Lily
Iattempt to open my eyes, but my eyelids weigh a ton.
“Vous me faites signe lorsqu’elle aura r epris conscience?” Translation: Make sure to let me know the
moment she regains consciousness.
Who’s talking? “Oui, docteur. Je n’y manquerai pas.” Translation: I will, doctor. Nadine is talking to a...
doctor? Why? “Vous n’avez qu’a demander a une infirmière a l’accueil de m’appeler.”
Translation: Ask one of the nurses to track me down. “Merci, Docteur Cluzet,” Nadine says. I force my
eyes to open. “Nads—” I try to speak, but my voice comes out scratchy. My best friend whirls around,
concerned brown eyes the size of basketballs stare at me. “Lily.” My name comes out in a near whisper as
she rushes towards me.
I dart my eyes around the room, taking in my surroundings. “I’m in the hospital?”
Nadine takes my hand into hers. “Yes. You scared the shit out of me.” “How did I end up here?” “You
passed out.” “I passed out?” “Yes.” “I’m never eating Italian food for the rest of my life.”
Nads turns around. The doctor standing near the door approaches the bed. “Ah. Mademoiselle Schuyler a
r epris conscience.”
Translation: Miss Schuyler regained consciousness. “Oui,” I say. Another place, another time, Dr. Mc
Dreamy with the gorgeous hazel-brown eyes would cause me to do a double take, but given my
precarious situation, I don’t have time to admire how hot the French doctor is.
“Enchanté, je suis Docteur Cluzet.” Translation: Pleased to meet you. I’m Doctor Cluzet. “Enchanté,
docteur.” Translation: Pleased to meet you, doctor. I have a million questions for the good doctor, but I’m
a little too frazzled to hold a conversation in French to find out why I passed out. “What happened, Nads?
How did I get here?”
Her eyes shift from mine to the doctor. “Vous traduisez?” the doctor says to Nads. Translation: Will you
act as my translator? She nods. “D’abord, elle devra donner son consentement,” the doctor says.
“D’accord.” Nads nods. She returns her attention to me. “Before the doctor answers any of your
questions, he needs your approval on me acting as your translator. Since you’re not fluent in French and
he doesn’t speak English, he enlisted my help. Protocol dictates it’s close family only, but...”
“I don’t have any close family and the people I’m related to aren’t in Paris.” And they don’t give a fuck
about me.
Nadine nods. “There’s paperwork for you to sign, if you’re okay with that.”
“I’ll sign.” “Ça lui convient,” Nads says to the doctor. Translation: She’s okay with that. The doctor hands
me an i Pad, I scribble my signature, and hand back the device.
“What’s the last thing you remember, Lily?” My eyes shift to my best friend. “We were about to cross the
street when things went fuzzy before it all went black.”
“It was a close call,” Nads says. “One more st ep and you would’ve ended up passing out in the middle of
the street. A man, standing behind us at the stop light, caught you before you collapsed to the asphalt.”
“This food poisoning is kicking my ass.” “It might not be food poisoning,” Nads says. “I’m dying?” “No,
you’re not,” she says. “But there’s something wrong with me. Why else would I be in the hospital?”
“The moment you passed out, I begged passersby to call 112 for an ambulance. When we arrived at the
hospital—”
“Did they conduct tests?” “The doctor suggested we wait until you regained consciousness—” “He’s
going to conduct tests now to find out what’s wrong with me?” “The doctor has his suspicions as to why
you’ve been this sick.” My best friend and the doctor exchange a silent conversation. I pull on Nads’s
arm. “Tell me. Don’t sugarcoat it.” “Let me pick up where I left off,” Nads says. “When you arrived at the
hospital, I wasn’t about to let you out of my sight. I might not be your blood sister, but I’m all you’ve
got.”
My God, I love this woman. “I thought it was going to be a battle––doctor patient confidentiality, and
all––but Doctor Cluzet recognized my name. He felt he could trust a former president’s daughter. When
the doctor asked me what had happened, I told him you’ve been vomiting for the past four days. I let him
know you suspected the cause was either the pizza or lasagna that were off. I informed him you’ve been
having a hard time ke eping any food down. Even a plain croissant. Only Perrier settles your stomach. I
also told him you traveled on a redeye.”
“And...?” Nadine turns to the doctor. His hazel-brown eyes land on me. “Est-ce que vous vous rappelez
de la date de vos dernières règles?”
My gaze snaps to Nadine. “He wants to know when was my last period?”
She nods. “How does that––” Realization comes crashing like a tidal wave.
“I didn’t go into anything personal, but the doctor asked if you were sexually active.” Nadine dances from
one foot to the other. “I also told him it was your first time. I mentioned you––I mean, he––used a
condom. But Doctor Cluzet noted they’re not one-hundred percent effective. Since you weren’t on any
form of contrac eption... there’s a good chance you might be pregnant. The test will confirm it.”
I close my eyes. “It’s going to be okay, Lily.” Nadine caresses my arm. No, it’s not going to be okay. I
swore up and down a stack of Bibles, I’d never end up in Mama’s predicament––pregnant and alone.
Look at me now.