Chapter 2
Inside lab four, Darcy sat on the examine table and Darien sat on a chair with his long legs spread out. His left elbow rested on his knee as his chin rested in the palm of his left hand. The magazine sat across his right leg. Darcy had a mother-to-be magazine and Darien was reading Newsweek. "You know this is funny, I'm Ed's only patient and I still end up waiting like I would in any other doctor's office," Darcy said playfully.
"Yeah, well, he did have a briefing with Walter so I'm sure he'll be here any minute. At least Newsweek is brand new," Darien said without looking up from the article he was reading.
"Something's got your attention. What you reading?"
"Oh…this group of historians is overseeing a project to restore Alcatraz and they've even put up millions of dollars to do it."
Darcy put her magazine down to rest on her lap, "Really? That's cool. It is falling apart. Have you ever been there?"
"No, I haven't, I've never actually gone voluntarily to a prison before. Have you been there?"
"Yeah, once along time ago with Kelly…it's definitely creepy. There's this one part of D Block where the solitary confinement cells are at. Kelly and I went inside the last one, I'll never forget it…14D…supposedly there's a ghost in there with red eyes…"
"Hmm…red eyes, huh? Imagine that," Darien said sarcastically.
"Well, it definitely made the hair on the back of my neck stand up," Darcy added as the door opened.
"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late," Ed said as he entered the room.
Darien closed the magazine and set it down. Had he taken a closer look he might have noticed in one of the pictures taken at Alcatraz a partially hidden Karl Hunter among the group of historians.
"So, doc, you ready for this?" Darien asked.
It had taken Ed a couple of weeks to do some research to brush up on prenatal care before he would do anything. He hadn't practiced medicine officially since doing his residency years ago. He did however inform the parents-to-be about health concerns. He had gone over her medical history briefly and prescribed some prenatal vitamins for her to take in the mean time. Ed smiled, "Yeah, at least for this part. I'm going to go to a convention for OB/GYN practitioners to brush up on my skills, which is great because then I can get CE credits for my MD license."
"Whoa, a lot of initials in one sentence. But oddly enough, I understood all that." Darien quipped.
Ed pulled up a chair and sat down. He opened up a folder and began to go through their medical history a little more deeply. Once that was done, Ed handed Darcy a cup and a package of wipes, "I need to get a clean urine sample. Here are some wipes to clean yourself first, and then catch some urine in midstream. We'll be doing this at every appointment."
"I can do that," Darcy said as she sat up and headed for the bathroom.
"So, ah, what's that for?" Darien asked like a typically concerned father-to-be.
"I'm checking for bacteria that may indicate a urinary tract infection. We don't want it to spread to the kidneys if she does have one. I'm also checking for sugar which could be a sign of diabetes. And I'm looking for protein which could also be a sign of a urinary tract infection and later on in the pregnancy could also be a sign for high blood pressure."
"Oh…okay. Hey, look I trust ya or else we wouldn't have asked. I'm just new at all this."
"It's okay, Darien, I don't mind the questions. It's good, you know. Uhm, how are you doing?"
"I'm nervous. There are days when I'm okay with it and other times when I think what the heck am I doing?"
"That's normal…from what I've read." Ed scribbled some more in the chart. Darcy came back in with Claire right behind her. Claire had the cup in her hand and proceeded to run the tests that Ed described. Darcy sat back on the table. "Okay, Darcy, I'm going to take your vitals, check your weight, take some blood for tests and then I'll do a GYN exam."
Darcy smiled, "Okay, Ed…I can take it."
Ed smiled back. "Somehow I didn't think you would be bashful."
"Hey, you've seen one you've seen 'em all." Darcy winked at Ed. "Besides I do recall the 'Fish saying that he wanted you to take a more active role as the Agency newest M.D. to help Claire out. Which means…" she glanced over at Darien and winked.
Darien looked at Ed and then back at Darcy, "You just had to remind me. It's like having your brother examine you…just too weird."
"And just as weird for me," Ed turned his attention to Darcy, "How are you feeling these days?"
"Morning sickness is more like 24 hour sickness."
"Are you able to eat anything?" Ed asked as he jotted down in the chart her remarks.
"Yeah, but I have to force it. I'm not vomiting or anything like that, I just have the nausea."
"Okay, hopefully that will go away when the first trimester ends. But sometimes it doesn't, hate to say that, but I have to warn you. If it gets worse or you have trouble eating let me know."
"Okay. I carry around a package of crackers with me where ever I go so I'm constantly putting something in my mouth…and don't say a word, Darien!" Darcy snapped at him immediately.
Darien put his hand to his chest, "Moi, I wasn't going to say anything."
"Yeah, right." Darcy said.
"That was more than what I needed to know," Ed said as he put the chart down. After Ed completed taking the vitals, weight and drawing blood, it was time for the GYN exam. Darcy had stripped out of her clothing and put the gown on. She came out from behind the screen and sat on the table. Ed pulled the screen over to give Darcy privacy just in case someone came through the door. "Okay, Darcy, I'm going to check your breasts first."
"Just make sure your hands are warm," Darcy smirked as she laid back on the table.
Ed smiled, "No problem." He pulled her gown down to expose her breasts and started the exam. "I'm checking for lumps that's all."
"So, Ed, when will her breasts get bigger?" Darien asked.
Claire turned around sharply in her chair, "Dahrien!!!"
"Hey, it's an honest question," Darien snapped back.
"Normally towards the time of delivery, they'll fill up with milk and be extremely tender. I doubt Darcy will want you touching her."
"Damn."
Claire shook her head and went back to running the tests. Ed completed the breast exam and prepared for the pelvic exam. He sat at the foot of the table. Claire brought the mayo tray with her to help with this part of the exam.
"Okay, Darcy, this is the last exam today. I'm going to do a pap smear and check to see how your cervix is doing." Ed put her feet in the stirrups and put on a pair of gloves. Claire handed him the speculum. Darien winced at the thought of where that would go on a man. "Okay, Darcy, you're going to feel some pressure here." After a few moments, Ed declared the exam finished,"Good, that's it."
"Wow, Ed you're good. So gentle."
Ed blushed. Darien rolled his eyes as he looked away. "Let's have a listen to the heart beat," Ed reached for the Doppler. He placed it on her stomach and moved it around. He listened for a moment as the room went silent. He heard the sound of rhythmic thumbing. "That's it…that's the…" he stopped.
