Fragile (6 page)

“I feel that way too,” Dr. Hunter said, looking over at the small crowd of patients who were having a smoke. We sat there watching them as we drank our coffee. When they noticed us they quickly put their cigarettes out, some went back inside and others stepped around the corner.

“Ten bucks says that they’re lighting up again where they think we can’t see them,” Christine said.

“You’re probably right.” Dr. Hunter turned back to face us.

“I’m in that. We’ll have to go for a walk though, and I’m not ready to get up. My body hurts.” I stretched my neck trying to ease the sore muscles.

“Big night with someone?” Christine wiggled her eyebrows.

“Nope I just couldn’t sleep.” I put my cup to my lips and looked back down to where the patients had been earlier.

“Yum, yum, yum.” Christine chimed, “Look who’s entering the hospital. What do you think, a terminally ill wife? I’m going to go and comfort him.” Christine pointed over to where Rick was coming up the pathway. He caught sight of me and crossed to me. “Oh crap, do you think he heard me?” Christine asked, turning away from him and toward us.

“No, he’s with Lucy,” Dr. Hunter told her. Christine gave me a look that told me we’d talk later.

“We’re not... it’s not like that,” I said as I got up to meet Rick half way. When I reached him his eyes were on something over my shoulder, “Dr. Pretty Face asking you out again?”

I tried not to smile, “No and don’t call him that.”

“Fine Dr. Douche bag then,” he mumbled.

“Rick,” I warned. He held his hands up. “Is everything alright?” I asked, wanting to know why he was at the hospital.

“No, I...” He stopped and took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair and then along his face. “I’m checking up on you. I feel like shit about yesterday. I know you didn’t mean it to...I reacted badly and I’m sorry. Tell me how I can make up for my stupidity.”

“You don’t have to make up for anything. I should have kept my mouth shut.”

“I like that you don’t have a brain to mouth filter.” We stayed silent for a bit before Rick spoke again, “Do I make you feel uncomfortable or...”

“No,” I interrupted him, “not at all. It’s just that I know I wasn’t an expected guest in your home and I don’t want to over stay my welcome or to get in your way. If you want people over tell me and I’ll stay somewhere else, you don’t have to be home every night.” I stopped then whispered, “I just don’t want you baby-sitting me.”

Rick closed his eyes, and I felt like shit for saying it. “I’m not,” he whispered with his eyes still closed. “I like having you there, Lu. I like spending time with you. How many times do I have to tell you that you can stay for as long as you want? I mean that.”

“I can’t stay with you forever, Rick. I am going to move out eventually. I just think that I should do it before I get too comfortable.”

“Get as comfortable as you like.” I wanted to say something more but was interrupted when my pager went off and heard movement behind me.

“Pile up on the highway,” Dr. Hunter said as he passed me.

“Sorry,” I told Rick.

“Go save lives, Lu.” I left him on the sidewalk as I ran inside the hospital and to the ER where the casualties were already filing in.

It was late when I got home that night. The pile up caused a lot fatalities and losing patients always affected me, as it did every doctor and nurse. The apartment was dark when I got home all except for the kitchen light. I remembered the message on my phone from Rick letting me know that he wanted me to wake him up when I got home from the hospital. He had said dinner was in the fridge.

I didn’t want to wake him up since it was an insane hour. I went to the fridge and found a covered plate. Un-wrapping it, I smiled at the spaghetti that sat there. Rick had cooked. He was a surprisingly good cook, so good that I had told him he should have become a chef instead of a lawyer.

There was no use arguing with that man. As I was heating my meal up, Aiden came down the stairs. Worried that I might have woken Rick up, I went to the steps to make sure that Rick hadn’t followed him. When the coast was clear, I went back into the kitchen to finish my meal.

While I washed up Aiden sat by my feet. He walked next to me everywhere I went, even if it was only two steps to the pantry. It was like he knew that I was upset and didn’t want to be alone. I stared into his large black eyes that stayed on me as I moved around. “You’re a good man.” I gave his head a rub, and we walked up the steps together.

LUCY

I stopped outside of Rick’s door. I was surprised to find that it was partially opened. Pushing the door completely open, I walked into the room with Aiden in tow. There was only a sheet covering Rick leaving his upper body showing. I took a moment to study him. His muscles were well defined and toned. Kneeling against the bed, I put a gentle hand on his chest. Just like last time, he immediately opened his eyes and captured my hand in his.

“Hey,” I smiled over at him.

“Hey,” he rolled over to look at me. “You’re home.”

“Yeah, you said to wake you so I did, but go back to sleep. It’s late.” I started to get up, but Rick held onto my hand, stopping me from leaving.

“Have you eaten?”

“Yeah, thanks, it was delicious.”

“I thought you would be hungry. How was the accident? Was it bad?” He moved over on the bed to make space for me. He pulled on my arm so I lay in the space he had cleared. It was still warm from his body. Aiden came around and put his head on my knee, “That bad?”

“Yeah, it was a drunk driver who caused the whole mess. A driver who is still alive with minimal injuries, unlike the other seven who are all still in the hospital or the two that died on our tables.”

“Shit, come here.” He pulled me closer and I nestled my head into his chest. Rick rubbed his hand up and down my back, and Aiden jumped onto the bed. Rick stopped, and we both looked over at the dog. “He likes you.”

“I like him, too.” I replied, placing my head back on Rick. We lay like that until eventually sleep found me.

I woke to movement under me. Opening my eyes, I saw Rick getting out of bed. “Mmm” I groaned, stretching my arm out to feel around the empty, warm spot Rick was just on.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.” He turned to look at me. “It’s alright. I need to shower and head in later anyway.”

“You’ve hardly had any sleep.”

