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“Let’s get this slumber party started.”
CHAPTER THREE
Easton
The effect that nurse had on Milo was incredible. Ever since I’d picked him up and, as calmly as I could, tried to explain he had to go to the hospital, he hadn’t stopped crying.
I’d swallowed my fears in order to put a brave face on for Milo, but the minute we arrived at the emergency room and they wanted to hook him up to an IV, all hell broke loose. He’d screamed bloody murder, and they’d had to hold him down.
At one point, I remembered Dr. Perry asking one of the nurses where Finch was, but my mind had gone directly to a bird. I hadn’t been able to figure out why, at a time like this, she’d been thinking about a damn bird.
Turned out the bird was a man—and a miracle worker at that. No wonder they’d wanted him in there earlier. I’d bet money that if Finch had been there at the time they’d put the IV in, Milo wouldn’t have reacted the way he had.
As a parent, I felt like a failure for not being able to calm him and take away his fears. Laura was the one who’d been able to do that…Shit, the last time I’d been in the emergency department was for her.
Even in my line of work we’d been lucky, and none of my firefighters had been hurt badly enough to warrant the ER, or at least they’d gone in and out without me having to be there.
Milo fell asleep as soon as Finch left us to find out about the “cool room” he’d be staying in.
He was gone for about half an hour, and then he slipped back in.
“Oh, I’m glad he’s sleeping. He’s had a rough day.” The side of Finch’s mouth curled, and there was a warmth in his gaze as his eyes shifted from Milo to me. “How are you doing, Dad?”
“How’d you do that?” I gestured to my son.
“I’ve been doing this job awhile but even before that, I came to realize the power of reverse psychology.”
I chuckled. “You mean manipulation?”
He guffawed. “What? No. But people, mainly children are easily…” He narrowed his eyes as he said slowly, “Swayed.”
“Manipulated.”
He laughed, and his entire face lit up. “You say potato, I say you’re wrong.”
“That is not how the saying goes.”
He pulled up a chair and sat on the opposite side of Milo’s bed. “Children want to believe. There’s a tremendous amount of hope in their heart, and the mind is a powerful thing. Give them the belief it will be okay, convince the mind, and voila.”
“Magic?”
He winked at me, mirth playing in his silver eyes. “Magic indeed.”
We were both silent for a minute until I asked, “Will they be moving him into a room soon?”
He nodded. “It’s ready, but moving him will wake him, so I was giving him some time to rest.”
For the first time since I’d arrived, I felt at peace. Finch’s caring nature put me at ease as much as it did Milo, and I was so glad he’d be there for him tonight.
“Did you mean it that you’d be with him tonight?”
“I did.” He placed his hand on his heart. “I never break a promise. I spoke with Dr. Perry, and she put everything in place. I’ll follow Milo up to his room and won’t leave his side. She is doing a lot for your son—she must really care about him.”
“She went to school with my wife; they were close friends. When she passed away three years ago, Dr. Perry was there for the kids.”
Finch tilted his head, a frown playing on his face. “I’m so very sorry for your loss. It’s been a rough time for the Kooper family, it seems.”
I stared at Milo, so small, lying in that bed. “I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose him.”
