Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Prophet
“So, what’s going on between you and Phoebe?” Rebel asks as we sit at the bar in the clubhouse.
“Not a damn thing outside of friendship,” I retort. “I’m not sure I should go there, brother. I mean, my head says she and Rosa are nothing alike at all, even if they do favor one another, but my heart doesn’t want to get crushed again.”
Since she let her hair go back to her natural brunette color, the likeness is more noticeable.
The biggest exception, of course, is the fact that Phoebe has tattoos while Rosa had none.
She’s also a bit curvier than Rosa ever was, but that’s because Rosa practically starved herself to be model thin, while Phoebe eats.
Not to excess, although that honestly wouldn’t matter to me; no, she eats healthy and manages to somehow still find time to work out several times a week.
All in all, I’m beyond impressed with her ability to manage a demanding job while helping me out as often as possible.
“You’re sounding like a pussy right now,” Ash says, sitting down next to Rebel and reaching over to grab a beer.
“What if she’s the best thing that could ever happen to you and you don’t explore it and end up a miserable old bastard?
I mean, you were already on your way there before you found out you had a daughter. ”
“Asshole,” I mutter as Rebel chuckles. “You don’t think it would be odd to date the cousin of the woman who I had a child with?”
Both of my brothers shake their heads, which has me rethinking myself.
I enjoy spending time with Phoebe; she’s funny yet serious at the same time, and even though I know she holds something of herself back, I think it has more to do with the fact that Rosa was her cousin than anything.
But I won’t know unless I talk to her about it.
Resolving that I’ll do that very thing, I’m about to say that to my two brothers when I hear a faint cry through the baby monitor that sits on the top of the bar next to my beer.
“Welp, that’s my cue to head on up,” I say, snatching up both objects. “I’ll think about it and that’s all I can say for now.”
“Both Holly and Marnie really like her,” Rebel adds as I prepare to walk away.
“We do as well and like how you are when she’s around.
You’re still a badass because we all are, of course, but you’re softer too.
It’s not a bad thing to move on and who the fuck cares if Cami’s mom was her cousin?
We’re not gonna judge you and in case you forgot, we don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks about us. ”
I let them continue to ramble as I head upstairs.
Cami’s teeth have started coming in regularly now since her bout with her ear infection, which upsets her sleep.
If tonight goes the way the rest of the previous few nights have, I’ll get the chance to cuddle my girl while reading to her as the oral gel the doctor gave me works its magic.
Hopefully, she won’t develop another ear infection, but if she does, I know what to do now.
“What’s going on with my girl?” I ask as I enter my new suite of rooms.
True to his word, Rebel and my brothers moved me into a larger suite so that Cami has her own room and we’re not on top of each other.
I hear her babbling undecipherable sounds as I breach the doorway to her room only to stop short when I see her standing while holding onto the railings of her crib.
“I see you’re trying to grow up too quickly on your old man,” I tease as I reach her side and hold out my arms. She grasps onto my fingers, and I maneuver her so I can safely pick her up then head over to the changing table.
“Huh, well look at the mess you’ve made,” I muse as I stare down at the blowout that has gone up the back of her onesie.
“Guess we’re headed into the shower first.”
Holly is the one who suggested that trick to me the first time Cami had one.
She came to check on us and found me gagging as I tried, unsuccessfully I might add, to clean my daughter up without getting it all over myself.
After she laughed so hard she was crying, she picked her up and went into the bathroom where she turned on the shower and told me to get in with her just like that, while she went back out and cleaned up the disaster area I had created.
I quickly strip down to my boxers then pick up my slightly odious smelling little girl and walk into my en suite, where I turn the water on and get it warming.
“Girl, I think your food disagrees with your belly tonight,” I mutter.
I notice she’s a little warm and make a note to send Holly a text to find out if there’s a stomach bug going around.
As much as all the kids are around each other, it wouldn’t surprise me if there is one and she’ll have the information I need to make sure Cami’s okay. Once the water’s warm enough, I get in and in no time at all, I have my baby girl smelling much, much better.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t last long. By the time morning rolls around, I’m beyond waterlogged, as Cami’s body was violently evacuating everything she ate or drank, seemingly from the very first meal.
She’s now a bit lethargic, so I call the shop and switch a few of my appointments around, then head to the doctor.
I may not be a medical professional, but I helped Granny enough that I know what dehydration looks like and Cami is a textbook case.
“Oh, look at her, she looks pitiful,” the nurse says as she takes Cami from me long enough to get her weighed. “Oh dear, she’s lost two pounds and y’all were just here late last week for a check-up.”
“That’s not good, is it?” I question, still figuring shit out on the fly. I mean, I’ve been diligently reading the book that I was given, and I often ask either Esther or Holly questions if something comes up, but this isn’t one I remember being addressed.
“As a rule, no, but you said she started throwing up and having diarrhea yesterday afternoon, correct?” she asks as she leads me into a room.
