“I think the child’s mother has Munchausen’s by proxy,” Whitney said seriously.
“Remind me again what that is.”
“The mom finds ways to make her kids sick, or seem sick, so that she gets all the attention and everyone feels sorry for her. I had a case like that last year and it took me about a month to figure it out. She looked like she was the mother of the year, and then I realized she was making her kids sick so she would look like a hero taking care of them. I think that’s what you’re dealing with here. I’m going to write you a report tonight.”
“What do I do to stop it?”
“It’s not easy to stop or cure. You really need to get the child away from her. What kind of father do you have on the case at Cedars?”
“Mr. Milquetoast. He doesn’t challenge anything his wife says. I think he’s afraid of her. Are you telling me the kid’s not sick? She’s faking it?”
“No, she is genuinely sick, but probably not as sick as she seems, and the mother will interfere with everything you’re doing so the kid stays sick, and Mom can pull off her Super Mom act. That’s why your specialty is a lot cleaner than mine. You’re dealing with genuinely sick people, and all you have to do is cure them. I’m dealing with crazies all day long, and I hate crazies who hurt their own children. They should be watching her closely. I’ll keep an eye on her if you like. How’s the child doing medically?”
“Not well, it’s why I wanted you to consult.”
“Your mom over there has the nurses snowed, but I don’t buy it.”
“Neither did I. I sensed something was wrong, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. Maybe I’ll put the girl in some kind of quarantine, so I can keep the mother away for a few days and see if she improves.”
“That’s a great idea,” Whitney encouraged her. And then they chatted for a few minutes about how Emma was doing. “She’s discouraged about the areas of her memory that haven’t come back yet. She keeps saying she’s stupid.”
“She’s the brightest child I’ve ever seen,” Amy said confidently.
“She wants to go to a normal school in September,” Whitney told Amy, “and she’s afraid they won’t let her in.”
“I’m sure they will. And her memory should be better by then,” Amy said warmly. “Is she remembering anything else about the accident?”
“Not yet, but I hope she will. I think the rest will open up after that.”
“I’m sure it doesn’t feel that way to you, but she’s progressing very quickly. Nine months is nothing in my world, with a brain injury,” Amy said seriously.
“My cases usually take longer than that too. The human mind is unpredictable, and so is the brain. Give me a broken leg any day.” Amy laughed at what Whitney said.
“We’d both be bored to death with that, wouldn’t we? I know I would. I like what I do, even if the healing process takes a long time. At least it’s challenging work.” She had loved working with Emma, and so had Bailey, and the relationship they’d developed with Whitney. Amy could sense that something more was going on between Whitney and Bailey, but she didn’t want to pry. And Bailey was always very private about his personal life, even with her. But she could sense that something was up. He had been happy and upbeat for months.
* * *
—
Whitney was busy for the rest of the day, and spent a quiet evening with Emma after that. Emma had had a nice day with Brett. They’d gone for a long walk in the neighborhood, and Emma’s reading was coming along, but slowly. It was still painful for her to read, it was part of the brain function that she hadn’t recaptured yet. Whitney still believed that anything was possible. She wasn’t ready to give up on Emma reviving her old skills. She was thinking about it that night, lying on her bed, when the phone rang, and Whitney was startled to hear Chad’s voice. She hadn’t heard from him in seven or eight months, and couldn’t imagine why he’d be calling her now. They had left nothing unsaid when they’d last spoken. She wondered if he was in L.A. and wanted to see her, but she didn’t want to see him, and didn’t want to get tangled up with talking to him either. There was nothing left to say.
“I just thought I’d call and check on you,” he said, sounding casual at first, which seemed absurd to her since he hadn’t called to check on her during nine months of Emma’s illness, so why now? “How’s your niece doing?”
“She’s recovering slowly. It’s been a long haul, but she’s speaking again and coming along nicely.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I’ve been worried about you.”
“Really?” Whitney sounded chilly with him. He deserved it.
“You took on an awful lot. It can’t have been easy for you.”
“It hasn’t been,” she said honestly. She had no intention of letting him off the hook, or easing his conscience. After five and a half years with him, she deserved better than she’d got from him in the end. He had basically made it clear to her that if she wasn’t going to institutionalize Emma, it was over between them. He had stuck by that, and never called her again when she refused to abandon Emma.
