5. Reed
Chapter five
Reed
I’m supposed to be enjoying my night out with friends. Instead, I’m hunched over a whisky glass, thinking of long, dark hair and pale blue eyes. I checked Thalia’s chart before I left for the night, and I shouldn’t have.
I had no right to go through her information after she was handed over to the ICU. It was a major HIPAA violation, and in all of my years as a doctor, I never imagined I would encroach on the security allotted to a patient. As I closed her chart out, I was disgusted with myself.
She isn’t my responsibility, and I’m still not sure why I did it. It just kept nagging me. I had to see that she was okay, and in the process, I invaded her privacy.
“Brunette at five o’clock,” Taryn says from beside me at the bar. She tips her beer in the opposite direction to a woman who’s three drinks deep with glassy green eyes.
Emma, Taryn’s wife, slaps her partner’s bicep. “Stop trying to be a wingman. Reed said he isn’t looking for anything.”
While Taryn is outspoken and headstrong, her wife, Emma, is quiet and the voice of reason. She’s a librarian and the most reasonable of the three of us. In times like this, I commend her ability to rein Taryn in.
“Thank you, Em,” I say, lifting my glass to her.
She smiles, tucking her thick dark curls behind her ear. “It’s no problem.”
Taryn rests her chin in her palm as she stares at her wife with half-lidded eyes. “You know I can’t help it. He needs someone in his life.”
Emma gives her patient look. “And he should be the one to decide when he’s ready. Not you, love.”
Taryn tucks a strand of hair behind her partner’s ear, looking deeply, madly in love. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
Emma giggles, and I know I’ve lost them. Times like this make me envy the couple. Their relationship is effortless, and they’re perfect for each other.
When was the last time I found companionship in another?
The last time I felt connected to another person?
It’s been too long for me to recount. Well, this was moot. I enjoy my friend’s presence, but I don’t think I’m in the headspace to interfere with their night. They don’t get to come out often, and I don’t want to drag them down.
“I have an early shift tomorrow,” I announce, catching their attention. “I’ll see you in the morning, T.”
She frowns. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay?”
“Positive,” I smile as I pay my tab. “Enjoy your night together. I’m sure the hospital will monopolize our free time until we’re run ragged.”
“Good night, Reed,” Emma says.
“Night,” Taryn waves.
I step out into the chill nighttime air of downtown Miami with no sense of comfort calling to me. My contract is almost up here, and I’m kind of happy it’s coming to a close. Florida is cozy enough, but it’s just another stop.
I let my mind wander to a new state and city with no appeal as I start my car and pull away from the curb. Against my better judgment, I let my brain trickle over to taking a position in Ohio.
My mouth screws up as I shake my head. It’s only because Thalia’s chart said her home residence is in Columbus. It still makes me wonder what she was doing in Florida, but this is a little extreme.
“I shouldn’t be thinking about this,” I mutter as I pull into the parking garage of my apartment building. I cut the engine before resting my head back and sighing. “I’m dropping this. No more.”
Somehow, I don’t believe myself, but I let the illusion lead me upstairs to my home before I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.
I’m organizing the surgical supply closet when my pager rings. I rest my head back against my shoulders, closing my eyes.
This is the third time this morning.
All of my pages are coming from the ICU, and my intuition is telling me that Thalia is bugging the nurse’s station.
Charlotte, an ICU nurse assigned to Thalia’s room, already cornered me this morning to tell me that my patient has been asking for me all night.
I convinced myself not to give in to temptation and left a note with the nurse that was very professional and seemed final.
Hello, Thalia, I’m glad you’re feeling well enough to terrorize the ICU staff, but I’m no longer your doctor. If you would like, I can speak with Dr. Marsh about visiting your room before his daily rounds. Best wishes.
To which she responded through her nurse: Hello, Dr. Dreamy. Bullshit. Get your ass up here before I come looking for you. Hugs and kisses! <3
While it made me chuckle, Charlotte wasn’t too thrilled about switching her patient’s status to ‘potential flight risk.’ I know Thalia wouldn’t chance having a security guard posted at her door just to see me, so I left it alone. But it seems Mystery Girl isn’t having it.
The pages continue for most of the morning, and I have to keep silencing it as I talk to patients and fill out charts. Lunch steadily rolls around, and I realize I haven’t received another page in the last hour.
She must have given up.
Disappointment uncurls in my chest, and I quickly shake it off. I wanted this. I shouldn’t be upset that Thalia isn’t reaching out anymore. This is for the best.
I continue filling out a chart at my desk before Taryn plops down beside me.
She gives me a mumbled ‘hello’ before ordering a flurry of tests for her code blue patient who had just been resuscitated.
We work quietly alongside one another, and I don’t realize someone is standing on the other side of the glass of the nurse’s station until it’s too late.
“So, this is why you’re ignoring me?”
Taryn and I whip our heads up to the newcomer, and my eyes widen as Thalia stands propped against the counter with her IV drip at her side. She stares at me through the glass, crossing her arms.
I blink my shock away, scowling at her. “You shouldn’t be out of your room.”
Her brow lifts with amusement. “Yet here I am. What ya doing?”
Taryn’s eyes ping-pong between me and the raven-haired intruder. “Who’s this, Reed?”
Thalia’s eyes narrow on my colleague. “Wouldn’t you like to know, Edna Mode?”
