#i instantly contacted my nurse about my situation. and she got me a doctor's appointment which was yesterday

[disdaidal]

I wanna thank my irl friends who follow me here and also my beloved mutuals as well as followers who still send me kind messages and try to interact with me and my stuff even if I'm bad at doing it myself.

Honestly, things haven't been that great with me lately, so... it means a lot to me. Honestly. <3

[yes-ihavealwaysbeengreen]

Day 19: Rules Change - Javier Pena

Day 19: Rules Change- Javier Pena 

November Writing Challenge Masterlist 

Day 18: Her Husband - Marcus Pike 

“You do understand that by getting yourself into this situation...we are going to have to send you back stateside?” 

You nod. 

“Do you have anything you would like to say before we finish today? After this meeting you will need to go to your apartment and pack your bags, your flight leaves out of Columbia at 9 AM.” The ambassador glared at you from his high back leather chair. 

“No...I have nothing to say to you. Only this, I don’t regret a damn thing.” 

“You’re excused. Now get out of my office and go pack your bags.” He dismisses you with a wave of his hand and promptly ignores you. 

You slam the door behind you on the way out and walk over towards your desk. You can feel the eyes of your co-workers on you as you pack your small box of personal belongings from your desk. You reach toward your cactus plant on the corner of your desk and it falls to the ground, shattering. 

“Fuck,” you bend down to begin picking it up when a pair of dark sun-kissed skin move into your line of sight, you look up at Javier Pena, your boss. 

“Thank you,” you whisper. Picking up the remaining shards and placing them in the trash. You notice he has a small white paper cup in his hands and he carefully places the cactus in the cup. 

His arm grips your elbow gently, pulling you to your feet. You feel braver with him near and you take a moment to look into his eyes. A storm of emotion is boiling in them and it takes your breath away, “this is fucked up,” he whispers harshly, “I should be the one sent home, not you. I’m your boss...I’m supposed to protect you.” 

You chuckle darkly, “well maybe if we both used protection we wouldn’t be in this situation,” you rest your hand over your slightly protruding belly, “I have to go pack...will you come over tonight?” 

He hands you the plant and you place it gently in the box. “Do you really have to ask?” he whispers. You go to lift the box before it is quickly removed from your hands. 

“Daniel...I can lift a damn box,” Van Ness smiles at you before shrugging. 

“I can also lift a box, isn’t that funny? Let’s go, mama, time to get you home.” 

You cringe, avoiding the eye contact of the office gossips. Only a select few knew why you were leaving and those that didn’t could guess. It was the watercooler gossip of the week. Javier Pena had knocked up one of the Embassy secretaries. She was being fired and sent home in disgrace while Pena stayed in Columbia to take down the Cali cartel.

You didn’t blame Javier though. He wanted to leave with you and threatened to quit. But after the chance to take down Escobar was ripped away from him you knew he had to finish the work with Cali. It had caused many an argument between you but it was a fight he wasn’t going to win. Your one concession to Javi was that you were going to Texas to live with his father. 

You had no family left of your own and when you both sat down and called his father he was ecstatic about becoming a grandpa. Your shook from your thoughts when Daniel nudges you toward the door and Javier’s hand slips from your elbow watching you leave. 

At your apartment, you’re surprised to find Chris Fiestl there and packing your books into boxes with the label already written out. Tears spring to your eyes and you reach out for both of them as they engulf you in hugs, “Don’t cry y/n, you don’t wanna upset the baby.” Daniel reaches forward and gently rubs your stomach. 

“I’m just really happy to have such good friends,” you tell them both pulling away to wipe at your eyes. Daniel and Chris came around the same time you did and you instantly clicked. The three of you would go out drinking and dancing. 

When you started sleeping with Javi, the boys were there for you as you navigated the waters from casual hookup to a full-blown relationship. 

“I’m really going to miss you guys,” you hug them both tightly. From behind you the door unlocks and Javier comes in. Seeing you all embracing he sighs before walking to the small kitchen for a drink. 

The boys give you one final hug before they go, letting you and Javier be alone. You walk to the kitchen and see Javi nursing a whiskey and cooking some dinner. He wasn’t the greatest cook but since you found out you were pregnant and got sick at random smells he’s taken over cooking for you both. You hug him from behind and he leans back onto your shoulder, kissing your cheek. Putting down the spatula he turns and holds you tight. 

“I don’t want you to leave. I don’t want to be away from you...I love you so fucking much,” he nuzzles your neck placing soft open mouth kisses. 

You pull away and scratch your nails through his scalp he groans at the feeling. “It’s not forever, just until you put those Cali bastards away. Then you can come home to your dads and we can raise our daughter and have a life together.” 

“...Daughter?” his voice is hoarse as he looks at you with glassy eyes. 

You can only nod, your own filled with unshed tears. “I found out a few days ago at that last appointment. We’re gonna have a baby girl Javi.” 

He drops to his knees before your belly and lifts your shift. His hands rough and calloused trace patterns over the small bump. He kisses your stomach lightly “I love you mija, I will always be there for you,” he gazes up at you, “for your both.”  

5 Years Later 

“You have got to be kidding me! That’s a BULLSHIT CALL!” 

“JAVIER!” you shoot up from your lawn chair and pull your husband back down, “SIT THE HELL DOWN! You are embarrassing us!” 

Your father in law is cracking up beside you in his own chair, watching his granddaughter run unsteadily across the field. 

“But baby, she was clear and he called her foul! That’s my little girl out there and you better believe I will kick any honky white ass referee who tries to stop her!” Javier shoots up from his chair again pacing. 

You snort watching the man who helped take down Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel down get mad at a children’s soccer game. But that was Javier as a father. 

After that night he promised he would always be there for her he meant it. Every doctor appointment, hair cut, toddler tumble class, story time at the library, and recently soccer game he was there. His office walls covered in her artwork and always wearing a bracelet she made him at preschool out of macaroni and string; like it came from Tiffany’s. 

“Honey you need to calm down, she is doing great! Those are just the rules of the game, the ref didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“Rules change baby, and that guy needs to change his damn rules so he doesn’t foul my daughter,” Javi huffs and you rise pulling him towards you for a kiss. 

“She is so lucky to have you as a daddy Javi. We all are…” you rest his hand over your stomach and his eyes nearly fall out of his head.

“Baby?...” 

You nod and he shouts before kissing you. The whistle blows and your daughter who is the spitting image of her father comes running up. Javi picks her up, blowing raspberries against her cheek as she giggles, pulling you both into a tight hug. Despite the rocky start, you wouldn’t change your family for the world. 

[anotheronechicagobog]

Functional Dysfunction - Rheese - Chapter 1

written by @anotheronechicagobog​

A/N: This is a new series I’ve been trying to work on and I’m so happy that I’m finally done the first chapter! It’s IMPORTANT to note that this the fic I took a survey for a while back so; Sarah Reese has a double specialty of ED and Neuro. Also, it’s a bit AU so be prepared for that. 

Warnings: swearing, vomit, unplanned pregnancy, talk of abortion

The waiting room was a decent size, but she still felt small. Surrounded by medical diagrams and leather couches, and pregnant women, and pregnant women with children. She felt completely out of depth and she was finding it hard to breathe. Her tunnel vision was only broken when the nurse called her name. The older woman smiled at her obvious nerves and Sarah was instantly relieved, not because of the woman’s assuring demeanour, but because she knew that if she had gone to a doctor at MED instead of Planned Parenthood, she would have instead been met with shock, judgement, and awaiting a comment from Doris.

“Dr. Singh will be with you in a few minutes.”

“Thank you.”

So Sarah laid back on the examination table in the flimsy blue paper gown with her unmentionables in the breeze, because of course, Sarah found herself in a situation where she’d need a transvaginal ultrasound instead of a pap smear. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, trying to calm herself down.

“Ms. Reese?”

“Hi.”

“Hello, I’m Dr. Singh. You believe you’re pregnant?”

“Yes, I took two home tests, I’ve been nauseous but only between two and four in the afternoon and one and four in the morning, I missed my period, I’ve been fatigued, and my breasts have been sore. And it’s... Uh, it’s Dr. Reese, actually.”

“Okay, then. Are you in your residency?”

“Halfway through my second year.”

“So you know how this works then.”

“Yes.”

“Did you bring any support? We have counsellors and resources you can use. Your mental and emotional wellbeing is just as important as your physical health.”

“I’m fine. I just want to get the pregnancy confirmed and then book an abortion. I’m in my second year of residency, the father was a one night stand, and my main source of income comes from my mother who would not approve of me having a baby out of wedlock.”

“I completely understand. Med school was hard enough for me without pregnancy and then a baby. We’re still going to have a counsellor talk to you about it beforehand, make sure that you’re making the decision for you and not for anyone else.”

“Alright, I guess.”

“Well, let’s get started, shall we?”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sarah was right, she was pregnant. She wasn’t surprised and it didn’t change how she felt. So when she walked into her next shift she didn’t expect a concerned Maggie to approach her. “Hey Sarah, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Maggie, why? Did something happen that I don’t know about?”

“You’re pale, you haven’t been eating much lately, and you’ve been more tired lately. What’s going on Reese, are you sick? You can talk to Goodwin and she’ll give you time off.”

“I’m grateful that you’re worried about me Maggie, but I’m not sick or anything, I promise. It’s just stress.” Sarah tried and failed to tell herself that she wasn’t technically lying, but pushed that thought to the back of her mind and took in Maggie’s disbelieving demeanour.

“If you’re sure...”

“I am.” Maggie gave her a look that clearly said ‘I don’t think you’re telling the truth but your lie is plausible so I’m letting it go for now’ as she exited the doctor’s lounge, leaving Sarah alone. She took a deep breath as she put her stuff in her locker before grabbing a clean pair of scrubs. After she’d changed into them she looked into the full mirror of the dressing room, staring herself down. She willed against herself not to do it and lost. She turned to the side and placed her hands over her abdomen. She knew that the fetus inside of her was tiny, the size of a sesame seed, but... She didn’t know what she was doing, truthfully. So she shook her head and squared her shoulders before tying her hair back and walking up to the nurses’ station. “What have you got for me, Maggie?”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Andrew Pierson was seventeen and optimistic, something that both she and Rhodes admired. It made their daily rounds and checkups much easier. On most days they both went at the same time so that both departments were able to get first-hand results and to prevent miscommunication. The only problem was that they were always at 3:30 pm, smack dab in the one-hour afternoon window of Sarah’s ‘morning’ sickness. She did her best to quell it in advance; ginger tea, fresh air, mindful of what she’d had for lunch, and she was always drinking water. Sometimes though, like today, morning sickness couldn’t be quelled or repressed. She and Rhodes were discussing Andrew’s latest brain scan and what his injury meant for a valve replacement, when it reared its ugly head like never before. The bile was rising up her throat, fast and hot. She stopped talking in the middle of her sentence, drawing attention from her colleague and her patient. She didn’t register dropping her tablet. She darted into the adjoining bathroom and emptied the little liquid she had in her stomach. Even after it was all out she had to sit there dry-heaving. The burning discomfort in her throat didn’t bother her like it used to, and the painful twisting in her stomach annoyed her more than anything else at this point. When the hellish nausea finally passed she was able to register that she wasn’t alone. Rhodes stood behind her, holding her hair back for her. She turned to look at him and he clearly felt unbelievably awkward, like her, but she did see worry clearly on display behind his eyes. “What’s going on, Reese? You’ve been sick all week.” She hastily got on her feet, only for Rhodes to have to steady her when her balance wavered and mind spun from doing it too fast. After she was okay enough that Rhodes could let go, she warily made her way to the sink to rinse her mouth, only to find that there was some vomit on the edges of her lips and chin, only furthering her embarrassment as Rhodes tried to make eye contact in the mirror.

