Okay, so here's chapter one of a Barkley's of Broadway fic I've been working on for a while. Let me know if you're interested and I'll write more for it
“Darling, what happened?” Josh ran to his ‘sick’ wife’s side.
“Oh, I don’t know, I was coming down to meet you, and suddenly I felt very strange. Everything started to go round and round. And I came in here to rest for a minute, and I must have fainted.” Dinah improvised, moaning the whole time.
“I’ll never forgive myself for thinking what I did.”
“Oh, Josh, you sound so far away…” Dinah reached for him.
“I’m right here darling. I’m right here.” He patted her hand.
“I felt so cold, and suddenly so hot and dizzy. Oh Josh, I’ve never felt like this ever before,” she draped her hand over her face.
“You’ve never felt like this before! Sweet, honey, baby, you mean… it’s wonderful!” Josh shouted, excited.
Dinah cut him off, realising what he was thinking, “Oh no. No, it’s not that. Definitely. Oh, no, it’s just that I’ve had too much tennis, or too much sun or.. or.. I want to go home.”
“We will go home, just…” Josh told her.
“Here take a sip of this,” Ezra held out a glass of brandy to her.
“It’s cognac,” Ezra told her. “It’s brandy.”
“Too weak,” she moaned again.
“Maybe we’d better get Shirlene ready for tomorrow night,” Ezra said to Josh.
“Huh? Oh no, no I’ll be alright,” Dinah leaned into her husband. “Help me Josh.”
Josh comforted her, “You’re all right now. We’ll go home and everything will be fine. All you have to do is just leave it to me.”
The porter handed Josh and Ezra their luggage as they got off the train. Dinah tried to take one of the bags of Josh but he refused, leading her to the waiting cab.
Dinah let out a yawn as she shifted into the middle seat and lay her head against her husband’s shoulder, “I don’t know what it is, but trains always make me sleepy.”
“Have a rest darling,” Josh wrapped an arm around her. “You’ll feel better soon.”
Dinah fell asleep almost instantly, not to be woken again until her husband began shaking her shoulder.
“What is it darling?” she mumbled. “Are we home already?”
“Not yet,” Josh replied, opening the cab door and sliding out.
“Where are we then?” Dinah looked up at the building they were outside. “A hospital? Oh, but I told you I’m already feeling a lot better.”
“I told you to leave it to me,” Josh replied “I’ll take care of everything.”
He led her inside the building and to a reception desk.
“Hello,” he greeted the receptionist with a smile. “Dinah Barkley to see Doctor Skine?”
“Take a seat,” the girl replied. “He’ll be ready for you a minute.”
They sat in a nearby seat.
“You made an appointment?” Dinah asked.
“At the train station,” Josh replied. “Had to make sure you saw the right kind of doctor.”
“The right kind of doctor?” Dinah trailed off.
Josh nodded, “Well, you never know. You might be.”
“Might be what?” Dinah raised an eyebrow.
Dinah knew exactly what he was talking about, “This is ridiculous Josh, trust me, if I was I’d no, and I’m telling you I’m not. And we’re leaving.”
“Dinah Barkley?” a doctor called from the corridor doorway.
“Too late now,” Josh muttered. “Go on, I’ll wait here.”
Dinah grumbled at him, but stood up and followed the doctor down the corridor to a private room.
“Now Mrs. Barkley, your husband says that you believe you’re expecting, and you want me to confirm it, is that right?” Dr Skine asked, holding his clipboard up.
“Not exactly,” Dinah replied. “My husband thinks I am, but I’m certain I’m not.”
Dr Skine looked puzzled for a moment and then told her, “Now that I’ve got you in here, I have to run the test anyway. Your husband’s already paid me besides that.”
Dinah sighed and rolled her eyes, “Fine. Go on then.”
Dr Skine came out once more into the waiting room, “Mr Barkley?”
Josh stood up and rushed over to the doctor, “How is she?”
“Come this way please,” Dr Skine led Josh into Dinah’s room, where she sat in a revolving chair looking out the window.
“I’ll leave you too for a minute,” the doctor said as he shut the door.
“Dinah, what’s wrong?” Josh asked, walking over to her.
Dinah let out a heavy sigh, “You were right Josh.”
“We’re going to have a baby,” Dinah looked away from him.
“Oh! Josh exclaimed excitedly. “That’s great n- Dinah? Aren’t you happy?”
Dinah shook her head, tears in her eyes, “It’s just, it’s a really bad time. I mean, we just opened the show, and we certainly didn’t plan on this happening.”
‘You can still do the show for a while longer, can’t you?” Josh asked.
Dinah nodded, “A little while longer won’t hurt, but I’ll have to stop before I get three months along- doctor’s orders.”
“Well, how long does that give you?”
“About six weeks,” Dinah pulled a handkerchief from her purse and dabbed at her eyes.
Josh took the handkerchief from her and dried her eyes, “It’s alright Dinah, it’ll all work out. And aren’t you excited? Don’t you want a baby?”
“I suppose so,” Dinah replied, not fully sure of the answer herself.
The doctor returned to the room, “Do you have any questions for me before you go?”
“When will it be born?” Josh asked.
“About August,” Dr Skine replied. “I can give you a more exact time later.”
“Thank you Dr Skine,” Dinah collected her purse. “Come on Josh, let’s go home.”
