Free Sleight of Hand by CJ Lyons Page A

her.  "There's something going on here.  I can feel it."
    "I'm surprised you can feel anything right now.  You're a walking zombie."  Cassie was silent.  Adeena shrugged one shoulder, setting her braids jangling.  "All right, then.  You want to know what happened to Georgie, I'll tell you."
    She pursed her lips, blew her breath out and started.  "He was twenty-two months old.  But he weighed less than what an average twelve month old should.  He didn't crawl or walk, could barely sit up and his only words were ‛mama' and ‛no' which he'd cry anytime one of us got close to him.  He couldn't go anywhere without a special stroller equipped with IV pump, cardiac  monitor, and a bag for his medications.  
    "It was a beautiful fall day–bright sun, not too cold yet. Virginia was taking him outside to the children's area in the ground floor atrium.  It was change of shift, no one was there but her and Georgie.  She was pushing him in his stroller, round and round the tiny space that was the entire outside world to him.  
    "He was smiling, actually reaching for the bright leaves that she plucked off the trees to show him.  His monitor lead became dislodged, but she didn't want to undress him to replace it–he was having so much fun, it was the first time she'd seen him laugh in weeks, so she didn't take him back inside.  
    "There are wind chimes scattered on the tree limbs, but there was no wind that day.  Virginia left his side to run from tree to tree, setting them singing for Georgie.  At first he clapped his hands and cooed.  So she kept racing, keeping the magic music flowing."
    Adeena grew silent, her gaze fixed on the shadows hiding below the desk.  "Then she realized he'd stopped laughing.  She ran back to him.  He wasn't breathing.  She started CPR, called for help, but by the time anyone got there, it was too late.
    "He died in her arms.  Sterling had to sedate her, she was hysterical, wouldn't let anyone take the body from her, crying that it was her fault.  We all knew that he'd been going down hill–Sterling was surprised that he'd lived as long as he had–but Virginia had actually been planning for his second birthday.  She never gave up hope, never.  Not until then.  And once Georgie was gone, it was as if part of Virginia died with him.  She was admitted to the hospital, placed on suicide watch.  If it wasn't for Charlie, I'm not sure she would have ever snapped out of it."
    Cassie closed her eyes, wincing at the pain in Adeena's voice.  How awful, to have your child die in your arms.  She chewed on her lower lip, imagining herself in the mother's place.  Virginia Ulrich had gone through so much–how could Cassie suspect her of harming her own child?  
    "Satisfied?" Adeena asked, swiping her tears.  "Get what you came for?  Are those really wounds you want to reopen?  You think it's going to help Charlie by dragging this up again?"
    Cassie clutched the top volume of the chart to her chest, hugging it as if she could still feel the heartbeat of the little boy whose life it chronicled.  
    Adeena sniffed and then laid a hand on Cassie's shoulder.  "You need to talk to someone, Cassie.  Get some help.  Before it's too late.  You can't keep on like this.  You know damn well it has nothing to do with Virginia or Charlie."
    Cassie bowed her head, was silent.  What was wrong with her?  Why was she here reading the chart of a dead baby?  Adeena was right, she had come back to work too soon. Maybe she was the sick one, not Virginia Ulrich.
    "I'm here if you need me," Adeena said as she scraped her chair back and stood.  "Think about what I said."  Then with one final squeeze of Cassie's shoulder, she was gone, leaving Cassie alone with the ghost of George Ulrich.
    Cassie shook her head.  She took a deep breath and began to stack the charts back together.  This was dangerous, she wasn't going to go any further with this delusion.  She would end it now, start her shift