“It’s nothing-”

“Okay, stop. This is not nothing, you don’t think I’ve noticed how pale and nauseous you get every day? I may have my head wrapped around for too much but I’m not an idiot. Not to mention, you literally just dropped our patient’s brain scans to vomit. You are not fine, actually, you know what? Let’s just go down to the ED, get you checked out-”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Reese, these are continual symptoms, they could be the sign of-”

“I’m pregnant.”

“... Oh.” Sarah bit out harshly, turned the water off, and left the bathroom, leaving Rhodes standing by the toilet, as she blinked back tears. The look in his eyes, the acknowledgement, the pity. She picked up her, thankfully undamaged tablet, as a demure Dr. Rhodes came to stand beside her again. “I’m very sorry Mr. Pierson, I think I ate some bad sushi yesterday. Let’s just finish our appointment and then we can get you started on your new preparation plan so that you’re ready for surgery, okay?”

“Sounds good, and I hope you feel better soon, doc.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Rhodes had spent the remainder of Andrew’s appointment standing beside her clearly shocked and somewhat muted. When they both left though, he steered her into the closest conference room he could find. “Are you okay?”

“Of course I am, now if you’ll excuse me I have other patients that need my care-”

“What about you? Who’s caring for you? You’ve been really sick, and although pregnancy explains it, it doesn’t change the fact that you have concerning symptoms or that Maggie is one bathroom trip away from admitting you into the hospital herself. Because I haven’t heard anything about you in any of the gossip I’m going to assume that you haven’t told many, if any at all, people here. So is there anyone who knows? Anyone who can help you out? And what about the father? I mean you’re pregnant, you’re going to have a baby. Have you spoken to Goodwin yet? She’ll work with everyone to make sure that you’ve got everything you need-”

“Okay, stop! No one knows and I want to keep it that way. I’m not... I’m getting an abortion. And I just...” Sarah took a deep breath as she blinked her tears away. Not now, not at work, not in front of Dr. Rhodes.

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay.” He stood there awkwardly, his arms hovering around her form, unsure of whether he should embrace her or not. Sarah shrugged his hand away and took a few controlled breaths. “I won’t tell anyone, but, does anybody know? And I don’t mean from work, I mean in general, do you have someone to talk to about this? Or take you to and from the procedure?”

“No but it’s fine, I’ll just call a cab after.”

“What if something goes wrong during the procedure, who are they going to call? You have to list an emergency contact.”

“I’ll be fine, everything will be fine.” Sarah took a steadying breath as she tried to quell her morning sickness, again, and stop her body from shaking. “Are you trying to reassure me? Or yourself?” Sarah honestly didn’t have an answer for that.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sarah cursed herself constantly over the fifteen-minute drive it took to get to Molly’s. Not only did she reveal a pretty damning secret to one of the hospital’s top surgeons, but she hadn’t been able to get out of going to the bar with the rest of the ED staff. And since Molly’s was a firefighter bar, owned by a few members of the 51st firehouse, the father of her child was most likely going to be there. She sat in her car, trying not to let the dread fill her as she stared at the ornate door of what was now her least favourite bar, not that she enjoyed drinking enough to have a favourite. She took the seat next to Maggie and tried to join in on the laughter that was being shared amongst her colleagues. But she couldn’t, she felt hot and cold all over, her breathing was tense, her chest was constricted, and her smile didn’t quite meet her eyes. The fact that Jimmy Borrelli, the father of the unborn child inside of her that he didn’t even know about, was staring at her with familiar lust-filled eyes, and that Connor Rhodes, currently the only person who knew about her pregnancy, just entered and looked at her with a mix of shock, horror, and concern, did absolutely nothing to help with her stress or her pregnancy symptoms. Rhodes made his way over to the table with a guarded look on his face. “Hey guys, how about I get the next round?”

“You’re not new anymore Rhodes, we know you’re not a complete stuck up ass, you don’t have to keep trying to bribe us.”

“Thanks for your words of kindness, Halstead, but this isn’t bribery, this is me offering beer.”

“... Fair enough, man. I think we’re all up for it.”

“Great, hey Reese, would you mind helping me carry it all over?” The meaningful look Rhodes sent made it clear he was using this as an excuse to talk to her away from their co-workers. “Sure.” She tried to sound chipper as she hopped out of her seat, but her voice was tired and it cracked partway through the word. Rhodes visibly frowned and Sarah could feel the concerned stares from her co-workers. They walked to the counter and nodded at Hermann, ready to wait until he was available. “I know that you’re... ‘Cancelling your subscription’,” he spoke lowly, mindful of all the ears around them and how fast gossip flourished among the groups present, “but you still, you know, have it. Should you be drinking?”

“I’m not. I’ve missed too many get-togethers and because of my, uh ‘binge-watching’. People, Maggie in particular are getting suspicious. And honestly, even though I’m ‘cancelling my subscription’, I can’t bring myself to do anything to harm... You know. I, uh, I don’t even drink, really.”

“Yeah, I know. Is there anything else I can get you, then?” Sarah shook her head even though her stomach had turned on her and was eating itself. The bodily organ betrayed her, making an audible growl that could be heard above the music bursting out of the speaker directly above them and the loud mixture of conversations that made nearly everything inaudible. He raised his eyebrow as she scolded herself internally and tried to ignore the warmth creeping up to her cheeks at his bemused expression. “You sure about that? How about some food? I hear that Mills has taken up working the kitchen here, the food should be good.”

“The food is great! And I’m not just saying that because I own that place.” Sarah jumped at Hermann’s voice, not knowing he’d gotten back to them.

“Would you mind showing me a menu then, Hermann? I won’t turn down free food.” Sarah nodded her head at the man standing next to her with a slight smile on her face, feeling better than she had all day if she was being honest. “Oh, is the good doctor buying again?”

“Yes I am, which reminds me, three pitchers of Coors please, and-”

“Spaghetti and meatballs.”

“And spaghetti and meatballs, please.”

“You got it. Here’s your beer, glasses for everyone, and your food’ll be brought over to you when it’s done.”

“Great.”

“And Reese?”

“Yeah?”

“Give us a good review, will ya? We could use all the help we can get to gain some traction for the kitchen.”

“You got it.”

Sarah eyed the tower of glasses she had in her right hand, concentrating far more than necessary if she was being honest, to make sure that she didn’t drop them. When Sarah set the glasses and full pitcher down she took the opportunity to look around the tables at her colleagues. Everyone had gone back to their conversations, and weren’t regarding her with caution, except for Maggie and Manning. They shared a look with each other, then her. “I’m fine, promise.” They shared another look with each other before discreetly taking her hands into theirs. “We don’t believe you.”

[heauxplesslydevoted]

The Fall (Ethan x F!MC)

Summary: Naomi has huge news to give Ethan, but things don’t always go as planned.

Word Count: 3k+

A/N: This is my first Open Heart fic. Let me know if you guys enjoy!

“And there it is.”

“That’s it? That tiny little thing?”

“Yup. That’s your baby. And the little flicker you see on the screen? That’s the heartbeat.”

“Can I hear it?”

“Not until the second trimester. I’d say you’re at 8 weeks right now.”

Dr. Naomi Valentine Ramsey stared at the screen in front of her with rapt attention. She had never seen something so magical in her 29 years on earth. That tiny little flicker on a monitor was hers. Her baby.

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand. “It’s beautiful.”

Dr. Brenda Forbes, one of Edenbrook’s best attending OB/GYNs smiled at her colleague. “Yeah. I have five kids myself and seeing them for the first time is always the best.”

“Five? I don’t know if Ethan and I can manage five.”

“You’d be surprised, Naomi. I’ve known Ethan for 13 years. I never thought he would get married, but here we are. You may very well have five little humans.”

Being married to Ethan was still a dream. After months of fighting their feelings for each other since she was officially part of his diagnostics team, they finally decided to stop kidding themselves and seriously see where their relationship could lead them. Seven months later, they were at Naveen’s gorgeous lake house, exchanging vows in front of their family and close friends.

“We’ll focus on this one for now,” Naomi started. “It is just one, right?”

“Yes, just one.”

“Good.”

“How are you going to tell him?”

That hadn’t even crossed Naomi’s mind. How was she going to tell him? Would she do something cute and cheesy like buy a onesie that says “World’s Best Daddy” or would she be straightforward and spit it out as soon as she saw him?

“I don’t know,” Naomi replied honestly. “With our crazy schedules, I actually don’t think I’ve even properly seen him in the last 36 hours. He was still here last night when I took the pregnancy tests at home. And when I got up to get ready for work, he was fully clothed, passed out in the living room with the dog, and I didn’t bother waking him. But we’re both off tomorrow, so I’ll think of something.”

“He’s going to be excited.”

“I hope so.” They had talked about kids, extensively, and they knew they wanted to have them at some point, but they never set an official timeline when it came to family planning and baby making. They weren’t actively trying, but they weren’t not trying either. So Naomi couldn’t be too shocked when all six of her EPTs (she always was one for overachieving) came back positive.

“Ethan adores you and everyone at this hospital with semi decent vision can see that. He’s going to be ecstatic.”

Naomi didn’t reply, opting to let the optimistic words of her doctor wash over her. Brenda was right. She and Ethan wanted this, Ethan would be excited.

“Do you want a prescription for folic acid and prenatals, or do you want to pick them up at a local drug store?”

“I don’t want any nosy pharmacy techs knowing I’m pregnant,” Naomi said. Over the last 3 years, she had become hospital gossip fodder and it was annoying. “I’ll pick some up from CVS on my way home.”

“Fair enough. I will see you again in 4 weeks for your next appointment. You can schedule it in the waiting area.”

“Deal.”

“Now, let’s print out an obnoxious amount of pictures.”

Fifteen minutes later, Naomi was exiting the locker room after safely tucking her ultrasound pictures away and making her way to the cafeteria. She spotted Bryce flipping through a chart. “Hey, Bryce!”

He looked up from his chart and flashed a large smile once he saw Naomi walking towards him. “Hey. I haven’t seen you around today.”

“I’ve been here. You know I never leave this place.”

“I’m having an awesome day,” Bryce announced. “I assisted on an emergency spleen removal with Dr. Rodriguez, and in a few hours I get to do a craniotomy with Dr. Emery.”

“Aren’t you on cloud nine, you hot shot.”

“More like cloud infinity. What about you?”

“My day’s been…great,” Naomi said honestly. Her doctor appointment was amazing. “And when I’m off in a few hours, I get to go home, put on my rattiest pajamas and eat greasy fast food with Ethan.”

“Dr. Ethan Ramsey eats greasy fast food?” Bryce asked, half teasing, half amazed.

“Occasionally. Most of the time he’s nagging at me to eat better, but I’m not listening to him tonight. I’m craving pepperoni pizza. And wings.”

“That sounds great,” Bryce sighed. He was going to be eating a cafeteria sandwich for dinner. “Hey, you want to get something from the caf? I need caffeine.”

“You read my mind, Lahela. That’s actually where I was headed.”

Before they could even make it all the way down the hall to the staircase, their pagers went off. There was an emergency down in the ER, and it was an all hands on deck situation.

“Rain check on that coffee, Omi?”

“Yup. I’m holding you to it though. And you’ll buy me a bagel.”

“Oof, you drive a hard bargain.” They made their way to the stairs. “On the bright side, I might be able to get a cool surgery out of this.”

“Ever the optimist,” Naomi teased with an eye roll. Only doctors could get excited about high stress accidents and emergencies.

Out of the corner of her eye, Naomi saw an overzealous intern flying down the hall as they started down the stairs, on his way to the ER. She was able to step aside in time, grabbing the handrail for support. But the guy ran into Bryce, bumping him on the shoulder, without as much as a backward glance.

“Hey, watch it!” Bryce called out but the other doctor didn’t acknowledge him. “God, were we that obnoxious our intern year?”

“I hope not-“

A few more of them followed behind, pushing past them to get downstairs to the ER. One of them knocked into Naomi, causing her to lose her balance.

