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Hey guys, I'm sick so updating early. Chapters 15 & 16 go together so you get them both today. One chapter this Friday.
Chapter 15
"Hi Piph." Elizabeth walked into her boss's office and sat in the chair next to the desk. The room was the size of a shoe box but was disgustingly neat and tidy. Most doctors with offices this size couldn't move for the stacks of paper everywhere and they didn't oversee an entire staff of nurses.
"How are you this morning?" The head nurse asked sipping the coffee Elizabeth handed over. "And what do you want?" She knew a bribe when she drank one.
"I'm going to see Joyce this afternoon to confirm that the home pregnancy test I took last night was correct." Elizabeth said smiling. Dr. Meadows had indeed been able to see her. Before coming up Liz had gone to have her blood work started.
Epiphany leaned over and closed her door. "Congratulations." She said smiling wide. "What symptoms?"
"So far not a lot. One dizzy spell, which might have been caused by skipping lunch. Also one bout of vomiting, that may have been caused by nerves." Elizabeth said laughing.
"Who diagnosed you?" Epiphany asked her assistant pulling up Elizabeth's schedule.
"Matt." Elizabeth told her boss.
"He switching specialties?" Epiphany wanted to know.
"Edward is staying with us. When I got sick during dinner he called Em, who sent Matt. Because it is standard procedure here he picked up a test on his way to my place." Elizabeth explained the events that led to Matt giving her the test.
"Was Jason home?" Epiphany asked looking at her assistant's work load for the week. Several surgeries, three rotations in the ER, and two shifts on the wards. With it being the middle of flu season those ER shifts would need to be covered by another nurse. It might be time to shift Liz to straight surgical work, which would make a lot of doctors happy.
"He was." Elizabeth said blinking back tears. "He's already hovering."
"So I should expect him to show up here at least once a day?" Piph asked raising an eyebrow. This new Jason Morgan was fun to watch. The man often wore his emotions on his sleeve where his family was concerned. It was good to see him back in touch with his humanity.
"I told him to resist the urge to constantly check on me." Elizabeth figured he'd behave for about a week. "I'm gonna end up killing him."
"Well if you do it here, we won't need to send an ambulance." Piph said looking at the bright side. "How long do you think you can hide it for?"
"I just made it to twelve weeks before showing with Jake. So I'm thinking I can maybe get to ten weeks this time." Elizabeth knew once the bump arrived so would the betting pool.
"You do make some pretty babies." Epiphany said making changes on the schedule. "Starting tomorrow you will be on surgical duty until you go out on leave."
"You know that's going to raise red flags." Elizabeth pointed out.
"Not really. I've been getting requests to do this for a while now. The new nurses are done with their probationary period so we have coverage everywhere." Which was amazing as there was normally a shortage of nurses. "What will raise the flags is when I tell the doctors scheduled surgeries only."
"No emergencies?" Elizabeth was surprised by that.
"You ended your last pregnancy with almost dangerously high blood pressure, which means we are going to take it as easy as possible with this one. Scheduled surgeries only, no back to back surgeries that are more than eight hours total, you will take regular breaks, and you will go out at exactly thirty-six weeks unless you are told to leave earlier. I have tagged your file so I will be up to date on your doctor's wishes." Epiphany laid down the rules.
"You're as bad as Jason." Elizabeth pouted, but it was nice to be cared for.
"If you don't behave I will call your hubby." Piph let Elizabeth know. The head nurse felt looking after Liz was the least she could do for the man who saved her son's life.
"Fine." Elizabeth said knowing it was useless to argue.
"You know that works better for Cameron than you." The older woman said laughing. "Go man the hub until it's time for you to head into the OR. You did eat breakfast right?"
"Jason made it himself." Elizabeth had eaten every bite of the oatmeal without complaint. The blueberries helped. It seemed to be the first of what sure to be many cravings. Something Jason noticed because he mentioned picking up more. "He's going to be here at lunch because that's when my appointment is. I'm just glad all my family members are off."
"You will probably have to deal with Matt blackmailing you." Epiphany said finishing off her coffee. "He really wants you on his service."
"Jason will hurt him." Liz said smiling. "I'm going to work now." She said getting up. "See you on the floor."
"Yup." Piph said reaching for the phone to call Felix to tell him he was now a member of the trauma department.
