The Switch (16 page)

In the morning Danny stopped at the grocery store, then swung over to Tia’s after work. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but he couldn’t handle the thought of returning home. Emily’s face flashed behind his eyes every time he closed them. He’d spent the spare time between runs cleaning the rigs and doing extra maintenance, though it wasn’t scheduled for a while yet. He couldn’t settle down to sleep.

He carried a bucket of vanilla ice cream and a large can of peaches in a shopping bag when he knocked on Tia’s front door.

“Danny!” She looked surprised and highly kissable in her pajamas with her hair still mussed from sleep. “I didn’t expect you yet.”

“I popped by the store for a few necessities, then came right over. How do your girls feel about pancakes?”

“They love them.” She stepped out of the way, eyeing the ice cream bucket. “Do you always serve ice cream with breakfast?”

“Only when we have peaches on our pancakes.” He shut the door behind him, then set down his purchases and pulled her close for a long, lingering kiss. If he could return home to a beautiful woman who had red tendrils tumbling down her back every morning, he thought his life would be about perfect. Then he paused and pushed the thought away.
Slow down, buddy.

She wasn’t ready to go there, and he needed to give her time to adjust to being a couple before he mentioned the M word. Though the progress in their relationship often seemed to drag, he knew slow and steady was the only way to win. And he very definitely wanted her to be a permanent part of his life.

When he pulled back, she smiled and studied him for a long moment, running her fingers along the light stubble of his chin. “You kiss me like that and I might give in to your demands of ice cream for breakfast.”

“Oh, good.” He leaned in and laid another one on her, only releasing her when Tristi’s calls to her mom echoed down the hall. He picked up his purchases again. “You go take care of her and get ready for the day—though I have to say you look adorable in those pajamas. I’ll get started on breakfast.”

“I don’t have any pancake mix,” she warned him.

“I’d be shocked if you did. And I might be a little offended you think I need some. Scoot.” He headed into the kitchen, grinning to himself. Oh, yes, he could stand to kiss her every morning.

When Samantha joined him in the kitchen twenty minutes later, Danny was pulling the peach topping from the stove. He already had a growing stack of pancakes on a plate beside him, and another three would join the others in a few minutes.

“Danny? What are you doing here?’ Samantha asked. She sported a pair of fuzzy purple pajamas and an incredible example of bed-head.

Danny turned, relief and joy thrumming through him as he saw her sweet face. He snatched her up and pressed a noisy kiss to her cheek. “I’m making you breakfast. Did you have a good night?”

She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. “Yes. I slept like an angel all night.” She gave him a too-innocent smile.

He looked at her and lifted his brows in doubt. “I bet you stayed up late reading books by flashlight. Yes, I can see it there in your eyes. They give you away every time.”

Her mouth dropped open. “How did you know?”

Danny leaned forward until they bumped foreheads, looking her in the eye. “You’d be surprised what I know.” When she giggled, he grinned back at her, then deposited her on a chair at his side. He loved listening to her chatter, and the bright joyful noise was exactly what he needed to wipe away the pain and sorrow of the previous night.

They talked about diverse subject, much of it nonsense as he cooked up the rest of the pancake batter, then he set the table while she ran to get her mom and sister, her footed pajamas slapping against the tiled floor until she reached the carpet.

“You really put ice cream on your pancakes?” Tia asked as she saw the stack he’d prepared for her.

“Try it.” He nudged a plate toward her as she settled Tristi in the high chair.

“I want some!” Samantha chimed in.

“Good, because I have a plate here with your name on it.” He stacked a couple on the plate, slathered the peach sauce on it and topped it with ice cream.

Tia’s eyes rolled back in her head in obvious enjoyment as she took her first bite. “This is something you created in school, right? Or at the station?” She finished chewing and swallowed. “No way your mom made this for you.”

“You’d be wrong about that.” Danny slid Samantha her plate, then dished a small amount for Tristi, who would eat most of her food with her hands, and throw some of it on the floor if she was true to form. He knew her pajamas would be going straight to the laundry bin when she finished eating, anyway, so it wouldn’t matter that much. “It was reserved for special occasions, like family reunions, Christmas, and camping out, but she’s the one who came up with the idea.”