"What?" Darien and Darcy said in unison when they sensed the mood change in Ed..
"Wait…" Ed moved the Doppler around for a few moments and then he looked at Darien. "I'm not sure, I mean, it's been a long time since I've done a prenatal exam…but I think there are twins here."
"TWINS!!" Darien and Darcy yelled out in surprise.
"Yeah, twins…I'm hearing two heartbeats here…I think…an ultrasound will let me know for sure. You're what, eight weeks into the pregnancy?"
"Yeah…"
Ed turned to Claire who was already getting the ultrasound equipment. She wheeled it over and hooked it up for Ed.
"Twins…" Darien repeated as he sat down in shock.
"Well, actually, I'm not surprised," Ed mentioned as he put some gel on Darcy's stomach.
"I am…" Darien said as he stared numbly into the room. It was bad enough that he was going to be a father. That fact had shocked him enough, but now there were going to be two. Now he was doubly nervous about fatherhood.
Ed took the hand held transducer and moved it around her belly. Ed and Claire studied the monitor. Darien looked at it, "How can you tell what you're looking at?"
"I'm looking for…" Ed stopped and then pointed at the screen, "Claire…right there…look, you see it…two beating hearts…"
"You're right, Ed. There they are." Claire said as she studied the fetuses with Ed.
"Where? What are you guys looking at?" Darien asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "And why isn't this thing in color?" Darien added in frustration.
Ed shook his head back and forth as he let out a soft chuckle. "Right here, Darien, look…you see the movement…"
Darien leaned in closer to get a better look, "Oh…yeah, I see it."
"Well, that's the heart and here's the other one." Ed said as he pointed to another part of the screen. Now Darien could see what Ed was looking at.
"Oh crap…" Darien said as he sat back down again.
"Can you see it, Darcy?" Claire asked.
"Yeah, I can…wow…twins, huh?" Darcy said. "Can you tell if they're fraternal or identical?"
"I do know that if there are two sacs then it's usually fraternal, but I'm not an expert at ultrasounds. I just can't tell yet. I'll need to do some research on this." He looked at Darien and Darcy, "But considering that you're a dominant, I'd say fraternal. I have a feeling that both your ovaries produced eggs at the same time. It's consistent with what we know about female dominants. During your conversion you didn't grow more uteruses and ovaries. But it may have changed how your ovaries function during ovulation."
"So, what you're saying is that every time Darcy gets pregnant she'll have twins?" Darien asked.
"Yeah, but without running tests I won't know for sure," Ed said. He turned to face Darcy, "You can get dressed now, we're done with this part." Claire wiped the gel off her stomach and then helped her fix the gown. She moved the screen again so Darcy can get dressed in private
"That's it, one of us is getting fixed," Darien commented.
Ed and Claire laughed. Ed patted Darien on his back, "Just be careful next time that's all. I know that the dominant urge for procreation is stronger than in humans, but you two will have to learn to control yourselves. Darcy might want to consider birth control…but I'm not sure if pills for human women will work on a dominant female. I guess that's another test to add to my ever increasing list of things to do." After writing a few things in her chart, Ed sat in heavy thought.
"What's going through that mind of yours?" Claire asked.
"I do know that Tom had an identical twin, which means that at least one fertilized egg split in two...but since dominant woman have four uteruses they would have to be smaller to fit inside the body cavity…which makes me believe that a dominant female can't carry a set of twins in one uterus, there just wouldn't be enough room."
"Unless…" Claire started to say and she stopped to look at Ed.
"Unless…Tom's mother was originally a human and was converted." Ed finished.
"But how, I mean…" Darien stopped and remembered Ed's research. "Oh…you mean, she was a part of the government thing you're researching on."
"Exactly, his mom could have been a young girl at the village. She converted along with everyone else." Ed thought back to his first trip to Oaxaca. "That village was abandoned way before Tom was born, but yet the memory of him receiving the tattoo is so vivid. When we were out there he knew that was the exact area. Why did they return there to put the tattoo on Tom? Why not somewhere else?"
It was Darien's turn to pat Ed on the back, "Well, looks like you have yourself another mystery to solve."
Ed rolled his eyes, "I'm keeping my mouth shut on this one. Every time I come up with a mystery to be solved I get kidnapped."
Darcy came out from behind the screen. Ed motioned for her to sit down. "Okay, Darcy, I really have no guidelines to go by and this is where Tara actually has been helpful. Dominants have a gestation period of nine months as well, so that's the same. Dominant babies are normally smaller than human babies, but in your case that might be different because you have one uterus. Until I can learn more, this is what I want you to do, eat more…at least 600 more calories per day over what you normally eat. More servings of protein, carbohydrates, and calcium will help. Also increase your whole grains intake."
"That won't be a problem for Miss Health-Food-Nut here," Darien retorted.
Ed chuckled and then continued, "You'll have to take an iron supplement so that you're getting enough iron in your system. I don't want you getting anemia. You should also drink plenty of water…I believe it's at least two quarts a day. Keeping hydrated during pregnancy is very important. You can do gentle aerobics, and swimming, but I wouldn't go beyond that. And last but not least, since you're having twins, I want to see you every two weeks instead of once a month. I want to monitor the babies more closely. I know that multiples are normal for a dominant pregnancy but I still have to consider the fact that you were once human. I don't suspect that there'll be any complications, but I just want to be cautious."
Claire handed Ed the urine analysis results, "Okay, everything is good so far. Now, I've got this for you…" Ed handed Darcy a book on prenatal care, "This is a general book about what you might experience during your pregnancy, like mood swings, morning sickness, how your body will change, and other things like that. I'm going to find you some material on twins also." Ed looked at Darien, "And here's something for you too, this is a book for expecting dads…it's really good and has some great information from a man's point of view on what Darcy will go through, how to keep her comfortable and other stuff that guys should know."
"Thanks, Ed…man, why didn't you stick with being a doctor?" Darien asked.
"I couldn't handle the sick people."
"Well, you're awesome in my book," Darcy said.
"Thanks," Ed stood up from his chair, "Look, if you have any questions, just ask, okay. Oh and one more thing, Darcy, if your female intuition tells you that something is different in anyway or you have spotting, you guys call me right away. I don't care what time it is, you got me?"
"Okay, we will, I promise." Darcy said.
"One question…since she's having twins can we still…you know?" Darien asked sheepishly.
Ed smiled, "I don't see why not, at least for the time being. There may come a time though when you'll have to forgo sex. But just remember as her stomach gets bigger you may have to find a more comfortable position for her."
