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Chapter 18
The door opened just as Sam was about to really lose his temper with Dr. Hill. She had this way of taking unreasonably long pauses, scribbling in her notebook, instead of just coming out with information. It was almost like she was testing his reaction to every statement she made. He felt like a giant lab rat.
"Sorry I'm late," Mercedes said with a bright smile, slightly out of breath, like she might have run all the way. "I got held up by my dad."
"It's okay Mercedes, you are right on time," said Kalina.
Sam noticed that Beth seemed to perk up when Mercedes came into the room, moving her head to try to find the source of her voice.
"Hey Beth, sweet princess. I missed you," said Mercedes planting a kiss on Beth's head. Her black hair brushed against Sam's face as she leaned over the baby. It was hard having her this close without touching her. "I'm so glad you two finally are together. I've been waiting for this for so long."
"Mercedes, I was just about to tell Sam about you. Why don't you sit down so we can continue?"
For a minute Mercedes looked confused, as if she didn't know where she was supposed to sit. Sam scooted over in the bed, making room for Mercedes to sit down. She settled in on the edge of the bed near his knee. Beth was moving a lot now, trying to get to Mercedes, so Sam turned the baby to face her in his lap.
"How come you didn't tell me this little lady was mine?"
He wondered why she would let him think the baby was hers. All of the time they spent together she never said a word. Now that he thought about it, everyone was keeping him in the dark about his child.
"Let's get focused again guys," said Kalina before Mercedes could answer his question.
"It's okay, Kali. I can answer. I wasn't allowed to say anything, Sam. It was so hard not telling you though."
Those damn doctors had his whole family under control. They acted like he was made of glass. How could knowing he had a daughter be anything but a positive thing? There was no need to protect him from his own flesh and blood.
Sam nodded. "I can imagine. I'm sure you figured it wasn't your place to say anything anyway. You probably thought Quinn would be the one to tell me."
They had even gotten Quinn to go along with it, his own wife keeping such vital information from him. Sam realized Quinn was ill and not in the position to put up much argument, but it seemed to him that the bonds of marriage trumped doctor's orders. If Quinn had been with him at the hospital, he was sure she would have told him about their baby. They had always been straight with each other, even when it had hurt. Sam cherished that aspect of their relationship most of all.
"Yeah, it wasn't my place," said Mercedes staring down at her lap. She was more quiet than usual. The smile that had been on her face when she arrived was fading.
"As you can see Sam, Mercedes and Beth have a close relationship," said Kalina opening her file once again.
"Thank you so much for taking care of her while Quinn is sick. I'm surprised my parents let you. They are usually more protective."
"Mercedes is very close to your family Sam."
"You've done so much for my family. I can't thank you enough for helping my wife with the baby."
"Now that we're all here, we need to talk about your wife," said Kalina.
A blond nurse peeked into the room. "Sorry to interrupt but Dr. Hill there is an issue with one of your patients," said the nurse.
"I'm in the middle of a consult."
"I apologize but it is an emergency," the nurse insisted.
Kalina rose to her feet with a sigh. "Okay you two. I will be right back. Let's hold everything until then. Okay Mercedes?"
"Okay," said Mercedes as she leaned forward and took Beth from Sam's arms. Sam was reluctant to let his daughter go, but when he saw the smile on Beth's face as she went to Mercedes, he relaxed. His child clearly liked her.
"I missed you yesterday Beth. Did you miss me?" she asked hugging the baby close. "I bet you had a good time with Papa D and Beiste right?"
"Papa D? My dad let's you call him that?"
"Not really but I feel confident he's warming up to the idea."
Sam laughed lightly. Mercedes certainly had guts making up a pet name for his father. It was either 'Dwight' or 'Mr. Evans' for his dad. He didn't do nicknames.
"You think you can wrap my father around your finger?"
"Beiste always says sweet talking women have the power to tame even the surliest of men. You should see her and your father together. They are so cute."
"It's hard to picture my dad doing anything cute."
"You'll see," she said casually, sitting Beth in her lap.
"So is that what you're trying to do to me? Tame me?"
She was doing something to him that was for sure. That same indescribable force that he had felt almost from the moment he had regained consciousness was pulling him in. He now knew that he had the life he always wanted with Quinn, there was no reason for Mercedes to still be affecting him this way. Yet here he was watching her with his daughter on her lap feeling an intense urge to lean over and kiss her. He just had to see Quinn, that would fix the problem. All this time apart, not knowing he was even married to her, had messed with his head. Once he had his wife back in his arms this strange attraction to his nurse would dissipate.
"I tend to like a little wild in my man." She shot him a quick glance, a flicker darkening the light in the brown of her eyes, with a sexiness he wasn't sure she even realized she had. One look made him shiver and her simple sentence made his mind wander to dark and dirty places.
Sam pulled his focus back to his baby, unnerved by how quickly inappropriate thoughts overtook him around her. He had no right to entertain any sort of attraction toward her. He was a husband and a father. The thought brought a smile to his face. How did he manage to get so lucky?
"I can't believe Quinn and I created this miracle," he said almost to himself. A feeling of complete awe struck him again, as he looked into Beth's eyes that were so much like Quinn's. He still couldn't quite believe that they had created this life together.
"She's a sweet baby."
"I'd always dreamed, but I never…" he trailed off mid sentence as a sudden realization hit him. "Wait after everything that happened between us last night, all that stuff we talked about. I sort of went on and on about Quinn. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want to shock you. The doctors wanted me to wait. Believe me Sam I wanted you to know about Beth right away." Sam flinched as she rubbed his leg reassuringly. Something didn't add up.
