Chapter 5
A week later
After some rest and recovery, I was finally cleared to return to work.
I was released the next day since all my levels had returned to normal. My doctor gave me an inhaler just in case I had any chest tightness, but I hadn’t had to use it. I had to take it easy, but I had been doing well.
The insurance company approved my claim, so I hired a company to fix everything and to do what they could to prevent it from happening again.
They told me it would only take about two weeks, and six of those days had passed already.
I’d been staying with Kayla, and while she was a great host, I couldn’t wait to get back to my own space.
Thankfully, Kayla was okay with me picking Spencer up, so I got all new stuff for him to keep at her house.
I figured I’d leave it there just in case she had to keep him for me in the future.
I also wanted to stay away from my house as much as possible, because I didn’t want to be in the workers way.
I did go by there to pack a suitcase to last me for a little while.
I was thankful that the fire didn’t cause too much damage.
It was mainly in one room. It was more smoke than it was fire.
I’d been thinking about Onyx since the day he visited me in the hospital.
I thought about sending something to the firehouse as a thank you, but I didn’t want to cross any boundaries if he had a wife or a girlfriend.
It felt like we flirted a little, but that didn’t mean he was single.
He said he visited other people he had rescued before, so I didn’t want to think that I was special.
I tried to forget about him, but his sexy ass smile kept popping into my head. Maybe I would see him again one day.
Dr. Moore asked me to see a patient one of her friends had called her about, and since my workload was light, I agreed.
I spent the morning walking and playing with Spencer for a little bit, then I got myself ready for the day. I tried to rest a little before I went in because I didn’t want to overdo it.
“Okay, boy. I have to go to work now.” I rubbed the top of Spencer’s head, and he rested it on my knee.
He got adjusted to Kayla and me pretty fast, and I was happy about that.
It was one thing for him to see me where he’d been staying, but it was another for him to be comfortable with me in an unfamiliar place.
I just hoped he didn’t have any issues when I took him to our real home.
“Go in your home,” I told him as I picked my bag up from the couch.
I didn’t want him roaming around while nobody was home, especially because it wasn’t our house.
If Kayla got home before me, she would let him out.
He walked into his cage, and I locked it.
I made sure he had toys and some water in there since it would be a while before either of us got back.
Dressed in bright pink scrubs, with sneakers to match, I locked up the house and walked to my car. I felt good about the day, especially because the sun was out, even though it was cool out. For the most part, I’d been in the house except for walking Spencer, so I was just happy to be outside.
Kayla lived fairly close to the center, so it didn’t take long for me to get there.
Multicolored balloons greeted me as soon as I entered.
“Welcome back!” my coworkers shouted.
“Guys, you didn’t have to do this.”
“We missed you,” Nakia, one of the receptionists, said.
I spent a few minutes hugging and talking to everyone before I went to my office to put my things down.
I glanced at the many accolades I received over the years that lined the wall and realized just how much I missed being at work.
A small bouquet of flowers and my favorite dark chocolate candy sat in the middle of my desk.
I smiled when I read the card because it was from my parents.
My mother was upset that I didn’t want to stay with them, but she also understood.
My alarm went off, reminding me of a video game I needed to pick up. Playing video games was a hobby I picked up as a kid, and being home gave me more time to play, and I loved it.
I set another reminder for when I got off work so I could stop at the store on my way home.
Afterward, I headed to my first appointment for the day.
I knocked on the door and froze when I opened it.
It took me a second to gain my composure. “Hi, I’m Dr. Foster.” I squirted sanitizer in my hand and stepped further inside.
“Dr. Foster. Good to see you again, and I’m glad you are feeling better.”
My heart thumped wildly in my chest as I locked eyes with Onyx.
He looked even better than the first time I saw him.
Dark blue jeans covered, what I was sure, muscular legs.
He had on a dark green Henley shirt with the sleeves slightly rolled up, with green and black sneakers.
