Chapter 29

For the first time in quite a while, my feelings about needing to go to work and genuinely loving my job are losing their shine.

I want to be back at the penthouse with Luke, and not just because I'm still reeling from the surgery yesterday.

I don't know what's going on with him because he won't talk about it, but these nightmares have been a consistent problem, and I'm not as sound a sleeper as he thinks.

He's been struggling for a while, and his answer is always to drown his misery in booze.

I know I should have said something sooner, but there's just been so much going on.

Life doesn't slow down to allow dealing with one thing at a time.

If anything, it just continues to pile on, uncaring if you'll break.

"Dammit. Luke has to sort through this, and he's…" I sigh, hanging my head as I stand at the nurse's station counter. "He's going to need my help."

My stomach roils, which it's been doing since last night. Worse, despite the sleep I got, I'm still exhausted.

I've been stressed before, and I know that can make a huge difference, and I worry I'm coming down with something.

Because what I need right now is to be sick on top of everything else.

"You all right, hon?"

I look up from my arms to see Helen, and I give her a tired smile.

"Sorry, I'm just…well, tired, I guess. It's been a rough few days."

She gives me a soft smile, standing up from the desk and coming around to pat me on the shoulder.

"There's been something going around, too. You better have yourself checked out. You don't want to be operating while you're sick."

My brows raise, and I nod. "Oh, okay. I'll have them run some tests."

Helen pats my shoulder before circling back around to her chair and using a bit of hand sanitizer.

I laugh a little, knowing she's doing it to make me aware of my potential infectiousness, and I roll my eyes.

"Okay, okay. I'm going."

I'm actually free for a couple of minutes between surgeries and patient meetings, so I head over to the lab tech on the fourth floor.

Snagging a mask from the supply closet, I strap it to my face. Just in case.

There are a few techs in the lab currently, and I knock on the little window.

"Hey, Benjamin."

He looks up from his station.

"Hey, Clara. What's up?"

"Could you help me with a blood draw? Helen's got me paranoid about being sick with something that's been going around."

He offers a sympathetic grin and gestures to the special seat off to the side.

"Step into my office."

With a laugh, I follow him over, getting a whiff of some of the chemicals. They've never bothered me before, but my stomach clenches.

I just ignore it, and Ben goes about taking my blood. When he's finishing up, a tiny dot of crimson sits in the crook of my elbow.

All at once, my gut pinches again, and I can't look. Nausea swims through me like a tsunami, and I struggle to breathe evenly.

"Whoa, you okay there, Clara? You're awfully pale."

Ben offers me his arm to stand and move away from the blood draw station to his desk chair.

The ill feeling backs off some as I sit, and I release a long exhale.

"Sorry, that was weird. I…" I look down at my bandaged arm. "The sight of blood bothered me. What the hell?"

He laughs, stepping away to bring the blood vial to the centrifuge.

He thinks I'm kidding.

But I'm not.

What in the absolute fuck?

"Um, thanks, Ben. Could you run that quickly for me? I want to be sure everything is okay."

Benjamin nods with a smile. "Of course. I'll have the results to you in a half an hour or so."

"Thank you."

I hurry out of the lab and go straight for the break area on this floor. I need to get my head on straight.

Feigning wellness is going to be a bit of a challenge if I'm getting squeamish about blood.

Not nearly quick enough, the minutes pass by, and I get a message on my pager from Ben. My results are ready.

The walk over feels like running through water. My steps drag, and the hallway tilts a bit, making me feel dizzy and off-balance.

But I manage to get there, and Ben is at the door waiting for me when I arrive.

"Well, this feels super weird being the one to tell you because it doesn't usually go like this, but you're not sick."

Ben is smiling, and there's that look of expectation in his eyes, like he's holding something behind his back to show me.

"Then what's going on, Ben? Please, I need to get back to work."

"Sorry, sorry." He holds out the printed results.

Taking it, I scan over the lines of nearly all negatives and normal results. But then I see it. A spike in my HCG level.

I shake my head. "This can't be right."

Ben nods, his brows knitting together as he holds up his hands, defending himself.

"I ran it twice, Clara. Just to be sure. You're?—"

"Pregnant?"

My stomach pitches, squeezing and swirling, somehow angry with me that I didn't' figure this out sooner.

"I…" My gut clamps down, and a cold sweat breaks out over my body. "I'm…I'm going to be sick."

