Marcus: The M Series, Book Three (36 page)

YES! At least I’d get a discussion. I'd like to end with five... for now. I may change my mind and ask for another one, so I won't tell her five is my current limit. I planned to go to the consultation appointment, but was going to wait to schedule the procedure.

As I watched my mother's limo drive away I thought about Sidra's sway in the kitchen.

“You should call Sidra later. I don't think she's feeling well.”

“I will. I think she'll be fine. Just tired,” she smirked. I close the door.

“No kids, Mrs. Cannon... what would you like to do?” I smiled and look at her greedily.

“Oh, no. I'm going to bed!”

“Good idea,” I grinned wide.

“To sleep,” she insisted, walking away.

“We'll see...” I murmured. I grabbed her from behind and walked her toward the stairs, holding her tight to me.

* * *

My cell rang. Damn it... I was sleeping pretty well. My wife and I exhausted ourselves making love all afternoon and all I wanted to do was hold her as we slept it off, child-free. I was tempted to let it go to voice mail, but I couldn't; I was on call.

I glanced at the clock and grabbed the phone. “Dr. Alexander,” I whispered.

“Doctor, this is Ms. Hampton. We have an eight-year-old in the ER and her mother says you're her primary.”

I released Mariah and left the room so I wouldn't disturb her.

“Who's the patient, Ms. Hampton?”

“Melania Russo.”

“Yes. Melly. What's the problem?”

“She's complaining of pain in her ankle and her mom says she can't put any weight on it.”

“Okay. Order films and I'll be right in.”

“Right away, Doctor.”

I had a quick shower, threw on scrubs and my favorite runners, then go over to my wife, who startled awake.

“Sorry, baby. There's an emergency. I have to go.”

“Okay. I'm going back to sleep,” she murmured.

“Do you want anything?”

“Just sleep.”

“If you change your mind, call me. Okay?”

“Mm-hmm. Love you,” she murmured again, going back to sleep.

I softly kissed her cheek. “I love you, baby.”

Chapter FIFTEEN

That Was a Shitty Thing to Do

July 14, 2018 – 7.22 p.m.

A pager going off brings me back to the present.

“Doctor Henderson. Please report to ICU, room 822 STAT. Doctor Henderson ICU, Room 822. STAT!”

Melvin frowns then his eyes widen. “Oh, shit! That's Mariah's room,” he shouts and takes off.

I knock over my chair as I run after him. We make it to the room and a woman is standing over Mariah weeping. I frown as I recognize her. Shit. I forgot to call her.

“Madison?”

She turns around, tears streaming down her face. “I'm sorry, Marcus. I just found out this morning. No one called me. It was our lead story. My producer didn't know there was a connection and he included it in the script! Why didn't someone call me?”

I moved her to the corner and give her my tissue pack. “I'm sorry, Madison. I've been out of it and I just didn't think,” I say, feeling like shit. My wife's oldest friend and godmother to our daughter and I didn't call her to tell her about the kidnapping.

“I'm glad she's not in a coma anymore. I can't wait for her to talk to me again.”

“Excuse me,” Melvin croaks. “Did you say she talked to you?”

“She did. Why? Is she supposed to stay quiet?”

“Dr. Wall, examine Mrs. Cannon. Miss, I'm Dr. Henderson. I'm Mrs. Cannon's neurosurgeon. What did she say?” Melvin asks taking Madison's hand.

“Madison Copeland. Mariah was staring at her arm when I came in the room and she looked up at me. She looked terrified; her eyes were wide with fear.”

“What did she say? Was she lucid?”

“No.” Madison shakes her head and fresh tears fall from her eyes. “She knew me and asked me for a kiss but then she said she thought she died because she saw her Daddy.”

I inhale sharply and look at Melvin.

“She has memory, Marcus,” Melvin grins.

“What am I missing, Marcus,” Madison asks.

“We just found out Mariah has some cousins from her father's side who worked to help find her. There is a man in the conference room, that found her, and he looks just like Donald and she called him Daddy before she passed out.”

Madison shivers. “Has Rachel seen him? Is she all right?”

I nod. “She fainted when she first saw him, but they've talked. She's fine now.”

“Good. Is it okay that I'm here,” she asks, nervously.

“Of course, Madison. I know how much you love each other. I really did not mean to snub you.”

“Dr. Henderson?”

We turn to Dr. Wall.

“Sir, I believe she's sleeping. I think she's out of the coma.”

Melvin goes over and leans in and takes her hand.

