REWRITTEN
Fate is often described as cruel. However, Auralia thought it really had more of a seriously twisted, black sense of humor.
She had at least one out of her three prospective parental candidates down and didn't think the last two could possibly be any worse than Lawrence Taylor. It was comforting to know since Mark and Steve Sloan were a doctor and a cop respectively she wasn't going to have to look for them on the movie set of some porno or someplace else equally bizarre.
Her spine twisted and crawled whenever she stopped to think Taylor might be her father. She seriously considered giving up on becoming a U.S. citizen and returning to Mexico for that reason alone. Otherwise she was pleased with how well things were going so far.
However, despite feeling she might be on the right track, it seriously seemed like the entire world was out to get her this morning. Or at least drive her insane with stupid little monkey wrenches constantly being thrown into the works. The day was starting out much worse than yesterday ended. She felt like everything that could go wrong, did.
Auralia hand washed the same blouse she wore yesterday. She considered just wearing it again, but to her dismay noticed the ketchup stain. It wouldn't be such a big deal if it weren't the only decent shirt she brought. She just didn't think anyone would take her seriously as she asked them to take a paternity test if she showed up in one of her other shirts. They weren't torn or anything, just a little worn and faded. She wanted to make a good first impression, especially when facing the wariness her mother's name brought up every time she introduced herself. At least the blouse offset her worn, frayed jeans making her look a little more professional. Sort of.
After washing it she spread it out to air dry before going to bed last night. It was only slightly damp, which wasn't a big deal, but it now truly looked like she pulled it out from the bottom of a pile of dirty clothes. She tried ironing the worst of the wrinkles, but it's hard to do that when the old borrowed travel iron she was using won't stay hot. Unfortunately, the motel thought irons were too luxurious to provide their guests. It took forever, but she finally got the shirt to where it looked at least decent.
Then she proved it really wasn't 'your way, right away,' at Burger King when they screwed up her breakfast order. When she went back to the counter to complain, they told her they were out of sausage and that's why they gave her a ham Croissanwich instead of a sausage Croissanwich. Although it really wasn't the end of the world, Auralia thought it was the principle of the matter. She felt in the mood for sausage. Besides, the ham Croissanwich didn't sit right in her stomach and she kept burping it up the rest of the morning.
While exiting the restaurant, the insole of her left tennis shoe decided to rip away from the shoe. She was forced to walk up and down the aisles of the nearest hardware store, the sole slapping obnoxiously loud with each step, just to find a roll of duct tape.
She knew she badly needed a new pair of shoes, but this trip came up and every penny she had was going toward it. If her abuela were alive she'd be scolding her for wearing them. Then she'd scold her for wearing her jeans even if she explained worn and torn jeans are considered stylish. Auralia had to admit her old, decrepit shoes were not. She was embarrassed about her appearance, but there wasn't much she could do about it.
After wasting another hour carefully taping the insole back in place, then taping both shoes to make them at least look like a matched pair, she was finally able to set out for Community General Hospital. She experienced a horrible case of déjà vu when she took the wrong bus. That wouldn't have been so bad if it didn't happen three times in a row.
'Somebody, somewhere, must be laughing their ass off 'cause I know it's not me,' she thought before grudgingly admitting, 'or I'm not as good at following maps as I thought.'
It was late morning when Auralia finally found herself standing outside the hospital. As she stood outside looking up at the huge building, the only thing she could think was, 'All I need to make this day complete is to be on my period. Lucky me, that was last week.'
Shaking her head she walked inside. She noted the hospital seemed a lot bigger than University Medical Center back in Tucson. She had only been in a hospital once in her life. One of her friends was being an idiot and he roller bladed into a parked car while trying to act like a skater dude. Since he was bleeding pretty good he was taken to UMC and checked just in case. It wasn't a terrible experience, but it didn't excite her about hospitals either.
Shoring up her courage and hoping she wouldn't have the same problems as she did at Night Sweat Pictures Auralia approached the Information Desk.
An elderly volunteer looked up from her monitor. "May I help you?"
"Um, yeah, I'm looking for Dr. Mark Sloan."
"Are you a patient of his?"
"Nno-uh-yeah. Yeah, I mean yes I am. Yep." She didn't think it'd hurt to stretch the truth a little.
