Sorry this is coming so late! My birthday was on Friday, so I didn't have any time to write. And on Thursday I got my nose pierced as my birthday present from my mom, so I was in pain and couldn't write then either. And then yesterday my mom took me out shopping for post-birthday mother-daughter time, and today I was having father-daughter time with him and my step-mother, so I only barely got this out before I have to go to school in the morning. Be happy you didn't have to wait a week!!
Oh, and I must thank my awesome reviewers! I love you all, and your reviews feed my soul! –hugs- And I apologise if this is a fairly uneventful chapter, I'm running out of filler ideas between main plot points (which I kind of have planned in my head).
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Three Days In
"He's only been gone three days and I'm already depressed," Kate groaned, throwing her pen down. Lily looked up from her desk and regarded the blonde with mild interest.
"He'll be back next week, Kate. And it's normal to miss him." Kate rolled her eyes and shoved the papers on her desk off to the side. "I miss Bug if we're apart for a few hours, let alone a week! And you've got your baby to worry about."
Kate frowned. "I'm not supposed to miss him. You and Bug are still in the new-love lovey-dovey stage. Nigel and I basically skipped over that part. I have no right to want to take him away from his family when they need him."
"You need him too."
"I don't need him! I don't need anybody! I could do this on my own if I had to," Kate said defensively, crossing her arms. Lily gave her the 'shrink look.'
"But you don't, and you've become dependent on him."
"Well..." She paused. "Maybe a little. But I can't tell him that! It's just the little things that are weird without him here. Waking up in the morning without him there to say hello. Having to tell myself not to drink coffee. Reminding myself to eat healthy food for Erin. Having to put my own things in the laundry, or the dishwasher. I didn't realise how much he's been doing for me."
"Yeah, well, that's life, sometimes," Lily sighed, "I don't know how I lived without Bug, now. He's the best father any little girl could ask for, and he is the sweetest human being I've ever met. Love kind of makes you rely on each other. It stinks, but that's life." Kate nodded sullenly.
"Life sucks." She glanced at the clock. "Well, not that much. My shift is over in ten minutes." Lily smiled.
Kate stood and rearranged some things on her desk, then bent over to pick up her bag from the floor. "Oof," she said, grabbing the side of the desk with one hand and putting the other on her stomach. "Oh."
Lily jumped from her chair and went to help, picking up her bag for her and helping her stand up straight again. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Kate grumbled, rubbing her baby bump. "Just a cramp."
"Ah, Braxton Hicks," Lily said reminiscently with a shudder, "'Practice contractions.' When I got them I thought I was going into early labour and freaked out." She shook her head. "When you get home, take a hot bath. It helps." Kate nodded and slung her bag over her shoulder.
"I will, thanks." She sighed and stretched her back. "Ooh." Lily gave her a sympathetic look before going back to work as Kate left.
XXX
Adriana skipped down the hall excitedly and knocked on Dr. Macy's door. "Come in!" she heard his gruff voice say through the wood, and she opened it a crack and poked her head around.
"Is this a bad time?"
Garret looked up from his work and eyed her grinning face warily. "No, I guess not." He put his things aside and motioned for her to come in and sit down. "What's up?"
"Well, you see, next Thursday is take your daughter to work day at the high schools," explained Adriana shyly, taking a seat in the chair across from him, "The kids have to go to work with one of their parents and write a report, or make a video essay about the job."
"You're far too young to have a teenage daughter," Garret half-scoffed. Adriana nodded.
"I know. But my little sister Sienna is fifteen, and our parents are... uh... I have no clue where they are. The point is, I was wondering if you'd object her hanging around on Thursday for her project. It's a major assignment, and she doesn't want to miss out..." Garret sighed.
"As long as she doesn't get in the way, I don't see a problem with that," he said, "But exactly what she sees is your discretion. I can't spare anyone to babysit, so if she walks in on an autopsy and is scarred for life... it's not my fault, got it?" He sounded like he was joking, so Adriana nodded eagerly.
"Yes, sir. I promise she won't be any trouble." She grinned. "Well, not much."
XXX
Kate groaned and rubbed her stomach distractedly. "Kate, are you okay? You look a little green around the gills," Nigel said worriedly over the laptop speaker. Kate sighed.
"It's just those stupid Braxton Hicks Lily was telling me about. Practice contractions, my arse." Nigel frowned.
"Did you tell Aaron about them?" Kate rolled her eyes.
"You think I'm going to trust Lily's experiences with the safety of my baby? Of course I called Aaron. He said Lily was right and it's perfectly normal at this stage in pregnancy to get Braxton Hicks. They're annoying, but in no way harmful." She sighed. "Stop worrying about me, Nigel, or I might have to strangle you!" He chuckled.
"Very funny."
She crossed her arms. "Who said I was joking?" But, alas, he just laughed; he always laughed when she threatened him with bodily harm. Kate was the kind of person who could say she was going to hurt you, but would never practice such things, and he knew that.
Nigel's smile faltered. "I miss you," he said quietly, and Kate frowned.
"You can't miss me, we're talking right now." Nigel rolled his eyes.
"I miss you, Kate. I miss the way to smell, the way you look when you're sleeping, that cute little noise you make when I'm—"
"Nigel!"
He smirked. "Sorry." His smirk faded. "The point is, I miss having you around."
"Because of the way I smell and the 'cute little noises I make'? Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically. Nigel shot her the puppy-dog eyes best as he could over the webcam.
"You know I don't just miss those things," he told her, "I miss everything." He sipped from a floral teacup and looked thoughtful. "I miss Erin, too." Kate's eyes softened as she watched him ponder this.
"Nigel, stop being so sappy and sentimental before you make me cry!" she complained. "You know how hormonal I am now that I'm in my third trimester!" He chuckled, and the speakers crackled, warping the sound.
"Yes," he said with a wink, "Yes, I do." Kate made an annoyed sound and rolled her eyes.
"Nigel!" she scolded, "Get your mind out of the gutter."
