By Didi
Disclaimer: I don't own so please don't sue.
Timeline: Let's face it, we've moved well beyond the time frame set forth by the show. So I'm not going to do this timeline thing from now on. Not that there's much more to this story anymore.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: If it feels like a long time since I've updated… well, it has. Sorry, life, illness and the holidays got in the way of my muse poking in the ribs and making me get to work on the keyboard. Cannot be helped. Between friends, family and the little hectic things in life, these little indulgences had to take a back burner. The good news is that I think I've come up with a ridiculous conclusion to this story that I'm now going to work steadily toward. Thanks for sticking around… assuming someone out there is still reading this stupidly long story.
Summary: What would you do in the name of love? A lot more than you realize.
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Chapter Fourteen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Good morning."
For lack of anything better to say, "Good morning."
"I made coffee," pointing to the big steaming pot that was infusing the entire apartment with it's eye opening inspirational aroma.
Nodding, "I can smell it."
"May I just say that you're an atrocious cook?"
"Hum?"
"Your icebox in empty."
"It is not," she replied indignantly.
"All right then, it is near empty." He conceded with a grin. "You still have stall cheese and olives. I don't suppose this would be a good time to mention nutrition to you once more."
"You suppose right," no longer feeling quite so awkward in her own kitchen but feeling her irritation mounting by the spades.
"Right. So how about we eat out?"
Okay, the awkwardness returned. She hesitated. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"I think it's an excellent idea." He said cheerfully, sipping black coffee carefully as he watched her with hooded eyes. "A hearty breakfast is just what everyone needs in the morning."
"Matt…"
"If you think I'm simply going to ignore last evening, luv, you're out of your Loony Tune loving mind."
Distracted for a moment by his choice of words, Jules was ill prepared for when Slingerland decided to swoop in on her and planted an endearingly gentle kiss that was touched with adoration and kindness. Keeping her eyes closed even after he had retreated into his side of the kitchen and was calmly sipping coffee once more, Jules gave herself two counts of twenty before her heart stopped pounding in her rib cage and allowed her to speak with some normalcy. "I don't think you should be doing that."
"Why not?" he asked reasonably. "You didn't seem to mind it the least last evening."
Jules wondered if she was blushing. "Last… Last night was… was…" she had a million words to attach to her memories of last evening but none of them would do the slightest to discourage these intimate touches from a man that was had proven well and beyond doubt that he knew the female anatomy better than she did.
"Yes?" with arrogant anticipation.
"A mistake," she concluded firmly.
"Is it?" not the least bit offended.
"Yes."
"Why?"
That was a good question. Why? "Well first of all, because you and I shouldn't… co-workers shouldn't be dating."
"What we were doing couldn't possibly be construed as dating. Dating involves leaving the apartment."
She knew she was blushing now. "Second of which, I'm not someone who indulges in affairs and one-night stands."
Matt nodded in perfect agreement, still sipping the coffee from a pink and white Pepé Le Pew mug. The toon and the doctor wore the same arrogantly charming expression. "I never thought you were or would do such a thing. And for clarification purposes: what we have," his finger see-sawing between the two, "Will never be consider as either."
Jules made a face. "We don't have anything."
"Not yet," he told her with an arrogantly presumptuous smile.
"Not ever," she replied. "And thirdly…"
"Is there such a word?" he interrupted; finally enjoying these little word games she was apt in.
She glared at him. "Thirdly," she repeated, "I'm about to become a mother. I don't have the time, energy or inclination for affairs. What kind of example would that be for my kid?"
"Hum…"
"What do you mean by that?"
Startled, "By what?"
"That 'Hum…' bite. What does that mean?"
Grinning over the mug that he was enjoying just a little too much, what with his playing with the ears and all, "I was just thinking what our child would think about Mommy excluding Daddy from the conception part of the equation?"
Because she's got no witty comeback for that, Jules groaned and threw up her hands in resignation. Her head is too jumbled with thing to be playing his games at the moment. She'll simply have to get to it when she gets to it. "I've going to go change and get ready for work. You…" she turned around. "Aren't you going to go home?"
"No."
"No?" planting hands on her hips. "You really going to go to work looking like you've just spent the night on the couch?"
