Falling For The Mob

16 Dinner

Zoë

There are only two weeks left before the clinic opens, with too much work still needing to be done. It puts us in a position where Sam and I are forced to spend almost every night together for several hours.

Of course, Addy is here as well, but I can still sense the strange tension whenever she looks at me. Overall, she was behaving fairly normally, which I find surprising. Then again, Sam never really behaves the way I would expect a normal person to.

She isn't distant with me and still smiles occasionally. Maybe I should just be grateful that things are going so well and not question it.

I am very proud of the things we have accomplished in the last six months, but there is a slight sting in my chest when I realize that I won't be seeing them as much. Mostly it's because of Sam, I don't think her will to be friends still exists given what happened last week. We agreed that we would pretend it didn't happen, but not thinking about her has been harder for me than I expected. I know what her opinions are on Joan, she probably sees me the same way. Obsessed with her like everyone else is.

For the fifth time in the last hour, I try diverting my focus back to the documents in front of me and away from anything Sam related.

"Everything okay?" My eyes shoot up to find her staring directly at me, but it wasn't her voice.

"Everything is fine, I'm just tired."

Addy gives me an understanding nod. "It's almost eight, maybe we should order something to eat and take a break."

She looks over to Sam, who silently nods and closes the folder in her hands. To my relief, Addy doesn't seem to know that anything weird is going on.

Cooing sounds come from the corner where Addy placed a small crib, she still can't be away from Mason for more than two hours. Keeping him in the room is the only way we can keep her focused.

As she walks over to him, I get up to stretch my back and get my blood flowing.

Bringing my arms back down, I find Sam staring at me intensely with no other expression but her slightly darker eyes. A few blinks later she's back to normal, studying me like she does with everyone, only this time not with her cold calculating eyes. She smiles softly at me, I really like it when she smiles.

My pager goes off, signaling that one of my patients is asking for me. It's nowhere near an emergency, and at this hour I am under no obligation, but I still answer.

With the clinic taking up every second of my time, I barely get the time to spend with my patients. I just need to get through these next two weeks, and everything can go back to normal.

In most of the pediatrics wing, the lights are dimmed at this hour, and the halls are practically deserted.

I make my way over to the nurse's station with Sam and Addy trailing behind me, with enough space for me to work. It gives them a chance to stretch their legs.

Tony gives me a pained smile as he hands over the documents.

"Is she awake?"

"Yes, but nothing new to report."

I step into the small room, dimly lit with a pink night light. Tammy Simmons has been here for about seven weeks. She was suffering from kidney failure and immediately put on dialysis. The first two weeks it seemed to help, but then came the steady decline of all her organs. Her body is slowly shutting down, and after trying everything, I needed to accept that there was nothing more I can do for her. She is on the transplant list, but at the rate things are going, the odds of her making it are low.