“Thanks, Sally,” I said but quickly added, “but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Ash and the others. It was a team effort.”
Sally winked. “That, right there, is why you’re such a good midwife, you act as a team and never a lone wolf.”
It was something she taught me when I used to volunteer at the hospital many years ago, and something that stayed with me. You aren’t better than your fellow midwife, and together in numbers you’re stronger.
“Well, I work with the best.” I smiled then looked to Ash and bumped him with my leg.
He snorted. “Sweet talker.”
Who is sweet talking who here?
I blinked away Ryder’s voice in my head and refocused on Sally who was talking to me and Ash.
“—should be a busy day, and we’ll have to keep a tight ship.”
Ash saluted Sally. “You got it, beautiful.”
Sally fanned herself. “If I wasn’t married and old enough to be your mother I’d—”
“Sally!” I cut her off with a laugh.
She waved me off. “What I’d do to him if I was your age is public knowledge, I always tell him.”
Ash grinned. “She does.”
“You’re both as bad as each other,” I chuckled.
Sally giggled as she ventured off to do her duties; I glanced at Ash who got to work evaluating the new patients’ folders. I shook my head at him and grabbed the second folder Sally brought us.
“Why’re you shaking your head?” he asked, not looking up from the folder.
I shrugged. “You amuse me.”
“Of course I do, I’m hilarious.”
Cocky shite, my mind teased.
“Hey Branna.”
I looked up at Yolanda, a lovely African lady who had been working the delivery ward as a cleaner since it first opened.
“Hey Yolanda,” I smiled. “How are you today?”
She gave me her trademark beaming smile, and it only caused me to mirror the action.
“I’m great, hon. Jesus woke me up this morning so I can’t complain.”
I felt the corners of my eyes crease as my smile deepened. “I’m glad to hear it, how are your grandkids? Are they over their dose of the flu?”
Yolanda blessed herself. “Yes, thank Jesus, I prayed every morning and night for them.” She frowned. “I hate seeing them so unwell, but I know Jesus will look after them.”
Yolanda was very religious, everything out of her mouth was ‘Jesus this and Jesus that’.
I nodded. “I can imagine. When Bronagh was sick growin’ up, I worried meself silly about every cold or stomach bug.”
Yolanda winked. “That’s what we do, we worry about our babies no matter how old they are. Jesus, help us.”
Ain’t that the truth, I thought.
“I hear you,” I said as she pushed her mop bucket down the hall in the direction of the supply room.
I looked over my shoulder to Ash when he exited the break room with two cups of tea in his hands. I groaned out loud and reached for my pink cup. “I could kiss you,” I said as I took the cup and sipped on the addictive sugary liquid.
Tea was—quite literally—my life; I could not function without it.
“You can’t go and do a thing like that,” Ash said. “You’d break Sally’s heart, she loves me, you know?”
I cocked a brow. “She loves the attention from you, that’s all.”
Ash grabbed his chest. “You heartless wench, how dare you dismiss what Sally and I have!”
It took everything in me not to laugh, or crack a smile.
“Just tellin’ you like it is,” I smirked. “Kid.”
Ash growled. “You have five-seconds.”
Oh, shit.
I stood up and quickly scurried around to the other side of our work counter, and placed my hands in front of my chest.
“Ash,” I warned, my voice low. “Don’t even think about it.”
He rounded the station and advanced on me, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Don’t!” I said firmly, hoping my no-bullshit-demeanour would give him reason to stop.
It didn’t, if anything, it only fuelled the freak to come at me faster.
“No!” I shrieked and made a move to dive behind the counter but Ash was too fast, and caught me mid-air.
He set me down, and full on assaulted my sides with his fingertips as he tickled me. I laughed, shrieked some more, and did the strangest moves known to man as I made my bid to escape the terror.
“Mercy!” I laughed. “For the love of God, mercy!”
Ash pulled back on his tickling but kept hold of me as I steadied myself and came down from my laughing high. I was about to playfully sucker punch him and make a run for the break room when I heard my name being… bellowed.
I turned and looked down the hallway and raised my brows.
“Dominic?” I said aloud, hearing the confusion in my own voice. “What are you doin’ here?”
He was glaring as he walked up the hallway towards me.
“Bronagh can’t collect you today.” He said, or rather, growled. “She’s not feeling good, her morning sickness is still lasting most of the day, so I said I would come get you instead since I was on my way home from using the gym at your place. Who is he?”
I blinked, and glanced to my right when Ash moved to my side.
“Me?” he questioned, and pointed his finger at his chest.