" First time seeing him dear?" The volunteer asked, smiling gently.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm a little early. Do you know if he's in his office now?" Auralia asked taking advantage of the volunteer's assumption.
"He should be since you have a scheduled appointment with him, unless he was called out for an emergency. I don't have that information, but the nurses stationed near his office should know. You'll have to ask them dear."
"'kay. Could you tell me how to get there? First visit and all. Don't want to get lost," she replied before mentally adding, 'Again.'
"I'd be happy to tell you exactly how to get there. And just so you know, you've picked an excellent doctor. And he's the sweetest man you'll ever meet."
Auralia smiled back at her while she explained how to get to Dr. Sloan's office.
The directions the volunteer gave were right on the money. Auralia seriously considered getting the old lady a cookie or something, but dropped that idea just in case she was diabetic. It was nice to actually get where she wanted to and not end up in a janitor's storeroom.
She checked in at the nurse's station near his office and learned he wasn't in his office at the moment. The nurse she spoke with was confused since there was nothing down for Dr. Sloan having an appointment. Another nurse started helping her, checking a couple different spots on the computer before telling the other not to worry about it. Dr. Sloan has been dragging his heels on learning how to use the new system and probably didn't bother entering he had an appointment this morning. The first nurse nodded and promised Auralia to page him, telling her to wait inside his office.
The first thing Auralia noticed was the oscillating floor fan doing its best to cool the stuffy office. Setting her backpack on one of the guest chairs in front of the desk. She started wandering, examining all the books and knickknacks. She noticed a common characteristic among the different offices she's visited in the last twenty-four hours. The contents and decorations seem to reflect each man perfectly. Spencer Davis' office exuded wealth and style. Lawrence Taylor's office oozed self-importance and tackiness.
Dr. Sloan's office was eclectic and random with no consistent theme. The items stuffed in every available space and hanging from anything stationary represented a variety of interests, magic being dominant. The medical texts lining the bookshelves, the anatomy charts on the wall and skeleton wearing a straw boaters hat and bow tie were the only hints this was a doctor's office. If his office is anything to go by, this meeting should be very interesting.
'As long as he isn't Taylor's identical twin. Damn, that's scary,' Auralia shuddered inwardly as she stood in front of the fan, relishing the cool breeze. The office really was stuffy and she was already perspiring.
In the pediatric ward, a small child watched wide-eyed in awe as long fingers reached behind her ear and plucked a quarter in the blink of an eye. Applause broke out among the rest of the children and nurses in the ward as Dr. Mark Sloan showed everyone the quarter before taking a bow.
"Thank you. Thank you all very much for being such a good audience. I believe this is yours," he said with a smile, handing the quarter to the appreciative little girl. "Alright everyone, back to your beds and I'll see you all next week."
He smiled and waved as he left to a chorus of 'thank you Dr. Sloan.'
"That was a good show Dr. Sloan," a nurse walking alongside him said.
"Why thank you, Carrie."
"You're really good. You should think about doing it professionally. Maybe tour other hospitals and nursing homes," she suggested.
Dr. Sloan chuckled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, but it's really just a hobby. And that's a good idea, but I don't know where I'd find the time."
"True. But in the future, you should maybe rethink your costume," she suggested with an amused grin.
"Costume?" Mark stopped and looked himself over in confusion. He was wearing nothing unusual, just his lab coat. Still confused, he looked at the grinning nurse. She slowly shook her head and pointed at his head. Reaching up he felt the gag headpiece he wore for his 'I've got a splitting headache' entrance. It looked like a wayward arrow had pierced his head.
"Oh." He replied, grinning sheepishly. "Just trying to liven up the act."
"If you say so doctor. And before I forget, you have a patient waiting for you in your office."
"A patient?" Mark asked puzzled, already forgetting the arrow. "I didn't have anyone scheduled this morning."
"That's all I was told. Sorry doctor," Carrie shrugged with a shake of her head.
"No, it's all right. I guess I should get going. I'll see you later," he replied making his way to the elevator.
The nurse just waved at him, waiting until he was just out of earshot to bust out laughing.
Startled Auralia looked up when the office door opened. Stunned silence settled over the pair as she blinked at the fake arrow piercing Mark's head and he in stared back at her holding one arm folded up like a birds wing to allow the air from the fan to hit her armpit. Realizing what she was doing, she instantly dropped her arm then awkwardly raised a hand in greeting.