"Thanks, man."
"I knew he was going to ask that question," Darcy smirked.
The door opened and Hobbes stepped inside cautiously, "Hey, is it safe to come in?"
"Yeah, Hobbes, we're done anyway," Darien answered.
"Well, good cause I didn't want to come in and hear gruesome details about child birth," Hobbes added as he walked into the room. He strolled over to where Ed was standing. "So, how's the mother-to-be?"
"Pregnant…with twins," Ed replied.
Hobbes turned sharply towards Darien, "Whoa…really? Congratulations! You da man!" He put his hand out to give Darien a low five.
"Well, thanks…I think," Darien said with uncertainty.
"So, two little baby Fawkesies running around, eh?" Hobbes nudged Darien in his ribs. "That's cool. Do you know what sex they are yet?"
"Ah, no, not for awhile," Ed said as he looked up from writing in the chart.
"Oh, hey, I uhmm…got you a little something," Hobbes said as he handed Ed a small package.
Ed looked at it and then at Hobbes. He smiled in surprise, "Thanks, Hobbes."
Hobbes motioned to the present, "It's not much, but I thought you could use it."
Darien and Darcy smiled at each other as Ed opened the package. Ed chuckled as unwrapped the book. "Is this for real?"
"Yeah," Hobbes answered back.
"Well, what is it, hon?" Claire asked curiously.
"'The Action Hero's Handbook'…" Ed showed it to everyone and laughter broke out around the room. Ed looked at the small book again and began to read, "'How to catch a Great White Shark, Perform the Vulcan Nerve Pinch, Track a Fugitive, and Dozens of Other TV and Movie Skills'… " Ed glanced at Hobbes, "Nah, you're putting me on. This is a joke."
"No, it's for real, it's written by the same guy who wrote 'The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook' series." Hobbes pointed to the back of the book. "See…"
Ed laughed, "My God, it is for real. Check this out…'Spyproof your hotel room, Win a fight when outnumbered'… heh…I sure could use that info…'Climb down Mount Rushmore National Monumet'...this is too funny." Ed opened it up to read the table of contents. "Oh, here's one for you Darien, 'How to Survive in Prison When You're Wrongly Incarcerated'."
"Ha,ha…very funny."
"Oh I like this one…'How to Make and Use a Love Potion'…"
"You need that to be an action hero?" Darcy asked.
"Hey, it's in the Love Skills Chapter," Ed retorted "Guess you never know when you need to use seduction to get answers."
"James Bond never needed to make a love potion," Claire stated.
"Neither did Bobby Hobbes," Hobbes added.
"Okay, so how does one use and make a love potion?" Darien asked.
"Well, let's see…" Ed flipped through the pages, "Oh-kay…" Ed said each syllable slowly as he read.
"Well!?!" Darcy said impatiently.
Ed looked up and started laughing, "I can't believe this…it's a spell by a witch. It's only effective during the beginning of the full moon cycle. And after you brew the ingredients you have to either dance or sing an incantation."
Darien rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I can see myself dancing around the kitchen singing some love potion incantation."
Darcy placed her hand on Darien's arm, "Baby, you have enough mojo, you don't need a love potion."
"Yeah, baby! It's all about mojo." Darien replied like Austin Powers.
Ed looked at Hobbes, "Thanks."
"Ah, no problem. I guess it's my way of apologizing for how I treated you. You're a good guy and I know now how much Claire loves you. So, I'm sorry."
Ed looked down at the floor and then back at Hobbes, "I'm sorry too, Hobbes. If it means anything, I know how you felt. It happened to me too, so, all is forgiven…" Ed put his hand out, "Friends?"
"Yeah, friends," Hobbes shook Ed's hand.
Claire came over to him and hugged him. "Oh, Bobby, you know I'll always love you…" she kissed Hobbes on his cheek and he stumbled a bit.
Ed smiled as he stared down at the floor. "Well, I gotta get back up to the lab. I've got some tests running and they should be finished soon. I'll see you guys later." Ed left the lab leaving them to stare at one another.
"I should be going too," Claire said as she walked out of the room. Now it was Darien, Darcy and Hobbes who were left to stare at one another.
"Okay, we've got to do something about this," Darcy said.
"There's nothing we can do, babe, it's up to them to work this out. I know he loves her, but…it's just hard for him right now, he's got issues that need to be worked out. Give him time." Darien interjected.
"Yeah, all we can do is give them support. I just hate seeing them like this…seeing him go through these mood swings. He's all loveable and cuddly one minute and then he builds this wall up around him the next when he sees a blatant display of affection," Darcy said as she hugged Darien.
"Maybe we should all take turns talking to him, you know, give him the ol' 'Win One For the Gipper' speech." Hobbes said as he opened the door to leave the lab.
Darien looked down at Darcy as they walked out, "Loveable and cuddly?"
"Yeah, well, you know what I mean…"
The door slid shut.
~*~
A week ago Sloan had promised Claire that she would watch him while she was in the lab. Ed had been working long hours and sleeping very little. This new research that the President has him working on has been keeping him busy…maybe a little too busy.
"He gets home late at night and when I question him, he tells me 'I'm on a roll'," Claire recounted to Sloan in a concerned tone.
Sloan smiled when Claire told her this. "That's normal for Ed," Sloan stated sympathetically.
"Well, that may be normal for him, but I suspect something else."
Sloan sighed deeply, "You think he's using his work as an excuse?"
"That's what I'm thinking." Claire stated in a disconcerting tone. She knew that Ed didn't want to sleep. He wanted to stay busy to keep the nightmares away. Claire had even slipped him a drug induced drink one night. The poor guy fell asleep at his desk leaning back in his chair. She had found him the next morning with the printouts on his lap, his tall lanky frame slouched in his chair, head tilted to one side and his mouth gapping wide open. He actually didn't look very comfortable, but to Claire, at least he slept. He never found out what Claire had done. All he thought was that he was very tired. He had apologized all day long to Claire for not coming home. He bought her flowers, took her out to dinner, everything a typical husband would do to try and make amends with his wife. What made Claire laugh the most about that day was that it was her own doing he didn't come home. Besides the fact they weren't even married yet and Ed was already acting like a husband who didn't want to spend any nights sleeping on the couch.
