Chapter 4

A few days later.

I walked into the office and Mrs. H perked up.

"Hey, sweaty! You have test results in from the office…" She said as she pulled some files out of my drawer.

"Oh, goodie!" I said as I grabbed them and walked to my office. I sat down at the desk and started searching the information on the few pieces of paper.

"Oh, my god…" I whispered as Mrs. H came in.

"What is it?"

"Could you please call Lauren Filipelli and make her an appointment to come in. She should bring her husband also."

"Alright…" Mrs. H set down a manila envelope on my desk and walked back out to her desk. I could hear her dialing Lauren's number on the phone. I looked at who the envelope was from; George Tucker. I sighed, and not a good one, as I started to open it. I pulled out the papers and a small piece of paper with a note on it fell out. I picked it up to read what it said.

"You probably know that Brick has been having me look into getting you out of the practice. I thought you should see this. Good luck. :)" I laid it down on my desk and looked through the papers that I'm sure meant bad news. He had a few things highlighted. One of them said that a requirement was that each person in the practice had to make a certain percentage, quarterly or the other person would absorb the other 50% of the business. My mouth dropped open in surprise. I understand the rules but what about when the other doctor is hogging all the patients and bringing 80% all by himself? That's not fair.

"Ugh!" I yelled and put my face in my hands. I just sat there and wondered what I was going to do next. I come into work every day and have one, single patient. I can't just sit around in Blue Bell and wait for someone to like me, I could be doing something worth my while.

Lauren couldn't come in until the next day so the end of the day came quickly. I went home and Wade was at my door step.

"What do you want?"

"Levon wanted me to come get his car…" I looked at the big back SUV that I just got out of and smiled.

"Here." I tossed him the keys and started for the door.

"Wait, that's it? Here? No, why don't you come in or oh ok that's nice of you. All I get is; here?" I laughed a little bit.

"Yep, that's it. Sorry. Tell Levon thanks!"

"Levon!" He yelled as I closed the door and headed for the closet to get in my pajamas. There was nothing else to do for the day and I have no one to impress in such a tiny town. I stopped in my tracks when I reached the bedroom.

"Ah!" I screamed. She was sitting on my bed, looking through a magazine. Wade ran in.

"Did you have an epiphany? Are you going to say thank you?" I just stared at my mother…in Alabama. He finally realized why I screamed but he didn't react quite like I wanted him to.

"I'm Wade, you must be Zoe's mom." He shook her hand but she didn't smile.

"Yes…I am."

"Well you know, it's nice to finally meet you. I've heard about you…" He looked at me and smiled and I just glared at him. "I have to take 'Zoe's' car back, but I hope I get to see you again!" He shook her hand and hugged me on the way out. I slapped his shoulder and rolled my eyes.

"Was I interrupting something, darling?" I immediately gave her a look like she was crazy.

"What? Ew, gross, and absolutely not!" She just pressed her lips together in a thin line like she always does.

"What are you even doing here? I should be the one asking the questions."

"I'm here because my daughter decided to up and leave New York for some dinky town in Alabama and didn't tell anyone except for her boss…" I sighed, she did have a point. But still, she could've called.

"Ok, so what do you want?"

"I wanted to make sure my daughter was still alive in this…horrible town."

"So why didn't you just call?" She hesitated and I knew that she was here for something more.

"I want you to come home." I just sighed again, I do that a lot around my mom.

"Not I think you should come home, or at least I want you to consider, but it's; I want you to come home."

"Honey, I think it's in your best interest."

"My best interest?" I said in disbelief.

"How many patients do you have here?" I was speechless. "How many people have you helped? Compared to New York? You were doing so much in New York! Why throw it away now?" I can't believe I'm even thinking this but she makes sense. "There are other places to go besides Alabama, if not in New York, closer to it!"

"I guess."

"And if you're closer, we can get our issues worked out, we talk some more, and you can see your father." My father. Those were no selling points but she has almost completely had me convinced.

"I need to think about it."

