Perfect silence, p.1
Perfect Silence, page 1
Perfect Silence
Sounds of Silence book 1
Kari Lemor
Rycon Press
PERFECT SILENCE © 2022 by Kari Lemor
Cover Art by: MiblArt
RyCon Press
First Electronic Edition: Aug 2022
ISBN - 978-1-954056-22-0
First Print Edition: Aug 2022
ISBN - 978-1-954056-23-7
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright
Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either
the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or
locales is entirely coincidental.
Contents
Dedication
1. Chapter One
2. Chapter Two
3. Chapter Three
4. Chapter Four
5. Chapter Five
6. Chapter Six
7. Chapter Seven
8. Chapter Eight
9. Chapter Nine
10. Chapter Ten
11. Chapter Eleven
12. Chapter Twelve
13. Chapter Thirteen
14. Chapter Fourteen
15. Chapter Fifteen
16. Chapter Sixteen
17. Chapter Seventeen
18. Chapter Eighteen
19. Chapter Nineteen
20. Chapter Twenty
21. Chapter Twenty-One
22. Chapter Twenty-Two
23. Chapter Twenty-Three
24. Chapter Twenty-Four
25. Chapter Twenty-Five
26. Chapter Twenty-Six
27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
To Carli-Jo – You are missed!
Acknowledgments
This book has been a work of my heart and is all because of my loving little sister, Annie, who introduced me to her world and allowed me to be a part of it. I have so many people who have helped me along the way. Thank you, Kayla for sharing your journey with cochlear implants with me. To Cheryl for being such a great friend growing up and being my sensitivity reader for this project. To my stepmom, Janet, for always interpreting when my signing skills were lacking. For my daughter, Emily, who took up the mantle of teaching children with hearing loss and your generous gift to all those who need you.
To Em who makes my books so shiny. Meredith and Kris, who are always there and on point with their support and advice. Carol, who keeps me accountable. The Gems for their friendship and advice. Donna for her honest feedback and time. Judy for helping me with the inner workings of a large Boston hospital. To MiblArt for their amazing cover. And to the Deaf community who needs to have a voice in this world.
Author’s note
American Sign Language (ASL) is a language with its own rules and structure. What is written in this story in ASL is a translated version of what is being said and not exact English.
Dialogue code:
“I’m going to the store.” - regular spoken speech
I’m going to the store. - ASL only
“I’m going to the store.” - SimCom (simultaneous communication – both speech and sign)
Chapter one
“Thanks for fitting me in so soon.” Blake Wentworth shook hands with the head of audiology as they left his office and proceeded into the waiting room. How fortunate that he worked at Boston General, one of the best hospitals in the country, with the doctor who was going to give his nephew back his life. Okay, a bit of an exaggeration, but he would certainly provide little Parker with a better quality of life. “I’ll make sure my brother gets in touch to make those appointments. In the meantime, I’ll check out the websites you mentioned. I appreciate the information.”
“Happy to do it, Blake,” Dr. Steven Virani responded. “I’ve heard good things about you up in pediatrics.” The older physician glanced around the room, smiling as he saw the occupants.
Blake checked out the room, too. Dr. Virani had mentioned setting him up with an advocate to help answer questions while he did his research on cochlear implants, but the only people in the room were two women and a small child. They were both sitting on the floor, waving their hands in front of the toddler.
One was maybe mid-thirties, dark hair pulled into a ponytail, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. The child was sitting in her lap. The other one he could only see from the back, her shoulder length, strawberry blonde hair hanging in loose curls around her head. Her dress slacks and blouse were more business casual, though she seemed too young to be the advocate.
Dr. Virani walked over to the women, tapping the blonde on the shoulder. As she looked up, Blake paused in his step. Her eyes. They were a deep emerald green. However, it wasn’t only the color that held his attention. There was something else about them. They were intense and focused, as if the person she was speaking with was more important than anything else. He’d love to be gazed upon by those eyes.
“Carli,” Dr. Virani greeted her. “I’m glad you’re here. I have a new customer for you.”
Those green eyes turned Blake’s way, and he found himself grinning like a teenager. Get a hold of yourself. They’re just eyes for Pete’s sake. But now that her gaze was focused his way, he’d better not make a fool of himself.
“This is Dr. Blake Wentworth. Remember I told you there was a newly diagnosed male infant, possible moderate to severe hearing loss?”
“Yes, I got the e-mail this afternoon. It’s one of the reasons I came over. Well, that and I heard Rosie would be here today.” She glanced down at the little girl now playing with some blocks the center provided.
“Blake, this is Carline Jameson. She’s one of our volunteer advocates. If you need to know anything about cochlear implants, except maybe how to surgically install them, she’s your woman.”
Carline looked embarrassed, and Blake cringed at the obvious exaggeration. She didn’t seem much over twenty. How much could she know? And most of it likely book learning. Someone with real experience was what he needed. His nephew was counting on him.
