Never Again (Never Again Series Book 1)

by Jamie Lynn Boothe

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sam walked into her doctor’s office feeling on the edge of anxiety, even knowing she shouldn’t be. She felt better than she had since the surgery and had been taking very good care of herself. She had been laying off sodium and drinking less caffeine. She’d even watched the junk foods sitting on the shelves of the store as she walked past them. That and the caffeine were the hardest two for her. Not that she usually ate unhealthy, but she did like her Doritos and chocolate chip cookies from time to time.

  She approached the desk and told the receptionist her name and that she had an appointment. The lady behind the desk took her name and asked her to take a seat, and said the doctor would be with her in a few minutes. As Sam waited she tried not to think about it all and instead watched a little boy playing with his toy next to his mother.

  He was a cute child, probably around five years old. He kept looking at her with his large brown eyes and smiling one of the sweetest smiles she had ever seen. Watching him made her happy to be there, but at the same time sad because she wondered if she would ever be able to have kids of her own due to her heart condition. She and Chris hadn’t talked about it lately, but maybe she would bring it up after the holidays. Maybe she’d ask the doctor about it and see what he said.

  “Mrs. Tyler?”

  Sam looked away from the smiling brown eyed boy and stood. She walked through the door into the hallway.

  “Good morning,” the nurse greeted her. “Can you stand on the scale please?”

  “Good morning.”

  Sam stepped up on the scale and waited as the nurse adjusted the sliding weight. One hundred fifteen pounds. Her height was five feet and four inches.

  “Okay, follow me, please.”

  Sam followed behind the nurse with her coat and purse in one hand since her other arm was still tender. She would be glad to finally get the cast off. It should be soon, but if she went to Florida she might have to do that down there.

  “You can wait in here and the doctor will be right with you,” the nurse politely directed her and quietly walked away.

  “Thank you,” she replied and placed her things in the chair. She sat on the edge of the leather bed that was covered with the paper that usually tore when she sat on it. As she waited her eyes scanned the charts pinned to the walls and the equipment that all doctor’s offices had. As the norm, she saw a poster of the circulatory system and one of the heart and another of the dangers of smoking. There was a plastic heart sitting on display on the counter, similar to what a healthy heart is supposed to look like. It amazed her sometimes at all the things doctors and scientists had to learn. While she looked around the small room a soft knock came from the other side of the door which then opened.

  “Good morning,” a petite Asian nurse greeted her. “I’m going to take your blood pressure and take an EKG.”

  Sam had to lift her blouse, and the nurse applied cold and sticky probes to her chest that led to a machine. A few minutes later it printed a diagram of the rhythm of her heart. The nurse then took her blood pressure and as the receptionist before her, said the doctor would see her shortly. Sam certainly hoped so.

  Finally, as she began to grow sleepy from lying on the hard bed, another knock came and Dr. Brown walked in. He wasn’t the doctor she saw at the hospital, but he had her files in his hands; they were probably faxed to him.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked in a raspy voice.

  “I feel good. I haven’t had any problems.”

  “Your EKG is normal and your blood pressure is good. You’ve been taking your medicines and eating healthy?” he asked formally. Not unpleasant.

  “Yes, sir. I’ve been doing everything I was told to do.”

  “Good.”

  Dr. Brown asked her about her medications and said he wasn’t going to make any changes. They talked for a moment about exercise and what she did or didn’t do. Sam told him she had been limited to some things because of her arm, but the cast would be coming off anytime. Other than that, everything had been good.

  “I want to ask you about something while I’m here.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you think I can travel? I want to go to Florida this week to be with a friend who is having surgery.”

  He placed the tips of two fingers on his chin, tapped it slightly, and thought. Looking at her he said, “I don’t see anything wrong with that. How long do you think you will be there?”

  “I’m not sure, but probably only a couple of weeks. I plan on being home in time for Christmas.”

  “As long as you don’t forget your medicines and continue to do what you have been doing you should be fine. If you start to feel any changes though, be sure to go to the emergency room or call a doctor right away.”

  “Thank you, I will. One more thing, and this isn’t going to happen soon I don’t think, but what about kids? Do you think I am healthy enough to have kids?”

  Again, he tapped his chin in thought before responding. “Why don’t we talk about that on your next visit? I think you’ll be fine, but because of the history of your heart it’s something we would definitely need to keep a close eye on. We can talk about it again when you come back. How about in three months? Does that work for you?”

  “Sure, that’s good.”

  “Stop by the receptionist’s desk and she will make the appointment for you.”

  Sam felt relieved as she walked to the desk. She made her appointment and smiled as she drove home. She couldn’t wait to tell Chris the good news. She would certainly have to make that pork loin to celebrate and would have to call Tonya to tell her.

  ***

  It was almost time to go to the hospital as Tonya placed the remaining things she wanted to take with her in her duffle bag. She didn’t think too much would be needed, but she wanted to be comfortable while she was there. She picked the last book she was reading in a romance series and slid it in the side pocket when her cell phone began to ring. She smiled when Sam’s name appeared on the phone’s screen.