"Um, hi." She felt her face growing hot, feeling stupid and hoping he was blind enough not to notice her blushing.
Recovering Mark closed the door behind him and walked over to his desk. "Good morning. Sorry I kept you waiting." Noticing she was still tense as she settled into one of the guest chairs he attempted to ease her embarrassment. "I really should get after maintenance to fix the air conditioning or people will start fainting in here."
"Um, morning. Yeah, it's kinda stuffy," Auralia mumbled, attempting to play along.
"Well, let's start over. Hi. I'm Dr. Sloan," he smiled warmly, extending his hand to her, which she slowly reached for and shook.
"Hi, I'm Auralia Acevedes," she introduced herself, still blushing.
"Nice to meet you Auralia. I'm sorry for being late, but I didn't know I had any new patients scheduled this morning."
Shifting uncomfortably because she was busted, Auralia took a deep breath before owning up. "You're not late 'cause I'm not a new patient. I lied to get in to see you. Sorry."
Despite her embarrassment she tried not staring at the arrow on his head. Mark was about to reply when noticed her eyes kept flicking to his hair. Puzzled, he reached up to check and was immediately reminded of the fake arrow he was still wearing.
Chuckling self-consciously, he removed it and set it off to the side. "Oops, forgot that was there. I was doing a magic show for the kids in the pediatric ward and it was part of my opening and, oh nevermind," he waved off his rambling and smiled at Auralia. "Alright then, what can I do for you?"
"You're not mad I lied?" Auralia asked surprised.
Taken slightly aback Mark considered it before replying with a brief shake of his head. "No. Why would I be?"
"'Cause I lied," she frowned in confusion.
"You didn't lie to me." Mark pointed out as if it were obvious. "Granted it wasn't nice to the nurses, but I don't think they'll mind as long as we don't tell them."
Auralia blinked in confusion. She expected a lecture, anger, anything. After the whole mess with Taylor she certainly didn't expect this. Deciding to leave it alone, she took a deep breath and relaxed a little. Smiling slightly she agreed with him. "Okay, guess it's not a big deal. I just needed to talk to you for a few minutes. Do you remember Amalia Acevedes?"
Mark thought about it before shaking his head. "The name sounds familiar, but I don't really remember her."
"She's my mom and, oh wait a sec." She dove into her backpack pulling out a photo and handed it to him. "This might help. It's kinda old, but it's around the time you knew her."
He studied both the picture and the young girl sitting before him. Auralia favored her mother's features a great deal, but there were significant differences. Her skin was light and creamy looking, a direct contrast to her mother's darker, cocoa colored skin. Mark figured her father must've been light complexioned or it was a recessive trait. Her hair was nowhere near as dark as her mother's nearly black hair. Hints of gold and auburn red highlighted her light brown hair. She definitely had the same full, rounded face and almond shaped, brown eyes. Her mother's nose, however, was broader and had a pronounced bump to the bridge. She was pretty, but her mother had an exotic beauty.
Recognition dawned on Mark the longer he studied the photo. "I remember her now. I used to see her at some of the social functions I had to attend for the hospital. How is she?" He asked handing back the photo.
"Thanks," Auralia replied. Pointedly ignoring his question she took the photo and put it away. "I saw Mr. Spencer Davis yesterday and he said you could help me with my problem."
Mark noticed she avoided his question, but decided to leave it alone for now. "Oh really? What's the problem?"
"I'm looking for my father and, well, you might be him."
"Excuse me?" He angled his ear toward her, uncertain he heard right.
Sighing deeply, she plunged into what was becoming a well-rehearsed spiel. "Mom said Spencer Davis was my biological father. I asked him and he could pretty much prove that he wasn't. He said that my father could be one of three men. Lawrence Taylor, you and your son, Steve."
"Steve?" Mark was even more surprised Steve was named as well.
"Yes, sir," Auralia answered solemnly, suppressing a sigh and recognizing he was going to deny the possibility.
Recovering Mark leaned forward with a serious expression on his face. Without any hint of anger he gently spoke to her. "Look, I'm sorry you went through all this effort, but there's no way I could be your father. And I'm certain Steve isn't either."
Auralia sighed softly. She wasn't surprised by his reaction. At least he wasn't being combative like Taylor.
