The Butler and I (BWWM)✔

44

"What's up, Mila?" I ask Mila when I reach her desk. I was busy reading about the complications of an implanted artificial heart when she called me. 

"We have a patient in room two, can you see her, please?" She asks handing me her file. I look at it to her condition. 

"She's six," I tell her, "I don't deal with kids," I tell her. One of the many things I hate is having to treat kids, I like adults. They are older and I don't know I feel more comfortable around them. I don't have to sugarcoat a thing.

"I know, but we have been understaffed since Dr.Lutz left," I sigh. How could I forget? The hospital hired a rapist and he was finally arrested. Last I heard was that his trial is still going on. Zoey says base on the evidence she hears Florida has, he might be going to jail for life and even the death penalty. "Please, she's waiting," Mila says with a smile.

"Fine," I say. I grab the file from her desk and make my way to room two. I open the door, "Samantha," I say looking at the name written down on the paper. Wait, I know that name. I look up to see Romeo's daughter Samantha sitting on the bed with her dad seated beside her. 

"Hi, you're the lady from daddy's art thingy," she says with a smile. She is forcing the smile, she is sweaty, her voice is rusty, and her skin is pale.  

"Sam, the lady has a name," Romeo says, "that's Dr. DuBois," he adds. 

"Hi," I tell them both, "you can just call me Christine, so what brings you here?" I ask them both. The scary thing about kids is that they often times do not know what's wrong. The worst part is the parents, how do you tell them their child have a fatal disease or that their child will never walk again? As a parent, you expect your kids to bury you not the other way around. 

"She has a fever and a tummy ache," Romeo replies, "I sure hope I didn't take to long to bring her here, she hasn't been able to keep anything down," he says. He is worried sick, I don't know how he must feel. Jake has never gotten sick before that I had to take him to the hospital. He only gets a cold here and there. 

"Why don't you lay down, sweetheart?" I ask her. "Lay on your back," she nods her head and does as I say. She lays flat on her back and I press my hands on her abdomen. "Just tell me if it hurts," I tell her. When I touch her stomach, she winces out in pain. 

"It hurts," she says. I nod my head, "do I have cancer?" She asks. I turn to look at Romeo. He sighs and puts his head down. That's the saddest thing I've heard all day, a six-year-old shouldn't have to worry if she has cancer or is she's dying. 

"No sweetheart," Romeo answers her. He approaches her and grabs her hand, "you're just sick, do you know why?" He asks. She shakes her head no, "because the coolest people get sick. You're so cool that your body needs a chance to adjust to your coolness," Samantha laughs. Romeo kisses her forehead, "Christine, tell her she doesn't have cancer," he tells me. He mouths me a, please.

"You don't," I answer after much hesitation. She smiles and I grab her file, "I'm going to order an x-ray to see what's wrong with your belly, okay?" She shakes her head. "I'll be right back."

"Christine," I hear Romeo call me when I exit the room. I stop and give him a smile as he approaches me, "why did you hesitate to tell her she doesn't have cancer?" He asks me. "You don't think that-"

"No," I cut him, "it's just I can not tell her what she doesn't have until I know what's wrong. False hope," I tell him. He nods his head, "but um... I know that's not what you want to hear, but cancer can be genetic," I add.

"I know," he answers. "Her mom had cervical cancer and I'm getting her tested as soon as she reaches puberty," he says. I nod my head, "thank you," he says. I then leave to her the x-ray.

After the long thirty minutes, I was finally able to do an x-ray. "So," I tell them looking at the picture of her stomach. I have no idea what I am looking at, but she swallowed something all right. "What did you have for dinner last night?" I ask her.

"Baked chicken and brown rice, daddy makes the best chicken," Samantha answers. 

"I'm sure," I reply. "Anything else?" I ask her.

"I was supposed to eat ice cream but daddy said no," she frowns. 

"That wasn't the question," Romeo tells her. "Um... no," he answers me. "What am I looking at?" He asks referring to the x-ray.

"It seems that Samantha here swallowed a foreign object," I tell him. "It's nothing to worry about, we will give her medication and it should come out during her next bowel movement. But Samantha, you have to tell us what you swallowed," I tell her.

"Pennies," she replies.

"Sweetheart," her dad groans, "what did I say about putting pennies in your mouth and why didn't you tell me you swallowed them?" He asks. 

"The YouTube video said they would come out when I poop!" She exclaims. "I wanted to see what they would look like," what is wrong with kids these days? Why would you swallow pennies just to see how they would come out. They'll come out looking like pennies. 

"They do," I support her regardless. "She also has a fever, that's why she's been vomiting and we'll give you something for that also. You should be out of here in no time. You can ask for discharge papers as soon as we get the pennies. How many pennies were they?" I ask her.

She looks down at her hands counting her fingers, "seven," she answers putting up seven fingers. 

Romeo rolls his eyes, "kids swallow things all the time," I assure him, "you'll have to use this so we can make sure all seven gets out," I hand him the bowl for her to poop. I smile and step out the room. 

"Christine," I sigh. Of course, he followed me, I turn around and give him a smile. "Thank you," he says.

"Just doing what I get paid to do," I say. He stares at me for a while. Probably not what I should have said, now he'll think I only do my job for the money. 

"I guess, hey, um...can we catch up some time?" He asks. "Over coffee or something," he adds.

"Um..." I really don't have time to deal with any man right now eighter it be romantically or not. "Sure," I finally answer. "I have to go, I'll be by to check up on Samantha in a few," he nods his head and I leave to take my much-needed break. As I reach outside my phone starts to ring, it's Luke. "Yellow," I answer it.

"Did you just say yellow?" He asks me.

"Nope, I think you're hearing things," I lie. He laughs, "what's up?" I ask him.

"Just wanted to check up on you and do you still have your doctor's appointment on Tuesday?" He asks. 

"Yes," I answer him. "Are you still betting that it'll be a girl?" I ask him. At the next appointment, we'll find out the sex. Luke swears it's a girl. He even says if he's right, he won't have to change a single diaper for a month and if I'm right, I won't have to. I sure hope I'm right, I did not enjoy changing diapers with Jacob.

"I'll be there," he tells me. "And I can find out who's right," he adds. I laugh shaking my head, he really is taking this to the next level. 

"Are you flying all the way here just so you can find out first hand?" I ask him. That is a stupid thing to do, but if he's not I'll lie to him about the sex so I don't have to hear him talk about how right he is. 

"No, I'm leaving my internship early," he says.

"What?" I ask him, "why?" I ask again.

"Because I want to be there for you and the baby," he says. I have to admit, I loved hearing him say that. Christine, snap out of hit, he lied to you, remember?

"You can do that, but don't you want to finish the time?" I ask him. He only has about two months and he'll be free.

"Nope," he answers. "I have to go, just know that I already have a victory dance prepared for when I'm right."

"I have one too, bye," I say.

"Bye," he says.

AN

Do you want the baby to be a boy or a girl?

Au Revoir...