Chapter 1
The aroma of bacon grease woke her. She tried to roll over and go back to sleep; she was so tired lately. The problem was the moment she moved, she needed to throw up. Her need to rid herself of the contents of her stomach overrode her need for sleep at the moment. Hand covering her mouth, she raced to the bathroom just as she lost the contents of her stomach.
Shaking from the exertion, she rinsed out her mouth and stood, braced against the sink, regaining her breath.
God help Doherty if he's passing it around, Alex Taylor thought as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror - and wished she hadn't. Her eyes were bloodshot from fatigue, dark circles showing stark against her pale pallor and she could swear she was turning green. She took deep breaths; she was not going to be sick again; she didn't have anything to be sick again with.
She returned to her locker and quickly gathered her things, thankful she was just finishing her shift instead of starting. Right now, she just wanted to sleep. Without smelling bacon grease.
In the hustle of the shift change, she made it downstairs without any of the guys remarking on her sorry appearance. Unfortunately, Ty caught up to her before she could get away.
"Hey," Getting a look at her blue, bloodshot eyes, he added, "Rough night?"
She dropped her bag and leaned against the building. "Not really but I think Doherty is passing around whatever Joey had last week. I'm going home to bed."
"Davis!" John Sullivan beckoned. "You ready?"
He waved and turned back to Alex. "You need anything?"
She shook her head. "Only a decent night's sleep without fourteen other people in the room."
"How 'bout just one other person?" Davis asked turning on the charm, knowing he was welcome regardless of what she said.
She smiled wryly. "You lookin' to get sick?"
"Davis! Now!" Sully's patience had reached an end.
She shooed him off. "Go. I'll see you when you get off."
She leaned over to get her bag, stood and really, really wanted to throw up again. Deep breaths, she repeated silently. It'll pass. "Alex!"
She opened her eyes to see three year old Gracie Boscorelli running toward her, her mother Sophia close behind. Gracie was tugging at Taylor's jeans to get her attention all the while saying something about her baby's picture. Alex looked to Sophie for clarification.
"Ultrasound was yesterday. We made the mistake of taking Grace with us." Sophie watched her daughter run up the sidewalk to meet another paramedic, Carlos Nieto, with whom she could share her news.
Alex glanced at the little girl. "That explains it."
Sophie studied Alex a moment. "Are you okay?"
Alex shrugged off the concern. "I'll be fine. Just a bug going around, I guess."
Grace rejoined them and for once stood quietly studying Alex before blurting, "When you gettin' your baby?"
Knowing better than to laugh around a child who got into trouble, Alex was concentrating on trying to keep from laughing at Sophie's reaction and Gracie's innocent question..
"Lillian Grace Boscorelli!"
Gracie cringed. That was never good when Mommy used all of her names. She tried to explain. "But - "
"Grace! That is enough. Alex is not going to get a baby." Sophie explained a little more gently and looking at Alex apologetically. "I'm sorry, Alex. Grace assumes that every woman is going to have a baby since we are."
Grace looked between Alex and her Mommy. That wasn't it. Alex just looked like her Mommy did - like she was doin' somethin' special -and Mommy was gettin' them a baby so wasn't Alex gettin' a baby? She opened her mouth to protest. She was cut off.
"Say good-bye, Grace. We need to go." Sophie took her daughter's hand and pulled her along before she could say anything else.
The aroma of bacon grease woke her. She tried to roll over and go back to sleep; she was so tired lately. The problem was the moment she moved, she needed to throw up. Her need to rid herself of the contents of her stomach overrode her need for sleep at the moment. Hand covering her mouth, she raced to the bathroom just as she lost the contents of her stomach.
Shaking from the exertion, she rinsed out her mouth and stood, braced against the sink, regaining her breath.
God help Doherty if he's passing it around, Alex Taylor thought as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror - and wished she hadn't. Her eyes were bloodshot from fatigue, dark circles showing stark against her pale pallor and she could swear she was turning green. She took deep breaths; she was not going to be sick again; she didn't have anything to be sick again with.
She returned to her locker and quickly gathered her things, thankful she was just finishing her shift instead of starting. Right now, she just wanted to sleep. Without smelling bacon grease.
In the hustle of the shift change, she made it downstairs without any of the guys remarking on her sorry appearance. Unfortunately, Ty caught up to her before she could get away.
"Hey," Getting a look at her blue, bloodshot eyes, he added, "Rough night?"
She dropped her bag and leaned against the building. "Not really but I think Doherty is passing around whatever Joey had last week. I'm going home to bed."
"Davis!" John Sullivan beckoned. "You ready?"
He waved and turned back to Alex. "You need anything?"
She shook her head. "Only a decent night's sleep without fourteen other people in the room."
"How 'bout just one other person?" Davis asked turning on the charm, knowing he was welcome regardless of what she said.
She smiled wryly. "You lookin' to get sick?"
"Davis! Now!" Sully's patience had reached an end.
She shooed him off. "Go. I'll see you when you get off."
She leaned over to get her bag, stood and really, really wanted to throw up again. Deep breaths, she repeated silently. It'll pass. "Alex!"
She opened her eyes to see three year old Gracie Boscorelli running toward her, her mother Sophia close behind. Gracie was tugging at Taylor's jeans to get her attention all the while saying something about her baby's picture. Alex looked to Sophie for clarification.
"Ultrasound was yesterday. We made the mistake of taking Grace with us." Sophie watched her daughter run up the sidewalk to meet another paramedic, Carlos Nieto, with whom she could share her news.
Alex glanced at the little girl. "That explains it."
Sophie studied Alex a moment. "Are you okay?"
Alex shrugged off the concern. "I'll be fine. Just a bug going around, I guess."
Grace rejoined them and for once stood quietly studying Alex before blurting, "When you gettin' your baby?"
Knowing better than to laugh around a child who got into trouble, Alex was concentrating on trying to keep from laughing at Sophie's reaction and Gracie's innocent question..
"Lillian Grace Boscorelli!"
Gracie cringed. That was never good when Mommy used all of her names. She tried to explain. "But - "
"Grace! That is enough. Alex is not going to get a baby." Sophie explained a little more gently and looking at Alex apologetically. "I'm sorry, Alex. Grace assumes that every woman is going to have a baby since we are."
Grace looked between Alex and her Mommy. That wasn't it. Alex just looked like her Mommy did - like she was doin' somethin' special -and Mommy was gettin' them a baby so wasn't Alex gettin' a baby? She opened her mouth to protest. She was cut off.
"Say good-bye, Grace. We need to go." Sophie took her daughter's hand and pulled her along before she could say anything else.
