Chapter Seven
“Oh, hon, are you all right?”
Elise turned to see Olivia standing there, a worried look on her face.
“I…I’m fine,” she said quickly, pulling a fresh pillow case from the stack of linen surrounding her and blotting her eyes. “Fine. Really.”
“Last time I looked being fine doesn’t make you cry your eyes out,” Olivia said gently. “But how did you wind up in here, anyway? I thought you and Merrick were in the exam room talking to Sylvan.”
“Dr. Sylvan said…what he had to say,” Elise said stiffly. “He made it very clear that the bond between Merrick and myself is detrimental to both of us and will have to be broken.”
“Oh no!” Olivia put a hand to her cheek. “I knew it was bad, but is it really that bad?”
“I’m afraid so.” Elise took a deep breath and blotted her eyes again. “I…we…there’s a certain plant that can help and I guess we’ll have to go get it. And once we do the doctor thinks he can make a medicine out of it that will separate us for…forever.” The last word ended in a sob and she had to bury her face in the pillowcase for a moment before she could go on. “It…it’s for the best, I guess. It just doesn’t feel that way right now.”
“Of course it doesn’t.” Olivia gave her a spontaneous hug. Although the blonde nurse's pregnant belly got in the way of the embrace, Elise found that it made her feel better.
“Thank you,” she said with a sigh. “I know we don’t really know each other but you’ve been very kind to me. Thank you for understanding.”
“I told you—I’ve had my share of Kindred man problems myself. In fact, we all have.”
“We?” Elise frowned.
“My sister and best friend and cousin all live here on the Mother Ship,” Olivia explained. “In fact, we were just about to have one of our girl days. I only ran up here because I remembered I’d forgotten to log in some patient information.” She smiled. “Why don’t you come back with me and meet the other girls?”
“I don’t know…” Elise frowned. She had never made friends or connections easily or quickly. It was one reason why the sudden connection between herself and Merrick had seemed so miraculous.
“Oh, come on.” Olivia tugged gently on her arm. “We don’t bite, I promise. And my cousin, Lauren, makes the most amazing cupcakes and muffins. In fact, she has a big plate of chocolate, chocolate chip cupcakes with dark chocolate icing all ready to go. Come on, you know you want some.”
Actually, Elise was beginning to feel hungry again and the idea of chocolate cupcakes made her stomach growl. “Well…” She took a single reluctant step forward which Olivia obviously took for assent.
“Great.” She grinned at Elise. “Come on, they’re all going to love you. I just know it. And there’s nothing like a girl day to cheer you up when you have man troubles.”
“Okay.” Elise allowed herself to be led out of the supply closet. “But…what about Merrick?”
“Don’t worry about him,” Olivia said. “I’ll have Sophie tell Sylvan to let him know you’re with me and the girls. He’ll understand. Besides…” She hesitated tactfully. “Maybe you two need a little break right now. You think?”
“Maybe so,” Elise agreed, even though a break from the big Kindred was the last thing she wanted. What she longed for was to feel his arms around her, to bury her face in his neck and lose herself in his warm, dark scent. But I can’t do that anymore, she reminded herself. I need to leave him alone.
Trying to put thoughts of Merrick far from her mind, she followed Olivia out of the med center without looking back.
They went down a number of the curving metal corridors before Olivia came to a stop in front of a door. “We’re hanging out at my friend Kat’s place this time,” she explained as she knocked on the metal panel. “Her husbands are at some kind of Twin Kindred conference right now.”
“Hey!” The panel slid open to reveal a voluptuous woman with fiery red hair and big blue eyes. “Liv!” she said, hugging Olivia. “And I see you’ve brought a friend.”
“Elise, this is Kat,” Olivia said, indicating the red haired woman. “And this is Sophie, my twin sister…” She nodded at a woman with long chestnut brown hair and green eyes who was sitting on a couch behind Kat. “And my cousin, Lauren—she’s the baker I told you about.”
An African American woman with creamy light brown skin and lovely amber eyes smiled at Elise. “Hi, come have a cupcake.” She indicated a plate on the coffee table in front of the oversized couch. As promised, they were chocolate with chocolate icing.