"I'm not talking about Beth. Why didn't you tell me I was married?" he asked narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously.
"Sam..." she stuttered, putting Beth on her shoulder before getting up off the bed. She was putting space between them. Sam sensed apprehension coming off her in waves. Mercedes was definitely hiding something.
"It doesn't make any sense. We talked about so much. All that stuff about marriage and family and you never even told me I had a wife."
The anger was building within Sam, she was more than hiding something, she had been lying to him. She had to have known he was married the whole time, yet she still pursued a flirtation with him. More than a flirtation, they had crossed so many lines last night. He thought they were forming a connection, acting on a mutual attraction, but the whole time she knew he was a married man and just didn't care. No wonder she was so dismissive about her own husband. Clearly she was morally challenged when it came to fidelity. Sam's stomach started to churn as the sickening realization took hold. What if his initial thoughts about her had been correct? What if she was just after him somehow? Out to use him for his money or his status? Or what if it was something else entirely, something darker?
"I just explained to you I wasn't allowed to say anything. I wanted to, so many times but…"
Even from across the room he knew she was starting to cry. Her voice was becoming muddled with tears. A small part of him thought maybe he should ease up on her, let her explain herself calmly, but Sam just couldn't reign himself in. He was too upset and he needed answers.
"You don't get to hide behind the rules after last night. After you were in my bed. You should've told me I was married. I could've cheated on my wife last night. I guess technically I did. You let me tell you all that stuff about Quinn and thinking I had a shot with her. How come you didn't tell me I was already married to her?" Sam asked raising his voice. His throat was still a bit scratchy but his voice was getting steadily stronger. He knew he could yell if he needed to.
"Okay I'm back and by the looks of things we need a time out," said Kalina as she re-entered the room. "Mercedes why don't you take the baby back to the nursery? And Sam you need to calm down."
"I don't need a break. I need answers. I think my little nurse has been keeping things from me."
Mercedes crossed back over to the bed. Now that she was closer Sam could see the reddened splotches on her face and the tears in her eyes.
"Sam don't be upset with me please."
"Were you trying to fulfill some sick fantasy? I had this thought that you were maybe some sort of nut case that liked to get it on with her patients. Was that what last night was about?" he asked.
She visibly flinched at his words, and Sam almost smiled. He was getting to her. Good. She needed to understand that she couldn't play with an Evans.
"Sam stop it..." she pleaded. Her voice was so small and quiet, like the fight had left her body. He had never seen her so meek before, as if she were withdrawing into herself right before his eyes.
"That's enough. Sam you need to back off of her," said Kalina coming to stand by Mercedes' side. Even from the confines of his bed, he still felt confident he could take on the both of them. Their attempt at a united front wasn't going to stop him from finally getting to the bottom of all this.
"I'm having a conversation with my employee. I would appreciate it if you butt out."
"So I'm back to being just your nurse?" Mercedes asked, her voice still weak, as she slowly rocked Beth back and forth in her arms.
"That's what you always were right? Just doing your job to make me feel better any way you could?"
Once again a reaction to his words registered on her face. He could actually see her turn a shade paler. Both sickening and thrilling at the same time, Sam couldn't stop himself from pushing her further.
"You're acting like I was seducing you or something. We both wanted what happened."
Maybe it was because Beth had fallen asleep, but Mercedes' voice had gotten softer and softer the longer they spoke. He almost had to strain to hear her.
"That's when I thought I knew you. My gut was telling me I could trust you and that you really cared about me. I must have lost my instincts in that crash along with my memory."
"You didn't lose your instincts. You were feeling those things for a reason," Mercedes said quietly.
"Mercedes is more than your nurse," said Kalina.
Sam wondered if she would do anything else to defend Mercedes, apparently scribbling notes about their exchange was more important to her. Not that it mattered anyway, he was just about done with his nurse. She was just taking everything he threw at her, probably because she had no excuses to make to explain her lies.
"Not anymore she's not. I want her out of my sight, out of my life. Dr. Hill once Nurse Mercedes is gone can you please get my wife on the phone. I need to talk to Quinn," said Sam dismissively.
"Mercedes is not going anywhere Sam. She's a part of this conversation," said Kalina.
He had leaned on her, confided in her, told her some things he had never told anyone else. He thought he had found a friend, a kindred spirit, instead she was just the type of person his parents had always warned him about. Treacherous women that will lie, cheat and steal just to get up close and personal with his wallet. Sam thought he had developed a sixth sense about women like that, he usually could sniff them out long before they ever got close. Mercedes had somehow got under the radar. Must have been because he was sick. If he were in fighting form, she never would have gotten within an inch of him.
"I just told you. I want her gone. I can't deal with liars. All this time I wasted with her. I should've been with my wife. I have so many questions about my life with Quinn. What was our wedding like? I don't even know how long I've been married."
Tears were streaming down Mercedes' face as she trembled with Beth sleeping in her arms. She looked whipped, as if their conversation had truly taken a toll on her. Sam almost felt badly for her, but he couldn't quite bring himself to care completely. She had brought this all on herself.
Barely above a whisper Mercedes responded, "We'll have been married a year tomorrow. We got married on Valentine's Day."
Sam shook his head in disbelief. "We...are you totally insane? I'm married to Quinn not you."
"No you're not Sam. Mercedes is your wife," said Kalina.