Frank ran with all his might to the front desk. His hands hit the
counter hard. "Madam, excuse me!"
The secretary had been on the phone looking down. She almost shushed her interloper, but upon glancing up she realized that this was no 'paper- cut situation'. She looked concerned, "Sir?"
He said, rattled, "My wife.. Er.. My wife, she's having the.. the baby."
The secretary picked up her intercom phone line and spoke into it, "Dr. Retruf, report to the front desk immediately!"
Frank looked confused, "Retruf? I know a Dr. Retruf, he's a psychologist!"
The woman gave him a small smile, "He has training in both fields. He left his psychologist field a few months ago and came to work with us."
Columbia was wheeling Fay in with a wheelchair as Frank commented harshly, "Good."
"What was that?" The secretary asked. Frank waved it away and walked to his wife.
He kneeled next to her gently, saying, "Feral.." Fay's resulting look was confused. He had never called her Feral, except when he had just met her in his work complex. Frank said in the same tone, "The doctor that's coming to help you.. He's-"
"Out of the way, please, sir."
Frank jumped, surprised. His eyes met Retruf's and a flicker of recognition and dislike passed over both faces. Fay saw who it was instantly. As Retruf wheeled her forward, she said, "Dr. Retruf.. What happened to psychology?"
The man was startled, she could tell, but he didn't stop moving. He just answered, giving her a quick look, "Miss Hane, didn't recognize you." He instantly regarded her with a more inferior tone.
Fay was in pain, but she ignored it; she was instantly angry, "It's Mrs. Hane now, if you don't mind."
Frank was running to catch up with them, and he nodded. Retruf didn't notice his acknowledgement, and said dryly, "Oh, really? I figured that it was a mistake on your part.."
"What was-? Ow.."
Retruf chuckled, "The baby of course.. So where's your husband?" He gave a quick smile to Frank, "It's nice of your psychologist to bring you here."
Fay grinned with coming satisfaction, despite her discomfort, "Why, sir, Dr. Furter is my husband."
This time, Retruf stopped dead. They were half-way down the emergency hall way, and he only cared about talking to Frank. He gave him a level look, "A bit young for you, isn't she, Dr. Furter?"
Frank was no longer having fun with his rival. He only side-stepped the man, asking, "What room are we going to?"
"761, but you didn't answer my question."
Frank pushed the wheelchair down the hall at a run, calling, "I just figure my wife is more important at the moment, don't you..? Doctor..?"
Back to his senses, Retruf followed. Columbia was the last to come down the hall way, screeching "He-y! Wait up!"
br
Once Fay was being tended to by nurses, Dr. Retruf turned to Frank, "I'll have to ask you to leave now, Doctor."
Frank crossed his arms and half-grinned, "I'll have to turn down that offer, Doctor."
Dr. Retruf looked at him with more than slight disdain, but tried to remain professional, "Dr. Furter, I really suggest you leave. Not many husbands can stay conscious when things start happening.. A lot of them are squeamish, and it's a pain monitoring the husband as well as the wife."
Frank laughed outright, "Squeamish? Let me tell you, Dr. Retruf, I am not squeamish."
Retruf became sarcastic, "Because you've gone through all the bloody situations I have, am I right?"
Frank allowed himself a smirk, lowering his eyelids and whispering, "You have no idea.."
The doctor threw up his hands, "Fine. I give up. I've got to get things ready, I'll be back. Pull up a chair and sit with her, but don't bother me."
With that, he left. The nurses were still flitting around Fay, checking heart rate and things of that ilk. Frank managed to drag a small chair up to the bed, looking down at his wife. She gave him an adoring look, "Oh, Frankie.. We're having a baby."
Frank shook his head, "No, you're having a baby.. I bet I couldn't bring myself the strength to do this that you have."
She reached a hand up to his face and ran fingers through his hair. After a moment, she said, "I'm just worried about Dr. Retruf.. I just don't like him."
Frank nodded, "That's one of the reasons I insisted on staying, number one being that I don't want to leave your side.. By the way, Columbia's in the waiting room. She said that she's too worried about you to watch. She's afraid she'll have a heart attack."
Fay giggled as Dr. Retruf came back in. He stated, "Well.. We've got a little while to wait. When the contractions get frequent, push that button, Dr. Furter." He pointed to a "Staff Assistance" button. He continued, "I'll come right away."
As Retruf left the room again, Frank took Feral's hand in his. He kissed it sweetly and whispered, "I won't let go until the end."
