Three's Company

Part 2

David started his next day early. He wanted to get oriented with his staff before the patients started rolling in.

Helen, his receptionist, was the first to show up.  Helen was actually his father's receptionist many years ago.  Then Helen was in her early thirties with two young children and a husband.  Now she was a plump sixty-year-old divorcee with short silver hair.  Her two children were grown, married, and starting to have children of their own.

"Good morning, Doctor Burke," Helen said cheerily.

It was strange and comforting to hear the same greeting that he heard from this woman say every day of his youth to his father.

"Good morning Helen," David replied. "How is today's schedule looking?"

She gave him a click of the tongue before telling him," Busy, dear, busy.  The football and cheerleading tryouts are coming up so there will be a lot of young people scurrying through here for their physicals.  I think we may be completely loaded for the next several days, actually."

David lightly tapped his knuckles on the counter, "Excellent!  I love to stay busy."

The jingle of the front door announced the arrival of Bekka Thomas, David's nurse, and former classmate.  Bekka was the pretty popular girl that all the boys in school wanted to be with.  Sixteen years later Bekka was still beautiful but much more mature.  

"Morning!" Bekka smiled

"Bekka!" David said astonish at the woman that stood before him.

Bekka slightly blushed, "It's good to see you, Doctor Burke."

"Oh please, call me David, no reason to be so formal here." He said shaking her hand. "So are you ladies ready for today."

"As ready as we'll ever be," Helen replied.

It wasn't long before the office was filled with patients that slowly trickled through. One after another David met with people of all ages but mostly teenagers, as Helen had said, there needing a physical for football or cheerleading tryouts.

The end of the day was approaching and David was sitting in his office dictating notes waiting for Bekka to let him know when his last two patients were ready.

Bekka came in gnawing on her bottom lip.

"Ready?" David asked.

"Mhm," she answered handing over the records.

"What's the matter?" David asked as he took the file from her.

"Nothing." She answered with a wry smile.

Hampton, Michael, the folder read.  David quickly glanced up at Bekka who gave him a quick smile and left the room.  

Hampton could be a common name and the odds of this kid being any relation to Andi was slim.  When David walked into the room it was as if he was staring at a mirror image of his sixteen-year-old self.  His mind was drowning in thought.  Hampton, Andi, this kid looks about sixteenish.  I'm almost thirty-four.  Andi might not be his mom.  Why does he look like me?

David was frozen in shock.  The kid nervously smiled at him, "What's up, Doc?" The kid didn't seem to know why the doctor was staring at him but it unnerved him.

David shook his head, "Not much, what can I help you with today?"

"Just needing a physical." Michael smiled.

David started panning through Michael's chart, "What are your parent's names?"

"My mom's name is Andi Hampton," Michael answered.

"And your dad?" David prodded.

Michael shrugged,"I-I don't know...is it important?"

David shut the chart and shook his head, "No, just curious if I knew them.  I grew up here."

"Oh wow, and you came back?" Michael said.

David chuckled, "Yeah, strange I know."

David finished up Michael's exam. As soon as he stepped out of the door Bekka was standing there waiting. "Well?" 

"Well, what?" He answered.

She sighed,"Nothing, here's your last patient for the day."
Hampton, Gabriel

"Another Hampton?" He asked her.

"Twins," she replied as she walked back down the hall.

Gabriel was the spitting image of his brother and the spitting image of David.  David made it through Gabriel's appointment and headed straight for Bekka's office, "Where can I find Andi?" He asked.

"I don't know if now is a good time to talk to her David." She told him.

"I think now is a perfect time.  See what my ex-girlfriend is up too.  What's new with her since I left, don't you?" He stated as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Bekka rolled her eyes and sighed. "She owns the floral shop up the street." Bekka barely got the last word out before David was out of the clinic and jogging up the street to the little floral store

He was trying to remain calm.  There wasn't any proof that the boys were his.  It could have been completely possible that they look like him and not be his.  Either way, he did still want to see her.

The closer he got to the flower shop the heavier each step got.  David wasn't sure what he was going to say first.  "Sorry for taking off and never talking to you again. Are the boys mine?  Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"  

The little flower shop was in a small little green building.  Andi's aunt had owned the flower shop when they were teens and knowing that Andi was still here it wasn't much of a surprise that Andi took over it now.  There were many summers that David sat in the back of that shop watch Andi as she made arrangements.  There were a few times that a larger order would come in for a wedding or funeral and David would help them out.  Usually completely botching them job and Andi would have to come behind and fix it, but she never complained about his skills she was only grateful for his willingness to help.

Since it was the end end of summer Andi has the door open to the shop with an old wooden screen door closed to keep the bugs out but the breeze blowing through.

David's stomach did a flip with the screech of the screen door as he pulled it open.