Tomorrow's Dream Read Online Free PDF

yet . . . he’s really not strong enough.” The strain now seemed to touch the young doctor as his words began to push out, rushing toward what was hardest to say. “Right now we are devoting all our efforts to keeping him with us. By the time he has strengthened and grown a bit we should know the full extent of the damage. Once that’s been assessed, then we can look at the feasibility of surgery.” He paused, looking relieved now that the worst was out in the open. “The releases are necessary for our tests.”
    But Kenneth was not going to let him off that easily. “I don’t understand. If there need to be tests, then why not just go ahead and do them?”
    Old Dr. Pearce looked at Kenneth, then Kyle, pain in his eyes. He rubbed a tired hand through his remaining hair. “It is possible,” he said, clearly hating the words he needed to speak, “that we might lose such a fragile baby in the process of assessment.”
    Kyle clenched her eyes shut with the same vehemence that she squeezed on Kenneth’s hand. No. No. It isn’t possible. Not little Charles. I won’t have it. You can’t do the tests. You can’t .
    But Kenneth was speaking again. “And if the tests aren’t done?”
    When there was only silence in response, Kyle forced herself to open her eyes. The old doctor sat there beside her, slowly shaking his head. “Son, we wouldn’t even think of doing them unless they were absolutely essential. If we don’t go ahead, your child has no chance of survival at all. We’d have nowhere near enough knowledge as to how to proceed with treatment.”
    Kenneth opened his mouth, closed it, then tried again, forcing out words so heavy they dropped like stones from heaven. “And if you do the tests? What are our chances then?”
    Dr. Saunders started to speak, but Dr. Pearce raised his gaze in time to halt the younger man with one quick look. The silence in the room hung like a shroud until Dr. Pearce finally said, “We’ll know more after the tests.”
    Kenneth nodded, his face bleached white, his jaw stiff.
    The nurse pushed her metal pad toward him, pointing at the places where he needed to sign. Without a word Kenneth accepted the pen and wrote on the indicated line.
    No , Kyle wished to scream. Don’t sign it . But instead of speaking, she turned her face into the stack of pillows and began to sob, her shoulders heaving with the intensity of her pain.
    â€œKyle.” She heard the doctor’s fatherly tone. “Nurse Jacobs has a little needle for you. It will help you get some sleep.”
    Kyle was only slightly aware of the hands upon her arm and Kenneth’s voice speaking to her from some grim distance somewhere.
    â€œIt’s going to be all right, darling. God will see us through this. Hang on. Just hang on.”
    Hang on , Kyle repeated to herself. Of course. God would see them through.

5 
    The telephone’s ring jarred the silence of their empty little house. Kyle rushed toward the hall phone, not so much because she wanted to speak with someone but because the sound did not belong. She lifted the receiver and said hello.
    â€œKyle, darling, it’s Martha. How are you, dear?”
    Kyle couldn’t form an answer in her mind. She raised her head and flinched as she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror.
    â€œIt’s been over a week since I’ve heard from you,” Martha rushed on into the silence. “I had to call. Has there been any word?”
    â€œNo.” She had to turn away from the hollowness in her eyes. But comfort was not to be found elsewhere. There should be a baby here. Every nook and cranny of her empty house shouted Charles Kenneth’s absence. “No, nothing,” she repeated.
    â€œBut it’s been over a month now.” Martha’s voice rose. “How long do they need to finish these tests of