"Now that's just an out and out lie." Looking much offended by the prospects being thought of such. "I didn't spend the night on the couch; I spent it in your…"
"Okay, okay, no need to get into all that!" she ordered sternly. "Go home and get changed, Slingerland. You're already in enough trouble as is. I think the administration would frown at you showing up looking hung over."
"Hardly, luv. I barely touch the liquor last evening. I was more intoxicated by your…"
"Are you done?" she asked more than a little exasperated if feeling giddily flattered by his insatiable teasing tone.
He laughed, because the situation asked for it. Reaching over, he grabbed Jules by the ties of her robe and pulled her into his arms, ignoring the half-hearted struggle she put up. Pressing his lips against her temple, he took a moment to enjoy the warm bundle that he had shared the night with. "You know what I learned last night?"
"What?" her body tingling with sensations that she didn't want to identify.
"You have very sensitive ears," tracing the shell with the tip of his finger, "And that you aren't all together repulsed by the idea of sharing at least part of your life with me." He snuggled her a moment. "Which is a thought that has kept me up most of the night just watching you sleep. You're very peaceful when you sleep. Like a fairy queen."
"Matt…"
"Just think about it Jules. That's all I'm asking."
She needed to say no. She needed space and time to clear her head. Plus she's got too much to worry about now to have to put Matt Slingerland's fidelity to the test; way too many stories floating about for her to just simply ignore. The smart thing to do would be to step away from the man and tell him in no uncertain terms that the child she was about to carry would be hers and hers alone. "I'll think about it."
~~~~
"Someone is a chipper mood," Letty commented referring to the whistling as she made a quick note on her patient's chart and looked up in time to see Matthew Slingerland walk in looking less than his usual smooth self. Eyes wide, as was everyone else near the main nurse's station on level two, "Slingerland! What the hell happened to you?"
Matt grinned and said nothing as he happily made his way to the receptionist area. Norman handed the internist his schedule with his jaw hanging on the ground. "Thank you, Norman. Could you clear my calendar for between 10:00 to 11:00, I have a personal matter to attend to at that time."
"Does it involve you shaving, showering and putting on a fresh change of clothes?" Dr. Jordan asked, more amused than annoyed with the lack of professionalism in the usually by the book dress code Slingerland. "Did you get run over by something last night? Like a dozen beer bottles?"
"Not at all," Matt replied cheerfully and with clear eyes. "I never touch the stuff. Vile happen, beer drinking, rots the stomach and makes a person idle." He checked his notes for this first patient and prepared to move off toward his office for that fresh change of clothes Dr. Jordan mentioned.
"You going to tell me what happened to you or not?" Letty asked sternly.
"Not," he replied all smiles and happy feet. "But don't worry, it's nothing the hospital needs to be concern about," then promptly backed into an approaching Dr. Kokoris as the surgeon came around the corner with his nose buried in a chart. "Oops, so sorry," patted Nick on the back and moved off again with a spring in his step.
Kokoris followed the happy doctor with is eyes for a moment before turning back to the cardiologist with a questioning look that was only answer with a shake of her head in resignation. "Did someone spike his coffee this morning?"
"Who knows," Letty sighed and pulled a sheet of notes from her pocket. "My written summary of my recommendations on the Bridgewood case. We can get her into surgery tomorrow morning if we're real lucky. And by the way, what is going on with the surgical rotation? Tom hasn't been home on time for a week now and I for one am pretty damn tired of holding up dinner for him then having to enjoy a cold meal."
"Don't look at me, go talk to Dr. Ackland. I've had three six o'clock scrub-in's in a roll. Punishment for the stem cell thing." Nick glanced briefly at the perfectly neatly typed summary of Dr. Jordan's conclusions on their consultation but was greatly distracted by Slingerland's all too jovial disposition.
"If you ask me, he is just jealous cause he didn't get to…" her eyes followed Kokoris's to where Slingerland was reviewing notes made by nurses and signing off on phone orders he made last evening as he made his way toward his office. "You know something I don't?"
"Maybe," Nick answered slowly, a smile curling his lips among the peppered bristles. "He looks awfully happy, doesn't he?"
