AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thank you for bringing him here. Even though this isn’t the best hospital, it was here when Charlie needed it.”
Mr. Bennett nods thoughtfully.
“You know, I knew what it was as soon as he started having an itchy mouth. Savannah, you might not know this, but Cole had the same kind of reaction to peanut butter cookies. Just random, out of the blue like that.”
Sarah chimes in with a fond smile. “Except that Cole went for a walk on the beach that day, and only thought to come back when he couldn’t see or breathe. He is lucky one of our family friends was over at the house. Jim’s a very smart doctor that carries an EpiPen in his bag.”
“I had just moved in a week earlier. And I kept thinking that the stress was somehow to blame for the incident.” Sarah puts her hand against her heart. “I was so scared.”
Cole looks at me and shrugs.
“All I can remember is that I had all the cherry popsicles I wanted while I convalesced.”
“Knock.” A bright voice calls. “Can I come in?”
Sarah pulls back the curtain. A slim Asian woman in a white lab coat pokes her head into the room. I would know that face anywhere.
“Grace!” I say. “I didn’t know you were working down here.” I turn to Cole. “Cole, Grace and I went to college together. I had no idea that Grace was working all the way down here! The last thing I heard; you were working at Emory University’s hospital in Atlanta.”
“I was! I came down here to get away from the hustle-bustle.” She touches me on the arm. “If you don’t mind, I need to talk to….” She looks down at a medical chart in her arms. “Mr. Bennett?”
“Yes,” Cole says. His dad says, “you’ve got him” at the same time.
Grace smiles at the two men and tucks her straight black hair behind her ear.
“Cole Bennett, I should say,” the doctor corrects herself. “Charlie’s father.”
“That’s me.” Cole raises his hand. “You can speak freely around everyone here, though.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Liu.” Grace is flipping through Charlie’s chart. “It looks like he had the symptoms of anaphylactic shock after eating some peanuts. Is that right?”
“Yes. I had the same thing when I was twelve.”
Sarah speaks up. “When you were thirteen and three quarters, actually.”
“It’s helpful to know that there is some family history of anaphylaxis,” Grace says. She flashes me a quick smile.
“Yes. Thanks.” Cole doesn’t make a face, but his dry tone tells Sarah to back off. “Back then, the doctor recommended me bed rest for two days and an emergency appointment with an allergist. Is that still the recommended treatment?”
Grace is scribbling in Charlie’s file.
“Yes. Until you see the specialist, absolutely no tree nuts of any kind. No homemade snacks. Check the labels of everything he puts in his mouth, including his drinks. Make sure that there is no possibly cross contamination. The nurse will bring by an informational packet.”
Cole nods. “Got it. Thanks, Dr…”
“Dr. Liu.” She smiles at us all. “I’ll need to keep Charlie here for three more hours to monitor his breathing. But after that, you can take him home.”
“Dr. Liu, you are a lifesaver. Literally!” Sarah proclaims. “Thank you for saving our grandson.”
Grace smiles lightly. “All part of the job. Happy to be able to do it, ma’am.”
“We are very grateful,” Mr. Bennett rumbles.
Grace turns to me. “Sav, I have to go check on my other patients. But I just moved back to the area. I would love to reconnect.”
If Cole’s family were not here watching us, I would crush her in a hug. But since we are being watched, I just touch her arm slightly. “My number hasn’t changed. Has yours?”
“Yes.” She looks troubled for a moment. She fishes a card out of her pocket and holds it out to me. “Here, my cell phone is on there.”
