A Friendly Hand
By Didi
Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters. John Wells and his friends do. Let's not get into the debate as to who owns the ideas and all that; cause let's face it, you'll lose. Enjoy the story anyways.
Summary: Oh the joys of reaping the benefits of one's reputation and slip of the mouth.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Boy this story just keeps going, doesn't it? (sigh) I want to wrap this story up soon and with a happy ending. Let's face it, we all like happy endings. I'll take suggestions from the peanut gallery as to how you'd like to see this end cause I'm kind of just tagging along for the ride, this story seems to be writing itself now.
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Chapter 18
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"You look awful," Dr. Harriet Lenning murmured softly as she passed the two clips to the waiting nurse's hands. "Take these and have them move Mrs. Travis to room six, we're going to need more space if her whole family plans on attending the birth."
Jules Keating waited until Joanne had left to carry out Harriet's orders before replying. "I feel terrible."
"Not enough sleep? Cause you look like a raccoon."
"Something like that," she didn't mention that she had spent a total of four hours on the phone with her brother who, after fifteen minutes of venting his spleen, had been quite supportive. "I've got a full load today and I've got NICU tonight."
"Call Dr. Highberg and have him come in," Harriet suggested in her most reasonable tone. "I don't want you over doing it, especially in your first trimester." She looked at the young doctor over the rim of her eyeglasses. "Anita!"
"Yes?" came the redheaded assistant. Her eyes looked from one doctor to the other.
"Call Hal Highberg and tell him and I'm asking him be on call for NICU during the night shift. Move some of Dr. Keating's afternoon patient, the ones that walk in without appointments, onto who ever else is on call today." When Anita merely stood here, not moving a muscle, Dr. Kenning stared at her. "That's all, Anita."
"Oh," the wide eyed startled look made her appear almost owlish before she jumped into action, reaching for the phone.
"Harriet..." Jules started.
"Don't," she murmured softly as she made at note of her own number of patients. Every year she remind herself that she was nearly retirement age, and every year she never find the time to hand in her letter of resignation. Perhaps it was because of the faces of those beautiful newborns she got to hold on a daily basis. "I want you happy, healthy and carrying this child to term." She glanced at the hesitation on Dr. Keating's face. "You are planning on do just that, right?"
Jules thought about the options that Josh and her had gone through last evening. Though abortion did not come up explicitly, it had been on the backs of both their minds. "I haven't had a chance to talk to Matt yet."
Dr. Lenning reframed from asking exactly what that meant as she walked the doctor in question come around the corner and spotted the women he had obviously been looking for. "Well, here's your chance." Nodding her head toward the approaching doctor, she made a quick retreat and made a mental note to herself to talk to Anita again about keeping Jules's schedule light.
Bracing herself and schooling her features into that of a friendly smile, Jules turned, stared and burst into laughter.
Draped across Dr. Slingerland's left arm was a big white floppy bear that was just meant to be cuddled with. The doctor was dressed in a charcoal gray suit that had been liberally sprinkled the white fur from the bear. In his other hand, he carried a stack of charts that someone had no doubt just thrown at him.
"Not so funny," Matt growled and dropped the stack of charts on the counter and handed the stuff animal into her hands. "Did you know that there is a distinctive difference between teddy bears and polar bears?"
Jules tilted her hand and patted the soft fur of the bear. "Polar bears have a longer snout?"
Dutifully impressed. "I'm glad someone knows it. I got a ten minute lecture on the subject from the eighty year old grandmother running the toy shop." Sighing as he rubbed the tension from his neck, he looked at her to note that her cheeks were pale and her eyes had dark circles around them. "A gift from my brother for his appallingly rude behavior last evening."
"It's okay," she replied, no longer feeling the strain of the forced smile as she looked down at the bear. It was awfully sweet and she had no doubt that Matt Slingerland bullied his brother into buying it, not that she minded in the least. It was going to look fabulous across her bed. "He was understandably upset with life in general."
"But no need to take it out on the rest of the world," he replied, a little unsure as to how to proceed. She was standing here, not meeting his eyes and he felt like a fool. "Jules, can we talk?"
"Of course," she replied a little too cheerily. "But I have patients right now. How about we do it later? Lunch?"
Slingerland almost winced at the manner in which she was already beginning to slide away from him. "Lunch sounds fabulous."
"Great," picking up her charts and hugging the bear in her arms, "Then I'll see you at lunch, my office."
"I'll have them send up trays."
"Don't forget ice cream," she reminded him with a silver quick smile.
