Chapter 22 #2
Numbly, I walk up front to get the next patient. “Liam,” I say, waiting for the sick child to come back with his parent. Mom stands up and takes the seven-year-old’s hand, guiding him to where I wait. “Hi, Liam,” I say, noting his glassy eyes and red cheeks.
“Hi,” he whispers before barking out a cough.
“Let’s stop by the scale first and then we’ll get you into a room. Dr. Williams is here today, and he’s going to get you checked out and on the mend as soon as possible.”
I run through taking vitals for the little guy before asking about his symptoms.
“The cough started yesterday with a low-grade fever, but this afternoon, it started to really sound deep. His fever has gone up too, and I’ve been alternating Motrin and Tylenol every four hours,” she says, the unmistakable look of worry on her face as she continues to tell me about his symptoms.
“Okay, shirt off, big guy. Dr. Williams will be in shortly, okay?”
The little guy nods and starts to remove his sweatshirt. I slip out the door and place the chart in the holder before moving to the available room and getting it all cleaned up for the next patient.
Becky pops her head around the corner and says, “Cade is here.”
I nod, taking a few calming deep breaths before I exit the room and make my way up front. As soon as I open the door, I see Cade standing there in front of the big window. “Cade?”
He spins toward me and smiles. When I wave him on, he walks, each step with his left leg a bit gingerly. “Hi.”
I glance down and shake my head. “What’s that?”
He follows my line of sight. “Duct tape.”
I close my eyes and shake my head. “You put duct tape on your wound?”
“Well, first I rubbed dirt in it, and then I covered it with the tape.” He flashes a big, cheesy grin, making me giggle.
“Come on,” I say, pointing to the available room.
Just before we step over the threshold, Allison steps out of the room she’s in and laughs. “Nice tape job, Slick.”
He grins easily. “Thanks.”
Once inside the exam room, I close the door and point to the table. “Have a seat.”
“Not until I do this,” he says right before pressing his lips to mine. It’s a chaste kiss, only lasting about three seconds, but still sends butterflies soaring in my stomach and my breathing becomes labored. “That’s better.”
The moment his lips press to mine, the flustered sense I felt only moments ago fades. Clearing my throat, I mutter a quick, “Let’s get you checked out.”
“Sure,” he agrees, stepping back and giving me a long look-over. “You want me to take off my pants?”
I can’t help but laugh. “Not yet, cowboy.”
He tsks. “Shame. If you need them gone, you just say the word and they’re gone.” With a wink he finally moves over to the table and has a seat.
I set the papers for his workman’s comp claim on the counter and slip on a pair of latex gloves. “Let’s take a look at the cut.”
Cade starts to remove the duct tape wrapped around his pant leg. When he gets it off, I help roll up the material, exposing the wound. “Not terrible,” I say, examining the injury. “Tell me what happened.”
He exhales. “I got off my machine as we were wrapping up for the day. I got too close to a stack of rebar and caught my pant leg on it, slicing me. Stupid rookie mistake.”
I nod, grabbing what I need out of the cabinet to get around the wound cleaned up. “I’ll do a little cleaning, and then Dr. Williams will come in and take a look.”
“Dr. Williams, huh?” he asks casually, but there’s no missing the way his jaw ticks in irritation.
“Afraid so.” After I do a little cleaning, I ask, “Are you going to be nice?”
He’s watching my every move. “I’ll be nice, until it’s time not to be anymore.”
Well, I suppose that’s all I can ask, right?
I finish cleaning around the wound. “Well, the bleeding has pretty much stopped. It’s not terrible, but I think you need stitches.”
“I figured.”
“Dr. Williams will come in and check it out. He might want to irrigate it for any debris that might be in the wound. How up-to-date are you on your tetanus shot?”
He shrugs. “I’m sure I’m past due.”
“Okay. I’ll look in your chart, and we’ll go from there. Sit tight,” I tell him, tossing all the used wound care items in the trash and removing my gloves.
I write a few things down in my notes and leave the workman’s comp paperwork on the counter. Lance will have to fill the majority of it out, but I go ahead and input what I can. When it’s complete, I turn and find him watching me. “You okay?”
“I’m perfect,” he informs me, a soft smile on his lips. “I got out of work early and get to see you.”
I can’t help but laugh at his weird logic. “Personally, I’d prefer if you weren’t hurt to make that happen.”
He shrugs and extends his hand. I place mine inside his immediately and let him draw me closer. Without bumping his leg, I stand between them and place my other hand on his thigh. “It doesn’t hurt, and besides, chicks dig scars.”
“I suppose they do,” I confess, pressing my lips to his. “I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t be long, dear,” he replies with a cheeky grin.
I step outside and come face-to-face with Lance. His expression is full of skepticism, as he stares. “You ready for me?” he asks.
“Yes. I was just coming to give you an update,” I state, stepping to the side so we’re not standing so close.
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s step inside the exam room, and you can give me the update there.”
Tension fills my entire body, but the only reaction I give is a polite nod.
Something tells me Cade and Lance in the same small space together won’t have a good outcome.
And I’ll be right there, in the middle.