It was like a slow motion car crash, in which no one could look away or move fast enough to do anything to stop it. Bryce quickly reached out in an attempt to grab her arm and catch her, but it was too late and Naomi went tumbling down the stairs until she landed at the bottom with a loud thud on the cold hard floors.

“Naomi!” Bryce raced down the stairs, and a few doctors who happened to be standing by rushed towards her as well. “Oh my god, Naomi, are you okay?”

Everything hurt. Her entire body was screaming out in pain, but she could barely respond. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move.

Her head was foggy and she was dizzy. She could hear Bryce and a nurse attempting to talk to her in the background, but it mostly sounded like a loud ringing. She gingerly touched the top of her head and felt something wet, which she quickly surmised was blood.

“Mhmmm,” Naomi grumbled, still not really listening to Bryce.

Bryce looked up and pointed at the first nurse he could find. “Page the other Dr. Ramsey, tell him it’s Naomi and it’s an emergency.”

“Okay, Dr. Lahela.”

Bryce gently touched Naomi’s head. “Naomi, can you hear me?”

“My head hurts.”

“Yeah, you took quite the fall.”

Naomi’s hand flew to her stomach, but she recoiled instantly as an indescribable pain radiated through her entire rib cage. Hot tears stung the corner of her eyes. “My stomach. Bryce, my stomach!”

“Naomi, I need you to relax,” Bryce ordered. “Calm down. Breathe.”

Naomi tried to reposition herself and touch her stomach from a different angle, but another intense pain shot through her body. Another doctor came over with a bed, and they lifted Naomi up, also putting her in a neck brace so she couldn’t move and exacerbate her injury.

“We need to do a CT scan to see if she has a concussion or any other type of head injury,” Bryce explained to the other doctor as they started wheeling her to the radiology department. “Maybe a chest or abdominal x-ray to check for any trauma.”

The mention of getting an x-ray exam sent Naomi into a panic. All of the radiation could be bad for the baby. She reached out and squeezed Bryce’s scrub top. “No! No, no x-ray. No CT scan.”

“I’m not a neurologist by any means, but I’m pretty sure you have a head injury that we need to check out.”

“I can’t.”

“If you’re scared, I won’t leave your side until Ethan–”

“I’m pregnant,” Naomi confessed, cutting her friend off.

Bryce sucked in a deep breath at the revelation. That changed everything. “Okay. CT scan for your head only, and the fastest chest x-ray we’ve ever performed.”

Naomi tried to take breath to calm down, but it hurt too much to inhale, so her breath was coming out in quick, short bursts. Her head was still pounding violently and Naomi wanted nothing more than to close her eyes.

Bryce turned back to Naomi and noticed her eyelids getting heavy and drifting shut. He gently shook her shoulder. “Omi, I need you to stay awake. Keep your eyes open, okay?”

She could hear the words, and she knew what Bryce was saying was correct, but the pull was stronger than she was able to fight. She closed her eyes and slipped into dark nothingness. The last thing she remembered was silently praying that her baby would be okay.

~|~

On the other side of the hospital, Ethan was in a meeting with all of the other department heads and Naveen, going over budgets and quotas and other boring administrative dribble that Ethan didn’t care about.

His pager was consistently going off, but Naveen had a strict rule about not using pagers during their meetings. They were only 45 minutes long, and the doctors delegated all of their work, so there was no need to be contacted.

He could feel his cell phone vibrating against his thigh in his pants pocket, as if someone was calling him or sending him a lot of text messages.

While he couldn’t very well pull out his phone, he could always check the messages in his Apple Watch, and Naveen would be none the wiser. His notification tab was full of messages, all from Bryce.

Dr. Bryce Lahela: Dr. Ramsey, 911!

Dr. Bryce Lahela: Naomi had a fall, taking her to get a CT. She’s unconscious.

Dr. Bryce Lahela: update: she has a concussion, consulting w/ neuro rn

Dr. Bryce Lahela: Taking her to ER now, Sienna and Aurora r w/ me

Dr. Bryce Lahela: She still hasn’t woken up, but she’s stable. Moved to a private room

Dr. Bryce Lahela: Helloooooo, are you getting my messages?

Dr. Bryce Lahela: DUDE!

Dr. Bryce Lahela: Fuck, a nurse just reminded me you’re in meeting with Dr. Banjeri, so you probably haven’t seen any of these. Sorry.

Just come as soon as you’re available

Ethan’s blood ran cold as he read the messages and a wave of nausea rolled through his gut. As if on autopilot, he jumped out of his seat, starling his co-workers.

“Ethan?” Naveen prodded. “What are you doing?”

“I need to go,” Ethan said, grabbing his coat.

“If he’s leaving, I’d like to go too,” another doctor added.

“No one is going anywhere,” Naveen added firmly. “Ethan, sit back down.”

“There’s an emergency,”

“This is a hospital full of perfectly capable doctors who can handle–“

“Naomi is hurt,” Ethan said, cutting off his mentor and boss. “I’m leaving.” His tone let it be known that there was no room for argument. It was a definitive statement, no debate.

Naveen’s face softened at the mention of the young doctor and Ethan’s wife. He knew if something was wrong, there would be no stopping Ethan from finding her.

Naveen sighed and waved Ethan away. “Go ahead.”

Without another word, Ethan quickly exited the large conference room and made his way to the other side of the hospital as fast as his legs could carry him.

Once in the recovery unit, he stopped at the nurse’s station, stopping the nearest orderly he could find. “Where’s Naomi Ramsey’s room?”

The orderly rounded the nurse’s station and logged onto a computer. “She’s down the hall in room 458.”

Without saying thanks, Ethan left the nurse’s station and headed towards the room. His eyes instantly found Naomi, sitting up in bed. She had a bandage on her head and one wrapped around her right ankle. There were so many wires and IVs and monitors, he felt himself getting overwhelmed.

“Rookie!” He rushed to her bedside and gently grabbed her face, peppering it with kisses. He kissed the crown of her head, instantly relaxing as he inhaled the coconut scented shampoo Naomi was so obsessed with. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here earlier. I was in a meeting and I couldn’t check my cell.”

“It’s fine.”

“Thank god, you’re okay. What happened?”

“Bryce and I were on our way to the ER because we got paged, and out of nowhere a group of interns came flying past us,” Naomi explained. “One of them bumped into me and I fell down the stairs.”

“An intern? An intern did this to you?”

“They were overeager and in a rush to experience their first night in mass chaos in the ER.”

“Are you alright?” Ethan asked. “Where’s your chart? What does it say?”

“Why don’t I just call for my doctor,” Naomi suggested. She grabbed the red button at her bedside and pressed down on it. Within a minute, a doctor entered the room.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Carter, I’ve been assigned to Dr. Ramsey’s case. Missus Dr. Ramsey, obviously.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes at the doctor. She looked young. Incredibly young. “I’ve never seen you before.”

“I’m an intern, I’ve only been here for a month.”

Ethan didn’t know how he felt about an intern being in charge of his wife’s health, especially since one of them was the reason she was in the hospital in the first place.

“Well, nice to meet you, Dr. Carter. What’s going on, will Naomi be okay?”

“Dr. Ramsey fell down the stairs and as a result, has a concussion. She also bruised two of her ribs, but they didn’t fracture and should heal within a few weeks. We’ve been making her take very deep breaths every few minutes just to keep the lungs clear and prevent infection. And she twisted her ankle in the fall, so she should try to keep it iced and elevated as much as possible. When Dr. Ramsey is discharged, she’ll be given a pair of crutches. We are going to keep her overnight for monitoring, because she did lose consciousness as a result of the fall, but all in all, she and the baby are fine.”

Ethan let out a heavy sigh of relief at the prognosis. He squeezed Naomi’s hand tightly. “Oh that’s the best–did you say baby? What baby?”

Dr. Carter looked at Naomi, her eyes wide like a deer in headlights. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was a secret.”

“It’s alright, Doctor. Can I have a moment alone with my husband, please?”

“Of course.” Dr. Carter scurried out of the room, softly shutting the door behind her.

Ethan looked back at Naomi. “A baby? Are you pregnant?”

She nodded. “Yes. I had been suspecting it for a few days now, and I finally took some tests last night. When they all came back positive, I made an appointment with Dr. Forbes and she confirmed it this morning with a urine sample and ultrasound. I wanted to tell you tonight, or tomorrow, but obviously that didn’t happen.”

“How far along are you?”

“Only 8 weeks. If my math is correct, we’ll be having a Spring baby. Late April, early May.”

“We’re having a baby?”

“We’re having a baby.” Ethan reaches out to touch Naomi’s stomach but stopped himself when he remembered that her ribs were bruised. Naomi instantly took notice of his hesitance. “Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Well this wasn’t a planned pregnancy, and we don’t have a house, and we’re both so busy here, and–”

Ethan cut Naomi off with a kiss. She was rigid for a second before responding, kissing him back with equal force.

When the urge to breathe became too much, Naomi pulled away. “Did you do that to shut me up?”

“Did it work?” Ethan asked with a slight smirk.

“Yes.”

“Then yes.” Ethan ran his hands through her hair, tucking a single curly strand behind her ear. “No, we don’t have a house, but we live in a 3 bedroom, 3500 square-foot condo in the heart of the city. I think that’s more than enough space for two adults, a dog, and an infant.” That managed to get half a smile out of Naomi. “But if you want to move to the suburbs and have a white picket fence and HOA fees and neighbors who bring us pies, I’m okay with that as well. I’ll give you whatever you want. And true, we didn’t plan this pregnancy, but I love you more than anything else on this earth and I want kids with you, and I’m over the moon.”

Naomi visibly relaxed at his words. “Really?”

“Really.” A tear rolled down Naomi’s cheek and Ethan caught it with his thumb. “Why are you crying, Rookie?”

“Because you’re so sweet. And I’m emotional because this isn’t how I wanted to tell you, at all. And you aren’t even the first person to find out, Bryce was.”

“I can live with that.”

“You aren’t even in the top 3,” Naomi added. “I told Bryce, and he told the x-ray technician, and then I told Aurora and Sienna.”

“It’s fine, I promise.” Excitement bubbled in Ethan’s chest. He was actually going to be a dad. He was having a baby with Naomi, his brilliant and amazing wife. He surged forward and kissed her again, this time without as much fervor. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

But as excited as he was, he couldn’t ignore the anger simmering under the surface. Someone so carelessly injured his wife without a care in the world, and things could’ve ended up being so much worse. And sure, he’s only known about this baby for 5 minutes, but he loved it more than life itself already, and if anything were to compromise Naomi’s pregnancy, there would be hell to pay. He knew Naomi would want him to let it go and just focus on the positive, but he wasn’t as nice and benevolent as she.

She noticed his tension and reached out, stroking his cheek. “Relax, darling. I’m okay.”

“You shouldn’t have been put in this position to begin with.”

“Don’t do anything crazy, like hunting for the intern who knocked me down. It was an accident”

Ethan looked Naomi in the eye, as if he wanted to argue with her, but he held off. “I’ll drop it. Only because you asked me to.”

“Thank you.”

“But they do need to know that running through a crowded hospital is dangerous,” Ethan continued. “Maybe I’ll send out a memo. Or make all of the interns watch hour long safety training videos.”

Naomi rolled her eyes. She knew Ethan wasn’t going to let this go and she’d have to compromise with him somewhere. “I can agree to those conditions.”

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Ethan asked. He reached out to stroke Naomi’s cheek again. Just seeing her wasn’t good enough, he needed to touch her.

“Yes. I have a bit of a headache, and my ribs are hurting like crazy right now, but other than that, everything is good. In a few weeks, I’ll be good as new.”

There was a knock at the door and Bryce walked in, a small teddy bear in his hands. “Naomi, are you–oh, hello Ethan!”

“Bryce,” Ethan greeted. He stood up and wrapped his arms around the young surgeon. Bryce was stunned into silence, not really knowing what to do. Ethan Ramsey never really struck him as the type of man to dole out hugs. He looked over Ethan’s shoulder and gave Naomi a wild look. She laughed him off and silently mouthed, “Just go with it.”