Johnny O'Brien was a world class multi-tasker. That was why he was able to sit at a table in the Metro Court having lunch with Gia while keeping tabs on the party across the room. It helped that Johnny wasn't particularly invested in the conversation Gia was having. There was some sort of issue with a model they booked for the cover, not a topic he cared about.
"I need to take this." Gia hadn't even noticed that Johnny had zoned out on her. "I'll be right back." She said rising from the table.
Johnny only stood halfway. He didn't want the people he was watching to notice him. Although he was pretty sure one of them already had. When Gia walked away Johnny made a call of his own. "I need you to send one of your guys to the hotel."
"What's wrong?" Francis was shutting down his work station, he and Diane were leaving tonight. He still had to go home and pack.
"Lucky Spencer is in Port Charles." Johnny reported. There was no way Jason knew that.
"Shit. I'll get Kurt on that. He's at the Metro Court?" Francis backed up a step. He knew his friend was meeting Gia for lunch.
"Yeah, with Maxie and Mac. Spencer looks good. I'm guessing he got clean and turned his life around as there is a lot of smiling going on. There is no way he's staying here, despite being family Carly wouldn't let him." While Johnny still didn't count Carly among his favorite people he had to admit that she was being nice to Liz. It was amazing how much better things were with Sonny out of the picture.
"I'll put out some feelers as well. I'm gonna have to tell Jason." Francis couldn't keep this from his friend, especially since he was leaving town. "He's at lunch with Liz right now."
"How was he this morning? Still pissed?" Johnny asked only smirking a little.
"No, he was kind of charged up. In a really good mood." Francis didn't question it. "I figured between what we pulled and having Edward staying at the house Jason was gonna be a bear, but nope."
"Maybe it's because it's Christmas. I'm guessing the boys are in extra cute mode." Johnny watched Lucky get up from his table and walk across the restaurant. He had to be going to the men's room. It would be a good time to chat. "I gotta go. Safe travels."
"Thanks, see you next year." Francis said ending the call.
Johnny grabbed a waiter and told him to tell Gia he'd be back before walking towards the men's room. The restroom was empty which wasn't surprising because the restaurant was slow. This close to the holiday that was the norm.
"O'Brien." Lucky said when he came out of the stall. He'd seen the mob boss when he and Maxie were seated. While Lucky lived a clean life on the right side of the law all the skills his father taught him where still with him. He never entered a room without scanning it for enemies and exits. "You can save your breath, I have no intention of going anywhere near Elizabeth." But he was hoping they would bump into one another.
"Good." Johnny said leaning against the sink. "You are leaving when?"
"The twenty-seventh. Maxie only got four days off." Lucky told the older man.
"Are any other Spencers arriving?" Johnny wanted to know.
"Nope. Maxie and I are only here to see Mac." Lucky didn't expect Johnny to believe him. By the time they left Lucky figured he'd have a shadow. "Of course it's funny that you would be the one to deliver this message. Considering who you are running around with." Gossip was still easy to come by if you knew where to go. It was no secret Johnny was seeing Gia.
"What does that mean?" Johnny stood up straight.
Lucky dried his hands. "Look I owe Liz. I treated her like crap for most of the time we were together, and what happened with Gia was partially my fault." He could admit that. Lucky had been the one to tell the former model what happened to Liz. That was how Gia knew what to use to hurt her competitor. "I'm guessing you don't know about Liz and Gia's history. Or at least not all of it. There is no way you'd be seeing Gia if you did. I'm guessing Liz didn't say anything because she wants you happy."
Johnny could read between the lines. "You know why they don't get along. And don't say The Face of Deception, because that's all I keep getting."
"That's the reason." Lucky threw his towel out. "Gia wanted to win, badly. Bad enough that she threw Liz's rape in her face every chance she got."
"What do you mean?" Johnny's stomach was turning at what he was hearing.
"Gia made sure Liz knew that guys would be looking at the pictures with less than pure thoughts. She played up the sexual aspects of the job. It didn't work, Liz didn't back down, so Gia stepped up her game." What happened next was why Lucky refused to take any more pictures of the model.
"And did what?" Johnny wanted to know.
"She sent stills of Liz to Pentonville. To Tom Baker, and he sent one back to Liz requesting an autograph." Lucky looked Johnny in the eye so there would be no doubt he was telling the truth. "It still didn't work. Liz was really messed up for a bit, hearing from that asshole left her terrified, but she pulled it together. She wasn't going to let Gia win. My mom picked Liz."