Matt frowned. "Jules, you really want to think about cutting out some of that sugar in your diet. It's not good for the..." the raised brow that she directed at him had him backtracking quickly. "On the other hand, they say that a mother's happiness effects that baby's overall attitude and health during those important months while they're in gestation. If it's ice cream you'd like, it's ice cream you shall have. Strawberry or vanilla, luv?"
Something flickered in her eyes at the causal endearment he seemed to have gotten into the habit of calling her of late. Shaking off the sudden unease, she smiled at him. "Vanilla."
"Vanilla it is," he reached out to stop her as she began to turn away. "Jules..."
Her big beguiling eyes stared back at him. "Yes?"
Fighting the urge to lean down and taste the strawberry lip-gloss she customarily wore, his thumb rubbed gently at a patch of exposed skin just above her elbow, sending a light shiver of awareness down her spine. "I missed you last night."
It was at the tip of her tongue to repeat the words to him but something held her back. It was perhaps that same spark of self-preservation that had her crying on the telephone last evening that kept her from blurting out the fact that she had awoken expending him to be there. But she held it back, "I have patients."
Disappointment warred with understanding in his dark eyes. "Of course," reluctantly letting for of her arm. "I'll see you later."
"Later," she nodded and made her escape, holding, praying that something came up to keep her away for a little while longer. She wasn't sure she could rebuild all her defenses that horribly wonderful man before noon. Burying her face in the soft fur of the bear, she took a deep breath and prayed for strength.
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"SLINGERLAND!!!"
Wincing, Matt stopped himself from giving into the need to scream at the top of his lungs. This would be the fourth interruption to his lunch date with Jules. Turning around and bracing himself, "Hello Dr. Jordan, what can I do for you on this lovely day?"
"Don't you hello me!!!" Face dark with fury, she pointed an accusing finger at him. "Tell me you didn't just send Mr. Mackey home without consulting me first."
Tilting his head, "Funny, I thought Mr. Mackey was my patient."
"I was in on the consult," she replied with less heat but no less determination. "Did you know that the man has a heart murmur loud enough to give me nightmares?"
"Did you know that he's had that for the last five years?" he asked in response, glancing discreetly at his watch. "Can this wait until after I've gotten a bite to eat? I'm positively ravenous now and you know how it is when hunger sets in. Besides which, there was no way I would have been able to keep Mr. Mackey here since he is determine to go home in time to see his grandson play pitcher at the state championship."
"I don't care if he's son was getting sworn in to the Presidency of the United States, I want him back here," she replied without any concern over the volume of her command. "Now get on that phone and get him back here." When he hesitated, she frowned darkly at him. "What?"
Squirming for no good reason, other than he was faced with a forcefully angry woman, "I would but..."
"But?"" raising a questioning brow at him.
"I'm supposed to be somewhere else right now."
She gave him an admonishing look. "Where?"
"Lunch... with Jules," his eyes pleading with her to understanding.
Rolling her eyes, Letty resisted the urge to give him a quick kick in the rear. "Go," pointing toward the stairwell.
"Thank you, you are a kind and most generous soul." Matt flashed a killer smile and backed away slowly praying she doesn't change her mind. "I'll call Mr. Mackey as soon as..."
"I'll call the stubborn man," she said waving him away. "Norman!" she called as Slingerland made his escape. "Get me Mr. Mackey on the phone. And what the hell did you put in the coffee this morning?"
"It's Orange Roast with a hint of Cinnamon in it." Norman flipped open the appointment book and logged Mr. Mackey's name into the computer.
The look of wholly un-amusement should have warned the receptionist. "Here's a hint for you: if my coffee doesn't taste like Columbia roast by 1:00PM, someone's going to have to call your mother with extremely bad news about an unfortunate accident."
Pouting, Norman nodded his head resignedly. "Yes, Ma'am."
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"For cafeteria food, this isn't bad," Jules said through a mouthful of greasy fries generously dipped in ketchup. "Did they remember to send up ice cream?"
"Yes," he answered reaching over to let the plastic lid of the small Styrofoam cup. "And I asked them to bring up both kinds so you can mix if you want to."
"Oh, good idea," she took another healthy bite of her tuna melt and sipped the orange juice that had come with the meal. "So," hoping to forestall any talk of what they need to talk about. Lunchtime, in the middle of the day, with only an hour each to spare, was not conductive of any serious conversation. "How has your day been?"
Considerate of her addiction to caffeine, he to decided to have juice with his lunch as well. Placing the cup down slowly, he studied her with eyes that were just a little too dark with intent. "Are we ever going to talk about it? I know that George interrupted last night and I fully apologize for that. But I honestly think that we should at least..."