“Mariah,” he shouts. “Squeeze my hand.”

Nothing.

“Cookie,” he shouts louder. “Cookie!”

“What,” she startles and closes her eyes again “Tired.”

Melvin grins. “She is definitely sleeping. Good job, Arthur. You've just graduated.”

“Thank you, sir,” Dr. Wall grins.

“No, problem,” Melvin holds his hand out. “Good luck in your career.”

Dr. Wall takes his hand and lingers a moment. “Sir, if you and Dr. Cannon don't mind, I'd like to see Mrs. Cannon through, at least until she's able to stay awake.”

“Marcus,” Melvin asks.

“I don't mind.”

“I'll keep a watch on her and you can tell your family the good news. Looks like they are just outside the door,” Dr. Wall nods in front of him. I turn and see several of them peeking in.

“Madison, let's go into the conference room and talk to them.”

“Go ahead, Marcus. I'd like a few more minutes with her. I'll be along soon.”

“Of course.”

I go into the hall and ask everyone to go back to the conference room. Once there, I explain that Mariah woke and is out of the coma but sleeping. Tom nods explaining she should be doing that a lot for the next few days.

“Another thing. No one called Madison. She found out during this morning's broadcast.”

“What?” Rachel gasps. “Oh, I can't believe I forgot her!”

“So did I. She thought she wasn't welcomed here.”

“She's here,” Lisa asks.

“Yes, she's in with Mariah. She must have come in when Rachel was talking to Marsha.”

“Damn it,” Nathan utters. “I forgot, too. I feel like shit.”

“I think we all do, Nathan. We have to make her feel welcomed.”

“Who,” Matthew asks, entering in the room. “Who feels unwelcome?”

I give Matthew an
‘I need to talk to you’
look.

Matthew narrows his eyes. “I need to speak to you, Marcus.”

I walk out and feel Matthew's glare on my back.

“First, Mariah is out of the coma and is now sleeping. She spoke, Matthew.”

“That's great, right? So who felt unwelcome here?” He frowns. “Everyone's here.”

“Matthew... we forgot to call Madison. Even though we talked about her, we still forgot to call her and let her know what happened.”

“Shit,” Matthew mutters looking at me like he can't believe what I'm saying. “You of all people forgot, Cramp? Jesus... she must hate us all.”

I nod, hoping that’s not true. “You're going to have to tell her of your engagement.”

He groans. “I'm doing the right thing, right, Cramp? I mean Sidra's pregnant and she should be my wife.”

I look at him, sternly; questioningly. I remember his proposal earlier and I can’t remember him telling Sidra he loves her during it.

“And you love her.”

“And I… love her,” Matthew says, unconvincingly.

I shake my head. “You better figure this out and soon, Toad. Remember what you said when I told the family about the first time I saw Mariah?”

Matthew smirks. “No, but I'm sure you do.”

“You have to do something about the engagement before you hurt these women. You can't marry a woman you don't love and let this new girl just fall away, Cramp,”
I remind him.

“I said that?” His grin tells me that he remembers he did.

“Yes, you did. Ironic, huh? Especially after your proposal.”

“You're right. I'll talk to Madison. I’m marrying Sidra. I may have to roll her down the aisle if we wait too long,” Matthew chuckles. “Maybe we should elope. I know I want it done before the baby comes, so that gives us five months.”

An alarm goes off in my head. Oh, no... not now. Shit!

“What?” Matthew frowns at me. “What are you remembering?”

I take deep breath. Please let me be wrong. “When is Sidra due,” I ask quietly.

“December fourteenth.”

Shit... I
am
right.

“Matthew,” I groan and put my fingers between my brows.

“What!”

“You were in England with Dad for a few weeks this earlier this year. Can you remember the dates?”

“In March. Um... let's see. Around the twentieth of March, I think. I'd have to check,” he murmurs, pulling out his phone. He taps a few times. “From the fifteenth to the fifth of April.”

Shit. This is going to kill him.

“Nurse? Page Dr. Brand for me, please.”

“He's in with your wife, Dr. Alexander. Should I check how long it will be before he finishes?”

“Please,” I murmur with a nod. She walks in the direction of Mariah's room.

Matthew grabs my arm and turns me back to him. “Why do you need Rob? What's going on?”

Rob and the nurse walk toward the reception desk as Rob writes fast in a chart then gives it to the nurse, murmuring something to her. He walks swiftly to Matthew and me.

