"Too Tall, Too Dark, Too Handsome" chap 4
Chapter 4
Darkness stole over her bedroom quickly tonight, it was much like every other night only she felt heavier somehow. What was going on? Her stomach seemed twisted in knots, and her heart thudded against her ribcage. The feeling that something was amiss washed over her like a tidal wave. Just as she lay in her bed, the phone began to ring. Taking a deep breath, Shea lay her hand on the phone and picked it up quickly so that she wouldn't be able to chicken out. "Hello?"
"Is this Ms. O'Shea McMalley?" the female voice on the other side of the phone made Shea sit up and take notice. She had no idea who the woman was.
"Yes, this is her."
"Miss McMalley we have you listed as the next of kin for a Miss Elizabeth McMalley. There's been a terrible accident, if you could get to the hospital as soon as possible it'd be most appreciated."
The woman's words made Shea shiver. Elizabeth was her sister. What had happened? Before she could ask, the phone clicked with news of the other party hanging up. Burying her face in her hands, Shea got out of bed and dressed quickly. With everything her head begged her to stay here, save her heart the trouble of caring. Yet her heart yearned to see what was wrong with her sister, and so her heart won the battle. Jumping into her car, she took off toward Rangeton's only hospital hoping for the best.
Stepping out of her car, she ran toward the main entrance feet flying as she prayed with every step for her sister. What could be wrong? Sure they hadn't spoken in years, but now was her time to get back together with her sister. To support her, to love her. Finally inside, she strode to the information desk ignoring the fast-paced life of Rangeton General and trying her best to focus on the busy woman behind the desk.
The woman's deep chesnut curls sprang to life around her head, and piercing blue eyes bore straight into her's as she spoke. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, I am O'Shea McMalley, I got a phone call about my sister Elizabeth McMalley?" Shea could do nothing but stare back into the woman's eyes hoping for some spark of hope, and yet none seemed to come.
"Oh yes, I'll be right back. Dr. LaVerne will be out to see you in a moment..." the woman's lively step seemed to mirror her personality, yet it only made Shea sink deeper into the chair. What had happened?
The doctor came as soon as the receptionist rounded the corner, and with each step the doctor took toward her, Shea's stomach became more sick.
"Miss McMalley, would you follow me?"
Slowly she followed the tall man through the halls, each one seemed to be closing in more and more. Why was it that he wouldn't just tell her what was going on? The Neonatal Nursery loomed before them, and her breathing became labored as she remembered what an awful time she'd spent there with Keely. Was this some kind of sick joke? "Doctor LaVerne, I'm going to have to ask you to tell me what is going on. I cannot go in there." she gestured to the nursery and plastered her back against the wall refusing to budge.
"Miss McMalley, your sister Elizabeth was in an accident, which forced us to deliver her baby early. Elizabeth was hemorraging badly, I'm sorry to say she did not make it through the procedure. She had you listed as her next of kin. Someone needs to take care of her little girl. That's why we asked you to come here."
The words spun around in her head taunting her, her chest was tight with emotion and tears ran down her face. "No." she whispered, wishing with everything inside her that she could turn away and run. Run as far as possible.
"No?" asked the doctor, his face sagging with disappointment. "At least see her?"
The question made her heart contort painfully, yes she wanted to see her. She wanted to see the little one so badly, yet her brain screamed for mercy from the situation. This little one would most likely be taken from her just as Keely was. Even more painful, it was a little girl in need of love and a complete family. Yet her heart still longed to see the little one, to have one last link to her sister and to her baby. "Yes, I'll see her." she whispered finally.
--
Kent stood over the tiny incubator staring at the little one with tiny red ringlets and tiny eyelids scrunched in sleep. Sometimes the trouble of being a doctor in a neonatal unit was more than he could handle. His heart constricted painfully with each breath the little girl took. The tubes carrying oxygen were breathing for the premature infant, and other machines were helping her to eat. It was understood now that the little orphan girl had an aunt who was on her way in to see her. Dr. LaVerne walked around the corner and waved, he was followed shortly by Kent's neighbor, O'Shea McMalley.
"This is her aunt?" Kent asked quietly, his eyes drinking in Shea's tall form. Since he'd told her of his moving in next door she'd kept herself scarce. It was the truth that Shea was not like any other woman he'd seen before, even better she was gorgeous without looking like a person from a feed the children commercial. Tall with curves in all the right places, he had to swallow and look away to gain his composure.
"Yes, Ms. McMalley is unsure if she would like to take charge of the child.." Dr. LaVerne's eyes conveyed his message, they both knew just by looking at Shea's pale face that she was scared to death of the tiny child. Why, neither of them could be sure, but they needed an answer. If Shea was not going to care for the baby they'd need to contact Social Services.
"I'm sure I'd like to take charge of her." whispered Shea, her eyes wet with tears as she looked at Kent and Dr. LaVerne.
"You would?" they asked in unison.
She nodded, curls flying, "I would love to take care of her. Can I stay for a bit?" tears were tracking down her cheeks in tiny rivers.
Kent fisted his hands in the pockets of his lab coat trying to keep them to himself, "Of course."
Once more she nodded, and she took the rocking chair that Dr.LaVerne offered her. Kent did his best to walk away and not look back, the little one had stolen his heart from the minute she was wheeled into his care. Her aunt had done much the same way, only she'd walked herself straight into that church and nearly right into his arms. Now, he wanted her back there, and there was nothing much he could do about it.
