Halfway to Christmas Read online

  Chapter 4

  NYAH

  More coffee. There needed to be more coffee if Nyah Henderson had any hope of getting through the day. She drained the last of her mug and looked to the office door, where she knew the coffee machine was only a few feet away. What were the chances anyone had made a fresh pot?

  At two in the afternoon?

  Not very good.

  There was no help for it. If she didn’t get at least a little bit more caffeine in her system, she was never going to make it through the afternoon and she had patients to see. Exhaustion was not an excuse for…well, anything.

  Nyah pushed herself up from her desk and the patient files that always needed to be updated, and went out to the small staff room to brew another pot. This one extra strong. She hadn’t meant to stay out so late the night before, but she hadn’t expected Charlie to be in such a bad way. There were so many reasons she probably shouldn’t be doing nightly house calls to the old man’s home, but he was in such pain and with no way to communicate or any family. The man had no one. Well, almost no one.

  He had Wade Tait.

  Every single night when she got there to give Charlie his pain meds and change his IV bags—the poor man couldn’t keep any food down—Wade was there. She couldn’t quite figure out the relationship between them. It’s not as if they had any conversation. After all, Charlie couldn’t talk since losing his tongue in prison. He would occasionally scratch out some messages on his whiteboard, but from what Nyah could tell, they didn’t even do that. Wade was just there. He just sat by his side and…was there.

  It was touching and easy for Nyah to see how it would be comforting to the older man. Sometimes just having someone nearby, not talking, not even touching, could be the greatest comfort. And if she was one hundred percent honest with herself, she, too, found comfort in Wade’s presence. Which was the strangest thing that could possibly have happened. The man had every reason to hate her, and the first time she ran into him at Charlie’s house, she’d almost turned around and walked out. It was her fault he’d ended up in prison.

  Sort of.

  But that was a long time ago. Before she’d become a doctor. Before she’d known better. She’d done the best she could at the time with the knowledge she had. That was the message years of therapy had finally pounded into her head. And she believed it too. The little girl’s death was not her fault. It was a terrible accident. She’d tried to save her life, and she’d failed. It was an accident. That was all.

  That knowledge, and the constant self-talk Nyah did with herself, was all it took to stay that first night when she’d found Wade at Charlie’s bedside. But every night that passed since that she stopped by and Wade was there, it got easier and easier. The thing was, Wade didn’t seem to blame her. His wife Melissa? That was a different story. But Wade was at peace with his past and although she didn’t know the details of it, Charlie clearly had something to do with that as well.

  “Poor Charlie,” she muttered to herself as she poured herself a cup of the freshly brewed coffee.

  “Charlie?” Lana Porter, the nurse who’d been at the Halfway Clinic as long as she could remember, came around the corner, almost scaring her into dumping the coffee down the front of her blouse. “Charlie Renton? How is he? Did you see him last night again?”

  “Every night.” Nyah poured a generous dose of sugar into her cup. The combination of strong coffee and a hit of sugar couldn’t hurt. Not when she was dragging this badly. “But I don’t know for how long,” she added ruefully. “He’s not doing well.”

  “Your dad must be so proud of you taking care of old Charlie. It’s just what he would do. You’re a good doctor, Nyah. We’re lucky to have you.” Lana patted her hand. “Not many doctors would give up their personal time every evening to help out a lonely old man.”

  “He’s not just lonely.” Nyah took a sip of the scalding coffee. There was no time to let it cool. She needed caffeine, stat. “He really doesn’t have anyone else and he’s dying. I have no idea how he’d be able to get himself in here every day and the hospital is no place for a man like him to die.”

  “You mean an ex-con?”

  “I mean, a…yes.” Nyah nodded. “I mean, I know there must have been a reason he went to prison, but he served his time and a hospital bed would be just like a prison. He deserves to die at home and if I can help make that a little easier, that’s what I’m going to do.”

  The nurse smiled kindly. “Like I said, Nyah. You’re a good doctor. But more than that, you’re a good person. I’m glad you’re back.”