Ethan released Bryce from the hug after one more measure. “Thank you so much for everything you did to help Naomi today.”

“Of course, she’s one of my best friends. There was nowhere else I’d be.”

“Well, I am eternally grateful. Seriously, I owe you one.”

Bryce looked down in an attempt to hide the blush creeping onto his cheeks. “Don’t even mention it.” He remembered the plush teddy bear in his hands and gave it to Naomi. “Here.”

She smiled down at the soft bear. “Aww, thank you. But you didn’t have to get me a gift.”

“Um…it’s not for you, actually,” Bryce admitted. “It’s for the baby. His or hers first gift from their godfather, Bryce.”

Naomi smirked. “Godfather, eh?”

“After today, I think I’ve earned the prestigious title.”

Naomi shot a quick glance towards Ethan, who nodded. “You’d have to be the one to tell Elijah though.”

Bryce nodded. “That’s fine. Be warned though, I’m going to be the best godfather the world has ever seen. Your child wants to go on a shopping spree? Uncle Bryce has them covered. They want to sneak into the gallery and watch super cool surgeries? Done.”

“Now I don’t think–”

“They want to go skydiving or get a tattoo for their 16th birthday? I’m their guy!”

Naomi’s eyes widened. She turned to Ethan. “I think I’m already regretting my decision.”

[dealersofatlanta]

Part 1: Chapter 5 ( pt. 1 Ace and Jade)

2017: March 19th 2017

Jade: 25

“You keep me decked out the lastest, taking me to knew places, got me calling me friends like damn he’s the greatest, thought love was overrated, somebody lied im faded, and the way you make me feel you got me elevated, I don’t questions, you come round in that two seater, telling me that you ready to go. i dont ask question, go out telling me you got all this money to bloooow, run it up, run it up” I sang, driving round in my all black Jeep Wrangler. I had been out running errands with my bestfriend Mia, and My friend Myiesha, and I had just got home. Ace and I had moved to buckhead in the cut. Ace didn’t want to live in a neighboorhood. Our house was an all glass house, you could over see the city at night, it was beautiful. I never had to worry about working but I stacked any money Ace gave me, just in case we really needed it. I seen Ace was gone, so I just pulled into the garage. When I walked in the house, I got undressed and got myself situated, to start cooking dinner. I turned on my music as I started to get in the shower to wash my hair, and shit. “Alexa play Pull up by G-Herbo”. I walked into the bathroom. I sighed and seen Ace had been doing coke again. Lately he’s been doing more than smoking weed and dringing lean, he started popping pills, and snorting Cocaine. I quickly trashed the shit. “What the fuck Ace!” I cleaned off the table and throw whatever pills he had in the trash. I got in the shower and began washing up. I jumped at a sound that sounded like glass breaking. “Alexa pause the music” I said. I quietly and quickly got out the shower. I threw on my long sleeve romper, and put on my uggs. My hair was dripping down my back soaking my romper. “I know his bitch is here, I followed her” I heard a voice say. “She probably upstairs” I heard a deeper voice say. Shit like this never really happened but Ace prepared me for anything. I grabbed my book bag that carried Ace and I’s passports, spare property keys, a band, a bullet proof vest which I quickly put on and 3 guns, with extra bullets, and a safe phone. I grabbed the other gun under the bathroom counter, I tied the knife that was in the medicine cabinet to my arm. I heard them checking every room. The only way out was downstairs. I had my car keys downstairs, and I also had a spare key under my car. I quickly turned on my location tracker for Ace. I heard our room door bust open. I was hiding in the closet. My breathing was getting faster. “Check everywhere, shoot on sight” I heard the voice say. I clocked the gun back, and took the safty off. He opened the closet door and with out hesitation. I pulled the trigger, I shot him in the chest and he fell back, shooting back at me as I run off. The other dude, grabbed me by my hair. I grabbed the knife and stabbed his side. He instantly let go. I ran to the stairs,

I tripped down the last steps falling to the ground. “Shit!” I yelled out. The guy who grabbed me was big, he started shooting from upstairs. I ran to kitchen grabbing the tiny remote from the drawer closes to the garage, I opened the garage. “Fuck” I said to myself. I seen, it was another guy. He smirked. “Hey princess”. I backed up and walked into my house. “Damn it!” I yelled. I left the gun on the counter. I ran back in the house and locked the door to the garage. The big nigga was dragging the guy I shot down the stairs. He looked at me and pulled the trigger the bullet hit my arm “Uhhhh!” I felt my eyes water. Jade snap out of it, Jade! I thought to myself. I snatched the gun off the counter. and I ran out the back door, as he was shooting. I ran around the house till I got back to my car in the garage. The other guy was kicking at the garage door. I ducked down and grabbed my spare key off the bottom, I hit the unlock button and got in, he turned around and we made eye contact. I quickly turned my car on and put it in reverse. He pointed the gun at me, and started shooting. I sped backwards down my drive way, and pressed the button. Instantly the house blew up. I drove 5minutes down the road when I started to get light headed from losing blood in my arm. My steering wheel was bloody and I could feel myself going in and out, I tried to pull over but my body was weak. I felt my car hit a tree and I blacked out.

I woke up and heard a beeping noise. I was squinting because of the light in my eyes. I groaned at the headace I had. “What the fuck?” I said touching the stiches on my forehead. “Baby?” I heard. I looked and seen Ace in a chair near me. “Where am I, what happened?” I asked. He smiled at me. “You was dope baby, you got shot in your arm, I followed you on the Find My Friends app you sent me, you had a little crash into a tree, I got you out and brung you here to the underground hospital” He told me. He kissed on my face. “I love you soo much man, Im sorry for putting you in the situation, but you handled it like a G, thats my baby” He said. I softly smiled. “Am I okay?” I asked. A middle age women came into the room. “Hello Jade, I heard so much about you. How are you?” She asked me. I shrugged. “You tell me” I said. She looked between me and Ace. “Um your fine, we pulled the bullet out and sewed your wound back up, we would normally give you percocet but we have to give you something not as strong” She said. I looked at her crazy. “No offense when I say this but bitch this shit hurts” I said. She nodded with her hands in defense. “I can’t give you the pills because your pregnant Jade” She said. My eyes widened. “Huh?”. Ace shook his head. “Nah, she can’t be, Im not ready for no kid man, maybe you got it wrong” He said. She shook her head. “We ran your results Jade, you are pregnant, you need to go to a real doctor to get a second opinion but I read them twice, to make sure you had no infections from the wound” She said. I felt tears fall from my face. I was scared as fuck. I was not ready to be a mom, I didn’t even want kids, Ace and I we never used protection, I wasn’t on the pill, we just assumed I just was never going to get pregnant. Ace went through his pocket and started popping 3 pills of X. He looked at me. “What?” He asked. I shook my head still crying. We aint ready for no kid, Ace is a damn junkie, he put my life in danger. “We can go to the clinic to handle this, when we leave once we go to the doctors to see if this shit is true” He told me. I wiped my tears and turned over in the bed.

A week later:

I had scheduled an appointment with a doctor at the hospital near by. I was anxious and nervous I just wanted to know. “Jade Thomas?” The nurse called for me. I stood up. “You can follow me” She said. I followed her to the back. “You can go in the bathroom and pee in the cup and meet us back in here. Dr. Moss will be in with your results” She said before leaving. I peed in the cup and went back into the office. My leg was shaking, and my hands were sweaty, I was scrolling through IG for about 20minutes. “Okay Jade?, Hi Im Dr. Moss” Dr. Moss said. “Hi” I said. She closed the door and pulled up a chair. “So your lab results came in and you are pregnant, I will use the monitor to see how far long, so you can get undressed, and put on the gown. I will see you shortly” Dr. Moss said before leaving out. I started crying as she closed the door. I got up and got undressed and into the gown. “Okay, You ready? Are you okay?” Dr. Moss said looking at me with concern. I was still in tears. “Im just not ready for this” I told her. She nodded slowly. “Once you see your baby you will feel more ready. Lift your legs up on these step stoops for me. Im going to do a transvaginal ultrasound to see the egg” I nodded as I put my feet up and she put the monitor inside. I heard a intense beating sound. I looked at the doctor. “What is that?” I asked. She smiled. “Your babys heartbeat” She said. “Thats your baby, its like a little bean, but it seems you are 7 weeks pregnant” She said. I started to feel overwhelmed but in a good way. “My baby?” I asked. She smiled and nodded. “Yes, we can schedule you another appointment at 12 weeks okay?. And don’t be worried babys are a gift from above” She told me. I nodded. “Your little bean seems to be due around December. 9th this year” She told me. I smiled. “A winter baby, like me” I told her.

After my appointment, I got in my car, and drove home. After the explosion and my car crashing. Ace moved us to his second home in Austel, He got me another Jeep, all black matte. When I got home, I seen he was already there with other cars. “I can’t even roll in peace, everybody notice me, I can’t even go to sleep. Im rolling on a bean. They tried to me eight, got my knees like “Jesus Please” He don’t even believe in Jesus why he got a Jesus Piece” Kodak Black- “Roll In Peace” blasted from the surround sound speakers. “Ohhh give me that dub bitch!” I heard Ace friend Baby G yell. I walked around the living room and seen Ace friends playing poker at the poker table. Ace was snorting coke on a metal tray near the poker table. I sighed, he was turning into Davis. “Ace!” I yelled. He wiped his nose and smiled at me. “Hey babydoll” He said, he was high as hell. “I been calling you” I told him. “Oh man baby I been with my niggas!” He said pointing his friends. He dug into his pocket and lit a cigerette. “You had a great day with your fine ass in them leggings girl, you going to keep me some ass tonight baby. Ima eat you up” He said grabbing me and whispering in my ear. I lightly pushed him back. “Ace can we talk privately?” I asked. He smirked at me and bit his lip. “Aight pretty face” He sighed kissing on my cheek. I moved my face away and brought him in the kitchen. “I went to the doctor” I told him. He inhaled the cigerette. “Aight so what the say?” He asked. I inhaled my breath, and exhaled. “Im pregnant” I said. He nodded. “No prob, baby will just get that shit taken care of tomorrow” He said shrugging. “Im not getting an abortion Ace” I told him. He lightly laughed. “You trying to be like O and Naomi? Man J stop playing lets just go there tomorrow get rid of the shit and buy more plan b I guess. I aint pulling out and I ain’t putting on a condom fuck that shit. You mine, I like to feel my shit” He said. I palmed my face. “Ace I said Im not killing our baby. I heard his or hers heart today and I realized I created a life, I can be a better mother than my mom or aunt was to me. I can actually have a family, a family with a man I love” I said to him with tears in my eyes smiling. He shook his head. “Do that shit by yourself then J, Im not raising no kid nigga. You aint bout to complicate my life J, shit fuck that man”. My heart dropped. “So you going to leave me to raise our child by myself Ace?” I asked shocked at his reaction. He shrugged. “You know what fuck you Ace, fuck you all this money, all this shit! Fuck you! Im soooo done with you!” I screamed. All his friends looked at us. I ran upstairs to grab my some of my shit. “So you going to leave me?” He asked. “Are you going to step up and be a man, or choose them drugs and bitches over your family?” I asked him. He sucked his teeth and waved me off. “Man we should of just stayed bestfriends, Ima be good nigga, shit bye” He said. “Fuck you Ace, you just like Davis crackhead ass”.

