Hers From The Start: A Collection of First In Series Reverse Harem

by Laura Greenwood

  His eyes widened as his eyebrows made a hasty retreat into his hairline. They were slightly darker than his curly dirty blond hair. His hand not holding the tablet raised as he ran his finger through the curls on the back of his neck. “You don’t know who Chloe is? But I thought”—he licked his full lips and yanked on the ends of his hair as his eyes darted around the room—“didn’t your father say you were here to stay with her?”

  My tongue trailed over the area on my lip where I’d bitten it earlier, trying to soothe the sting. It wasn’t like I had a choice. My father had said that even if I didn’t know what it meant. Besides, it wasn’t like I could choose something different. My father left me. With nothing! Not even money—thankfully he knew nothing about the hundred from Aunt Susan. No phone, no place to stay, and not even an understanding of what I was supposed to do.

  The sound of beeping and a mother humming as she lifted a tiny baby from the pod-like bassinet—an incubator, my brain supplied—and held it in her arms. The smile of joy on her face loosened something in my chest.

  Whoever this Chloe was, she deserved to have someone care for her like that mother did for her baby. Squaring my shoulders, I made my decision. “He did, but I know nothing. He picked me up from the bus depot and drove me here. Can you teach me?”

  The emerald eyes lost their glimmer as he stared at me. A soft fuuuuuck left his lips.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I looked at him with surprise written all over my face. Were doctors even allowed to swear? But him swearing, oddly made me feel comforted. It revealed that he felt the same way about what my father had done.

  He gave his head a little shake as his sheepish eyes darted around the room. I wanted to laugh when he sucked the bottom corner of his lip in between his teeth. It was as if I’d found a kindred spirit which eased some of the trepidation I felt.

  Holding out his arm, he motioned for me to continue walking past—what I now assumed was—the nurses’ station. “Come. Walk with me and I’ll explain what I can. By the way, my name is Adam”—a light blush colored his cheeks—“um, I mean, Dr. Johnson.”

  From the corner of my eye, I watched him as we walked, to where I didn’t know, but he was my lifeline at the moment. The only person I knew with answers who seemed willing to share.

  His hair loosely curled over the edges of his collar and ears, giving him a little disheveled young surfer look. I assumed he must have been one of those who were blessed with age defying looks as there was no way he could be a doctor based on how young he looked. “So, where are we going?”

  The blush made a return appearance as his eyes met mine. Being one who blushed easily, I could sympathize with the uncomfortable feeling it was to have all your emotions on display. He stopped short, but his fingers touched my arm to let me know before I walked past him.

  A small counter, like a miniature nursing station, stood sentinel before an opening leading into a room with dim lighting. Inside the room I could see more of the space pods, but these had a lot more equipment around them.

  “This is where we are going”—he pointed into the darkened room—“this is where Chloe is. It is the room we keep the sickest babies.”

  I licked my lips and tried to swallow, but my mouth was drier than a desert. What had my father gotten me into?

  Following his footsteps, he led me over to a pod that obviously contained a baby. But unlike the others with babies, there was no one else with this one. My heart clenched as he led me closer.

  A teeny, tiny baby girl lay inside. She had dark hair and reddish skin. A baby face cloth was rolled into a log along her back and propped her onto her side. Her tiny feet reached only an inch or two past the end. Even though the lights were dim, the baby wore patches over her eyes.

  “This is Chloe… your sister.”

  My breath rushed from my chest as the room became fuzzy. A sister? My sister? But…

  “I take it from your expression that you didn’t know.”

  I shook my head, too overcome with surprise to speak.

  “Okay, then. Well, your mom”—I jerked, that woman was not my mother—“um, stepmom?” he asked as he rubbed the back of his neck. When I nodded, he continued, “She gave birth suddenly two days ago. Chloe was only twenty-four weeks gestation, which makes her very premature, a micro preemie. She will need a lot of medical help, but it is possible for her to graduate from the NICU without any issues.”

