Illusions of the island *A LOST fanfic*

Chapter 18: A lunch date with a friend

Flashback:

Miami Medical Research Facility

Miami, Florida

January 2001

" Thanks for lunch David. Do you know how much I love Arroz Moro? It's not as good as my grandmother's but it's up there. Hey do you want to grab some coffee?"

David nodded and helped Juliet to her feet. Her feet screamed at her to sit back down. But she managed to walk out of the lab and into the break room. Planting herself in the chair at the table, she watched as David poured himself a cup of coffee.

"How are you feeling Jules?"

J uliet was about to respond to David's question when she felt a quick thump in the ribs.

"Oh!"

David turning back to her took two wide strides to reach her side.

" What is it?"

Shocked, she looked down at her stomach and put a shaking hand on top of it.

"The baby just kicked."

A wide smile crossed David's face and he looked outside the break room to make sure no one was coming or looking. Placing a gentle hand on her stomach his smile grew.

"Someone in there has a strong kick. This one's already got a little attitude."

J uliet's eyes widened and she lowered her voice.

"You don't think her attitude comes from her father?"

David smirked and then took his hand away from her still-growing stomach, crossing his arms as he did so.

"Well, it could be anything really. Since it was an anonymous donor. Are you sure you don't want to know if you are having a boy or a girl?"

J uliet shook her head and smiled.

"I want it to be a surprise."

D avid nodded and sat down next to her.

"With this baby, you know it'll be a surprise. They'll probably come in the most unexpected place."

Juliet suddenly got a mental picture in her head.

" I'm fine if this baby surprises me. I just hope they'll be able to fit. Rachel was a big baby."

Juliet was inadvertently jinxing herself. David gave her a smirk and spoke.

"You think this baby will be big? My bets on a 7-pound girl."

As Juliet got up from her chair a dizzy spell took over her whole body and she felt David behind her lowering her to the carpet.

" Whoa. Take it easy now. Just relax and take slow deep breaths. That's it."

She could see he was worried but brushed it off.

" David I'm fine. It's just hot."

David pursed his lips at Juliet and shook his head as he took her pulse.

"Juliet it's the middle of winter. It's only 85 outside. It's not really hot. Tell me the truth. What have you eaten today? Your pulse is thready."

He knew that she was having heat flashes, but this was a bit extreme, even for Juliet.

"I had a salad. You know me, when I'm concentrating on my work, I zone in on it and forget to eat sometimes."

David threw her a serious look.

"Not acceptable Juliet and you know it. It wasn't the salad and it couldn't have been the rice and beans you had with it. What else have you done today?"

J uliet furrowed her eyebrows. She'd done everything she was supposed to. This one wasn't fitting the puzzle correctly.

"I don't know. Could be my blood sugar bottoming out. I hadn't thought about checking for gestational diabetes. Anemia maybe?"

David's eyes widened and he thought for a moment.

"Could be anything. Let's wait this out for a few minutes. Sorry but I gotta ask this: have you had any bleeding?"

Shaking her head no, Juliet looked David straight in the eye.

"No. But I have been more tired lately."

Juliet turned away when she saw Nora enter the room. She was trying to hide the heat that was beginning to form in her cheeks. Nora smirked at the two on the floor.

"Well, aren't you two cozy? I honestly was wondering about you two. You've been disappearing into one of the exam rooms for months. So the two of you are together. Is the kid his?"

She knew. Nora knew. Juliet looked her straight in the eye and was about to speak. David stepped in.

"Nora, I really think that's none of your business. Come all the way in here and shut the door."

Nora shut the door and came closer to the pair. Juliet could only stare at Nora.

"Great. The last thing I want to become is the lab chisme. You want to gossip about something, Find something else. You can't tell Ed."

Smirking still, Nora crossed her arms over her chest and huffed at both David and Juliet.

"Why not? What's in it for me if I don't?"

David shook his head at Juliet and spoke up.

"This is really none of your business. This is personal. Maybe I should bring up with Doctor Burke what you did with that blood sample the other day?"

Nora paled and backed up towards the door.

"You wouldn't dare."

David smirked and then looked Juliet in the eye before looking back up at Nora.

"What? Not tell him how instead of disposing of it in the bio-hazard container in the corner of the room you threw it directly in the garbage? If word got out that you did that, we could be sued. You're a doctor, you know what you have to do."

Juliet rolled her eyes at Nora. She was such a snake. Then she pointed to her. Nora got down to Juliet's level and gave her a twisted grin.

" Well, now I know who you really are Juliet. You were ready to hop into bed with Romeo here."

Growing angry, Juliet slapped Nora.

" I'm with someone, but its not David. Get out."

Nora holding her stinging cheek opened up the break room door and walked out. Taking in a breath to calm herself, Juliet froze when a ripple of pain ripped across her abdomen.

"Ah!"

With frightened eyes, she looked up at David.

"David I need your help."

Looking up at the ceiling, Juliet let out another breath and let a few tears go. 'It's not time for you to come out yet.'

To Be Continued...