"Yeah," Letty agreed, watching as Slingerland swung around and made a quick note on the chart held out by an eager nurse that was batting her pretty blue eyes for all she's worth but not eliciting anything more than a friendly smile. "Hum… looks like someone got some last night," she predicted with a sigh.
A deep chuckle erupted from Kokoris. "What do you have to be jealous of? You're a marry woman."
"Yes but that only means that I have to schedule the sex around the late nights, emergencies, soccer practices, piano lessons and other unexpected surprises in my life."
Kokoris nodded absentmindedly as he picked up his charts. "Excuse me."
"Right," Letty muttered watching as Nick hurried down the hall to catch Matt just as the internist was about to enter his office. The cardiologist shook her head and made a mental note to sic the nurses on them later to find out what the hell was going on.
Nick shut the door as Matt made his way to the closet, pulling out a fresh, wrinkle-free shirt from inside. "Do you always keep clothes here?"
"Yes," Matt answered cheerfully as he unbuttoned his shirt. "I find it more convenient this way. One never knows when one must return to the office without getting home."
"Like last night?" not wanting to get into other reasons.
"Yes."
Head nodding, "What exactly did you do last evening?" he asked more than a little eager to find out if all is well for the doctor and his lady… er… doctor.
"Lots of good," Matt answered with grin that certainly didn't disguise his self-satisfaction. Nothing in the world could spoil his good mood this morning, even if the administration decided to fire him for the whole stem cell stunt he would cheerfully pack his office up and wave good-bye without a thought. Life was beautiful at this moment and he predicted that it could only get better.
Jules had said that she'd think about a relationship with him. Really think about it. Not only that; she hadn't once, not last evening or this morning, mentioned that damn Parental Rights Agreement that was still sitting on the coffee table in his home. "And that thing is going straight into the trash can the minute I get home." He also made a mental note to send Jenna Fraser some flowers later. The woman was a gem, even if she did make him bleed first.
"Earth to Slingerland," Kokoris said waving a hand in front of the doctor's face. "Where did you go just now?"
"To a good place where fairies reside." He glanced at Kokoris and shrugged on his clean shirt, pulling a tie from the rack as he began to button his shirt. "Is there something you needed?"
"Yeah," Nick said, feeling strangely bittersweet. "Whatever drug you're currently on," and sat down to enjoy the sight of a man in love. It was a beautiful sight in deed, one he won't mind being in.
"Only one to take in abundance."
Nick acknowledged it with a sigh. "So you and Jules, heh?"
"I certainly hope so."
"I see."
"What's the matter?" Matt asked, running his fingers through is hair and wishing that he had the forethought to being a comb or brush. "You look disappointed."
"Perhaps a little," Nick admitted with a wistful smile. "The sweet ones, the good ones, the ones you want to take home to your mother always seem slip right through your fingers."
Matt frowned at him. "You can keep your fingers to yourself where this one is concern, Mate."
Nick's smile went wide. "What's the manner? Don't think you can hang on?"
The glare could have killed. "I love to stay and chit-chat with you about nonsense but I have patients to see and lives to save. If you'll excuse me…"
"We have consultation in two minute with Dr. Chen in radiology," Nick reminded him calmly as he stood, holding out a chart smugly.
Because he hadn't read his schedule for the day, nor has he really had much thought about anything else but the coming life-altering event due to take place in Dr. Lenning exam room, he planted his tongue firmly between his teeth and reframed from making annoyed noises. "What do we have?"
~~~~
"We're waiting for the final lab results."
The nod was the only acknowledgement.
"I don't expect any problems."
Again, a nod.
"Do you?"
This time the answer came in the form of a violent shake of the head.
"Are you all right?"
Jules gave a waning smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I think I may be suffering from pre-insemination jitters." The thought was so ridiculous that she gave a nervous laugh. "You think that being a doctor you would already know what's going happen and not be so…"
"Don't be silly," Harriet said as she read her chart and waited patiently for the final test results to come back to her. "It's only natural to be nervous about any procedure. Heck, I'd be nervous if I were dong this."
"I'd be worried if you were the one doing this," Jules replied cheekily.
