"Jessy, Lizzie, let's go, girls!" Andy called. She sighed, wishing Les were there. She'd been getting the girls up and ready for school every day for the past several weeks, but it didn't seem to get any easier.
Her youngest daughter, Eliza, came running into the kitchen. "Morning, Mommy." she said sweetly.
"Good morning, honey." Andy responded, handing Lizzie a plate with two small pancakes. "Where's your sister?"
"Jessy, where are you?" the little girl yelled.
"I'm right here," grumbled Andy's teenage daughter, Jessica. She sat down next to her little sister, and took her breakfast from Andy, fidgeting with her brace.
"Knock it off, you look fine." Andy told her.
"I look like a robot." Jessy complained.
"Oh, but a very pretty robot." Andy quipped, kissing her daughter on the top of the head. Lizzie laughed, until her big sister sent her a scathing glare.
"Not. Funny." Jessy said.
"Allright," Andy sighed. "I'm sorry."
The girls finished their breakfast and grabbed their books.
"Now, don't forget Daddy's picking you both up from school." Andy reminded them.
"Like we'd forget." Jessy muttered.
Andy ignored her. "You both be good, and Jessy, help your father look after your little sister."
"I can look after myself, Mom." Lizzie said indignantly.
"Of course you can, honey." Andy replied. "Now go, or you'll both be late."
Jessica ran out without a word. Eliza stayed behind. "Don't worry, Mommy, I won't get Daddy mad. I promise."
Andy looked at her daughter heartbrokenly. She hated the fact that her little girl was afraid of her own father. She knelt down to be face-to-face with Eliza. "Lizzie, sweetheart, you don't have to worry about making Daddy mad. Just have fun, ok?"
The little girl nodded, and threw her arms around Andy's neck. "I love you, Mommy." she whispered.
"I love you, too." Andy replied. "Go on, you're going to be late."
Lizzie kissed her mother good-bye, and ran outside after her older sister. Andy closed the door behind them, and leaned against it for a few minutes before going upstairs to get herself ready to leave.
Andy and Lu pulled into the Rittenhouse parking lot at the same time. Nodding their hellos, the two women walked up together.
When they were right outside the clinic, Lu got dizzy again and stumbled. Andy grabbed her before she fell, and helped Lu into her office.
"Thanks, Andy." Lu said, taking a seat in front of the other doctor's desk.
"Lu, are you feeling all right?" Andy asked.
Lu nodded. "I'm fine. I just tripped, you know what a klutz I am."
Andy smiled, but still looked concerned. "Are you sure you're okay? No offense, Lu, but you've been looking a bit... off, the past several days."
Lu shrugged. "Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, I've gotten a few dizzy spells, but things have been kind of busy lately. It's probably just because I've had to skip a few meals, that's all."
Andy frowned. "Dizzy spells? Lu, maybe you should go see your doctor."
Lu shook her head. "No, really, I'm okay."
"Lu," Andy started.
Lu bit her lip, embarrassed. "Okay, this is probably the strangest thing you will ever hear from someone in out profession, but... I'm afraid of going to the doctor. I don't know why, and I know it's weird for someone in this particular, job, but I've just always hated it, since I was a kid."
Andy smiled reassuringly. "Plenty of people are afraid of doctors. You and I can both attest to that, we've had enough unwilling patients."
"None of them were doctors." Lu pointed out.
"Okay, well how about you don't go to your doctor?" Andy suggested. "How about you just go to a friend who's worried about you, who happens to be in the medical profession?"
Lu smiled, touched by her colleague's concern, but shook her head. "Thanks, Andy, but you don't have to. You've got enough to worry about, with the girls and all."
"The girls are with Les tonight. Come on, Lu, you need to do this." Andy urged her. "Meet me in my office after you see your last patient tonight?"
Lu sighed, knowing Andy wouldn't take no for an answer. "Okay. Thanks, Andy."
Andy nodded. "I'll see you later."
Lu went back into her own office, and prepared to see her first patient.
