Leave the Pieces (Strawberry Inn Book #5)

Chapter 6

EMORY

“Excuse me for just a moment.” Jessica, the nurse, politely excused herself after finishing the basic test for Callum. He still needed a blood draw, but she said she was going to come back with another nurse to make sure they only had to poke him once. I appreciated her forethought.

Callum had finally calmed down and was beginning to doze off. I felt bad knowing his nap would probably be interrupted by a needle and some other scans they were going to have to do. I knew I needed to focus on my son right now and not my personal life, but I was struggling knowing that the man who helped give me my greatest possession was just outside that door after a year of knowing nothing about him.

“Do you want to talk about it?” My mom handed me Callum and I did my best to sway him, knowing it would help him sleep. She knew everything, I could tell by the way she was eyeing me that she put two and two together.

“Not particularly.” 

“So that’s Glenn, huh?” Apparently, telling her I didn’t want to talk about it was pointless. “What are the odds?”

“I don’t know the odds, Mom. I don’t think people have been in this position enough for them to determine any possible odds. Can we not talk about it, please?”

“I’m fine with putting it aside for now, but you can’t ignore the situation forever, Emory.”

“I’m well aware,” I look up at her and glare, “I have more important things on my mind though. Plus, Glenn…I mean Dr. Barnes said he can’t even treat Callum. Great, right? The doctor who is supposed to be the best in the state for GI issues in kids can’t even treat my kid.”

“Why not?” Mom asks.

“Rules about treating family members. Not that Glenn is much of a family member,” I scoff. My mom raises her eyebrows disapprovingly. “I didn’t mean it like that, Mom. I just meant that if you brought in Callum or somebody else, he would have no idea who the kid was to him. I should have just lied until after we were done here.”

“I don’t think you would have done something like that, Em. I don’t think it would have mattered if you lied or not, he seemed to know the second he saw you.”

“It’s just not fair.” I feel the tears threatening to release again, but do my best to blink them back. Today has been emotionally draining and it doesn’t look like we’re anywhere close to being done.

Callum finally closed his eyes and I could feel his breathing pattern even out. He was asleep and I cherished these moments. I felt so guilty cherishing the times when he was asleep more than when he was awake. Normal people just wouldn’t understand what it was like. Now that he was sleeping, I took a seat next to my mom again just in time for the door to open and Glenn to walk in with another woman, wearing a very similar white coat.

“Ms. Bishop,” I guess we were going with formalities now. “I wanted to introduce you to my colleague, Dr.Tina Carranza. Dr. Carranza is a pediatric general surgeon and I’ve asked her to take over this case because…well…”

“Because you just learned he’s your son,” I’m a bit short with him. “Yeah, you just told me that.”

“Hi, Ms. Bishop,” Dr. Carranza ignores the tension in the room and shakes my hand, then my mom, pausing for her to introduce herself as well.

“Diana Bishop, I’m Emory’s mom and Callum’s grandma.”

“It’s not to meet you both. While I understand this situation is maybe more abnormal than most that come into this hospital, I want you to know that Callum’s health is my number one priority. Your comfort and trust are also very important to me, Ms. Bishop.”