-2-
Layla Higgens barrelled around the corner of Los Angeles County Hospital. Her body clad in soft blue scrubs, she reached into her pocket and pulled her stethoscope out and swung it up around the neck just as she walked into an exam room in the ER. "What do we got?"
Her colleague, Dr. Marcus Travis, glanced at the woman only a fraction of a second as he began to examine the eight year old girl on the table. "Car accident. She was with her dad and they were hit by a drunk driver."
Layla nodded as she began to check the girl's vitals, "How's dad?"
"In the morgue."
The female doctor sighed heavily as she closed her eyes, "Great. Has the mother been notified?"
Dr. Travis nodded, "She's en route now. She was in West Hollywood." Stopping, he glanced at the other doctor, "You should be in Manhattan. Sturgis sent you for that seminar. What are you still doing here?"
Layla sighed and shook her head. At twenty-eight, she was a striking woman with piercing blue eyes and a mass of reddish-brown hair that she kept in curls that fell to her shoulders, framing her heart-shaped face. "I'm chicken."
Mark sighed and shook his own head and then glanced at a nurse who was approaching them, "Get her up to OR2 and page Dr. Fields. He's the neuro on call."
The nurse glanced at Layla, confusion on her face, "But Dr. Higgens is right here."
"Dr. Higgens is on her way out because she has to make a flight out of LAX to La Guardia. Dr. Fields is more than competent."
Before Layla could protest any further, Dr. Travis had grabbed her by the elbow and escorted her out of the exam room. "Layla, go to New York. Meet with Sturgis and then meet your parents."
Layla stopped and looked at Mark, "How did you know about that?"
"My eyes and ears are everywhere. Besides, I heard you and Fischer talking about it last night at the club." He gave her a wink, to which she rolled her eyes.
Running a hand through her hair, she looked at her friend, "I'm scared, Mark."
"Don't be. Everything will be fine." Stopping, he leaned in and kissed her cheek, "I need to go, I'm late for surgery."
Sighing deeply, Layla watched at the other doctor sprinted down the hall towards the operating room before heading out of the hospital so she could get to the airport.
----------------------------------------------
Luke Spencer pulled into the driveway of 24 Royal Street, cut his engine and sighed as he looked at the house. Still in awe that his ex-wife chose to share the home that he shared with her with her new husband, all Luke could do was simply shake his head.
Getting out of the car, Spencer walked up to the porch and rang the bell and was greeted by the sound of feet running towards the door. He couldn't help but smile as a blonde haired bundle of energy flew open the door. "Daddy!"
Grinning at his daughter, Luke walked over and gave Lulu a hug and planted a kiss on her forehead, "Hello, buttercup, where's your mom?"
"In the kitchen with Grandma and Scott."
Unable to hide the disdain on his face, Luke sighed, "Great. Can't wait." Walking into the house, he closed the door behind him and then stopped and looked around. It always caught him off guard every time he walked into the house. Following Lulu into the kitchen, he stopped in the door way, just long enough to see his ex-wife spreading some pale green icing on a sugar cookie, "How's my favorite ex-wife?"
Scott Baldwin, who was seated in a chair with a paper, groaned, "God." Sighing, he closed the paper and folded it in half, "What the hell do you want, Spencer?"
"Not you," Luke quipped back as he walked over and kissed Laura's cheek. "I need to talk to you."
Laura smiled quietly and nodded, "Just let me wash my hands."
Nodding, Luke glanced at Lesley and smiled, "Hey, Les." Gesturing to the cookies, he asked, "You have any extras?"
"For you, Luke?" Lesley smiled, "Always. I'll put a few together for you on a plate while you and Laura chat."
Smiling at his former mother-in-law, Luke caught sight of his daughter and Scott out of the corner of his eye. As much as he hated it, the two had grown close. Sighing quietly, he smiled as he saw Laura approach him. "Come on," she said, ushering him out of the kitchen, "We can talk in the living room."
Luke gave her a smile as they went into the other room, "You look beautiful, angel. Then again, you always have. How a beautiful creature such as yourself wound up with two ugly mutts, I'll never understand."
Laura laughed quietly as she sat down on the couch, "Yeah well, I fell in love, what can I say? What's up?"
Sitting down next to her, Luke began, "Tracy and I are going up to Manhattan for a bit. We're leaving tomorrow. I wanted you to know so you wouldn't think I disappeared."
The woman nodded, "What's in Manhattan?"
Not wanting to divulge the secret just yet, Luke smiled, "Oh, you know Tracy and how she likes shopping. She's dragging me along this time."
Laura smiled at her ex-husband fondly, "There's more than you are telling me." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "But I won't pry."
Luke gave her a quiet smile and then stood up, "All will be revealed, baby, just give us a little time. Kiss my little girl for me."
"You're leaving?" Laura asked as she stood up, "My mother's putting a bundle of cookies together for you."
"I know," he said, "but then I'd have to look in Lulu's baby blues and explain to her why I'm going to be gone, and I really don't want to have to do that. Just have Les freeze them and I'll pick them up when I get back." Leaning in, he kissed his wife's cheek and walked out of the house.
