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I watched while Dr. Robinette looked at Jess and ordered, “I concur. Do the test, Nurse. Bring me the results when you get them.”
“Yes, Doctor,” Jess muttered before leaving the O.R.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Claudia
Her surgery took longer than we thought, but in the end, Dr. Robinette was able to save her uterus. While that was a miracle in itself, I wasn’t so lucky. The infection had done enough damage that I had to resect and remove a portion of her bowel and small intestines. She was going to need to be mindful of what she ate from now on, but she would live.
In the end, that was all that mattered.
Sitting in a chair next to her bed in the ICU, I went over her chart to ensure I hadn’t missed anything. She was so young to have this happen to her, yet so brave to endure it all alone. I couldn’t imagine the pain she went through. It must have been tremendous.
“I don’t know why Mike needs to be here?” I complained, looking at Frank, King, and Scribe.
“Baby, we need this to be legal. She’s Charlie’s birth mother. Mike is going to need to talk to her.”
“She’s been through enough.”
“Dear God, she looks like a baby herself,” King muttered.
“Claudia,” Mike carefully spoke, stepping forward. “I won’t upset the girl, but she committed a crime. The fire station was across the street. Yet she left Charlie in the alley. This state takes part in the Safe Haven program. She could have dropped Charlie off there with no questions asked.”
“That’s only if the baby is less than seventy-two hours old, and you know it. If she went there and left Charlie, you could have still arrested her for abandoning the baby. God, I hate this fucking system. It’s rigged to punish the mother. No one fucking cares.”
“We care, Lidi,” Scribe said. “And I will make damn sure nothing happens to her. She’s gonna need help, someone to guide her through what is heading her way, and I give you my word, I won’t let anything happen to her.”
Hearing her moan, I placed her chart on the small table and got to my feet. After checking her vitals, I looked at the young woman staring at me and smiled. “You gave me a scare, sweetie. How are you feeling?”
“Sore.”
“That’s to be expected,” I stated gently, pulling the chair closer as she looked around the room.
“What’s going on?” she whispered, clutching the blanket tighter.
Taking a seat, I sighed. “Do you remember when we talked earlier? I asked you if you recently had a baby. I need you to tell me the truth now.”
Looking at her hands, she barely muttered, “I was sick because of the baby, wasn’t I?”
“Yes. A small part of the placenta detached and remained in your uterus, causing an infection that grew over time. Actually, I’m surprised you didn’t seek medical help sooner.”
A lone tear rolled down her face but she never looked up.
“What’s going to happen to me now?”
“What do you mean?”
“I had a baby and lied about it. Is that why the sheriff is here? Is he here to arrest me?”
“I don’t want you to think about that. But right now, we need to know where your baby is?”
“With his parents.”
I looked back at Frank, who frowned before looking back at the young girl and asked, “You gave him up for adoption?”
“Kind of... not really, but he’s with good people,” she whispered, looking at me.
“How old are you, sweetheart?” King asked, curiously.
