Chapter Ten
Oscar's jogging suit – amazingly – made it through lunch without a single spot. When Jenna was full, she pursed her lips shut and shook her head, but there was no food on his jacket and no milk in his hair. Preparation, he told himself, that's the whole secret. She knew I was here to feed her with no nonsense about it, and it worked. I have to remember to tell Steve!
- - - - - -
"Do you realize what could have happened?" Russ said for at least the third time. He still wasn't accustomed to reading anyone the riot act, and (truth be told) he'd always had the slightest bit of a crush on Jaime, but she seemed completely unrepentant and it was his job to make her see that rushing in alone to bust the errant doctor had NOT been a good idea. "Jaime, you know procedure in a case like this. At the very least, you should've cleared it with me before -"
"If I wasn't sure I could do it, I'd never have tried," Jaime sighed. "And it turned out fine, didn't it?"
"What if he'd pushed that needle into your stomach or your neck?"
"He didn't!"
"Your reasoning, your deductions in figuring this all out – you were brilliant -"
Jaime grinned. "Thank you."
"Your execution...not so brilliant. You ignored every single rule of protocol and you could've been killed."
"I'm fine." Jaime looked out the window and saw they were pulling into National Medical's parking lot. "I don't need to be here; I wasn't hurt, Russ."
"I know that, but there's someone here who needs to hear exactly how his wife spent her morning."
"Aw, Russ – please! Let's not bother Steve with this!"
"Come on, Jaime," Russ insisted, holding the door open for her.
"I'll face a military tribunal, an intelligence committee – but not this...! You're a cold man, Mark Russell." Reluctantly, and still carrying the red wig and hat, Jaime followed Russ into the hospital.
- - - - - -
The 'gypsy' skirt and gauzy top were enough to make Rudy stop and stare as he met Jaime and Russ outside of Steve's room. "Jaime...?" he questioned, diplomatically laughing as little as possible.
"I wanted to get an early start on Halloween...?" she quipped. "How's Steve?"
"He's recovering beautifully; no more fever." Rudy spotted the hat and wig. "And a good laugh will certainly help his outlook."
"He...won't exactly be laughing," Jaime admitted. "Russ," she said quietly, trying one more time to get out of it, "he's doing better; let's not upset him -"
"Non-negotiable, Jaime. I'll wait out here, but if you don't tell him, I will."
Jaime sighed, took a deep breath and pushed open the door. "Hi, Honey!" she said brightly. "Rudy said you're doing great; I'm so glad -"
Steve took one look at his wife, and he knew. "Tell me you didn't..."
Jaime sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down to kiss him. "I cannot tell a lie, but – Russ said I was brilliant."
"Uh-huh. And that was all he said...? Did you at least call him, let him know what you were up to?"
"Well..."
"Jaime Lyn!" Steve was exasperated, frustrated and a little angry, but one look in Jaime's eyes made him melt and a good look at her outfit made him begin to chuckle. "What's that in your hand?"
"The – ah – rest of the fashion ensemble."
"Let me see." Steve reached for the wig, but Jaime hid it behind her back. "I'll forgive you, but only if you model hat for me."
"Oh, come on. How about a kiss instead?"
Steve shook his head, grinning. "Nope."
"I give really great body massages..."
"Yes, you do – but not this time. You might as well get it over with."
"Fine. You asked for it." Jaime turned away from the bed and donned the wig and hat, then pulled the purple glasses from her skirt pocket and put them on, too. She turned back around and stuck out her tongue at Steve, who was now guffawing helplessly. "Are you happy now, Colonel?" Jaime asked lightly. "Have I served adequate penance?"
"Almost," he said with a mischievous, lop-sided grin. "Hey, Rudy...!" he called out into the hallway.
"Aw, have a little mercy," Jaime said, laughing with him anyway.
"Everything ok?" Rudy asked, poking his head in the door. "Oh, my -"
"Get the nurses – they've gotta see this," Steve chuckled, "and grab a camera."
- - - - - -
"Your Mommy will be home soon, Jenna," Oscar told the baby, who kicked her feet in eager anticipation of her dinner. He'd changed back into normal 'Oscar Goldman' clothes while she was taking her afternoon nap, confident he had the feeding situation well in hand. He began spooning strained beef, carrots and peas into her cooperative, waiting mouth and she drank from her sippy cup without spilling a drop.
They were less than halfway through the meal when Jenna let her chin slacken and carrots ran down onto her shirt. "You can't be full yet," Oscar said lightly. "That was just an 'oops', wasn't it? Yes it was." He held out another spoonful and a second later, the best he could do was reflect that, with all their vitamin A, carrots would probably be very good for his hair.
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