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“Good morning, sunshine. Mamma’s here.” I picked him and realized the sun shone high through the window.
“Crap.”
“Crap,” he repeated.
“What?”
“Crap,” he said again. “Ossy crap.”
“You can’t sayFoxy, but you can saycrap? If your daddy only knew.”
Where was his daddy, and what happened last night? I had tea, lay down on the couch, and James massaged my feet until I fell asleep. I hurried downstairs and into the kitchen where my empty teacup sat in the sink.
Fucking chamomile tea: a girl’s best friend and now my nightmare. James and his relaxing massage, along with the tea, had lulled me to sleep.
I was late for work, and tardiness was unacceptable by the force. Calling in late this late was bad enough as it was. I carried Foxy to the changing table and dialed the station. I left a message I was taking the day off and quickly changed Foxy’s diaper. Sargent Dwight returned my call by the time I’d brushed his teeth and set him down in the playpen.
“Good morning, sir.”
“It’s almost afternoon.”
Shit.“I’m sorry, sir. I should have called in sooner.”
“Laura, I know it takes time to get used to a new partner, but you’ve been missing work. It’s time to think about a leave of absence.”
Fuck.
“Sir, it’s not about my new partner. It’s flu season, and the little one’s been getting sick—”
“Take a couple of weeks off, Laura. Get your life in order and come back focused. That’s an order.”
An order? I swallowed past the squeeze of my throat.
“We’ll pay the leave. You’re a good cop, but I need you at your best, so we have no more unwarranted arrests.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll see you soon, and let me know if you need any help.”
“Thank you, sir.”
We hung up, and I turned to Foxy. “At least I’m not fired, kid. I guess it’s just you and me today, babe. And for the next two weeks.”
Truth was, the time off couldn’t have come any sooner. I made breakfast, had a cup of coffee, and checked in with Allie, who was shacking up with Tristan Silver. My best friend was finally getting what she’d wanted: revenge and safety.
After breakfast, I canceled the babysitter for the next two weeks and drove with Foxy to the hospital. Dr. Hippo was on call that day in the pediatrics unit. He checked Foxy’s sprained arm and gave him a strawberry lollipop.
“He’s doing great. The swelling has gone down. A few more days in the wrist guard and he’ll be back to sliding in the park in no time.”
“I think we’ll keep our distance from the slides for a while. Thank you, Dr. Hippo.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Dr. Hippo, I actually have a technical question.”
“What is it?”
“Can you tell me a little about liver donation?”
