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“Okay, Cameron, tell everyone what you see.”
Letting him move closer to the screen, we all listened when Cameron screamed, “IT’S A BOY! It has a penis!”
Everyone hooted and hollered as King picked up Cameron, hugging him tightly. “You see, little man. You got your boy.”
“I’m still outnumbered, Prez,” Cameron sighed as everyone laughed.
With the latest baby news quickly hitting the Rosewood grapevine, thanks to Scribe, the club celebrated their good fortune with a cookout. The sun was shining and a cool breeze blew in from the south. It was one of those rare warm spring mornings, but we all knew it wouldn’t last. It never did in these parts. Spring may be right around the corner, but it wasn’t here quite yet.
Locking up the front door, Frank waited with me as he cuddled Charlie. “You heading to the hospital first?”
“Yeah. I need to check on Trip and make sure Lacey has eaten something. She’s starting to worry me.”
“Has she left his side at all?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I may have to force her to leave, and I really don’t want to do that.”
“If you need some help, I can come with you.”
“No. Take Charlie home. I won’t be long,” I reassured, giving Frank and Charlie a quick kiss before walking the few blocks to the hospital. “I love you, Claudia James Steiner!”
Smiling, I turned and blew my family a kiss.
A few minutes later, I walked into the hospital, heading for the nearest elevators. Waiting for them to open, Bill Caldwell approached. Groaning internally, I said nothing when the hospital administrator spoke, “The hospital discharged that last accident patient today. The only one left is Mr. Hall. We need to talk with his sister about long-term care.”
The elevator doors opened and I stepped forward. “Excuse me?”
“Mr. Hall is going to need long-term care, Dr. James, you know that. This hospital doesn’t have the capabilities to give Mr. Hall the care he needs.”
Turning to the man, I growled, “Trip isn’t leaving Rosewood, Bill. So, you had better figure out how to make it possible for him to get the care he needs. Hire more people if you must, because I have no fucking problem going over your head on this. Trip is a member of this community. Has been since the day he was born. Rosewood doesn’t abandon their own.”
“Claudia,” Bill sighed. “Be reasonable. We are wasting resources on a man that will never wake up. He’s brain-dead.”
“No, he’s not!” I countered angrily. “He just has minimal brain activity. There is still hope.”
“Hope for what?” Bill questioned. “To live his life in a wheelchair as a vegetable?”
“You fucking son of a bitch!” I screamed when the elevator doors opened.
“What the hell is going on?” Dr. George Steiner growled, walking away from the nurses’ station with Dr. Robinette.
“This fucking bastard believes Trip will never recover!”
“We know nothing, yet. We’re still too early in his recovery to make that assumption,” Dr. Robinette stated firmly, frowning at the hospital administrator.
“Lidi?”
Turning, I saw Mrs. Steiner walking over with Fiona.
“Hi, Claudia,” the young girl greeted, smiling.
“What’s going on?”
Looking at Bill, I challenged, “Go ahead, Bill. Tell Mrs. Steiner what you think we should do with Trip?”
The pompous man looked at Martha and clearly said for all to hear, “I stand by my words. This hospital does not have the resources or equipment to deal with a patient that has no hope of recovering.”
“Now tell her the real reason, Bill. Tell Martha why you really want Trip moved to another facility.”
