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I swallowed hard and said, “That’s the correct number.”
I’d become a consummate liar in the past several years, but it wasn’t something I would ever become comfortable with so I dropped my eyes when I answered her.
She punched the keys on her keyboard and waited several long seconds and then shook her head. “I’m afraid it’s not going through. You’ll need to contact them yourself to try to resolve this,” she said as she shifted her chair and folded her hands on the desk. “Until then, I’m afraid I’ll need you to pay up front.”
“What?” I asked in surprise. “I…I don’t have that kind of money,” I whispered.
There was little pity in the woman’s eyes as she studied me. I knew what she was seeing. Worn, ripped jeans that were just a little too big for me, a faded green Henley that had stains I still hadn’t figured out how to get rid of and a tattered leather jacket that was about ten years out of style.
“We can set you up with a payment plan, but I’ll need ten percent of the balance today.”
I did the calculations in my head and felt my stomach drop as I realized I didn’t even have enough money saved up to cover half the upfront payment she wanted.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, I…I could do a hundred dollars,” I offered desperately, though even that amount would hit me hard. I’d been on such a roller coaster of emotions since my visit to Matty’s pediatrician two days earlier, that I hadn’t even thought this far ahead.
“I’m afraid that we’ll need the full ten percent today before you’ll be able to see Dr. Spengler. We do accept credit cards.”
I felt bile rising in my throat as I understood what she was telling me. Disbelief coursed through me as I said, “Ma’am, Dr. Spengler said Matty needs to have these tests done today.” I looked around the small reception area as if half-expecting to find the older, silver haired doctor the pediatrician had referred us to and that we’d seen for the first time just yesterday. “We…we were here yesterday! He said he needed to do the tests to figure out the best course of treatment!”
I knew my voice was cracking, but I couldn’t rein in my terror as the reality settled on me like a heavy, lead blanket.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Travers-”
“Here.” The singular, rough word was accompanied by a credit card being tossed down on the desk in front of me. I glanced to my right and felt my heart seize up at the sight of Hawke settling his big frame in the chair next to mine. I automatically tightened my arms around Matty as I began scanning my surroundings for help.
“Captain America,” Matty breathed as he shifted in my hold so he could see Hawke.
“I’ll be right back with this,” the woman across from me said as she snatched up the credit card.
“I’d like to pay the balance on the account with that,” Hawke said to the woman as she stood. “Use it for whatever is done today too.”
“No,” I cut in and both Hawke and the woman shifted their attention to me. “No,” I repeated, my head shaking violently. I turned to tell Hawke to get the hell away from us, but then I felt Matty’s warm breath against my neck as he let out a tired sigh.
“Daddy, I’m tired,” he whispered.
Except he wasn’t just tired. He was so much more than that. I glanced helplessly at Hawke and then down at the mop of brown hair beneath my chin. I closed my eyes and forced back the tears that threatened to fall. I managed to nod my head, but I wasn’t sure if anything happened until a good minute passed before I heard the woman return.
“I’ll let Dr. Spengler know you’re here,” I heard her say.
Hawke murmured “thank you” and then I felt his hand at my elbow. I forced my eyes open and saw that the woman was on her phone, seemingly uncaring about the events that had just unfolded.
I managed to pull myself to my feet, but I didn’t miss Hawke’s fingers brushing the back of my arm as he guided me towards a couple of chairs in the far corner of the waiting room. I hated that I noticed it at all. I hated that despite my fear of him, his touch still felt better than Roger’s had the night he’d tried to kiss me. I hated that I wanted him to keep touching me.
But more than anything, I hated that I would have given anything in that moment to feel his arms close around me and tell me that everything was going to be okay.
I shoved the ridiculous thought away and pulled free of his hold. He released me without hesitation, but I still felt like a prisoner. Matty had gone quiet against me again and I managed to shift him enough so my arm didn’t feel like it was going to fall off my body. As I got him resettled, I glanced at Hawke. I was looking for the gun, but didn’t see it anywhere. Which meant nothing since the shirt he was wearing was untucked and I knew the gun could be at his back.
