Of Illnesses And Antidotes

Chapter Twelve

"So let me get this straight: you want me to print off some old's guy karyotypeything?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Kit gives me a strange look, full of mystification and lacking trust.

"Val needs it for some sort of research," I lie. "I don't know, I never question Val. No one questions Val; you know what she's like."

Kit shrugs. "I've only bumped into her once in the reception but I'm guessing she's pretty smart."

"And I'm not?" I counter defensively.

Kit smiles and holds his hands up in mock surrender. "Hey, I never said you weren't smart."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, if she's that desperate for it then I guess I can print it off..."

I throw my arms around Kit's neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Woah, steady on there." He chuckles lightly.

Stepping back, I give him a sheepish smile. "What time do you want me to come and pick it up?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll drop it off the minute I have it."

Just then, somebody shouts my name. Glancing over my shoulder, I catch sight of Doctor Craig standing outside the pharmacy, her hands on her hips. She beckons me over. Nodding my head, I turn back around to Kit.

"I guess I'll see you later then."

"Have fun."

We head our separate ways: Kit to the reception, me to Doctor Craig. As I near her, I notice her face is glowing. Her eyes are shining, her cheeks rosy and her smile bright and wide. Amused yet slightly perplexed, I stop beside her.

"You look happy," I remark. "What's up?" My voice is thick with scepticism.

"Something wonderful has happened," Doctor Craig beams, her voice bursting with delight. "Marcia's back."

"Already?" My eyes widen in surprise. "But... she was expecting a baby?"

"The baby's gone," Doctor Craig says stiffly, yet there's a flicker of a smile on her lips. She can't be pleased, can she? "But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that I have my daughter back and you have a colleague back."

My eyes are wide with alarm. "The baby's gone?"

Doctor Craig frowns at me, slightly curiously. "Something wrong?"

"Not at all. I'm just a little surprised."

"Why?" It's Doctor Craig's turn to be suspicious. "You didn't think... Did you really think she was keeping it?"

I stay silent.

Doctor Craig lets out a laugh. "What a silly thought, Naomi. Really, I wouldn't have expected you to think of something like that. There's not a chance in the world she would've kept that baby. I'm just glad she miscarried like she did."

With that, Doctor Craig strides off in the direction of the side door to the pharmacy, leaving me stood there in astonishment. "Marcia miscarried," I murmur to myself. "It doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't make sense?"

Startled, I jump to the side then catch a glance of the speaker. I breathe a sigh of relief. "Jesus Christ, Lana, you scared the hell out of me."

"How ironic," she says dryly, smiling at my unintended joke.

I raise a smile, somewhat amused by my own humour. "What are you doing, anyway?"