One morning, after a surprisingly uneventful few days, Viviana noticed Kiara quietly sitting in the lobby as she was walking in the hospital. Kiara was sneezing and coughing, and she looked really scared.
Viviana didn’t need her fancy education to determine why she was sitting there looking so nervous. She sat down quietly across from her as a silent sign of support and comfort.
Kiara kept her eyes closed, but she knew it was Viviana who sat down next to her. She wasn’t waiting for her, but she was glad Viviana was there as she was trying to work up the courage to check herself into the hospital once again.
“I, ummm…I probably just have the flu,” Kiara said. “I know it’s nothing. But, sometimes nothing turns into something and…I can’t forget it! I didn’t want to come back here, but…I kept telling myself, what if it’s something? Last time I came here it was something. But I don’t want to keep running here every time I feel something! I don’t want to be afraid of everything!”
“Oh, Kiara. You went through a very serious ordeal. It’s natural to be afraid of being that sick again! I’d rather you be over cautious than nonchalant about it. You come back here as many times as you think you need to, ok?”
“Thanks, Viv. I’m so glad it was you and not someone else.”
“Me too. Although…sometimes I feel like I’m the only doctor working here! Let’s go get you checked out.”
Viviana led Kiara to an exam room and examined her for all possible ailments. Just as she and Kiara expected, it was just the flu.
“Ok, gorgeous! Let’s get you immunized and out of here. Now, I know it’s just the flu, but I want you to take it easy, ok? Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids.”
“I can do that.”
“By the way, how are Parker and Holly? I never see much of them.”
“Oh, they’re fine. Parker is still a bit shy about…well, you know. And Holly is an only child, so she’s with them all the time. You should come by the house some time when you’re not working and see them.”
“Heh, I’m a mother to two adults, a teenage girl, and a rambunctious scamp; I’m never not working.”
“Right,” Kiara blushed.
“I’ll get over there when I can. I promise. All right, lady. You’re all done!”
“Thanks, Viv. You’re always so good to me.”
“Take care of yourself, Kiara.”
After a very long and busy day, Viviana went home, made dinner, helped Emerson with his homework, spent a little time with her hubby, and then decided to go to bed early. Good thing she did because she got a page in the middle of the night. Someone at the hospital urgently needed a doctor, and Viviana was on call that night.
Christina had gone into labor!
Her husband, Keaton, came dashing in after he parked the car.
“Christinaaaaaa! Don’t have the baby without me! Are you ready?”
“I am, now that you’re here!”
“Oh, honey! This is so exciting! Is the doctor here yet?”
“The receptionist is on the phone with them now.”
Just then, Viviana walked through the door.
Oh Watcher…I can’t believe I wore brown shoes with black pants! This on-call stuff is for the birds.
“Hi, Christina! Come with me,” Viviana beckoned.
She led her to the operating room and got her situated in the surgery machine.
“Viviana, this is my husband, Keaton. Keaton, Viviana is married to Brady Pruett. They’re distant cousins of mine.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Pruett.”
“Same here. Just call me Viv. Ok! Let’s say we get this baby out, shall we?”
“Yes! I’ll get out of your way.”
“Thank you.”
Keaton stepped aside and attempted to wait patiently, but as soon as he heard the machine start up, he panicked.
“Is everything ok in here,” asked a nurse practitioner.
He heard Keaton screaming all the way down the hall.
“Yes,” Viviana said flatly. “We’ve just got a first timer.”
“Aww, how nice. Congratulations, folks.”
“Thank you,” Christina said.
“All right…we’ve got ourselves a baby, y’all,” Viviana said as she extracted the infant.
“It’s a boy,” Christina asked excitedly.
“Yes! And now time to get the next one.”
“NEXT ONE,” Keaton panicked. “WE’RE HAVING TWO?!”
“Oh…I suppose your doctor didn’t tell you that?”
“Well…we don’t exactly have insurance, so…,” Christina said shamefully.
“I see,” Viviana said regrettably. “Well…you have a beautiful son and a daughter!”
“Whoa,” they both said as the news of their twins was sinking in.
At first, they were shocked in a horrified kind of way. But, holding those babes in their arms and listening to their coos made them excited and ready to take on the world. Welcome to the world, Javier and Mia Locklear!
A few hours later, Jo Jo and his girlfriend (Nayeli Cardenas) had their baby too at home. Her name is Mariah Cardenas.
Viv really is an awesome doctor. I like these chapters a lot!
Me too!
Congratulations! Seems like everybody is a distant cousin or something! 🙂
Yeah lol
You really like playing doctor, don’t you?
It’s so cool when the family shows up! Adds a nice variety to the story.