“Mary,” Addy said, and looked around the room. She didn’t see censure, disgust, or anything negative in their eyes.
“Ad,” came a voice from her left.
“Greaser,” Addy said, and hurried over and hugged him. “How is he? The nurse said she had to get the doctor, but I have to fill this out first.” She sat down and took five minutes to fill out her husband’s medical history.
“He’s allergic to a medicine?” Greaser asked in shock. “Why doesn’t he wear one of those bracelets? I should know this since we work together every damn day.”
“Lincoln’s not a jewelry type of guy. Same reason he never wore his wedding ring. Said it was too easy to get caught or crushed when he worked on engines.” They all looked up when a doctor came in.
“Murphy?”
“I’m Mrs. Murphy.” Addy rushed forward and saw that Greaser and Burt were right behind her. “Here’s his medical records.” She passed him the form. The doctor looked at it and sighed. “Thank you, that’s why he’s having the reaction he is.” He looked at Addy and sighed again. “He was in severe anaphylactic shock when he came in. He was administered an EpiPen at home, but it wasn’t enough. Do you know what caused the initial onset of the attack?”
“Cats,” Greaser said from beside her.
“Lincoln’s has an almost deadly allergy to cats. So do I, but not as bad as his. He smells the scent of a cat on someone and has a reaction. He’s okay with dogs and other animals. Just cats. That and that medication. I could never pronounce it, but I learned to spell it.”
“It’s an antibiotic. If people are allergic to penicillin, we use this. We used this and he’s broken out in hives. So, he’s not allergic to penicillin?”
“No. Just that clindamycin thing, and cats.” She paused, and asked, “May I see him?”
“Yes, but only for five minutes. He’s still in critical condition.”
Addy actually stumbled and it was Burt that caught her. “Easy. We’ve got you. Give us a minute, Doc?”
“Sure, just tell the nurse when you’re ready and she’ll take you in.” He turned and left.
Burt had to practically carry Addy to a chair. He sat her down and squatted down in front of her. When he got a good look at her he frowned. “Jesus, Addy, are you taking care of yourself. You’re nothing but skin and bones.”
“Burt, now’s not the time,” Mary said, and actually pushed her husband aside. She held a bottle of water out to Addy. “Here, drink this, then you can go in and see Abe, we can catch up later.”
Addy took the water and her hands shook so badly that she spilled the water. Mary had to hold it to her lips. After taking several swallows she was able to calm down. “I’m good,” she said after several minutes. “Thank you.”
“Take your time. Burt and Greaser’s the only ones that have been in to see him. Burt because he threw his weight around, and Greaser because they’re best friends. The rest of us are here for moral support. Take all the time you need. We’ll get through this together.”
Addy started to say thank you, but then she remembered what she’d been through all alone and stiffened her spine. She caught Brian’s look and it was like he read her mind because he shook his head at her. She firmed her lips, and said, “I’m fine.” Then she stood and strode out the door.
“What did I say?” Mary asked in confusion as she stood and stared after her. She looked around in confusion. “It was like she flipped a switch and went cold.”
Brian then heard several of the women begin to say bad things about Addy, and he lost it. Franklin grabbed his arm to hold him back, but he shook him off. He was defending his friend and boss.
“Unbelievable. You people are unbelievable. How dare you judge Addy like that? She’s the sweetest person that you’ll ever meet. She’s been through hell these last few months, and all because of that man she practically broke her neck to get to see as soon as she found out. But when she doesn’t react the way you expect her to you snipe at her behind her back. Let me tell you something about that woman you just trashed. She’s a better person in her little finger than the whole of you combined. Two months ago when she desperately needed her husband by her side, he ignored her. Totally blew her off and passed his phone of to someone else. But when he needs her, where is she? By his side. And I’m sorry, but the loss of a child should be as important as what he’s going through, but he ignored her. Now put that in your pipes and smoke it you two-faced, back-stabbing bitches,” Brian finished, turned on his heel and stalked out. He stopped, and said over his shoulder, “I’ll be taking Ms. Addy home after she visits with her soon to be ex-husband. You won’t have to worry about her ever again.” He let the door shut behind him.
“What the hell was that about?” Greaser demanded of Jackson, noting that Jackson looked at Franklin, and at his nod turned to the club members.
“Two months ago Addy had a miscarriage. She was fifteen weeks along. Do the calculations, Lincoln was the father. She tried to call him and let him know, but that skank had somehow programmed Addy’s number to ring into her phone and not Abe’s. Addy’s divorce lawyer and myself as Abe’s lawyer are working on getting her arrested. The skank, not Addy. We are all here right now because we have proof the skank broke into Abe’s house Friday night and let at least eight cats run loose inhis house for an hour. She even rubbed a cat on the pillow on his bed.” Jackson paused when he heard a lot of swearing from the members of the club. “The man that just defended Addy is her business partner. When Abe didn’t show up at the hospital for her, he was there almost every step of the way.”
Franklin stepped up then. “What I’m about to say I could get sued for saying, but Addy had a horrific miscarriage. She was in the hospital for three weeks. They didn’t give her an immediate D&C, they gave her medication to dissolve the fetus and waited for her to expel it naturally.”
“Fuck,” Burt said, and wrapped his arm around his wife. Franklin saw that a special look passed between them. “So, you understand what she went through, all without her husband by her side. So, please cut her some slack.” He stepped back and left the friends of his client’s husband to dwell on that. Out in the hall he saw Brian pacing and went down the hall. He saw an empty room and grabbed Brian’s arm and dragged him inside.
“Calm down,” Franklin said, then wrapped him in a hug. “It was nice to know you have Addy’s back. I don’t know if it did any good, but thank you for looking out for her.”
“I love her like a little sister,” Brian said, and sighed. “Should I go back and apologize?”
“Nope. Let’s go get Addy and take her home. If she wants to leave her husband’s side that is.” They went back out into the hall and waited for ten minutes.
When Addy came out she looked at them, and whispered, “Can you take me home?” Though it was just the three of them in the hallway, she acted like she didn’t want anyone to hear her request.