"I only asked how your day has been," she complained quietly, placing the sandwich on her plate having suddenly lost all her appetite. "Can't we have at least a simple lunch without having to make a production out of..."
"Stop," he pleaded with her, his eyes relying his calm outer appearance. Running a hand through his hair, he shook his head at her. "Jules, tell me what you plan on doing about the baby? Just tell me so that I know."
A little taken aback by the outburst, she shielded away from him. Taking a deep breath, Jules took a moment to calm her suddenly erratic heart. She lifted her head to speak just as Slingerland leaned across the desk and took her face into his hands, pressing a kiss sent shockwaves of awareness through her entire system. Before she had a chance to respond, he pulled away from her slowly, lingering on the last contact.
"Lord I missed you last night," he muttered more to himself than to her. Opening his eyes, he watched her lashes flutter for a moment. "Jules, I need to know so I need to know what to do."
Still keeping her eyes closed, she's come to realize it was harder to think and look into those big eyes of his, "I going to keep the baby."
Matt let out the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. Something painfully tight released in his chest and he took a moment to just let himself absorb the information.
Jules opened her eyes and watched the non-reaction with part disappointment, part relief. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, what she wanted... everything was just happening so fast. "Look, what we talked about before I can fully apply here. No commitment, no support, no..."
"What are you talking about?" he asked quickly, his eyes snapping to hers sharply.
Startled, "The oral agreement we had when we did the insemination. You are under no obligations to supply me with anything. The baby would be mine and mine alone and that you would not have to..."
He grabbed her by the shoulder, jerking her to a stop. "THIS IS NOT SOME SPERM DONATION!!!" he took a deep breath and calmed himself. Yelling at a pregnant woman was not the best course to take, under any circumstances. "Jules, haven't you figure out that this isn't the same thing? That I'm not going to just walk away from you and this baby? This isn't my lending a hand in your quest to have your own biological child in the future. This is you and me in bed creating a life together."
She opened her mouth to say something but he interrupted her to a gentle shake.
"Uh, uh," shaking his head at her. "Me, you and this baby will be doing the whole pregnancy thing together. I'm not going to be excluded, remember? You said so last evening."
"Yes but you said..."
"What?" he asked.
"This isn't how you planned," she replied softly, almost too softly for him to hear.
"And what does that matter?" he asked, tilting her chin to look at him. The look of concern in his eyes touched her. "This is life, not everything gets to be as we planned. I'm sure you hadn't planned on needing a sperm donor cause you're chances of conceiving were reduced by an unexpected health crisis. I hadn't planned on becoming a donor; it wasn't something a boy plans on doing when he grows up. I hadn't plan on getting into such an incredible relationship as the one you and I share, but here it is. And I could not feel more blessed." He leaned in and kissed her soothingly on the lips. Everything about her tasted sweet. "I'm going to do this right, we're going to do this right."
"Matt..." she closed her eyes, feeling the heat from his lips against hers.
"Move in with me," he asked unceremoniously.
Her eyes popped open. "What?"
"Move in with me," Matt repeated leaning back just a slight bit to see the stunned look on her face. It certainly deflated his ego to see the look of disbelief. "What's the matter?"
Jules blinked her eyes a couple of times, not exactly sure if she heard him correctly. "I'm sorry, did you just ask me to move in with you?"
"Yes," nodding his head slowly. "I may not have a terribly large townhouse but it does have two bedrooms and all the accommodations one can ask for in a home. It is slightly larger than yours and you did say that you enjoy my bathtub quite a lot. We can convert the guest room into a nursery and the second bathroom will become primary yours if you wish, I hardly ever use the thing."
She was going to kick herself for asking it, but... "If the second bedroom becomes a nursery then where exactly am I sleeping?"
The frowned creased the brows on Slingerland's wide forehead. "With me of course." He leaned back even more, looking at her slightly bedazzled face. "What exactly did you think I was asking when I said that you should move in?"
Jules was having a terrible time sorting out all that's going through her head, not to mention her heart. "I thought... I... Matt, last night, you said that you have no intentions of ever getting married. If I move it..."
"I said no such thing!" Indignant that she would think that though it came pretty damn close. He knew that slip of the tongue was going to cause him trouble. "I just said that I... Look, my family doesn't have a great track record when it comes to what is termed as a normal, sane marriage. And fatherhood, my father's example is the one that no man should ever try to follow. I've been wary... and rightly so, of ever coming close to that because I don't want to make the same mistakes that I see them making. You can understand that, can't you luv?"
Jules thought back to the night at the sushi bar, then to the aggravated phone message from his brother and could only nod her head. "Okay, I can see why you'd be a little less than inclined to think about the subject of marriage when you've had such 'great' examples to follow." She smiled and shook her head. "But my moving in with you, after only..."
