"Jayce, look." Jax points to a small lizard sitting on the tree trunk.
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It moves a little as if it knows we're looking at it. "Oh cool! Is it a salamander?"
"No, I think it's a gecko," he says before wrapping his shirt in his hand and picking the gecko up. "They run wild out here. Do we clean the fish tank at home out?"
"Hell yeah!"
"What are you gonna name him?" He asks as we head in the direction of home.
Thinking about it, I say, "Barry Manilow".
"Mom has gotta stop letting Bobby babysit you," he laughs out.
"I like hanging with Uncle Bobby. What does Barry eat?"
"Bugs," he says over his shoulder. "We'll look for some in the backyard later."
We enter the house from the back, and Jax puts holes in a Tupperware top. When he's done, he puts Barry in the bowl and puts the lid on. "This will make sure he doesn't get away until we get the tank set up."
"Jesus, Jax." Aunt Gemma's voice booms from behind, scaring the daylights out of us. "What did you bring into this house?"
I turn around and give her a bright smile. "It's a gecko, Aunt Gemma! His name is Barry Manilow."
"Barry Manilow?" She asks before shaking her head. "I've got to stop letting Bobby babysit you, Jaycee. Jaycee?"
...
"Jaycee? Jaycee?"
Tig?
"Wake up, darlin'. Why isn't she waking up?"
"Give 'er a few minutes ye impatient arse."
I smell ammonia.
My eyes finally open, and the bright white of St. Thomas damn near blinds me. I groan a bit before covering my eyes, all while feeling a tug on my arm.
"Jesus Christ, darlin', you scared the shit out of us," Tig says, placing a kiss on the top of my head.
Shaking my foggy head, I cover my eyes and ask, "What happened?"
"You fainted," he answers.
It's then that I truly come back to myself. "Is the baby okay?"
"Hap caught you before you hit the ground. We're still waiting for the test results," he informs me, while pointing to the corner.
My eyes fall on the Tacoma Killer and surprisingly, Sassi. It has been forever since I've seen my best friend, and we didn't leave it on the best of terms.
"Tully has been losing his shit," Happy grunts out. "Been calling every hour. If he wasn't so worried about you, I'd kill that prick the second he's on the outs."
Oh, he's going to be royally pissed, especially if he had to deal with Happy's sunny disposition. "How long have I been here?"
"Eight hours. I thought I was going to have to shake you," Tig tries to joke.
I wince. Ronald has called eight times? Oh, he's going to be more than pissed. A woman in white walks with all smiles and rainbows. "Hello, nice to see you awake, Miss Teller-Whitney. We hear you had a fainting spell. Can you remember what happened right before?"
A deep chill runs up my spine remembering what got me in the hospital in the first place. I push it to the back of my mind because I'm not equipped to handle it at this time.
"I... Got some bad news," I tell her quietly. " That's all I remember. "
It's all she's getting out of me. I can barely let myself think about it let alone tell a complete stranger.
"How's the baby, doc?" Happy rasps, not being able to wait any longer.
She smiles politely at the intimidating man. "We've run some tests and I'm pleased to report that baby Teller hasn't endured any stress. Sometimes a sudden spike in a pregnant woman's heart rate can cause a fainting spell. However, I am worried that you're a bit underweight for the beginning of your second trimester. Up your calorie intake and you'll be fine. You should follow up with your OBGYN in a few days just for a more thorough check-up. Standard stuff to make absolutely sure."
I nod, making a mental note to call the baby doctor when we get home. Speaking of. " When can I go home? "
She smiles patiently. "We'll start working on your release paperwork now. I just want you to remember... Relax. Too much stress will affect the baby."
"Don't worry, doc," Happy rasps. "We're going to make sure she eats well and doesn't have any stress from now on."
Great. Overprotective Happy is about to be up my ass until Ronald gets home. I just know it.
At least fighting with him will keep my mind off of...