Taryn laughs, throwing her head back. “Oh, that’s a good one. I haven’t heard that before. I like you.”
Mystery Girl’s eyes shift to me. “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Filling out patient charts. You shouldn’t be up, Thalia. You’re on strict bed rest until physical therapy comes to work on your range of motion.”
She rests her head back against her shoulders, groaning. “But I’m so bored! And you keep ignoring me…”
Taryn’s head swivels to me. “You’ve been ignoring her?”
Oh, no.
“I shouldn’t be fraternizing with a patient!” I defend myself.
Thalia leans against the counter, propping her chin in her hand as she smirks. “Fraternizing, huh? Sounds like you like me, Dr. Dreamy.”
My colleague covers her mouth with a hand, but I can see her shit-eating grin beyond her fingers. She thinks this is hilarious. “Yeah, sounds like you have a small crush, Dr. Dreamy.”
I close my eyes at the nickname, knowing that by the time I’m clocking out tonight, it will have made its rounds through the ER. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone calls me Dr. Dreamy at least once on the overhead intercom. I won’t hear the end of this anytime soon.
“Go back to your room, Thalia.” I say with authority as I try to return to my patient’s chart.
The raven-haired beauty doesn’t budge as her eyes light up with a challenge. “Make me, Reed.”
Oh, fuck.
Hearing her say my name like that has a long-dormant part of myself standing at attention, and I mask my surprise at my arousal. It isn’t just hearing my name from those plush lips that has me on edge; it’s the way she said it. Like she caressed every letter with her breathy tone.
Taryn isn’t helping either, as she elbows me. “I’m sure Thalia would love for you to walk her back upstairs. I’ll watch over your rooms for you.”
I cover my mouth with a hand before cursing her. “Fuck you.”
She smirks. “Hop to it, Dr. Dreamy.”
I groan before pushing my chair out. “Come on.”
Thalia bounces towards the opening of the nurse’s station, waiting patiently for me as I close out my charts and join her. I take the pole of her IV stand and walk beside her as I guide her back to the elevators.
I check her fluids and note that she’s almost done with this bag as I examine her machine’s screen. “I’m still not sure how you got past your nurse.”
She snorts. “I told them I needed a smoke break.”
Little Devil.
“Do you smoke?” I ask, masking my curiosity with professional probing.
Those enchanting, pale eyes roll up to me. “And what are you going to do if I say yes?”
I clear my throat, avoiding her gaze as I wave to a few nurses I pass on our way to the elevators. “Well, as a doctor—”
“You’re not my doctor. Remember?” She interjects.
Touche.
I stop, staring down at her with a stern expression. “As not your doctor, I would say that’s bad for you.”
She cocks a hip, placing a hand over her gown-clad hip. “Boring. Just because you tell me not to do something makes me want to do it even more.”
She’s testing my patience. That snarky attitude of hers is really starting to pick at the more dominant side of me, but I know better than to give into her goading. We’re in the middle of a crowded hallway where I work. She’s going to have to try harder than that to crack me.
I shrug. “Fine. Get lung cancer.”
“Maybe I will,” she examines her nails.
“Go right ahead,” I mutter as I drag her IV onto the waiting elevator.
The door hasn’t even closed when she keeps our little disagreement going. “It could help dislodge the stick that’s shoved—”
As soon as the door slides shut, I collar her throat, causing her head to whip up to me. The sarcasm dies on her tongue as I level our noses.
“Keep fucking pushing me, Thalia. You won’t like the outcome.” I grit.
She blinks, before a slow smile spreads. “Harder.”
“What?” I frown.
“Choke me harder,” she purrs before lifting her hand to my wrist and pulling me closer. “I like your hands on me, Reed.”
For a split second, I forget that I’m a healthcare professional. It all melts away, leaving us staring into one another as two consenting adults rather than a doctor and a patient.
I can feel her pulse beneath my hand, beating rapidly. The flutter of her heartbeat makes me swallow, imagining what my hand would look like covered in—
The elevator dings, and I pull my appendage back as if burned by her. I don’t look back as I wheel Thalia up to the nurse’s station. Even though her eyes sear into the side of my skull, I don’t acknowledge her as Charlotte slaps her folder closed and narrows her eyes on her runaway patient.
“Ms. Kingsley, for the fifth time, you can’t leave your room. PT will be here any minute for your exercises.” The nurse scolds.
My head whips down to the raven-haired woman, and she grins connivingly. The little devil lied to me!
“I’m returning her,” I tell Charlotte. “She wandered down to the ER.”
“I didn’t wander,” Thalia rolls her eyes. “I knew where I was going.”
The nurse takes the IV pole from me, squinting at her escaped patient. “I told you that Dr. Bellamy is very busy. He doesn’t have the time to entertain you.”
Thalia pokes her lower lip out at me. “Do you see how she treats me? Like I’m a child.”
My brows lift. “Stop acting like a child and you won’t be treated as so. Do your PT and get some rest.”
She only smirks. “Sure thing, Dr. Dreamy. See you soon.”
Her voice dips ominously, and I scowl down at her.
In her eyes, I can see the elevator incident flickering through her mind, as if we’re connected somehow.
I shake my head, trudging back to the elevator before shoving my finger on the button and waiting for it to reach my floor.
I want to look back, but I force myself to let go.
I can’t let her get to me. No matter what.