"We're good together," he said coming around the table to pull her to her feet. He held her for a moment, just placed his arms around, rested his cheek against the baby fine hair and breathed in her scent. She felt good in his arms, like his arms had been waiting for her his entire life. "You cannot tell me that you have not enjoyed the time we've spent together, or the nights." His teasing grin couldn't help but bring a smile to her face.
"You're incorrigible." Swatting him lightly as she rested her cheek against his shoulder. The aftershave he used was soft, almost gentle, but distinctively masculine. "But seriously Matt, moving in together..."
"Will reduce the stress and work you would have to put up with during the most miraculous time of your life," he finished with a smile. "Look, you don't have to answer me now. Just think about it and we'll talk about it some more tonight. Dinner? My house? No George and I'll get cheesecake."
"Are you bribing me with desserts?"
"Whatever it takes to get you home with me," kissing her forehead as if she was a child.
Jules made a face. "I guess we should talk some more about what we're going to do. Not that I'm agreeing to this whole moving in idea yet."
She had said yet. Which is as good as yes in his mind. Grinning from ear to ear, he nodded his head. "I have to meet George for coffee this afternoon to go over some details on finances and what to do about this prenuptial agreement that he and Alice signed. I should be done around seven. Will you wait for me and let me drive you? Or would you rather go there first?"
"I'm on duty until six."
"Which means you probably won't actually leave until seven or eight," he replied with a sigh. "Time to cut back on your hours, my luv."
"Harriet is definitely seeing to that. If she had it her way, I'd be on my back through this whole thing," she pouted. "I'm suppose to oversee NICU tonight too but she's calling in someone else to cover for me."
Slingerland laughed. "Good, you shouldn't be on your feet that long." Her brushed a lock of her back and kissed her cheek. "Now, finish your lunch. I'll come pick you up this evening and we'll spend the night going over nursery plans. I'm sure they have plenty of good books on the subject in the gift shop."
"Getting ahead of yourself there, Brit," she reprimanded as she sat down against, picking up her spoon for ice cream. "I haven't agreed to anything yet."
"Right you are," he replied cheerfully, more optimistic than ever about the future.
Jules groaned and shook her head as she scooped up ice cream with resignation. "I'm doomed."
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"Pardon me," George ask of the little man at the front desk as he automatically flash the passing nurse a smile that made her day. "Would you tell me where Dr. Slingerland is?"
"He's with a patient right now," Norman answered with a little annoyance since the heavy accented man in front of him seemed to be paying more attention to the nursing staff than to the person he was asking of the question. "Take a seat and I'll tell him you're here."
"Name's George," more to a passing blonde with eyes a little too much like Alice's to suit him... but she's got the most beautiful pair of legs under the nurse's uniform, or so his imagination told him. "Tell him I'm waiting."
"Sure," Norman muttered as he took up charts and headed for the curtained off area. He really did not like arrogant bastards that expect the world to cater to their whim.
George wondered over the wall, looking over the posted bulletins and announcements that were tacked up for easy access. There were plenty to read and even more to be amused over, but all he wanted to do was get his brother, go over some details and get back to his hotel room. The fact that Matt had unceremoniously kicked him out this morning, announcing that he wanted time with the mother-to-be, had put a rather damper on his mood.
Speaking of which, he was surprised that his father hadn't called over that little piece of news since he left message of it at all the usual locations this morning. He sincerely hope Niles had gotten to the message in his parent's home before his mother did and told his mother in person. He can only guess what his sentimental mother was going to react to this. "And the muddle head had the nerve to call me an irresponsible idiot," he muttered to himself as he looked over nursing schedules that someone had put up.
The cell phone on his belt chirped sweetly, causing several appreciative female eyes to turn toward him. Flashing them a smile that was more than repayment for thorough look-overs that he getting, he flipped the wonderful tri-band phone from his father. "Slingerland."
"You Slingerland?" came a voice from just behind his left shoulder even as his mother's woe begotten greeting assaulted his ear.
Turning, he was arrested by the rake thin tower of fury. Startled at being accosted by a stranger, "Yes, I'm Slingerland. May I help you?"
The man nodded his strawberry blonde head. "Stay away from my sister," was the only other clue to the man's identity before the fist came at George with a speed that he simply could not avoid.
Lying flat on his back as someone in the corridors screamed for security, the only coherent thought George had was that the spinning tweedy birds surrounding his head made thinking a little difficult.
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Thoroughly enjoying writing this story. Went on a short vacation so don't expect anything to follow this chapter for a little while.
