Playing with fire (Amelia Shepherd) ABANDONED

Twenty

"Is there... Is there anything else we can do for her pain?" Andy looked at Mallie with wide eyes. She, Maya, Mallie, JJ and Pruitt were in the bathroom, with JJ on the yoga ball.

"I need something. Anything," JJ whined.

"Okay. Um, JJ, my OB friend, Carina, said there is one thing that can help with the pain and maybe even speed up contractions," Maya said.

"Does it rhyme with bepidural?" JJ scoffed.

"Actually, she says that if you..." Maya trailed off.

"Spit it out, Bishop," Pruitt said.

"She says that, uh, your body will produce oxytocin, which naturally reduces pain, if you masturbate," Maya blurted.

They all stared at Maya with wide eyes.

"Cool. Give a lady some privacy," JJ said quickly.

Mallie jumped up and hurried out of the door, Andy, Maya and Pruitt hurrying behind her.

"Masturbating?" Andy whispered.

"Carina's not wrong," Mallie muttered. "I just... I'd never suggest it. It's awkward," Mallie said.

"Have you spoken to Saffie?" Pruitt asked. "She'll be delivering soon, right?" he said.

"She's, uh, seven months, now?" Andy said.

"Yeah, seven," Mallie nodded. "Carina said her first ultrasound showed twins, too. So, you know, there's that. I don't even know where she is, man," Mallie sighed, rubbing her face. "She could be outside in this storm," she said.

"Try and call her," Maya said.

"She's not gonna answer now if she hasn't since she disappeared," Mallie scoffed.

"She might," Maya said. "People and circumstances change," she said.

"Try and call her," Pruitt nodded.

Mallie pulled her phone out and walked into the locker room, closing the doors. She pressed Saffie's number and held the phone to her ear. The phone rang out twice before Mallie gave up.

"C'mon, Saffie. Just let me know you're alive," Mallie muttered.

She groaned and shoved her phone in her pocket, walking back to the bathroom to wait until JJ was finished.

"I don't think I can do this. Are you sure this is gonna work?" JJ groaned, lying on the bathroom floor while Mallie checked her.

"JJ, you're doing great. You and the baby are gonna be fine," Mallie said.

"Here. Hold my hand and breathe," Pruitt said, taking JJ's hand and demonstrating the breathing.

"I fought for it," Maya said to Andy.

"What?" Andy said.

"I fought for the job. And it had nothing to do with Ryan, because it was before Ryan and it had nothing to do with you being sad. I dumped Jack, and I went to Sullivan and I told him I was the right choice for captain, and I don't think I was wrong, because you put your feelings before the job and you let your personal life interfere, and I do not. I'm relentless, and I think that is the right quality for this job," Maya said.

"Is this really the time?" Mallie said, looking between JJ and Maya.

"First you sleep with my ex, and then-" Andy said.

"Yeah, I'm a crappy friend. I put my goals before anything else. And I'm a control freak, but I do actually care a lot about you. I'm just like your dad, you know? He's here more often after he retired than he was before, obsessively making sure everything is just right, and he can't help it. He's obsessive, working nonstop, like he's running out of time, proving something to someone. The point is, I'm that. I'm just not as good at it as he is," Maya said.