“Life of a surgeon,” I said as I sat up and noticed Rick is only wearing a pair of black briefs. Damn he looked good. He was definitely all man. Worried that I would be caught gawking, I quickly diverted my eyes to Aiden and ran my hands through my hair. I must look like a mess.

“Do you have to go in? Can’t you sleep this morning and go in later?” He sat back down on the bed, and I moved my gaze back to his face. He truly was worried.

“No, I need to go in. The first twenty-four hours after surgery are the most critical.”

He was searching my face for something, “Make sure that you get some sleep in somewhere today, even if you have to call me. I can come and pick you up for a small nap in the car.” I smiled at his suggestion. “I’m serious, Lu. I’m worried that you don’t sleep enough.”

“I know my limits, Rick, but I will stop and have a rest in the on call room at some stage.”

I left the apartment shortly after Rick. Not long after arriving at the hospital my phone alerted me to a message.

Have you slept yet?

I shook my head at the text before I pressed reply.

Not yet, will soon.

Make sure that you do.

Yes, Chief.

I pocketed my phone and headed into the consultation room. After finishing up with the consultations and doing rounds, I spoke to my interns, instructing them on post-op care before I called it a day.

I had been dying to use Rick’s bath since I saw it and decided that today I would use it. My body ached and being submerged in warm water sounded perfect. Having made the decision that I wanted to have a bath when I got home, I stopped at the store for some bubble bath and a bottle of wine.

Entering the apartment, Aiden greeted me in his usual fashion. We said hello, and I headed upstairs to the main bathroom, where the giant sized bathtub waited for me. I started to pour the bath and headed back down to the kitchen to get a glass of wine. Leaving the door open for Aiden to come and go as he liked, I placed my phone on the counter next to my glass, undressed and sank into the warm water. I instantly relaxed as the water cascaded over my aching body. I stopped the water when it threatened to overfill and then I just soaked with my eyes closed.

My phone started to ring and I sighed as I reached over to answer it. “Hello.” I hit the answer button, too relaxed to check who was calling me before I answered it.

“You sound...different.” Rick’s voice said into my ear and I could hear him typing in the background. “I’m just making sure that you have a rest or a break today.”

“Hmm, I’m at home in the bath, relaxing.” I heard the typing stop and Rick cleared his throat, “That does sound relaxing.” His voice sounds different than it did a moment ago.

“It is. You should try it some time. Get some of that tension out of your body.”

“I don’t think a bath will be enough to relieve my tension.”

“Hmm, I know what you mean.”

“Are you alone?”

“Yes.”

“Are you in the bath now?”

“Yes.” We stayed silent and even though we weren’t in the same room, the air held a sexual tension. “Are you alone?”

When Rick said yes, his voice was so tight I wondered what he was doing on the other end of the phone. “Is your phone on loud speaker?”

“Yes.”

“Is your phone on loud speaker?”

“No but I only need one hand.”

“Fuck Lu.”

I smiled to myself at the sound of Rick’s unravelled voice. “Fuck, Lu. I gotta go.” I laughed at the sound of the phone beeping and hung up, exchanging it for my glass of wine.

Submerged in the tub, I heard movement and when I opened my eyes, Rick was standing in the doorway. “I thought you were going to be late.” I frowned over to him.

“I am.”

“Oh, I must have dozed off.” I started to sit up, my knees covering my chest.

“I brought dinner home,” Rick announced, stepping into the bathroom and grabbing the towel that I had hanging on the rack. “You’re probably a prune by now. Come on, dinner will get cold.” He held the towel open. Not thinking anything of it, I stood up and Rick wrapped the towel around me and helped me out of the bath. Being around Rick had become to feel so natural and second nature.

“Thank you,” I whispered, taking the towel from his hands.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered. “Go get dressed, and I’ll meet you downstairs.” I went to get dressed then head downstairs.

“I was going to clean the bathroom.”

“I know.” We stared at each other standing on the steps for a moment before Rick gently grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the lounge room where the food was waiting.

We ate in peace, neither of us bringing up our conversation from earlier. After dinner I sat back on the couch contentedly. “Come here.” Rick pulled my hand until I was lying in front of him. My back was snug to his front as we watched a late night movie. He ran a hand up and down my side and I blissfully fell back asleep.

Lucy

We woke to the sound of the front door slamming. I jumped as Rick’s arms tightened around me while he looked to see who was entering the apartment. I kept my head down as he slightly sat up to see who’s in his home.

“Bro, where are you!” A strange voice yelled.

“Shit,” Rick muttered as he sat up.

As my brain started to wake up, I realised that the sun was up. I reached over for my phone but it wouldn’t turn on. I pressed the button again but the screen still didn’t light up. It was my turn to say shit now as I sat up. “What’s wrong?”

“My phone’s flat, and...” I reached across to grab Rick’s phone, and my eyes widened in shock. “I’m late.” I jumped up from the couch and ran upstairs, ignoring the man who was standing at the kitchen threshold. I rummaged through my clothes, found something to wear into work and got dressed faster than I ever had before. I shoved some clean scrubs into my bag, grabbed my dead phone and the charger and made my way downstairs to the door. “Aiden, you don’t have to follow me everywhere, you know.” I stepped over the dog as I descended the steps.

I saw Rick talking to whoever the hell the other guy was and waved goodbye as I ran for the door. When I opened it Aiden stepped out with me, “No, Aiden, you have to stay home today. I’ll be back later.” He just looked up at me with those large, black doggy eyes, and I felt guilty for not being able to take him with me. “Rick! Aiden won’t let me go, and I really need to go!” I yelled down the hallway.

Rick came into view, with his friend tagging along behind him. “Aiden let Lu go. Come on.”

“If I open the door, he walks out,” I told Rick.