Healing Mr. Ashford

Chapter Five: Differential Diagnosis

NATALIA GEORGETTE

I was still staring at the photo when Liza knocked on my door.

"Doc, your next patient is here."

I quickly locked my phone and placed it face down on my desk. "Send her in."

The door opened, and whatever had caught my attention on my screen a moment ago was instantly forgotten.

Leila Amari.

I knew her, of course. She was Ethan's ex. His childhood sweetheart. The girl his mother had adored and the name that occasionally came up whenever old stories about Ethan made their way into our conversations.

Her eyes widened the moment she saw me.

"Natalia?"

I gave her a polite smile. "Good afternoon. Please, have a seat."

She slowly sat across from me, placing her bag on her lap. She looked uncomfortable, almost like she hadn't expected to find me behind the desk.

I tried not to think too much about it.

"What brings you here?"

She hesitated before answering. "I've been feeling nauseous lately. My period is also late."

I nodded and went through the usual questions. She answered quietly, though I noticed how her eyes kept drifting toward me before she looked away again. Maybe she was simply uncomfortable being examined by her ex-boyfriend's fiancée.

I couldn't blame her.

After the necessary tests, I looked down at the result.

Positive.

I checked it again before finally meeting her eyes.

"You're pregnant."

She went completely still.

"Pregnant?"

I nodded. "The test was positive. We'll still confirm it with an ultrasound and determine how far along you are, but congratulations."

I smiled at her.

"I think this is good news, especially for the father."

The color slowly left her face.

For a few seconds, she didn't say anything. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag, and when she finally looked at me, there was something in her eyes that I couldn't quite place.

"Yes," she whispered. "I'm sure he'll be... happy."

Something about the way she said it made my smile fade slightly, but before I could ask what she meant, she forced a small smile of her own.

"Thank you, Doctor."

She stood and left soon after.

I watched the door close behind her. I couldn't understand why someone who had just been told she was pregnant looked as though she'd been handed the worst news of her life.

A few minutes after Leila left, my phone rang.

Ethan ❤️

I answered almost immediately. "Hi."

"Nat..."

There was something strange in his voice.

"Yes?"

He was quiet for a moment before asking, "Did Leila come to your clinic today?"

I frowned slightly.

"Yes. Why?"

"I just heard she went there."

"She did." I leaned back in my chair. "Actually, she's pregnant." A heavy quiet hung in the air over the phone.

I smiled to myself, still unable to understand why he sounded so serious.

"You should congratulate your friend."

He again left me with nothing but silence.

"Ethan?"

Still nothing.

I pulled the phone away from my ear to check if the call had dropped.

"Hello? Are you still there?"

"Sorry." He finally spoke, his voice quieter this time. "I was reading something."

"Oh."

I didn't think much of it.

"You should congratulate her when you see her."

"Yes. Of course."

Another pause.

"I should congratulate her."

He sounded like he was trying to convince himself of it.

"When I see her, actually... we..."

He stopped, and I waited for him to say something,

"...we should congratulate her."

"Okay."

His voice suddenly became steadier.

"Anyway, I don't think I'll be able to pick you up later."

"Why?"

"I have an urgent client in Palawan. I need to travel tonight."

I frowned.

"Tonight?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Nat. It's something I can't postpone."

I looked at the clock on my desk.

"That's fine. Just let me know when you arrive."

"I will."

He paused....again

"I'll make it up to you."

I smiled faintly. "You better."

"I have to go."

"Okay. Take care."

The call ended.

I stared at my phone for a few seconds before placing it back on the desk. Maybe I was reading too much into his hesitation. After all, Leila was his ex and whatever history they had was exactly that...history.

It was already in the past, so there was no reason for me to feel uncomfortable about it. Besides, his friend was now pregnant with her lover, and I was going to marry Ethan soon.

The next morning, I woke up to an empty notification bar. No good morning from Ethan, no missed call...nothing.

I checked my phone while waiting for my coffee to brew, then checked it again before leaving the apartment and still nothing. I opened our messages without thinking. The last message was still the one I'd sent him the night before, marked as seen.

I stared at it for a few seconds before locking my phone. I told myself not to make a big deal out of it. He had an urgent client in Palawan. The meeting probably ran late, and he was likely still asleep.

Still, it bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

By the time I reached the clinic, I had convinced myself to stop checking my phone.

I lasted exactly twenty minutes.

I was reviewing a patient's chart when Liza knocked on my door.

"Doc, Mr. Ashford is here."

My eyes immediately went to the clock.

"Already?"

She nodded. "He said he came for his follow-up."

I checked his chart.

His appointment was supposed to be later in the afternoon.

"He moved it?"

"Apparently."

I sighed. "All right. Send him in."

I barely had time to close the file before the door opened.

Evren walked in.

And for some reason, I forgot what I was about to say.

There was nothing particularly different about him. His hair was still slightly unruly, his sleeves were rolled to his forearms, and he looked exactly like the man I saw in the photos, except that he looked better and more relaxed.

There was color in his face, and the tiredness I noticed during our first consultation seemed almost gone.

"Good morning, Doctor."

I cleared my throat.

"Good morning, Mr. Ashford."

He took the seat across from me.

I opened his chart, deliberately keeping my eyes on the page.

"So, how have you been?"

"Better."

I looked up.

"Better?"

His mouth curved into a small smile.

"Much better."

I studied him for a second longer than I should have. There was something different about him, and annoyingly, my mind went straight to the Binibining Masbate photos of the contestants, the hacienda and the fact that maximo had been standing among them like a fisherman trying to catch a fish.

Maybe Romeo's suggestion had actually worked, maybe he had met someone, and someone who had finally managed to get his attention.

Was he getting aroused again? Had he been with someone this weekend?

I lowered my eyes to his chart, hoping it would distract me from my thoughts. I could only hope he couldn't read any of them from my face.

"That's good."

I made sure my voice sounded completely neutral, but judging by the way Maximo smiled, I wasn't sure I had succeeded.

By the time my consultation with Maximo ended, I had already made up my mind.

I needed to see Ethan, that's why I requested a half-day from the clinic, telling myself it was only because I was worried. He hadn't called since yesterday, and my messages remained unanswered. I tried to convince myself that his sudden trip to Palawan was the reason, but something in me refused to settle.

On my way to his law firm, I passed by the pharmacy near the clinic. I slowed down when I noticed a familiar black pickup truck parked outside.

For a second, I wondered what he was doing there again. But before I could think much of it, I noticed someone further down the street.

A woman.

She was carrying a small paper bag in one hand, walking quickly toward a narrow alley beside the pharmacy. I didn't recognize her at first, but I clearly recognized the man following her down the street.

Ethan.

My foot immediately pressed the brake.

What was he doing here?

I watched as he caught up with the woman and grabbed her by the arm, but she tried to pull away.

"Ethan?"

Neither of them heard me. He said something I couldn't make out, but whatever it was, the woman shook her head and tried to free herself again. I stared at them, my heart beginning to pound.

It was Leila.

The same woman who had sat in my office yesterday, the same woman who had just found out she was pregnant, and now Ethan was there, holding her like he was afraid she'd walk away.

I didn't even think anymore. I parked in front of the pharmacy and got out.

"Ethan!"

Both of them froze.

The woman turned first, then Ethan followed. His hand was still wrapped around Leila's arm.

For a moment, no one moved and behind them, across the street, I caught sight of Maximo standing beside his pickup.

He was looking straight at me, but I barely noticed him because the only thing I could see was Ethan's hand on Leila and the look on both their faces when they realized I was there.