A/N: Just wanted to let you guys know that, in about 2 weeks, I will be going out of town for 6 weeks. I will do my level best to get a bunch more chapters written before I go, and try to keep publishing as I find wi-fi. Thank you all for the great reviews for the last chapter, they really motivate me to write more! As always, everything belongs to Charlaine Harris.
Sookie sat in the waiting room of her doctor's office, Pam sitting next to her and holding her hand. It was so surreal to her that she was even there; she'd been married for so long, she never even thought about STDs, or STIs as they apparently called them these days. And since she never had to check if she was pregnant, she'd never gone through this before. Especially the worrying that she was sick, having to wait to know.
She was pulled back to the present by Pam's voice. "Sookie? They're calling your name, hon. Do you... do you want me to go back with you?"
She looked at her sister-in-law, her friend, and nodded. "I don't think I can do this alone."
Pam took her hand and stood up, gently pulling her through the door. She held her hand while the phlebotomist drew blood, and through the pelvic exam. Sookie went through everything feeling like she was underwater.
"Sook? You're done, hon. The doctor said they'd mail you the results in a few days if you're fine, but they'd call if they found anything. I don't think maybe you registered that."
Sookie shook her head. "No, I didn't. Pam... thanks for coming with me."
Pam gave her a sad smile as she tucked Sookie into her mini-van, fastening the seat belt for her robotic sister. She's always felt that Sookie was her real sister, not just her sister-in-law, and seeing her like this was killing Pam. Still, she knew that what she felt couldn't hold a candle to what Sookie must be feeling. "It's no problem, hon. I'll do anything to try to help you through this."
…
The letter arrived a few days later at Sam's, and Sookie breathed a sigh of relief. She was fine, physically at least. Eric hadn't passed anything on to her except a broken heart.
"Sook? Is that the letter? Is everything okay?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Everything came back negative."
"Thank God for small favors," Sam breathed. He didn't think he'd know what to do with himself if something had been wrong with Sookie. He didn't want to think about what he'd do to Eric if there was. He'd been so angry for the past few weeks, ever since Sookie arrived at his door a shell of her former self. And he just didn't know what to do with that anger. He'd snapped at people at the bar, he'd flipped off other drivers - not a safe thing to do in L.A. - but he couldn't let Sookie see it.
How that asshole had ever cheated on Sookie was beyond him. She was just... just, so vibrant. Always smiling and taking care of everyone else. Dedicated to her job, her friends, and most importantly, her marriage. She always put Eric first, before everything. To her, he hung the sun and the moon, and she would do anything for him. She dropped his name and his head shots to casting directors she knew, and Sam knew Eric had gotten more than one role because Sookie had wrangled him an audition. Not that he wasn't talented, but most casting directors only considered him as a pretty boy, never for a serious dramatic role.
Sam had always worried that Eric might stray - he was a good looking guy, and there was no shortage of women who cast him second, and third, glances. But he'd never seemed to notice; he only ever looked at his wife. Or at least it had seemed that way.
Sam had had a few whispered conversations with Pam, during the rare times they could get Sookie to sleep, and he found he had an unexpected ally in Eric's sister. She had always seemed so remote and snarky to Sam, but her feelings for her sister-in-law were now plain to see. She checked on Eric occasionally, out of duty, but she either called or stopped by every day to check on Sookie. Sam thought if anyone was more angry than he was, it was Pam.
He sent Sookie off to the bedroom to see if she could nap - he had long since switched to the couch, thinking she'd be more comfortable in the bed - and called Pam.
She answered on the first ring. "She's fine," Sam reported. "The letter came today, everything was clean. I guess it's the least thing Eric did, not passing anything on to his wife."
Pam breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank fuck for that! I told Eric to get tested as well, but I don't think he has. He's just stayed in bed, hoping Sookie will call. He keeps his phone on the charger, afraid he'll miss her if the battery dies. I think he's even missed several auditions. I check the machine when I'm there, and a few different people have called for him, to see where he is. And she's called several times, but he never answers the phone."
"Fuck," Sam growled. "I guess she figures that Sook's out of the picture now, and she can swoop in and snag him."
"I think so," Pam replied. "But I took care of that. I called her back and told her, in no uncertain terms, to leave my brother the hell alone and not be a fucking vulture, hovering over the demise of his marriage. I gave her the name of my lawyer and told her if she wanted child support to call him, and not contact Eric directly again. She hasn't called since, and my lawyer hasn't called to give me any news, so I have no idea what she's up to."
"Dammit all to hell! Jesus, you're right Pam, she is a vulture. Thanks for telling her off and directing her somewhere else. The last thing we need is Eric running off to her. I think that might actually kill Sookie to know that."
"Well, I won't let that happen if there's a damn thing I can do about it," Pam spat.
