Calling Dr. West

Family

I stretched languidly and feel little feet press on my ribs. I groaned and opened an eye looking around the room. Kristen's golden hair is splayed on the pillow next to me and I lifted the covers to find Chloe's little body snuggled between us; her head burrowed under her mother's armpit.

I groaned again and slipped out of the bed and walked toward the bathroom as I stretched. I sat on the toilet to relieve myself my head in my hands clutching at my hair. I opened my eyes and caught a glimpse of the tattoo on my forearm and sighed. How the hell did I end up here?

Mind you my life isn't awful. I'm thirty, in a relationship, with a kid… (What the hell? I swore I'd never have one of those) granted, the Kid came with the girl. Oh… and I was with a girl. Which was a surprise to me as well as everyone else in my life.

I have a career… not the one that I expected to have… I succumbed to my father's wishes, I went to Medical School instead. Mainly I wanted to play with cadavers. Then I had a pediatrics rotation, and crap children are… well contagious. It must be my old age setting in… I am a pediatrician.

I sighed and flushed the toilet then stripped my nightshirt and entered the shower. I wasn't in there for two minutes before I felt a hand snake around my waist, and lips pressed against my shoulder blades. "Babe, You're gonna be late." My girlfriend murmured in my ear.

"Kris, I just got in the shower." I moaned as her hands squeezed my breasts.

"Yeah, but…" She said turning me to face her getting down on her knees in front of me. "You'll be in the shower for a while." I moaned and braced myself for a ride. Oh heavens, I was done for.

Forty-five minutes later, I was texting my office checking my appointments glad my first one wasn't for twenty more minutes. I grabbed my coffee mug and lab coat and headed toward the door.

I took a double take at the stairs and paused looking at Chloe's big blue eyes staring up at me. "What's up squirt?"

"Dr. Jade? Can I come to work with you?" The four year old asked.

"Sweet thing… Mom can't work worrying about you behind the desk. You have to go to school baby girl." I said and continued out to my garage. I looked over the roof of my BMW at the hunk of junk Kristen drove and cringed. Maybe I should help her get something better. That is not safe for Chloe. That's one thing that hadn't changed. I am still a selfish bitch. I shook my head, sat in my car and drove off.

I walked into the practice and saw Dr. Thompson's secretary sitting at her desk. "Hey Ryan." I said directing a smile at her. Ryan smiled and eyed me dubiously.

"Good morning." She said with a smirk holding a note out to me. "You have an early walk in."

"Oh?" I asked looking at the name on the pad. "Alyssa Vega. I don't know this name."

"New patient…" Ryan stated. I nodded and nearly power walked through to the exam room she had indicated on the note and grabbed the paperwork the patient had filled out from the basket on the door.

"Good morning," I stated looking down at the papers and turning to put them on the counter. I had to face the patient, I knew that, but I just needed a second to catch up. This kid was here because of a splinter? Really? I turned to face them and nearly dropped the paper work when I saw… I don't know a ghost. A ghost, with a baby.

"Vega?" I stated when she looked back at me shock registering on her face as well.

"Hey! I know you." Tori stated with a smile.

I looked at Alyssa and then to Tori and smile. "She looks just like you." I said, an ache at the pit of my stomach. Man, I thought I was over this. Over her…

"Yeah that's what everyone tells me."

"So, what seems to be the problem?" I asked and she has the three-year-old girl extend her hand. The splinter looks like an effing plank in between her thumb and forefinger. "Jesus." I said standing up and gathering the peroxide and tweezers. Bacitracin and cotton ball and set to work.

"I swear I never thought of you as a doctor." Tori said as she sat quietly holding the little girl in her arms. "Although… you and blood? It's a good fit. Do you still write?"

