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T W E N T Y E I G H T
I could hear Henrietta talking with Eddie and Evan about a man that they treated a few days ago that seemed to know her mother when they were younger.
I tried my best to keep up with the story, but the reality was that I was only half listening. I was too focused on the sting the hair tie wrapped around my wrist left on my skin as I kept snapping it repeatedly.
Today was my second day back with the 118, and I constantly worry that I will mess something up. I got prescribed a new cocktail of medications not long ago, which had me feeling all types of ways.
On top of it all, I recently started experiencing post-trauma stress about the hospital explosion and the suicide attempt that has gotten slightly bad after getting back on the job. Every small thing seemed to trigger it, but I kept it to myself, not wanting to worry the others.
If my Captain and uncle seemed to trust that I was okay enough to come back, I had to trust myself too. I was having a hard time convincing myself.
I can do this.
The day has been going smoothly with no tough calls to the point that we had a small downtime to get some coffee and pastries in the middle of a shift, something that rarely occurred.
I felt my phone and smart watch vibrate simultaneously, startling me.
Liam's name was displayed on the small screen of my watch. I quickly looked at my friends before I distanced myself a little to answer the call.
"Hey," I answered, my voice sounding weaker than I intended.
"Hey, I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time, but I don't know if you have been able to go through your emails today. They sent the DNA test results."
A couple of weeks ago, Evan and I decided to give Liam the green light to get a DNA test done to see if he's Maia's biological father. The days we have spent waiting to hear back felt like a whole eternity.
I knew that legally no matter what that test said, Liam couldn't do anything about Maia. Still, I couldn't help the tiny voice in my head telling me repeatedly that my life has always been a joke and that if Liam were indeed Maia's bio dad, he would find a way to take Maia away from me.
"Oh— okay. Yeah, no, I haven't been able to." I stammered, feeling the need to snap my hair tie harder against my already swollen red skin. "So?"
The other end of the line went quiet for a little too long. I felt my heart drop to my stomach, knowing what his silence meant, but I tried my best to keep my cool.