By Didi
Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters. John Wells and his friends do. Let's not get into the debate as to who owns the ideas and all that; cause let's face it, you'll lose. Enjoy the story anyways.
Summary: Oh the joys of reaping the benefits of one's reputation and slip of the mouth.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Boy this story just keeps going, doesn't it? (sigh) I want to wrap this story up soon and with a happy ending. Let's face it, we all like happy endings. I'll take suggestions from the peanut gallery as to how you'd like to see this end cause I'm kind of just tagging along for the ride, this story seems to be writing itself now.
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Chapter 18
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"You look awful," Dr. Harriet Lenning murmured softly as she passed the two clips to the waiting nurse's hands. "Take these and have them move Mrs. Travis to room six, we're going to need more space if her whole family plans on attending the birth."
Jules Keating waited until Joanne had left to carry out Harriet's orders before replying. "I feel terrible."
"Not enough sleep? Cause you look like a raccoon."
"Something like that," she didn't mention that she had spent a total of four hours on the phone with her brother who, after fifteen minutes of venting his spleen, had been quite supportive. "I've got a full load today and I've got NICU tonight."
"Call Dr. Highberg and have him come in," Harriet suggested in her most reasonable tone. "I don't want you over doing it, especially in your first trimester." She looked at the young doctor over the rim of her eyeglasses. "Anita!"
"Yes?" came the redheaded assistant. Her eyes looked from one doctor to the other.
"Call Hal Highberg and tell him and I'm asking him be on call for NICU during the night shift. Move some of Dr. Keating's afternoon patient, the ones that walk in without appointments, onto who ever else is on call today." When Anita merely stood here, not moving a muscle, Dr. Kenning stared at her. "That's all, Anita."
"Oh," the wide eyed startled look made her appear almost owlish before she jumped into action, reaching for the phone.
"Harriet..." Jules started.
"Don't," she murmured softly as she made at note of her own number of patients. Every year she remind herself that she was nearly retirement age, and every year she never find the time to hand in her letter of resignation. Perhaps it was because of the faces of those beautiful newborns she got to hold on a daily basis. "I want you happy, healthy and carrying this child to term." She glanced at the hesitation on Dr. Keating's face. "You are planning on do just that, right?"
Jules thought about the options that Josh and her had gone through last evening. Though abortion did not come up explicitly, it had been on the backs of both their minds. "I haven't had a chance to talk to Matt yet."
Dr. Lenning reframed from asking exactly what that meant as she walked the doctor in question come around the corner and spotted the women he had obviously been looking for. "Well, here's your chance." Nodding her head toward the approaching doctor, she made a quick retreat and made a mental note to herself to talk to Anita again about keeping Jules's schedule light.
Bracing herself and schooling her features into that of a friendly smile, Jules turned, stared and burst into laughter.
Draped across Dr. Slingerland's left arm was a big white floppy bear that was just meant to be cuddled with. The doctor was dressed in a charcoal gray suit that had been liberally sprinkled the white fur from the bear. In his other hand, he carried a stack of charts that someone had no doubt just thrown at him.
"Not so funny," Matt growled and dropped the stack of charts on the counter and handed the stuff animal into her hands. "Did you know that there is a distinctive difference between teddy bears and polar bears?"
Jules tilted her hand and patted the soft fur of the bear. "Polar bears have a longer snout?"
Dutifully impressed. "I'm glad someone knows it. I got a ten minute lecture on the subject from the eighty year old grandmother running the toy shop." Sighing as he rubbed the tension from his neck, he looked at her to note that her cheeks were pale and her eyes had dark circles around them. "A gift from my brother for his appallingly rude behavior last evening."
"It's okay," she replied, no longer feeling the strain of the forced smile as she looked down at the bear. It was awfully sweet and she had no doubt that Matt Slingerland bullied his brother into buying it, not that she minded in the least. It was going to look fabulous across her bed. "He was understandably upset with life in general."
"But no need to take it out on the rest of the world," he replied, a little unsure as to how to proceed. She was standing here, not meeting his eyes and he felt like a fool. "Jules, can we talk?"
"Of course," she replied a little too cheerily. "But I have patients right now. How about we do it later? Lunch?"
Slingerland almost winced at the manner in which she was already beginning to slide away from him. "Lunch sounds fabulous."
"Great," picking up her charts and hugging the bear in her arms, "Then I'll see you at lunch, my office."
"I'll have them send up trays."
"Don't forget ice cream," she reminded him with a silver quick smile.