Harriet smiled and made a note just as a knock at the door came. "Ah... and this must be your final test results. Come in," her brows shot up as Slingerland breezed through the door, a little anxious
Matt's eyes went from one woman to the other quickly. "Am I late?"
To give her credit, Dr. Lenning didn't even so much as snicker as Jules buried her face in her hands and groaned. "For what exactly?" Harriet asked conversationally.
Making a face, he shut the door behind him. "I think you know what."
Jules pulled her hands away and leaned back on the examination bed, eyes closed and resigned. "I don't recall inviting you."
"Either do I," Matt mused having already received the answer by the non-reply he was getting. "But then I figured it simply slipped your mind with all that's happening." She gave her a wholly self-satisfying grin and sat down by the bed without invitation. "Nervous?" glancing at her clutched hands.
Jules responded by using those hands to whack him hard in the arm. "Shut up," then too a long steady breathe before lifting her eyes to meet Dr. Lenning's. She could have groan again at the speculative look she saw beheld those half moon glasses. "It's not what you think."
Giving a snort of amusement, Matt shook his head in opposition. "Don't listen to her, she's confused; all those hormone injects have made her slightly loopy. It's exactly what you think."
Setting her pen down, she pulled her reading glasses from her nose and toyed with the ears for a moment as she held the hospital's well know playboy's gaze for a moment. "And what exactly is that, Dr. Slingerland, if I am permitted to inquire."
"Can we not do this?" Jules begged and dropped her forehead forward with a groan. This was the last thing she needed right now… and the one thing she was afraid she was going to need real soon was that trashcan by exam bed, her stomach felt like it was about to do a 360.
Matt reached out and smoothed one wide hand over her back, putting a bit of pressure along both sides of her spine. "Want some water?"
"No," she murmured and sat up again. "How much longer?" she asked Dr. Lenning, who was watching them both with raised brows but not muttering a word. The knock on the door sounded before Harriet would say anything. "Thank god," Jules muttered and ignored Matt's grin of amusement.
The nurse, a apple cheek cheery girl of no more than twenty-five, looked startled at seeing the other two doctors sitting quietly as the test results were handed to Dr. Lenning. "Thank you Liz. Please tell Betty that we'll begin the procedure in ten minutes."
Nodding her head vigorously, Liz backed out the room, her eyes still wide.
"Oh shit," Jules muttered.
Matt shrugged and took it all in stride. "They were bound to find out sooner or later. It's not like you can hide this sort of thing."
"I rather it be later."
Harriet cleared her throat to interrupt and smiled. "Well, looks like everything is in order. Your blood counts are good; white blood cells are normal, high oxygen levels. You're in the pink of health." She sat the result down and pulled up a seat to look at her friend with concern eyes. "Julia…"
"Ohhh…. Don't do that."
"What?" confused.
"Call me Julia like that. You sound like my mother just as she's about to lecture me."
A smile appeared, very maternal like. "Well, I'm going to lecture you anyways. This will be the last time and I have an obligation, not only as your doctor but as your friend as well, to ask you if you've clearly considered this through. After this step, there will be no going back… no easy way that is."
Jules Keating put on her most mature face, usually reserved for her most dire of patients' parents, and nodded her head with all the convictions of a general going into battle. "I know what I'm doing, Harriet. I've considered this very carefully and for a long time now. And dispute the oppositions…" she turned and glared at Matt.
He held his hands up in defense. "I have never said a word in opposition to your having a child. Not one." Wiggling at finger at her, "It was your hard-headed decisions, secret conference with my parents and excluding me from certain things that I objected to."
"There was no secret conferences," she pouted with a blush, wondering exactly what was going on behind Harriet's unreadable eyes.
Matt smiled and patted her hand. "I think we're pass that now."
Another knock sounded before Jules could ask him what he meant by that little remark. Nurse Betty entered when called. The sixty-year-old grandmother of four did not so much as blink when she saw Drs. Slingerland Keating in the room. She held the tray on specimens in her hand steadily as she closed the door to the exam room with her elbow. Her soft-soled shoes made slight slapping noises as she approached and placed the wide metal tray on the rolling stand by the bed. Pulling latex gloves out from the pocket of her lab coat, she glanced at Dr. Lenning who was also pulling on latex and gave a firm nod. "Ready, doctor."
