Chapter 7
Seven
Axel
“The clinic is seriously right behind the bar?” Charlie asked as I held her hand and helped her walk through the snow-covered parking lot to get to it.
The night had been long with me constantly worrying about her and whether she and the baby were okay. I was glad that she let me have Jo come take a look at her, but the wave of relief that washed over me when she agreed to go to the clinic this morning was something I never expected.
“This one is,” I answered as I made sure to keep her steady.
“So, you mean to tell me that in a teeny tiny town with no hotels, you guys have more than one clinic?”
“Technically, we have one clinic and a hospital on the outskirts of town,” I replied, walking fast enough to get us there before we lost any limbs to frostbite but slow enough to keep her from slipping and falling as she linked her arm through mine for support.
“Who would have known?” she said, and I could swear I heard a little bit of teasing in her tone.
“Only the locals use the clinic, though some prefer to go to the hospital instead.”
“I’m guessing it’s another thing you guys keep hidden from those who pass through, given there’s no sign on the building, and it’s tucked back here between all of these trees.”
“Exactly.” I grinned as I stepped to the side and opened the door for her. “It’s one of those need-to-know types of things.”
A rush of warm air greeted us as we walked in.
I pulled the door closed behind us, shutting out the frigid cold.
I guided Charlie over to a chair in the corner as I watched her look around, taking everything in.
I had been to the clinic so many times that it felt normal to me, but I could only imagine what it looked like to an outsider who didn’t know the ways of our town yet.
The room we were sitting in was designed to look like a living room, with two couches and a chair around a coffee table.
There was a fireplace on one wall and a TV mounted on the other with a small entertainment center beneath it.
Dark curtains covered the window, making it impossible to see outside, but there were plenty of cameras hidden around the building to provide a clear view of everything.
“Good morning,” Jo said as she came down the hallway and greeted us. “Dr. Foster is ready to see you.”
“Are you sure this is a clinic?” Charlie asked me under her breath as I guided her with my hand on her lower back as we followed Jo to the room. “Or should I make a run for it now?”
“It’s purposely designed to look like a house,” I answered, keeping my voice low as we entered the room.
“Dr. Foster sees those who don’t want anyone to know they’ve been here and who can’t risk having their information recorded.
If someone were to come here, they would think it was just a house.
If they came inside, that thought would be confirmed because there’s nothing up front that indicates this is anything other than a house.
Even the patient rooms are designed to look like bedrooms.”
The clinic was purposely set up so that none of the rooms looked anything like what you would expect a medical facility to look like.
The two rooms where patients were seen were equipped with a twin-sized bed and a small desk with a computer.
Paintings were hung on the walls, and windows were covered with blackout curtains.
Just as there were plenty of cameras outside the house, there were plenty inside, just not in the patient rooms.
“Good morning,” Dr. Foster said, walking in and closing the door behind her. “I’m Dr. Foster.”
“Hello,” Charlie said as she fidgeted nervously.
“Sorry, the room isn’t very big. Go ahead and have a seat on the bed, and we’ll get started.”
Charlie took a seat on the edge while Jo opened the closet and pulled out a portable sonograph machine.
“From what I’ve been told, you have a cut across your abdomen that has gotten infected. Is that correct?” Dr. Foster asked Charlie as Jo worked on getting everything set up for the ultrasound.
Charlie nodded and slowly lifted the bottom of her shirt to show her. Dr. Foster pushed her glasses up on her nose as she leaned in to get a closer look.
“It doesn’t look too bad. However, I would like to continue with an antibiotic ointment that you’ll apply to the wound daily.
I can also write you an oral prescription, but I would have to submit that to our local pharmacy, and unfortunately, they would have to record the information of who it was given to. ”
“Is there any way it will heal on its own with just the ointment?” Charlie asked as she lowered her shirt.
“Possibly. I’m okay with trying that first as long as I can check it every few days to make sure it’s not getting worse. We don’t want that infection to get out of hand and jeopardize the baby’s health.”
“Okay. I’ve been told I’m not going anywhere for a while due to the storm, so I can come back regularly to have it checked. And I promise, I won’t allow anything to hurt her if I can prevent it.”
“Perfect.” Dr. Foster smiled warmly at Charlie, and for the first time since she walked into my bar yesterday, she looked relieved.
“I would also like to do an ultrasound to check on the baby if that’s alright with you,” Dr. Foster continued, nodding to the machine Jo had finished setting up.
I moved to the side so I was out of the way as Jo helped Dr. Foster get everything situated while Charlie laid down on the bed.
I wasn’t sure whether to step out and give them privacy or to stay so Charlie didn’t feel alone.
It wasn’t like she had known me that long, but it seemed she was starting to trust me, and I didn’t want to lose that.
If I could bring her even an ounce of comfort, I would.
“The gel on your stomach is going to be a little cold,” Dr. Foster warned as she held the transducer above Charlie’s bare skin. “I will avoid the cut as best as I can. Hopefully, the baby will be exactly where I need it to be to get the best images. How far along are you?”
“Around thirty-four weeks,” Charlie answered as the wand was gently placed on her stomach. I glanced at the screen Jo was holding and felt the corners of my lips curving up as I spotted the image of the baby’s head.
Jo pressed a button on the machine, and the sound of a racing heart filled the room as Charlie leaned forward slightly to see it.
“Heartbeat is nice and strong,” Dr. Foster noted with a smile as she slowly moved the wand across Charlie’s stomach. “We’ve got lots of movement happening as well, which is a great sign that the baby is doing well.”
Charlie closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh of relief. I knew that it wasn’t my baby, but that didn’t stop me from grinning at the little face on the screen that was already warming a place in my heart.