“Thank you; I’m going to get things ready for the debridement. I know it’s best if he wakes up, but I really hope he stays asleep for that. He’s suffered enough.”
“You’re a kind heart. But I’m hoping he remembers this pain, so he will stay off of the road while drinking.” He turned to walk away, and I headed off to find where they were taking him and to collect supplies.
*
It was eight in the morning when I decided to check on Aiden again. I had left him shortly after midnight, and it was my hope that he’d get plenty of much-needed rest. His debridement had gone well, and there weren’t as many pebbles embedded as we thought. His biggest problem was a few patchy abrasions, and I’d scrubbed him the best I could to avoid infection and so his scarring would be minimal.
His angular face was perfect, aside from a small wound near his eye that was no bigger than a pencil eraser. I’d cleaned it, too, and gotten a really good look at his face. There was a handsome man hiding behind the scraggly beard. I wondered how long it had taken him to grow it, wondering if he’d shaved since the accident.
I hadn’t even approached his door when I heard the cursing. I hurried in, and he was struggling with one of the orderlies over his IV. “I’m not staying here all day!”
“I’ve got it, Tabitha. I’ll handle it.” She threw her hands up and hurried out of the room.
“Don’t think your pretty little ass is going to convince me otherwise.” He ripped the tape from across his IV, and his eyes widened as if he only just realized it was stuck in him. “Get this shit out of me.” He held up his arm, turning pale.
He seemed to relax a bit as I walked up and took his hand, his shoulders resting back against the pillows. “How about you calm down and let me tape it back up. I can order you something to eat if you’re hungry.”
“I want to go home. Other than this damned thing and you people playing vampire at four a.m., I’m perfect.”
“And, a considerable amount of road rash.” I straightened his covers and then adjusted his bed to a better upright position.
“Stop fucking with me and get this thing out of my arm. I can’t even get up to take a piss without getting tangled in tubes.” He clenched his jaw and held out his arm again.
“Let me fix your tape, and I’ll show you what to do if you have to get up.” I kept my voice calm, although I wanted to scream. His mood was contagious.
“Take it out!” His voice was a low growl, but I leaned down and met his eyes, showing him I wouldn’t be intimidated.
“You want it out; you pull it out. I’m not touching the damned thing.” I lifted my chin with the challenge.
The muscle in his jaw feathered as he kept his eyes fixed on mine and then after a deep breath, he pulled the IV from his arm and tossed it to the floor. Then he threw the covers back and sat up in such a hurry, he wobbled and held his arms out. He grabbed the bed rail to steady himself.
“You have to move slower than that, or your blood pressure will spike and you’ll end up on your ass.” I held his arm to help steady him, but he jerked it away.
“I’m fine. Once I get my land legs, I’ll be out of your hair.”
“You’re no trouble. As a matter of fact, I came down here to check on you. I’m the one who cleaned your wounds.”
“What happened? Did you fall in love?” His smirk made me want to slap him, and I reminded myself that this was the man my parents were suing. He wasn’t at all as pleasant as his sister had been. She was the sunshine, and he was a storm.
“I’m sure you have some wonderful women in your life.” I was trying hard to be pleasant, but he was wearing me down.
“Just you at the moment. Were you here when they brought me in?”
“As a matter of fact, I was. I’m the one who cut your clothes off. And considering I threw them away, you’ll have to walk out of here naked.”
“Is that a challenge?” He met my eyes directly.
He wasn’t going to give up. I walked over and checked his recent vitals. He was more than stable and only hanging around for observation. “If you’re nice, I could speed things up for you. But I only have an hour, so I can’t promise a miracle.”
His gaze slid down my body. “Are you being nice to me because it’s your job or did you like what you saw when you stripped me down?” He scratched his beard and laughed.
I wasn’t about to tell him it was a favor for Allison. I didn’t want him to know who I was. “I’m a nurse who cares about her patients. Even the ones who try their hardest to shock me. It makes no difference if you’re here or not, and honestly, they’ll probably release you later this evening if I let things take their course.” I glanced back down to his chart. “Maybe that’s best.”
“No, no. I’ll go nuts if that happens. Get me the hell out of here!” The desperation in his voice made me smile. No more Mr. Tough Guy.
“Say please.” I smiled, but he gave me a look that questioned my seriousness.