Doctor’s Fee Incident 46

LAURA WAS on edge the next morning, pacing back and forth in the bedroom, her hands fidgeting as she picked up and rearranged the blankets and pillows. She couldn't seem to sit still, her mind buzzing with anxiety.

Paul leaned against the doorframe, watching her movements with curiosity. "Laura—what exactly are you looking for?"

Laura didn’t answer right away, her eyes scanning the room frantically. She lifted the pillow, then set it back down, moving to the bedside table next. “Paul, have you seen my cellphone? I left it right here!” she muttered, more to herself than to him.

“Your cellphone?” Paul’s tone was casual, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes.

“Yes, Paul! Gwen’s new number is saved there, and I haven’t memorized it yet!” Her frustration was evident in the way her voice wavered slightly, the sense of urgency growing in her every movement.

Paul’s expression darkened as he watched her, his jaw setting as if something was gnawing at him. His silence felt heavy like he was lost in thought.

Laura looked at him, her brow furrowing as her patience started to wear thin. “I have to find it! Help me, Paul! I need to check on—”

“Clyde?” Paul’s voice was cold as he interrupted her, his eyes narrowing with a trace of bitterness.

Laura froze for a moment, taken aback by his tone, then met his gaze with an exasperated look. “Do you know where my cellphone is, Paul?”

Paul moved away from the door and walked over to the window, his back to her as he gazed outside. “Why are you so eager to talk to him? To Doctor Tuason?” His words dripped with sarcasm.

“Paul! He and his family took me in. They cared for me when no one else did,” Laura replied, her tone calm but laced with frustration. “And Gwen is my concern!”

Paul turned to face her, his expression growing darker. “So, why does he feel the need to call you at all hours?” The edge in his voice was unmistakable.

Laura’s patience snapped. “Paul, give me back my cell phone!”

“Oh, so you can chat with Clyde?” His voice rose, bitterness seeping into every word.

“Paul! I don’t care about Clyde like that! Gwen is my concern—she’s my friend, and she’s all alone right now! I need to know what's happening around her!” Laura’s voice was equally loud, her face flushed with irritation. “Hand me my phone!”

Paul glared at her, his face hard and his silence both tense and accusing.

Laura moved toward him, her eyes pleading. “Paul, where’s my phone? All my contacts are in there—my coworkers, my friends, and—”

“And Clyde’s number?” Paul’s voice boomed, his frustration breaking through.

Laura stared at him, stunned by the force of his anger, stepping back slowly.

“You’re pregnant, Laura! We’re going to be a family! Why would you need anyone else?” His gaze burned with intensity and his fists clenched tightly.

“Paul, what’s gotten into you? I told you, I don’t feel anything for Clyde beyond friendship! Just give me my phone—I need to reach Gwen!”

Ignoring her completely, Paul stormed out of the room, the door slamming shut with a resounding finality.

“Paul!” Laura called after him, but the silence that followed left her feeling utterly alone. “Paul!”

CLYDE SAT alone in his dimly lit office, his eyes glued to his laptop screen, aimlessly scrolling through files. He glanced around the private clinic, the usual hum of patients and staff noticeably absent. The emptiness pressed in, leaving him feeling restless, as though something important was just out of reach.

The phone rang suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Dave?” Clyde murmured, reading the caller ID with a slight frown before picking up.

“Yeah, Doc? Dave?” Clyde answered curiosity tinged in his voice.

"Hey, Clyde, doc, is your clinic open today?" Dave’s voice came through, cheerful yet slightly hesitant.

“Yeah, I’m here, just finishing up some paperwork. What’s up?”

“I’ve got a patient I need to refer over to you. It’s a bit… delicate. Confidential, if you get my drift. You’re the only one I trust with it, I am kinda fully booked, and you're the expert when it comes to this case.”

“Oh, come on, Dave!” Clyde chuckled. “What have you gotten yourself into?”

“I know you can handle this one,” Dave laughed back. “Another favor, please? Aha!”

A few moments later, the fax machine hummed to life, spitting out pages of documents. Clyde glanced at the details, his eyes skimming the name and other information.

"Mark Paul Castro," he read aloud, his brows knitting together in confusion.

He flipped to the next page, his eyes landing on the photo. Recognition hit him hard.

“Paul… Laura’s Paul?” he whispered to himself, stunned. The words beneath the picture froze him in place. “Infertility Consultation.”

His breath caught, his gaze hardening as his mind began racing, questions and doubts flooding in.

“Why he needs to—-”

To be continued…