“I’ve thought about what you said to me when I saw you in L.A., that love is messy. I guess you were right about that. My son’s wife has M.S., and one of my daughters has been in rehab for the last six months. I wasn’t expecting that from either of them. And my ex-wife has breast cancer, and has been on chemo for the last four months. I guess families get complicated sometimes. My kids are upset about their mom.” Whitney knew he couldn’t stand her, so he must not have enjoyed having to help her out either, if he had, or having to be sympathetic to her.
“I’m sorry to hear all that. It sounds like it’s been a tough year for you,” Whitney said politely, still not sure why he had called her.
“It has been. At my kids’ ages you don’t expect all these issues to crop up. What’s the outlook for your niece?”
“Better than it was when I last saw you. I’m hoping for a full recovery, but it may take a while. She’s getting there, though. She’ll be starting school in September. She’s given up her acting career for now, which is a good thing. She needs some normal kid time, which she never had when her mother was alive.”
“And she’s living with you?”
“Yes, she is,” Whitney said peacefully, with no regrets or apology to him. “It was hard at first, but she’s almost back to normal now.”
“It sounds like you’ve had a better year than I have.” No thanks to him. “You must be ready for a break.”
“Not really. I’ve been taking on some neurology cases, and I’m going back to work full-time when Emma starts school in September, so I’ll be busy. I’m working a four-day week now.”
“Any plans for the summer?” he asked, sounding hopeful, and she almost laughed into the phone. He’d had a rough winter and so had she, and now he wanted her to come play with him, so he wouldn’t be bored or alone on his boat. She could see him coming a mile away.
“I’m thinking of renting a house in Lake Tahoe. It’ll do Emma good,” she said casually. Their lives were entirely separate now, which was what he had decided in the fall.
“Can I interest you in some boat time in Italy? That might be a lot more fun for you than Lake Tahoe. You missed the whole trip last year.”
“Yes, I did. And I guess I’ll be missing it again this year,” she said, sounding unaffected by it.
“You don’t have to, Whitney. I’d love to have you, if you want to come. We can hang around the South of France, stay at the Hotel du Cap for a few days, and motor down to Italy.”
“It sounds great, but I don’t think so, Chad. I haven’t heard from you in eight months, and I don’t work that way. Just hop on a boat with a guy who doesn’t call me, cruise around, and then say so long for another year. Funnily enough, that doesn’t work for me anymore, the way it used to. It turns out that I like the idea of having someone around for the messy parts too.”
“I get your point, Whit. I discovered that myself this year too. I think I was probably a little harsh about your niece. I just couldn’t see you taking on a brain damaged kid at this point in your life. That’s the last thing you need. But if she’s getting better then I’m happy for you. I just thought it might be nice if we spent some time on the boat, for old times’ sake. We’ve always had such a good time together.”
“Yes, we did. I’ve had some great times with you on your boat, Chad, and in other places. I’m grateful to you for that. But I’m not big on the ‘for old times’ sake’ school of romance. My life is more real than that. Or I want it to be. I’d rather be in Tahoe with my brain injured niece than floating around the Mediterranean on a fancy yacht with a guy who can’t be bothered to be there for me when things get rough. I just can’t do that, Chad. I hope you have a great time. I’m sure you’ll find someone only too happy to be there with you. You’ve got a gorgeous boat, and you’re fun to be with. There will be plenty of takers who’ll jump at the chance. My life is very different now.”
“Don’t be that way, Whitney.” He sounded annoyed by what she’d said, and shocked. She’d never acted this way before. She was always independent, but he could hear that he’d hurt her with his earlier decision and regretted it now. “I just couldn’t see myself hanging around while you dealt with a brain injured kid who’s not even your child. I couldn’t see the point.”
“I got the message loud and clear. She’s my niece, and I’m all she’s got. That’s good enough for me. That is the point. Have a great trip. And thanks for thinking of me. Good luck with your daughter-in-law and daughter in rehab and your ex-wife. That’s the kind of messy stuff I meant. It catches up with you sometimes. Take care, Chad,” she said, and he sounded shocked when she hung up. He was a selfish guy, and always had been. He wanted to be around for the good times and nothing else, and keep just enough distance not to get too involved, which had suited her too. But it no longer did. Suddenly he realized that he’d made a mistake and been cruel in September. And she clearly had no interest in giving him another chance. He wondered if there was someone else. But he realized now he’d probably never see her again. She knew him too well and wanted more than he had to give. He didn’t want a serious relationship with anyone.