Darkness stole over her bedroom quickly tonight, it was much like every other night only she felt heavier somehow. What was going on? Her stomach seemed twisted in knots, and her heart thudded against her ribcage. The feeling that something was amiss washed over her like a tidal wave. Just as she lay in her bed, the phone began to ring. Taking a deep breath, Shea lay her hand on the phone and picked it up quickly so that she wouldn't be able to chicken out. "Hello?"
"Is this Ms. O'Shea McMalley?" the female voice on the other side of the phone made Shea sit up and take notice. She had no idea who the woman was.
"Yes, this is her."
"Miss McMalley we have you listed as the next of kin for a Miss Elizabeth McMalley. There's been a terrible accident, if you could get to the hospital as soon as possible it'd be most appreciated."
The woman's words made Shea shiver. Elizabeth was her sister. What had happened? Before she could ask, the phone clicked with news of the other party hanging up. Burying her face in her hands, Shea got out of bed and dressed quickly. With everything her head begged her to stay here, save her heart the trouble of caring. Yet her heart yearned to see what was wrong with her sister, and so her heart won the battle. Jumping into her car, she took off toward Rangeton's only hospital hoping for the best.
Stepping out of her car, she ran toward the main entrance feet flying as she prayed with every step for her sister. What could be wrong? Sure they hadn't spoken in years, but now was her time to get back together with her sister. To support her, to love her. Finally inside, she strode to the information desk ignoring the fast-paced life of Rangeton General and trying her best to focus on the busy woman behind the desk.
The woman's deep chesnut curls sprang to life around her head, and piercing blue eyes bore straight into her's as she spoke. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, I am O'Shea McMalley, I got a phone call about my sister Elizabeth McMalley?" Shea could do nothing but stare back into the woman's eyes hoping for some spark of hope, and yet none seemed to come.
"Oh yes, I'll be right back. Dr. LaVerne will be out to see you in a moment..." the woman's lively step seemed to mirror her personality, yet it only made Shea sink deeper into the chair. What had happened?
The doctor came as soon as the receptionist rounded the corner, and with each step the doctor took toward her, Shea's stomach became more sick.
"Miss McMalley, would you follow me?"
Slowly she followed the tall man through the halls, each one seemed to be closing in more and more. Why was it that he wouldn't just tell her what was going on? The Neonatal Nursery loomed before them, and her breathing became labored as she remembered what an awful time she'd spent there with Keely. Was this some kind of sick joke? "Doctor LaVerne, I'm going to have to ask you to tell me what is going on. I cannot go in there." she gestured to the nursery and plastered her back against the wall refusing to budge.
"Miss McMalley, your sister Elizabeth was in an accident, which forced us to deliver her baby early. Elizabeth was hemorraging badly, I'm sorry to say she did not make it through the procedure. She had you listed as her next of kin. Someone needs to take care of her little girl. That's why we asked you to come here."
The words spun around in her head taunting her, her chest was tight with emotion and tears ran down her face. "No." she whispered, wishing with everything inside her that she could turn away and run. Run as far as possible.
"No?" asked the doctor, his face sagging with disappointment. "At least see her?"
The question made her heart contort painfully, yes she wanted to see her. She wanted to see the little one so badly, yet her brain screamed for mercy from the situation. This little one would most likely be taken from her just as Keely was. Even more painful, it was a little girl in need of love and a complete family. Yet her heart still longed to see the little one, to have one last link to her sister and to her baby. "Yes, I'll see her." she whispered finally.
--
Kent stood over the tiny incubator staring at the little one with tiny red ringlets and tiny eyelids scrunched in sleep. Sometimes the trouble of being a doctor in a neonatal unit was more than he could handle. His heart constricted painfully with each breath the little girl took. The tubes carrying oxygen were breathing for the premature infant, and other machines were helping her to eat. It was understood now that the little orphan girl had an aunt who was on her way in to see her. Dr. LaVerne walked around the corner and waved, he was followed shortly by Kent's neighbor, O'Shea McMalley.
"This is her aunt?" Kent asked quietly, his eyes drinking in Shea's tall form. Since he'd told her of his moving in next door she'd kept herself scarce. It was the truth that Shea was not like any other woman he'd seen before, even better she was gorgeous without looking like a person from a feed the children commercial. Tall with curves in all the right places, he had to swallow and look away to gain his composure.
"Yes, Ms. McMalley is unsure if she would like to take charge of the child.." Dr. LaVerne's eyes conveyed his message, they both knew just by looking at Shea's pale face that she was scared to death of the tiny child. Why, neither of them could be sure, but they needed an answer. If Shea was not going to care for the baby they'd need to contact Social Services.
"I'm sure I'd like to take charge of her." whispered Shea, her eyes wet with tears as she looked at Kent and Dr. LaVerne.
"You would?" they asked in unison.
She nodded, curls flying, "I would love to take care of her. Can I stay for a bit?" tears were tracking down her cheeks in tiny rivers.
Kent fisted his hands in the pockets of his lab coat trying to keep them to himself, "Of course."
Once more she nodded, and she took the rocking chair that Dr.LaVerne offered her. Kent did his best to walk away and not look back, the little one had stolen his heart from the minute she was wheeled into his care. Her aunt had done much the same way, only she'd walked herself straight into that church and nearly right into his arms. Now, he wanted her back there, and there was nothing much he could do about it.
posted by Jo*Marie at 6:35 PM
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