Destiny Keeps Getting in the Way

Ever had an uneasy feeling? You just wake up and you know today was going to be different. You can’t explain but you just know it. It’s a feeling in the pit of your stomach but everything in your life is good and that one uneasy feeling just gets to you. I spent most of my morning trying burying it down. I kept my act together in front of the patients but most of my morning I just couldn’t help but feel like today was going to be different.

“Melinda, I need help, could you check on Ms. Graves while I go check on Ms. Wilson.” Dr. Albright handed me Ms. Graves chart. It was her first ultrasound and she was excited.

“Ms. Graves.” I called out.

She was a woman in probably her mid thirties. She was alone as we entered the room.

“Good morning, Ms. Graves.” I greeted with a wide smile. I shoved down the uneasy feeling.

“Morning, Ms…”

“Gomez.” I answered.

“Ah, Latina?” Ms. Grave smiled.

“Yes,” I said, “very proud.”

“We don’t get a lot of Hispanics besides Spaniards around here.”

“Really?” I asked making conversation. I checked her chart and saw that she had tried having babies before but ended up losing them.

“Yeah, but it’s nice to see a Hispanic around. I love the cultures because they vary in so many ways.”

I nodded. “Yeah. They’re all great cultures. Um, well we’ll start some questions.”

“Fire away, Ms. Gomez.”

“Are you having any morning sickness?” I clicked my pen to start writing.

“Yes,” She laughed, “Oh dear, it happens all the time.”

“Any other symptoms?”

“Some cramping but nothing abnormal.” Ms. Graves said. “My breasts feel so tender and I have gained a pound or two.”

“All right, let’s do that ultrasound, lie down and lift your shirt, please.” She did so and I got out the jell and turned on the ultrasound. “Let’s see that baby.” I smiled. I placed the paddle on the jell and start moving it around.

I scrunched my forehead. I didn’t see anything. I turned off the monitor and turned it back on but it still read as though nothing was there. I turned it back off and Ms. Grave had a smile on her face. “Wasn’t he beautiful? I know it’s a he. I can feel it.”

This was hard.

“How far along are you again, Ms. Graves?”

“Uh, about a month and a half.”

“This isn’t the first time you’ve tried having children.” I said thinking back to her chart.

“No, I’ve had two miscarriages but God blessed my husband and I.” She touched her stomach and I felt like I was thief.

I was stealing and shattering her hope to have a family.

“Ms. Graves… you’re not pregnant.” I said.

She blinked but still kept a smile. “Excuse me?”

“I believe you have what is called Hysterical Pregnancy, you want a baby so bad that your body starts to believe it and you experience all of the pregnancy symptoms.”

“Tha-that can’t be possible. I took the test! It was positive!” As expected she was getting defensive about it.

“Ma’am, I understand it must be hard to hear—“

“No, you don’t understand, how can you understand?! You’ve never carried a child and lose it!”

She had me there.

“Ma’am… I’ll bring Dr. Albright to explain this further.”

She started crying and I hugged her. She hugged me and cried. I felt her tears on my scrubs. After a couple of minutes the door opened and Dr. Albright walked in. I broke away from the hug and handed her the chart.

“Hysterical pregnancy… she’s having a hard time. Do you want me to stay?”

“No, you’ve done enough, thank you, Melinda. You’re great help.” Dr. Albright told me and I exited the room.

I went over to the nurses’ station and continued to help other Doctors with their patients. It was incredible cool how England had Universal Health Care. It must be truly easy for low paid workers to get the treatment they deserve.

By the time it was lunch I was exhausted. My phone went off and I answered.

“I’m down in the cafeteria.” Devlin’s voice said.

I almost forgot. “Oh, be right there, bud.”

I told my friends I was going to have lunch with Devlin and they said it was all right. I went over to the cafeteria and grabbed a burger and a salad, weird combination, I know. I paid for my food and looked around for Devlin and I saw his hand waving at me. I smiled as I walked over to him.

In the hospital I was a lot more comfortable because Nathan’s guardians weren’t around. I sat down.

“Hey,” I said, “why aren’t you eating anything?”

“Not that hungry.” He smiled.

I cocked an eyebrow. “Then why did you invite me for lunch?”

“Well… it’s something important I have to propose.”

“What is it?” I asked that uneasy feeling multiplied by a hundred. Something in Devlin’s eyes was dark and dangerous.

“Easy, I want you to break Nathan’s heart.” He said in all seriousness but I started to laugh a little.

I laughed harder when his face remained unemotional and my laughter died down when it didn’t go away. My laugh turned to small chuckles and I blinked in pure shock.

“What?” I asked.

“I want you to break Nathan’s heart so that he knows true misery.” Devlin was that guy that scared me in the middle of the street now. His ‘mobster’ side was coming outside.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I growled. “This isn’t funny.”

“I’m not trying to be.”

Suddenly my eyes were opened and I glared at him. “You and Lucy were never going to get married.”

He laughed this time. “I wouldn’t marry the bitch if the human race depended on it.”

“You were just trying to get closed to Nathan.”

“Of course, find out his weakness which unfortunately for him it’s you.” He smirked.

“What makes you think I want to hurt Nathan?” I smirked back. “If you haven’t noticed we’ve been through a whole lot.”

“Of course, I’ve been watching him for a long time and you too.”

“You’re fucking insane, this conversation is over and don’t ever show your face again or I’ll have Nathan’s buddies kick your ass.” I growled and I got up but he stopped me.

“Sit the fuck down.” He gestured with his head.

I fought against his grip and then I heard a “click” he had a gun and I bet it was pointing at me. I had no doubt he would shoot me or at least someone in the cafeteria. I sat down and glared at him.

“Don’t mistaken me for an idiot, Melinda, I knew that without a little persuasion you wouldn’t be up for it, but I’m always prepared.” With his free hand he takes out an envelope. He slid it across the table to me. “Open it.”

I did as he told me and I looked inside. It was pictures. I looked at them more closely. It was pictures of Nathan from a couple of years ago, probably when he was nineteen or eighteen and he’s torturing people and shooting people and dealing drugs and guns.

They were your typical mobster deals. Nathan’s face was clear and so were Charles and Peter. I can honestly say I didn’t care about Peter but Charles and Nathan were different.

“You do as I say and I can promise these pictures will burn and trust me these are only copies.” Devlin winked at me.

I couldn’t believe this. I set the pictures down and look away from Devlin as I thought about this and fought the tears.

“These could send him for life in prison, I’m sure that not even with his best lawyers will they’ll be able to save him. Now, do you want to hear my plan?”

“Why are you doing this?” My voice came out hoarse. I looked into his eyes. His dark green eyes were so cold and hard.

“Because he needs to know the meaning of betrayal and hurt.”

“Nathan is truly sorry for what he did.”

“That doesn’t change the past.”

“And this will?!” I hissed.

“No, but at least we’ll be even because… losing you will make him go crazy.”

“He has your trust.”

“He had mine too.” Devlin growled. “Here’s the plan… it’ll be sort of like a flashback but in different positions. I’ll be the one in bed with his woman.” He smirked.