  I could feel his body heat warming my back as I turned to face my newest sister. My father and stepmother were horrible for not telling me they were expecting again, but I wouldn’t hold their crimes against her. My shattered heart filled with love for this new addition to the family. I may not have liked my stepmother, but I loved each one of my siblings she added to my family.

  “You can touch her gently if you would like? She’s fragile, but little ones like these do better when they have the love of family surrounding them.” His voice originated somewhere over my head.

  My fingers brushed against the hard plastic, but Dr. Johnson, Adam, showed me how to put my hand through the plastic circle openings. Chloe looked so tiny and his use of the word fragile stuck with me. I worried, as my hand hovered over her arm, that the lightest touch would hurt her.

  I bit my lip and took a deep breath. Adam’s warm breath brushed the side of my neck, stirring the loose tendrils of hair, as he hovered over me. The fact that he was watching and waiting spurred me on. For some reason, I didn’t want to disappoint him. I wanted him to believe that I could handle this.

  Slowly, I touched the tip of my index finger on the side of her fist, completely obscuring it from view. I held my breath as the beeping on one of the machines increased for a few beats, but then it slowed.

  “Interesting,” he muttered, and I wondered what he meant.

  But the feel of her soft warm skin against my finger consumed my every thought. “Hello, sweet pea. I’m your big sister,” I whispered as she opened her fist, allowing my finger to slide against her palm before she closed her fingers again.

  I watched her tiny chest rise and fall with the aid of a ventilator. The fact that a machine breathed for her made me realize he’d said it was possible for her to graduate from this place, not that she would. The bottom dropped from my stomach as the full implication hit… she could die. I could lose this little person, this sister that I didn’t even know I was getting. My eyes stung as I kept the tears from falling. I needed to know her chances before I became too attached. I didn’t think I could lose anything more at the moment.

  Glancing over my left shoulder, I couldn’t help but notice the light stubble on Dr. Johnson’s face. He was standing that close to me. I should have felt uncomfortable with his intrusiveness, but I didn’t. Instead, I felt protected. “Is-is she going to live?” I whispered, not wanting to give the fates any ideas.

  His eyes dimmed as they stared into mine, my tears threatening to spill their banks. “How about we go sit in the family conference room and talk? Then I’ll bring you back to introduce you to Chloe’s nurse who will go over all the daily care activities with you.”

  I nodded before returning my attention to Chloe. As I gently removed my finger from her fist, I prayed for the first time in forever.

  It took three steps before the previous forty-eight hours on the gruelling, emotional roller coaster hit me. My foot caught itself on the completely flat surface line in the linoleum, sending me toward the floor. But as before, Dr. Johnson snagged me from this air, pulling me hard against his chest with two hands.

  My legs shook and my heart raced as I struggled to force air into my lungs. I was trying to function when my reserves were already depleted, and I didn’t know how much longer I could last.

  Warm, hands slid up and down my arms in comfort as his chest supported my back. His very unfamiliar and completely different chest from my boys. I bit my lip as heat raced through me. What was I doing?

  “Are you okay? Do you need to sit?”

  Closing
my eyes, I took a deep breath. I could do this. I wasn’t a quitter. Life had dealt me blows before and like a phoenix I always rose stronger. Pushing some steel into my backbone, I stepped forward breaking his hold. “I-I’m good. Thanks for keeping me from face planting again.”

  He stepped around me to examine my face, but I gave him the same face I gave my stepmother… blank. His brows furrowed as if he didn’t believe me, but the sound of scurrying footsteps and alarms sounding broke his concentration. He glanced down at his pager, looked down the hall, and then shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not for me. Let’s go have that talk.”

  He placed his hand on the small of my back and led me down the hall to a door near the nursing station.

  The room contained a large circular table and comfortable office chairs. The walls were a pale yellow that gave the room warmth, which was probably needed considering the types of conversations they most likely held in here.

