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He glanced at her pale face, perspiration dotting her forehead. Her figure was hidden under her coat. “Are you in pain? Maybe I can help.”
“Thank you, doctor. You’ve helped a lot by staying with my daughter. Eventually, I’ll make time to visit my doctor.” She grimaced, her hand pressing her belly.
Dalia frowned. “Mommy, you have that boo-boo in your tummy again? You sick?”
Tyler reached the same conclusion. Digging his phone and a business card out of his pocket, he texted Beverly.Caught in an emergency situation. Running late. Sorry. Love you.
He gave the business card to Sienna, hoping he could convince her to trust him. “I’m a pediatric cardiologist at Nassau Hospital, but my guess is that you may have appendicitis. When you were in the restroom, did you vomit?”
“Yes, that’s why I asked Dalia to wait outside near the door. I didn’t want to scare her.”
“Do you mind if I check you? Just a quick examination? It’ll only take a minute.”
Her bluish-green eyes, so similar to her daughter’s, filled with apprehension and roamed over his face as she tortured her bottom lip with her teeth.
“Just unzip your coat. I’ll press your belly over your clothes,” he coaxed.
Nodding, she opened her coat revealing a beige sweater worn over a pair of brown leggings.
“Point to the place that hurts.”
She did.
“How about here?” With the tip of two fingers, he touched the sweater and pressed. “Does it hurt?”
“Not much.”
“And here?”
“Aw,” she screamed and doubled over.
He reached across and touched her brow. “You’re burning up. Obviously your appendix is inflamed. If you wait much longer, it may burst and that would be dangerous.”
“I’ll see my GP tomorrow.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think you can wait that long. I suggest you go to the ER right now. I would take you, but I have a...an important appointment, and I’m already late. I’d rather call 9.1.1. They’ll be here quickly and take you to the hospital.”
Panic filled her eyes. “I can’t just go with them. What about Dalia? I have no one to watch her.”
“She’ll go with you and stay with you.” He tapped the numbers on his phone, identified himself, and gave them the restaurant’s address. “Let’s wait for the ambulance outside.” He led them to the door where Dalia had been sitting earlier and held it open for them.
The brisk, cold wind needled their faces. Sienna adjusted the hood on Dalia’s head and zippered her own coat.
Tyler checked his watch. Damn, he was so late. Beverly must be seething at City Hall. He pulled his phone and texted,
Running very late. Sorry. Let me know if you want to postpone till tomorrow. Love you.
Sienna tossed him a worried glance. “If you’re in a rush, please, go.”
A dedicated physician, he’d never abandoned a patient in crisis. “At that point, another half hour won’t make a difference.” He snorted. What else could he do?
When the ambulance pulled up to the curb, the paramedics helped Sienna onto the stretcher and had Dalia sit at her feet.
Tyler updated them on the patient’s problem and urged them to make sure her daughter stayed with her. “Where will you be taking her?”
“St. Jude Hospital. It’s the closest one.”
“Perfect.” He had privileges at St. Jude Hospital and had often visited patients there. “Sienna if you give me your phone number, I’ll call later tonight and check on you.”
