Chapter 22

twenty-two

JACOB

By the time I arrived at the church, Pastor Adam was standing in front of the barbecue, cooking enough food for an army.

“You made it,” Adam said with a smile. “Come and meet everyone.” He handed a pair of tongs to a woman standing beside him. “Jacob, this is Deirdre. She came to her first meeting last month.”

I reached out and shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Same here. It’s good to know I’m not the only newbie.”

Adam smiled at another person who walked onto the deck. “That’s James, and the person giving him a drink is Wyatt. They discovered Sunrise Bay a few years ago and decided to stay.”

Deirdre sighed. “There must be something about the lake that draws people here. Before I left Las Vegas, I had no idea Sunrise Bay existed. What about you, Jacob? What brought you to this part of Colorado?”

“I own a house on Grouse Mountain, but I don’t come home often.”

Deirdre smiled. “I wish I could find a property to buy instead of renting. As soon as a house I can afford goes on the market, someone else snaps it up.”

“It will happen,” Adam said as he took off his apron. “Sometimes it takes a little longer for the right property to come along. Would you look after the barbecue, Deirdre, while I show Jacob around?”

“Sure. Do you want the steaks medium-rare?”

“That’d be perfect.” Adam turned to me. “I’ll introduce you to Toby and Munro. They both served in the military in Afghanistan.”

I’d only taken a few steps when Andrew rushed through the French doors. As soon as his gaze landed on me, I knew something was wrong. “Excuse me, Adam. I need to see Andrew.”

I met him halfway across the deck. “Is everything all right?”

“A little boy is sick. Jesse’s four years old and he vomited not long ago. He’s really hot, pale, and floppy.”

“Where is he now?”

“At The Welcome Center. He needs to see a doctor, but Doc Martin isn’t here and Jesse’s mom doesn’t have insurance.”

“My medical bag’s in the back of my truck.” I quickly explained to Adam why I was leaving and headed outside with Andrew.

“I’m sorry I interrupted you.”

“There’ll be another meeting. Let’s go.” I unlocked my vehicle and pulled out the bag.

“If we go in the back door, it’ll be faster.”

When we arrived at The Welcome Center, Andrew threw open a wooden door and hurried toward a room on the right-hand side of the corridor. “While you’re looking at Jesse, I’ll check the Internet to see if the road to Boulder has been cleared.”

I nodded. “Hopefully, we won’t need to go to the hospital.” But as soon as I saw Jesse, I knew I’d been too optimistic.

Jenny was placing cold towels on the little boy’s forehead to cool him down. “Thank goodness you’re here, Jacob. This is Barbara and her son, Jesse.”

Barbara was holding her son on her lap, trying to provide what little comfort she could.

“It’s nice to meet you, Barbara.”

“Thank you for coming.”

“That’s okay. Would you mind if I moved Jesse onto the bed? It will be easier to examine him.”

“I can carry him across.” Barbara carefully placed her son on the top sheet. “Jesse had some Tylenol about an hour ago.”

“Did it make any difference?”

“I don’t think so.”

Jenny placed a glass of water beside the bed. “Is there anything I can do?”

“If there’s a fan in the building, bring it into the room. It’ll help cool Jesse down.” I took the little boy’s temperature and did a quick but thorough examination of his body.

Barbara waited beside the bed. “Why does he have a rash on his back?”

I placed my stethoscope around my neck. “The rash is probably a reaction to his high temperature.” Jesse’s armpits and groin were clear of any spots or marks that looked like bruising. “Has he mentioned anything about a sore neck or eyes?”

“He was complaining of sore eyes this morning.”

Jenny returned to the room.

I moved out of her way as she plugged in the fan. “Have you taken Jesse to the doctor to be immunized?”

“He’s had all the shots he should have been given.” Barbara’s bottom lip trembled. “Will he be all right?”

“He’s dehydrated. Jenny, do you have any popsicles in the freezer?”

“I’ll check. If there aren’t any, I’ll ask Allan to bring some across.”

“Thank you.” I moved the fan closer to Jesse. Gently, I lifted the little boy’s head and shoulders.

Jesse’s eyelids fluttered open.

“Hi, buddy. I’m Jacob. I’d like you to drink some water.” The trickle of water he drank wouldn’t rehydrate him in a hurry. “That’s it. Just a little more.”

Jesse’s eyes filled with tears. “I want Mommy.”

“Mommy’s right here.”

Barbara held her son’s hand. “It’s okay, Jesse. Jacob’s a doctor. He’ll make you feel better.”

I handed her the glass of water. “Try to get him to drink a little more.”

Barbara nodded and tried to coax her son into drinking more water. He gave it his best shot, but he was completely exhausted. The only thing Jesse wanted to do was sleep.

All it would take was one vomit and he’d be worse off than when I arrived. “When was the last time Jesse used the bathroom?”

Barbara hesitated before answering. “Last night, just before he went to bed.”

Andrew stood beside me. “The road has been cleared.”

“Thanks.” Jesse still wasn’t drinking enough. If I had a clinic in Sunrise Bay, I would have given him fluids through an IV line. But with my limited resources, I couldn’t help Jesse beyond what we were doing now.

Jenny rushed into the room with a popsicle. “We had some in the freezer.” She unwrapped the frozen treat and handed it to Barbara.

Jesse was more interested in the popsicle, but he was so weak his mom had to hold it to his mouth.

I knew what needed to happen. All I had to do was convince Barbara to agree. “I know you don’t have medical insurance, Barbara, but I really think we should take Jesse to the hospital.”

“I can’t afford to go.”

“The hospital has to treat him. I don’t know your particular circumstances, but you may qualify for Charity Care or public financial assistance. If all else fails, I’ll pay Jesse’s bill myself.”

“I can’t…” Barbara looked down at her son. When she looked up, pride and determination were etched into her face. “Thank you. As soon as I can, I’ll pay you back.”

I understood how hard it was for her to accept my help. In a country with so much, it was wrong that being looked after in a hospital was difficult for anyone who couldn’t afford insurance.

I picked up my bag. “Hopefully, everything will be covered. Could you pack an overnight bag for you and Jesse? I’ll bring my truck around to the back entrance and we’ll leave from there.”

Jenny touched Barbara’s arm. “I’ll hold the popsicle while you get everything ready.”

Andrew gathered some towels and blankets together. “I’ll arrange these on the back seat of the truck. Do you want a bucket in case Jesse’s sick?”

I nodded. “If you could pack a damp hand towel in a plastic bag, we’ll take that, too.” I placed my hand on Jesse’s hot brow. “Be strong, little man. I’ll get you to the hospital as quickly as I can.”