You, Love

Chapter 13: Linger

Much to Fallyn's dismay, Alex was put on Addison's service for the day. He was just as grumpy as he had been— it was a yelling at stoplights kind of morning— but there was no reason Fallyn could give for why she didn't want to be around Alex.

Addison didn't know they were sleeping together, let alone that it was going badly. And it was going badly. Bitten lips, bruised hips, and an ache in her thighs were ghosts haunting her throughout her day. Fallyn couldn't understand why some people thought pain was sexy— she just felt sore and a little bit mad at Alex for taking out his anger on her.

But Addison didn't know, and Fallyn didn't want her to know. So she kept her stupid mouth shut as they rounded. Their first stop was Rose Ward, who was in for a c-section.

"Hello, Wards," said Addison as they entered the room.

Eight people looked up— the Ward parents and six children. Three of them played on the ground while the other three sat on Rose's bed. Fallyn smiled at the youngest, a girl who couldn't have been more than four years old.

"How are you feeling?" Addison asked, approaching the bed. The two interns stayed back: Fallyn by the children, Alex hovering by the door.

Mrs. Ward smiled self-deprecatingly. "I'm feeling large. Like a cow."

"A cow?" Echoed the young boy sitting on her lap.

Mrs. Ward dipped her head to meet him. "Mommy's a cow!" She looked very pointedly at her husband. "Who needs a quiet minute with the doctor..?"

Mr. Ward perked up from his chair. "Who wants ice cream?"

Amidst excited oohing and talks of orders, Mr. Ward and the children left the room. Alex stepped aside to let them go, and when they were gone, he finally broke the seal of the room. He approached the bed wordlessly.

"C.B.C and chem-7 look fine." Reading off the chart, Alex didn't seem to notice how completely crestfallen Mrs. Ward looked now that there was nobody to perform for.

But Fallyn did. She ducked her head a little, asking, "Are you alright, Mrs. Ward?"

"Sorry." Mrs. Ward forced a smile and an awkward laugh, neither of which met her eyes. "I'm so tired."

"Oh, Rose." Addison crossed her arms. "Six kids, thirty-eight weeks pregnant? A saint would be tired."

"Well... I'm no saint."

Mrs. Ward paused for a long time and all three doctors— even Alex— watched as she wiped a tear from her waterline. When she recovered herself, she said, "This baby— Joseph— I need him to be my last. And it seems like I'm the most fertile woman on the planet."

"Well, if you're interested in alternative forms of birth control—" Addison began, but Mrs. Ward cut her off.

"No. I mean that, today during the c-section, I need you to tie my tubes... without my husband ever knowing."

Medically speaking, it was ethical. Mrs. Ward was a consenting adult who was in charge of her body; her husband wasn't her keeper. It was her body to choose.

Out of habit, Alex gave her a sideways look that suggested he was seeing it from Mr. Ward's point of view.

Fallyn pursed her lips to wordlessly let him know that she disagreed. He scowled. She looked away.

"Rose, you're an adult. He's not your legal guardian," said Addison, businesslike with a hint of care. Fallyn liked when she got all serious. "Telling him would be entirely up to you."

"Well, if you charged my insurance, he would see it. Any bill you sent, he would see it. I've been saving up for this, and I can pay you privately."

Addison sighed. "So you're saying you want me to do the surgery and leave no record."