"Maybe he's overdue," Kelsey whispered, wishing she shared Lizzy's certainty. "Who knows where he's been the past few days or what he's been exposed to. He said he hurt all over."

"Could be the flu, then," Lizzy suggested, still maintaining a positive outlook. "It'll be over and done with in a day or so."

"Or it could be measles or chicken pox," Kelsey retorted, her imagination whirling into overdrive. She was suddenly thinking like a panic-stricken mom, rather than a cool, rational doctor. "We don't know. That's the problem."

Dylan gave a nod to Lizzy and Jeb, who vanished on cue. "Come here," he said, reaching for her.

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