BookView Review

From the Blurb
A normal family, parents, kids, leading a normal life — and then a life-or-death medical crisis hits one of the kids. In race the medical vultures, ready with plenty of costly requirements, while obstructing pursuit of a cure. The year is 2020. Families, businesses, jobs are sucked into a vortex of uncertainty as Covid 19 races from border to border around the world. It was this backdrop of destruction where 10-year-old Nick Hampton found himself after kidney failure brought him to the best hospital in the Midwest for care. It wasn’t long before he and his family were thrown into a whirlpool of deceit and an attempt by the hospital to remove Nick from his parents and take over his guardianship. Reviewers describe this book as “edgy” and say they cannot put it down; others agree with the premise of lost trust in our medical community because of personal experience. All demand a sequel because, as in real life, there’s more beyond the veil of words, there is deception.
Book Review
Buy now

Excerpt from Chapter 29

Gwen Deeds was on her way to her first official patient meeting, accompanying Dr. Loomis. What a great deal, she thought, to have an office to herself working directly with a specialty department, not on call for whenever the hospital needed an intervention by a social worker. Dr. Loomis was so gracious and really happy to have her there, he was giving her a special assignment already: the Hampton family. He’d had her call the Midwest Kidney Network and inform them about the May 21 police incident with the father and the behavior plan the parents had to follow. On his recommendation, she’d assured them there was no danger whatsoever for Nick to wait for the kidney transplant evaluation. She’d also received a call from the Dialysis Nurse Manager at Ridley, who gave her a heads-up that Nick would not be allowed into Ridley’s transplant program.

As Gwen approached the dialysis center conference room, there seemed to be a discussion going on between Mrs. Hampton and Neil Hawthorne in front of the open door. Neil, of course, was totally the man in charge, wearing a lightweight blue suit, white shirt, and subdued tie. Mrs. Hampton looked downright shabby in jeans and a tee shirt with writing on it.

“There will be no dialysis until we conclude this meeting,” Hawthorne was saying. “What do you have to talk about, we have the behavior plan, we got a letter Friday about not being able to make any appointments here. Another meeting makes no sense.” “Please come into the room, now!”

Callista followed him. Her eyes fell on a woman with a mass of freckles and a pile of red curly hair like Annie just entering the room. It must be that Gwen Deeds person, her name was on the plan. Just another hospital flunkie along to witness them flay her.

“For the record, did you receive the letters and the behavior plan?”

Hawthorne began. His hands were folded before him and she could see his nails were buffed and carefully manicured. Callista wanted to throw up just looking at him playing God.

“Yes.” She looked around. For the record? There was no stenographer or recording device in sight.

“You’re expected to follow the plan to the letter. If there is any disruptive behavior, you will be removed and someone will be assigned to take care of Nick.”

“You can’t do that, I’m his parent. You can’t just yank some hospital staff member out of an office and have them take care of a kid with kidney failure and cardiac problems. What would you do, put him in foster care?”

“That’s my job, Mrs. Hampton,” the redhead spoke up. “I’m the social worker for Pediatric Services and I would find a suitable guardian.”

“Excuse me? Guardian? What gives you the right to take my kid away because I’m late, maybe my car breaks down or I say a naughty word if I twist my ankle.”

“I’m a social worker, a mandatory reporter. We have the right to protect your child and see that he gets treatment.”

He is getting treatment. But not right now because you’re holding him hostage without dialysis while you lecture me. We haven’t missed a single appointment here.”

“But you have elsewhere. You’re not to be trusted.”

“Callista stared from one to the other. This can’t be happening, what are they talking about?

Loomis shifted in his chair, a smug look on his face. Neil’s idea about filing a child negligence complaint just might work, he thought. It would lay the groundwork for the hospital getting guardianship and keeping the kid here to insure his continued dialysis. It was tried before in a rehab case but without proof against the family situation, the court turned it down. Yes, we’ll create some proof. This could get interesting.

Hawthorne got up to leave without so much as a “good day.” That left Loomis and the social worker sitting across the table. Loomis pushed over a letter. “This a recap of our conversation today.”

Callista glanced at it and stared back at him. “So?”

“Let me be clear about one significant point. If and when we decide to accept Nick into the transplant program, your husband will not be evaluated for a possible match because of his actions.”

“You can’t do that, he may be a perfect match. Without testing him you might be killing our child!”

Loomis shrugged. “Your husband will not be tested.” He pushed back his chair and waited for Callista to leave the room.

