Chapter 23 - Diana
“You really don’t need to come to my appointment,” Ashley says as I wheel her downstairs to the OB-GYN office.
“Hush. You know I already promised to make every one that Barry couldn’t. Plus, you nearly fainted upstairs.”
She sulks in the wheelchair I forced her to take, which I’m smiling about while she’s being all grumpy. “I didn’t faint. I tripped.”
I shrug, not that she can see me. “Sounds like either way it’s a reason to use a wheelchair. Just to be safe and all that.”
Most people hate being pushed around. Nurses worst of all.
Especially pregnant ones who like to get their own way.
I just enjoy irritating Ashley because I know she’s been stressed about her husband, and it’s made her a bit careless lately.
Mostly for herself. She did trip, not faint, but if I hadn’t caught her, she could have hurt her babies.
Besides, she’s getting to the point where, despite irritating Nurse Vicky, Ashley will likely need bed rest to make sure her little nuggets arrive safely in the world.
Just a precaution that our OB-GYN clinic usually errs on the side of.
Being a working member of the hospital isn’t a reason to change procedures
I also need to set up my own appointment, and I’m hoping I can rely on some discretion if I talk to the nurse and doctor in person rather than over the phone like everyone else. Perks of the job—at least I hope.
We round the corner, and just before I reach the door, someone in leather steps in front of us and holds it open.
I recognize the cut, but not the man wearing it.
The patches are ones I’ve come to love, just like the man I usually see wearing them, but unlike the name “Law” on my guy, this one has “Prospect.”
I look around, half expecting Karter to show and somehow just know what I’m doing. That he secretly found out about it and is here to support me and profess his undying love or something.
Instead, I see Ruby.
Our eyes clash, and we stand in a stalemate as the door stays open for us.
“Um, hi,” I offer. I’m not supposed to know she’s pregnant. I don’t even know how the prospect knows, but I don’t ask.
She looks at me, then my friend with a belly that isn’t easily hidden, and gestures with a kind smile. To Ashley, not me.
“After you.”
I hesitate a second more and then push her through to the front desk. Ashley grumbles about being able to walk, but I bring her too close to stand, and the nurse behind the desk snickers at our antics as we check her in.
Once she’s set, I take her over to a waiting area that’s large enough to park the wheelchair by an empty waiting seat and not block any pathways.
“I hate you,” she mutters.
I toss her a magazine off the table beside me. “Read this. Think there’s an article in there about how to thank your favorite work bestie who puts up with your grumpiness.”
“Wouldn’t be so grumpy if you’d let me walk.”
“I told you, you fainted. This is just a precaution.”
“We both know I tripped. Which was your fault, by the way.”
I close the magazine I was skimming through to look at random pictures, definitely not the articles. Why would I care if there’s an article about how to cure morning sickness in here?
“How is it my fault?”
“If you hadn’t gotten sick, I wouldn’t have had to deal with the bimbo replacement who came in. The one who misread the stocking list, which Vicky noticed and had me redo this morning. If it hadn’t been for that, I wouldn’t have dropped the tissues. The ones I tripped over. See, all your fault.”
I huff and go back to “pretending” to read. It’s actually a fascinating article, and one I’m secretly devouring for all the tips possible. I only threw up twice this morning, and so far none at the hospital. I’m calling it a win.
“Sounds more like an issue of dropping things than me calling in sick.”
“Whatever,” she grumbles and flips aggressively through her magazine. When she finishes it in thirty seconds flat, she huffs loudly, and I feel her eyes on me. Which I ignore as I continue reading, till she does it again.
“What?” I ask without looking up.
“Any news on silver fox?”
I panic and look up just in time to see Ruby sitting across from us. It’s a very small waiting room. One corridor filled with chairs that face one another, and at the other end is the check-in desk. And of course Ashley isn’t being quiet in the least.
“Nope,” I answer quickly and look back at my magazine as I feel my neck heat.
“Ugh. You’re no fun. I need some spice in my life.”
“It can’t be that bad,” I say, half listening and pretending that Ruby isn’t listening to it at all.
“Oh yes, it is. I haven’t had sex in weeks. Weeks! It’s gotten terrible. I’m doing anything to spice it up, though. I even went to an online store called A Little Spice and bought a see-through teddy. I put it on the bed, hoping Barry will see it before I get home.”
“Why on the bed?”
She shrugs. “Taking clothes on and off is hard work these days. It takes a lot of my energy, and I’m not even full-term yet.
Figured if he sees it, he can at least imagine me in it before we get horizontal.
Plus, I’ve never bought lingerie before.
There are so many straps and things that I don’t think I know how to put it on. ”
“You’ve never bought lingerie? Even for your honeymoon?”
