David
"So, what seems to be the problem today?"
"Hey, Doc."
Dr. Seamore Jones glanced up from his clipboard. "David?
What are you doing in here?"
I held up my arm so Skip could see the knife slash in my
side. "Druggie bombed out of his skull took a swipe at me. I didn't jump out
of the way fast enough."
Skip set the clipboard down on the counter and then went
to the sink to wash his hands. He dried them really well and then pulled out a
pair of plastic gloves before walking over to the side of the exam table.
"Can you lift your arm over your head?"
I did as the doctor suggested then sucked in a breath
when Skip started probing the wound.
Skip glanced up. "My hands too cold?"
"Yeah."
Let's go with that.
It had nothing to do with the fact that the man I'd been
mooning over for the last couple of years was touching me. There was no way in
hell I'd ever admit it. I didn't really do relationships, and Skip had
commitment written all over him.
"Sorry about that. I'd blow on them, but then I'd have
to wash them again and change my gloves."
I chuckled. "Yeah."
I tried not to react when Skip started touching my side
again.
"Well," Skip said after a few moments, "I think we can
get away with just a couple of stitches."
I let out a relieved breath when Skip stepped back.
"Just a couple? Felt like that knife went a lot deeper."
"It's the location I suspect. You use those muscles
pretty much every time you inhale. With them moving constantly, it's going to
cause it to hurt every time you breathe. My suggestion is not to—"
"Breath?"
Skip snorted. "Not to get stabbed."
"Yeah, I'll get right on that."
Skip chuckled as he shook his head. "Okay, I'm going to
go get a tray ready. A nurse will be in a few minutes to numb you up."
I tilted my head. "Isn't that kind of like being
stabbed?"
"It is, but if you piss Jean off, he'll make sure you
need surgery and not just stitches."
That sounded lovely.
Not.
"Got it."
Skip chuckled again. "I'll be back soon."
"I'm not going anywhere." Specifically because my
commander on the SWAT unit I served on, Lieutenant Salvador Delvecchio,
threatened to suspend me if I didn't come in and get stitches.
He was right. I did need stitches. I had just been
hoping that either Skip wouldn't be on duty or one of the other doctors would
get my case.
That hadn't worked.
I did my very best to avoid Skip as much as possible,
which wasn't that easy. My commander's husband was a mess and was always
getting into one scrape of another. Lany had Skip on speed dial. Everyone who
knew him did. It was safer that way.
He was a good guy from everything I learned about him
over the last couple of years, and it was a lot. I was always listening to any
tidbit I could get about the handsome doctor, which was really kind of stupid
on my part since I never planned to do anything about my crush on him.
Getting romantically involved with someone just wasn't
something I was willing to do. I'd been horribly burned once before and I
refused to be betrayed like that again. That meant a lot of backroom hookups,
but it was better than having my heart broken again.
I glanced up when the door opened and then smiled at the
nurse coming in. "You must be Jean."
The nurse gave me a confused look. "I am."
"Skip told me you were coming in to numb me up."
"Skip?"
"Oh, Dr. Jones."
"You know the doctor well?"
"I've known him a couple of years. My boss's husband has
him on speed dial."
The guy squinted at me. "You mean Lany Delvecchio?"
I laughed. "I see you've heard of him."
"Everyone in the emergency room has heard of him."
I was not surprised.
"His husband must have nerves of steel."
"Yeah, pretty much," I replied. "It's why he makes such
a good SWAT commander." Going to work every day was child's play compared to
all the messes Lany got into. It was like going on vacation every day from
nine to five.
"Dr. Jones said you're going to need a couple of
stitches."
"Yeah." I lifted my arm and showed the nurse the gash in
my side. "I forgot to duck when a druggie took a swipe at me."
Jean walked over and washed his hands, dried them, and
then pulled on a new set of gloves. "Well, the doctor will have you stitched
up and out of here in no time."
"That would be great. I still have a report to file on
the stabbing."
I hated paperwork.
Jean took the syringe he'd brought in with him and
leaned toward me. I winced and stiffened when he stuck the needle in my side.
I didn't care who you were. That shit hurt.
"A druggie with a knife you said?"
"Yep. Fucker was stoned out of his gourd." It had taken
three of us in full tactical gear to take him down, but I wasn't going to
share that bit of information. That was job intel, and not for public
knowledge.
"Well, Dr. Jones should be able to get you all fixed up
and you can go get your paperwork done, and then I'd suggest you take it easy
for the rest of the night."
That was the plan.
I wouldn't say the longer I was around Skip, the more I
wanted him because I wanted him all the time. But the more time I was around
him, the more my inner wanton lust seemed to make more sense and my resistance
to the handsome doctor weakened.
I did not need the headache that came with getting
involved with someone like Skip. I had enough things on my plate right now.
Anything happening between the two of us would only lead to heartache, for me
and for him.
Best just to avoid it.
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