A Little Too Late

Chapter 19

Nicole left the office with Sean following and once they got into the hallway she sighed, "Alright Doc, let's get me to your office so you can give me a check up and reassure you that I am okay."

"Thank you, Pookie," Sean sighed in relief.

"Yeah, yeah," She rolled her eyes. "I'm telling you though, it's just those ligament pains you were telling me about the other day when I was hurting."

"I'd rather be—"

"Safe than sorry," She interrupted, "I know."

He chuckled as he opened the car door for her. "So do you want to talk about what happened in there?"

"No can do," She shook her head. "It's still client privacy, just like you can't talk about your patients even after they have been discharged."

"Got it," he smiled as he drove to the hospital. "You know I have to let everyone know, right?"

"What? That you are giving me a checkup?" He nodded and she frowned, "Why? It's just a simple checkup. We should be in and out of there within a few minutes. I'm telling you it's just ligament pains."

"Please, Nikki?" He asked. "They will want to know and will be hurt if I don't tell them. Even over something as simple as a checkup."

She winced as another dull ache went through her, "Fine Doc," She breathed as she rubbed her hips as best as she could. "But I don't want to hear any complaints about missing work over something as ridiculous as this when we are just going to be there for a few minutes."

Four hours later Sean walked into her room for the upmillionth time, "how are you feeling now, Pookie?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

"If you ask me one more time, I'm going to sic Raven and North on you," she glared and huffed in annoyance. "I'm not going to say it either."

"I know," he nodded, "but you have to admit, it is a good thing you let me check you out. If not, we wouldn't have known you were dehydrated and that was what was causing your Braxton Hicks that you thought were just ligament pains."

"Yeah I know," she sighed, "you were right, I was wrong, there you happy?"

"No, I'm not," Sean shook his head.

"What?" She looked up at him shocked.

"Well, I'm not," he admitted. "I should have been keeping a better eye on you. I let this happen by not keeping a better eye on you. If I was properly taking care of you, you wouldn't be hooked up to an IV right now and hurting."

"It's not your fault, Sean," She shook her head. "I wasn't completely honest about how much I was hurting or feeling weird."

"Please don't do it again," he said softly as he sat beside her and she nodded. "No more secrets, okay?"

She smiled softly and nodded, "No more secrets, Mr. Worrywort."

"Thank you, Pookie," he sighed in relief. "Now, you ready for the food you sent them out for?"

She sighed and nodded, "I guess. Knowing North, he's still upset I made him leave but I needed the space. He was hovering." She sighed and groaned, "I know he means well but he smelled too much of the oil or grease from whatever car he was working on."

"Sorry Baby," North pouted as he walked in. "I'll go take a shower real quick."

"Thank you," she beamed. "I'll let you mother hen me once you're done."

"And we will make a note to take a shower after work before caring on you," Brandon chuckled.

"Okay," She nodded, "now food please."

"No pain?" Sean asked and she shrugged.

"Just up in my lungs, like it's hard to breathe a little but I'm pretty sure it's just them moving around trying to get comfortable," she said honestly.

"Let me sit you up more and see how that does," Sean suggested and she nodded. He adjusted the bed to sit her up even more then asked, "how does that feel?"

"A little better," she admitted. "I think there just isn't enough space for them."

"You are a tiny thing, Peanut," Nathan chuckled.

"Not my fault," she pouted.

"Anyway," Brandon chuckled, "let's eat. Here is your Italian sub sandwich, Babe."

"Thank you," she beamed as she took the food and began eating.

"Your test results look better, Pookie," Sean said after she ate and he check her stats again. "I feel better about you going home now."

"Good, I'm getting sleepy and don't want to sleep here," she pouted.

"Yes, Ma'am," he chuckled as he started to turn off the machines and undid her IV. "Although I have to admit that our beds are way better than the ones here."

"Damn right they are," Gabe chuckled.

She yawned again then pouted, "I don't wanna walk."

"Not a problem Baby," North smiled, "I can carry you."

"Okay," she rubbed her eyes. "Go home now please."

Axel chuckled as he held the door open, "you got it, Doll."