Page 7 of Heart in Waiting
CHAPTER THREE
After Reese finishedexamining Halie, she went to the nurses’ station to order tests. Lana was pecking on the keyboard of one of the computers when she stopped. Her red hair was pulled back into a firm ponytail. She frowned as she stared at the monitor. If Reese had a closer relationship with the nurse, she’d ask Lana what bothered her, but as they were barely acquaintances, she held back.
“I’d like these tests done on Halie Morris as soon as possible.” She handed her chart to Lana. “I wrote them down. Can you let me know when the results are in?”
Lana took the folder from her and stared at the notations. “What do you think is wrong with her?”
“I’d rather not say until I understand more.” She had her suspicions... The problem was she didn’t know if she wanted to be correct about them or hope someone had abused her. If that little girl had what Reese thought... She could still survive the illness—maybe. As sad as abuse was, at least she’d have a better chance at living. The authorities could step in and take her someplace safe. A disease was much harder to fight.
Lana probably guessed what Reese thought by the tests she’d ordered. The nurse was too good at her job to say it outright though. She’d keep her thoughts to herself and protect the patient. Reese had always respected Lana for that. Maybe she should try to be friends with her. She could use a good friend... There was a time she could always count on her sister, but she’d damaged something fundamental in their relationship by dating Nolan. Something she wished she could take back every day. How could she have fallen for his false charm?
Claire would never be so uncouth as to push Reese out of her life forever; however, she wasn’t as forthcoming as she used to be. At least she’d found true love with Matthew Price. They were so sickeningly devoted to each other that it gave her a complex. Would she ever have something like that? Would she know it if she found it? Some days she didn’t think she deserved it, and others, she hoped for the possibility.
Before she could have any possibility of a romantic life, she needed to start working on herself and make friends. Which was why she still stood at the nurses’ station trying to figure out what to say. “Did you need something else?” Lana asked.
“No, I mean...” She chewed on her bottom lip. “This might sound forward, but...”
“You’re wondering about the baby.” Lana chuckled and ran her hand over her growing belly. She had to be at least six months along now...
“Um, well...” She had, but that hadn’t been what she was going to say. Truthfully, she had no clue what she wanted to say to her. “I am curious. You and Sullivan moved fast.”
When she spoke, the love she shared with her husband could be heard in her tone. “Sully was never one to slow down once he decided on something he wanted. Me, the baby, and all that entails—he went full-steam ahead, and there was no looking back.” Her lips tilted upward into a soft, almost-romantic smile. What the two of them shared... It was enough to make a person hope they found something equally amazing, but realizing at the same time it would prove to be infinitely impossible. No two relationships were the same, and trying to mimic Sullivan and Lana’s was futile. Yet, it made her want to find her one true love.
Reese fully couldn’t understand what they had. She’d never loved like that. What must it be like to be so in love that you’d die for it? So many couples in Envill went through hell and back to come out of it with the love of their lives. Lana and Sullivan were no different. They’d had their own demons to fight and now they had a baby on the way.
“I see,” Reese mumbled, but she didn’t. “Do you know what it is?”
At least that seemed like a safe enough topic. Most people were curious about the sex of the baby. “Yeah,” Lana said and then laughed. “It’s a baby.”
“Ha ha.” Reese rolled her eyes. “I meant is it a boy or a girl?”
“I know. I’m giving you a hard time. Sullivan and I decided to be surprised. Hopefully we’re not disappointed, but we have a fifty-fifty chance either way.” Lana winked. “I think he’s hoping it’s a boy. I’m counting down the days until it’s no longer a parasite draining the energy out of me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic to become a mom, but I’m so tired all the time.”
“I wouldn’t know...” Well, in a way she did. She studied what happened to a pregnant woman in medical school. She didn’t have any firsthand experience to draw from. Lana did look tired though. “Maybe you should get some rest.”
Lana took a deep breath. “Don’t you start in on me too. I’m fine, and I’m starting to think it doesn’t matter how much sleep I get—I’m always tired.” Her hands flew across the keyboard as she imputed the test requests into the patient file. “But, if you’re really worried about me, how about you join Jessica and me for lunch. I could use a buffer.”
“For what?” Last she heard Lana and Jessica were the best of friends. “I thought you liked her.”
“Oh, I do,” Lana reassured her. “But she’s been super overprotective since she found out I was, you know...” She glanced around and then held her hand over the side of her mouth and said in a loud whisper, “Pregnant.”
“Um, I think the cat’s out of the bag there. It’s a bit obvious.”
Lana narrowed her gaze. “Has anyone ever told you that you have no sense of humor?”
“No.” Because normally she did—after Nolan, she hadn’t found much to laugh about. “I think I need a vacation.”
Movement from down the hallway caught her attention. She turned her head and frowned. Dane headed toward them with a purposeful gait. She didn’t really want to deal with him. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a lot of choices in the matter.
“That can be arranged,” Dane said as he walked up. “Would make my job a hell of a lot easier if you did.”
“I can’t take one now.” She’d mostly said it to make conversation any way. It seemed like the thing to say to explain her lack of humor without depressing Lana by disclosing the truth about her past. “There are too many people depending on me.”
“The words of a workaholic,” Lana offered. “I work with a lot of her breed. There’s no talking her into time off. They do it when they are forced to.”
“I see that.” Dane smiled at Lana. “What about you? You up there in their ranks?”
Lana wrinkled her nose. “I’ve already had one forced vacation and soon to have another one.” Lana had been in a car accident and had been on medical leave afterward before she married Sullivan. “I don’t need anyone to push me anywhere—at least not yet. If this belly gets any bigger, I might need to commandeer a wheelchair.”