Matt frowned. "Jules, you really want to think about cutting out some of that sugar in your diet. It's not good for the..." the raised brow that she directed at him had him backtracking quickly. "On the other hand, they say that a mother's happiness effects that baby's overall attitude and health during those important months while they're in gestation. If it's ice cream you'd like, it's ice cream you shall have. Strawberry or vanilla, luv?"
Something flickered in her eyes at the causal endearment he seemed to have gotten into the habit of calling her of late. Shaking off the sudden unease, she smiled at him. "Vanilla."
"Vanilla it is," he reached out to stop her as she began to turn away. "Jules..."
Her big beguiling eyes stared back at him. "Yes?"
Fighting the urge to lean down and taste the strawberry lip-gloss she customarily wore, his thumb rubbed gently at a patch of exposed skin just above her elbow, sending a light shiver of awareness down her spine. "I missed you last night."
It was at the tip of her tongue to repeat the words to him but something held her back. It was perhaps that same spark of self-preservation that had her crying on the telephone last evening that kept her from blurting out the fact that she had awoken expending him to be there. But she held it back, "I have patients."
Disappointment warred with understanding in his dark eyes. "Of course," reluctantly letting for of her arm. "I'll see you later."
"Later," she nodded and made her escape, holding, praying that something came up to keep her away for a little while longer. She wasn't sure she could rebuild all her defenses that horribly wonderful man before noon. Burying her face in the soft fur of the bear, she took a deep breath and prayed for strength.
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"SLINGERLAND!!!"
Wincing, Matt stopped himself from giving into the need to scream at the top of his lungs. This would be the fourth interruption to his lunch date with Jules. Turning around and bracing himself, "Hello Dr. Jordan, what can I do for you on this lovely day?"
"Don't you hello me!!!" Face dark with fury, she pointed an accusing finger at him. "Tell me you didn't just send Mr. Mackey home without consulting me first."
Tilting his head, "Funny, I thought Mr. Mackey was my patient."
"I was in on the consult," she replied with less heat but no less determination. "Did you know that the man has a heart murmur loud enough to give me nightmares?"
"Did you know that he's had that for the last five years?" he asked in response, glancing discreetly at his watch. "Can this wait until after I've gotten a bite to eat? I'm positively ravenous now and you know how it is when hunger sets in. Besides which, there was no way I would have been able to keep Mr. Mackey here since he is determine to go home in time to see his grandson play pitcher at the state championship."
"I don't care if he's son was getting sworn in to the Presidency of the United States, I want him back here," she replied without any concern over the volume of her command. "Now get on that phone and get him back here." When he hesitated, she frowned darkly at him. "What?"
Squirming for no good reason, other than he was faced with a forcefully angry woman, "I would but..."
"But?"" raising a questioning brow at him.
"I'm supposed to be somewhere else right now."
She gave him an admonishing look. "Where?"
"Lunch... with Jules," his eyes pleading with her to understanding.
Rolling her eyes, Letty resisted the urge to give him a quick kick in the rear. "Go," pointing toward the stairwell.
"Thank you, you are a kind and most generous soul." Matt flashed a killer smile and backed away slowly praying she doesn't change her mind. "I'll call Mr. Mackey as soon as..."
"I'll call the stubborn man," she said waving him away. "Norman!" she called as Slingerland made his escape. "Get me Mr. Mackey on the phone. And what the hell did you put in the coffee this morning?"
"It's Orange Roast with a hint of Cinnamon in it." Norman flipped open the appointment book and logged Mr. Mackey's name into the computer.
The look of wholly un-amusement should have warned the receptionist. "Here's a hint for you: if my coffee doesn't taste like Columbia roast by 1:00PM, someone's going to have to call your mother with extremely bad news about an unfortunate accident."
Pouting, Norman nodded his head resignedly. "Yes, Ma'am."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"For cafeteria food, this isn't bad," Jules said through a mouthful of greasy fries generously dipped in ketchup. "Did they remember to send up ice cream?"
"Yes," he answered reaching over to let the plastic lid of the small Styrofoam cup. "And I asked them to bring up both kinds so you can mix if you want to."
"Oh, good idea," she took another healthy bite of her tuna melt and sipped the orange juice that had come with the meal. "So," hoping to forestall any talk of what they need to talk about. Lunchtime, in the middle of the day, with only an hour each to spare, was not conductive of any serious conversation. "How has your day been?"
Considerate of her addiction to caffeine, he to decided to have juice with his lunch as well. Placing the cup down slowly, he studied her with eyes that were just a little too dark with intent. "Are we ever going to talk about it? I know that George interrupted last night and I fully apologize for that. But I honestly think that we should at least..."