With warm and reassuring smile, Harriet reached over and gave Jules's shoulder a gentle push. "Lay back, try to relax." Pulling the stirrups into place, "Feet up."
Visibly trepidations, Jules took a deep and try to calm her suddenly rapidly beating heart. Putting her socked feet, she was an advocate of taking off shoes when on any bed, doctor's examination bed or not, and slipped her feet firmly into the raised stirrup. She bit her lip to attempt to keep from jumping out of her skin as she watched Nurse Betty remove a test tube from the container on the tray.
There are few things now a day that unnerve Matthew Slingerland. But now he can add one more. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly terribly dry as he watched Dr. Lenning remove a large syringe from the plastic container wrapping by the cold metal medical container on the tray. "I know as a doctor that this procedure supposedly does not injure or even hurt. But as a man…" he cringed as Harriet check the tip of the soft plastic syringe. "Good Lord."
Harriet's lips twitched. "Dr. Slingerland, I sincerely hope that you do not plan on passing out during the procedure and creating a complete…" she blinked. "Hum…"
"What?"
Placing the syringe down, "Whatever is the matter with me?" she turned to Dr. Keating. "Jules, why is Slingerland here?" she glanced briefly at Nurse Betty. "Doctor-Patient confidentially." Nurse Betty nodded without saying a word. "Matt, I will need to ask you to leave if you are not…"
"He can stay," Jules managed to get out in one breath. Her lips were paper white and her heart felt too big in her chest. "Just let him stay and let's get on with this."
Harriet's eyes watched her for a moment longer. "If you're not ready for this…"
"I'm ready," with more conviction that she was feeling.
Leaning close, he whispered into her ear, "Thank you." She turned to look at him, all the whites of her eyes showing around her dilated pupils. She wasn't just nervous, as he had first suspected; she was terrified. His own fears receded in light of hers. Matt reached out and grabbed her white-knuckled fisted hands. She instinctively opened her hand and entwined her fingers with his, nails digging into his skin.
Harriet's eyes missed nothing but she made no comment upon this revealing scene. "Just relax and let me do all the work."
She clinched her teeth and nodded stiffly.
Standing, Matt moved closer to the bed. Still holding her hand with his right, his left arm went around the bed. Cupping his hand over her eyes, he gently pulled her head to rest against the raised bed. Pressing his lips against her temple, "Think of that beautiful child you're going to hold in your arms in a matter of months." Jules let out a painfully broken breath. "Her beautiful green eyes, with speckles of gold in their depth. Soft golden red curls, little ones that falls just under the shell of her ears," and he traced her ear with one smooth doctor's finger.
Eyes closed behind his hand, "You know that dark eyes, like yours, and dark hair, like yours, are scientifically proven to be dominate genes right?"
"Yes," he murmured softly. "But I'd like to think that the higher beings above would be kind enough to provide me with a pretty little girl like her momma." He brought their joined hands to his lips, feeling the stiffness in her body slowly ebb. "A pretty little girl with her mother's green eyes and red hair. Maybe even that sweet little upturn nose."
"What if he happens to have brown eyes and brown hair?"
"Well then, we will simply have to keep trying until we get the right combination then, won't we?"
"What do you mean by 'keep trying'?"
"That's the fun part, luv." Pressing another kiss to her temple. "But I'm a reasonable man; we can compromise. How about hazel eyes and mahogany hair?"
A snap of latex caught their attention as Harriet smiled at them while and tossed her used gloves into the trash. "Well, that sounds like a lovely combination. Now, if you're done discussing your DNA matrix, I need my office back."
Jules's eyes went wide. "We're done?"
"We're done," she replied patting the upturned knee. "A few quick instructions. Since this is still artificial insemination, you will need to be extra careful for the next few days. Don't do any… strenuous activities."
Puzzled, Jules shook her head. "What?"
Amused, Matt leaned closer. "She means no sex."
Blushing furiously, she yanked her forgotten hand from Matt and bristled for a moment trying to compose herself. "Well, that's not going to be a problem."
Much to Harriet's amusement, Slingerland's brows rose high on his smooth forehead. "Speak for yourself, luv. I'm not particularly fond of chilly baths."