As she promised she had been watching him, making sure that he takes breaks and eats properly. She watched him as he hovered over microscopes, went through the procedures to break down the DNA of the samples he received and scores of other lab work he needed to do. He had put up charts on the walls in his office to trace migration patterns and set up the family tree haplogroups. For the first time in five years, he was actually doing what he was trained to do. The only thing missing was a body to do an autopsy on, and then Ed would have been in anthropology heaven.
Sloan noticed one the door to her office open and a spiky haired head poke in. She smiled and waved Darien in. He walked up to Sloan as he watched Ed work feverishly over a sample. Darien was carrying a small red box, "Here's so'more samples."
Sloan took them and looked at Darien quizzically. Darien pointed to the box, "Oh ah, they're samples I got from Lewis and some of the High Council members," he stated nonchalantly.
A surprised expression spread across her face as she inspected the vials inside the box, "Where did you get these?" She glanced at him quickly and put her hand up, "Ahh…don't answer that. I don't want to hear the details."
"Yeah, as they say in the Mafia…It's best if you don't know, capish…" Darien sat on top of Sloan's desk and glanced back over at Ed, "So, ah, he keeps himself pretty busy, huh?"
Sloan let out a long sigh, "Yeah, he works and works, and then works some more." She put the box down and rested her hands on her hips, "It's going to take a long time for Ed to bounce back from this. I still feel he came back to work too soon. He did that before…after he recovered from the Spanish Flu, I felt that Walter would push him. I see the same thing happening all over again. But he was so determined to not allow the dominants to get too far ahead…nothing personal."
Darien smiled at her to show that he wasn't taking her comment personal. He paused a moment and then spoke, "Yeah, maybe…but it was also his choice to come back. He's gonna be fine, Sloan…trust me on this." Sloan half smiled at Darien. He jumped a little and checked his watch, "Oh crap, gotta go. I'll check in later."
Sloan watched as Darien hopped off the desk and scampered out of the office. She picked up the box and shook her head from side to side, "Glad he's on our side." She chuckled at a vision that came to mind of an invisible Darien knocking dominants out and taking saliva samples. She walked out to the main part of the lab and approached Ed. "Hey, Darien has some more samples for you."
"Oh great!" Ed took the box and looked at the names, "Holy...how did he get these?" Ed inspected the vials containing cotton swabs. He saw the expression on Sloan's face and smiled. He shook his head, "Like I really need to ask."
"Hey, how about some coffee?" Sloan asked as she removed her lab coat.
"Gotta work." Ed answered her as he put the box on the table.
Sloan tugged on his lab coat, "Nooo…You look like you need some air."
Ed smiled, "Okay, I get the hint. Using my own words against me now, huh?" He remembered the time he had done the same thing to Sloan right before Ann Coulter's death.
Sloan sat across from Ed at the Starbucks coffee shop down the street from the Harding Building. They sat outside now that the after affects of the fires had cleared. "So, uhm…how is the house looking?" Sloan tried to start a non-lab conversation.
"Oh, we're done cleaning it up. The county finished with the beach yesterday. I owe Eberts another big thank you for taking care of Pavlov. The house was never in any danger from the fires, but we sure did get a lot of ashes. It must have been something." Ed looked down at his coffee as he turned the cup in circles. His tone sounded as if his thoughts were far away.
'Oh, way to go, Sloan…that didn't help,' she mentally slapped herself. "Well, that's good, so you should be able to go surfing soon then."
"Yeah, Claire said I should be able to go out on my board soon. My wrists and ankles healed nicely, I'll have scars..." Ed paused as he thought to himself, 'I've got scars alright,' then he continued, "Plus I think she's kinda nervous about me going out after that little girl was attacked in Hawaii."
"Oh yeah, that's right, I heard about that. How sad," Sloan remarked. She didn't want to say anything, but Ed's surfing always did make her nervous too.
"Yeah, it is, but that's the chance you take. I mean, we know that when we go out we're entering their playground. Anyone of us could be mistaken for a seal or sea lion. It happens. But the great thing is, she's not letting it keep her from going back out again. She still has the potential to be a very competitive surfer."
Sloan lifted up her cup, "True, she's not letting this set back keep her from living her life and doing what she loves."
Ed stared at Sloan as she took a sip. He could see her staring back at him over the rim of her cup. He stared off at a couple walking by as they held hands. "Okay, I deserved that," Ed remarked sullenly.
Sloan put down her cup and put her hand on top his, "Look, Ed. I know that a shark bite is not as bad as what happened to you…"
"Sloan, she had her arm bitten off, that's pretty bad in my book."
"Okay, but the point is, she's fighting back and I know you can do it too."
"I hear a 'but' coming up," Ed said staring into his cup as he took a sip.
"But…you need to take care of yourself. You're working way too hard on this research. If you don't take care of yourself physically, you'll never heal. I hate seeing you like this and so does everyone else. We all understand what you went through, but we're also worried about you."
"I'm trying, Sloan, honestly. I mean, Claire is great and she's really helped me out a lot during our secessions. But…things still remind me of what happened and the dreams, they don't stop. The medication helps, but it's only sugar coating the real problem. Hey, at least I was able to sit in a crowded restaurant the other night without going berserk." Ed raised his brows and his lips formed a hesitant smile.
"Just remember that I'm here, okay. Anytime you need to talk. But just do me a favor…go home at a decent time and spend time with Claire outside of the lab and the psychiatric visits, hmm?" Sloan looked at him through pleading eyes.
Ed glanced at the auburn curly haired woman he's known for years. It was no use to lie to her, she like his mother would know. He let out a long deep cleansing sigh, "Okay, okay, I promise, I'll leave on time tonight."
"On time for you is like around midnight," Sloan snapped back.
"You got me again. I mean, I'll leave *early* tonight and I'm talking around six o'clock."
Sloan leaned forward and stuck out her pinky, "Pinky shake."
Ed looked around and then stuck out his pinky. Their pinkies intertwined and they shook on Ed's promise to leave early. Now Ed had to leave early, he promised and sealed it with a pinky shake. "There's no turning back now, Ed," Sloan jokingly said.
Ed leaned back in his chair, "The last thing I want to do is break a pinky shake promise. I mean, no tellin' what misfortune will befall me if I do." They both enjoyed a quick laugh.
"It's good to see you smile and hear you laugh again…please, do that more often." Sloan reached out, grabbed his hand and gave him a gentle squeeze. Ed smiled at her lovingly. And for a brief moment, Sloan saw the twinkle in his eyes again.