Ace age 25:

2 months later:

“East8 bringing the war to our homes, I aint letting that shit fly, we need to kill them assp” O said. I nodded. “You right” I pulled out some lean and drank a little bit. He grabbed the bottle from me. He sighed, “So Mom asked about you” Omari said. We was at waffle house just kicking shit. “Oh okay cool” I said zoning out. He sighed looking at me. “Bruh man you wilding Ace, you aint talked to J in 2 months, checked on your baby none of that” He said. I shrugged my shoulders. “How is she?” I asked. Omari looked at me. “Shes doing good, you can tell shes hurt ya know but shes happy. I think” He said. Since Jade left, I been depressed just dealing with shit different, fucking hoes and doing drugs, handling business with my gang and shit. “You been thinking about getting clean?” Omari asked. I looked up from my phone. “I ain’t no junkie” I said. Omari kept looking at me, he grabbed my phone. “Aye yo chill” I snapped. He clenched his jaw. “What you gon do? Huh? Shoot me motherfucka?” He said. I balled up my fist. “I brought you here to talk Ace, you spiraling man, Dad would not be proud” He said. I sucked my teeth at him. “Man dad dead fuck you” I told him. Omari grabbed me by my shirt. “If you wasn’t my brother I’d fuck you up” He told me. I smirked, “And you be dead” I told him. He pushed me back down. I fixed my shirt. I heard heels clicking over to our table. I looked up and seen it was our mother Traci. I felt the rage in me grow. “The fuck you bring this bitch in here for!” I snapped. She glared at me. “Bitch, I am your mama” She snapped. “Psshhh man you sent me to jail and never came to see me or defend me! You turned me in, you aint my blood!” I yelled. I looked at Omari. “Fuck all yall” I said. “Sit down” Omari said through clenched teeth. “Yall got 5 minutes” I stated. “Im sorry Ace, I was not thinking clearly I realize now I was wrong, I abandoned both of yall and Im sorry” She said. I shook my head. “Aight thats it? I got a btich waiting for me” I said. “O says you ended up with that Jade girl and your about bout to be a daddy, Congradulations” She said softly smiling. I stood up and grabbed my phone. “Well Im not, Im out” I said, I walked off to my car. “Ace!” I heard O call out. I turned around looking at him. He swung his fist and started fighting me. He grabbed me and brought me up to my car. “You out of the game until you fix your shit! I can’t have you fucking up my shit, OUR shit! Fucking grow up, you aint my brother. I don’t know what monster you fucking created but you need to get your shit together. Im tired of cleaning up your mess Ace. Don’t come around, until you get some help nigga!” he yelled. I spit the blood from my mouth in his face. “Fuck you O” I said. He punched me in my stomach, and in my face before walking off. I spit the blood out on the street.

I got in my car and drove home. I with throw my liquor cabnet and chugged down some Hennessy.

“Looking like a trapper when I walked in the building, That mean I got something expensive. Know my frames, they’re killin’

All these hoes I’m killin’

Nigga came from dope dealing

Dirt bike, four wheeling (woo)

Come up in the street I’m peeling (skurr)

Come up in the street I’m peelin” I was rapping to Bankroll Fresh drunk as hell, and high as a kite. “Knock, Knock” I heard the door knock at the door. I grabbed my gun and looked through the peephole. I seen it was La-La she had been coming over lately. “Wassup bitch” I said to her. She rolled her eyes. “I heard you was down so I decided to bring in a friend her name is Diamond” She said. I smirked. “Oh you freaky freaky” I said. She nodded. “Anything for you Ace baby” She said kissing me. One thing lead to the next and I was messing with both girls, I was feeling the high, but shit started go left. I started seeing hallucinations everybody I killed. “Bruhh what the fuck!” I scrambled for my pants. “Ace you good?” La-La asked. I shook my head. My breathing intensified. I grabbed my cars keys and ran out the house. I grabbed my phone, and called X. “Wazzam Ace, you know O aint want us fucking with you”. “X man you got to help me I think Im spazzing off everything, Im seeing dead people” I said. He sighed. “Aight bruh where you at?” I grabbed my gun nervous as hell, paranoid like a motherfucker. “In my car man X hurry the hell up man” I said.

16 minutes later X showed up. He knocked on my window. “Ace, come on man” He said. I got out the car. “Man I’m tripping out man, Im losing my shit” I told him. He nodded. “Yeah you need help Ace, I know this place you can go to get help” He said. I sucked my teeth in. “I just need this shit to cope X thats it” I said. He sighed. “Man Ace look around everybody not fucking with you, J left you, O not dealing with it and soon ima be done too cause you fucking up fam” He told me. “I miss my girl, I aint gon hold you. I feel bad as hell man, I fucked up but im just cool out and get me some help for a minute. Ima be back” I told X. He nodded. “You need it, we got J. She gone be good” He assured me. He followed me back to my crib. The girls was gone. I looked at the coke on the table. “Aghhhhh” I yelled as I flipped the table over. I started punching holes in the walls and shit. X ran in after me. “Bruhh you wilding” He said. He shook his head. “Pack your shit I know a place you need to go to”.

7 Months Later: December 3rd, 2017

The past seven months, I been good. I went to rehab in L.A. took therapy. Ready to get back to bussiness. Ready to get back to my girl. Ready to be a Dad, an just make up for all the shit I did to J. My therapist told me it was going to be a long road to forgiveness from J. Also she asked me to forgive my mom, forgive my past and be a better version of me. When I dropped down in the Atl, the first thing I did was sale my property. Get me

A new crib, get a decorator to design me a gender nuetral nursery for J. She can add to it or recreate it if she likes. I turned in my Lambo and My Maserati for a Range Rover and an Escalade. I grew my hair out, and got it braided. I been back for a few weeks now, it was time to make my apology rounds. I showed up at Omari’s. “Ace! Hey little brother” Naomi said answering the door. “Uncle Acey!” Rain and Ocean yelled. They was right up underneath Mimi following her around in there little pajamas. “Hey my little niggas” I said. They each gave me a hug. “Yall keep growing man!” I said. “Im a big boy now, I get to go to pre-k” Rain said. Ocean nodded. “Yep me too!” I pretended to be shocked. “What?! No way” I said. “Go get daddy for me” Naomi told them. They ran off. “How are you?, you look good!” She said hugging me. I smiled. “I feel good, I been in L.A went to rehab and therapy” I told her. She nodded. “Hows J?” I asked. She smiled. “Good, she recently moved out, and into X and Heiress place for now, but she is getting her own place out in Alpharetta” She said. “Well I bought us a house, hopefully we can work shit out and be a family” I told Naomi. She kind of looked away. “Um Ace, Ima be honest with you. Jade is not going to just up and go with you. She’s 38 weeks pregnant. She’s been doing this by herself. You can’t up and decide now that you got the help you need that shit is all sweet well its not. You left when she needed you the most, she has no family relatives. That was fucked up, Im happy you got help so now you can be a father to your daughter, and maybe later Jade will forgive if she even lets you see your child” She straight up said. I looked at her. “A daughter?” i asked still tooken back by that reveal. I assumed I was going to have a son for the longest. Naomi nodded. “Ima work hard to get my family man. I just was dealing with alot of demons” I said. She nodded. “I get it Ace, this aint no easy way of living. I had to develop tough skin to even kill a man to protect my family but we do what we got to do to survive” She told me. “Daddy uncle Acey is right there!” The twins yelled in my brothers arms. He put the boys down. “Follow me in our basement” He simply said. I followed him down. “You can sit on the couch” He told me. He sat across from me looking down and then up at me. “You look good man, you look clean and healthy” He said. I smiled. “I got some help, got my shit together” I said. He smiled. “We missed you, I aint gon lie, niggas been ruthless without my number 1. Assasain, the gang been running cray, you know Jade just had her baby shower for her daughter, yall having a little girl” I nodded. “Yeah Mimi told me, Im scared as hell to have a little girl” I said honestly. He shrugged. “The toughest most ruthless ones always have the little girls, it softens them up” He said. “She been going through alot, just been crying most days. She misses you but wont admit cause you said some file shit to her. You got alot of work to do bro” He said. Naomi rushed down the steps. “Um Jade called, her water broke” She said. Omari nodded. I stood frozen. “Show time, lets see if you really about to change” He said. I followed him up. “We will meet yall later, just go to her Ace. Ima send you the address” I rushed out the house and to the hospital.

I rushed into the lobby. “Jade Thomas? Her water um it broke or something” I said breathing heavy. “Are you family? Or the father?” She asked. I nodded. “Yeah shes having my baby” I said proudly. She nodded. “Maternity ward, B25” She said. I quickly went to the elevator. When I got off I looked around for her room. I seen B25. I just busted in. I seen Jade looking very pregnant, and her best friend Mia. “Ace? Ace why are you here! You can go” She said fighting back tears. I shook my head. “Im here J, I um Mia can we talk please” I asked. She rolled her eyes. “Your 39 weeks too late Ace” She snapped. I pulled out a band. “Mia please give me like 10minutes damn!” I yelled. She looked at Jade who looked annoyed wiping her face. She just walked out. “J, baby. I was a fucking dumb ass for abandoning you. I know you needed me and I foolishly needed you. I left to get help. I went to Rehab and shit. Ima new nigga J” I stressed. She nodded. “I just need you to be here for our baby right now Ace. I can’t do us right now. I can’t allow myself to let someone else I love leave me again. That really fucked me up” She cried. I was a hard nigga with her being my soft spot so for me to cry with her, I really felt her pain. “I um, Ima do what I got to do to prove myself” I chocked trying to act cool. A nurse walked in. J was making a face. “Time for baby, your cervix is ready, Daddy put on your gear” She handed me my scrubs and went to put them on.

12 hours later:

“Hey Nova” Jade said smiling at our daughter. Nova Leigh Jones was born 6lbs and 12oz at 4:43 am December 4th 2017. I used to be crazy as fuck, hard as hell not caring ass nigga. Jade had my heart no lie but my daughter, my daughter got my whole world.

[nitaescence]

The Return of Superman - JK

BTS members as fathers in The Return of Superman show

Jungkook x Reader Genre : Fluff Word Count : 3.0 k

Author’s Note -

It includes interviews and shootings.

*…* : sentences edited on the final images.

Bold : cameras’ position in the house or outside.

Italics : dialogues.

/…/ : Time.

(…) : Sound effects.

[…] : camera movements

Grow Up Just Like This

Buildings

/9:04 AM/

*Let's meet the new family*

Kitchen/Living-room/Entrance door

*The new house seems empty*

Parents' Bedroom

[Large blankets cover the whole bed] *Still fast asleep* [zoom in when something's moving from under the covers] *A body struggles to kick the blankets* (laughs)

Y/N is the first awake. She pushes all the blankets towards where Jung Kook lies, on his front, and slowly sits up. She gets up and walks around the bed to pull the curtains and let some light in.  

[Jung kook's body doesn't move a bit] *Husband still in dreamland* (laughs)

Y/N goes back on the bed to sit closely to Jung Kook. She gently nudges him. He stretches himself during a few seconds and stills himself again.

“Jung Kook, wake up.” Y/n in a raspy voice.

*No response*

Y/N lies back down, circles his back with one arm and puts her mouth next to his ear.

“Wake up, sleepy head.” She whispers, smiling.

Jung Kook raises his head in the air, eyes still close. [zoom on his face] *Cute nest* (laughs)

*Oh! It’s charismatic idol, Jeon Jung Kook!* (amazement) [pictures/videos of him performing with the other members in concerts and shows] *He made his debut as the maknae and one of the main singer in the worldwide known K-Pop group BTS in 2013. [videos of him in interviews and taken by the members or himself] His cute bunny smile and surprising numerous skills are one of his numerous charms. He’s very hard-working.[videos of him dancing and practicing songs in studios] Since his debut, he got highly praised for his high skills in singing. (amazement) He’s made no less than ten musical collaborations with foreign artists [excerpts of his music clip he's done with Justin Bieber]*

Jeon Jung Kook – Hello. I'm father of one year and three-month-old Jeon Joo Won. It's nice to meet you.

[pictures of Jung Kook and Y/N dating] *Y/N and Jung kook met through acquaintances in 2020. [Pictures of their wedding] They got married in 2022* [Videos of the ultrasounds and pictures of pregnant Y/N, newborn Joo Won in Jung kook’s arms, videos of Joo Won smiling to the camera as his father's voice is heard in the background] *A year after, the fruit of their love settled inside mommy's womb* [Pictures of the family with the grandparents] *Cute* *Their family seems full of love* *Welcome!*

Y/N pats his backside playfully and gets up again so as to leave their room.