His locs hung straight down. I noticed a silver chain with some type of charm that he didn’t have on the last time I saw him.
His spicy cologne that reminded me of ginger filled the room, and it smelled so good.
“Onyx. Hi.”
“Daddy, you know her?” the little girl with him asked. She had two pigtails in the front and one in the back. They looked so neat that I was sure her mother did them.
Of course, Onyx had a woman. I wasn’t even surprised the man had a child because, looking as fine as he did, I would have let him keep me barefoot and pregnant.
“Yes, baby. I know her a little bit.” He looked at me and winked.
I snapped out of it and remembered why they were here in the first place. I looked down at the clipboard, then put it on the counter.
“You must be Turquoise.” I sat on the stool so I could be eye level with her.
She nodded her head. “Yes, ma’am.”
I could feel Onyx staring at me, but I had to focus on my patient.
“It’s nice to meet you, Turquoise.” I put my hand out, and she shook it with her little hand. “Do you know why you are here?”
She looked at her father, and he gave her a nod of encouragement.
“Because my tummy hurts sometimes.”
Her eyes dropped to the floor, and she sounded so sad.
“Aww. I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully, I can find some relief for you. I’m going to ask you some questions, and your father can answer if you don’t know the answer. Okay?” I glanced at Onyx, and his eyes were already on me, then I focused on Turquoise.
I thought it was cute that she had a stone name like her father did. In my experience, fathers rarely came to doctors’ appointments, so it made me wonder where her mother was.
I grabbed the clipboard from the counter and took the pen from my pocket, then began to ask them questions.
We spent almost an hour going over all her symptoms as well as her family history.
I wanted to inquire more when he couldn’t answer questions about her mother’s family, or even some of her mother, but it wasn’t my place.
I was able to gather enough information to come up with an idea of what had been going on with her.
Onyx explained how long she’d been dealing with the issue and how her primary doctor couldn’t figure out a solution. I was certain I could help her.
“Upon my assessment, I believe she may have celiac disease. I won’t be sure until I run some tests, but with the symptoms she has and the times it affects her the most, that’s where it’s pointing to.
I’m not going to recommend a strict diet or anything for the moment, because I don’t want anything to affect the test. I will suggest getting some Lactaid and some Simethicone to help with her stomach.
I’ll put all the directions in the paperwork.
You can pick them both up from the grocery store or the pharmacy. ”
Onyx ran a hand down his face, and he looked a little stressed. I felt bad, because he came to me looking for a solution, and I wasn’t able to give one. I was sure once the results came back, we could get her on the road to feeling better.
“This is a lot to take in, but maybe I shouldn’t worry too much until we get the test results,” he finally said after a few long seconds of silence. “I just hate that we still don’t know what’s causing her pain.”
I smiled at him, then darted my eyes to Turquoise. She played with the stuffed animal that was on the exam table.
“We will soon,” I assured him.
Most of our patients were adults, but we kept a few stuffed animals and toys around for whenever we got adolescent patients.
“Should we follow up within a certain time?”
“Once I have the results, someone from the office will call to plan for her to come back. I’m going to order some blood work, as well as an endoscopy with biopsy.”
I went on to explain the procedure to him and the steps we would take afterward.
“I know this all sounds a little scary, but trust me, she will be okay, and I will be here to answer any questions you have during the process.”
“Daddy, can we go?” Turquoise whined.
Onyx glanced down at her and nodded. “Yes, sweetheart. Give Daddy one more minute.” He focused his attention back on me. “Sorry. I promised her we could go to the mall today, and now she’s anxious to go.” He chuckled.
“I understand.” I dug in my pocket and pulled out one of my cards. “Here’s my card. Call me if you need anything before her next appointment. Give me a few minutes to get the paperwork together.”
He took the card from my hand. “Thank you.” For a second, we held each other’s gaze.
I cleared my throat and stood. “I’ll be right back.” It wasn’t until I left the room did I finally exhale.