  Lana’s words warmed her through. It had been awhile since anyone had said those words to her. Well, if she was honest with herself, no one besides her father had told her they were glad she was back. And that was only because he was itching to hand over the practice and go traveling. The truth was, there weren’t many people in Halfway who would have a reason to be glad to have her back. It’s not as if she were Miss Popularity when she was growing up and her closest friend, well…she’d done a good job ruining that friendship. Nyah forced a smile when she noticed that Lana still stared at her. “Thanks,” she muttered and hid her discomfort by taking another sip of coffee.

  “Feeling better?” Lana gestured to the mug in Nyah’s hand. “Because you have a full afternoon.”

  “I do.” Nyah nodded. “Who’s next?”

  Lana produced a file from nowhere and handed it to her. “Nikki Landon. She’s here for a physical and…” The nurse’s eyebrows wiggled. “And a pregnancy test. Maybe that’s the reason for the quickie wedding.”

  She had to remind herself they were in a small town, where everyone knew everyone else and definitely knew their business. She would have chastised Lana for her unprofessionalism, but Nyah knew for all the older nurse’s joking and inappropriateness, the information would never leave the office. She talked big, but Nyah was confident Lana would never cross the line.

  Nyah took another big swallow of coffee and reached for the file. “Thanks, Lana. Room two?”

  Lana nodded and took the mug of coffee out of Nyah’s hand with a sympathetic smile.

  There were only a few hours left in the workday, a handful of patients and then she could go home and hopefully have a nap before she went to Charlie’s place again. It was bound to be another late night again. The poor man. Fighting cancer by yourself, unable to speak, she couldn’t imagine…no. She shook her head. She needed to clear her head and focus on the present and her patients.

  Nikki Landon, specifically. She flipped open Nikki’s chart and smiled a little to herself. She didn’t know Nikki very well. At least not yet, but she’d been one of the people to welcome Nyah back to Halfway with open arms. It hadn’t been much, but it had definitely been enough to give Nyah a bright spot in what was otherwise a touchy transition.

  She knocked lightly on the door of exam room two before she turned the handle. “Good afternoon, Nikki.” The other woman was perched awkwardly on the exam table and fidgeted with her cotton gown. Sitting in an exam room with one person wearing a thin, practically see-through gown wasn’t necessarily the best way to nurture a new friendship, but it was the only way to further the doctor/patient relationship, so it was Nyah’s job to make it as comfortable as possible. For both of them. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Hende—”

  “Nyah,” she interrupted her. “Please, just call me Nyah.”

  Nikki’s smile was warm, and she could see some of the nervousness melt away. “Okay.” She nodded. “Nyah. It’s good to see you again, too.”

  Nyah flipped open the file even though she’d just looked at it. “From what I can see, you’re here today for a…” She glanced up and let Nikki finish the sentence, which she did with a broad grin.

  “A pregnancy test. I mean, I did one last week at home, but those home tests…you know…sometimes they’re not very accurate and I needed to…well, you know.”

  Nyah laughed a little. “I do know. And w
e’ll confirm everything, but first, let’s get some information.”

  The two women chatted easily for a few minutes while Nyah gathered as much information about Nikki’s cycle as she could, took her blood pressure, and listened to her lungs. Before she handed over the specimen cup, Nyah was already fairly positive what the results would be, and ten minutes later, in the little lab room when Nyah ran the test, she confirmed what she already knew. This time when she knocked on the exam room door and entered, Nikki was fully dressed and sat in the chair.

  “Well, I have your results.” Nyah tried her best to keep a straight face, but there was no help for it; the smile crept across her face. “Congratulations, Nikki. You’re pregnant.”

  Nyah wasn’t sure whether she expected Nikki to cheer or dance or laugh or what, but she was not prepared for what she actually did. She lurched out of her chair, grabbed the wastepaper basket and threw up. Nyah stood by for a moment, stunned, before she jumped into action. She went to the sink and wet a washcloth with cold water before she pressed it to the back of Nikki’s neck. She rubbed small circles on her back. “Are you okay?”