I am going to go out of my mind, Callista thought as she entered the dialysis bay. I can’t take this anymore. I just hope Mark recorded that meeting. Loomis’ words kept replaying in her mind, “He won’t be tested.”

Dialysis was underway. Nick chuckled at the game he was playing on his iPad. He looked up and winked at his mom while the tubes connected to his chest ran his blood out for filtering and back in again. In and out, in and out. Things seemed calm. She stuck her head out of the door of the dialysis room. “I have to go to the restroom.”

The guard dragged herself up and accompanied her 20 steps to the restroom across the hallway. Whatever. Why a guard on her with a ten-year-old kid? Why tied to a freaking care plan that could not be violated or the hospital could take him away from his family! Wrong was right and up was down.

Coming out of the restroom she saw a male form in the dialysis room. A bit taller than medium height and not a single hair crowning his head. Damn it! Loomis!

“What are you doing here! You’ve had your say!” Callista demanded as she slid open the door to the dialysis bay.

He seemed to be at the point of ignoring her, but then turned, slowly, infuriatingly. “I’m a nephrologist, you know, and Dorian is off this week.”

“Nick is not your patient,” Callista said evenly. “You won’t let him into your transplant program so you have nothing to do with him.” The anger was boiling within her.

“But a doctor is supposed to check dialysis progress,” Loomis said smoothly as he stared at her. He thought the dark brown hair flowing over her shoulders at this moment rather becoming.

“Yeah, a doctor, but not you.” Was that a chuckle she heard as she went toward her purse? Had he gone through it? Nicky’s eyes met hers over the iPad. Another wink. She turned.

“And that letter you gave me. What happens if I can’t get here, like I get the Covid crap and we can’t find anyone who can drop everything and bring Nick here. Can Mark bring Nick down here?”

“Absolutely not. Mark cannot put one foot on this campus or he will be arrested. I’ll see to that.” Loomis shifted his weight. “Your care plan requires Nick to be here for dialysis at 9:30am on Monday and Thursday. When a third day for dialysis is added, same thing. Period. If you violate this plan, you’re out of here. We get someone else to take care of Nick. I don’t care what happens, your husband can’t come in this building.”

Burn in hell, she thought. Don’t say anything, don’t say anything, her brain told her. Burn. In. Hell.

Her chocolate eyes had turned to blazing lava and she stood before him, intimidating.

Anger seemed to radiate around her in an aura. He thought he could hear her voice.

“Are you threatening me?” he demanded, his voice a little too loud. The dialysis nurse turned slightly toward them. Maybe I guessed wrong, he thought, both together were a force majeure, but she was quite explosive.

“My lips aren’t moving,” Callista rasped. “I have said nothing to you.” Burn in hell!

Loomis glared at her. The silence drew out, then he turned and left, heading down the corridor to the elevators up to the nephrology offices. A few minutes later, he opened the door, almost in relief. Then he saw someone there, a woman standing by the empty administrative desk.

“Who are you and what do you want?” he demanded.

She turned slowly and flicked her ID badge toward him. “Storm. I’m the new admin for your office from Elite.”

He shook his head as if to clear it. She seemed familiar somehow, almost like the Hampton woman. Above medium height, short curly black hair, well turned out in a maroon suede jacket and nicely fitting pants. Real nicely fitting pants. Around 30.

“You’re out of uniform! If you’re from Elite, you know better. How long have you worked here?” he demanded. “Three years.”

It annoyed him, and she had these eerie blue eyes that you could see through. Three years, that wasn’t long enough to be assigned to this department, he thought. I wonder who she slept with to get promoted….

“No one.”

Loomis blinked and took a step back. Did I say that aloud, he wondered.

“I said there was no one else who was qualified to work here. They gave the opening in your office to Elite to see if someone can manage to stay longer than three months. That’s why I was sent here.”

“You think you know anything?” with just an edge to his voice. This day was getting confrontational on too many levels.

“You’ll find out,” she said calmly. “Is this mine?” pointing to the mahogany desk guarding the hall to the offices. She didn’t wait for an answer, just set down her tiny purse and then, turning toward him, asked, “What do you have for me to do, Doctor?” A slight note of insolence in her voice?

Loomis went toward his office without answering.

Tera watched him stride away. She’d seen him taking in the goods from top to bottom. That may be a way to get to him, she thought. Anything to force him to make a mistake, anything to get him away from Nick. Let the games begin.

***