Free Playing All the Angles by Nicole Lane

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    “One more,” Isabelle said, giving the coin to the girl, who took it and popped it into her mouth without hesitation. “No! Spit that out!”
    She reached for her, but Olive leaned back, turning her head from side to side to keep from allowing Isabelle to get her mouth open. A second later, Olive was choking, and Isabelle got hold of her, forcing her mouth open and searching for the coin. It wasn’t in there.
    “Oh, no, Olive,” she cried, patting the girl on the back as she struggled for breath. It took only another moment before her airway cleared and she could breathe again, but her face had gone red, and she was crying.
    “Okay, all right,” Isabelle said, scooping her up. “We’re going to take you to the doctor.”
    “Buh-fly,” Olive cried as Isabelle hurried from the room. “My buh-fly! Buh-fly!”
    If she hadn’t been so worried, Isabelle might have laughed at the little girl’s single-mindedness. She grabbed her bag and the keys to her car and was momentarily stumped by the lack of a child seat. “They’ll get over it,” she said aloud, making the choice to put Olive in the front seat and buckle her in there. “And if we get pulled over, we’ll just ask for an escort to the hospital.”
    Olive sniffled and whined but seemed otherwise all right. Still, Isabelle had no idea what a swallowed coin would do to a child and wasn’t about to find out on her own. As she drove, she rang Alora and left her a voice mail explaining the situation. “I’m taking her to Sacred Heart Emergency. Come find us when you can.”
    She drove as fast as she dared but carefully, all the while trying to soothe Olive until they arrived at the hospital. She parked in Emergency and went through the sliding doors to reception, where a nurse greeted her almost immediately. Isabelle explained what had happened, and the nurse took down notes on a clipboard.
    “We’ll get you into a room, and I’ll page pediatrics,” she said, standing and directing Isabelle into one of the cubicles off the reception area. “She should be fine, but they’ll want to take a look.”
    “Thank you,” Isabelle breathed, taking Olive along with her.
    It seemed hours until the curtain was pulled back on the room she was in, and a young-looking doctor entered the room, reading a chart. “Miss Olive?” he asked, addressing the child first, and Isabelle felt her heart stop beating. “I’m Dr. Goodwin.” Then he looked up and froze. “Isabelle?”
    “Patrick?”
    They stared at one another for a moment before he shook himself back to business. “She swallowed a coin?” He had his stethoscope out and leaned in to give Olive a listen.
    “A coin. Just one. She…eats things.”
    “They all do. How old is she?”
    “Nearly two. She’s Alora’s youngest.”
    “Oh!” He went pale and flushed in rapid succession, then focused on Olive again. After an examination, he shrugged at Isabelle. “It will work its way out. It isn’t really a worry, and she’ll sort her own self out soon. There aren’t any markings on her throat, so no cutting there, and all her vitals are perfect. Ah…how are you?”
    “Relieved,” she said. “This is a surprise. I didn’t know you’d given up the priesthood.”
    He cleared his throat. “Yes, well, it didn’t feel right after all. I went into medicine instead.”
    “Pediatrics, I presume?”
    “Yeah.” He smiled. “Always loved kids, and I want to help people.”
    “That’s great, Patrick. Your parents must be proud.”
    He shrugged. “Mum’s just glad she’s still got a chance for grandchildren,” he said, chuckling. “What about you? Did you finish university?”
    Isabelle nodded. “I’m a teaching assistant and taking my certification classes right now. The semester’s just finished. Where did you do medical school?”
    “Cyprus. Through St. Georges, London. I’m just an intern.”
    “That’s fantastic. I’m…happy for you.”
    He rubbed the back of his neck. “I heard