Bern
Cortland isn't having a very good day. He hooked up the night before
with a woman he works with, who now clearly hates him. After a huge
fight at work, he decides to go for a run to work off the anger.
Instead, he simply runs into trouble – a mugger jumps him on a
deserted part of the path. Though Bern fights him off, he gets
injured. This scene takes place at the hospital.
The
doctor examined his wound and had the nurse wash his hand well before
giving him a shot to deaden it.
"Did
a good job on this," he muttered. "What happened?"
"Got
jumped by some bald, muscled guy in the park."
"Oh,
so that's your handiwork? Nice!" He seemed very impressed.
"Black belt?"
"Me
or him?" Bern winced with the Lidocaine infiltrated the tissue
around his wound.
"Sorry
about that. Shit stings like a bitch," the doctor said. "I'm
Dr. Fellowes. I'll be your surgeon this morning."
"Thought
you guys did the big stuff?"
"Surgery
got canceled, so I'm bored. Besides, this is a really slick wound.
What'd you do, grab the knife?"
"Grabbed
his wrist, but I guess I miscalculated. The good news is if he hadn't
cut me, I'd probably be in jail for assault. Cop wasn't too bright,
thought I was the mugger even though I called them."
"You'd
be one stupid mugger," Dr. Fellowes replied with a grin. "What
do you study?"
"Krav
Maga."
"Really?
Brutal. How many bones have you broken in training?"
"Lost
count."
"I
do Aikido myself. I was doing kick boxing but got told I needed to
learn discipline and how to slow down." He worked quickly,
meticulously, taking tiny stitches inside Bern's hand, pulling the
muscle and tissue back together.
"No
sparring for at least two weeks," he said as he continued to
work. "Be very careful with this and keep it dry. If we lose any
stitches inside, it could affect mobility. It's gonna leave a hell of
a scar."
"I
don't care, as long as I can move it."
Bern
watched in fascination as the doctor continued to work quickly, his
fingers flashing rapidly in the bright light. Suddenly dizzy, Bern
felt himself falling as the ceiling became the floor. The nurse
caught him, laying him flat on the gurney.
"Was
it something I said?" the doctor quipped and continued to
stitch.
Bern
woke up about twenty minutes later. An IV was attached to his arm and
a bag of clear liquid dangled from a pole above his head. He tried to
sit up, but it made him dizzy.
"Hold
up," a calm male voice said from the corner. "Just lay
there, Bern. Lemme tell the nurse you're awake."
It
took a moment for Bern to process the fact that it was Colt. He'd
completely forgotten that his friend was at the hospital. The curtain
scooted aside again and the nurse came in.
"Feeling
better? You looked pretty bad there. At least you didn't need a
transfusion, but you lost a good bit of blood."
"I'm
okay. I think. Make the damn room stop spinning, huh?"
She
grinned down at him. She was pretty and blonde with green eyes and a
nice smile. "It'll stop in a couple minutes, sweetie."
"Feels
like a three day drunk on tequila."
"Done
that, have you?"
"Yeah.
More than's good for me."
"A
nice boy like you?"
She
raised a teasing eyebrow and Bern got the distinct impression she was
flirting with him. Her name tag said her name was Norah.
"Norah,
I'm bout's bad as they come. Well—I'm good—but I'm bad—"
She
giggled, checking his pulse. She noted it on his chart and took his
blood pressure.
"Your
friend's gonna be fine when his pulse slows down. Trust a man to pass
out, then make a pass at his nurse." She grinned, shaking her
head. Pretty blonde curls framed her heart shaped face.
Bern
felt his face warm.
"Man's
gonna flirt," Colt answered. "It's in his nature. But it
shows he's on the road to recovery."
"I'd
have to be 'bout dead not to flirt with a beautiful woman."
Norah
blushed as she recorded his blood pressure. She took his temperature
and checked the IV bag. It was more than half empty. She finished his
vital signs, smiling down at him.
"I'll
check with Dr. Fellowes, but I'd say you could go home pretty much
any time. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."
"Baby,
I'm not moving 'til I see your smiling face again."
©
2017 Dellani Oakes
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