Living With Dee

Five

Edited
Customers filed in and out that day, just like any other. Some were sobbing and I felt my heart ache, while others were expressionless. That's what I agreed to when I had gotten this job-to feel the emotions of others'.

The hospital was quiet; many people passed out on the lobby chairs or had gone home. I sat behind a large desk, drumming my fingers on a paper that I needed to fill out. My computer stayed on, flashing every once and awhile.

Insurance files, ultrasound pictures, and even the envelope I gave my baby daddy was lying on my desk, still not a word written on the blanks. I rolled my sharpened pencil in the other hand, pushing it up the slanted desk then catching it before it fell and starting over again.

"Mackenzie," my co-worker called lightly. I snapped my head to see her next to my desk, leaning over to peer down at me. "What time do you go home?"

I took a look at my computer clock before I answered. "Twenty minutes." I leaned back in my seat, folding my arms after hiding the baby pictures under the insurance ones.

She smiled. "Me too. Wanna grab a snack with me before you head home?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, Ange." Angie Michaels cringed at the nickname, her strawberry blonde hair falling into her eyes. "I feel very exhausted."

Frowning, she nodded in understanding. "That's fine. I'm going to get a smoothie now, anyway. Want one?"

If it means I don't have to move...

The idea of a sweet and creative drink made my throat dry. "Yes please, strawberry banana." I then looked at my secret stash of chocolate and grinned.

Angie saw my look and smirked back before going to get us a smoothie. Sighing once she was out of sight, I pulled out the pictures again.

"You really are in there, huh?" I rubbed my stomach after a second of hesitance. It still bewildered me that a living human being was growing inside of me. That another heart beat besides my own was steady inside my stomach.

Shuffling the papers, I filled in the blanks with my information to get insurance for my kid. After a moment, my computer beeped and the front hospital door opened. I lifted my head to greet the person, but was astonished to see Raven.

Taking all the papers, I stuffed them into my drawers and shot my head up to catch his eye. He walked over to me, his eyes steal and hard as always. "I need to see someone."

I gave a tight and polite smile. "Welcome. And whom may you be looking for?" I turned my computer screen towards me, pulling out the keyboard and readying my hands.

His hair flopped past his shoulders when he turned his head to look around at the hospital. "Cory Dane."

I nodded to the name, quickly typing it in and pulling up the guys information. "ID please."

Raven reached behind him, slowly pulling out his wallet to hand me the card. I took it, eyeing his reluctance before locking the card into the computer.

"Room 34, second floor on the right," I paused to look at him. "Please knock before entering. He had just gotten out of surgery and could very well be sleeping."

Raven left without acknowledgment towards me as Angie waltzed in. LizAnnie also came from another direction, everyone meeting at my desk after his disappearance.

Lizannie was the first to speak, sighing tiredly. "How much longer until I get to raid your pantry?"

I looked at the computer once more, smiling. "Now. Thanks Ange!" I sipped on my smoothie, throwing a sneaky candy piece in the mix. As I shut off the computer, I noticed my replacement walk into the door. We grabbed our belongings before shuffling out.

"I am so hungry!" I cried dramatically as we walked into the parking lot. The girls nodded their heads in agreement.

LizAnnie popped open her car door before unlocking the whole car for the both of us. We decided to car pool when we go to work to save gas.

We bid our goodbyes to Angie before getting in. It was silent at first, our breathing was the only thing heard, besides my occasional slurp of the smoothie, as Liz hesitated to turn the car fully on. I could tell questions were weighing on her mind as she fought her curiosity.

"Go ahead," I whispered. I gnawed on the straw as I waited.

She cocked her head to the side, assessing me. "What's going to happen now? Is the guy giving you money or will you have to manage on your own?" Pausing, thinking over her next statement, she continued. "He was here tonight."

I nodded, no longer looking at her but out the dark window, feeling fatigue wash over me. "Indeed. He was."

Liz scoffed from beside me. "And? Did you try talking to him? Ask him if he needs a paternity test or something-anything so he believes!"

My eyes wandered over the moon, licking my dry lips as I thought over my reply. It was true that I had no idea what I was doing. I couldn't just ask him for money, but I also knew it would be bad if the father didn't actually know he has a kid. Raven hadn't believed me when I had told him.

We both stayed silent, she powered on the car and drove home. I didn't have an answer for her questions and I knew I would have to think this over. By the time we got home, I had remembered something that could help me out.

"Liz," I called, plopping on the couch after I threw away the empty smoothie cup. "Wanna go to an appointment with me?"

Her crazy, excited face popped around the corner from my room, grinning wildly. "Yes."

I chuckled and clicked on the T.V. before snuggling into the sofa, warm and content. Supernatural played onto my screen, igniting a girlish squeal from me as I pushed further into the furniture. It definitely was one of my favorite shows, besides Criminal Minds and Burn Notice.

My eye lids dropped halfway into the show.