  “Well, hey there. Perfect timing.”

  “Hey, sweetie,” Sam greeted her. “How you doing? Did I catch you before you left or are you already at the hospital?”

  “No, I’m home. I will have to leave soon though. What’s up?”

  “Well, naturally I want to make sure you are okay, but there’s also something I want to talk to you about if you have a minute.”

  “Sure, of course.”

  Tonya sat on the edge of the bed and waited to hear what it would be that made Sam sound excited.

  “Well, I talked to Chris first about this to make sure he didn’t care and I talked to my cardiologist today, too. How would you feel about me coming down there to visit for a couple of weeks?”

  Immediately, Tonya’s face lit up with shock and excitement of her own.

  “Are you serious? I would love that! When?”

  “I am thinking since you are having surgery Wednesday I can fly down Thursday. I don’t think I can get an earlier flight.”

  “You have no idea how much I love this idea,” Tonya told her as tears started to invade her vision. She sniffed and Sam heard her on the other end.

  “I think I do know. You are extremely important to me and I’m not able to go back to school for a couple more months so I thought it would be perfect timing. I can’t stay for Christmas, but I can help you while I am there.”

  “You being here for me will be all the Christmas I need. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I have to go for now, babe, but when I know all the flight details and everything I will let you know. Plus, I will be calling you later tonight to check on you.”

  “Okay. I love you, Sam.”

  “I know and I love you, too.”

  ***

  When Chris got home from work he was tired and stressed out. The day had been long and loaded with problems at the office. His boss was in a horrible mood. It was obvious by the way he had carried a growl on his face all day
. Chris wasn’t sure if he should even talk to him, but there had been a couple of times when he had no choice. When he walked out of the office he was relieved to get away, which was unusual. He loved his job and liked his boss. Whatever was troubling him Chris hoped it worked out, and that he would be in a better mood the next day.

  Chris walked into the apartment and he could sense an atmosphere of happiness and cheer, which was exactly what he needed. The Christmas tree was lit with the blinking colorful lights. The radio was on with someone singing about falling snow and he could hear Sam in the kitchen singing along with it. His spirits lifted and he set his briefcase on the floor by the door, forgetting all about it. He hung his coat on the back of the door and quietly walked into the kitchen to see his beautiful wife wearing her purple sweat suit and her favorite apron.

  Standing by the refrigerator he didn’t make a sound. He was enjoying watching her sway her hips and sing along with the song. He also enjoyed watching her work her culinary magic and remembered he might have to fix his own meals for the next couple of weeks. When that thought occurred his smile faded a bit. Sam turned around and was surprised to see him standing there grinning at her and she jumped. She made a fake angry face at him for not making a peep.

  “You scared me, you rascal!” she exclaimed and hit him on his arm.

  She kissed him and grinned back.

  “Hey back at you, beautiful. Sorry I scared you. I was enjoying the view.”

  Laughing and winking at him, she turned back to her task of preparing dinner.

  “I’m glad you approve.”

  “Always. What’s for dinner? It smells wonderful.”

  “Pork loin seasoned with rosemary and lemon with only a snippet of fresh garlic. Asparagus tips and baby corn and those tiny red potatoes you love so much.”

  “My, my, what’s the occasion?”

  “Oh, there are several, but mainly because I love my husband.”

  “I am truly a blessed man,” Chris told her as he kissed the back of her neck, causing her to shrink away and giggle.

  “And don’t you forget it.”

  “I doubt that will ever happen.”

  Sam turned the oven off and opened the door, letting the heat flow freely towards her. She turned off the heat for the potatoes and asparagus and asked Chris to pull out the loin for her. As he did she asked him how his day was.

  “Oh, you don’t want to know. Let’s say there have been better days. My boss had a chip on his shoulder for some reason and everyone else could feel it.”

  “I’m sorry,” she replied. “Maybe tomorrow will be better.”

  “I certainly hope so, but right now being home with you and this incredible meal everything is better. How was your day? What did the doctor tell you?”

  She pulled a couple of glasses from the cabinet and answered, “It went great. My doctor’s visit was good without any problems. Blood pressure is normal. The EKG was excellent and I asked if he thought I was healthy enough for two things and he said I am.”

  “Two things?”

  Sam smiled with a gleam in her eyes. “Yes. I asked about going to Florida and he said it would be okay as long as I keep doing what I’ve been doing.”

  “And the other thing was?” he asked with obvious curiosity.

  “If I would ever be able to have children.”

  With that he looked at her and she watched his expression. She knew he wanted a kid as much as she did and he waited to hear what the doctor told her.

  “What did he say?”

  Leaning into him she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up into his eyes.

  “Well, he initially said we will talk more about it at my next visit in three months, but he said that with a very close eye on me I could probably have a baby.”

  Chris kissed the top of her head and smiled down at her.

  “That’s incredible. You would be a wonderful mother.”

  “And you a wonderful father.”

