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“It’s okay, l’vitsa,” Mom soothed. “I won’t take you away from Ryan.” Crouching down, she examined the ear that was red and still draining. Pressing her lips together, she quickly straightened and looked at Papa. “Could you wake Felicity and Jet while I get dressed, moye zolto? I think we will be paying a visit to the emergency room.”
My body began to shake at the realization that Nova was so sick she needed to go to the hospital, but I knew if I panicked, it would only scare Nova and make her cry. Instead, I just held on to her tighter, refusing to release her even when her mom came rushing into the room before either her dad or my own did.
“It’s another ear infection,” Felicity murmured. “She gets them so frequently. We’ve been discussing tubes to help.” She bit her bottom lip. “Maybe we should cut this trip short and set that up when we get home, Jet.”
“No!” I couldn’t help but shout, making Nova whimper. I rubbed one of my hands up her back, trying to let her know she didn’t have to be scared. No one would ever hurt her as long as I was alive. “No,” I repeated, trying to keep my voice quiet. “We have doctors. Ciana has tubes in her ears. So does Bennie. He got them last year. They can give Nova tubes here. Please don’t take her away yet.”
“I don’t wanna go home!” Nova whined, lifting her head to pout at her mom. “I wanna stay with Ryan.”
Mom came out of her closet, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with a jacket on over it. It was summertime, so I knew she was only wearing the jacket to hide the gun she liked to carry in case someone tried to hurt any of us. “I don’t think anyone is going anywhere right away,” she said as she came over to stand beside Felicity. “Nova can’t fly with an ear infection. It will cause her more pain and possibly ear damage.”
“She’s right,” Nova’s dad agreed. “Flying with an ear infection could lead to a burst eardr
um. And honestly, the boy is right. I would be more comfortable with a Vitucci doctor doing the tubes than anyone back home. Let’s just get her to the ER, and then we can speak to an ENT tomorrow.”
“We don’t have to go to the actual emergency room,” Mom told them. “Just the hospital. We have…a special entrance and top priority.”
“All right, let’s go,” Felicity said as she straightened, but when she tried to take Nova from me, I quickly stepped out of her reach, tightening my hold on the small angel who was clinging to me like a spider monkey.
“I can carry her,” I offered. “She’s not heavy. It’s as easy as carrying one of Ciana’s dolls.”
“Oh, but…” She touched her daughter’s back.
“No, Mommy. I want Ryan!” Nova cried.
“It’s okay,” her dad said from right behind me. “Ryan can come with us.” One of his hands landed on my shoulder, the other stroking over Nova’s blond head. “Don’t worry, princess. We’re going to make you feel all better, and Ryan can stay with you the whole time if he wants to.”
“I want to,” I rushed to assure her, continuing to rub her back. “I’m not going to leave you. I promise.”
In the back of the limo, I held Nova the entire ride to the hospital. Halfway there, she fell asleep, but as soon as the car stopped, her head lifted and she started to whine a little. Her dad got out and then helped Felicity out before reaching back in for Nova. The second she was out of my arms, something painful happened in my chest, and all I could think was that I needed her back. Now!
“No, Daddy!” she cried, wiggling in his arms. “I want Ryan!”
“Shh, princess. I’ll let you have Ryan as soon as he gets out,” Jet promised. “But he can’t hold you and climb out without dropping you.”
I heard her sniffle, and I got out of the limo as fast as I could. Once I was standing on the ground, I held out my arms, and Jet gave me a grim kind of smile as he placed her back in my safekeeping. As soon as Nova was wrapped around me once again, the pain I felt without her eased.
Nova snuggled against me, her slight weight feeling right in some strange way as I carried her toward the door where Mom and our guards were already waiting. Her parents followed me and stayed close as we walked into the exam room without having to see anyone else. As soon as the door closed behind us all, it opened again.
A woman in dark green pants and a white doctor’s coat walked in with a huge smile on her face. I stiffened, tightening my hold on Nova even more.
“Nope,” Mom told her. “We’ll see the other doctor on duty, please.”
“Excuse me. Mrs. Vitucci,” the doctor said, her smile a whole lot less bright this time. “My colleague is busy at the moment. He asked me—”
“I don’t give two fucks what he asked you. Everyone is aware that my son is uncomfortable with a female doctor. You will send in the other doctor, or I’ll have to make a call and let your boss know we weren’t taken care of as we should have been.” Mom took a single step in the woman’s direction, causing her to gulp and take several backward. “You have exactly two minutes.”
“Y-yes, ma’am,” the doctor hastened to mutter, already opening the door and practically running from the room.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, hating that my fear of adult women had caused Nova to have to wait longer to see a doctor.
“There is nothing for you to be sorry for,” Mom said, acting as if she hadn’t just scared the crap out of another adult.
A hard tap on the exam room door was quickly followed by its opening. This time, a man in a sweat-stained green shirt and matching pants came into the room. “Mrs. Vitucci,” he greeted before nodding to Jet and Felicity. “What brings you in tonight?”
I stepped forward and started explaining before anyone else could. “She has a fever. Her ear is red and draining. The fluid is clear, but there was a lot of it. And she keeps tugging on her earlobe.”
The doctor blinked down at me then gave a firm nod. “Well then, let’s have a look.” He crouched down beside me and touched Nova’s back. “Hey there, little lady. Can I have a peek at your ears?”