  Nikki nodded slightly, but didn’t lift her head up. She threw up one more time before Nyah handed her a handful of tissue.

  “I’m fine,” she said finally. “Could I have some water?”

  “Oh, of course.” Nyah jumped up and fetched the water. “Here you go. Sip slowly and just relax.” She waited another minute before she said, “Well, that wasn’t really the response I expected, but I guess it was a fairly appropriate one.”

  Nikki laughed. The color had returned to her face and she looked remarkably better. “I guess if the test didn’t confirm it, the morning sickness just did.”

  “Have you been pretty sick already?” Nyah wrinkled her brow in concern. If Nikki was suffering too much from morning sickness, she’d definitely want to monitor it. But Nikki only shook her head.

  “Not really,” she said. “I mean, once or twice. But nothing terrible. Yet,” she added. “With Ryan, I didn’t get sick until I was almost two months along. It was so strange. And then I was sick into the second trimester. I guess my body likes to do things a little differently.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Nyah said with a little laugh. “There really aren’t any rules about pregnancy. Despite what everyone would like to believe. Every body is different and every baby is different. I’m sure you’ll see some similarities between this one and your first pregnancy, but…” She trailed off, giving herself a minute before she broached what could be a sensitive subject. “I think you’ll notice that now that you’re, well, older…”

  Nikki laughed. “I am older than when I had Ryan. Quite a bit older. And I’d like to think I’m wiser, too.”

  “Either way.” Nyah smiled. It was so easy to talk to Nikki; the more they spoke, the more she liked the woman. “It will be different. Having a baby in your late teens is significantly different from doing it in your late twenties. I don’t anticipate any complications or anything like that, but just be prepared for some differences.”

  “Oh, I know it will be different.” A sudden tear slipped down Nikki’s cheek and she made no move to wipe it.

  “Nikki?”

  “Oh, I’m fine.” She waved her hand. “It’s just that it will be different this time because I won’t be alone.” A gentle sob escaped her and it quickly morphed into a laugh. “I’m such a mess.” Nikki wiped her eyes. “I’m just so happy.”

  To anyone unfamiliar with what pregnancy hormones could do to a person, Nikki’s behavior would have seemed insane, but to Nyah, it wasn’t only normal, it was heartwarming. She didn’t know all the details of Nikki’s first pregnancy but she did know it had been an accident involving her best friend’s boyfriend at the time. Nikki had left town and not said a word, until recently. Now, as far as Nyah knew, they were all friends again and Ryan had a large extended family. Funny how things had a way of working out. She let her mind drift for a moment to her own situation. Would she ever be welcomed back by her best friend? Correction. Her former best friend? Nyah, too, had stayed away from Halfway for far too long because she’d hurt her best friend. She had a lot in common with Nikki. Maybe her story would have a happy ending, too.

  “It’s okay to be a mess.” Nyah handed her the tissue box. “You have every right to be. After all, it’s an emotional time and there are the hormones to consider. It’s totally understandable. And you’re right: this time will be so different for you. I’m sure you’re going to enjoy every moment. Does Parker know?”

  Nikki nodded. “Everyone kind of knows. Well, not knows-knows but Becky kind of guessed the other day and Melissa and the kids were all there and—”

  “Melissa?” Nyah couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy and hurt. She wanted so bad to make things right between them again. She missed Mel. She’d missed her for years. As if there was a hole in her heart where their friendship had been. “How is she?”

  Nikki stood and straightened her sweater. “She’s, well…she’s okay.”

  There was no way Nyah believed that, but it wasn’t the time or the place to push the issue. She wrote out a prescription for prenatal vitamins and walked with Nikki to the front desk. “I’d like you to schedule another appointment for next month.” She turned to Lana behind the desk. “Can you see that Nikki gets that appointment, Lana?”

  “Absolutely, Doc.”

