Gentle lips kissed his temple, and he smiled before opening his eyes. "Morning, Sweetheart, how are you to..." His voice broke off as he took a good look at his wife. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Kacie, you look awful!"
Her face was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her chin trembled at his words, but she explained simply, "I missed you, and I had to be with you."
He took her hand in his and exclaimed, "Honey, your hands are like ice!"
"They're warm in yours."
He raised a hand to her face and cupped her cheek in his hand. "Kacie, you have got to take better care of yourself. Are you supposed to be out of bed yet?"
They both jumped at the deep baritone that growled from the doorway, "No." McClanahan stalked into the room, scowling fiercely at Kacie. "I thought I might find my AWOL patient here."
"Honey, you know better," Peter scolded gently.
"Oh, and this from someone with a track record like yours." Kacie looked pleadingly at Peter. "I just wanted to be with you, Peter. You're not going to send me away, are you?" Her eyes started to fill with tears.
"Aw, Kace. You know I can't stand it when you cry. You're playing dirty here," Peter protested. He looked at her with worried eyes. "I don't want you making yourself sick stewing about me."
"Look, I can't make you do anything, Kacie," McClanahan admitted. "But, as a doctor, I feel it is in your best interests to go home and put your feet up for at least another day."
Peter looked at Kacie's woebegone expression and thumbed the tears from her cheeks. "Please go home and take care of yourself, Sweetheart. I won't be able to rest if I know you're ready to fall on your face at any minute."
"Don't tell me that. Now who's not playing fair?" she demanded tearfully. "Who will take care of you if I'm not here? Who'll make sure you don't do more than you're supposed to?"
"If I promise I'll be good, will you go home?" He brushed her fingers up against his cheek before kissing them. "Please, Kacie. I feel bad enough about wrecking your car and almost getting you killed in the accident."
"It was an accident, Peter. It wasn't your fault that we got hit. The insurance investigators told me that if you hadn't reacted so quickly by speeding up through the intersection, that truck would've come right through my door."
Peter blanched and squeezed her hand before bringing it to rest against his cheek. "I don't even want to think about what could've happened to you." He kissed her hand again. "Now, will you please go home and rest. For me?"
Kacie dropped her chin to her chest, shoulders sagging. "I give up. I guess I really don't feel all that great yet."
"That's my good girl. Gimme a kiss before you go."
She dutifully bent over him. The kiss she gave him was not passionate, but somehow strangely desperate and needing. She hid her face against his neck and struggled with tears.
"Kace? Honey? What's wrong? Why are you so upset?" He stroked her hair and tried to get her to look at him.
"It's just that...I need to tell you..." {Oh, God, I can't. I can't tell him yet.}
"Tell me what, Hon?"
"How-how much I love you, and how much I'll miss you today." {And how sorry I am for losing your baby.}
"I'll miss you today, too, Kace."
She sat up and wiped away her tears with the back of one hand. "Can I call you, if I get lonely?"
"You'd better," he growled in mock severity.
"Come on, Kacie, I'll get you a cab," the doctor directed. "Peter needs his rest, and so do you." He ushered her out of the room, and the door barely closed behind them when her legs nearly gave out from under her. McClanahan quickly grabbed her arm and gently helped her to a nearby chair.
"Damn fool stunt to pull," he scolded sharply. "Where did you get the clothes?"
"Out-out of my locker."
"You still bleeding this morning?"
"A little. Not much. I just feel kinda crampy, and my back aches."
"Why didn't you tell him when you had the chance?"
"Doctor, you heard him, " Kacie protested wearily. "He already feels guilty about the accident. I know he'd think that's what caused me to..." She swallowed and looked at him sadly. "It didn't, did it?"
"There's no way of knowing until your lab results come back. There are a dozen different explanations for a miscarriage. This area is not my specialty." He put a hand on her shoulder. "You sit here while I call for a cab." He glanced at his watch and paused thoughtfully a moment. "Better yet, let me give you a ride home. I don't have rounds for another hour and a half. I'd like to know that you're settled comfortably at home."
She was too drained to argue with him. "Could you get me something mild to help me sleep?"
He looked at her sharply. "You want to start taking sleeping pills?"
"Just for a few days. If you don't want to prescribe anything, I'll just hunt up something over-the-counter instead."
"No, I don't like the idea of you using that junk, either. I'll get you a five-day supply of Restoril, but no more. If you're still having trouble sleeping after that, well, we'll see."
"Thank you, Doctor, for everything."
"I wish I didn't feel so much like I was aiding and abetting," he commented gruffly. "Come on. Let's get you home."