Chapter 33

Parker and Kelly arrived at the Emergency Room, and Parker heard Mary Alice's insistence that she was fine and she didn't need treatment. Parker made her way to the patient window and explained that Mary Alice was her Grandmother and was being treated. She was told what room she was in. Parker and Kelly walked to the treatment room. Parker peeked through the curtain and found Mary Alice sitting on the gurney, mad at the whole world. She was just about to start on the nurse when Parker announced her presence.

"Grandma," she greeted.

Mary Alice looked up. "Park, good you're here! Would you please tell her I'm fine and I want to go home?"

"Can't do that, Grandma. You need to be checked out."

"Mary Alice,"Kelly started, "Would you just let April do her job?"

The nurse looked over at Kelly. "She's a pistol," April said.

"That she is," he chuckled. "April, meet Parker, my fianceé. Mary Alice here is Parker's Grandmother."

"Kelly, get me outta here. Work some of that Severide charm of yours."

"Sorry, Mrs. Parker, I've known Kelly a long time. I'm immune to his charms."

Parker bit her lip to stifle a giggle. She glanced over at April. "Has the doctor seen her yet?"

"Yes. He's ordered a CT and an MRI. We're just waiting for them to free up."

"Looks like you're stuck, Mary Alice," Kelly commented, his eyes glancing over to take in April's shapely behind.

Parker noticed Kelly's wandering eyes and gave him an elbow to the ribs. She looked at him innocently when he screamed ouch. "I'm sorry, did I accidentally poke you?"

"Very funny."

April's pager beeped. She looked at it and walked over to the phone and dialed a number. She hung up the phone and walked over to the gurney. "Ok, Mrs. Parker, you're going to radiology."

"The Hell I am!"

"Oh yes, you are," Parker said sternly. "You're not going home until you're completely checked out. So stop fighting and let everyone do their job."

April pushed the gurney through the door and started down the hall. Parker stood beside Kelly. Absently, he draped an arm over her shoulders. "She sure is a pistol."

"She always was. And don't think I didn't notice you checking out her nurse's ass."

"April is a friend. We were friends in high school."

"Uh huh."

"Truth, I swear. We had a night together when we weren't together, but we decided it was better if we were friends. Hey, you're not jealous are you?"

"Course not. But it's just a bit disrespectful to check out another woman's ass when your fiancée is standing right there."

"Point taken. You think she'll be okay?"

"I hope so. I'm not ready to lose her yet. She's really the only mother I remember."

"You don't remember your parents?"

"Not much. I remember bits and pieces." She walked over to the chair and sat down. "I suppose I'm really anal with Philip, but that's because I want him to have what I didn't."

Kelly walked over to her and took her hand. "In a way, you might have been better off."

She glanced up at him. "How so?"

"You had Mary Alice."

"I did. And she and Grandpa did a good job. But I was bullied in school because I didn't have parents. There were a lot of whispers of she doesn't have parents. It wasn't Grandma or Grandpa's fault. They could have said no and had me put into foster care."

"Come here," he said quietly.

She stood. Kelly wrapped her in his arms. "So that's why you were so pissy to me?"

She nodded. "I was scared, Kelly. I knew nothing about babies. I was sure you were just going to walk away and leave me and the baby on our own. That's why I wanted to give the baby up for adoption. I didn't think I could do it on my own. And he deserved to have two parents that loved him and could provide for him."

Kelly rubbed her back. At last he understood. She was afraid she was going to be abandoned again. He felt her tears against his tee shirt. "Its okay, Park. I'm here. We're going to get through this. You'll see."

"I'm sorry, Kelly. Sometimes it just hurts so much. I don't know what I'm going to do if I lost her."

"We'll worry about it when the time comes. You won't be alone. I'm here. Philip's here. No sense in borrowing trouble."

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "I love you, Kelly. God only knows why you love me. I've put you through so much Hell."

"Yeah, you have," he agreed. "But you also gave me two of my best blessings."

She looked up at him. "Only two?"

"Two. Philip and Mary Alice. If I didn't have you, I couldn't have the other two."

"Oh," she whispered softly.

"And thank you for Philip and Mary Alice."

"Welcome."

"Excuse me," they heard from behind them.

"What's up, April?" Kelly asked.

April had noticed them locked together and instantly felt odd. He had a whole different life now, and it was obvious he was very much in love with this woman he called his fiancée. She tamped down the jealousy pangs. She was the one who decided that they should stay in the friend zone, not him.

"They're bringing her back. She'll be here in a few minutes. The doctor will come and talk to you."

"Thanks," he said.

"Anytime," she said as she closed the curtain.

As she walked away, she wondered if she had made the wrong decision. 'Too late now,' she thought as she returned to the nurse's station.