“I’ll leave you two to talk while I get on with my next appointment.” He looked down at the woman on the floor. “Mrs. Waters, you can bring Rosie in now.”
The woman stood, scooping the child in her arms. She gave Carline a hug as she passed, then disappeared with Dr. Virani.
“It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Wentworth.” Carline held out her hand.
Blake took it cautiously.
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Ms. Jameson.” The handshake was pleasant. Firm and strong, yet her hand was still femininely delicate. The rose-tinted skin was soft and felt very good against his.
“Please, call me Carli. I’m not very formal, especially when working with families. We get to know each other pretty well during the process.”
Dropping her hand, he nodded. “Then, you should call me Blake. I have a million questions for you. You wouldn’t happen to have any time right now, would you?”
“Absolutely, Blake. I’ll try and answer whatever I can. That’s what I’m here for.”
As he scanned the empty waiting room, he tried to ignore the hunger pangs that had been rumbling since before he’d missed lunch. “Have you eaten? I’m starving. We could grab a bite in the cafeteria, if it’s okay with you. I can’t go very far. I’m on call tonight.”
“You work here at Boston General?”
“Yeah, been in pediatrics for almost a year now, but I’m still low man in the department, so I get night duty more often than I’d like.”
When Carli smiled at him, his grin returned. Really, how old was he? Turning toward the door, she looked back when he continued to stand in place. “The cafeteria?”
“Yeah, sorry. Must be my blood sugar playing havoc on me. Better get something to eat soon.”
“How old is your son?” Carli asked as they strolled down the hallway to the elevator.
He squinted in confusion. “My son? You mean the infant. Actually, he’s my nephew, my brother’s boy. He’s six months old. Still can’t believe they didn’t pick this up on the newborn screening. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t figure it out before now.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Carli replied softly. Where was she from? Her voice had a lilting tone to it, and her speech was slightly different. An accent of some sort maybe, but he couldn’t place it.
“The newborn screening can certainly miss it. If the baby twitches at just the right time, they count it as hearing the sound. At least you figured it out now. I’ve known children who haven’t been diagnosed until they were closer to two. It’s rare in this day and age with the technology we have, but it does happen.”
She had the most incredible way of focusing on a person when they spoke. Was it something she did on purpose to show respect and attention or simply the way she was?
After arriving at the cafeteria, they made their choices for food, then found a small table in the corner. There had been only a small argument when he insisted on paying, and he was glad. The least he could do was fork out money for her dinner, since he was taking up so much of her time.
Carli took a few bites of her Chicken Caesar Wrap, then wi ped her mouth with the cheap paper napkin. The feminine way she did it made it seem as if the napkin was of the finest linen. His mother would love that.
“What would you like to know?”
Removing the fork from his mouth, he placed it back in his macaroni and cheese. Wouldn’t his mom cringe if she saw what he was eating. When he looked up, those amazing eyes stared at him intently. “This is all new to me. I’m honestly not even sure what questions I should ask. I need to know what’s involved in the whole cochlear implant procedure.”
After taking another bite, she answered. “I’m sure Dr. Virani told you that the child needs to be assessed first by a pediatric audiologist, a pediatric otologic surgeon, plus a speech language pathologist. There’ll be a series of tests he’ll need to go through just to determine if he’s a viable candidate.”
Blake listened while she continued with her spiel, watching her mouth move as she spoke. Full, pink lips fully formed every sound that escaped from them. Most of this he’d heard from Steven earlier, so he didn’t worry that he was missing anything. It was incredible just to watch.
He needed to get a grip. Med school and residency had required such long hours that dating had been tough, and casual hookups weren’t his thing. It was probably just sexual frustration. Or maybe she truly did have the most wonderful mouth and eyes he’d ever seen.
“How is your brother handling the diagnosis?” Carli asked as he zoned back into what she was saying.
He took a deep breath, knowing how upset he’d been. It was a hundred times worse for his brother. “Harrison and Annie are devastated. They’re still in shock, I think. I volunteered to start looking at options to help Parker. We want him to have as normal a life as possible.”
“Normal?” Carli’s beautiful eyes narrowed. “You think just because someone has a hearing loss that they’re abnormal?”
Blake stopped himself—barely—from rolling his eyes. Great, he’d stepped on someone’s toes. So many people were offended by everything these days. Now, he had to defend himself. “No, that’s not what I meant. I simply want to give Parker every opportunity to reach his fullest potential. You can’t deny he’ll have a much harder time without typical hearing.”
Carli sighed. Blake Wentworth had impressed her so far, but his true colors had finally come out. Another one of the masses who thought hearing loss made someone less of a person. It’s too bad, because she had enjoyed talking to him. And looking at him.