TBC…
Inside lab four, Darcy sat on the examine table and Darien sat on a chair with his long legs spread out. His left elbow rested on his knee as his chin rested in the palm of his left hand. The magazine sat across his right leg. Darcy had a mother-to-be magazine and Darien was reading Newsweek. "You know this is funny, I'm Ed's only patient and I still end up waiting like I would in any other doctor's office," Darcy said playfully.
"Yeah, well, he did have a briefing with Walter so I'm sure he'll be here any minute. At least Newsweek is brand new," Darien said without looking up from the article he was reading.
"Something's got your attention. What you reading?"
"Oh…this group of historians is overseeing a project to restore Alcatraz and they've even put up millions of dollars to do it."
Darcy put her magazine down to rest on her lap, "Really? That's cool. It is falling apart. Have you ever been there?"
"No, I haven't, I've never actually gone voluntarily to a prison before. Have you been there?"
"Yeah, once along time ago with Kelly…it's definitely creepy. There's this one part of D Block where the solitary confinement cells are at. Kelly and I went inside the last one, I'll never forget it…14D…supposedly there's a ghost in there with red eyes…"
"Hmm…red eyes, huh? Imagine that," Darien said sarcastically.
"Well, it definitely made the hair on the back of my neck stand up," Darcy added as the door opened.
"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late," Ed said as he entered the room.
Darien closed the magazine and set it down. Had he taken a closer look he might have noticed in one of the pictures taken at Alcatraz a partially hidden Karl Hunter among the group of historians.
"So, doc, you ready for this?" Darien asked.
It had taken Ed a couple of weeks to do some research to brush up on prenatal care before he would do anything. He hadn't practiced medicine officially since doing his residency years ago. He did however inform the parents-to-be about health concerns. He had gone over her medical history briefly and prescribed some prenatal vitamins for her to take in the mean time. Ed smiled, "Yeah, at least for this part. I'm going to go to a convention for OB/GYN practitioners to brush up on my skills, which is great because then I can get CE credits for my MD license."
"Whoa, a lot of initials in one sentence. But oddly enough, I understood all that." Darien quipped.
Ed pulled up a chair and sat down. He opened up a folder and began to go through their medical history a little more deeply. Once that was done, Ed handed Darcy a cup and a package of wipes, "I need to get a clean urine sample. Here are some wipes to clean yourself first, and then catch some urine in midstream. We'll be doing this at every appointment."
"I can do that," Darcy said as she sat up and headed for the bathroom.
"So, ah, what's that for?" Darien asked like a typically concerned father-to-be.
"I'm checking for bacteria that may indicate a urinary tract infection. We don't want it to spread to the kidneys if she does have one. I'm also checking for sugar which could be a sign of diabetes. And I'm looking for protein which could also be a sign of a urinary tract infection and later on in the pregnancy could also be a sign for high blood pressure."
"Oh…okay. Hey, look I trust ya or else we wouldn't have asked. I'm just new at all this."
"It's okay, Darien, I don't mind the questions. It's good, you know. Uhm, how are you doing?"
"I'm nervous. There are days when I'm okay with it and other times when I think what the heck am I doing?"
"That's normal…from what I've read." Ed scribbled some more in the chart. Darcy came back in with Claire right behind her. Claire had the cup in her hand and proceeded to run the tests that Ed described. Darcy sat back on the table. "Okay, Darcy, I'm going to take your vitals, check your weight, take some blood for tests and then I'll do a GYN exam."
Darcy smiled, "Okay, Ed…I can take it."
Ed smiled back. "Somehow I didn't think you would be bashful."
"Hey, you've seen one you've seen 'em all." Darcy winked at Ed. "Besides I do recall the 'Fish saying that he wanted you to take a more active role as the Agency newest M.D. to help Claire out. Which means…" she glanced over at Darien and winked.
Darien looked at Ed and then back at Darcy, "You just had to remind me. It's like having your brother examine you…just too weird."
"And just as weird for me," Ed turned his attention to Darcy, "How are you feeling these days?"
"Morning sickness is more like 24 hour sickness."
"Are you able to eat anything?" Ed asked as he jotted down in the chart her remarks.
"Yeah, but I have to force it. I'm not vomiting or anything like that, I just have the nausea."
"Okay, hopefully that will go away when the first trimester ends. But sometimes it doesn't, hate to say that, but I have to warn you. If it gets worse or you have trouble eating let me know."
"Okay. I carry around a package of crackers with me where ever I go so I'm constantly putting something in my mouth…and don't say a word, Darien!" Darcy snapped at him immediately.
Darien put his hand to his chest, "Moi, I wasn't going to say anything."
"Yeah, right." Darcy said.
"That was more than what I needed to know," Ed said as he put the chart down. After Ed completed taking the vitals, weight and drawing blood, it was time for the GYN exam. Darcy had stripped out of her clothing and put the gown on. She came out from behind the screen and sat on the table. Ed pulled the screen over to give Darcy privacy just in case someone came through the door. "Okay, Darcy, I'm going to check your breasts first."
"Just make sure your hands are warm," Darcy smirked as she laid back on the table.
Ed smiled, "No problem." He pulled her gown down to expose her breasts and started the exam. "I'm checking for lumps that's all."
"So, Ed, when will her breasts get bigger?" Darien asked.
Claire turned around sharply in her chair, "Dahrien!!!"
"Hey, it's an honest question," Darien snapped back.
"Normally towards the time of delivery, they'll fill up with milk and be extremely tender. I doubt Darcy will want you touching her."
"Damn."
Claire shook her head and went back to running the tests. Ed completed the breast exam and prepared for the pelvic exam. He sat at the foot of the table. Claire brought the mayo tray with her to help with this part of the exam.
"Okay, Darcy, this is the last exam today. I'm going to do a pap smear and check to see how your cervix is doing." Ed put her feet in the stirrups and put on a pair of gloves. Claire handed him the speculum. Darien winced at the thought of where that would go on a man. "Okay, Darcy, you're going to feel some pressure here." After a few moments, Ed declared the exam finished,"Good, that's it."
"Wow, Ed you're good. So gentle."
Ed blushed. Darien rolled his eyes as he looked away. "Let's have a listen to the heart beat," Ed reached for the Doppler. He placed it on her stomach and moved it around. He listened for a moment as the room went silent. He heard the sound of rhythmic thumbing. "That's it…that's the…" he stopped.
