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Thirty-Seven

Madison couldn’t get out of the hospital fast enough. It was Friday evening, and she and Troy were still waiting on the final word from Dr. Hunt on whether she was clear to leave.

“I still can’t believe that you’ve been working from your bed,” Troy groaned.

He had discovered her yesterday, fast asleep, with the table and laptop still in front of her. He’d moved the computer to the farthest point on the nightstand. She’d have to get out of bed to reach it. Not a problem, but the fact that Troy stuck to her side was.

But even with him next to her for hours on end, she couldn’t get herself to bring up the ring. It already felt like there was a sizzling, underlying tension between them, and she didn’t feel like fanning it to spark. Troy also seemed to be avoiding the topic of the accident. Likely because he had no leads and didn’t want to pressure her. Her memories of the accident weren’t much clearer, but as Hunt told her, it was common for temporary amnesia in the case of traumatic injury. She just wished that she could conjure the driver’s face. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew who it was. In fact, she was sure of it. But the who continued to evade her.

“Then again,” he went on, “I shouldn’t be surprised, but I will be having a talk with Terry. Even Winston told you to rest and take all the time you need.”

Sergeant Winston had dropped by again during visiting hours last night. Troy had been around to hear his admonition. Madison took Winston’s words to mean that because she was a woman, he expected she’d be too weak to show up for days or weeks.

“So I called Estelle,” Troy began. “I told her we’re looking for a four-bedroom with a decent-size yard.”

“Please tell me you didn’t say anything about…” Madison couldn’t bring herself to say baby. She’d had a couple days to come to grips with the pregnancy, but she still found that she was detached from the idea. There was a part of her mind that had shifted it into an alternate reality.

“No, of course not. We promised not to tell anyone until after your first trimester.”

“That’s right.”

“Anyway, as soon as you’re feeling up for it, she has a few places in mind for us to take a look at.”

“Wonderful.” She did her best to infuse as much excitement into the word as she could, but it came out sounding like someone was tugging down on it, sapping it of its typical mirth.

“You do still want that?” he asked, his normal confidence missing.

“Yes, of course.” She put her hand on his forearm. She hoped as she peered into his eyes that he wouldn’t ask the same question about the baby. It was going to change their lives, flip them upside down. And how she hated parents who blamed their children for everything—from being late for things to making their life more arduous. After all, they chose to have kids…or did they? There were probably a lot of mothers and fathers out there who had been in the same place as she and Troy with baby being a surprise. Troy had put it that way, and she thought how much better surprise sounded than mistake, which implied the child wasn’t wanted. And everyone loved surprises. At least it had a more positive connotation to it. “How is Estelle, by the way?” she asked, trying to shift her thoughts from the baby.

“She’s doing all right. She’s worried about you.”

Dr. Hunt came into the room, and Madison tried to read him as she sat straighter. It still hurt to move, but the drugs and rest must have been working because she wasn’t in quite as much pain.

“All right, so I have all your test results back,” he began. “I feel confident in releasing you, but you need to take it easy.”

“When can I go back to work?” she blurted out.

The doctor smiled at Troy. “You were right.”

“I have a case that needs my attention,” she said, earning the doctor’s gaze again.

“I’m sure Terry and others in the department can handle it,” Troy said.

She faced him. “I don’t want others to handle my case.”

“You don’t need to keep such a tight hold on—”

“I do,” she ground out, her heart racing.

Troy shook his head and clenched his jaw.

“Remember the baby,” the doctor said. “This is your first, and it’s important to take good care of yourself, especially at the beginning. Or have you decided to terminate?”

Madison looked at Troy. “I’m keeping the baby.” It was an instinctive response, even if it went against what she thought she wanted. There was a definitive line for her, though, between not necessarily wanting a child and aborting one.

Troy nodded and smiled. “I agree.”

“Well then, congratulations to both of you.”

“You said to take care of myself, but I can walk and move around?”

“Yes, of course. Just no running.”

“No worry there.” She smirked at Troy. “And I can also talk, right?” She had a purpose for the pointed questions.

“Yes, of course.”

“Then I don’t see why I can’t do my job.” She looked at Troy, not for permission, but ready to defend herself if need be. She had no intention of letting this baby run her life after she gave birth, and she certainly wasn’t going to have it dictate everything while growing inside her.

“I see you’re a police detective,” Dr. Hunt said gingerly. “It’s probably quite a stressful job.”

“I’ve been doing it for a lot of years,” she said, as if that made it easier.

The doctor glanced from her to Troy, back to her.

“There can be a lot of pressure,” she admitted. “But I can manage.”

“And if you can’t?” Troy interjected.

She met his gaze, and his concern softened her core. “Then I’ll pull back.” At least that was what she’d said. She might be pregnant and on medication, but the driver of that pickup had put her in the hospital. What was their intent—to injure or to kill? She needed the answers, and she was more driven than ever to find them.