  I sank gratefully into a seat as Dr. Johnson, after placing his tablet on the table next to me, walked over to the long row of base cabinets running along one wall. Popping open one door and revealing a small fridge, he withdrew two bottles of water before moving to another cabinet and pulling out a booklet from one of the shelves.

  “Here, you go.” He handed me the water as he sank into the chair next to me. Unscrewing the cap, he held the bottle to his mouth and dank the water in long guzzles. His Adam’s apple bobbed with each contraction of his throat, and I found myself unable to look away.

  Placing the almost empty bottle on the table, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before turning to me with a shy smile. “Shall we start?”

  I opened my bottle and took a quick sip. “Let’s.” I leaned forward, eager to learn everything I could about my sister and how to make sure she remained alive and healthy.

  By 8:30, I could barely keep my eyes open, and Chloe’s nurse suggested I go home to sleep, ready to return bright and early the following day. Agreeing, I grabbed my suitcase and backpack from where I’d placed them against the wall when I first arrived, and walked onto the elevator.

  The talk Dr. Johnson and I’d had had opened my eyes to a whole new world I was now immersed in. And while it had given me some reassurance, it also gave me a boatload of new things to worry about. But I walked away, knowing that I would do everything in my power to care for my little sister.

  Once Dr. Johnson returned to me to Chloe’s side and introduced me to her nurse, I never saw him again. I didn’t know why, but I missed seeing him. Maybe it was the fact that he was the first person I met at the hospital, the first person to show me some kindness since I’d left Aunt Susan’s, or maybe it was just the quiet shy strength that seemed to emanate from him, but either way, I’d found myself looking up, searching for him whenever I heard footsteps near Chloe’s little area.

  Stepping out of the elevator into the tall glass enclosed atrium that was the entrance to the hospital, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. The night was clear and even with the lights of the city causing a glow in the darkening sky, I swore I saw a single twinkling star. The wishing star. Closing my eyes, I prayed for the second time that day, hoping that the wishing star would lend some of its power to my prayer.

  Squaring my shoulders, I pulled my suitcase and stepped outside into the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto. The doors opened onto a multi-lane road and many of the buildings on either side of the street were hospitals or related to medicine in some way, but that didn’t make the sidewalks any less congested.

  A person shoved my shoulder as I stood still blocking foot traffic. They muttered, “sorry” as they continued on their way.

  I pulled my suitcase to the side until I could rest my back against the hospital wall. Stepping outside brought the real world and all its issues rushing back into my life. I was seventeen, alone, in downtown Toronto, without any money, credit card, or cell phone, and my father hadn’t cared. He told me I was to stay here to take care of Chloe, but didn’t give me the means to do so. I could use the money Aunt Susan gave me to find a mass transit option out to my home, but my father would be upset that I wasn’t with Chloe.

  What the hell was I supposed to do? A hundred dollars would not get me far, not in Toronto. Hotel rooms didn’t come that cheap, and they liked to have a credit card on file. Besides, I was too young to actually rent a room.

  A young man in jeans, a polo shirt under a leather jacket that hung open stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and look up into the night sky. A person pushed passed him muttering, forcing the young man to turn my direction. As he took a few steps, a large crowd walked toward him, taking up most of the sidewalk. To avoid them, he stepped closer to me, tripping on the edge of my suitcase.

  He looked down at the suitcase and then up into my face. “Kayla? What are you doing out here?” Moving to my far side, he leaned his shoulder against the wall.

  He looked at me with eyes filled with compassion. And to my mortification, tears streamed down my face. I had reached my end. It was all too much, and I could no longer contain it all within me.

  His thumb gently touched my cheek, wiping away the tears as his fingers held my face still. “What’s wrong, Kayla? Is it Chloe?”

  I struggled to bring my tears under my control, but nothing seemed to work. Hiccupping, I managed to let me know that it wasn’t Chloe.

  “Then what is it?” He pushed himself upright and stood in front of me. Both his hands cradled my face as he continued to wipe away my tears.