"I know this is weird and, believe me, if I was in your shoes I wouldn't believe it either. Mom was chasing Mr. Davis. About sixteen years ago there was some party he was hosting at someone's house in Malibu. She thought she drugged him to sleep with him. She wanted to get pregnant so he'd have to give her money. But it wasn't him. She saw him like a month later saying she was pregnant with his kid, but he told her the same thing he told me, there's no way he's my father."
"And how is it he's so certain without a blood test? You could still be his child." The confusion was clear on his face.
Auralia shook her head, "Sorry, but it's not mine to tell. You'd have to ask him. But I believe him. Mr. Davis suggested you three because he knew my mom and remembered all of you were at the party. Maybe none of you are my father, I dunno. But I'd like to do a paternity test anyways."
"But I can tell you for certain, that I'm not," Mark protested.
Closing her eyes with a frustrated groan she mumbled, "Why the hell is everyone scared of a blood test?" Taking a deep calming breath she met his gaze. "Look, chances are really good you and your son aren't my father, but I want to be absolutely, without a doubt, sure. Please. There are no strings attached. I won't even bother you again. Promise. I'm paying for it. But I don't have any other possibilities and I gotta know. You're sure, but I've no idea. Understand what I mean?"
"Yes, I suppose I can. Although it's a waste of your money, I'll take the test," he agreed smiling gently. Then his brow furrowed in concern. "You do know how much the tests are don't you?"
Auralia could only blink stupidly in shock. She was so focused on convincing these men to take the test she didn't think about setting them up. "Um, nope. No clue. Still have to find out where to get them done and all that."
"We can do the blood draws and the tests here in the hospital."
"Really? That'd be so much easier."
"We're a teaching hospital and have our own labs. Cuts the processing time. It'll take about a week instead of the usual two weeks to get the results."
"A week?" Auralia croaked in dismay. "Isn't there a way to get them faster?"
"I'm afraid not. Why?"
"This is my spring break. I'm supposed to be back at school Monday. At this rate I'll be here 'til next week."
"Oh, that is a problem. I could call in a few favors and try to speed it up, but I can't make any promises. If not you could wait until summer vacation and we could do it then."
Auralia shook her head. "Nah, need to know as soon as possible. Had a hell of a time convincing Taylor to do it and by then he'd probably weasel out doing it," she paused, sighing heavily. "Either way I'm stuck. Don't mind missing school, but still not a good thing. My grades aren't that great to begin with, you know," she shrugged with a crooked smile. "So, do you know how much the tests cost?"
"Two hundred dollars per test."
"T-two hundred?" She gasped, her mind reeling as she calculated the total. 'What the hell? It'd be six hundred for three tests! Shit!'
"Yes, two hundred. Are you sure you can afford these tests?" Mark asked concerned.
She couldn't lose face now. She gave her word and it was the only way to convince them to even take the damn things. She swallowed hard before answering.
"Yeah. Just had no clue testing a little blood cost so much."
"You know, you don't have to do this," Mark replied gently.
"Yes I do," she answered, meeting his gaze.
"Alright," Mark glanced at his watch. "Look at the time. Would you like to join me for lunch?"
"Lunch?" She asked thrown for a loop.
"Yeah, you know, that meal people often have sometime between breakfast and dinner."
Auralia's eyes narrowed as she glared at him in annoyance.
"Really? Didn't know that." Rolling her eyes at his teasing grin she continued. "Didn't expect an invite to eat when we were done. Thought you'd want to kick my ass out asap."
Quirking a brow at her language, Mark decided to ignore that too for the time being.
"Since it's lunch time I thought it'd be nice to go get something to eat. Besides, it gives us a chance to get to know one another." At her skeptical look he added, "C'mon, come and brave the cafeteria food with me. My treat. Though, I don't think you'll see it as a treat once you try it," he finished with a chuckle.
"You're not going to take 'no' for an answer are you?" Auralia crookedly smiled, raising an eyebrow in question.
"Nope," Mark shook his head, smiling.
"Okay," she relented with a sigh.
"Good that settles it."
Mark got up and walked toward the door, holding it open for her. She idly wondered what would happen next. She was leery of his intentions, but figured on the remote chance he was her father, it'd be nice to know a little something about him too.
Author's note:
Abuela-grandmother