That finally got a reaction from Nurse Betty, who promptly dropped the tray of medical equipment that was in need of cleaning and sterilization. The poor woman stared down at the spilled materials on her shoes and around her legs. Then with a sigh, and no glances toward the doctors, she bent over and picked everything up without a word, leaving as quickly as she could to avoid any more overheard comments she was going to have a lot of trouble keep mum about.
It was with a great deal of effort that Harriet didn't laugh, nor did she attempted to look at Keating and Slingerland knowing that she was going to lose her professional composure if she did. "Well, I don't have to tell you about nutrition and such while you're pregnant… if this takes. Come back in a week and we'll do the usual tests to confirm. But I don't expect there to be any problems." She finally looked up at the two, who stared back at her with blank faces. The smile couldn't be fully contained. "Don't do anything stupid."
"Define stupid," Jules suggested, tugging at her hospital gown slowly. She was sure word of this was going to get around the hospital in mere seconds now, despite Nurse Betty's usual mum-is-the-word attitude.
"Eat, sleep and rest, a lot more than you've been doing of late," Harriet advised ignoring the question she was sure wasn't directed at her. "And don't do any flying for a while."
"I know," Jules said putting her feet into her slip-on shoes. When Matt moved to follow her, "I have to change," she told him.
"I don't mind," he informed her with smile, his mind's eyes already seeing her soft and round with child.
"I do," she told him with a prod to his stomach. "And don't you have patients to see?"
"I had Norman moved them," he glanced at Dr. Lenning, who was watching silently. "Does she need anything more than just rest? Which I will be sure she gets. Vitamins, extra calcium, etc.?"
"Not yet," Harriet replied cheerfully. She had her doubts at first but now she had a great deal of expectations. "Would the two of your like to use my office of a little tête-à-tête?"
"No," Jules replied curtly.
"Yes," Matt answered agreeably.
"Right," Harriet's grin went wider. "Tell you what, you can use this room for the next fifteen minutes. I need it after that though." Then promptly left, shutting the door behind her firmly.
Throwing him a disgruntled look, Jules snatched up her top and pulled it over her head.
"Shouldn't you take off the gown first?" he asked as he leaned one hip against the exam table. She looked slightly flushed; it was a good look on her, gave her pretty face a little more color.
"Don't need to," she replied smugly and pulled her top over the gown and began to maneuver under it. "Especially with you here."
"It's not like I don't know what you look like without any…"
"Look," turning to him as she pulled the gown out from under the bulky top that fell well below her hips. "I appreciate you being here for me, given I nearly turned into a basket case right before everyone's eyes, but I'm still having some second thoughts about…"
"What?" he asked, eyes suddenly sharp. "My being part of you and this child's life? Because I'm afraid that I'm not going to be very compromising about this, just so you know."
She gave him a grime look. "So I've been warned." Shaking her head, she pulled on her pants and picked up a necklace she had took off earlier. "I'm not sure if I am ready to get into something this big when I'm going through a whole lot more than just what you see on the surface."
"You mean your nephew?"
"Among other things."
"And your health?"
"That too."
He moved closer, wrapping his arms around her for a moment, wishing she wouldn't wiggle like that. On any other day, he may enjoy it but knowing that he couldn't don't do anything about it was killing him. "I can help."
"I don't want your…"
"Too damn bad."
She stopped wiggling and turned her head to look at him. "You're pretty stubborn, aren't you?"
"And proud of it."
Jules wasn't sure why she wasn't finding this whole exchange annoying or even bothersome. It was rather endearing in an odd kind of way. That he was firm in his conviction to become a father to her child… not exactly the Slingerland most hospital personnel would have pictured. "I have patients."
"So do I," he reminded her, waiting for her to make the next move. He's placed all his cards on the table now. Now it was time to see what she did with them. He can only hope that she didn't decide to fold.
Pursing her lips, "We'll talk at dinner," she finally said with some reluctance.
Satisfied that he's won this round, "Dinner it is. Six?"
She gave him a look that said, "Are you nuts?"
"Okay, okay, seven if we're lucky," he conceded with a sigh. "I'll make the reservations."
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To be continued…..