"Really?" Johnny hadn't known that.
"Yeah, that was enough for Liz. To know that the job was hers if she wanted it. Which she didn't. That wasn't her dream. It was mine and my mother's. She finally admitted that the night the winner was announced. I bet it still galls Gia that she came in second. Makes you wonder why she's dating you. Maybe to stick it to Liz?" Lucky took a deep breath. "I need to get back to my table. Answer me one question. Is she happy, Liz?" He knew that she was married to Morgan now, which was how it should have been years ago.
"Yeah, she is." Johnny told Lucky processing what he'd heard. He needed to get this backed up, but he already knew Lucky wasn't lying. "Enjoy your visit."
"I intend to." Lucky said waiting until Johnny left before heading out himself.
They had lunch first which didn't surprise her. Then hand in hand they headed up to the obstetrics offices. "Hello Elizabeth, Jason." Joyce Meadows greeted her colleague, and patient, and her husband. "The lab sent up your results." She pulled up the file on the computer monitor. "Congratulations."
Jason looked at his wife and smiled wide. There was a part of him that was worried the test last night was wrong. "Do you know how far along we are?" He wanted to know.
"Based on the information Elizabeth put in the computer two weeks. I want to do an internal just to make sure the embryo is where it should be. I also need to take your blood pressure." Joyce said to the couple.
"Is there a problem?" Jason asked looking at the doctor.
"It's okay Jason." Elizabeth said squeezing his hand. Maybe they should take his blood pressure too.
"I'm not expecting any issues this early. Elizabeth is young and healthy. She did as Kelly told her and ended her last pregnancy on a good note. Last go round was fairly stressful, so I'm hoping this time won't be. Still we will be watching, and with Liz working here that will be easy." Dr. Meadows told Jason.
"Okay." He said relaxing some.
"I see Piph changed your schedule." Dr. Meadows read the notation from the head nurse. "I like the change, as your pregnancy progresses there will be other changes." She placed the cuff on Elizabeth's arm. "Good. Your blood pressure is right where it should be." The doctor said reading the numbers.
"I know the changes are coming." Elizabeth would do whatever was necessary to keep their baby safe.
"Let me get the ultra sound." Dr. Meadows said stepping out.
"What changes?" Jason wanted to know.
"I'm strictly surgical now. So less interaction with infectious patients." Since this was a hospital she couldn't avoid them completely. "As I get bigger, I'll have less surgeries so I'm not on my feet too long. Eventually I'll go to part time, and then out on leave."
"Swollen ankles." Jason said helping her to lie back.
"Exactly." He was going to be a great partner.
"Let's have a look." Dr. Meadows got everything set up. "Yup. This dot is the baby. Right where we want to see it. Your weight is good, on the low side but we won't worry just yet." Given her history they would watch that as well. "All your other blood work is clear. Eight hours of sleep a night, three meals and three snacks, plenty of water, one caffeinated beverage a day, no wine Kelly may change that we don't agree there." Dr. Meadows said smiling. She was a bit more old school than her colleague. "And take your vitamins. Dad you keep her relaxed. Make an appointment for ten weeks, pick up your prescription, and call if any issues crop up."
"Thank you Joyce." Elizabeth said sitting up.
"Thank you." Jason echoed.
"You're welcome." The older woman said before leaving them alone.
"Feel better?" Elizabeth knew he was worried.
"Yes, I'm not going to miss a single appointment." He said kissing her.
"I know." Elizabeth said straightening her scrubs. "I have a surgery to assist in, so I'll see you at home." She stretched up and kissed him.
"Yes, you will. I want to talk to you after the boys are asleep." Jason replied. He wanted to know what Gia did. Elizabeth didn't need the stress of holding it in. "I love you."
"We can talk. I love you too." Elizabeth replied. She knew what he wanted to talk about, and he was right it was time for her to tell him what happened. With a wave she walked off to the surgical wing.
Jason watched her until his phone rang. "Morgan."
"I need to see you. Now." Johnny told his friend. He hadn't gone back to the table, but sent a message to Gia that he had to deal with something. He of course paid for lunch.
"My office. Fifteen minutes." Jason noted Johnny sounded upset.
"Fifteen minutes." The Irishman rang off as he took the keys from the valet.
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