  She smiled and shook her head at Lana’s formal tone before she turned back to Nikki. “I’d really like it if we could maybe grab a coffee or something before then,” she said. “I mean, if you have time. I heard about the wedding. I know you’re crazy busy and—”

  “Nonsense,” Nikki interrupted her. “Of course I have time. And you know you’re invited to the wedding.”

  A warmth bloomed in Nyah’s heart. She hadn’t thought she’d be invited to the wedding. The sentiment was so touching, it almost made her cry. “Thank you,” she managed. “I didn’t expect that.”

  Nikki waved her hand. “Of course. In fact, Becky’s having a little gathering at her house to do some Christmas baking and prepare a few things for the wedding. Would you like to come and help out?”

  Nyah couldn’t have hid the smile if she’d tried. “I’d love to! That would be so great.”

  “Fantastic. I’ll call you with the details, okay?”

  Nikki turned to Lana to confirm the details of her next appointment and, eager to get back to work, Nyah grabbed the file the nurse handed her for her next patient. She headed down the hall with a new pep in her step and a smile on her face. Things were going to be okay after all.

  But the smile fell from her face the moment she opened the file in her hands.

  Abby Tait.

  Melissa’s daughter?

  Knowing how her ex-best friend felt about her, something must be really wrong if she was bringing her daughter to see Nyah. Of course, she was the only doctor in town. Either way, Nyah didn’t have a good feeling as she took a deep breath and knocked on the door of exam room one.

  Chapter 5

  MELISSA

  Melissa’s stomach knotted as she watched her daughter sit on the exam table, her face pale.

  When the school nurse had called to say Abby had fainted, not once but twice while at school today, Melissa dropped everything and rushed over to pick her up.

  “How are you feeling now, hun?”

  Melissa stood by Abby’s side and held her hands. The nurse had given her a banana to eat and mentioned it might be a simple case of low blood sugar.

  Simple? Unlikely.

  “A bit better now. I have a headache, though.”

  Melissa attempted to smile. “Collapsing on the floor and knocking your head on your desk might do that to you.”

  Abby grimaced. “I’ve never fainted before.”

  “I know. You scared me.” Melissa squeezed Abby’s hand, not wanting to let go.

  “Did you call Dad?”

  Melissa frowned. Had she call
ed Wade? No. To be honest, she never thought to.

  “I’ll call him once we know what’s going on, okay?”

  Abby dropped her head and sighed.

  Melissa was about to say more but the door to the room opened.

  “Good afternoon, Abby.” Nyah Henderson walked in, a smile pasted on her face and her gaze directed toward Abby.

  “Hi,” Abby said quietly.

  “I don’t think we’ve met before.” Nyah held out her hand. “I’m Dr. Nyah. I grew up in Halfway and now I’m back working with my dad, Dr. Henderson.”

  Abby shook Nyah’s hand. “Dr. Henderson is your dad? Cool. Did you know that, Mom?” Abby looked toward her.

  Melissa nodded.

  Oh, she knew. She knew and didn’t like knowing there was no other doctor today for them to see.

  She met Nyah’s gaze and held it, not backing down despite knowing her daughter would no doubt read the hostility there.

  “So.” Nyah cleared her throat and looked away. “It says here you fainted and hit your head. Mind if I take a look?”

  Melissa watched as Nyah carefully felt around Abby’s head and then looked at her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief at the smile on the woman’s face.

  “Other than the obvious headache you must feel, anything else I should know? Any thoughts on why you fainted?”

  Abby shook her head. “I just felt really weird, cold and tired all at once. It hit me hard. I wanted to get my sweater but the next thing I knew, I was on the floor.”

  “Hmm. This happened just after lunch, right? Can I ask what you ate?”

  Abby shook her head. “Nothing. I had a few club meetings and everything was running kind of late.”

  Melissa didn’t like the sound of that. “Abby, you ate breakfast at least, right?” She’d left early and Wade said he’d take care of getting her off to school.

  With her daughter’s hesitation, Melissa knew. “So other than the banana that the nurse gave you, you’ve had nothing to eat today?”