Rustling from the bed catches my attention, and I quickly realize that my young patient is Tim’s son. A quick breath in and I collect myself. Putting on a truly warm and genuine smile, I walk to the side of the bed and pat the little boy laying there on the leg.
“Hey… you must be Sam?” I ask him gently, and he nods almost shyly.
His eyes are wide and fearful. They aren’t Tim’s eyes though. Much lighter… a hazel with flecks of green, and I wonder if Sam’s mother is white. The rest of his face is Tim’s though… through and through, and this kid is going to be gorgeous when he grows up.
“How are you feeling?” I ask him softly. “Any pain?”
“No.” He’s so quiet I can barely hear him.
“That’s good,” I say with a smile. “My name is Holly. I’m the doctor that’s going to take care of you today and I promise, I’m going to make you feel all better. Okay?”
He nods… this time with a tiny smile, which I return.
Turning away from Sam, I shoot a quick glance at Tim. He’s not said a word yet to me and by the look on his face, I’m not sure he really wants to talk to me. This I can understand as I’ve often thought over the years what we would actually say to each other if this moment ever occurred, and I always came up flat empty as well.
I walk over to a rolling cart that houses a computer terminal and with a few keystrokes, I have his x-ray results pulled up. It only takes me a nanosecond to see the problem.
Looking over my shoulder at Tim, I motion toward the digital films. “He’s got a small fracture in his first metatarsal.”
Tim takes a few steps and comes to stand beside me. I point to the fracture. “Right there. Good news is that it’s non-displaced and it’s an easy fix. Just a good splint and plenty of resting it for the next three weeks.”
Tim nods, lets out a grateful breath, and then murmurs, “That’s good.”
Turning away from me, he walks over to Sam’s bedside and places his large hand on top of the boy’s head. “Doesn’t look too bad, buddy. Holly is going to put a splint on it and you’re going to have to be careful for a while, but it should heal up fine.”
“In time for baseball season?” Sam asks hesitantly.
“Definitely,” Tim says with a smile, and then leans over to kiss Sam on the forehead. The move is a simple showing of affection from a parent to a child, but for some reason… watching Tim… the man he has become hits a deep chord within me.
Clearing my throat, I turn to the sink beside the computer terminal and wash my hands again. “I’m going to do a quick examination. I don’t expect I’ll find anything else to change my diagnosis, and then we’ll get you all bandaged up so you can get home.”
Amy pulls the splint and wrap out of a supply cabinet and lays the materials on a metal cart beside the bed. I step up to the side that Tim is standing on, and he quickly moves back to give me room. I shoot him a small smile and don’t get one in return, his eyes darting away quickly to rest on Sam.
“Sam… I’m going to look at your hand. It might hurt a little but don’t be afraid to tell me when it does. I want to make sure nothing else is damaged that I can’t see on the x-rays, okay?”
I get a brave nod in return and spend the next several minutes examining Sam’s hand. Tim tells me that he fell while playing outside with a dog, so I go ahead and do a quick range-of-motion exam on his wrist, elbow, and shoulder. When Sam assures me that nothing else hurts, I take a few moments and splint his hand up, explaining to Tim how to apply the wrap around for a secure but not too tight fit.
“All done,” I tell Sam with a quick squeeze to his shoulder. “You’ll be as good as new in a few weeks.”
Turning to Amy, I tell her, “Go ahead and remove the IV and get the discharge paperwork done.”
“Yes, Dr. Reynolds,” she says briskly.
I turn back to Sam. “It was good meeting you, Sam. Take care of yourself.”
Then I turn to Tim, and I’m met with that same impassive look he has been wearing since I walked past the curtain into the room. Disappointment fills me as I realize that Tim truly doesn’t want to talk to me… at least, not outside of my medical expertise.
I take in a breath, square my shoulders, and give a polite smile to him. “Well… it was good seeing you again. Take care.”
He doesn’t say a word. Doesn’t move a facial muscle in response. Just stares at me with those amber eyes until I turn away and walk toward the curtain to, once again, leave Tim behind.
Chapter 3