Page 42 of Hearts on the Table
“You’re not waiting for three hours.” I pushed at her shoulders until she sat back down. “She owes me, obviously. If I can’t shamelessly exploit her for my own uses, what was it all for?”
Reluctantly, Jasmine admitted I had a point and settled back on the table.
“Any progress on that promotion?” I asked. By the time Katie walked back into the room, Jas was laying back and regaling me with tales of her firm’s all-white, all-male executive staff. Absolute bull crap.
“Alright. Let’s take a look at you.” Katie smiled as she approached.
Jasmine hummed, sizing Katie up from her seat on the bed.Be nice,my raised eyebrows said.She’s doing you a favor.
Jas huffed, sitting up as Katie pulled a stethoscope from her neck. “Let’s get this over with.”
An hour later, Jas was hooked up to several machines, and had been poked and prodded within an inch of her life. But Katie was good at her job(ugh)and Jas continued to relax when all signs pointed to a mild preeclampsia diagnosis.
Katie was indulging Jas, giving her some extra screen time with the baby on the ultrasound monitor. He was awake, making us giggle over his kicks and flips. We were still waiting for a few tests to come back, but with every passing moment, I could feel Jas’s tension fading.
A nurse knocked, sticking her head in. “Sorry to interrupt, Dr. McDaniels. Dr. Reese is here to see the patient?”
I grudgingly gave Katie credit when she didn’t bat an eye at this news. “I don’t mind a crowded exam room if you don’t?” She looked to Jas, who nodded. “Let him in, please.”
Sam’s familiar frame filled the door. “Jasmine, what the hell?” He sighed, shaking his head at his sister-in-law like she’d purposefully ended up in the hospital. She threw up her hands.
“I know, I know. I just love the paper sheets on the beds so much. Listen to the crinkle.” She rolled back and forth as Sam crossed the room.
“I’m Kate McDaniels. Nice to see you again, Dr. Reese.” Katie stood from her stool and Sam shook her hand. I clenched every muscle in my body to stop myself from lunging across the room and pulling them apart.
Sam let go of her hand with barely an acknowledgment of her greeting, just a polite nod in her direction, before swiping Jas’s file from the counter.
“I feel like that’s a HIPAA violation,” Jasmine grumbled, relaxing back on the table.
“I’m your emergency contact,” he countered.
“He doesn’t know what he’s looking at,” I whispered to her. “He’s a cardiothoracic surgeon. Anything below the diaphragm is an utter mystery to us.”
“I’m just going to step out for a moment to check on those tests.” Katie smiled. Sam didn’t look up from the file.
Jas sat up as soon as the door shut. “Hey. We hate her,” she informed Sam.
“Yes. We do,” he muttered, flipping through a few pages. “Her husband has a stupid face.” I turned to frown at him.
“Yes!” Jasmine sat back again, satisfied that Sam was firmly on board the hatred train. “Yes, hedoeshave a stupid face.”
“You’ve never even seen him before.” I scoffed. “Besides, I dated him for nearly four years. You’re saying I have bad taste in men?” I glared pointedly at Sam. The look he exchanged with Jas was so quick, I almost missed it.
“Taste changes,” she argued, crossing her arms.
“Mmm. It improves with maturity,” Sam assured. “Like wine.”
“Or like a beard?” I supplied. Nate was clean-shaven. He’d never been able to grow facial hair that wasn’t patchy. Sam’s grin nearly knocked me off my stool.
“Exactly.”
“I should be upset that you’re making heart eyes at each other during my very urgent prenatal check-up, but I can’t find it in me.” Jasmine clasped her hands to her heart. “I knew I was making the right choice in a sister-wife.”
“Not the sister-wives thing, Jas. Come on!” Sam scowled at the files in his hands.
“Wait, youknewabout the sister-wives thing?” I demanded. Sam’s ears grew a truly delightful shade of pink just as Conner burst through the door, nearly mowing down the nurse who opened it.
“Jas, baby. What’s happening? Have they done the tests?”