  He pressed his lips to hers and gave her a more meaningful and deeper kiss. Their mouths enjoyed each other as they remained that way like a man and woman in love do. Neither wanted to pull away, but eventually, before dinner was completely forgotten, they did.

  “Can we start working on that tonight?” Chris asked her.

  Laughing, Sam said, “Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe.” She winked at him again before turning back to the oven.

  Chris took over slicing the pork loin and Sam dished out the vegetables. They sat at the table and as they ate she told him about her talk with Tonya.

  “I have already looked up my flight and the best one is for Thursday afternoon. Tonya has her surgery on Wednesday, so it will be good this way because she will be going home Thursday and I can be there to help her. I think it is all going as it should. God is providing.”

  “He always does,” Chris agreed.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” she replied then stuffed a piece of pork in her mouth.

  That night they didn’t talk about anything in particular. Chris helped take care of the dishes and cleaning up. Afterward, he took his shower and when he got out Sam was in bed waiting for him with an obvious agenda. One he wouldn’t turn down if his life depended on it.

  They made slow passionate love and did their best to pleasure each other. The room was filled with their cries and words of passion and love and when they fell asleep they were still entwined with each other. When they woke the next morning, it was with smiles not only on their faces, but within their hearts as well.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chris told his boss he would have to take off work early so he could drive Sam to the airport. His boss wasn’t thrilled about it, but didn’t say yea or nay. He simply nodded his head and walked away. Apparently whatever was going on with him was still an issue he was struggling with. Chris didn’t say anything more to him unless he had to.

  When Sam was safely on the plane she thought about everything her man had gone through. Sure, getting off work early wasn’t a big deal, but it was only one thing out of a million that he would gladly do as would she. As she sat in her seat next to the window she could still feel his lips on hers. At the security checkpoint, they held onto the other, not wanting to let go. Two weeks was a long time and a part of her was surprised he agreed to let her go. Their kiss, for a lot of people, would have been embarrassing, but to them it had to last so they made it memorable.

  The plane started to move and Sam looked out the window looking for Chris. She tried to see him out of the few others that were waving from the windows of the airport. As they began to get almost too far away for her to have a chance to see him, she did. She grinned as she barely saw him standing there waving like a child in a parade. He made her laugh so much so many times over the years. She knew without a doubt he was a gift to her from God. Whether or not she deserved him she wasn’t sure, but if God thought so, that was all that mattered.

  Sam watched a movie she hadn’t seen yet on the flight, but part of her wanted to fall asleep the rest of the way. She considered herself fortunate because of what little sleep she had the night before. She wasn’t complaining though. They had made love again and she fell asleep quickly afterward, but for some reason she kept having dreams that woke her. Usually, she slept like a baby, but not last night.

  They had been weird dreams. Not scary weird, but she kept seeing herself walking in clouds in search of voices—Chris’s and a baby. She kept walking as if she was lost, never to find them. Before she would wake up Chris’s voice was loud and near and the baby would be crying as if for her because Chris couldn’t quiet the child. She didn’t say anything to him about it, but the dreams bothered her and she couldn’t stop thinking about them. She planned on talking with Tonya about them and see if she could help figure them out.

  After the plane landed she called Tonya to see if she had left the hospital yet, then texted Chris to let him know she arrived safely. She told him she would call him later that night and that she loved him.
>
  “Hey sweetie. No, I’m still here. The doctor says I can leave soon though so you can come by here and get me if you want too.”

  “Of course I want to, silly girl. I will see if there’s a cab out front and hopefully be there soon.”

  After she collected her luggage Sam wheeled her bags out to the front of the airport with some difficulty. Thankfully, her two suitcases both had wheels on them, otherwise she wouldn’t be able to handle them with only one good hand.

  She walked out into the bright sunlight of Florida and stood for a moment, reveling in its glory. The warmth felt incredible on her face and she wished Chris could be there with her. She was able to get a cab without any trouble and asked the driver to help her. When they were inside the cab she told him what hospital and he began working through the traffic. When they arrived she asked him to wait, knowing it would be costly, but she had to go upstairs and get Tonya. When she was getting on the elevator Tonya was being wheeled out by an intern. When Tonya saw her, she smiled from ear to ear.

  “Hey! Girl, I’m so glad to see you!” Tonya said excitedly.

  She stayed seated, but reached out her arms as the two of them gave the other a quick and light hug. She had to be tender with her having surgery the day before.

  “So, you ready to go then?”

  “More than ready!”

  “Good, because the cab’s right outside and the meters running.”

  The intern wheeled Tonya out to the cab and helped get her inside. The driver got her bag and put it in the trunk with Sam’s, and Tonya told him the address. By the time they got to her apartment it cost them a whopping $64. Sam paid it without any complaints. She was just happy to be with her friend again and to get Tonya home. She knew full well how it was to be in a hospital and it had never been any fun nor relaxing.

  Inside the apartment, they relaxed and didn’t bother even thinking about doing anything with their belongings until later. That was the last thing on their minds. It was the first time Sam had seen Tonya’s apartment and as she admired it her eyes gleamed and her smile showed approval.