Chapter Eighteen – Kit

“OK, are we ready?” Kit asked. He had two hands on Callum’s wheelchair, and was turning around and around in the parking lot, which had been cleared of most of the snow, leaving it banked up around the edges.

“We are,” Ben called, standing next to Beth.

“You know the rules?” Kit asked.

“Get as much snow on the other team as possible,” Callum shouted. He was wrapped up in several layers of clothes, and his cast had been covered to stop the melted snow from getting it wet.

Kit was probably going to end up in trouble for this, but just seeing the happy faces around him made it worthwhile. “Are you ready, Suzie?”

“We are.” Suzie placed a hand on the shoulder of a young girl, called Neave, who had come into the hospital with a suspected appendicitis. She’d been given the all-clear and was able to go home, but her parents could not get through the snow from Cougar Ridge. “Aren’t we, Neave?”

“Ready. Let’s get them!” Neave scooped up a handful of snow in her gloved hand and threw it across the parking lot. “We need to get closer.”

Suzie pushed the wheelchair forward, and the fun began. All the children were sitting in wheelchairs, as if they were chariots, while the adults pushed them around. It was harder than it looked, steering was next to impossible, but somehow they managed to pull off half an hour of throwing snowballs with no one getting hurt.

Slipping and sliding, the whole scene was hilarious, and the cheers of the spectators told Kit this was just what everyone needed to lift their spirits.

“It is lunchtime yet?” Suzie asked, sliding to a halt beside Kit.

“Five minutes to go,” Kit said. “Having fun?”

“I am, but I’ve ended up on my butt more times than I’d like to count.”

“Suzie is not very well coordinated,” Neave told Kit. Then she looked up at Kit. “I’ve had an amazing time, though.”

“All we need now is cake, and you will have had a birthday party after all,” Callum said.

“Yeah, maybe my mom and dad will get here.” Neave shrugged. “I doubt it though, the road from Cougar Ridge is too steep to come down in the snow.”

“Wait, it’s your birthday?” Suzie asked.

“Yeah, I’m thirteen today,” Neave announced.

“Wow, happy birthday,” Kit said. “You have to have a cake.”

“Yeah, Neave, you have to,” Callum said.

“Hey guys, we are going to be in trouble if we don’t get everyone back inside for lunch,” Beth said, coming over to them.

“You are right, and I have rounds to do,” Kit said.

“And I need to go and find out of Louise is ready to go,” Suzie said.

They all turned and walked toward the hospital. More than once, Kit had to reach out and tuck his hand under Suzie’s arm to keep her upright. As they reached the building, and entered reception, Neave got out of her chair and turned to Suzie.

“Thanks. That was fun.” Neave smiled and shook the wet snow off her hair. “I’m going to go and take these off before I roast.”

“It is hot once you get inside,” Suzie agreed, pulling her borrowed hat off her head. “I’m glad you had fun.”

Neave waved as she walked away. “See you around, Callum.”

“Not if I see you first,” Callum called after her. But he kept his eyes on Neave as she walked away. As soon as she was out of earshot, he hissed, “What are we going to do about her birthday? She was so sure her mom and dad would make it here in time to take her home.”

“I can get a cake when I go out,” Suzie said. “Probably pick up a couple of gifts.”

“Would you?” Kit asked. “I don’t like to ask since I know you are working too.”

“You don’t have to ask, and I would be happy to do it,” Suzie said. “I’m going to go and find Louise and see if she is ready to leave. We can pick up lunch on the way.”

“OK, well, I’ll take Callum up to the ward and get him dried off and check his cast. When you get back, let me know and I’ll come sing happy birthday too.” Kit kissed her cheek and whispered, “Thank you.”

“I’ll see you boys later,” Suzie said, and walked off.

“She’s a keeper,” Callum said, sounding older than his years.

“She most certainly is,” Kit said. “And what about Neave, is she a keeper too?”

“She’s a friend,” Callum said. “I don’t know about anything else, she’s younger than me.”

“There’s no harm in seeing if she wants to be more than friends,” Kit said, wheeling Callum to the elevator.

“Just because you have a woman in your life, it doesn’t mean the rest of us need one,” Callum said.

“Spoken like a young man who has never heard the call of his mate,” Kit laughed as he backed Callum into the elevator. Just as the doors were about to close, a group of people rushed into the reception area. Kit stuck his hand out to stop the doors closing. “Harlan, everything OK?”

