A Time To Love

Chapter 16: "The Daniel She Knows"

It would seem as though things had returned to normal. So normal, in fact, that it was as though nothing had happened. Audrey returned to work as usual, and Dr. Pruitt remained his usual self. They saw the same patients as usual and went about their practice as usual. It was all so normal until she walked in.
"Miss. Wilson?" Audrey was more than surprised to see the woman that Daniel was courting walk into the clinic. "How can I help you?"
"Hello, Audrey." She reurned the greeting and continued in a quieter tone, "I'm having some issues. Could I see the doctor?"
"Of course! Dr. Pruitt?" Audrey called to him, and he came swiftly, "Would you be able to take a patient now?"
He looked over at Rosalie and grinned, "Are you the patient?"
"Yes. I'm having terrible stomach pains. Could you please look at it? Not to be dramatic, but I feel as though I'm dying!"
"Well then, we should definitely get that checked out." He looked back at Audrey and nodded his head, "Let's get to work, Audrey."
"Yes, of course!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some time had passed since that day, but as surprised as Audrey had been that first day Rosalie came to the clinic, she was even more surprised when she walked in again that day.
"Oh, Rosalie. Is everything alright? I don't have you booked for an appointment today..." Audrey perused her notes and schedule, looking for Rosalie's name.
"Oh, I know. It's an emergency." Rosalie stated.
"Really? Well, let me take you in then." Audrey said in an urgent tone, going to grab Roslie's arm, to which she stopped her, and replied, "Uhm, I'd like to go alone, if that's alright?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'd like for it to just be me, and Dr. Pruitt." She explained, with a suspicious air to her, "It's just... something sensitive, is all. The fewer people that know... the better."
"Oh..." Audrey didn't know what to say, as she stood there idley, trying to wrap her head around what Rosalie was saying. Her thoughts were interrupted when Dr. Pruitt emerged from the examination room, "Oh, Rosalie. How can I help you?"
"Umm-" Rosalie looked at Audrey before going closer to Dr. Pruitt, and whispering to him.
He nodded his head at the hidden words she said, "I see. Come along."
Audrey spoke up, "Dr. Pruitt, do you need my help?"
"It's alright, Audrey." He looked at his watch before adding, "It's getting close to noon. Why don't you go for your lunch break?"
"Oh. Okay, then."
She watched as they went into the room, shutting the door behind them. A thought popped into Audrey's head. A troubling one, really. She figured maybe she really did need to eat something. Maybe lunch would bring her to her senses.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Audrey headed home from another long day of work. It would seem that a flu bug had hit the town of Maple Grove, and they were all coming to Dr. Pruitt about it.
Audrey sighed as she thought to herself of everything going on. She wanted to tell someone about it all, someone who'd listen to her, and she knew just the person, but for some reason, she wondered if he would even want to listen anymore. As though God had looked down on her in pity, she looked up ahead and saw him.
"Daniel?" Calm. That's how she felt when she saw him.
He noticed her, and unlike usual, he didn't smile brightly or wave at her. He just looked at her and said, "Audrey? Hello."
"How are you?"
They were closer now, only in distance though, "I've been alright. You?"
"I'm doing well. I'm going to be an auntie, Daniel." She finally got to tell him, and it felt so wonderful, but he didn't reply in his normal way. He didn't light up or give her a congratulatory hug. He just smiled at her and replied, "I'm happy for you."
"Daniel, I have to ask you something?
"What is it?"
She hesitated for a split second, wondering if she should really voice her suspicions, but she knew that if anyone needed to hear of it, it was him. "Daniel,...is Rosalie with child?"
"What? Why would you think that?"
"She hasn't mentioned anything?"
He shook his head with vigor, "No, of course not."
Audrey finally let out the breath she had been holding in, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it."
"Come on, you can't leave me hanging." He began and continued, "Audrey, what's going on?"
Audrey bit her lip nervously, "It's just... Rosalie came in a little bit ago for a stomachache, and Dr. Pruitt figured she was just having bowel issues, and it was nothing serious. I was right there in the room when he told her so, but she came back yesterday, and she wanted to see Dr. Pruitt for another checkup -"
"What's so weird about that?"
"Well, that's not the weird part. She didn't want me there in the room with them. She said something about it being senstive, and that it was better if not a lot of people know." She replied before adding in a quiet tone, "I guess, that includes me too."
"Maybe it's just something embarrassing for her." He reminded Audrey and added, "As far as I know, though, she's not pregnant, or at least she hasn't said anything about it to me."
"Okay. Maybe you could just ask her about it to be sure, though. She probably isn't, but it's good to rule it out." She advised him, and he replied, "I guess I can."
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Daniel. I just needed to tell you to put my mind at ease." She explained. "You've always been so good at doing that for me."
"It's alright. I understand." He said it plainly and continued, "I should be going."
"Right. Goodbye, Daniel."
"Goodbye."
He went to leave but stopped when he heard Audrey's voice call out, "Daniel, wait!"
He turned to face her, "What is it?"
"I want you to know... I miss you." She said sincerely, from the very bottom of her heart.
He looked at her and smiled, almost the way she was used to, but still not quite the same. "I miss you too." He replied.
"Let's see each other again soon, okay?"
"Okay." He agreed and went on his way. Audrey watched as he left, wondering what she could do to bring him back to her, the Daniel she knows, the one she's used to, for the one she had just spoken to wasn't him at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel returned home to find Rosalie asleep in his bed. She seemed to think the place was hers as well. He sighed as he cleaned up her stuff upon the floor.
"Oh, Daniel." She said it sleepily as she stretched her arms. "You're back."
"Rosalie, why are you here?" He asked her dryly.
She furrowed her brow and turned her voice up a couple of octaves. "What do you mean? Why are you mad about me being here?"
"Cause, it's my house, not yours. You can't just invite yourself in." He told her sternly.
"Fine. I won't do it then."
"So, why did you go to the doctor again?"
"Huh?"
"Yesterday? You went to see Dr. Pruitt, right?"
She let out a short chuckle, "Yes, and?"
"What did you go for? I thought you got everything figured out before?" Daniel brought up as he sat on the edge of the bed.
"The issue is more complicated than we thought, I guess." Roslie explained, "He just wants me to go for checkups every now and then so he can monitor everything. It's nothing too serious though, dear, so don't worry." She inched closer to him and began rubbing his back.
"I see." Was all he said.
"How did you know I went to the doctor yesterday?" Roslie brought up suddenly, with an inqusitive look upon her face, "I forgot to mention it to you before."
Daniel sat up and replied, "It's a small town, Rosalie. Things get around."