I didn’t move any closer, I just looked at her trying to figure out why she didn’t seem to give a shit whether the baby was breastfed or not. I’d heard it was supposed to be much healthier.
“Well, I can feel that bitch’s judgment. I suppose you’re judging me too, right Emmett?”
I shook my head, “Not here to judge, Stacie. We got here as soon as we could. Ace said he’ll be up once Olivia relieves Katie.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. Fucking Olivia’s mother was way more important than her being here with me while I delivered a nine pound baby all by myself,” she whined.
“Hey, cut Katie some slack here. You had the baby four weeks early. Besides, you know damn well Liv’s mother has Alzheimer’s and Katie is prepared to deal with that having her own experiences with her patients. Olivia is a vital part of Wasted, it wasn’t some visit to a spa, Stacie,” I snapped.
“Ohhh… it’s Liv now is it?” she asked, her tone snippy. “Something tells me it’s more than just her vocal abilities that makes her so vital to your band.”
I wasn’t about to get into a volley of insults and innuendos with Stacie. “So,” I said, trying my best to change the subject, “the baby weighed nine pounds, huh? Isn’t that a bit unusual for a baby born a month early?”
Her eyes narrowed. “It just so happens, Emmett, that had I gone full term, the baby would have been well over ten or eleven pounds. My doctor says it could be a precursor to Diabetes for me. I mean, my mother has it, so it could mean I’m prone to it as well. It often shows up during a pregnancy, or post pregnancy. My doctor wants to keep a close eye on me.”
I nodded, and walked over to the window of her room, preparing my next question so as not to set her off. “So, how soon can the doctor perform the DNA testing?”
“Fuck you!” she yelled, startling me enough that I whirled around to face her.
“Hey,” I said gently, “I’m just asking. You knew this was in the plan.”
“My doctor says we can do it at the baby’s two month check-up when my medical card will pay for it. Otherwise, it’s around $900, if you want to go ahead and put the cash out for it, Emmett.”
“Wait? What?” I asked. This was the first time I heard about any medical card. “When did you get a medical card?” I asked.
“A while back. It’s covered my doctor and hospital bill, and it will cover the paternity test after two months. It’s called Medicaid, Emmett.”
I was steamed and Stacie could tell. “The obvious question is what the hell did you do with all the money I’ve been sending you? I mean fuck, that was to cover your doctor visits, wasn’t it? What about the stuff you bought for the baby?”
She rolled over on her side, so that she wasn’t facing me any longer. “Look Emmett, I squeezed out your nine pound daughter a few hours ago. I’m sore; I’ve got one hell of a headache because of that epidural they gave me. Would you please just leave? I’m not in the mood for an interrogation right now.”
Just then, Ace and Katie came through the door, so I had no choice but to shut it down. “Yeah, okay, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Hey Ace, Katie,” I said, as I started to head out.
Stacie perked up now, realizing she had an audience. “Oh by the way, Emmett, our baby girl’s name is Emmie. Get it? It’s a blend using both of our first names. I think it’s pretty cool, don’t you?”
“Yeah, it is. Get some rest.”
I wanted to stop by the nursery to get a look at the baby. I wasn’t a total jerk. There was a chance Emmie was mine and I hadn’t even gotten a chance to look at her, much less hold her.
When I stood outside the glass window where all of the babies were nestled in their respective nursery bins, for lack of a better word, my eyes found her. The nurse was getting her settled in and I tapped on the window. She glanced back, recognizing me from our brief encounter in Stacie’s hospital room. I motioned to the baby, and then pointed back to me. She smiled and nodded, lifting