“Baby is on its way,” Harlan called out excitedly.

Kit didn’t hear Fiona’s response, but he could imagine it was along the lines of keep your voice down.

“She’s the dragon shifter, right?” Callum asked.

“You know about her?” Kit asked.

“Yeah, her daughter is in my class at school. Ruby, that’s her name, right?” Callum asked.

“It is.” Kit looked down at his young patient. “And I thought you said you didn’t need a woman in your life.”

Callum blushed. “I don’t even know her.”

“Then maybe you should speak to her,” Kit suggested.

“She’s so hot,” Callum replied. “And she’s older than me.”

“So?” Kit asked. “You are not bad-looking yourself. And when you get older, any age difference doesn’t matter as much. Not if you are mates.”

“You think so?” Callum asked, sitting up straighter in his wheelchair.

“I’m a doctor, I know everything,” Kit said, hiding a smile. Damn, he was a matchmaker bear now too. “You want a piece of advice, Callum?”

“From you? About girls? Sure.”

“Talk to them as if they are real people. Show them the real you, and girls will be falling all over themselves to be your friend. And friendship is where all good relationships start.”

“I can do that,” Callum agreed.

“Good, because you never know who your mate might turn out to be,” Kit said. “It would suck if you never made an effort, and ignored the girl who is going to spend the rest of her life with you.”

“I get it,” Callum nodded, as the elevator doors opened and he wheeled himself out. “I can take it from here.”

“Wait a minute, we need to check that you are dry under all of those clothes. Come on, into the exam room.” Kit opened the door and Callum wheeled himself in.

“I will be glad to get this off.” Callum looked down at his cast.

“Well, it looks to be in one piece.” Kit tugged Callum’s coat off and felt the plaster cast. “I think you can go and join the others for lunch.”

“Thanks, Doc.” Callum wheeled himself out. “Don’t forget the cake.”

“I won’t.” Kit followed him out of the exam room and stood with his hands on his hips watching Callum enter the ward.

“That went well,” Beth said, coming up behind him. “The kids had a great time. And no one needed a doctor.”

“They had fun, didn’t they?” Kit asked.

“They did. Unfortunately, we now have to get to work.” Beth handed him his notes. “We have a new patient, she needs an abdominal exam. And Harry seems to have developed a temperature.”

Kit took the notes from her. “I’ll get on it.” He flicked through the notes. “I just have a phone call to make first.”

“A phone call? I hope it’s not personal,” Beth chided.

“It is. But I think you’ll see how important it is,” Kit answered, taking his phone from his pocket. He pressed the screen and hit speed dial. “Hi, Suzie, it’s Kit.”

He pressed speaker phone so Beth could hear too. “Hi, Kit. What’s up? I’m just taking Louise to Dean’s house. The doctor said everything was fine with her and Storm.”

“OK, drive carefully.”

“I will, the roads seem pretty good through town.”

“Great.” He hesitated and then said, “When you get back here, you might want to check the maternity ward.”

“Why?” Suzie asked. “Not another baby needing to be fostered?”

“Nope, something much more exciting than that,” Kit said, watching as Beth frowned at him.

“Oh. You are not making this up, are you?” Suzie asked, her voice filled with excitement.

“I’m going to check for sure, but from what Harlan said, Fiona is going into labor at last.”

“You are kidding?” Beth asked, next to him, her hands covering her mouth. “I thought that baby was staying put for good.”

“It seems it’s decided to grace us with its presence,” Kit said.

“OK, keep me updated, and I’ll see you soon.”

“Drive carefully,” Kit told Suzie again.

“I will, we’re just leaving Bear Bluff. We’ll be in Bear Creek in twenty minutes.”

“I’ll see you soon, good luck.”

“Thanks,” Suzie replied.

The line went dead and Kit put his phone back in his pocket. “I wouldn’t mind if you went and got an update from Harlan, or the girls,” Kit said to Beth.

“On my way,” Beth said, and walked off down the corridor.

“Another baby, and a dragon shifter. This I can’t wait to see,” Kit mused. As he walked toward the room where his first patient was waiting, he couldn’t stop a thrill of excitement coursing through him.

One day soon he hoped it would be him holding Suzie’s hand while she gave birth to their child. A child he wouldn’t have to let go. Just as he would never let Suzie go.

Whistling a tune, Dr. Malvern walked down the corridor. Wasn’t life perfect?