Part 18 (1/2)
”Translation?”
”A vertebral fracture caused bone fragments from the spine to break into the spinal ca.n.a.l and push on nerve roots there. We opened the spine and removed enough of the fragments to relieve pressure on the nerve roots. Had we not done this within the first few hours, there might have been permanent neurological damage.”
”No permanent damage, then?”
”Not neurological. The Risser cast will hold the fracture in a safe position until it heals. I don't antic.i.p.ate any problem on that score.”
”His mother mentioned growth plates.”
”There's the problem. I would guess, given Jay's initial fracture and my experience with similar ones, that there has been some level of damage to the inferior and superior plates on the right side of the body. If this proves to be the case, the boy's left side grows while the right side doesn't. This would cause a scoliotic deformity.”
”Meaning?”
”His torso will pitch over to the right. If this happens, his body will try to compensate, and in so doing create a whole new set of problems. We don't want those to arise, which is why we recommend early surgical intervention.”
Hugh heard a ”but” and dipped his head.
”It's a very specialized field,” the doctor said.
”She mentioned St. Louis.”
”The best man is there.”
Hugh would probably have to depose him, too. For now, though, he asked, ”Would you be willing to give an affidavit covering all of the above?”
”Of course.” The doctor pulled out his card.
”Is the prognosis good?” Hugh asked.
”For Jay? With proper medical treatment, very good. He'd be home now if it weren't for the leg cast. We don't want him walking on it for a couple of weeks, and the Risser makes crutches difficult. We're training him on a walker. Once he can handle that, he'll be discharged. We'll see him in six weeks and get a better grasp then on the situation with the growth plates. If he gets down to St. Louis soon after that, he could be playing soccer next year.”
”And if not?”
”He'll be watching from the sidelines for good.”
Dana was returning from the yarn shop late Sunday afternoon, carrying a sleeping Lizzie to the patio in her car seat, when David and Ali came out of their house to barbecue on the deck. David spared Dana a glance before busying himself with the grill. Ali waved and shouted, then looked at her father and was silent.
Dana was having none of that. No matter how David felt about Hugh, she didn't want Ali suffering for it. Leaving Lizzie safe in the carrier, she crossed her own yard into theirs. ”Hey,” she said. ”You guys are back earlier than I thought you'd be. How was camping?”
As though Dana's entry into their yard was the magic key, Ali ran over to her. Her hair was a tangled mess and her tee s.h.i.+rt stained blue, but her cheeks were pink and her dark eyes danced. ”It was awesome! Daddy and me walked for hours, then”-she began waving her hands to ill.u.s.trate-”we found this little place where the trees weren't too close, and we put up a tent and collected sticks and cooked over a fire.”
”What'd you cook?”
”Marshmallows.”
”Marshmallows. Is that all?”
”Oh, there was other stuff, but the marshmallows were the best.” She started moving her hands again. ”First you have to get a stick, then you use this little knife to clean it off and sharpen it, and then you push marshmallows onto the stick. You have to hold the stick over the fire,” she demonstrated, ”and turn it all the time, or else it's gonna catch fire and get chaired-”
”Charred,” David said.
”Charred.” She turned to Dana. ”Are we knitting tomorrow? You promised you'd teach me.”
”And I will, yes, tomorrow.”
”Oh, good. I have swimming-when do I have that, Daddy?”
”Two,” David said.
”Two, so we could do it before that, maybe at eight or nine or ten.” She was bouncing on her toes, looking toward the car carrier. ”Is the baby in that thing?”
”She is.”
”Can I see her?” she asked, taking Dana by the hand.
”Ali-” David warned.
”It's okay,” Dana said. ”We'll be right back.” Breaking into a trot to keep up, she ran with Ali to the carrier.
Ali made a hushed sound and, kneeling on the stone, clutched the sides of the carrier. ”She's sleeping again,” she said, looking up at Dana. ”Why is she always sleeping?”
”That's what babies do. They aren't able to do much else until they grow bigger, and in order to grow bigger, they need sleep.”
”And food,” Ali added, stage-whispering now. ”I'll bet Baby E-lizabeth would love marshmallows toasted all nice and brown and gooey-” She stopped short, broke into a big grin, and stood.
Hugh had materialized at the screen door. He came out with his eyes on Ali and his head c.o.c.ked to the side. He wore the teasingly skeptical expression that Dana loved. ”That can't be Alissa Johnson,” he said. ”The one I remember is at least a foot shorter and nowhere near as grown-up as the young lady here. So who is this?”
Ali continued to grin. ”It's Ali.”
Hugh held up his hand for a high five. The child slapped it. When he moved it higher, she jumped to slap it again. ”Atta girl,” Hugh said.
”Ali,” David called.
”I have to go now,” Ali said. ”I promised Daddy I'd help him make dinner.” She ran across the lawn.
Hugh stared after her. ”Do you think David told her what's going on?”
”I think he told her not to bother us because of the new baby. I can't imagine he said anything else.”
”You ought to ask him.”
”I think you should.”
He shot her a vexed look. ”I can't.”
”You'll have to apologize to him at some point.”
”Yeah, well, not yet,” he said, and there it was again, the paternity test coming between them in ways Dana didn't know how to prevent. Some of her pain must have shown, because he added, ”It's only a technicality, Dee. You know I know I'm Lizzie's father.”
They stared at each other for a minute before Hugh turned to Lizzie. He knelt, touched her tummy, which was all but lost in the fabric of the striped onesie. Her head tilted to the side, eyes closed, dark lashes splayed over the deep gold of her cheeks. ”I just came from the hospital. I was visiting Jay Kostas. He's a cute little boy who faces a lot of serious operatons. It really does make you grateful for what you have. Lizzie is very healthy.”