Harlequin Love Inspired March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Patrice Lewis (best large ereader .txt) đź“•
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- Author: Patrice Lewis
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“Nein, it’s not. Babies get sick sometimes.” He cocked his head toward the screen door. “I think I hear the car. Let the doctor tell us why she’s sick before you start blaming yourself. Komm.”
CHAPTER NINE
Levy carried the packed diaper bag and Jane carried Mercy, who wore nothing but a diaper and a thin blanket. Jane barely saw the car’s driver, but she thanked him in a shaky voice for agreeing to drive them to the hospital.
“I’ve got kids. I understand,” he said.
The driver raced through the streets until he reached Grand Creek’s small hospital, and pulled right up to the emergency room entrance. Jane scrambled out right behind Levy.
“This baby has a high fever,” Jane told the receptionist.
“Are you the mother?”
“No, I’m the nanny…”
“I’m the baby’s uncle and her legal guardian.” Levy spoke over her shoulder.
“The fever spiked up this afternoon,” Jane told her. “I’ve been giving her cool baths but it’s not making a difference.”
A nurse came through the double doors. “How old is the baby?”
“She’s about four weeks old.”
The professional nodded. “It’s good you brought her in. At that age, fevers can be serious. We’ll check her for infection.” Then the nurse whisked Mercy deeper into the hospital while Levy started filling out the inevitable paperwork.
Jane huddled on a waiting room chair, feeling helpless and vulnerable…and guilty. The baby’s unusual lethargy should have tipped her off.
“Still blaming yourself?” Levy dropped into the seat next to her.
“Ja. I should have noticed she was sick sooner than I did.”
“Funny, I’ve been thanking Gott you noticed as quickly as you did.”
A doctor came out the double doors. “Mr. Struder?”
Levy jumped up. “Ja, that’s me.”
She smiled reassuringly. “I want to let you know what we’re doing with little Mercy.”
Jane stood up too. “Will she be okay?”
“Very likely. It’s a good thing you brought her in right away. A baby’s body is less able to regulate temperature than an adult’s, so it can be more difficult for them to cool down during a fever. Their bodies are naturally warmer than an adult’s body because they are more metabolically active, which generates heat. Was she in the sun much today?”
“I had her outside,” confessed Jane, feeling miserable. “She was lying on a blanket on the grass, but it was fully in the shade all the time. A huge maple tree…”
“Then it’s not sunstroke. Don’t worry, having her in the shade outside didn’t cause this to happen, so don’t beat yourself up.”
“We were at a singing a few nights ago,” she recalled. “She was being passed around to a bunch of people who wanted to hold her. Could she have picked something up?”
“It’s hard to say at this point,” said the doctor. “By itself, a fever does not necessarily mean a serious illness. If the baby’s behavior is normal, they’re likely to be okay. But with infants this young, it’s best to err on the side of caution.”
“What will you test her for?” asked Levy.
“The biggest concern is meningitis,” replied the doctor. “It’s a bacterial infection of the membrane that covers the spinal cord and the brain. Untreated, it can be very serious. But if treated, recovery is almost always complete. I’m grateful you got her here as quick as you did. When babies get sick, they get sick fast.”
“How long will she have to be here?” asked Jane.
“Until we get the tests run.” The doctor looked at Levy. “You said you’re the baby’s legal guardian, yes? Where is the mother?”
“I don’t know.” Levy looked distressed. “I haven’t spoken to my sister in years.”
“So you don’t know your sister’s current medical condition?”
“No.”
The woman continued, “I hope I’m not scaring you. The good news is the vast majority of infants with fevers have mild infections like colds or stomach viruses that resolve in a few days without any problems. And the other good news is that even more serious infections are treatable. The earlier we start treating them, the better the chances the baby will be fine.”
“So now we just have to wait?” asked Jane.
“I’m afraid so.” The doctor looked sympathetic. “That’s the hardest part, I know. There’s a coffee shop just down the street if you’re hungry, but otherwise you can make yourself comfortable in the waiting room.”
After the doctor left, Levy looked at Jane. “Are you hungry?”
“I honestly haven’t stopped to think about it.”
“Well, I am.” He plucked his shirt. “I’m also sorry I’m so dirty and sweaty, but appearances were the last thing on my mind. Still, I have some money in my pocket, so let’s go get something to eat.”
Jane walked with Levy to the air-conditioned restaurant and slid into a booth with a sigh. “I’m still beating myself up.”
“That makes two of us.” Levy removed his straw hat and placed it beside him on the booth seat. “I keep wondering…” He trailed off.
“Wondering what?”
“Wondering if I’m cut out to be a father.”
“No one is cut out to be a father—or a mother—when it first happens.”
“Then how do people do it?”
“They learn on the job, how else? The only difference between you and other people is you didn’t have nine months to mentally prepare yourself like most dads do.”
“True.” He stared at the cutlery on the table. “This made me realize how much Mercy has come to mean to me. I’ve grown to love her so much. I suppose that’s another thing new dads do.”
“Of course.” Jane closed her eyes for a moment. “I’m the same. She’s such a lovable baby. Despite the oddness of how she arrived, it’s like she was meant to be here.”
When she opened her eyes, she saw Levy watching her. “That’s something I hadn’t thought of,” he admitted.
“What’s that?”
“That you—as the nanny—might fall in love with Mercy.”
“I’ve taken care of a lot of babies over the years, but never as a full-time job. It’s an occupational hazard I didn’t anticipate.”
“Then how will you—” He was interrupted by the waitress, who came to take their order. After she departed, Levy continued, “How will you handle
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