Theo caught Cole’s eye as they pulled up to a stoplight. His dad was giving him a look that read, “Well?”
“Oh, right,” Cole stammered. “Thanks for helping me.”
“You’re welcome,” Sloan responded smugly.
The silence in the car was getting a little awkward, so Dr. Andrews decided he’d try to break the ice. “So how long have you been a doctor, Sloan?”
“I studied from age eight to ten. When I was nearly eleven, I started clinical work at the Facility’s Research Hospital.”
“Wow, when I was ten I had mastered the kick-flip on my skateboard,” Cole offered with a grin.
“I don’t know what a ‘kick-flip’ is,” Sloan frowned.
“Oh, it’s this simple trick where you use your toes to kick the board over into a spin.”
“I really have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sloan said, shaking her head.
“Well, I’m in no shape to show you now, but when I get better, I’ll have to take you out skateboarding to show you what I mean.”
Theo sat listening to the exchange between his son and the child protégé and shook his head, amazed.
Only Cole would think to teach a medical genius how to do tricks on a skateboard, he chuckled to himself, and for the first time since he got the phone call the night of the accident, he felt optimistic about his son’s emotional well-being.
By the time Dr. Andrews got Cole in his bed at the house, the two kids were entertaining themselves marvelously. Who would have thought those two would be friends?
Theo shook his head in amazement as he refilled Maze’s food dish and absently scratched the coyote between the ears before he grabbed his keys and headed back to the minivan. He sighed deeply, relieved and thankful for Dr. Sloan Mor. Now he could go concentrate on Margo. They hadn’t had a chance to talk about matters since she’d arrived home. They had just been functioning in survival mode. But they had both said some terrible things to one another and were due for a deep discussion. Maybe not today, he thought, but soon. And if he were honest with himself, he didn’t know how he should feel about everything.
First things first, he reminded himself. First we get Margo well; then we worry about how we’re going to get past all this. He pursed his lips together at that last thought, because in the end, he knew that’s exactly what he wanted. He wanted to move past the argument they’d had before she left to Germany and start over. He just wasn’t sure how Margo felt about things.
Soon, he told himself. We will all have to have this talk soon. Now, I need some answers from her surgeon.
Chapter 26 Brothers
“The surgery went as well as we could have hoped. Now we have to wait and see if Dr. Winter regains movement or sensation below the injured site.”
“When can we see her?” Meg asked.
“She’s still waking up from the anesthesia. As soon as she’s coherent, I’ll have a nurse come get you, but please, no more than two people back there at a time.”
Dr. Andrews nodded, understanding. Meg and her brothers didn’t like being told they couldn’t all go see her at once.
“We have to follow hospital rules, guys,” Theo leveled his gaze at Meg knowing the others would follow her lead.
“Stupid hospital rules,” she mumbled.
“Hey,” Alik looked pointedly at Danny then back to his sister. “Language!” he scolded with a smirk dancing at the corners of his mouth.
Meg rolled her eyes, but had to smile at how adorably protective Alik was over the little boy flopped over his massive shoulder, sleeping deeply enough to leave drool marks on Alik’s blue shirt. It was pretty sweet.
An hour later, the family was allowed to take their turns to briefly visit Margo in recovery. During the drive home, everyone was somber. Margo had looked as pale as the sheets on which she lay. The children knew things were serious, but they hadn’t realized how much they were holding out hope that this surgery would “fix” her until they saw how frail she looked afterward.
Alik had insisted on staying at the hospital to keep vigil over their mother.
“Just like old times, eh brother?” Evan asked, patting Alik on the shoulder. Danny had just awakened and refused to leave Alik’s side. Even when Meg offered to hold him and sit next to him in the car, his little blond ringlets moved with the shaking of his head.
“I don’t mind if he stays with me,” Alik offered. “He’s a pretty cool guy.” He looked down at the little boy clinging to his shoulder like a baby monkey and lightly slugged the baby’s shoulder. Danny grinned ear to ear at Alik’s compliment. His bright-blue eyes danced with happiness.