Addicted (A Billionaire Romance Novel) Read online

  “Momma, they hurt. I can’t even bend my legs,” she cried.

  “Let me have a peek,” her mom insisted, pulling the covers back. Emma’s knees had swollen more than they had been. Kelly lightly touched them, trying to investigate what was causing the swelling. “Emma Buggy, you’re scalding hot. Can I take your temperature?”

  Her daughter nodded her head as she got up to grab the thermometer. She placed it under Emma’s tongue and waited for the beep. When she removed it, she was surprised when it read 101.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

  “Do you hurt anywhere else? Is your throat sore or do you have a headache or anything like that?” Kelly probed her daughter, trying to find the cause of the fever.

  “No, momma. It’s just my knees, and my back hurts down at the bottom. My whole body feels tight.”

  “It’s okay. Everything is going to be just fine. I’ll go get your medicine, would you take that for me?” She asked as she brushed her daughter’s hair away from her face.

  She nodded and replied, “Yes, but will it make me feel better?”

  “I hope so honey. I’ll have it ready for you in a minute.”

  Kelly went to the kitchen and poured out a dose of ibuprofen for Emma. As she did, she wondered what was wrong with her. Her baby almost never got sick and when she did, she never actually complained; it was puzzling to her. After she had replaced the cap on the bottle, she headed to Emma’s room with her meds and a cup of water.

  “Okay sweetheart, you have to take a little and I brought you water,” Kelly said as she held up the small pink cup. “Drink this up and get rested. You should feel better in the morning.”

  Like a good girl, she took the dose and drank the water before she dozed off. Her mom stayed with her until she was fast asleep. Once she was sleeping, Kelly headed to the kitchen to place the spoon and cup in the sink. Worried about the child, she decided that she would go to sleep in Emma’s room for the rest of the night. She scooted her daughter over in her bed and climbed in beside her before she curled up with her and nodded off.

  In the morning, she woke up to moaning in her sleep. She listened for a moment before waking her; she was in so much pain.

  “Emma Buggy,” she whispered. “Emma….” Kelly nudged her. “Are you feeling okay?”

  She opened her eyes and looked at her mom, unaware she’d been making noise as she slept. “I hurt mommy.”

  “Yeah, I caught that baby. I’m calling in to work today and am going to try to get a hold of your doctor. You rest here for a little while.” She got up.

  “Momma, I don’t like being in here by myself. Will you carry me to the couch and let me watch cartoons?”

  “Sure, come here,” she gently scooped her up. “Do you want me to bring your blanket or pillow?”

  “My blanket, please,” Emma said, wrapping her arms around her mom’s neck.

  Kelly grabbed the blanket and headed for the living room. After she had been settled in, she went off to start a pot of coffee and make her daughter a bowl of cereal before she called the doctor.

  “Here you go Emma Buggy. I’ll call Dr. Hinton’s office to see if they can get you in any sooner.”

  She hated calling in but didn’t have a choice in the matter. She really couldn’t afford it, but she also couldn’t let her daughter suffer. True, Dawn would’ve taken excellent care of her while she was ill, but her baby needed her mommy.

  “Brian, this is Kelly. I won’t be able to make it in today.” She explained to her manager.

  “What? Why not?” he asked.

  “Well, it’s Emma. She’s been sick the last few days, and the doctor’s office said they can’t get her in until tomorrow. I’m going to find out if they can schedule her for this afternoon. She’s gotten progressively worse and I’m worried about her.”

  “You’re aware that’s a point if you don’t come in, right?” He reminded her of the attendance guidelines.

  “I know, but I never call in and I have no points right now. I’ll keep you informed and tell you what the doctor says.” Kelly said, annoyed that her boss would try to make her feel threatened by the company policy.

  After she had hung up with her manager, she went into the living room to check on Emma. “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m okay momma. You won’t get in trouble for not going into work are you?” the child asked, overhearing the phone conversation.

  “No baby, it’s fine. Don’t you worry about that. I will call Dr. Hinton now. I’ll be back.”