Another shrug. “No point. You get naked and fuck. No one sees it but you when you put it on. Guys just want to have sex on honeymoons. They don’t care what you look like as long as you’re into just about anything.”
I blink, then blink again. Looking up, I catch eyes with Ruby, who’s doing the same thing. I don’t think either of us has ever thought of it like that before. And Ashley’s probably not wrong.
“Ashley Simon?”
“Want me to come?” I ask as the nurse who called for Ashley comes over and grabs the handles of the wheelchair.
She turns with a glare. “I might love you like a sis, but no one is going to hold my hand while I pee.” Then she tips her head back to the nurse. “And you can quit pushing that. I can walk on my own.” She stands with a flourish and opens the door the nurse came out of.
The nurse just snickers before moving the wheelchair to the front desk. Someone is bound to need it at some point, and if it’s still here at the end of the appointment, I’ll bring it back upstairs.
I go back to reading the magazine, knowing it’s only a vitals check right now and she’ll be back out here soon to wait till the doctor actually has a place for her.
Plus, it’ll take Ashley a while to submit her typical deposit.
She always says peeing in a cup every time she comes is the worst part.
She can never pee on command, and she takes forever to get comfortable enough to just go when she knows others are probably waiting.
“If your friend doesn’t take off the tags, she can always return the outfit after she gets whatever use out of it.”
I look up at Ruby with wider-than-normal eyes, surprised she’s talking to me, willingly and everything.
I don’t speak, but she must think I’m confused by her words or something because she continues with a shoulder lift.
“I know the owner. She’s pretty lenient on returns as long as the items weren’t worn and the tags are still on.
If it’s been worn, though, even with the tag, she doesn’t do returns, but she gives a discount on the next purchase and lets you keep it. ”
I nod because it seems like the thing to do. Who would want to buy used lingerie anyway?
“Um, thanks. I’ll let her know.”
Ruby just raises her eyebrows and goes back to reading whatever’s on her phone.
Something far more interesting than me. Which is fine because I really don’t know what to say to the woman.
But Karter says they’re starting new, and maybe that means she’s willing to accept me in some capacity.
At the very least, not yell at me like I’m some sort of prostitute, like she’s alluded to in the past. We might not be friends, not even acquaintances, but at least we can hold a semi-conversation without any issues.
The sound of the door opening wide and smacking against the wall makes me jump before I look that way.
“Barry, hey. I didn’t think you’d make it.” I stand with a kind smile, happy to see he’s here. Feels like this is a good sign that things aren’t as bad as Ashley thought they were between them.
“Where is she?” He looks around, movements erratic in a way that has me looking at Ruby to check if she’s seeing how off he seems, even though she doesn’t know him.
“Um, getting her vitals checked. She should be back in a minute.”
“Ashley,” he yells and goes to the door that leads to the patient rooms, opening it and stepping through.
I glance at Ruby, then the prospect, before going after him. I can still hear him shouting her name.
“Barry,” I call after him. “She’s just in the bathroom. She’ll be back in a minute.”
He doesn’t hear me, or chooses not to listen, calling her name and opening closed doors. Patients yell at the intrusion, but he doesn’t notice as he keeps searching for his wife.
I follow, closing doors where I can, apologizing to each person I pass. I see a nurse at the desk on the phone, no doubt calling security. I nod at her, giving her silent encouragement that she’s doing the right thing.
I look back out of habit and see that Ruby has followed in my wake. I give her a grateful smile, and she gives me that same reassuring nod I just gave the other nurse. More numbers seems like the best option right now.
“Ashley!” he bellows once more.
Like the sea parting, she rounds the corner and stops to stare at her husband—and everyone else who seems to hover just out of his reach.
“Yeah? Barry? What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at the station? I thought you were on shift today?”
“Where is he?” he demands.
She shakes her head. “Where is who?”
“The man you’re fucking.”
Her eyes slide to me as her hands come up in front of her to shake off his accusations. “There’s no man. I only love you. I’ve only been with you. You know that.”
He looks at her with narrowed eyes for longer than I can hold my breath. He squints a second before speaking. “You lie.” Then he pulls out a gun from behind his back and aims it at her.
Anyone out of their rooms cries out, but not a single person moves. Half the people here are pregnant, and they’re terrified to harm their child. The other half are trained not to add to the problem.
“Stop lying,” he spits out. She shakes her head at his words. “Stop. Lying!” he yells and fires a shot above her head.
The crack of the gunshot echoes through the hall. The once-small panic grows, and screams fill the air as more people pour out into the hall. Even the prospect marches through the door, but thankfully Ruby grabs his hand to prevent him from pulling his own weapon.
Things are bad enough with one gun. It can only get worse if there are two. And with the way Barry is shaking and waving it around, anyone is liable to get hurt.
Including me.
And my unborn kid.