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I shake my head slowly. “I don’t know what’s going on; I feel weird.”
“It’s okay,” Raylan replies and scoops me up in his arms.
“He’s here,” Sky says.
We all turn to see a man jump out of his car and rush toward the building, briefly glancing both ways before crossing the street to get over to us. “This had better be serious,” he says, fumbling through his pockets until he finds a set of keys.
“We wouldn’t have called you otherwise, John,” Sky says to him. “She damn near passed out. There’s something wrong with her.”
John stills upon seeing me, upon recognizing me. “Oh, shit. That’s Ariana David. I knew it! I knew you three sons of bitches had something to do with it!”
“Leave the berating for later, Papa John. She needs your help,” Raylan says.
An hour later, I’m feeling better.
I have an IV pumping me full of glucose and vitamins. Sky, Kendric, and Raylan are in the waiting room after John asked for some privacy while he gives me a full checkup. To my surprise, he even asks me to do one of those quick drugstore pregnancy tests. I laugh, but I still do it. I’m too weak, too scared, about everything, even to consider disobeying a private practice doctor who got out of bed in the middle of the night in order to take care of me.
I’m lying in bed, resting and recovering next to a big ass jug of cold water. My senses have almost fully returned, and I’m able to process the events that brought me to this place.
“How are they treating you?” John asks in a low voice, constantly glancing back at the door, likely fearful that they might overhear him.
“They’ve been nothing but good to me, I swear.” I’m also feeling terribly guilty after what happened with Masterson. “They saved my life tonight …”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that.”
“Please, don’t tell anyone I’m here,” I tell him.
As John shakes his head, I notice the salt-and-pepper in his short, curly hair. The creases around his eyes. The slight sag of his jaw, which he masks with a neatly trimmed beard. He’s somewhere in his late fifties, but his green eyes are sharp and knowing. “I won’t. The Steel Knights saved my life, too. I owe them a debt I doubt I will ever be able to fully repay,” he says. “It just pisses me off that they had to resort to kidnapping, Miss David.”
“A federal agent picked me off the side of the road. An actual federal agent who then tried to kill me,” I reply bluntly. “I will take my chances with the Steel Knights any given day, Doc.”
He stills, staring at me for a brief moment before proceeding to look over my chart, nodding slowly as he revisits his notes and conclusions. “You’re going to be okay,” John says. “You were dehydrated. Plus, the emotional stress, given what you’ve just been through. Were you fully unconscious at any point?”
“I’m not sure. If I was, it wasn’t too long. Maybe a few seconds,” I say, then slowly glance around. “Is this your clinic?”
“No, I don’t own it. But I run it. It’s partially funded by the Steel Knights, actually,” he chuckles softly. “And don’t ask me why I won’t speak out in their favor anywhere, including in the press. You have no idea what the Black Hand is capable of once they set their sights on someone they perceive as their enemy.”
“Oh, but I kind of do,” I reply with a heavy sigh. “It’s why we’re here tonight.”
“I’m so sorry,” John says, compassionately covering my hand with his. “Well, the good news is that you can walk out of here tonight. This IV should have you back on your feet in a few minutes. I see the bag is almost empty, and the color is already back in your cheeks.”
I can’t help but smile. “Thank you, Doc. For everything.” I pause and give him a troubled look. “Wait, what’s the bad news?”
“I don’t know if it is bad news. That’s entirely up to you,” he says. “Your quick bloodwork is fine. You’re just missing some minerals, but the IV should’ve taken care of that by now.”
“Okay. But there’s something else. I can tell.”
“You’re pregnant.” He waits for my reaction.
But it never comes. I’m still. I’m speechless. The words hit me and they get filtered through my brain. I can almost feel the wheels turning, the reality of the situation suddenly taking a turn for the—what, exactly? The worst? Better?
I’m pregnant.
“You’re still very early on,” John adds. “But there are some hormonal changes happening that were detected by the pregnancy test.”
“Can we keep it between us?”
He nods once. “You’re my patient tonight, Miss David. The doctor-patient privilege applies, and it supersedes any cordial relationship between the Steel Knights and me.”