Dropping the paper, I turn and sprint for the nearest bathroom. Ben calls after me, but I can't make out his words.

All I can hear is the rush of my blood, my breathing, as I tear out the door at the end of the long hall.

I push inside, flinging myself to the closest toilet, and heave up everything I haven't fully digested.

The morning was just coffee and water, so it's just liquid that comes out.

But it's still throwing up. And I'm still…

"Pregnant."

My mind spins. How is this possible? I can't get pregnant. Except clearly, you can.

Hauling myself up, I go to the sink, rinsing my mouth before meeting my gaze in the mirror.

"What the actual fuck?"

I shake my head. I can't do this. I don't have the time or lifestyle to be a mother. Absolutely not. I…

"You need to talk to Luke." Raking my hand through my hair, I start for the exit, pausing right at the door. "You…wow, okay. Talk to Dr. Carter and get out of here. Then, talk to Luke. See what he says. But this is my damn choice, and…yeah."

Yanking the door open, I smooth down my scrubs and coat because I look like I just puked. I start for the nurse's station.

My steps are quiet as I walk down the empty hallway.

This is not what you need right now. Absolutely not. You don't have to do anything you don't want. You can?—

"Hey there, doc."

My steps freeze. The voice comes from behind me, and I recognize it.

But it's not Luke's doc moniker that reaches my ears.

"Been waiting for a chance to get you alone."

I don't want to turn around, but I do.

It's him. The man I thought I saw, the man from that day. The Cobra from my apartment.

And he's holding a knife.

I try to run, spinning back in the direction of the nurse's station to sprint with all my might.

But he's on me too quick. He's too close, and the guy's hand latches onto my face, clamping down over my mouth as he pulls me up against him.

I'm being dragged backward, my screams muffled by his grip on my mouth, and he doesn't let go, no matter how much I claw at his skin.

All at once, I'm shoved up against a wall in an empty patient room. The man's knife comes to my face, hovering there as he glares at me.

"I need some info, bitch. But you know what happens if you scream, don't you?"

Tears are streaming down my face, and I nod with a wild jerking motion. Oh God, oh God, oh God.

"Where's that other doctor? That pretty black-haired one you're always talking to?"

Linda. He's asking about Dr. Carter.

When his fingers move away from my mouth, the knife comes closer. I tremble, my voice a whisper as I shake my head.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her today."

It's actually the truth, but I don't know if that does me any good.

The Cobra's glare intensifies, and the cold of the blade touches my cheek.

"Where's that boy of yours? We know he lives at that fancy penthouse. You going to get me in there? It'll give you time, bitch. You get me in there, and I might not kill you."

There's nothing this man can say that I trust, and I won't help him hurt Luke, no matter what.

"No. I won't help you."

My voice is steady enough, but then the Cobra lashes out, slicing the knife down my cheek, and I scream.

It's loud. I know it'll attract attention, and my eyes flare as the tears spill faster.

"Bitch! You're going to tell me where?—"

"Security!" Dr. Carter's voice rings out from the doorway.

She's just outside in the hall, and my heart drops.

"Run, Linda!"

The Cobra shoves me back against the wall, hard. Pain licks through my spine as I hit it, and I slump down to the floor.

He dashes away, running right up to Linda. From the floor, I scream all the harder, but then I watch him reach her.

No, no, no.

They struggle for a moment, but then the Cobra's hand juts forward and up, and Linda moans through a low howl.

He runs away, down the hall somewhere, and Linda collapses to the floor.

Blood. There's so much blood.

I scramble across the floor toward her, clamping my hands down on the wound in her stomach.

"Help! Someone help!"

Footsteps sound across the floor from all directions, and I can barely see through the sobbing that's racking my body.

I'm pulled away by several arms, and I think I'm screaming. Linda's eyes are closed, and people are taking her away.

Doctors. Doctors are taking her away.

"Linda! No! Linda!"

I'm trying to fight against the people holding me back, but then I finally look around at them.

It's the nurses, my coworkers and friends.

"Please, they've got to…" My voice dies.

"They will, hon. They will. Let the doctors do their work. Come on, we need to get you to the desk. Security!"

Helen's voice is strong as she calls out for more of the building's guards. They lead me somewhere. I'm not sure where.

"Ma'am." I look up at the one speaking to me because somehow I'm sitting now. "Who can we call for you?"

My brain is just static, and I answer automatically.

"Luke Shaw."