I froze.
“Sorry, therapist habit of digging and pushing limits. Forget I asked.”
“Already forgotten.”
“You don’t even have to tell me anything. But it’s important for you to think about it.”
“Pretty please go back to being my friend and not a therapist.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry.”
Of course I liked it. I loved it. Cole was fun and sexy as hell, and he found inventive ways of waking me up. His favorite methods included full-body massages, full-body kisses, or just tickling me first thing in the morning. I loved all those things (perhaps slightly more the full-body massage).
But it had taken me so long to accept that I was on my own, that I was honestly terrified of how much I loved having Cole in my life.
My phone buzzed in my bag just as we decided to venture down a street full of artsy shops.
“Skye’s calling,” I murmured before putting the phone to my ear.
“Laney, it’s Rob. Skye’s water broke. We’re heading to the hospital. Are you on shift?”
“No. No, but I’m getting in a cab, and I’ll be there a few minutes earlier than you. I’ll tell Dr. Johnson. Please don’t panic. I know he’s a month early, but we’ll take good care of you.” She was supposed to give birth at the end of May, and now it was the third week of April.
“The baby is coming?” Isabelle asked.
“Oh, yeah. I’m going to the hospital.”
“I’ll tell the gang. Not sure if Rob’s in the right state of mind to do it.”
I chuckled. “Probably not. I’ve seen so many births. Some dads are more stressed than moms.”
“I’m betting Rob will be like that.”
Grinning, I flagged a cab, bidding Isabelle goodbye.
The second I entered the hospital, I slipped into doctor mode. I’d asked Dr. Johnson right after the visit to Skye’s house if I could attend the birth even though my ob-gyn rotation was over, and she said it was no problem. I changed into my scrubs at lightning speed, meeting Dr. Johnson in the surgical unit.
“Her baby still didn’t turn,” Dr. Johnson said. “So it’ll be a C-section.”
“Okay.”
“You can perform it under my supervision, if you want to.”
“Oh, that would be great.” My heartbeat accelerated. God, I was so excited to meet baby Dumont.
“But I’m warning you, it’s not easy to operate on someone you know, so if you feel like it’s too much, just say so, and I’ll take over.”
“I can do it,” I said confidently.
Half an hour later, I realized I couldn’t, though. No matter how much I wanted to be Dr. La
ney right now, I was mostly just Laney. My pulse was haywire, and my hands were shaking. No way could I perform surgery. But I could make sure Skye was relaxed and comfortable and not one bit afraid. Correction: Skye and Rob. The three of us were in the operating room, along with the usual team. Since Skye had received a spinal anesthetic, she was fully aware of everything that was going on.
“It’ll be okay. Dr. Johnson is the best, and I’ll be here the entire time. Unless you want me to leave?”
“No, please stay,” Skye said.
“Stay,” Rob said too. He was pale, and sweat dotted his forehead, but he was doing so well. I gave him thumbs-up when Skye wasn’t looking, and he gave me a small smile in return. Operating units made even the bravest of us uncomfortable; they were cold and austere, smelling of antiseptic and other medicines.