Corridor

Y/N is seen walking straight towards another room. *where is mom going?*

Child's room

Inside the room, a small body lies in a baby bed. [zoom on the baby's awaken face] *Jeon Joo won's awaken too* (cooing)

Y/N's face illuminates as soon as she sees her son and walks towards him. Watching him for some time, her son is as happy to see her.

“My son... Did you sleep well?” She stretches her arms to hold him and kisses his cheeks several times as she exits his room. “Let's change your diaper.”

Bathroom

Y/N lies Joo won on his baby table and starts cleaning him. While she's busy dressing him up again, the baby's eyes meet with one of the cameras situated above him. [zoom on his face] *Hello, little Joo won* (cooing)

Kitchen

/9: 40 AM/

Y/N's busy making breakfast while Joo Won is walking around her in his baby walker.

“Joo Won-ah!” [The little boy looks up at her when he hears his name] “Go wake up, dad. He's sleeping too much.” She adds while focused on cooking eggs. The little boy pushes himself until he's next to his mother and she looks down at him. “You want to see him?” [Zoom on Joo Won's face] He only smiles back when they make eye contact.

After making sure, nothing's going to burn on the stove. She gently pushes his walker towards the corridor leading to the parents' bedroom.

Joo Won skillfully moves his little limbs rapidly towards the familiar path. [Zoom on his legs] *Fast movements* (laughs) He continues until he reaches the open door of his parents' room.

Parents' Bedroom

[Showing the bed] *Still fast asleep* Joo won moves his baby walker until he hits one of the bed's sides. The small noise causes Jung Kook to turn his head towards him. *Surprised*

Jung Kook's mouth immediately curves into a big smile when he sees his son and with one gentle leg movement makes the walker roll towards the head of the bed.

“Joo won-ih...” He drags turning on his back to sit up. The baby boy smiles at his father, moving his arms enthusiastically. Jung Kook picks him up from the carrier and lies down once again with his son lying on his front. He smothers kisses all over the small boy's face until he has to bring his tiny hands to push him away. *Punch!* “Ouch.” (laughs)

“What was that for?” Laughs Jung Kook before resuming kissing his son. He eventually gets up to join his wife.

Kitchen

*The table is beautifully laid* [zoom on the several dishes prepared] *All the food looks delicious*

[Jung Kook appears with Joo Won in his arms] *Dad finally got up* [Y/N sits at the table looking at them with a smile]

*The family is eating together* [Joo Won is seated in his baby chair and Y/N feeds him while Jung Kook looks fondly at them]

“Joo Won,” says Jung Kook, his mouth full. “Mom won't be here today. Please let's make it easy for both of us and don't cry, all right?”

Y/N watches him, giggling.

“Let's make a promise.” He raises his pinky in front of Joo Won's face. *serious Dad*

“He won't cry. He's a big boy now.” adds Y/N, wiping her son's mouth.

Living-room

A while after, Jung Kook and Y/N are seated on the sofa while Joo Won plays with some of his toys on the baby mattress, the T.V cartoons playing in the background.

“How do you feel ?” She asks looking at her husband's sprawled figure.

“Hm?”

“Will you be okay? With the appointments and all?”

“Yeah... Honestly, I think it'll go smoothly.” *Reliable husband* “No need to worry, boss.” He adds playfully. (laughs)

Y/N looks back at her son, thoughtful. “I'll miss him.”

“What about me?” Inquires Jung Kook looking at his wife from the corner of his eyes.

“What?”

“What. About. Me?”

“I can't hear you.” Y/N playfully retorts leading Jung Kook to attack her sides. He tickles her mercilessly.

“Okay, okay. I was just joking.” She surrenders, wiping tears from her eyes. She waits a couple of seconds before adding, “I'll miss him more, though.”

Jung Kook bites his lip and threatens to attack her a second time but she quickly gets up, laughing out loud while Joo Won stares confused at his noisy parents.

Entrance Door

/11: 21 AM/

[Joo Won is his Jung Kook's arms and watch Y/N get ready to leave] *Mom is ready to go on vacation* She puts her handbag on her shoulder and looks at her hair in the mirror.

“Mo'...” mumbles Joo Won, stretching his arms towards her and whining a little. (cooing)

“And here we go...” Sighs Jung Kook as Y/N takes her son in her arms, cooing at him. She kisses his cheek. *Joo Won isn't ready to part with his mother* ( cooing)

“Maybe you do the show with him and I go on vacation” laughs Jung Kook.

“Very funny. Take him back.” Smiles his wife and gives Jo Won back to him. “I'll be back in a short time, sweetie.”

“Say 'bye Mom.'” Says Jung Kook in a small voice, waving Joo Won's hand for him. Y/N kisses them both, leaves waving back at them and he closes the door after her.

Living-room

/02:13 PM/

*They are at the hospital for Joo Won development test*

[Joo Won is cr awling on a rectangular-shaped footstool with another child and Jung Kook is standing near by] *Joo Won found a new friend* The two little boys play, chasing one another and seem very happy together. Jung Kook can't help but smile too, seeing his son having a good time.

Soon after, a nurse appears and calls their name. Jung Kook takes his son in his arms and puts the backpack he brought with him on his shoulder before following her.

They enter a room in which another nurse is already waiting for them.

“So, let's begin. We have to measure your head size.” She says as she circles Joo Won's skull with a tape measure. “I'll be quick.” she adds when Joo Won is reaching to get rid of it.

She then tells Jung Kook to sit him on a table made to measure his weight. *10.7 kg*

“Now, let's measure his height.” She keeps praising him to divert his attention and they quickly finish his check-up.

*Time to hear the results*

They enter the doctor's room, who's sitting at her desk.

“Hello.” Greets Jung Kook as he closes the door.

“Hello. Please, come sit here.” The doctor shows him a chair put next to her. She looks through some papers as Jung Kook sits down. “He's heading towards sixteen months, right?”

Jung Kook eyes become rounder as he gets serious. His son is sat on his lap, sucking his fist and looking curiously at the doctor in front of him.

“His growth is in the normal range. His height is 76 cm. His head size is 48 cm.” Jung Kook nods relieved to hear those news. “Yes, so don't worry and keep doing a good job raising him.”

*Then they skip to a less funny part*

[The doctor picks up some tools while Jung Kook focus on keeping his son's head still] She checks his throat and Joo Won instantly bursts into tears when she puts the tongue depressor inside his mouth. She then checks his ears.

“You're doing great Joo Won.” tries to reassure Jung Kook who presses his mouth on top of his son’s little head.

“Has he had a fever recently?” Inquires the doctor.

“Hum, yeah. About a month ago, I think.” recalls Jung Kook as he hugs Joo Won. “But my wife checked regularly and he was okay.”

“He's a little bit red in this area.” The doctor tells him while showing a picture on her computer screen. “He'll need to take some antibiotics. It's probably due to bacterial infections.”

Jung Kook : I was shocked when I heard about his ear infection. I was concerned. He's never taken any antibiotics before but the doctor reassured me, saying it's not serious. So I feel better. He has to take it only for four days. I tend to worry more than my wife. We just want him to grow healthy without any illnesses.

*They're now heading to hair salon to get Joo Won's haircut*

Barbershop

/04: 02 PM/

*They've decided to go a barbershop that's hard to find these days.* [tilt pan on the inside of the shop and the several tools] (amazement)

Jung Kook and Joo Won enter the shop.

“Hello!” They're greeted by the shop owners and invited to take a seat.

[Jung Kook puts his son next to him] *He seems so tiny in that big chair* Jung Kook gets rid of his jacket as he looks around him, “It's been a while since the last time I've been to a barbershop.”

The owners laugh along with him.

[A little kid is getting a haircut]

“Joo Won, look. Watch him get his hair cut.” Jung Kook says, taking his son on his lap and makes him look at the young boy. *Six-year-old calmly getting his hair cut*

[Joo Won observes while holding onto his father's shirt and Jung Kook points at it with a big grin.]

“He's afraid someone will take him away.” (laughs)

The little boy is done and hops down the chair.

“Joo Won. It's your turn, now.” Jung Kook speaks up and in a swift motion lifts his son in the air. He walks and makes him sit on the previously occupied chair but as soon as Jung Kook leaves him, Joo Won raises his arms towards his father because he doesn't want to be left alone.

[Jung Kook sat down on the chair and Joo Won is on his lap] The barber ties the black cloth around his small neck.

[slow-motion on Joo Won's face] *Joo Won's first hair cut at the barber's. Will he be okay?* [Joo Won looks wearily at the tools the barber moves right in front of his eyes] *Scary scissors* [end of slow-motion] *He's calm* (amazement)

He doesn’t cry though the sound of scissors is near his ears surprises him a bit and he grips his father's hand. Jung Kook keeps him distracted by singing to him while he watches the quick and skilled movement of the man.

“Good boy.” Praises Jung Kook, looking at his son's reflection in the mirror.

“We have to shave him now.” Informs the barber and Jung Kook looks at him, clueless.

“Shave?” repeats the young father.

*The razor shave is a must at the barbershop. But can it be done for Joo Won?*

[Back of Joo Won's head] The barber applies baby powder as Jung Kook watches closely. *Will he cry?* Joo Won remains silent and compliant.

“He's very patient.” Comments Jung Kook, smiling satisfied at the maturity his son is showing. “Joo Won-ah. This is your first time, how come you are so patient?” [Joo Won's face] *We made a deal Dad, remember?* (cooing)

“You can enter the army now.” adds Jung Kook as the barber praises Joo Won for sitting still.

The hair cut carries on. *Joo Won lowers his head and doesn't move*

“It's like you've here before. Who'd you come with?” wonders Jung Kook.

It ends quickly and Jung Kook can keep his enthusiasm for himself as he is satisfied of the result. He gets up as the woman takes the black shirt off of them.

*It's time to wash his hair now.*

[Jung Kook holds Joo Won downwards as the barber quickly washes his head] *Even though, it's an uncomfortable position, Joo Won doesn't cry.* [zoom on the little boy's face] *He's such a good baby* (cooing)

[Joo Won is sat back on the chair so as to dry his hair] The barber uses a towel and wipes his head. The rough motion makes the young boy whine. *Drying hair the barbershop way*

“It's how you do it.” Claims Jung Kook, taking the towel and doing the same as the barber. (laughs) “This the way you do it. This is how a man dries his hair.” He keeps on teasing his son for a couple of seconds before he hands the cloth back to the barber.

“Should you go, now?” suggest the barber, wiping the leather seat.

“What?” *Surprised* (laughs)

“A little shaving wouldn’t go amiss.” comments the barber looking at Jung Kook's face.

*It's time for Daddy to have his shave*

[Jung Kook lies on the chair, gets shaved and then puts on aftershave]

“Joo Won should've put this on too.” He jokes.

“Come here.” [He picks his son up in his arms] “Should we send a picture to mom?” He asks him while reaching for his phone. In the process, his eyes lend on several wigs put on mannequins displayed in front of him. “Can I wear one of those?” He asks the barber's wife sat across them while her husband is busy cleaning around the chairs. She nods and keeps looking at him as he struggles putting on the one he chose, still carrying his son in his arms.

He raises his arm and tells Joo Won to look up at the phone's screen and when he does so he brings one of his forefingers to his cheek as he's been learned to do. *Posing* (cooing)

“1...2...3” Jung Kook snaps a selfie of them. He bursts into laughs as he sends it to his wife. He takes another without the wig. *Like father, like son. Two manly men at the barbershop* (amazement)

“Thank you, goodbye. Say goodbye, Joo Won.” Say Jung Kook smiling and waving to the owners as they exit the shop.

                                                                                                          End of Day 1.