"What?" Darien and Darcy said in unison when they sensed the mood change in Ed..
"Wait…" Ed moved the Doppler around for a few moments and then he looked at Darien. "I'm not sure, I mean, it's been a long time since I've done a prenatal exam…but I think there are twins here."
"TWINS!!" Darien and Darcy yelled out in surprise.
"Yeah, twins…I'm hearing two heartbeats here…I think…an ultrasound will let me know for sure. You're what, eight weeks into the pregnancy?"
"Yeah…"
Ed turned to Claire who was already getting the ultrasound equipment. She wheeled it over and hooked it up for Ed.
"Twins…" Darien repeated as he sat down in shock.
"Well, actually, I'm not surprised," Ed mentioned as he put some gel on Darcy's stomach.
"I am…" Darien said as he stared numbly into the room. It was bad enough that he was going to be a father. That fact had shocked him enough, but now there were going to be two. Now he was doubly nervous about fatherhood.
Ed took the hand held transducer and moved it around her belly. Ed and Claire studied the monitor. Darien looked at it, "How can you tell what you're looking at?"
"I'm looking for…" Ed stopped and then pointed at the screen, "Claire…right there…look, you see it…two beating hearts…"
"You're right, Ed. There they are." Claire said as she studied the fetuses with Ed.
"Where? What are you guys looking at?" Darien asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "And why isn't this thing in color?" Darien added in frustration.
Ed shook his head back and forth as he let out a soft chuckle. "Right here, Darien, look…you see the movement…"
Darien leaned in closer to get a better look, "Oh…yeah, I see it."
"Well, that's the heart and here's the other one." Ed said as he pointed to another part of the screen. Now Darien could see what Ed was looking at.
"Oh crap…" Darien said as he sat back down again.
"Can you see it, Darcy?" Claire asked.
"Yeah, I can…wow…twins, huh?" Darcy said. "Can you tell if they're fraternal or identical?"
"I do know that if there are two sacs then it's usually fraternal, but I'm not an expert at ultrasounds. I just can't tell yet. I'll need to do some research on this." He looked at Darien and Darcy, "But considering that you're a dominant, I'd say fraternal. I have a feeling that both your ovaries produced eggs at the same time. It's consistent with what we know about female dominants. During your conversion you didn't grow more uteruses and ovaries. But it may have changed how your ovaries function during ovulation."
"So, what you're saying is that every time Darcy gets pregnant she'll have twins?" Darien asked.
"Yeah, but without running tests I won't know for sure," Ed said. He turned to face Darcy, "You can get dressed now, we're done with this part." Claire wiped the gel off her stomach and then helped her fix the gown. She moved the screen again so Darcy can get dressed in private
"That's it, one of us is getting fixed," Darien commented.
Ed and Claire laughed. Ed patted Darien on his back, "Just be careful next time that's all. I know that the dominant urge for procreation is stronger than in humans, but you two will have to learn to control yourselves. Darcy might want to consider birth control…but I'm not sure if pills for human women will work on a dominant female. I guess that's another test to add to my ever increasing list of things to do." After writing a few things in her chart, Ed sat in heavy thought.
"What's going through that mind of yours?" Claire asked.
"I do know that Tom had an identical twin, which means that at least one fertilized egg split in two...but since dominant woman have four uteruses they would have to be smaller to fit inside the body cavity…which makes me believe that a dominant female can't carry a set of twins in one uterus, there just wouldn't be enough room."
"Unless…" Claire started to say and she stopped to look at Ed.
"Unless…Tom's mother was originally a human and was converted." Ed finished.
"But how, I mean…" Darien stopped and remembered Ed's research. "Oh…you mean, she was a part of the government thing you're researching on."
"Exactly, his mom could have been a young girl at the village. She converted along with everyone else." Ed thought back to his first trip to Oaxaca. "That village was abandoned way before Tom was born, but yet the memory of him receiving the tattoo is so vivid. When we were out there he knew that was the exact area. Why did they return there to put the tattoo on Tom? Why not somewhere else?"
It was Darien's turn to pat Ed on the back, "Well, looks like you have yourself another mystery to solve."
Ed rolled his eyes, "I'm keeping my mouth shut on this one. Every time I come up with a mystery to be solved I get kidnapped."
Darcy came out from behind the screen. Ed motioned for her to sit down. "Okay, Darcy, I really have no guidelines to go by and this is where Tara actually has been helpful. Dominants have a gestation period of nine months as well, so that's the same. Dominant babies are normally smaller than human babies, but in your case that might be different because you have one uterus. Until I can learn more, this is what I want you to do, eat more…at least 600 more calories per day over what you normally eat. More servings of protein, carbohydrates, and calcium will help. Also increase your whole grains intake."
"That won't be a problem for Miss Health-Food-Nut here," Darien retorted.
Ed chuckled and then continued, "You'll have to take an iron supplement so that you're getting enough iron in your system. I don't want you getting anemia. You should also drink plenty of water…I believe it's at least two quarts a day. Keeping hydrated during pregnancy is very important. You can do gentle aerobics, and swimming, but I wouldn't go beyond that. And last but not least, since you're having twins, I want to see you every two weeks instead of once a month. I want to monitor the babies more closely. I know that multiples are normal for a dominant pregnancy but I still have to consider the fact that you were once human. I don't suspect that there'll be any complications, but I just want to be cautious."
Claire handed Ed the urine analysis results, "Okay, everything is good so far. Now, I've got this for you…" Ed handed Darcy a book on prenatal care, "This is a general book about what you might experience during your pregnancy, like mood swings, morning sickness, how your body will change, and other things like that. I'm going to find you some material on twins also." Ed looked at Darien, "And here's something for you too, this is a book for expecting dads…it's really good and has some great information from a man's point of view on what Darcy will go through, how to keep her comfortable and other stuff that guys should know."
"Thanks, Ed…man, why didn't you stick with being a doctor?" Darien asked.
"I couldn't handle the sick people."
"Well, you're awesome in my book," Darcy said.
"Thanks," Ed stood up from his chair, "Look, if you have any questions, just ask, okay. Oh and one more thing, Darcy, if your female intuition tells you that something is different in anyway or you have spotting, you guys call me right away. I don't care what time it is, you got me?"
"Okay, we will, I promise." Darcy said.
"One question…since she's having twins can we still…you know?" Darien asked sheepishly.
Ed smiled, "I don't see why not, at least for the time being. There may come a time though when you'll have to forgo sex. But just remember as her stomach gets bigger you may have to find a more comfortable position for her."