****************
A/N: Many thanks to Alexa, you're the only one who reviewed. Everyone else, I need feedback, and it only takes a minute to review, so please do so. If you've got any questions/comments/whatever, you can e-mail me at xScarletStarlet@aol.com
Her youngest daughter, Eliza, came running into the kitchen. "Morning, Mommy." she said sweetly.
"Good morning, honey." Andy responded, handing Lizzie a plate with two small pancakes. "Where's your sister?"
"Jessy, where are you?" the little girl yelled.
"I'm right here," grumbled Andy's teenage daughter, Jessica. She sat down next to her little sister, and took her breakfast from Andy, fidgeting with her brace.
"Knock it off, you look fine." Andy told her.
"I look like a robot." Jessy complained.
"Oh, but a very pretty robot." Andy quipped, kissing her daughter on the top of the head. Lizzie laughed, until her big sister sent her a scathing glare.
"Not. Funny." Jessy said.
"Allright," Andy sighed. "I'm sorry."
The girls finished their breakfast and grabbed their books.
"Now, don't forget Daddy's picking you both up from school." Andy reminded them.
"Like we'd forget." Jessy muttered.
Andy ignored her. "You both be good, and Jessy, help your father look after your little sister."
"I can look after myself, Mom." Lizzie said indignantly.
"Of course you can, honey." Andy replied. "Now go, or you'll both be late."
Jessica ran out without a word. Eliza stayed behind. "Don't worry, Mommy, I won't get Daddy mad. I promise."
Andy looked at her daughter heartbrokenly. She hated the fact that her little girl was afraid of her own father. She knelt down to be face-to-face with Eliza. "Lizzie, sweetheart, you don't have to worry about making Daddy mad. Just have fun, ok?"
The little girl nodded, and threw her arms around Andy's neck. "I love you, Mommy." she whispered.
"I love you, too." Andy replied. "Go on, you're going to be late."
Lizzie kissed her mother good-bye, and ran outside after her older sister. Andy closed the door behind them, and leaned against it for a few minutes before going upstairs to get herself ready to leave.
Andy and Lu pulled into the Rittenhouse parking lot at the same time. Nodding their hellos, the two women walked up together.
When they were right outside the clinic, Lu got dizzy again and stumbled. Andy grabbed her before she fell, and helped Lu into her office.
"Thanks, Andy." Lu said, taking a seat in front of the other doctor's desk.
"Lu, are you feeling all right?" Andy asked.
Lu nodded. "I'm fine. I just tripped, you know what a klutz I am."
Andy smiled, but still looked concerned. "Are you sure you're okay? No offense, Lu, but you've been looking a bit... off, the past several days."
Lu shrugged. "Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, I've gotten a few dizzy spells, but things have been kind of busy lately. It's probably just because I've had to skip a few meals, that's all."
Andy frowned. "Dizzy spells? Lu, maybe you should go see your doctor."
Lu shook her head. "No, really, I'm okay."
"Lu," Andy started.
Lu bit her lip, embarrassed. "Okay, this is probably the strangest thing you will ever hear from someone in out profession, but... I'm afraid of going to the doctor. I don't know why, and I know it's weird for someone in this particular, job, but I've just always hated it, since I was a kid."
Andy smiled reassuringly. "Plenty of people are afraid of doctors. You and I can both attest to that, we've had enough unwilling patients."
"None of them were doctors." Lu pointed out.
"Okay, well how about you don't go to your doctor?" Andy suggested. "How about you just go to a friend who's worried about you, who happens to be in the medical profession?"
Lu smiled, touched by her colleague's concern, but shook her head. "Thanks, Andy, but you don't have to. You've got enough to worry about, with the girls and all."
"The girls are with Les tonight. Come on, Lu, you need to do this." Andy urged her. "Meet me in my office after you see your last patient tonight?"
Lu sighed, knowing Andy wouldn't take no for an answer. "Okay. Thanks, Andy."
Andy nodded. "I'll see you later."
Lu went back into her own office, and prepared to see her first patient.
****************
A/N: Many thanks to Alexa, you're the only one who reviewed. Everyone else, I need feedback, and it only takes a minute to review, so please do so. If you've got any questions/comments/whatever, you can e-mail me at xScarletStarlet@aol.com