“Your mom must be totally cool!” Samantha said after she swallowed her first bite. “It’s yummy!”

Tristi grinned, peach topping sliding down her chin and another piece smashed in one hand.

Unable to stop smiling, Danny felt better than he had in twelve hours. A world with this much brightness in one room had to have plenty of other beautiful surprises waiting around the bend.

“Hey, let’s grab some food while we’re here,” Danny said to James as they loaded the gurney back into the rig outside the St. Mark’s ER. After nearly a month, he was still trying to find the old cafeteria worker he’d mentioned to Tia. He hoped she was still working there.

“You want to eat here?” James gave him a side-long look.

“It’s handy, and they have awesome pie. You know you cave when it comes to their pie.”

James considered for only a couple of seconds before grinning. “All right, hop in and we’ll go around.”

Five minutes later they’d pulled the ambulance to the other side of the building and were entering the cafeteria. Danny smiled in relief when he saw the white-haired lady standing at the cash register. Perfect—it was much harder to strike up a conversation with someone behind the food counter. It was mid-afternoon, and Danny’s lunch was still hanging like a rock in his gut—never again was he going to the burger joint on Fourth—but he figured he could manage a piece of apple pie.

He hurried through the room, then took advantage of the lull in customers as he carried his snack to the cashier. “Hey,” he greeted her. “Weren’t you celebrating some kind of anniversary last time I saw you?”

She smiled as she rang in his purchase. “Twenty-five years I’ve been working here.”

“Wow! I bet you’ve been here longer than anyone.”

“Most anyone. There are a few still here from before my time, but they’re getting fewer every day.” She told him how much his pie was and he pulled out his wallet.

“Yeah? I was born here in February about twenty-eight years ago. Anyone from labor and delivery still working here?” He handed over a five.

“Why? You want to go thank them for helping you get out all right?”

He chuckled. “I helped deliver a baby a few months back. It was pretty incredible. Messy as all heck, but still incredible.”

She gave a loud, braying laugh. “That it is. There’s not much of anything worth having that doesn’t require some mess, though.”

“You got that right.” He took back his change and pocketed it. “So, who is it that’s been working here longer than you?”

“Dr. Angela Losee in obstetrics. She was probably still a nurse back then, but she’s been here forever. There’s a rad tech, Joseph Monroe, and one of the heart surgeons was a resident when I started here.”

“That must be some incredible staying power.” He picked up his tray and waved. “I’ll see you later.” He headed halfway across the room so he could make a call to Tia without being overheard.

* * *

Tia had warred with herself for more than a day about how she should handle her chat with Dr. Losee. Did she admit outright about why she was there? Did she make something up? Approach her through one of her charities—Google had indicated the good doctor was involved in several.

After staying up most of the night, though, Tia decided direct honesty was her best bet. At least, she hoped it was. She called the hospital and found out when the doctor would be getting off rounds for the day, then arranged for Danny to watch the kids for a few hours.

Thanks to the Internet, Tia knew what Dr. Losee looked like, so she was confident she would be able to recognize her on sight. As the shift-change neared, she approached the nurses’ station and asked about the doctor.

“She’s on rounds now. Can I help you with something?” the nurse behind the counter asked.

“Actually, I need to speak with her personally. I’m happy to wait until she swings back this direction. Do you mind if I scoot out of the way over there and wait?” Tia pointed to a corner within view of the counter.

The young man shook his head. “Sorry, but there’s a waiting room down the hall. I’ll let Dr. Losee know you want to speak with her, but I can’t have you in the halls here, and it could be a while.”

Tia wanted to protest, but she knew better than to alienate the staff. She nodded instead. “I’d really appreciate it if you made sure she knew I was here.”

“What’s your name?”

“Tia Riverton.”

“Sure.” The man turned his back on her, grabbed some pages from the printer, and snatched up a clipboard.

Tia forced a smile and headed for the waiting area. She found a seat with a good view of the hall so she wouldn’t have to worry about missing the doctor if the nurse didn’t send her over.

The wait was interminable. Though Dr. Losee was scheduled to get off at six, it was nearly eight when she finally came to the waiting room. She zeroed in on Tia right off—not surprising since she was the only one there. “You wanted to speak with me?”