"I only asked how your day has been," she complained quietly, placing the sandwich on her plate having suddenly lost all her appetite. "Can't we have at least a simple lunch without having to make a production out of..."
"Stop," he pleaded with her, his eyes relying his calm outer appearance. Running a hand through his hair, he shook his head at her. "Jules, tell me what you plan on doing about the baby? Just tell me so that I know."
A little taken aback by the outburst, she shielded away from him. Taking a deep breath, Jules took a moment to calm her suddenly erratic heart. She lifted her head to speak just as Slingerland leaned across the desk and took her face into his hands, pressing a kiss sent shockwaves of awareness through her entire system. Before she had a chance to respond, he pulled away from her slowly, lingering on the last contact.
"Lord I missed you last night," he muttered more to himself than to her. Opening his eyes, he watched her lashes flutter for a moment. "Jules, I need to know so I need to know what to do."
Still keeping her eyes closed, she's come to realize it was harder to think and look into those big eyes of his, "I going to keep the baby."
Matt let out the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. Something painfully tight released in his chest and he took a moment to just let himself absorb the information.
Jules opened her eyes and watched the non-reaction with part disappointment, part relief. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, what she wanted... everything was just happening so fast. "Look, what we talked about before I can fully apply here. No commitment, no support, no..."
"What are you talking about?" he asked quickly, his eyes snapping to hers sharply.
Startled, "The oral agreement we had when we did the insemination. You are under no obligations to supply me with anything. The baby would be mine and mine alone and that you would not have to..."
He grabbed her by the shoulder, jerking her to a stop. "THIS IS NOT SOME SPERM DONATION!!!" he took a deep breath and calmed himself. Yelling at a pregnant woman was not the best course to take, under any circumstances. "Jules, haven't you figure out that this isn't the same thing? That I'm not going to just walk away from you and this baby? This isn't my lending a hand in your quest to have your own biological child in the future. This is you and me in bed creating a life together."
She opened her mouth to say something but he interrupted her to a gentle shake.
"Uh, uh," shaking his head at her. "Me, you and this baby will be doing the whole pregnancy thing together. I'm not going to be excluded, remember? You said so last evening."
"Yes but you said..."
"What?" he asked.
"This isn't how you planned," she replied softly, almost too softly for him to hear.
"And what does that matter?" he asked, tilting her chin to look at him. The look of concern in his eyes touched her. "This is life, not everything gets to be as we planned. I'm sure you hadn't planned on needing a sperm donor cause you're chances of conceiving were reduced by an unexpected health crisis. I hadn't planned on becoming a donor; it wasn't something a boy plans on doing when he grows up. I hadn't plan on getting into such an incredible relationship as the one you and I share, but here it is. And I could not feel more blessed." He leaned in and kissed her soothingly on the lips. Everything about her tasted sweet. "I'm going to do this right, we're going to do this right."
"Matt..." she closed her eyes, feeling the heat from his lips against hers.
"Move in with me," he asked unceremoniously.
Her eyes popped open. "What?"
"Move in with me," Matt repeated leaning back just a slight bit to see the stunned look on her face. It certainly deflated his ego to see the look of disbelief. "What's the matter?"
Jules blinked her eyes a couple of times, not exactly sure if she heard him correctly. "I'm sorry, did you just ask me to move in with you?"
"Yes," nodding his head slowly. "I may not have a terribly large townhouse but it does have two bedrooms and all the accommodations one can ask for in a home. It is slightly larger than yours and you did say that you enjoy my bathtub quite a lot. We can convert the guest room into a nursery and the second bathroom will become primary yours if you wish, I hardly ever use the thing."
She was going to kick herself for asking it, but... "If the second bedroom becomes a nursery then where exactly am I sleeping?"
The frowned creased the brows on Slingerland's wide forehead. "With me of course." He leaned back even more, looking at her slightly bedazzled face. "What exactly did you think I was asking when I said that you should move in?"
Jules was having a terrible time sorting out all that's going through her head, not to mention her heart. "I thought... I... Matt, last night, you said that you have no intentions of ever getting married. If I move it..."
"I said no such thing!" Indignant that she would think that though it came pretty damn close. He knew that slip of the tongue was going to cause him trouble. "I just said that I... Look, my family doesn't have a great track record when it comes to what is termed as a normal, sane marriage. And fatherhood, my father's example is the one that no man should ever try to follow. I've been wary... and rightly so, of ever coming close to that because I don't want to make the same mistakes that I see them making. You can understand that, can't you luv?"
Jules thought back to the night at the sushi bar, then to the aggravated phone message from his brother and could only nod her head. "Okay, I can see why you'd be a little less than inclined to think about the subject of marriage when you've had such 'great' examples to follow." She smiled and shook her head. "But my moving in with you, after only..."
