CHAPTER 24

 
 
“Please pick me up. I’m at Auckland
Hospital.” Clarice left a message on Max’s cell phone from the pay
phone, then went back to her seat in the waiting area. She closed
her eyes, feeling so exhausted.
She felt so sick. She didn’t know her nerves
could get this bad.
“Clarice,” a soft voice whispered in her
ear. Anton, it sounded like Anton that night they were
together.
Clarice opened her eyes, then immediately
shut them again. She felt her heart hammering within her chest and
her breathing became labored. It was Hunter. He was so close to her
that she could feel his warm breath. Suddenly, a hot rush of lust
hit her like a ton of bricks, smacking her right in the face.
“You haven’t gone home yet?” she asked,
turning away to stop this yearning. She opened her eyes again and
stared at the grey linoleum.
“Are you okay? I bought you some juice. I
thought the sugar might help,” Hunter said, eyeing Clarice,
wondering why she was so intent on staring at the linoleum.
“Do you have a straw?” she asked
quietly.
“No. Why do you need a straw?” Hunter had
enough of Clarice looking at the linoleum. Did she find that grey
floor more interesting than his handsome face? He nudged her chin
around to face him.
“I don’t want to drink anything acidic that
can cause my teeth to rot. I want a straw.” Clarice closed her eyes
again.
“You, Avocado, and your oral health,” he
said. Then she felt his presence disappear again.
Thank heavens! She could now rest in peace.
She didn’t know whether she could handle looking at Hunter any
longer. The more he stayed with her, the more she was reminded of
Anton that night. It just wasn’t right. And then there was Anton.
He acted like he didn’t know her at all. Which she admitted hurt
her a little. She really must talk to him and get it straight, out
in the open.
And when would they call her up? She was so
tired. She just wanted to go to sleep.
Just then Fern returned from getting her
coffee, which made Clarice want to gag even more.
“Fern is sorry. Fern didn’t mean to make
Clarice sick again. Fern will throw this away.” Fern apologized and
threw her cup of coffee into the trash bin.
All Clarice could do was shake her head.
“I’m sorry. I’m not sure what’s wrong with
me,” Clarice replied weakly. “I’m sorry about your coffee too.”
“It’s nothing.” Fern smiled to reassure her
new friend. “Fern can always get another one later.” Then she
looked around the waiting room. “Where is Hunter?”
“I don’t know,” Clarice answered, closing
her eyes again. “He just disappeared.”
“Hunter seems to be quite attached to you,
is he not?” Fern asked, still smiling.
Clarice didn’t know how to answer. “I don’t
know what you’re talking about, Fern.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Fern shoved aside the
subject.
She had a niggling suspicion that Hunter
must like Clarice. Hunter had never acted like this before. He’d
never cared for any woman as much. Clarice was the first. She
really hoped Clarice might be the one to tame his wild ways. And if
it did happen, she would offer her friend her full support.
“The doctor should call your name soon,”
Fern said instead. “Fern is very glad to meet you, Clarice. Fern
believes we can be great friends from now on.”
“Mmmm.” Clarice nodded her head in
agreement. Being with Fern had a calming effect on her, just like
being with Whitney and Elise. Just then, her name was called and
she went in, smiling a bit to reassure Fern she would be fine.
After a series of tests, which included the
urine test and blood pressure, she was escorted back into the
doctor’s office. She really couldn’t wait any longer for the
diagnosis.
The flamboyant doctor that greeted her had a
grin from ear to ear.
“I just love my job when I have news like
this,” he said, practically bouncing in his chair. “My name is Dr.
Flint, by the way.”
Clarice couldn’t understand. Surely being
sick wasn’t something to be so happy about.
But strangely, he giggled. “Oh, I don’t even
know how to say this.” He waved his hands in front of his face to
cool his already red cheeks. “I’m so excited and giddy inside. This
is my first day here. I don’t even know how to respond to the
news.”
“Maybe you should just calm down before
telling me, Dr. Flint.” Clarice offered her advice, speaking in a
soothing voice just like she would with her patients when they were
anxious or excited about their dental treatment. “Just take deep,
slow breaths and then tell me.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Dr. Flint said,
calming down a bit, but then he got all flustered again and started
flapping his arms about when he thought of the news. “Oh, I can’t
help it. I want to tell you straight out, but I don’t know where to
begin,” Dr. Flint said, slumping back in his chair in defeat.
“You could start from the beginning,”
Clarice offered. “Start with my test results.”
Clarice admitted she was ready to bolt out
the door at any moment if Dr. Flint were to carry on with his weird
behavior. She felt more like she was the doctor and he her
patient.
“Okay, here goes,” Dr. Flint said after
taking a few deep breaths to relax. “Congratulations, Ms. Mason,
you’re going to be—”
And then the door just had to open,
interrupting Dr. Flint’s speech, revealing Hunter looking around
the room like a little lost lamb searching for its mother. When his
eyes landed on Clarice, he smiled and came to her side.
“There you are. When I came back from
getting your straw, you were gone.”
“I was in taking tests,” Clarice said,
embarrassed. “What are you doing here anyway? You should be outside
waiting,” she whispered.
Dr. Flint was about to diagnose her
condition. She didn’t want Hunter hanging around while he explained
her condition. This information was strictly confidential.
Hunter thought Clarice was having one of her
mental moments again, so he ignored her outburst and turned to the…
very colorful doctor.
He’d never seen a doctor dressed like a
clown before. What was with the bright polka-dot bowtie and the
yellow-and-green striped shirt and bright-orange glasses? The
doctor looked more suited for a circus than a hospital.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it. I was just
worried about her. Is she all right?” Hunter asked.
“Oh, you have the right to worry.” Dr. Flint
grinned again, gesturing for Hunter to sit himself down beside
Clarice before he announced her condition.
Clarice just stared at Hunter like she
wanted to murder him. “No, Hunter,” she said. “Go back out now. Dr.
Flint is about to diagnose my condition. I don’t want you
here.”
“But I want to stay,” Hunter whined.
“No, go,” Clarice repeated.
“No. I’m staying.” Hunter remained in his
spot.
“I—”
“Please, Ms. Mason.” Dr. Flint interrupted
their bickering. “Let him stay. He’s needed here as much as you
are.”
“Ah?” Clarice asked. “I don’t understand why
he needs to stay.”
“All shall be explained soon,” Dr. Flint
said, then turned to Hunter, gesturing for him to sit next to
Clarice.
Hunter was only too happy to oblige.
“All comfortable?” the doctor asked.
“Yeah,” Hunter replied coolly.
Hunter wasn’t sure why the doctor was paying
more attention to him than to Clarice, who was the patient. Maybe
he was gay, hitting on him. He cringed at his own thought.
Dr. Flint just smiled at them both like he’d
just won a million dollars. If only he and his partner were
approved for adoption, he thought.
“I congratulate you both,” Dr. Flint said
finally. “You are about to be proud parents!”
“Come again?” Hunter said. Proud
parents? What’s this doctor talking about?
“In simple terms, Mr. Mason, your wife is
pregnant.”