"Good, I'm glad." I went to the bathroom and started to fill up the bathtub with bubbly water. As it was filling up I went and got a glass of Champaign and my iPod. The whole time my mother sat on the couch and watched me.

"There is food in the fridge and magazines under the coffee table and there is TV but no cable." I didn't wait for her to respond because I had enough of her opinions today.

I dipped my toe in the water and quickly pulled it back from the extremely hot water. I added a little bit of cold water, just enough to where I could get in without feeling like I was being scolded. I closed my eyes and put the iPod on the dock and put on some quiet alternative music. I sat in the bath until the water started to cool down. I got dressed and walked out to the living room where my mother was looking at a magazine; very uninterested.

"Ok." She jumped as I started to talk. "I'll come home…but I make my own decisions, and I'm not living with you. This is my decision…not yours." She smiled.

"Absolutely darling!" She wrapped me up in a mother, bear hug.

The day past and I felt like I had no back bone; I had already given into my mother and we were on the opposite sides of the country! Our flight left the next afternoon and I told my mom to leave the house so I could get my things together. She started off insisting that she help me but I told her no.

It was 10 AM and I almost had all of my things together considering that I hadn't been here long and I didn't have much stuff. My phone rang and when I picked it up I was afraid that it would be my mom but it wasn't. George Tucker. I forgot that I had his number in my phone. I pushed accept and thought, why did I do that?

"Hello?"

"Hey…Levon told me you were leaving."

"Yeah, I am."

"Why?"

"Lot's of reasons, the main one being I have helped no one and have 1 patient."

"Hey, you helped me when I got run down."

"I don't know if that really counts."

"How so?"

"I don't know, I just happened to be there when some person hit you."

"You probably saved my life though."

"Ok, so I saved one person and have one patient. In New York at this time I would have done 50 of each."

"But if you stay here then when you do get more patients then you will feel more accomplished."

"Is this really what you called for?"

"No, I am returning your message."

"Right. I need to sign the other half of Harley's practice over to Brick."

"What?"

"I am not going to be here, he might as well have it. He basically already does I am just writing my name so it's legal."

"Zoe, you can't do that."

"Why not?"

"I…well…"

"Right." We made arrangements to meet and I headed to the walk. He was already there when I got there.

"I think you are making a mistake."

"I know you do."

"Just think about it for a little bit."

"I'm leaving at noon, so I can't. Besides, why do you even care?" He seemed to be not sure what to say and handed me the papers. I signed them and he took them back and put them in his back pocket.

"Thanks, George…for being my friend." I smiled and walked back across the walkway that led back to the road. He gently grabbed my wrist and I turned around, a little confused. He seemed to be searching for words.

"I…thanks for being my friend…I enjoyed talk to you." I just smiled, it didn't feel like a normal one just sad and…sweet. When I got to the road it was a short walk back and I was only a few minutes away before my phone rang. It was Lauren.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Hart?" She sounded panicked.

"Yes?"

"I think something's wrong. I am having that pain again."

"Ok, where are you at?"

"I'm at home…I don't think I can drive."

"Don't move, I'll be there soon." I hung up and started running back to where George had parked his truck. I was yelling his name as he started to pull away and then stopped. I opened the door.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Lauren Filipelli is sick…I need you to drive me to her house."

"Get in." We speed down the road and reached her house quickly. It looked like all the other houses in this town. I ran into the house, not worrying about knocking. I saw her right away, her husband was leaning next to her. I leaned down next to her, trying to comfort her, and I didn't realize until then that George was right by my side. I knew what was happening but she looked terrified.

"Am I going to die?" That was the first thing she asked me.

"No, sweetie. I looked at her husband who looked even more afraid then Lauren. I shook his hand quickly.

"Dr. Zoe Hart."

"Alek." He said quickly. "Is she going to be ok."

"You…are going to be just fine. I called you in for this reason. Lauren…you're pregnant." They both looked astonished. "You have a case of placenta privia."

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