"Thanks, man."
"I knew he was going to ask that question," Darcy smirked.
The door opened and Hobbes stepped inside cautiously, "Hey, is it safe to come in?"
"Yeah, Hobbes, we're done anyway," Darien answered.
"Well, good cause I didn't want to come in and hear gruesome details about child birth," Hobbes added as he walked into the room. He strolled over to where Ed was standing. "So, how's the mother-to-be?"
"Pregnant…with twins," Ed replied.
Hobbes turned sharply towards Darien, "Whoa…really? Congratulations! You da man!" He put his hand out to give Darien a low five.
"Well, thanks…I think," Darien said with uncertainty.
"So, two little baby Fawkesies running around, eh?" Hobbes nudged Darien in his ribs. "That's cool. Do you know what sex they are yet?"
"Ah, no, not for awhile," Ed said as he looked up from writing in the chart.
"Oh, hey, I uhmm…got you a little something," Hobbes said as he handed Ed a small package.
Ed looked at it and then at Hobbes. He smiled in surprise, "Thanks, Hobbes."
Hobbes motioned to the present, "It's not much, but I thought you could use it."
Darien and Darcy smiled at each other as Ed opened the package. Ed chuckled as unwrapped the book. "Is this for real?"
"Yeah," Hobbes answered back.
"Well, what is it, hon?" Claire asked curiously.
"'The Action Hero's Handbook'…" Ed showed it to everyone and laughter broke out around the room. Ed looked at the small book again and began to read, "'How to catch a Great White Shark, Perform the Vulcan Nerve Pinch, Track a Fugitive, and Dozens of Other TV and Movie Skills'… " Ed glanced at Hobbes, "Nah, you're putting me on. This is a joke."
"No, it's for real, it's written by the same guy who wrote 'The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook' series." Hobbes pointed to the back of the book. "See…"
Ed laughed, "My God, it is for real. Check this out…'Spyproof your hotel room, Win a fight when outnumbered'… heh…I sure could use that info…'Climb down Mount Rushmore National Monumet'...this is too funny." Ed opened it up to read the table of contents. "Oh, here's one for you Darien, 'How to Survive in Prison When You're Wrongly Incarcerated'."
"Ha,ha…very funny."
"Oh I like this one…'How to Make and Use a Love Potion'…"
"You need that to be an action hero?" Darcy asked.
"Hey, it's in the Love Skills Chapter," Ed retorted "Guess you never know when you need to use seduction to get answers."
"James Bond never needed to make a love potion," Claire stated.
"Neither did Bobby Hobbes," Hobbes added.
"Okay, so how does one use and make a love potion?" Darien asked.
"Well, let's see…" Ed flipped through the pages, "Oh-kay…" Ed said each syllable slowly as he read.
"Well!?!" Darcy said impatiently.
Ed looked up and started laughing, "I can't believe this…it's a spell by a witch. It's only effective during the beginning of the full moon cycle. And after you brew the ingredients you have to either dance or sing an incantation."
Darien rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I can see myself dancing around the kitchen singing some love potion incantation."
Darcy placed her hand on Darien's arm, "Baby, you have enough mojo, you don't need a love potion."
"Yeah, baby! It's all about mojo." Darien replied like Austin Powers.
Ed looked at Hobbes, "Thanks."
"Ah, no problem. I guess it's my way of apologizing for how I treated you. You're a good guy and I know now how much Claire loves you. So, I'm sorry."
Ed looked down at the floor and then back at Hobbes, "I'm sorry too, Hobbes. If it means anything, I know how you felt. It happened to me too, so, all is forgiven…" Ed put his hand out, "Friends?"
"Yeah, friends," Hobbes shook Ed's hand.
Claire came over to him and hugged him. "Oh, Bobby, you know I'll always love you…" she kissed Hobbes on his cheek and he stumbled a bit.
Ed smiled as he stared down at the floor. "Well, I gotta get back up to the lab. I've got some tests running and they should be finished soon. I'll see you guys later." Ed left the lab leaving them to stare at one another.
"I should be going too," Claire said as she walked out of the room. Now it was Darien, Darcy and Hobbes who were left to stare at one another.
"Okay, we've got to do something about this," Darcy said.
"There's nothing we can do, babe, it's up to them to work this out. I know he loves her, but…it's just hard for him right now, he's got issues that need to be worked out. Give him time." Darien interjected.
"Yeah, all we can do is give them support. I just hate seeing them like this…seeing him go through these mood swings. He's all loveable and cuddly one minute and then he builds this wall up around him the next when he sees a blatant display of affection," Darcy said as she hugged Darien.
"Maybe we should all take turns talking to him, you know, give him the ol' 'Win One For the Gipper' speech." Hobbes said as he opened the door to leave the lab.
Darien looked down at Darcy as they walked out, "Loveable and cuddly?"
"Yeah, well, you know what I mean…"
The door slid shut.
~*~
A week ago Sloan had promised Claire that she would watch him while she was in the lab. Ed had been working long hours and sleeping very little. This new research that the President has him working on has been keeping him busy…maybe a little too busy.
"He gets home late at night and when I question him, he tells me 'I'm on a roll'," Claire recounted to Sloan in a concerned tone.
Sloan smiled when Claire told her this. "That's normal for Ed," Sloan stated sympathetically.
"Well, that may be normal for him, but I suspect something else."
Sloan sighed deeply, "You think he's using his work as an excuse?"
"That's what I'm thinking." Claire stated in a disconcerting tone. She knew that Ed didn't want to sleep. He wanted to stay busy to keep the nightmares away. Claire had even slipped him a drug induced drink one night. The poor guy fell asleep at his desk leaning back in his chair. She had found him the next morning with the printouts on his lap, his tall lanky frame slouched in his chair, head tilted to one side and his mouth gapping wide open. He actually didn't look very comfortable, but to Claire, at least he slept. He never found out what Claire had done. All he thought was that he was very tired. He had apologized all day long to Claire for not coming home. He bought her flowers, took her out to dinner, everything a typical husband would do to try and make amends with his wife. What made Claire laugh the most about that day was that it was her own doing he didn't come home. Besides the fact they weren't even married yet and Ed was already acting like a husband who didn't want to spend any nights sleeping on the couch.