  Emma was so sweet, she thought. Her daughter was suffering but was worried about her mom. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she dialed the doctor’s practice.

  “Dr. Hinton’s office, this is Wendy, how may I help you?”

  “Hi, this is Kelly Hall again. I called yesterday about Emma?”

  “Oh yes, did you still need your appointment or were you calling to reschedule?”

  “Well, I was trying find out if there’s any way you could get her in today instead of tomorrow. She ran a high fever last night, 101.6, and she’s in more pain.”

  “I’ll take a gander,” Wendy looked, scanning the daily schedule. “I don’t have any open slots. Let me put you on hold while I go talk to the doctor and we’ll figure out how we can work you in somehow.”

  “Okay, thank you.” Kelly uttered as she listened to the hideous elevator music that crackled over the phone line.

  After a few moments, the assistant came back on the phone. “Okay, Miss Hall?”

  “Yes?”

  “Dr. Hinton confirmed that we have nothing available today, but it sounds urgent. He asked if you will bring her in at 5 PM when the office closes and he’ll stay after to examine her. Is that okay with you?”

  She thought about it for a moment; she hated making her wait so long, but it was better than waiting a whole extra day. “I’ll accept it. We’ll be there early.”

  “Okay, we’ll fit her in at five o’clock,” Wendy told her as they hung up the phone.

  She walked back into the living room, “All right Emma Buggy, momma’s working her magic and the doctor will see you, but we have to wait until the office closes. He can’t take you in until he’s seen everyone else. Do you think you’ll brave it out until then?”

  She shook her head yes. “Momma, would you turn on SpongeBob? He’s my favorite cartoon. I don’t like these kid cartoons.” She commented as she watched Woody Woodpecker.

  Kelly chuckled at her daughter and her way with words. “We wouldn’t want you looking at childish shows! What was I thinking?” She changed the television channel and said, “Okay, one more call to my boss and then I’ll come hang out with you.”

  She took the phone into her bedroom and called her work. “Brian, it’s me again.”

  “And what did they say?”

  “The doctor indicated they’re all booked up today and he can’t examine her until the practice closes because they have no empty slots.”

  “When does his office close?” he quizzed her.

  “They said to bring her in at five.”

  “Good, you can make it in after all.”

  “Brian, my shift started almost an hour ago. What do you suppose I do? Just leave my sick kid?” she challenged, angry at what he was suggesting.

  “We need you. If you come in, I’ll waive the point and just put you down for six hours on the schedule this afternoon so it looks like you were here for your scheduled time.”

  Kelly thought about it for a moment. “And what do you suggest for my baby who can hardly walk because she can’t bend her legs?”

  “Can’t your friend babysit her at your house? She does have a babysitter, right?”

  She sighed, “I’ll call her and ask if she will drive over here.”

  Kelly was heartbroken as she hung up with her boss. She wanted to stay home with her daughter so bad, but she didn’t wish to get into trouble either. She felt like she was ditching her baby for work, but she needed this job if she would pay bills and have in
surance.

  “Dawn?”

  “Yes? Where are you? Weren’t you supposed to be working almost an hour ago?”

  “Yeah, I was, but Emma woke up last night. She was running a fever and was unable to bend her legs at all. Her knees appear more like knobs.”

  “Aww, poor thing. Is she okay now or is she still sick?”

  “Well, I have her on the couch with her blanket, watching cartoons. I called the doctor, and they said they will see her today, but it would be after office hours because they didn’t have any open slots this afternoon. I tried calling in to work, but Brian is being a complete ass. He said I’ll receive an occurrence if I take the whole day off, or he’ll let me come in as soon as I can, change the schedule and not give me a point.”

  “What are you going to do?” Dawn asked.

  “Well, as much as I hate to abandon Emma, I will go in late. I was wondering if you would drive over here to babysit her though since she’s having trouble walking, plus it would buy me a little extra time while I get ready for work.”

  “Absolutely. I’ll leave just as soon as I slip on my shoes and grab my purse.”

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