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Anarchy was not impressed.
The color scheme was playing havoc with her nerves. She felt as though she should be bubbly and upbeat, but the reason for being here wasn't all sweet and light, was it? Her friend was straddling a line between becoming a mother and grieving an unborn child. Not just that, but mourning the loss of any future children.
She couldn't get her head around it.
Worse, she was walking into Happyland without Jasper beside her. Whatever that phone call was, it had knocked him back on his ass, she could tell. His hand had jerked, then his eyes, his face, his entire demeanor had frozen with something akin to hatred. She wouldn't like to be the person on the other end of that call, that's for sure.
Connie pushed open a door off the main corridor and ushered Anarchy through. "This is the ward where Bodie's staying. Just stay quiet until we figure out what's happening, okay? We don't want to get thrown out."
She hugged her laptop bag closer and nodded her agreement. She'd brought her work with her in case she could find a quiet corner and hunker down if she wasn't needed. As she stepped into the hallway of the ward, she could hear a woman yelling, damn near screaming, and winced. Someone was not a happy camper in Happyland.
They passed a massively pregnant woman being escorted by a frazzled guy who appeared to be thoroughly overwhelmed by the events transpiring. When the woman stopped and began to pant, Anarchy wondered if he would pass out. But he stepped up to the plate, and coached his lady through the contraction.
Jasper would be so good at that, she thought. Coaxing, rubbing, soothing. He'd walk the halls with her for hours, wouldn't he, and bring her ice chips and rub her back. She pressed her hand to her belly and tried to imagine having something growing inside her. Did a woman knowwhen she was pregnant? Like, was there a connection between her and the entity beyond the gestation?
"For God's sake, don't tell me you're pregnant too?"
Anarchy jerked out of her thoughts and blinked at Connie. The Mistress was standing close, her eyes concerned as she studied her face. A nervous laugh bubbled out of Archie, and she shook her head vigorously. "M-Me? No! Not me. It hasn't even been seven days since Jasper and I..." she flushed heatedly. "You know."
"Hmm. I believe you," Connie murmured in a tone that implied a thousand others wouldn't, but her lips curved in a smile. "I wouldn't let Jasper catch you cradling your tummy that way, sweetheart; he might get ideas. Stay close to me, okay? He won't be happy if I lose you in this rabbit warren of rooms."
How could he not be happy amongst all the colors and floral artwork on the walls? Archie thought sarcastically. Everything was clean, tidy, probably conducive to content mothers-to-be in labor, but God, she was feeling itchy under her skin as though the atmosphere was eating into her bones. "There sure are a lot of rooms. Are all the women on this floor ready to give birth, or is this a ward for ladies in all stages of pregnancy?"
"We're an assessment ward," a soft voice answered from behind her.
Archie turned and found a small woman in pink scrubs watching her and, evidently, listening in on the tail end of the conversation. Offering the nurse a sheepish smile, she said, "Sorry. I've never been on a maternity ward before. It's fascinating." Her gaze slid over to the heavily pregnant woman who'd resumed pacing the hallway. "And just a little bit scary."
"It's okay, first time mothers are entitled to feeling nervous." Hazel eyes dropped to Archie's hand, where it still rested on her belly. "You don't look like you're too far along. Have you been directed to Obstetrics by your doctor?"
"No!" Archie dropped her hand quickly and inched closer to Connie, as though the nurse might haul her off to a room somewhere. "Not pregnant. Not me, no Siree."
"I see. Well, visiting hours are closed until this afternoon. I'm afraid if you've come to see someone, you'll have to come back then. I can get you a list of visiting hours for the week if you like so you can schedule—"
Connie sighed and stepped forward, nudging Archie back an inch and taking center stage. "Nicole, is it? I'm Doctor Constance Monroe. I'm a psychologist, and I was notified this morning that one of my patients is in your care. Boadicea McGee."
How the hell did Connie know the nurse's—oh. Archie rolled her eyes at herself when she saw the staff ID badge the woman wore over her right breast. She really needed to look more closely at things—she had a feeling she missed a lot of what went on around her sometimes.
"Ah. Yes, we have Ms. McGee in our care, but I'm afraid she's undergoing tests right now. It's not the best time for visitation. If you'd like to sign in at the ward desk with the nurse on duty, someone will come and speak to you about when you can see her. It may not be until this afternoon."
"You're not on duty?"
"My shift finished almost an hour ago, but I stayed on to help a patient. The nurses on shift right now are Anne, Melissa, and Jess. You need to follow this corridor around to the right, and the main desk is there."
"Thank you." Connie turned away and, with her fingers hooked around Archie's arm, walked in the direction the nurse pointed to. She muttered under her breath about stupid visitation hours, then plastered on a professional smile when they reached the desk.
Archie was in awe of her. Maybe she could be Connie when she grew up. Well, aside from the Dominant thing. There wasn't a cat in hell's chance she'd ever develop a dominant bone in her body—she was submissive through and through. Still, she watched, and she learned as Connie performed the same dance with the older lady behind the desk, signing in as a visitor and showing her identification.
Archie followed suit, without a word.
The shouting was louder here, something familiar about the tone.
As Connie wrapped things up, Archie was impatient to move. Something in those noises was desperate, like an animal with its leg stuck in a trap. She couldn't bear to listen to it, couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
The moment Connie thanked the nurse for her time, Anarchy dragged her down the hallway with a purpose, following the wails. She saw signs for a waiting room and scowled at Connie when she tried to redirect them inside. "No, we need to help."
"We can't. Look," Connie told her as they got a glimpse at the occupants of the waiting room. "Liam and Loki are here with Braun. "If you want to help, sweetheart, why don't you see if they'd like anything to drink?" Her voice lowered for Archie's ears only. "Braun's distressed. If that's Bodie making all that noise, it's going to be ripping him apart. He needs a distraction."
Okay, she could handle a distraction. "Okay."
