The Betrayal

Part III

“You took an oath to heal!” came the panicked scream as Cayley sat there, sighing with satisfaction as she helped herself to a lovely spoonful of ice chips that was tasting better with every passing second.

“Wait…what are you going to do with that stethoscope?” Sean asked from behind the closed bathroom door as Bryce pulled a white paper bag that looked promising out of the overnight bag that he’d packed for her.

“What’s in the bag?” Cayley asked around another spoonful of ice chips as she watched Bryce place the white paper bag on her tray.

“Something for our baby boy,” he murmured with a warm smile as he leaned over and pressed his lips against her forehead. “How are you holding up, sweetheart?”

“Hungie,” Cayley mumbled sadly with a long-suffering sigh that had his lips twitching against her forehead.

“Would it help if I told you that I arranged something special for you after you have the baby?” Bryce asked, pressing his lips against her forehead one last time before he pulled away as the muffled shouts for help started as Cayley helped herself to the bag.

“What do you have planned for me after the baby is born?” Cayley countered as she opened the bag and pulled out an adorable teddy bear for newborns with a satisfied sigh, deciding that this offering pleased her greatly.

“You really want me to ruin the surprise?” Bryce asked as he pulled the chair next to the bed even closer before he sat down and took her hand in his.

Blinking, Cayley said, “I really do,” even as she gestured for Bryce to get on with it.

“Your cousin Jess is waiting by the phone for your order.”

Swallowing hard, Cayley whispered reverently, “Can I order anything I want?”

Chuckling, Bryce said, “Anything,” with a teasing smile.

“And you won’t let the big baby crying in the bathroom steal any of it?” Cayley asked, absently gesturing towards the bathroom just as Roger, who looked really pissed, walked back into the room, grabbed his iPad off her tray and went back to doing whatever it was that he’d been doing before he grabbed Sean by the back of the neck and dragged him into the bathroom.

Bryce opened his mouth only to have Sean cut him off from the bathroom with a shouted, “Don’t make promises that you can’t keep!”

Clearing his throat, Bryce murmured, “Excuse me,” as he stood up and made his way to the bathroom while Cayley sat there, shoving another spoonful of ice chips in her mouth as she watched her husband walk into the bathroom, close the door and-

“Wait. What are you going to do with that hand towel?” Sean asked as Cayley shifted her attention to the man that she was really hoping would take pity on her and let her-

“No,” Roger said, not bothering to look up as he destroyed all of her hopes and dreams.

“How much longer do you think it will be?” Cayley asked, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she waited for an answer that wasn’t going to make her cry.

Without a word, Roger raised the covers, waited for her to spread her legs and-

“Four centimeters,” he said with a reassuring smile that left her pouting as he tucked her back in. “Is there anything that I can do?”

With a sniffle, Cayley mumbled sadly, “I’d really like to be rolled onto my side so that I can pout properly.”

“I think I can do that,” Roger murmured with a warm smile.

“Please hurry, I need to pout,” Cayley mumbled with another sniffle as she lay there, trying not to think about the fact that she’d been at this for thirteen hours and…nothing.

When Roger moved to help her roll onto her left side, she shook her head and gestured towards her right. “I need to pout facing the window.”

“I see,” Roger murmured, his lips twitching as he helped roll her onto her right side.

“Thank you,” Cayley mumbled as she shifted to get comfortable while Roger adjusted her fetal monitor.

“It will be over before you know it,” Roger promised her.

With a sniffle, Cayley said, “You said that already.”

“Can I get you anything?” Roger asked as Cayley released a sniffle.

“I’d really like to be able to glare at my husband again,” she mumbled.

“I think I can handle that,” Roger said as he headed to the bathroom, and after a resigned sigh, he opened the bathroom door and-

“Oh, shit…” came the panicked mumble from her best friend as Roger stepped inside.

Seconds later, Bryce was stepping out of the bathroom door, pausing only long enough to close the bathroom door behind him to help block out Sean’s threats to tattletale, and dragged the chair by the window closer and sat down. “Does this work?” Bryce asked as he sat down and took her hand in his.

“It does make it easier to glare,” Cayley mumbled sadly.

“Except you’re pouting, not glaring,” Bryce pointed out.

“Why must you judge my glare?” Cayley mumbled as she reached up and pulled the extra pillow that the lovely nurse brought her earlier and hugged it against her body as she released a heartfelt sigh, resigning herself to the long wait ahead.

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