Soulmates by Suzanne Jenkins Page A

started taking care of her. But she would call Tom, who was happily married now to Jenna with a baby of his own on the way. Tom stayed in touch, concerned about Miranda. Looking through the A’s in her cell phone contact book, the names she read were like a journal of her life since Jack died and meeting Sandra. Tom Adams, Brooklyn, followed by his mother Virginia’s name and his father John and stepmother Gwen in Bayside. They’d been in her life for a short time, friendly, kind people, and she found she missed them. Dialing the number, she wasn’t sure if it was a cell phone or the number from when he and Sandra lived together until he answered, “ Detective Adams.”
    “Tom, it’s Pam Smith,” she said. She was never one of Tom’s favorites, but after he and Sandra had broken up, he allowed his resentment of her to dissipate and they were on friendly, even affectionate terms.
    “Hi there!” Tom was genuinely pleased to hear from her.
    “I only have a second. I wanted you to know Miranda’s just been taken to the hospital.” She explained the circumstances.
    “Okay, thank you for telling me. I’ll drive over as soon as possible. My mother might insist on coming and I hope that will be okay.”
    “That would be fine,” Pam said, saying goodbye as Lisa dashed down the steps toward the car.
    “Daniela just texted and she still unconscious. Mother, what if Daniela hurt her? I’ll never forgive myself.”
    “Lisa, stop it. Daniela loves the children. She wouldn’t do anything to hurt them. You know I was sick yesterday. I was with the children Saturday so maybe she's got what I had.” Pam bit her tongue the impulse to tell Lisa the truth about Miranda’s history strong. But she didn’t want to plant that seed in the universe. It would come out in due time if it were the cause. “Tell me everything that happened.” Lisa gave her the details she knew.
    “I was wasting the morning sitting in an outdoor café having coffee and in the meantime, Miranda is deathly ill.”
    “You need to get out occasionally. It’s just a coincidence she got sick when you were gone.” Pulling up to the hospital as another ambulance arrived, Pam’s anxiety level increased.
    “I really hate hospitals,” she said, visibly shaken.
    Lisa grabbed her hand. “I do too, Mother. I’m so sorry.” They walked quickly into the facility, standing close, wanting to hold hands. At the reception desk, a secretary told them where to go, a long corridor that lead to a children’s wing. Lisa saw Daniela standing against the wall, waiting, still crying.
    “Mrs. Chua, I am so sorry. I hope you don’t think I had anything to do with this.” Lisa grabbed her arms.
    “Is she alive?” Lisa said, frantic.
    “Yes! Yes, she’s alive.” She lowered her head and started to cry again. Pam patted Daniela’s arm and frowned at Lisa. Her daughter could be brutal.
    A woman in a white lab coat walked out of the room. “Who’s the child’s parent?”
    “I am,” Lisa said stepping forward. “Do you know what’s wrong with her?”
    “I’m Doctor Tang,” she said. “We ran some preliminary blood tests and should have more information soon. Can you tell me anything about her history? Has she had episodes like this before?”
    “Nothing,” Lisa said. “She’s been healthy from the start, which is a miracle. Her mother was in a coma for the last weeks of her pregnancy and died a few hours after she was born.” Pam felt so proud of Lisa taking charge, but her heart was bounding, hearing the sad details again.
    “Do you know what the cause of the coma was?”
    Lisa looked at Pam. “Wasn’t it some kind of brain infection?” Pam nodded her head.
    The doctor looked concerned but didn’t inquire further. “If you think of anything else, I’ll be in the ward. Just ask them to page me.” Lisa nodded and the doctor walked away.
    They stood in a huddle, watching her back. “We might as well find a waiting room to sit in. Daniela,