In Take Two: a Hollywood Romance, a Harley-riding Hollywood director and single mom’s personal life collides with that of her leading man’s when he is poisoned on the set.
In this scene, the Gina’s teenage girls encounter the reality of dialysis for the first time. Read more at http://www.traceycramerkelly.com/take-two-hollywood-romance-novel/. Take Two is the first book in the Lady Biker series.
“Where is he, mom?” Allie asked.
“He’s down that aisle, at the end on the left,” Gina said. “But I need you girls to wait here.”
She peeked into the room that served as a waiting area. But when she looked back, Allie was already halfway down the aisle, with Christine right behind her. “Girls!”
“Zac!” Allie skidded to a halt.
Gina rounded the corner to see Zac’s head snap up in surprise.
Allie gave a frightened squeak and stopped short of Zac’s bed, her eyes big as saucers as she stared at the tubes attached to his arm. Christine gasped.
“Girls!” Gina said. “I asked you to stay in the waiting room!”
“It’s okay,” Zac said. He held his good hand out to Allie, who hesitantly took it and let him pull her toward him. “It doesn’t hurt.”
Christine stared at him. “Then why do you look so pale?”
He looked a bit sheepish. “Well, having blood moving in and out of you does create sort of a weird sensation.”
“That’s so much blood,” Allie whispered.
Gina thought Zac went a shade paler at that.
“You’re not dizzy, are you?” Christine said.
“No, I’m not dizzy, nurse Christine.” He smiled, then waved his hand toward the foot of his bed. “Come on.”
Christine sat without a word. Nobody said anything for several beats. Finally Zac said, “So, do I hear that you girls disobeyed your mom?”
Both girls looked down. He chucked his hand under Allie’s chin. “Well, I might be able to put in a good word with her”¦ this time.”
Allie beamed at him. He, in turn, looked up at Gina and smiled. She was struck by how handsome he was, even here, in a clinic bed, not feeling all that great. All Gina could manage was to mutter, “Oh, all right.”
*******************
The girls did wait patiently in the outer room while the technician removed the catheters from Zac’s arm. But they stuck close to his side as they walked to the car.
“I read that dialysis can make you really weak,” Christine said. “Are you, Zac?”
Gina looked up sharply. “And when would you have read about dialysis?”
Christine looked at her shoes. “During study period.”
“You used your study hall to surf the Internet?” Gina said.
“It was for an educational purpose, mom,” Christine objected. “I’d never heard of it until this morning and I wanted to know about it. I don’t have much homework.”
Gina opened her mouth, thinking she’d say something about invading Zac’s privacy. Instead she met his eyes over the hood of the car, offering a silent apology.
“Well,” Zac said, and she had to admire him””again””for jumping in. “I don’t feel too bad. But how about you girls take me home?”
“Oh!” Gina said. “Of course!”
The girls spent the ride home talking about their soccer game on Saturday. “You will come, won’t you, Zac?” Allie said. “That is, if you’re feeling okay?”
“Sure, I’ll come,” he said. “I’m fine.”
Gina parked the car in the driveway, and the girls positioned themselves on either side of Zac as they walked to the house. “I also read that you probably won’t have an appetite immediately after dialysis,” Christine said. “And that you might be sick to your stomach.”
“So Christine and I are going to take care of you,” Allie said.
“I thought you girls had plans with Emily and Sarah tonight,” Gina said.
“We can see them any time,” Christine said. “Zac is only here for a couple weeks.”
“And besides, he needs us,” Allie said.
“I guess if two beautiful ladies want to take care of me, I should let them.” Zac caught Gina’s eye and winked. Something in Gina’s chest constricted.
The girls sat Zac down on the couch in the living room. Christine went to the hall closet and returned with a blanket. “It also said that you could be easily chilled.” Allie took the blanket and laid it over Zac. Gina was reminded of the way the girls used to take care of their stuffed animals: rocking them, tucking them in at night”¦when had they grown up so much?
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