I nodded. "Lots of prescriptions every day." I stated as I pulled out the gnarly splinter and looked to see how much damage it had done. She was bleeding like a hemophiliac. But she was a little girl so I knew she couldn't be. That was usually a Male trait. Alyssa whimpered and I pressed down on the wound. "You are such a strong and brave little girl." I stated and wrapped her hand.

"Do you feel better baby?" Tori asked the little girl. Alyssa nodded and placed her head on Tori's shoulder.

"Okay I am writing you a prescription for antibiotics, we don't want her to get sick." I smiled at tori then turned to Alyssa and handed her one of the toys that I keep for kids in the office. "I have a little girl at home that loves that toy. She likes to come with me to work so she can sneak them back home." I say to the little girl.

Alyssa smiled, "Thank you." She said and looked at Tori who frowned a little. Then looked around the room.

"Yeah Jade, thanks a million." Tori said a little distracted.

It had been so long, I kind of wanted to catch up with her. I looked at Alyssa and said. "Maybe we can get the girls together one day."

She looked down at Alyssa and smiled. "Sure, Okay… I have your number… it's on your card right?"

I Nodded, "Do you have one?" I asked.

She reached for her purse. "I am not sure, I don't carry them when I have Alyssa." She said rooting through it. "Aha!"

"Found one?" I asked and she handed it to me covered in tiny crumbs. "Still carry crumbs around in your purse Vega?"

She laughed. "It's my off day, Call the office anytime, because my office is wherever I am at any point in time. Girl my Cell phone is my life saver."

"See you soon." I said walking out of the exam room.

"Jade!" Chloe bounds toward me and I pick her up.

"Hey!" I said and head over to Kristen. I lean forward and give her a kiss and ask. "What is she doing here babe?"

"She threw up after you left this morning. I can't take her to school like that..." She said then she trailed off looking behind me. "Are you all done?"

"Oh!" I said. "I forgot Alyssa's chart in the exam room." I set Chloe down and kept her a little distant from the Vega girl just in case Chloe was in fact sick. "Alyssa this is Chloe. Chlo… this is Alyssa and Tori. I used to go to school with Tori."

Then I looked at Kristen who smiled at the little girls. "Tori this is my girlfriend Kris."

Tori's mouth formed an "o" and she shook Kristen's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I'll go get Alyssa's chart." I said and as I walked away I heard Kristen and Tori try to make polite conversation.

"You went to high school with her?" She asked as I walked away.

"Did I ever, and I have the scars to prove it…" Ugh, I knew that treating her like that would be my undoing. Instead… I am in a relationship with a woman with a kid, and I like her but she is smothering the hell out of me. Now that Tori… well now that I see her…

I walked back up to them and they are laughing at something and I hand Alyssa's chart to Kristen. Chloe and Alyssa are playing with the toys in the corner. "Looks like we have a match." I tell Tori. She smiled.

"We should set up a play date on your off days." She said. "I don't imagine you have many." I shook my head. "I didn't think so. I'm flexible so call whenever. But Alyssa is usually with me on Fridays all day."

"Friday is good babe!" Kristen stated eager to see her little girl have a friend. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. " You open later that day remember. She can play in the morning."

"Right," I said and looked back at Tori.

"You don't have to… if you don't—" Tori started reading my expression of exasperation that wasn't meant to imply that I didn't want Tori and Alyssa around. It was meant that I would like to do this for myself.

"You just want a day to yourself." I stated to Kristen and smiled at Tori. "Is Friday okay Tori?"

she nodded, "Call you later for details."

"Cool." I said casually, I was so glad Kristen pushed. I just didn't want to show how much I wanted to be alone with Tori. Well Semi Alone. I looked out at the waiting room then down at the two other exam rooms that were mine. "Listen, I have two more patients I am going to tend to. Talk to you later." I said placing my hand on her shoulder as I walked away.

"Is she different than you remember?" I heard Kristen ask.

"She looks the same… but, she is way nicer." Tori answered.

I snorted in laughter just before opening the door for the next patient. "Good morning…"