The secretary had been on the phone looking down. She almost shushed her interloper, but upon glancing up she realized that this was no 'paper- cut situation'. She looked concerned, "Sir?"
He said, rattled, "My wife.. Er.. My wife, she's having the.. the baby."
The secretary picked up her intercom phone line and spoke into it, "Dr. Retruf, report to the front desk immediately!"
Frank looked confused, "Retruf? I know a Dr. Retruf, he's a psychologist!"
The woman gave him a small smile, "He has training in both fields. He left his psychologist field a few months ago and came to work with us."
Columbia was wheeling Fay in with a wheelchair as Frank commented harshly, "Good."
"What was that?" The secretary asked. Frank waved it away and walked to his wife.
He kneeled next to her gently, saying, "Feral.." Fay's resulting look was confused. He had never called her Feral, except when he had just met her in his work complex. Frank said in the same tone, "The doctor that's coming to help you.. He's-"
"Out of the way, please, sir."
Frank jumped, surprised. His eyes met Retruf's and a flicker of recognition and dislike passed over both faces. Fay saw who it was instantly. As Retruf wheeled her forward, she said, "Dr. Retruf.. What happened to psychology?"
The man was startled, she could tell, but he didn't stop moving. He just answered, giving her a quick look, "Miss Hane, didn't recognize you." He instantly regarded her with a more inferior tone.
Fay was in pain, but she ignored it; she was instantly angry, "It's Mrs. Hane now, if you don't mind."
Frank was running to catch up with them, and he nodded. Retruf didn't notice his acknowledgement, and said dryly, "Oh, really? I figured that it was a mistake on your part.."
"What was-? Ow.."
Retruf chuckled, "The baby of course.. So where's your husband?" He gave a quick smile to Frank, "It's nice of your psychologist to bring you here."
Fay grinned with coming satisfaction, despite her discomfort, "Why, sir, Dr. Furter is my husband."
This time, Retruf stopped dead. They were half-way down the emergency hall way, and he only cared about talking to Frank. He gave him a level look, "A bit young for you, isn't she, Dr. Furter?"
Frank was no longer having fun with his rival. He only side-stepped the man, asking, "What room are we going to?"
"761, but you didn't answer my question."
Frank pushed the wheelchair down the hall at a run, calling, "I just figure my wife is more important at the moment, don't you..? Doctor..?"
Back to his senses, Retruf followed. Columbia was the last to come down the hall way, screeching "He-y! Wait up!"
br
Once Fay was being tended to by nurses, Dr. Retruf turned to Frank, "I'll have to ask you to leave now, Doctor."
Frank crossed his arms and half-grinned, "I'll have to turn down that offer, Doctor."
Dr. Retruf looked at him with more than slight disdain, but tried to remain professional, "Dr. Furter, I really suggest you leave. Not many husbands can stay conscious when things start happening.. A lot of them are squeamish, and it's a pain monitoring the husband as well as the wife."
Frank laughed outright, "Squeamish? Let me tell you, Dr. Retruf, I am not squeamish."
Retruf became sarcastic, "Because you've gone through all the bloody situations I have, am I right?"
Frank allowed himself a smirk, lowering his eyelids and whispering, "You have no idea.."
The doctor threw up his hands, "Fine. I give up. I've got to get things ready, I'll be back. Pull up a chair and sit with her, but don't bother me."
With that, he left. The nurses were still flitting around Fay, checking heart rate and things of that ilk. Frank managed to drag a small chair up to the bed, looking down at his wife. She gave him an adoring look, "Oh, Frankie.. We're having a baby."
Frank shook his head, "No, you're having a baby.. I bet I couldn't bring myself the strength to do this that you have."
She reached a hand up to his face and ran fingers through his hair. After a moment, she said, "I'm just worried about Dr. Retruf.. I just don't like him."
Frank nodded, "That's one of the reasons I insisted on staying, number one being that I don't want to leave your side.. By the way, Columbia's in the waiting room. She said that she's too worried about you to watch. She's afraid she'll have a heart attack."
Fay giggled as Dr. Retruf came back in. He stated, "Well.. We've got a little while to wait. When the contractions get frequent, push that button, Dr. Furter." He pointed to a "Staff Assistance" button. He continued, "I'll come right away."
As Retruf left the room again, Frank took Feral's hand in his. He kissed it sweetly and whispered, "I won't let go until the end."