I took a few minutes to gather myself, then went to get all the paperwork for Onyx and his little girl. She was just the cutest thing.
Once I had everything, I reentered the room.
“Here’s everything. I hope we can get some answers for you guys soon.”
“Thanks again, Dr. Foster.” He smiled, and my nipples pressed against my top.
Onyx’s eyes darted down, then back at me. He licked his lips, then smirked.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you two soon.” I looked down at Turquoise and smiled. She pulled on the bottom of her father’s shirt because she was ready to go.
“I’m looking forward to it.” He grabbed his daughter’s hand. “You ready?”
“Yes, sir.”
I smiled at the two of them. She was so polite for being so young.
Once the two of them left, I went back to my office to finish up her file, then got ready for my next patient.
A few hours later, I was at the mall doing a little shopping. I didn’t need anything, but I just wanted to enjoy my time outside. Kayla made it home early, so she had Spencer covered for me.
The rest of the day, I thought about Onyx and his daughter. I was certain he flirted with me, so he couldn’t have been with his daughter’s mother. At least I hoped that wasn’t the case because if so, he was a trash ass dude, and I wasn’t trying to be anyone’s side chick.
Too bad if he was with someone, because I was even more interested in him than I was a week ago. The way he looked at me made my insides warm.
Watching him with his daughter made me wonder if I would have that one day.
The rate my life was going, I would be the lady having a baby at forty or ending up with twenty cats.
I giggled to myself as I looked at a shirt I didn’t need.
I continued on through the store but ended up not buying anything.
I figured I would get something to eat while I was there, so I went to the game store to pick up my game before going to the food court.
When I walked inside the store, I was surprised when I saw Onyx and his daughter. I knew he said they were going to the mall, but I didn’t think I would see them. My pulse raced as I walked toward the line. I didn’t want Onyx to see me, but only because I figured he was involved with someone.
Onyx turned around and looked me right in the eyes and smiled. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“I can say the same,” I responded.
Turquoise turned around, and her eyes widened. “Dr. Foster, you play video games?”
I was surprised she remembered my name. I bent down with my hands on my knees. “As a matter of fact, I do, and I came to pick up my new game.” I looked up at Onyx, and he had his eyes on me, smiling.
“Oh, wow. Daddy lets me play with him sometimes,” she informed me.
“Oh, is that right? What game do you play?”
She looked up at her dad, then at me. “Paw Patrol is my favorite.” A bright smile spread across her face as she bounced on her feet.
“That’s so cool.”
“Yup, maybe we can play one day.”
The line had moved, so the three of us moved forward. I didn’t think there would be that many people there, and it made me a little anxious, but Onyx and his daughter kept me occupied.
“I’m sure Dr. Foster has things to do,” Onyx said as he put his hand on Turquoise’s shoulder.
“It’s okay.” I looked at Onyx.
It was a good thing they were next because things had suddenly gotten awkward. Neither of us knew what to say.
By the time they were finished with their transaction, Turquoise seemed to have forgotten about what she had asked me. She was excited about the new My Little Pony game she got.
I walked up to the counter and got my game. I prepaid, so it only took a second.
I was surprised to see Onyx and Turquoise standing on the side. I figured they might have been waiting for something else, so I smiled when I got near them and kept on walking until Onyx called my name.
“Maverick.”
Instantly, my stomach fluttered.
“Yes.”
“If you aren’t doing anything, would you like to get some ice cream with us?”
I looked down at Turquoise as she smiled at me and bounced up and down. There was no way I could say no. I wouldn’t anyway, because it would give me a chance to get to know Onyx, to see if this little crush was worth it or not.
“I’d love to.” I glanced down at Turquoise.
He smiled while Turquoise clapped, then skipped out of the store. Onyx chuckled, then we followed behind her while butterflies swarmed my stomach. I had to tell myself not to overthink anything. Maybe he just did it for his daughter. Deep down, I hoped that wasn’t the case.