The Doc

Chapter 17

It was early evening and the sun had just dipped below the mountains. Alice and Danny were sitting in the surgery, with Alice discussing labour and giving birth and Danny looking like he was about to pass out. Alice wasn't going to be able to deliver this baby on her own so she needed to teach Danny about childbirth, much to his dismay.

"...so how do you know when the cervix is fully dilated?"

"Size of a melon," Danny rattled off. 

"And the active stage of labour is...?" Alice raised an eyebrow just as a knock came on the door.

"From 4cm upwards," Danny said. "Alice, can I go now? We've been doing this for an hour."

"Just hold on, Danny," she sighed. "Let me answer the door. Hey Ellie," Alice smiled, opening the surgery door to reveal the teenager. "What can I do for you?" 

"Do...do you have time to talk?" 

"I always have time for you," Alice said, stepping back to let Ellie walk past her. "Come on in. Danny was just leaving." Dany jumped to his feet, happily slamming the book in his lap closed and leaving it on the table before darting out the door.

"See you tomorrow doc," he called, already halfway out the door.

Ellie shuffled past her into the surgery and sat down. Alice closed the door and turned to Ellie.

"How are you feeling?" Ellie asked, looking at her growing bump. 

"Oh," Alice smiled, her hand instinctively going to her stomach. "I'm good. 5 months gone, 4 to go. Morning sickness has all but passed at this stage. Joel has been an angel the last month or so."

"Mhm..." Ellie's eyes darted to the floor at the mention of Joel's name. Alice raised an eyebrow before sitting down beside the teenager and speaking softly.

"Ellie, what's going on?" 

"Um..." Ellie sighed, wringing her hands nervously. "Did Joel ever tell you what went down after we left Jackson to go to UEC?"

"He's told me bits and pieces," Alice nodded. "Other bits, I had to find out for myself. I mean, he only told me what happened with those cannibals after I saw the scar from him falling on that pole."

"What did he tell you about the hospital?" Ellie asked, sitting up in the chair and making eye contact with Alice. 

"Not a whole lot," she shrugged. "Just that the Fireflies weren't able to do anything."

"Mhm..." Ellie sighed again, rubbing the back of her neck in a comfort reaction that reminded Alice of Joel. There was a moment of silence before Alice spoke. 

"Hey, talk to me," she said softly, reaching over and squeezing her thigh softly. 

"When we made it to the hospital, Joel had been knocked out and I didn't see him," Ellie began. "The Fireflies brought me to a hospital room and put me under anaesthetic and then I woke up in the back of a car in a hospital gown with Joel driving us back to Jackson. He's always told me that there were other people like me, other immune people. Apparently, there was no cure. He told me they couldn't find a cure and he took me out of there while I was still knocked out cold?" Ellie hit her thigh and sat back in the chair, sighing exasperatedly. 

"Ellie..." Alice chimed in sympathetically. 

"I just...I wanted my immunity to mean something," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "When I heard that the Fireflies were working on a vaccine and I could be a part of it...that was just...I was so excited to be a part of history."

"Ellie, you are one of the most hopeful, mature, optimistic young people I have ever met," Alice smiled. "You have so much hope in the people around you. I admire that so much and I wish I had your outlook on life. You've known Joel for what, 3 years?"

Ellie nodded in response before Alice continued. 

"I've known him for less but what I do know is that he's fiercely loyal to people in his life that he cares about," she smiled. "I guess, what I'm saying is that Joel has never given me a reason to believe he's done anything other than tell the truth. I can't speak for him because I don't know what happened. But whatever he did, he did out of the goodness in his heart. He did it because he cares about you."

Ellie nodded again, deep in thought as she mulled over Alice's words. She didn't seem fully convinced but this was something that Alice wasn't involved in, so she didn't want to pry. 

"Thanks doc," Ellie smiled after a moment, getting to her feet. "I needed to hear that."

"You're more than welcome, Ellie," Alice smiled. "My door is always open for you, don't ever forget that."

Alice walked her to the surgery door and watched as Ellie disappeared around the corner and out of her view before she headed back inside to finish up some files and pack up for the night.

"Knock knock," A voice drifted in from the hallway as the front door opened, causing the bell above to tinkle. Alice snapped up from her paperwork to look towards the source of the familiar voice. Her face flushed immediately for some inexplicable reason.

"Joel, what are you doing here?" she asked, running a hand through her long, dark hair. A slight smile crossed her face as Joel handed her a small bouquet of flowers.

"It's Valentines Day," he grinned. "Came to stop you from workin' all evening." With a chuckle, Alice threw up her hands in surrender and got to her feet. She took Joel's hand and they headed for the door. The snow was so white against the night sky. It almost sparkled as they walked, arm in arm back to the house for the romantic evening Joel had planned.