[dentalrosie]

SKILL DEVELOPMENT FOR DENTAL NURSES: A SERIES

By Rosie Connell

LESSON 2:

‘THE GIFT OF THE GAB’

The worst feedback I ever got from a dentist in my first year, was ‘Rosie, you don’t talk enough’

The best feedback I ever received from a dentist, was 3 years later; ‘Rosie, you have the best patient communication skills I’ve come across, you can really talk about anything!’

This example is a testament to self reflection, continuing professional development and good practice.

So, there was a gap in my skill set, and this just would not do! I considered why this was true of myself, and I put it down to a lack of confidence, an introverted personality and inexperience. To be honest, I remember thinking, ‘oh I didn’t even realise I needed to talk that much?!’ I was focused on cross infection, notes, stocking up etc etc. I didn’t realise I was Neglecting one of my main responsibilities: patient focus and care. I thought I was doing okay, I mean, the patient was alive..but that dentist wanted more than just a living patient (honestly! so demanding)..she wanted a calm, m welcomed, and entertained patient whilst she reviewed notes and xrays, or waited for LA to take effect. So according to this prescription, I just started talking..about anything. But be warned, it takes practice and not all patients are gifted in holding a conversation, so sometimes you have to do most of the work.

There’s no secret course you can take to get better at filling these awkward silences with strangers, you just have to put it into practice. It may take some time but if you persevere..you’ll be so good at talking, people will wish you would just stop!

Most dentists like you to speak with patients to help ease any anxiety and allow them to focus on diagnosis and treatment. I have found that it builds a rapport, not just fills a silence; you get to learn about the patients, they get to learn about you and they have a more pleasant experience overall. I’ve had some great feedback after developing in this area from patients and dentists. It has made my working day so much more enjoyable, I have more genuine reasons to smile and laugh and it allows me to directly contribute more to that patient’s experience.

Here are my chatting tips to get you started or improve your already great chat game:

1. Be confident – you don’t need to be loud or over the top, but a quiet confidence will instantly make this possible stranger want to engage.

A great little tip for appearing confident is to let your hands and body move freely. When you use gestures and body movements as you speak, you come across a lot more confident than if you were to be super still. Also, research has shown having your hands visible, makes you instantly more trustworthy, which is a big factor for our patients, especially if they have never seen you before.

Here’s a link to a great YouTube video I learnt this from: https://youtu.be/PMmnPpjtU7c (You might notice that the speaker does not stop moving her hands, she’s a wizard!!)

2. Smile - don’t be scary though, only use a genuine smile when you would naturally. And you can always use your eyes to ‘smize’ like Tyra Banks says!

3. Make eye contact – as in any social interaction, avoiding eye contact is a sign of distrust. Make natural, friendly eye contact when talking and remember to blink!

4. Let your personality shine – develop your own style whilst remaining professional. If the conversation leads to, and you are happy, you can share your interests and personal stories with the patient. It helps you become more human and relatable in their eyes.

5. Have a work persona – I’m not at all shy but I do gain more energy alone. So at work, I tend to play a bit more of a chatty character. At home, and with friends, I’m a lot quieter. Developing a work persona, sets your intentions for the day, so you can remain consistent with patients and colleagues alike. Then I go home..and recharge with more silent escapades like reading.

6. Stay away from taboo topics-politics, religion, brexit, football (I just don’t like that one) avoid any subjects that can get you caught into giving personal opinions. Keep the conversation light and fun.

7. Be tactful and genuine- like in any good conversation, don’t just talk willy nilly. React to what the patient says and go with their flow. If a patient tells you he lost his wife, take time to react genuinely, gauge how many follow up questions they feel comfortable with answering and then try and give them a positive outlook and then take their mind off it. (never skate over something this personal, it may take practice to feel comfortable in this situation, but it will come, if the patient is sharing with you, let them and offer sincere replies)

8. Examples of conversation Starting phrases:

(Some weather alternatives)

‘Busy day today?’ – I call this the taxi driver special but it just opens up the conversation so I know to ask about work or not. (Not everybody works due to individual circumstances, and sometimes making wrong assumptions can lead to an awkward exchange) I learnt this the hard way when I asked an 16 year old soldier if he was going to see his family at Christmas, but he had joined the army from a children’s home. I learnt to ask open questions instead like ‘what are you doing for Christmas?’

Or ‘What are you doing for the rest of the day?’

If a patient is wearing a company sweatshirt or piece of clothing, you could ask them where they work.

(I do these kind of things so often because all the pleasant and memorable medical appointments I’ve had, the doctor or nurse has asked me something not related to the appointment and it instantly put me at ease. It seemed they genuinely were interested and for one little moment you can forget why you are there. I believe that’s what sets turns a routine appointment into a great experience)

9. Examples of Reaction phrases:

(sometimes a patient can bring up a topic that you might not know much about or have much interest in. So the following are some phrases to keep the conversation ticking along, getting the patient to do most of the work)

‘That must be interesting!’ – this skips out of having to think of a direct questions but let’s the patient continue.

‘Id love to be able to do something like that’ – you can’t be interested in everything, but you can sure fake it for the team

‘Wow, I didn’t know that’ – let the patient become the expert, most likely they will want to show their knowledge, mission complete!

Plus all the positive little nuggets you can offer to bolster a patient:

‘That’s great’ , ‘you must be really good then’ , ‘how impressive!’

10. Tips for children:

You wouldn’t always ask your 6 year old patient how the weather is, so you could instead, start a conversation about what they are wearing or about their toys, or teddies that they bring for comfort. (Limit this to 1 comment about their appearance, such as their hairstyle or a character on their tshirt - you dont want the parent to think you are excessively oggling their child!)

Example:

1. A child with a teddy – you could say ‘wow who’s this? Are they getting their teeth checked too?’ (directed at the teddy) I usually ask to take the teddy ( if the child allows me) and pretend it’s whispering something to me. To a child, this is pure magic, never underestimate these kind of seemingly, simple gestures.

2. ‘Oh I like your T-shirt, do you like unicorns?!’ (I remember one patient just said ‘no’) this usually works better with sports jerseys or on small children! Unicorns are so last year!!

3. If a child will not talk with me, I usually say ‘oh you arent talking to me today? Now I am going to be upset’ by the end of the appointment, I can usually get one word or if I even get a smile, I’ll finish it off with ‘are you my friend now?’ Mostly it’s a yes!

So there you go! My tips and tricks for making conversation with patients. I hope you find something useful here. Next time, I’m going to be talking about dealing with difficult patients as a dental Nurse.

Ciao for now!

Rosie x

For enquiries: rosieconnell@live.co.uk

[muscleduck8-blog]

Our Adoption Story + A Summer Look Featuring the Hourglass Scattered Light and Caution Extreme Mascara

Welcome home, Johannah Elle. 

On July 19th, 2018, we welcomed our adopted baby girl, Johannah Elle into the world. Looking into your baby's eyes for the first time is unlike anything I could ever imagine and I can't believe I'm at the point in my life to detail this experience freely and with much excitement! 

Today's post is dedicated to our adoption process (I will do my best to encapsulate a year and a half into a few highly descriptive paragraphs) with a dash of new beauty thrown in for good measure. 

Kindly scroll on for the full story and the beauty products I've been reaching for over the past week, including the Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow and *Hourglass Caution Extreme Mascara, swatches galore and the Bottom Line...

Holding Johannah for the first time, mere moments after her birth. 

January 2017: Our adoption story started early last year. We were eager to build a family and felt, after much prayer, like we were being led to adopt. Simply put, my husband and I had so much love to give and wanted to share that with a baby who needed a home. Quite frankly, figuring out where to begin was one of the most daunting aspects of this entire endeavor. After much research, we decided to work with an adoption attorney in our area and had a 2+ hour consultation that allowed us to ask questions about the process and what we could expect to encounter. 

The only thing we knew is that we really knew nothing about how adoption works in California and our attorneys were so patient and attentive in explaining everything. Since our relationship is so close, I had my parents attend the meeting as well; I knew they'd be walking side-by-side with us in all the steps along the way and loved that they could start that journey with us from the very beginning. 

Johannah Elle was born at 6:06 PM on 7/19/18. This was probably taken at 6:10 PM. 

First feeding with Johannah.

February 2017-December 2017: Shortly after our initial meeting, my husband and I created a profile that included a letter to prospective a birth mother, detailing our lives and why we wanted to adopt. This profile would be used by our attorney to give a birth mother a better sense of who we were. Because we were trusting God to lead us to the baby that was meant for us, our preferences for who that baby was (e.g, ethnic background, gender etc.) were completely open. 

We then embarked on the home study journey. Every prospective adoptive parent needs to work with a social worker to complete an extensive home study which is like a very comprehensive background check. It's the precursor to adoption and must be completed before a child can be placed in one's home. Everything from finger prints and medical physicals to family and relational history are addressed, along with a need to have letters of reference, thorough CPR training and baby proofing of one's home. This entire process, which resulted in a 100+ paper packet, took us a little over 8 months to complete and when we finished, we felt a major sense of relief, satisfaction and accomplishment...it meant we were one step closer to the baby that was meant to be ours! 

The morning after Johannah's birth...we stayed a local hotel so we could return to the nursery right way the next morning and be with her for the day. 

January 2018-February 2018: Once our home study was complete, we went on a blissful trip to London and Paris while staying in constant contact with our attorneys regarding potential situations. In all honesty, sometimes the waiting became really tough but, at our core, we were resolute that God already had the baby for us picked out and we needed to trust His timing (which is nearly always different than our timing) above all things. It was that trust and the encouragement of my family that got us through those moments of questioning and uncertainty. Upon our return from Europe, we unexpectedly found out that we had to move (a family member of our landlord needed to move into the house) and we found a larger house...little did we know at that time that it would be the ideal dwelling for the baby that would shortly come into our lives. It was a whirlwind of a time but, looking back, God was preparing us even then for her arrival. 

All of my family together with Johannah 24 hours after her birth. 

March 2018: After returning home from another trip to London and Paris, this time with my family, we found out that we were official matched with a birth mother, who picked our profile through our attorney! So many feelings converge in a moment like that...excitement, hopefulness, anticipation and, to be fair, nervousness regarding how the process will proceed. We had two dinners with our attorneys and the birth parents (rare!) which enabled us to get to know each other better in good faith for the adoption to come. Out of respect for the birth parents, I will leave the details of their lives and situations out of this post...just know that the brave and selfless decision they made to place their child into adoption was motivated by pure love and care for their baby...and we're forever grateful to be the recipients and beneficiaries of that choice. 

With Jan, one of the nursery RN's who I spent a full shift with as I  took care of Johannah the day after her birth. 

April 2018-July 2018: This time period was marked by more preparation; we were linked with another social worker who would act as a liaison between the birth parents and my husband and me, clearly detailing everyone's rights during the adoption process and making sure everything was being done to the letter of the law. We also had the opportunity to attend the birth mother's ultrasounds...it was incredible to be able to see our baby in that way and the connection with her, even at that point was undeniable; the birth mother did everything she could to support that, encouraging us to name her early on and even introducing us as "mommy and daddy" to the medical personnel on duty for the appointments. What amazing and unprecedented moments those were. 

We continued to gather the things we would need for Johannah and family and friends were so sweet and generous in helping us to prepare for her homecoming. She was originally due on August 9th, so we knew that the month of July would be our time to get everything ready and we did little projects around the house each day in anticipation for the due date. On 7/18, my mom offered to come over to help me set up the last of the nursery. Feeling very ahead of the game, we cheerfully put clothes away and nestled the toys on the crib. Little did we know...

With Courtney, the last nurse Johannah was with before she was discharged. 

July 19th, 2018: We got a call from our attorney at 3AM, letting us know that the birth mother's water broke and she was going to the hospital (she had told us she wanted us at the birth). Half asleep and entirely caught off guard, we hurriedly packed a bag and rushed to the hospital, slowly as the sun rose realizing that it could be the day that we meet our daughter. Dialating to 10cm took much of the day and, after some visiting time with the birth mother and her family, my husband and I proceeded to catch up on work in the waiting room and try to keep our nerves and anticipation at bay! 