His wavy chestnut hair had a habit of falling over his forehead, his hand absentmindedly pushing it back. His skin was still tanned from the summer, and his deep brown eyes reminded her of a chocolate Tootsie Roll Pop, the kind she’d always loved as a kid. Who was she kidding? She still loved them; she just wouldn’t ever let anyone see the stash of them at her house.
His dress was casual for a doctor: khaki pants, plaid shirt, and sports coat. However, his tie gave away his profession. Splattered across it was a cartoon starfish. Most definitely a pediatrician. Nice that he didn’t take his appearance too seriously.
And the boyish grin as she spoke? Endearing. The dimples in his cheeks didn’t hurt either. At one point, though she couldn’t be sure, he seemed to have honed in on her lips. Once she realized he wasn’t the father of the deaf child, his appraisal and possible interest had caused her cheeks to flush. He didn’t wear a wedding ring. Granted, not all married men did.
But his attitude toward the deaf prickled. Relax. Be nice. It was always the way when parents found out their child had a hearing loss. They were in shock. Blake wasn’t even a parent, though.
“Why did you have the appointment with Dr. Virani instead of your brother? Is he a friend?”
“No,” he answered. “I only met him today, but I thought perhaps if I talked with him first, my connections here at the hospital would help to move things along smoothly and quickly.”
In other words, he wanted preferential treatment. Taking a deep breath, she smiled wider, hoping it looked genuine. Ugh. This man had only been employed here for a year and was already trying to work the system.
No more judgment. A bit more information was needed. It helped knowing what type of people you had to work with, as well as what type of attitudes you had to overcome.
“Where do your brother and sister-in-law live?”
“In Westover.”
Carli kept her smile in place, gritting her teeth. Westover was an exclusive community north of Boston. Middle class families need not apply. Wealthy families always made her job a bit more difficult. They wanted miracles, thought money could buy those miracles. Unfortunately, there were no miracles that could make a deaf person hear again; not even cochlear implants. Trying to convince them of it wasn’t always easy.
“Do you live there as well?”
Blake shook his head. “I grew up in Westover, and my parents still live there, but I have a townhouse in the Back Bay near Beacon Street. Makes it a bit easier to commute to the hospital for work. I can walk it in ten minutes.”
Back Bay. Okay, no starving first year doctor here. Parents who lived in Westover would be affluent and probably paid for his schooling. No wonder he thought he could waltz in and bypass all the protocols.
“Was the baby—Parker, you said his name was—was he born at Westover Hospital?”
“Yes. Now, I wish I had insisted they deliver here at BGH. We may have been able to pick up Parker’s hearing loss earlier.”
“Westover Hospital has an excellent reputation, and the hearing loss could have been there at birth or come on any time since then. There are many possibilities. You can’t beat yourself up over it. It isn’t anyone’s fault. The important thing is that you and your family get on with accepting it and secure your nephew the services he needs.”
He looked resigned. “I know you’re right. I went into medicine to help people, and I almost feel like I failed my brother and nephew by not figuring this out sooner.”
“Blake.” She reached over to lay her hand on his. “He’s only six months old. I know you think getting him cochlear implants will help him be ‘normal’, but the fact is those are never even considered until after six months of age.”
“Yeah, Steven mentioned that. But Parker is six months now. I don’t see why we can’t just go ahead and do it.”
Leaning back, she stared at his handsome face. This was always a hard part for the family of a newly diagnosed child. In this case, she’d need to convince Blake and then do it all over again with his brother. “You’re a doctor, Blake. You know that certain procedures require protocols to be followed. They won’t even consider implants until after an in-depth screening by several professionals and a six-month trial of hearing aids. Medical tests will need to be conducted as well. You can’t just wheel a child into surgery and plunk them in.”
His face fell, and the urge to reach out to him again was strong. He wanted to help his nephew. The obvious love there was sweet, but he needed to face some cold hard facts, too.
“What do your brother and sister-in-law do for work? Are they able to take days off on occasion?”
“My brother, Harrison, works for the family company, Wentworth Industries. He can take off if he needs to. My dad is the CEO, and Harrison is the Chief Financial Officer. Annie, his wife, doesn’t work. She’s home with Parker right now. Before she got pregnant, she did mostly charity work with my mother.”
“Let’s take this one step at a time. Harrison and Annie need to first accept the fact that Parker has a hearing loss. Regardless of whether he’s a candidate for cochlear implants or not, he’ll need services. The sooner the better. Part of my job is to guide the families through the process. Why don’t we set a time for me to meet with them? I can answer any questions they have, meet Parker, and then we can discuss options.”
“That sounds like a good next step. Let me give Harrison a call.” Blake pulled out his cell phone and punched in a few numbers.
She took the opportunity to finish her dinner. The lettuce was a bit wilted after their conversation, although the wrap could also have been made much earlier in the day. Blake spoke to his brother, then looked up at her. “What times are you available?”
