Page 319 of Under Her Skin

“Look, we aren’t even going to his child’s room. I see no reason why you needed to bring us down here to tell usanything!”

“It’s okay, baby,” Blaine says as he looks at me with a calm expression. “Let the man do hisjob.”

“Thank you,” Davenport says, then continues, “Mr. Sanders is going to have a meeting with the other parents this evening. He’s not happy at all with the way Mr. Vanderbilt is doing this for some kids and not all of them. I know this is just an excuse he’s come up with. He wants to get the other parents to sign a petition to ban Vanderbilt from making any visits to the childrenhere.”

“This is ridiculous!” I shout, and Blaine’s hand leaves my knee, then he runs his arm around myshoulders.

“Shh. It’s okay,” he says. “If the parents don’t want me to visit their kids, then that’s up to them. Frankly, I doubt the man will get everyone to agree with him. I know Tammy’s motherwon’t.”

“It’s the damn point!” I shout again. “I’ll go talk to the asshole,myself!”

“No, you won’t,” both Blaine and Davenportsay.

“Why the hellnot?”

Davenport leans forward and looks directly at me. “Because things could escalate. So, just stay away from the man. I brought you in here to let you know about the meeting, and that, if there is a petition brought to me, then I will have to follow protocol and Mr. Vanderbilt will be banned from coming hereanymore.”

“I don’t know why that man has to be so difficult,” I say, then get up to leave. “We’ve heard what you had to say. We have things to do. Kids to see and trees to put up. It would be appreciated if you would stick up for Mr. Vanderbilt just a bit. He is doing nice things and that damn man is doing nothing but being ajackass!”

I leave the room and find Blaine coming out behind me. “Hey, you need to cooldown.”

With a quick spin, I face him and find him looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world. “Why? So he can get away withthis?”

“Because this is purely his problem. It has nothing to do with you. And not even me, really. He feels out of control because he is out of control where his daughter is concerned. The only thing he might be able to control is me beinghere.”

“Why pick on you?” I ask. “I’m not going to allowthat.”

“Baby, this isn’t a thing for you to fix. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. When the other parents go to his little meeting—and let's just see how many even show up for it—then you’ll see that things willend.”

He moves me inside the elevator and pushes the button to take us back up. “Blaine, I really hate this. You came here at my cajoling and this happens to you. I feel terrible. Don’t you see why I feel the need to fixit?”

“I do,” he says as he pulls me into his arms. “But I’m a big boy. I can handleit.”

“You shouldn’t have to face this kind of adversity when you’re doing a nice thing.” A protectiveness over him fills me as I hug himtightly.

He may look like a tower of strength, and right now he’s even exhibiting that same strength, but it infuriates me that anyone would do this tohim.

The elevator slows to a stop and he lets me out of the hug, leaving one arm draped around my shoulders. Making our way back to Terry’s room, I see Mrs. Sanders standing at the nurses’ station. She heads our way, and I find my insides getting tight. “Damn it,” I whisper.I am more than tired of dealing with this familytoday!

“Please come with me,” she says, once she’s close enough for us tohear.

“No way,” I tell her. “Your husband has made himself crystal clear about anything to do with hisfamily.”

“He’s gone. He won’t be back for three hours. I need you to come with me, please,” she begs as she wrings her thins hands. With tired eyes, she looks at Blaine. “Meagan said to tell you that Crystal is with her. I don’t know what that means, but she told me to tell youthat.”

Blaine’s face goes pale. “My mother’s name wasCrystal.”

“We can’t go in there, Blaine. The camera in the hallway will catch us going in. I’m sorry, but we just can’t. Tell Meagan we would if we could, but we’re not allowed in her room. You have to explain that to her. This is not anyone’s fault but your husband’s.” I take Blaine’s hand and try to pull him away from the woman who’s making him feelterribly.

He doesn’t move though, as she says, “My husband is mad at you, Mr. Vanderbilt, because Meagan keeps talking about you. She keeps saying she’s going to go away with Crystal, but she can’t until she tells you something. He thinks if you talk to her, she’lldie.”

“Is her condition that dire?” he asksme.

I nod. “It is. But there’s always hope.” Turning to face Mrs. Sanders, I continue, “And this notion about her talking to Blaine then passing away is ludicrous. I’ve seen patients who have said they saw people who’d passed away in their rooms, and guess what, not all of them died. I don’t know how to explain any of it, but I know Blaine nor I can go into thatroom.”

“If we are disguised, we could,” he says. “Say, if we visit as Santa and maybe an elf, or something along those lines. Then we could go in and the camera wouldn’t be able to tell it’s us. I could even have other Santas and elves running around the hospital, spreading Christmascheer.”

“Blaine, that would take some preparation,” I tell him, not at all liking his idea. He needs to stay away from the kid, or he could end up facing some stiffcharges.