As she promised she had been watching him, making sure that he takes breaks and eats properly. She watched him as he hovered over microscopes, went through the procedures to break down the DNA of the samples he received and scores of other lab work he needed to do. He had put up charts on the walls in his office to trace migration patterns and set up the family tree haplogroups. For the first time in five years, he was actually doing what he was trained to do. The only thing missing was a body to do an autopsy on, and then Ed would have been in anthropology heaven.
Sloan noticed one the door to her office open and a spiky haired head poke in. She smiled and waved Darien in. He walked up to Sloan as he watched Ed work feverishly over a sample. Darien was carrying a small red box, "Here's so'more samples."
Sloan took them and looked at Darien quizzically. Darien pointed to the box, "Oh ah, they're samples I got from Lewis and some of the High Council members," he stated nonchalantly.
A surprised expression spread across her face as she inspected the vials inside the box, "Where did you get these?" She glanced at him quickly and put her hand up, "Ahh…don't answer that. I don't want to hear the details."
"Yeah, as they say in the Mafia…It's best if you don't know, capish…" Darien sat on top of Sloan's desk and glanced back over at Ed, "So, ah, he keeps himself pretty busy, huh?"
Sloan let out a long sigh, "Yeah, he works and works, and then works some more." She put the box down and rested her hands on her hips, "It's going to take a long time for Ed to bounce back from this. I still feel he came back to work too soon. He did that before…after he recovered from the Spanish Flu, I felt that Walter would push him. I see the same thing happening all over again. But he was so determined to not allow the dominants to get too far ahead…nothing personal."
Darien smiled at her to show that he wasn't taking her comment personal. He paused a moment and then spoke, "Yeah, maybe…but it was also his choice to come back. He's gonna be fine, Sloan…trust me on this." Sloan half smiled at Darien. He jumped a little and checked his watch, "Oh crap, gotta go. I'll check in later."
Sloan watched as Darien hopped off the desk and scampered out of the office. She picked up the box and shook her head from side to side, "Glad he's on our side." She chuckled at a vision that came to mind of an invisible Darien knocking dominants out and taking saliva samples. She walked out to the main part of the lab and approached Ed. "Hey, Darien has some more samples for you."
"Oh great!" Ed took the box and looked at the names, "Holy...how did he get these?" Ed inspected the vials containing cotton swabs. He saw the expression on Sloan's face and smiled. He shook his head, "Like I really need to ask."
"Hey, how about some coffee?" Sloan asked as she removed her lab coat.
"Gotta work." Ed answered her as he put the box on the table.
Sloan tugged on his lab coat, "Nooo…You look like you need some air."
Ed smiled, "Okay, I get the hint. Using my own words against me now, huh?" He remembered the time he had done the same thing to Sloan right before Ann Coulter's death.
Sloan sat across from Ed at the Starbucks coffee shop down the street from the Harding Building. They sat outside now that the after affects of the fires had cleared. "So, uhm…how is the house looking?" Sloan tried to start a non-lab conversation.
"Oh, we're done cleaning it up. The county finished with the beach yesterday. I owe Eberts another big thank you for taking care of Pavlov. The house was never in any danger from the fires, but we sure did get a lot of ashes. It must have been something." Ed looked down at his coffee as he turned the cup in circles. His tone sounded as if his thoughts were far away.
'Oh, way to go, Sloan…that didn't help,' she mentally slapped herself. "Well, that's good, so you should be able to go surfing soon then."
"Yeah, Claire said I should be able to go out on my board soon. My wrists and ankles healed nicely, I'll have scars..." Ed paused as he thought to himself, 'I've got scars alright,' then he continued, "Plus I think she's kinda nervous about me going out after that little girl was attacked in Hawaii."
"Oh yeah, that's right, I heard about that. How sad," Sloan remarked. She didn't want to say anything, but Ed's surfing always did make her nervous too.
"Yeah, it is, but that's the chance you take. I mean, we know that when we go out we're entering their playground. Anyone of us could be mistaken for a seal or sea lion. It happens. But the great thing is, she's not letting it keep her from going back out again. She still has the potential to be a very competitive surfer."
Sloan lifted up her cup, "True, she's not letting this set back keep her from living her life and doing what she loves."
Ed stared at Sloan as she took a sip. He could see her staring back at him over the rim of her cup. He stared off at a couple walking by as they held hands. "Okay, I deserved that," Ed remarked sullenly.
Sloan put down her cup and put her hand on top his, "Look, Ed. I know that a shark bite is not as bad as what happened to you…"
"Sloan, she had her arm bitten off, that's pretty bad in my book."
"Okay, but the point is, she's fighting back and I know you can do it too."
"I hear a 'but' coming up," Ed said staring into his cup as he took a sip.
"But…you need to take care of yourself. You're working way too hard on this research. If you don't take care of yourself physically, you'll never heal. I hate seeing you like this and so does everyone else. We all understand what you went through, but we're also worried about you."
"I'm trying, Sloan, honestly. I mean, Claire is great and she's really helped me out a lot during our secessions. But…things still remind me of what happened and the dreams, they don't stop. The medication helps, but it's only sugar coating the real problem. Hey, at least I was able to sit in a crowded restaurant the other night without going berserk." Ed raised his brows and his lips formed a hesitant smile.
"Just remember that I'm here, okay. Anytime you need to talk. But just do me a favor…go home at a decent time and spend time with Claire outside of the lab and the psychiatric visits, hmm?" Sloan looked at him through pleading eyes.
Ed glanced at the auburn curly haired woman he's known for years. It was no use to lie to her, she like his mother would know. He let out a long deep cleansing sigh, "Okay, okay, I promise, I'll leave on time tonight."
"On time for you is like around midnight," Sloan snapped back.
"You got me again. I mean, I'll leave *early* tonight and I'm talking around six o'clock."
Sloan leaned forward and stuck out her pinky, "Pinky shake."
Ed looked around and then stuck out his pinky. Their pinkies intertwined and they shook on Ed's promise to leave early. Now Ed had to leave early, he promised and sealed it with a pinky shake. "There's no turning back now, Ed," Sloan jokingly said.
Ed leaned back in his chair, "The last thing I want to do is break a pinky shake promise. I mean, no tellin' what misfortune will befall me if I do." They both enjoyed a quick laugh.
"It's good to see you smile and hear you laugh again…please, do that more often." Sloan reached out, grabbed his hand and gave him a gentle squeeze. Ed smiled at her lovingly. And for a brief moment, Sloan saw the twinkle in his eyes again.
TBC…