"We're good together," he said coming around the table to pull her to her feet. He held her for a moment, just placed his arms around, rested his cheek against the baby fine hair and breathed in her scent. She felt good in his arms, like his arms had been waiting for her his entire life. "You cannot tell me that you have not enjoyed the time we've spent together, or the nights." His teasing grin couldn't help but bring a smile to her face.
"You're incorrigible." Swatting him lightly as she rested her cheek against his shoulder. The aftershave he used was soft, almost gentle, but distinctively masculine. "But seriously Matt, moving in together..."
"Will reduce the stress and work you would have to put up with during the most miraculous time of your life," he finished with a smile. "Look, you don't have to answer me now. Just think about it and we'll talk about it some more tonight. Dinner? My house? No George and I'll get cheesecake."
"Are you bribing me with desserts?"
"Whatever it takes to get you home with me," kissing her forehead as if she was a child.
Jules made a face. "I guess we should talk some more about what we're going to do. Not that I'm agreeing to this whole moving in idea yet."
She had said yet. Which is as good as yes in his mind. Grinning from ear to ear, he nodded his head. "I have to meet George for coffee this afternoon to go over some details on finances and what to do about this prenuptial agreement that he and Alice signed. I should be done around seven. Will you wait for me and let me drive you? Or would you rather go there first?"
"I'm on duty until six."
"Which means you probably won't actually leave until seven or eight," he replied with a sigh. "Time to cut back on your hours, my luv."
"Harriet is definitely seeing to that. If she had it her way, I'd be on my back through this whole thing," she pouted. "I'm suppose to oversee NICU tonight too but she's calling in someone else to cover for me."
Slingerland laughed. "Good, you shouldn't be on your feet that long." Her brushed a lock of her back and kissed her cheek. "Now, finish your lunch. I'll come pick you up this evening and we'll spend the night going over nursery plans. I'm sure they have plenty of good books on the subject in the gift shop."
"Getting ahead of yourself there, Brit," she reprimanded as she sat down against, picking up her spoon for ice cream. "I haven't agreed to anything yet."
"Right you are," he replied cheerfully, more optimistic than ever about the future.
Jules groaned and shook her head as she scooped up ice cream with resignation. "I'm doomed."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Pardon me," George ask of the little man at the front desk as he automatically flash the passing nurse a smile that made her day. "Would you tell me where Dr. Slingerland is?"
"He's with a patient right now," Norman answered with a little annoyance since the heavy accented man in front of him seemed to be paying more attention to the nursing staff than to the person he was asking of the question. "Take a seat and I'll tell him you're here."
"Name's George," more to a passing blonde with eyes a little too much like Alice's to suit him... but she's got the most beautiful pair of legs under the nurse's uniform, or so his imagination told him. "Tell him I'm waiting."
"Sure," Norman muttered as he took up charts and headed for the curtained off area. He really did not like arrogant bastards that expect the world to cater to their whim.
George wondered over the wall, looking over the posted bulletins and announcements that were tacked up for easy access. There were plenty to read and even more to be amused over, but all he wanted to do was get his brother, go over some details and get back to his hotel room. The fact that Matt had unceremoniously kicked him out this morning, announcing that he wanted time with the mother-to-be, had put a rather damper on his mood.
Speaking of which, he was surprised that his father hadn't called over that little piece of news since he left message of it at all the usual locations this morning. He sincerely hope Niles had gotten to the message in his parent's home before his mother did and told his mother in person. He can only guess what his sentimental mother was going to react to this. "And the muddle head had the nerve to call me an irresponsible idiot," he muttered to himself as he looked over nursing schedules that someone had put up.
The cell phone on his belt chirped sweetly, causing several appreciative female eyes to turn toward him. Flashing them a smile that was more than repayment for thorough look-overs that he getting, he flipped the wonderful tri-band phone from his father. "Slingerland."
"You Slingerland?" came a voice from just behind his left shoulder even as his mother's woe begotten greeting assaulted his ear.
Turning, he was arrested by the rake thin tower of fury. Startled at being accosted by a stranger, "Yes, I'm Slingerland. May I help you?"
The man nodded his strawberry blonde head. "Stay away from my sister," was the only other clue to the man's identity before the fist came at George with a speed that he simply could not avoid.
Lying flat on his back as someone in the corridors screamed for security, the only coherent thought George had was that the spinning tweedy birds surrounding his head made thinking a little difficult.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Thoroughly enjoying writing this story. Went on a short vacation so don't expect anything to follow this chapter for a little while.