Tia stood. “You’re Dr. Losee?”

“Yes.” She studied Tia. “You’re not one of my patients.”

“No. Or at least, if I once was, it’s been a very long time.” She gestured to the row of chairs. “I’d appreciate it if you can give me a few minutes to explain why I’m here. I know you’ve worked a long day already and must be ready to head home.”

Dr. Losee sat with the air of one who hadn’t been off her feet in hours. “It has been a full day, though no longer than usual. I think I might be getting too old for this.” She smiled but weariness still etched her face.

Tia grabbed a nearby chair and maneuvered it across from Dr. Losee. “How many years have you worked in obstetrics?”

“I’ve been in labor and delivery for most of thirty-five years. I started out as a CNA when I was still in my twenties. Why do you ask?”

“And you’ve always been here at this hospital?”

“Yes.” Her eyes narrowed and she seemed to grow suspicious.

Tia took a deep breath. “I was born here twenty-eight years ago.” She briefly told about her recent discovery and the steps she’d taken to try to figure out what happened.

“And you think it was someone on staff here?”

Tia shrugged, trying to keep the conversation casual, not to spook the doctor. “I don’t know. I needed somewhere to start, and this seemed to be a sensible place.”

“So I’m one of your suspects.” Dr. Losee’s eyes narrow slightly and her face pinched.

“At this point, you’re the only one I know for sure worked in this department during the time that I was born. I don’t know who was here, how many people were in the department that night, or if it had nothing to do with hospital staff at all.” Tia could tell she was losing ground—what little she had to begin with—and felt desperation rising inside her.

“Then why are you here?”

“Because I have to start somewhere, and you’re the only one who might have some of the information that could lead me to answers.”

“I had a daughter born that month,” Dr. Losee told her. “She’s a couple weeks older than you. I took the whole month of February, and most of March off, so I couldn’t have anything to do with it.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” And she was. Tia liked the woman. “But you still might know something about the others who worked here at that time.”

Wariness filled the doctor’s gaze. “How do I know you won’t use the information to harass someone?”

Tia hadn’t thought about that, so she gave it a moment’s thought. “I guess you can’t know that for sure. All you can do is trust me, or not, when I say that I’m just looking for answers. I don’t want to make anyone’s life miserable. It’s not like I’m unhappy with where I ended up, I just need to know what happened.”

Dr. Losee didn’t answer for a long moment as she rubbed a hand along the back of her neck. “I have a photo album I’ve kept from work, which includes pictures of my baby shower. I may be able to give you a few names. But I’m not sure I should, and I don’t know where it is.”

Hope filled Tia’s chest for the first time in weeks. “I’ll be glad for anything you can give me.”

Dr. Losee stood. “I’ll need to think about it. If I decide to help, I’ll see if I can remember who was working here.”

“I really appreciate it.” Tia stood as well and returned the chair to its previous position. “Think how you would feel if it were your daughter who had been switched in the hospital. It was a life-altering experience, doctor.”

“I’m sure it was.”

Tia passed over a business card. “I’ve got my cell phone number written on the back, or you can reach me at the email address there. Thanks for your time.”

“You’re welcome.”

Tia turned and walked out, feeling discouraged. Would the doctor really tell her anything? Could she, even if she wanted to? Tia didn’t know, but she hoped something would come along soon.

* * *

“Any luck?” Danny asked Tia when she came into the house after her trip to the hospital. She’d been gone longer than expected and he’d nearly called to check up on her several times, but managed to hold back. He didn’t want to be too pushy.

 
“I spoke with Dr. Losee, and she agreed to consider looking for names. I don’t know if I wasted my time or not.” She dumped her coat on the sofa beside the front door, looking tired.

“Did she sound positive though?” He pulled her into his arms, wishing he could do something to make this easier for her.

“Positive she thought I was a trouble maker.” Tia rested her head on his chest, melting into his embrace. “If I had to say which side she was leaning toward, I’m afraid it would be to not help.” She closed her eyes. “It’s so discouraging.”

He could feel her frustration, and deciding to distract her, nudged her head off his chest. “Let me take your mind off things for a while, then.” His kiss seemed to do that almost instantly.