“I heard she woke, Marcus. Congratulations,” Rob grins, glass-eyed. He looks at my face and frowns. “What is it? What did Melvin say?”

“It's not Mariah. Let's see if anyone's in the on-call room.”

We walk into the room and a couple of interns are pawing each other.

“Take it to another room! And learn how to lock a fucking door,” I shout as they scramble out. I lock the door and turn to Matthew. That didn’t amuse him. His face is hard, annoyed.

“This isn't easy for me, but you're my brother; I have to.”

“Spit it out, Cramp,” Matthew snaps.

I look at Rob. “If a woman were pregnant and her EDD were December fourteenth, what would you estimate her conception date to be?”

Rob frowns. “Let's see,” he mumbles some months and quiets. “If she has a 28-day cycle, I'd say March... twenty-third.”

“What if it wasn't a 28-day cycle,” I ask as I grimace at a paling Matthew.

“Then she conceived shortly before or after that date.”

“What range,” Matthew quietly asks.

“Few days either way is easily acceptable, though I doubt it's
that
far away,” Rob says. “Is Sidra pregnant? I heard about your engagement.”

Matthew nods. “I was in England during those dates. It's not mine. Fuck,” he shouts, dropping on a bed. He puts his head in his hands.

“Matthew...”

“I'm fine, Marcus,” he mumbles. “What do I do? Do I still marry her?”

Rob snorts. “I wouldn't.”

“Rob!”

“What, Marcus,” he shouts, snapping his head at me. “She cheated! If she hadn't gotten pregnant, he never would’ve known. He'd be raising a child that wasn't his and not known it.
That
is unforgivable. Don't you remember what I went through with Carol Mullins junior year at Stanford?” He frowns. “What am I talking about? Of course
you
do,” he murmurs and stalks out of the room.

“Matthew, you have to talk to Sidra, sooner the better. Go get her and get out of here.”

He nods and goes to the sink and cleans his face.

“I did love her, you know,” he says quietly. “In my way.”

“I do know. And I'm sorry about everything.”

He nods again. We leave the room and Matthew walks determinedly to the conference room. I walk in, but Matthew only sticks his head through, looking around.

“Sweets? I need to talk to you. Please, come with me.”

Sidra smiles as she takes Matthew's hand and I watch as they walk silently to the elevator.

“Marcus,” Mother calls. “Is everything all right?”

“I don't know,” I lie, purposely not looking at her. I glimpse at Joshua who is studying my face.

‘Talk
,
’
he mouths. I nod subtly. I look around and the guys are already standing.

We walk down to the on-call room. “Where's Ethan?”

“I told him to call home. He's been away from Lissa and Wally all day,” Tom says.

“Shit. I don't want to do this again. Somebody catch him up later.”

They nod and I take a deep breath.

“What's going on, Marcus?” Russell asks.

“It's Sidra. She's pregnant.”

“That's good news. Good for Matthew,” Nathan says.

“Wait... something's wrong,” Joshua says, frowning at me. “What else is there? What are you trying to tell us?”

“It’s Matthew. It's not his baby.”

“What the fuck, Cramp,” Joshua yells. “What do you mean it's not his baby? Whose is it?”

“Well? Who else was she screwing,” Tom shouts.

“I don't know!”

“She's
your
nanny,” Nathan argues.

“What she does outside her time in my employ is never my business. Hell, I didn't even know she was with Matthew until a week ago!”

I’m betting Mariah knew. 

“Wait... how do you know it's not Matthew's? Isn't it too early for all that diagnostic shit you doctors do?”

“Russ, it isn't too early if you remember your brother was England with his father when the baby was conceived.”

“Shit,” Joshua yells. “Where did he take her?”

“I don't know but I think it's safe to say that engagement is off.”

“It should be!” Tom snorts. “There is no excuse for cheating. None. Ring or not!”

“God, this is a nightmare,” Nathan murmurs. “I couldn't imagine if one of my sons weren't mine.”

“Neither could I,” we all say, shaking our heads.

“I think we all should keep quiet about this for now. Let Matthew do this in his way. Let's go back to the conference room; maybe he'll come back.”

They nod and we quietly go to the conference room. I look around the room and see Madison holding Lisa and Mandy's hands. One by one the men hug her and apologize for excluding her.

“Where's AJ and Henry, Madison?”

She smiles at the mention of her sons. “With Mommy. She's bringing them with Daddy tomorrow. Kristen, Tony, Eric and Jason should be landing in a couple of hours. I hope that's all right.”