  Getting lost in the green of his eyes, I spoke robotically, “I have no place to go. No money. No phone. Nothing. My father dropped me off here and then took off, telling me I had to stay.”

  He sucked in his breath as his eyes widened. For a moment, I felt panic race through me. What had I done? He was a doctor. He was supposed to report abuse, not that I thought this was abuse, but he might not see it that way. My younger brothers and younger sister were all well taken care of by my stepmother, myself, and my father, but if child services had a report about me, they would remove my siblings. If that happened, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. It was why I didn’t fight them on the things they did to me. So long as I had my summer escapes, I could survive until I graduated from high school.

  “How old are you, Kayla?”

  I bit my lip. To lie or not to lie? What would be the best?

  “The truth, Kayla.”

  Rolling my eyes, the corners of my mouth twitched despite everything that was going on. “I’m seventeen.”

  He sucked in another breath as his eyes clouded over. He sucked on his own bottom lip, bringing a true smile to my face. His shoulders slumped and his eyes cleared as if he’d just come to a decision.

  “Well, you can’t sleep on the streets. It’s too late to talk to someone in the hospital, so you’ll have to come with me.”

  What? Could I really go with him?

  “There really isn’t another option that I’m comfortable with. I live in a two bedroom condo only a few transit stops away. My roommate is another resident and he won’t mind you spending the night.” Dr. Johnson released my face and grabbed the handle of my suitcase. “Come on, Kayla. It’s been a long day, and I want to get home.”

  He started to walk down the sidewalk without waiting for me. Like Dr. Johnson, I really had no choice either. I rushed after him, telling myself that it was only for one night. After some sleep, I would be able to figure things out and make some plans. Everything would be better in the morning when I could look at it with fresh eyes.

  Chapter Fourteen

  A short subway ride, a few blocks of walking, and Dr. Johnson held open a wooden door that led into an older looking house. “This building was converted to condos on the inside while keeping most of the exterior original.”

  Weariness ate at my bones as I nodded. Without speaking, I climbed the three steps and stepped inside the entryway, which retained much of its original charm. I’d always liked architecture and design, especially wh
en it related to historical properties. And despite my fatigue, I couldn’t resist looking around.

  I knew it was dangerous to follow Dr. Johnson into a place I had no knowledge of. Nor should I have accepted his offer to spend the night. But he was the best option. The streets would have been infinitely worse. I counted on the fact that he was Chloe’s doctor to keep me safe although I never felt unsafe in his presence.

  His condo was on the third floor, and I nearly cried in relief when Dr. Johnson carried my suitcase up the stairs. He unlocked and opened the door, motioning for me to enter first.

  The inside of the condo mixed the heritage of the building with modern design for a pleasing, homey feel. It was sparsely decorated and didn’t contain any knickknacks that I could see. Even if I hadn’t known that two younger doctors lived there, I would have guessed that it was owned by two guys who were rarely there.

  He showed me where his bedroom was and then informed me he was making us a little something to eat, while I was to make myself comfortable. He even offered the use of his phone, but there was no one for me to call.

  Unable to stand any longer, I plopped onto his couch with a giant yawn. Maybe tomorrow, after some sleep, I would figure out my next steps.

  A bowl of steaming chilli along with a few slices of garlic bread were held in front of my nose. “Dig in, Kayla.” Adam sat down on the couch beside me and turned on the TV.

  Between mouthfuls of the delicious chili, Adam asked me to call him by his first name instead of Dr. Johnson and I discovered, at age 23, he was the youngest resident the hospital had ever accepted. I learned he had a younger brother who attended university in London, Ontario while he learned about my messed up family dynamics and my younger siblings.

  I was of two minds telling him about them, but in the end, with my age, I knew I needed to explain why I didn’t want my father reported for abandoning me. He didn’t like it, but he agreed to be circumspect when talking about me and my age with the rest of the staff.