At around 5PM, the birth mother went into labor and I, along with her sister-in-law helped her to count her way through contractions and pushing...I remember my heart skipping a beat, saying a quick prayer and realizing that our lives would change forever as Johannah entered into the world through natural child birth. It was breathtaking. She was instantly taken to a warming table at the back of the delivery room where she was cleaned and than immediately handed to us. There we stood, holding our baby girl for the first time...I get tears typing the sentence. My family was able to join us and ultimately, we went to the nursery where Johannah was given her first bath and we spent the rest of the time holding her, feeding her and marveling at her existence. Around midnight, we grabbed some In & Out and stayed at a nearby hotel so we could get right back to her the next morning. That night of sleep was particularly deep.

On Friday, we found out that the birth mother and Johannah wouldn't be discharged until Saturday per hospital policy so we spent the day in the nursery, bonding as much as humanly possible...it was a beautiful day with our new little girl. We slept at our home that night, knowing that the next time we'd be there, she'd be with us...what a feeling. 

That Saturday, we returned to the hospital to wait for Johannah's discharge. We also met with the social worker and birth mother and birth father and all said our goodbyes in one of the most poignant life moments I will probably ever experience. 

We returned to the nursery and when the doctor discharged Johannah we, once again, cried tears of joy...we put her in her stroller (full disclosure: there is definitely a learning curve with that process!) and drove home...very slowly. I sat in the back with her as I just didn't want her out of my sight, even during a half hour trip down the freeway. My parents and brother were waiting for us at our house with dinner and happy hearts and I will never forget that sweet, sweet evening together. It's imprinted on my heart. 

As we reflect on those precious, complicated and important days following Johannah's birth, we see so many manifestations of God's precise timing. He coordinated complex dynamics in ways that benefited everyone involved, further affirming our faith in His perfect plan. 

Beyond excited to be headed home! Stroller by Doona. 

Learning how to feed Johannah...every two 

The Present: Due to the waiver signed, the adoption became irrevocable at the start of the week (Monday at 5:01, to be exact...that time will forever be special to me) and the amount of sheer emotion--namely a melange of intense happiness and relief--that she was officially and unequivocally ours couldn't be contained. Let's just say that there were a lot of happy tears at the house that afternoon.  

Abundantly loved, Johannah Elle is now 8 days old and growing leaps and bounds. Her appetite is steady and were getting used to the way in which she communicates her needs. The baby routine (which, of course, stands the test of time) involves feeding, burping, changing, cuddling, comforting and sleeping and, though cracking the code about which one she needs in a particular moment is challenging, we are learning to read the signs and use our intuition. During her first check-up earlier this week, her pediatrician noted how wide-eyed and thriving she is and we are so grateful that she is healthy and happy. 

Most adoptions are finalized in the court system between 8-12 months of placements and our attorneys are filing all necessary paperwork to complete that process within the timeline. At the point, of finalization, Johannah will get a new birth certificate that names us as her legal parents...what a precious and momentous day that will be! 

Her napping skills are enviable. 

Taken by Laura Lynn, on Johannah's first full day at home. 

First bath...she wasn't particularly fond of the water but really likes her robe. 

To close: My husband and I are learning how to best take care of Johannah day-by-day, moment-by-moment and relish the opportunity to provide her with the most optimal, love-rich life that we possibly can.  She is such a sweet and mellow baby and we are ever thankful to God for blessing us with this tiny wonder. The pure and selfless love of all parties involved in this adoption allowed us to become a family and we will be forever grateful for this process. 

I hope our story has raised awareness, intrinsically answered some questions and maybe even inspired some of you to consider how adoption may be right for you as it was for us. 

Stronger, even closer, filled with gratitude and definitely more resilient, we are forever changed for the better because of adoption and loving Johannah Elle is a gift beyond measure. 

Edit 7/30/18: Many of you have asked me about the meaning behind Johannah's name. We picked "Johannah" because it means "God's grace" and that's exactly what she embodies to us. 

Her middle name, "Elle," is in honor of my mom Laura. Unfortunately, giving her the middle name of "Laura" would have resulted in a super long name (Johannah's last name is hyphenated) so then we though of simply giving her "L." as a middle initial. It dawned on me that "L" could be spelled out as "Elle" and thus her name became complete. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out via email (beautyprofessor@gmail.com) should you have any specific questions that I can answer! 

Family portrait by Laura Lynn

The complete look. 

// THE COMPLETE LOOK // Because of the extra-hectic nature of the past week, I've been reaching for the same products each day for nearly 7 days straight and they've performed beautifully...keep reading for details and swatches. 

The Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow and *Hourglass Caution Extreme Mascara.

At the center of my look is the new Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow (also available at Beautylish, Sephora, Neiman Marcus and Hourglass). Ever since catching glimpses of this new release on social media, I knew the glimmering formula was destined for my eyes. 

Weightless and exceptionally luminous, this eyeshadow packs serious color payoff without settling into fine lines and creases. The shades can be layered and blended to create a custom hue and the nearly liquid-looking shine is more incandescent than anything in this category that I have tried to date. I am so impressed with the texture (smooth as silk), wear time (10-12 hours, no fall out, no touch ups) and optical effect (pure lustrous illumination) and am beyond glad that I ordered these sight unseen. Keep reading to see swatches of the the shades I selected! 

To complete my eye look, I applied a couple of coats of the freshly launched *Hourglass Caution Extreme Mascara. This voluming and lengthening formula boasts lash-transforming powers and I am happy to corroborate this claim. The brush's bristles are designed to dispense the jet-black, fiber-free formula over each lash, creating dense volume and intense length with minimal effort. The mascara is fragrance-free and smudge resistant...I've been testing it in some of the hottest, most humid weather we've had in months and cannot believe how stalwart it is while still being friendly to sensitive, allergy-ridden eyes and easily removed with soap and water. The *Caution Extreme Mascara is indubitably my favorite mascara offering from Hourglass and I implore you to consider giving it a try...curious to hear your thoughts when you do! 

*Hourglass Caution Extreme Mascara

Swatches of the *Hourglass Caution Extreme Mascara and Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow in direct sunlight. 

When ordering, I chose four of the five shades of the Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow: 

Reflect: A neutral champagne beige with plenty of pigmentation.

Aura: A cool baby pink that is incredibly wearable and, like Aura, makes for a lovely transition color.

Foil: A lavish true gold with warm depth. 

Blaze: A bronzy copper that's bright without being over the top...so divine! 

Swatches of the Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow in direct sunlight. 

Swatches of the Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow in outdoor shade. 

Eyes and brows under control with the *Hourglass Caution Extreme Mascara and Tom Ford Fiber Brow Gel in Chestnut (reviewed HERE).

Base + face. 

 // BASE + FACE // Even skin and a soft glow for an effortless, real-skin look that persists even through a hot day. 

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter #4 (reviewed HERE): Still my primer of choice, this radiant, lightly tinted fluid evens skin tone and give the most gorgeous glow. 

*Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation #143 (swatches of all shades + review HERE): I recently discovered that shade #143 is a perfect match for my summer skin (@N/NC 30) and have fallen in love with this reformulation all over again. Medium coverage and a luminous finish that still performs beautifully in humid weather, it lasts for 7-8 hours and looks like really good skin. 

*Clé de Peau Beauté Radiant Corrector for Eyes in Almond (reviewed HERE): A newborn in the house means much less sleep than normal and I've been relying on this skincare infused concealer to brighten up my perpetually dark under eye region. It masterfully corrects without creasing or looking conspicuous...so good. 

*Laura Mercier Matte Bronzing Powder in Soleil #1 (reviewed HERE): Applied with my *Surratt Beauty Artistique Cheek Brush, I swept this olive-toned bronzer in the hollows of my cheeks and along the perimeters of my face for warmth, depth and dimension...it's been my go-to bronzer as of late. 

*Kosas Color & Light Powder in Longitude Zero: I used my *Surratt Beauty Artistique Highlight Brush to buff the radiant rose pink blush on the apples of my cheeks and then swept the pearl beige highlighter on the high points of my face (center of forehead, upper cheek bones and down the bridge of my nose). This is the first product I've tried from the highly lauded brand and it's finely milled with excellent color payoff...I am very impressed. 

*Koh Gen Do Gloss Film Powder #123 (reviewed HERE): Just a touch in the center of my face sets my look all day without the slightest hint of a powdery finish. 

Swatches in direct sunlight. 

Lips. 

// LIPS // A melange of pinky peach in varying textures for continuity and maximum lasting power. 

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk: I have run through multiple pencils in this shade and am consistently impressed with the perfect nude tone, creamy opacity and strong lasting power. It's truly a must for lip color lovers. Quick tip: Apply it all over the lips (rather than just the perimeters) for color that stays in place all day. 

Dior Addict Lacquer Stick in Bel Air (reviewed HERE): This lushly moisturizing peachy tone offers plenty of color payoff and a creamy shine. It's a staple in my purse and I wear this so much, I think I'll need to buy a backup soon! 

Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bare Baby: I completed the lip look with a coat of this glorious 1960's-esque pearly nude peach gloss...not too white and delightfully un-sticky with a gorgeous shine, this particular shade looks lovely on a spectrum of skin tones.  

Swatches in direct sunlight. 

The following images reflect all products in action in afternoon sunlight...

Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow in Blaze, Reflect and Foil. 

Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow in Blaze, Reflect and Foil. 

Style notes. 

// STYLE NOTES // Daily summertime staples for me include a neutral men's button down, cutoffs and an ultra comfortable pair of blush slides. 

John Varvatos Star USA Button Down: Whenever I buy men's button downs (which is often), I look for a soft and lightweight cotton material in a neutral color that matches everything and this John Varvatos fits the bill perfectly. Worn loose or tied at the waist, it's a modern classic (and currently on sale).  

Levi's Wedgie High Waist Cutoff Denim Shorts: It's my personal belief that Levi's makes the best cutoffs available...slightly high waisted with an easy fit, I reach for them multiple times a week. 

Melissa Cosmic Python Baja Slide Sandal in Light Pink Mixed: I am completely smitten with this breezy pair of blush slides...they're wildly comfortable and a fresh and sophisticated update on sandals. 

Gold hoops: This particular pair--a timeless classic--is the perfect size for daily wear. 

The Melissa Cosmic Python Baja Slide Sandal in Light Pink Mixed

The Melissa Cosmic Python Baja Slide Sandal has a 1 1/2 platform for a touch of height with a molded foot bed for comfort. 

Love of a lifetime. 

Last look. 

--Shop the Post--

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Bottom Line: I truly hope you enjoyed this very special BP post...it was my sincere joy to share elements of our journey with you (I know that it is only the preface to a long and beautiful story yet to unfold) and I welcome you to extend your questions about and experiences with adoption in the comments section. So looking forward to reading! 

Additionally, the Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow (also available at Beautylish, Sephora, Neiman Marcus and Hourglass) and *Caution Extreme Mascara have become incredible parts of my eye routine and, if you are even the slightest bit interested, I highly recommend giving them a try as they do not disappoint. 

Also, there are less than 10 days left for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (ends August 5th)...I've been wearing/using my purchases nonstop since the middle of the month and if you are looking for some specific inspiration, swing by my shopping guides HERE and HERE. 

Good things ahead, including a host of new product procurements, the BY TERRY Nude Expert Duo Stick Foundation and my picks from the new Westman Atelier Collection. 

More than ever, thank you for your loyal readership and support of Beauty Professor...xx and more soon,

--The Beauty Professor

**PR samples provided for review denoted by an asterisk (the rest purchased by me), however, as always, all of my opinions are expressly and unequivocally my own.  © 2012-18 Beauty Professor® All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, reprint or republish content and/or photos without author's written permission.

Source: http://www.beautyprofessor.net/2018/07/our-adoption-story-summer-look.html