Harlequin Love Inspired March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Patrice Lewis (i read book txt) 📖

“I don’t know.” Pain stabbed her in the heart at the thought of leaving Mercy…and Levy. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. Falling in love with Mercy wasn’t what I’d planned.”

Levy sighed. “Life certainly has a way of becoming complicated. I’m a simple man. I prefer a simple life. I didn’t anticipate something like this.”

“It’s been a stressful day,” she acknowledged. “And depending on how long the tests may take, I think I’ll spend the night here. You’ve got work to do on the farm, including milking the cows. I’m the logical person to stay with her.”

He nodded. “I won’t argue. I’m grateful, Jane. I don’t know how I’d do this without you.”

When the food was delivered, Jane bowed her head and prayed for Mercy’s health. Then she unfolded her napkin and glanced around the restaurant. “I wonder how many people here have friends or relatives in the hospital.”

“I don’t like hospitals.” Levy bit into his hamburger. “They remind me of when my parents were killed.”

She couldn’t imagine the pain Levy must have been through in his life. No wonder he was so adamant about keeping Mercy despite all the difficulties involved.

She looked at him, sitting across the table from her. He was not pleasing to the eye at the moment. His face was streaked with grime from the day’s work, his shirt was filthy, his hair plastered to his head from the shape of the straw hat.

Yet he had strength and maturity in his face, a sense of purpose and determination. The burdens and responsibilities he took on in his life, he took very seriously.

She compared him to Isaac, and realized with a sense of shock that, next to Levy, Isaac was still a boy, at least in her memory. Levy was a man. And despite the dirty clothes and face, he was a handsome man.

She sighed as she took a bite of her own food. The last thing she needed was to start thinking about her boss in that way. She had enough on her plate right now—and so did Levy.

When they returned to the hospital, Mercy was still undergoing tests and the receptionist instructed them to be seated. An hour passed, then two. Finally a doctor emerged from the swinging double doors. “Mr. Struder?”

Levy bounced to his feet. “Ja?”

Jane rose too.

“I’m Dr. Forster.” He shook hands with Levy, then Jane. “I want to let you know the baby is stabilized. We have her on an antibiotic IV drip and we’ve managed to control her fever. The good news is we’ve ruled out meningitis, which was the most serious threat.”

“Thank Gott,” whispered Levy, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Do you know what caused the fever?” asked Jane.

“Are you the mother?”

“No, I’m the nanny.”

“The baby’s mother is my sister,” explained Levy. “She is…well, I don’t know where she is. A few weeks ago she sent the baby to me to raise. I hired Jane to care for her.”

The doctor nodded. “That helps us decide a couple of things. I’ll be honest, Mr. Struder. The baby may have a condition she picked up from her mother during the birth itself. Since we don’t know your sister’s prenatal health, we have to make sure the baby didn’t pick up a pathogen of some sort. This can mean mild symptoms for the mother, but much more serious implications for a baby.”

Levy paled. “How serious?”

“Try not to worry.” The doctor held up a hand. “Much of what we’re doing is ruling out what she doesn’t have. But because newborns with high fevers can be at risk, we tend to be pretty aggressive in our evaluation and treatment. So far we’ve ruled out meningitis and pneumonia, but some of the tests require lab cultures, and those take time. This is why I recommend we keep her here in the hospital until we get the test results back, which won’t be until tomorrow, or the next day at the latest.”

“I’ve already told Levy I’ll stay with the baby,” Jane told him. “He has farm animals to take care of.”

“That’s fine. We can provide a bed for you in the baby’s room. Since the baby is familiar with you, she’ll be calmer under your care anyway.”

Levy looked at Jane. “I’ll have to figure out some way to get home…”

“How did you get here?” inquired Dr. Forster. “Did you use a horse and buggy?”

“No, an Englisch friend drove us in.”

“I can call a car to bring you home,” offered the doctor.

“Thank you, I would appreciate that.”

After the physician left to make arrangements, Levy dropped into a chair. “I’m trying not to think how much this will cost,” he muttered.

Though medical costs were often shared by the community, Jane understood the reluctance to add to anyone’s financial burden. “It’s better to have a healthy baby,” she told him. “It sounds like it could have been very, very serious if we hadn’t brought her in.”

“Ja, you’re right. And Gott will provide us the way to pay for everything. But it also means I’ll need to work harder at the farmer’s market.” He quirked a grim smile at her. “Those pints of raspberry jam will be very welcome in the booth.”

“Well, I won’t take any money for the ones that sell.” Jane dropped down into the chair next to him. “It will all go toward the hospital costs.”

He didn’t argue.

A nurse emerged. “Mr. Struder, a car will be here in a few minutes to bring you home.”

“Can I see Mercy?”

“Of course. But don’t be alarmed by her appearance.”

Jane’s stomach clenched as she and Levy followed the nurse into the bowels of the hospital.

Stepping into Mercy’s room, they saw her lying in a crib. Wires connected her to monitors. She was sleeping.

“She’s tired out from the tests,” said the nurse. “Sleeping is the best thing she can do right now. It’ll help her heal.”

“I hate seeing her here,” Jane confessed.

“But she’s improving. Unless she takes a turn for the worse, and