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Six

SCOTT FLIPPED THE pages of a magazine and shifted, trying to find a comfortable spot on the worn waiting room chairs while Dylan smashed the block city he’d built, using a toddler’s plastic airplane to strafe the buildings.

“Pew! Pew, pew!”

His son’s sound effects were more suited to some sort of epic space battle with lasers and missiles.

A nurse poked her head into the waiting room. “Dylan Edwards?”

The explosion noises broke off.

Scott stood and settled a comforting hand on Dylan’s shoulder. “We’re right here.”

“This way,” the nurse waved them down the hall. “Room three. Dr. Hastings will be with you in a moment.”

The two slipped into the small exam room and Dylan glanced around, eyes wide. “I wish Gen was here.”

Scott groaned. He hadn’t even thought to ask Abby to come, though they’d seen her and Gen a few times at the park in the last couple of weeks.

She always paused her run to say hello, and once or twice he’d even gotten her to stick around for a short conversation, usually while Gen squirmed on her back in doggy bliss, Dylan scratching her exposed belly.

“Sorry, kiddo, maybe next time.”

A few moments later the door swung open, and Dr. Hastings breezed in.

Tall and lanky with dark-skin, he pushed wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Coarse gray hair curled close to his scalp.

He carried a folder under one arm and wore scrubs with multi-colored dinosaurs printed all over them.

Glancing at Dylan, he winked before offering his hand to Scott.

“I’m Dr. Hastings.” He rotated to face the boy and continued, “You must be Dylan. Let’s have a peek at your arm.”

Scott couldn’t help immediately comparing this new doctor to the old one.

Dr. Cunningham had spoken exclusively to Scott, except for when he had talked about cutting Dylan’s arm off.

Dr. Hastings began by asking his son what TV shows he liked, and Dylan didn’t hesitate to burble excitedly about his favorites.

Even after the doctor had finished a cursory exam of Dylan’s arm and cast, he continued to pay careful attention until Dylan dragged in a long breath, gearing up for another round.

Scott caught himself smiling. Of course, Abby had known exactly the right doctor to recommend.

Dr. Hastings, engrossed by the battle between the good guys and the bad guys, nodded as Dylan prattled on. “You said the yellow one got broken...”

“Ripped apart.”

“Sorry, ripped apart. Sounds like he needed a mechanic to help put him back together, right? Well, I’m kind of like a mechanic for humans. Shall we take a look at what you need put back together?”

Dylan swallowed hard and dropped his eyes to his lap. He picked at a thread on his jeans, then scratched a nail across his cast. Scott nudged him, bumping Dylan with his elbow, “Dylan? Did you have a question for the doctor?”

Dylan swallowed again, then, taking a deep breath, he gathered his courage. “Will you have to cut off my arm?” It came out as little more than a whisper, but Dr. Hastings paid close attention.

“Absolutely not! When we get there, I’ll tell you more about how it works, but for now, rest assured young man, I won’t leave a single mark on you.

” When Dylan’s forehead still furrowed, Dr. Hastings crouched down until he could catch Dylan’s gaze.

“I promise you; I won’t hurt you or your arm.

” He paused, then held up one pinky. “I pinky swear.”

A moment later, Dylan smiled. They shook on the deal and Scott let out a sigh of relief.

Dr. Hastings flipped open the folder he’d been carrying, pulling out a stack of x-rays.

He snapped them into place one by one on the lit panel hanging beside the examination table.

Studying them for a few moments, he slipped all but two back into the folder.

“So, looks like a fracture each to the radius and ulna above the wrist. Compression?” Scott nodded.

“Yes, I thought so. And his records from Dr. Cunningham state he also had a sprain.”

Scott nodded. “Yeah, he fell off the monkey bars.”

The doctor nodded and smiled. “Yes, I had heard the story.” He turned back to Dylan. “So, we’re going to do a couple more X-rays today to evaluate how it’s healing, then we’ll have a better idea of when we can take the cast off.”

As the tech prepared Dylan for his X-rays, Dr. Hastings surprised Scott by waiting with him in the hallway.

“It’s a light day,” he explained, “and I know Abby has taken a personal interest in Dylan’s well-being.”

Scott nodded, avoiding the doctor’s penetrating stare.

He hadn’t made any secret of Abby’s involvement with Dylan on the playground when they first visited the emergency room, and to tell the truth, it had reassured him when the hospital staff had recognized her name.

“She suggested you might be a better match for Dylan than Dr. Cunningham.”

Dr. Hastings arched an eyebrow. “No, she’s never much cared for Tom. Not since he tried to edge Will out of his med-school internship at the hospital by playing the ‘my-father’s-on-the-board’ card.” He shook his head.

“Will?” Scott twitched. “Boyfriend?”

“Ah. Not... exactly. She didn’t tell you.” It wasn’t a question.

Scott shook his head. Had she brushed off a date with him because she already had another man in the picture?

But, if so, why hadn’t she said anything?

Could Will be a brother, a cousin, a colleague from her days as an EMT.

An ex-husband. Though why she wouldn’t have said so when she asked about Dylan’s mother. ..

She doesn’t owe you anything , Scott reminded himself. You’re not even really friends. Though, he’d hoped they were, especially after her help with Dylan.

“No, she wouldn’t have, but I won’t say anymore. It’s her story to tell, when she’s ready.” The doctor crossed his arms, effectively blockading any further questions.

Though curiosity gnawed at Scott, he didn’t press.

Fortunately, Dr. Hastings continued, “My daughter, Cara, is one of Abby’s best friends. That’s how I know Abby’s taken an interest in Dylan’s case. All above board, of course; HIPPA and whatnot. She asked me to take extra good care of him if he came in. Mentioned he appreciated pinky promises.

“She really is something special with kids, her and Gen,” the doctor went on.

“I don’t see as much of her these days now that I’m in private practice, but I went up to pediatrics not long after she and Gen started visiting and the difference they’d already made astonished me.

I was a skeptic before—dogs didn’t belong in hospitals—but now? They changed my mind.”

Scott nodded. “Dylan adores Gen; I’m pretty sure she’s the only reason he didn’t panic when he fell. And Abby’s talked about how much she loves her work at the hospital...”

The tech had finished with Dylan, so he didn’t continue, but Dr. Hastings nodded.

Back in the exam room, he pulled up the new X-rays on his computer and rotated the screen toward Dylan. Pointing, he explained, “See the original cracks, here and here? And the whitish buildup around them? Your bone is callousing—healing.”

Dylan nodded with wide eyes.

Dr. Hastings studied the screen for a few more moments, tapping his lower lip with one finger as he did so. “I think a little while longer. It’s been, what? Four weeks since you fell? Yes, I think two more weeks and it should be ready to come out of the cast by then.”

“And you won’t cut off my arm?”

“No, Dylan. Like I promised.”

Dr. Hastings shook Scott’s hand, gave Dylan a high-five, then headed out the door, but Scott followed him, catching him in the hall.

“Listen, I don’t know how, but... Well, I’d like to help, too.

Not like Abby does; but maybe in another way.

As a parent, watching Dylan fall felt like seeing something in slow motion, completely outside my control.

” Scott shook his head, shaking off the memory, as well, then continued, “I can’t imagine what those other parents are going through. ”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I play football, and we have a publicity department. I know some of the other guys have worked with Providence in the past. Who would I call if I wanted to set something up?”

Dr. Hastings grinned, brilliant white teeth glowing in the dim hallway. “I’ll get you that number.”