“Yeah,” I reply. “I think all told, we took six different baths or showers, and she wouldn’t keep anything down, not even Pedialyte, which my friend’s wife told me to try.”
Before she can respond, Tracie, the nurse practitioner we saw last week, walks into the room and starts examining Cami.
By the time she’s done, we’re heading over to the pediatric wing of the hospital for some intravenous fluids and anti-nausea medications.
I’m trying not to freak out, of course, but lack of sleep has me holding onto a thin, frayed rope at this point, so when my phone rings, I don’t even think and answer it with all the emotions I’m feeling.
“Well, I was going to ask how your day was going and let you know there’s a horrible stomach bug going around, but I guess I caught you at a bad time.” Phoebe’s voice comes through the line as I’m starting my truck to head to the hospital. “We’ve had an influx of admissions, from kids to seniors.”
“I’m on my way there now,” I admit once the phone connects to my truck. “Cami started with it last night and she’s somehow lost two pounds since her check-up last week, so Dr. Goldman is sending us over for fluids and meds.”
“Is he admitting her?” she asks.
That’s one thing I admire about Phoebe, she never seems to get rattled. I guess it’s because she’s a nurse, but even though I can hear the concern in her tone, she’s not panicking which is doing a lot to calm me down.
“I don’t know,” I confess. “I just heard Tracie tell me to take her to the fourth floor which is apparently the pediatric wing, and they’d get us set up.”
“I bet they are and while I know you’re worried, Eli, it’s more precautionary than anything due to her age,” she says. “I’m on shift but if you text me when you get here, I’ll see about taking my break if you want so I can give you a hand and explain whatever you need me to.”
“I’d appreciate it, babe,” I reply. “See you soon.”
Glancing in the rearview mirror, I frown.
Seeing my normally bubbly little girl looking so listless and lethargic is concerning me.
As I drive, I place a call to Rebel to let him know what’s going on, then one to Marnie to tell her she’s got control of the shop.
She’ll handle my clients and they’ll either let her do the work or reschedule. At this point, I don’t give a fuck.
Because I plan to be by my daughter’s side for as long as she’s sick, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
“I know, sweet girl, I know,” Phoebe coos as she holds Cami while another nurse tries for the third time to get an IV inserted.
When she misses again, I see a side of Phoebe come out that doesn’t shock me one bit, since I’m ready to roundhouse kick the bitch.
“Go get Annabelle from ICU and tell her to bring the portable ultrasound. You’re done trying to stick her.
She’s obviously dehydrated, Jana, yet you’re acting like this is the first day you’ve ever tried to put in an IV. ”
Jana looks like she’s going to smart off but after seeing the looks on both of our faces, she wisely removes her gloves and heads out the door to do what Phoebe ordered.
Once she’s gone, Phoebe looks at me and says, “I’m sorry for overstepping, but even with her being so dehydrated, it should not be as difficult as she was trying to make it. ”
“No, no, feel free to overstep any time when it comes to her and appropriate medical care. Do you want me to hold her for a few minutes?” I ask.
“I think she needs her daddy right now, so yes,” she replies. “I’ll get all this picked up while we wait for Annabelle. I promise you, she’s able to stick anyone regardless of how fragile their veins are, and she won’t have Cami practically in hysterics while she does it.”
Not long after, Annabelle comes into the room and in a matter of what feels like seconds, Cami has her IV inserted and taped down and she’s getting the fluids and anti-nausea medication that Dr. Goldman ordered. As she cleans up her mess, she says, “I think you scarred Jana for life, Fee.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t know what they’re teaching these days in school, but she could do with a refresher course. She should know better, especially working on the peds floor,” Phoebe snarks.
I find I like this side of her, quite a lot.
It adds a layer of attraction that I’ve been trying to fight against, and I shove it down so I can focus on my little girl.
“How long do you think we’ll be here?” I question once Annabelle returns to ICU and it’s just me and Phoebe once again.
Cami has dozed off as apparently, the stuff they gave her causes drowsiness.
Phoebe covers her up with a light blanket and double checks that the sides of the crib are up and locked before she looks at me.
“She’ll need to go at least twenty-four hours without any further vomiting or diarrhea before they’ll consider discharging her.
I need to head back down as my break is over, but if you want, I’ll come back up once I’m done working. ”
“I’d like that,” I admit. Taking a chance, I walk over to her and look down before pulling her into my arms. “Thank you for being here today. Don’t know what I’d have done if you weren’t.” Then, I lean in and kiss her forehead.
I hear a small gasp and hide my smile. That’s right, Phoebe Carter, the rules of the game are changing and you plus me is the ultimate prize. She grins and states, “I’d probably have to call Rebel to bail you out of jail.”
Since I had contemplated violating my rule of hitting a woman when the first nurse, Jana, was hurting Cami, I can only shrug. She’s not wrong, I’d definitely contemplated using my skills to get her away from my baby.