The Best Medicine by Dellani Oakes – Part 24

Morgan tells Tanya about an incident on the playground, when he and Molly were kids.

"Anyway, he shoved me down in the dirt. My cousins and friends were lining up to defend me, when we heard this sound like a wounded banshee bearing down on us from the other side of the playground. Suddenly, Molly tackles the kid, grabs a handful of hair, and starts banging his face into the dirt! She was screaming the whole time Nobody beats up my baby brother but me! Mom got this call from the principal about it. He was trying so hard not to laugh, but he couldn't help it. Molly wasn't all that big, but he said her tackle was worthy of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The other kid got suspended, but Molly went back to class, and nothing more was said."

"She got away with it? Wow! My older brother defended the younger once, and got suspended for three days!"

"Well, Mom asked him about that. He said, Molly was mostly remorseful."

"Mostly?"

"She was sorry she hurt him, but told him if anyone ever started anything with me again, she'd finish it. That kid got suspended for ten days, and came back a changed individual. He wasn't a bully any longer, he could hardly hold his head up, because he'd been beaten up by a little girl. Humiliation doesn't even cover what he felt."

"Oh, my! What did Molly think of that?"

"She lorded it over him for a long time, but finally she forgave him. Then she married him." He grinned, escorting her to the car and locking the house behind him. "Do you need your car, or do you want to leave it here?"

"We can buzz back by and get it before work, can't we? I have to change anyway."

"Not a problem. We'll have plenty of time."

They drove to Molly's restaurant and parked by the back door. Morgan didn't knock, he just walked right in. Molly and Kenny were sitting at the table drinking coffee. Duke was by the stove turning pancakes on the griddle. The room smelled of good things to eat; pancakes, bacon, hash browns and coffee. Tanya inhaled deeply and accepted a cup of hot coffee from Kenny.

"Oh, it smells great! I didn't realize I was so hungry." She and Molly exchanged a knowing look.

"Good sex does that to you," Duke contributed without thinking. His ears reddened and he went back to his pancakes with greater attention.

Molly smacked him on the back of the head with a rolled newspaper. "Hush up, you! Don't you know that's rude? What your Uncle Morph does with his time, is his business."

"Yes, ma'am," Duke mumbled, his pride a little wounded.

"But the boy has a point, Molly," Kenny added with a straight face. "Nothing like a little nookie to put a smile on the lips, and a growl in the belly. Right, my dear?" He grabbed her playfully onto his lap, making growling noises against her neck.

Molly shoved away from him, slapping him on the arm. "Behave yourself, old man. We've got company!"

"Isn't she something?" Kenny inquired of the room in general. "The mother of four and has the same figure as she did the day I married her. She's my beauty!"

Molly's face softened and she leaned over to kiss her husband. "Well not quite the same figure," she remarked casually. "I was three months pregnant, so I look rather better now."

Duke's ears turned redder than before and he got busy with transferring the pancakes to a hot serving plate. "I wish you wouldn't talk about that," he said quietly. "That's kind of personal information, to be telling in front of company."

"Oh, my God!" His mother rounded on him. "You'll talk about your escapade connecting with the barbed wire fence, but when I mention I was pregnant when I was married, you get embarrassed! Dear me, the child has some manners in him after all!" Laughing, she took the heavy platter from her son and set it on the sideboard with a click.

"And here we thought that the boys were all heathens," Morgan chuckled. "How did we get that impression?"

"Well, it just seemed a little too personal," Duke muttered as he brought the butter and syrups to the table on a tray.

"Where's Finn?" Morgan asked suddenly to change the subject.

"He stayed at a friend's," Molly remarked. "We'll not discuss which friend, as it might offend my son's new found, delicate sensibilities."

"Is she pretty?" Morgan winked at his nephew.

"She's hot as hell!" Duke replied enthusiastically! "I just wish she had a twin sister!"

There was rebuke in his mother's eyes, but she said nothing.

"I knew it wouldn't last," Morgan looked smug.

"Sorry," Duke muttered, taking three pancakes off the stack and drowning them with syrup.

"Where are the other boys?" Tanya asked.

"They're on tour," Molly said proudly. "They left last night. They'll be gone about six weeks. All that driving, Cullen's going to be wild before it's over. He hates being in a vehicle for any period of time."

"They'll just have to sing to him like we did. Do you remember? Any time we got in the car, he'd scream. The only thing that kept him happy was She'll be Coming Round the Mountain! We even made up our own verses because we got sick of singing the same thing over and over. Dad's were the best," Morgan remembered fondly.

"I liked yours," Molly told Morgan. "Of course the best ones, we couldn't sing around Dad. Morgan's a creative lyricist," Molly told them with a sly grin. "Though I don't think that some of those things she was doing round the mountain, were physically possible."

© 2020 Dellani Oakes

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The Best Medicine by Dellani Oakes – Part 23

Content Warning: This episode includes sex and is not appropriate for children under 18

"Don't have one of those, I'm afraid."

"Hammock?"

He shook his head.

"I don't fancy a cold, stone floor much."

"Nor do I. I think I'd shrivel up to nothing."

Tanya giggled, rubbing her hand playfully against him. "I don't think that's possible."

"Don't much want to find out which of us is right."

"No, I can't say I do either."

"Well, one thing we haven't done is make love in motion."

Tanya looked at him as if he were crazy. "What?"

Morgan kissed her, drawing her close as he rubbed up against her. He touched the sweet spot along her spine and got her ready for him. He sat up, leaning all the way over to the side of the bed and picked up a small remote. He gestured for her to straddle him as he leaned back on mountain of colored pillows.

Tanya crawled over, kissing his chest and down to his abdomen. Her lips and tongue played along his well toned abs, flicking out to tickle his skin. He moaned as she lowered herself over him. With an effort, he scrambled for the remote, which he had managed to drop. With a slight jerk, the bed began to rotate slowly, and vibrate. The sound of the vibration traveled down her spine, lingering in the sweet spot, as his fingers played with her breasts and caressed her belly.

Tanya pulled him down until she was lying beneath him, wrapping her legs around him. He felt the extra pressure, as she clamped down on him. He moaned, knowing if she continued like that, he wouldn't last long. He tried to wiggle free, but she was unrelenting, so he gave in to the inexorable force that bore down upon him. His movement hampered, he ground his hips against hers and watched her expression change as he hit the right spot. She eased up on him a little then, allowing him to move more freely, smoothly.

Wave after undulating, tantalizing wave hit her, shuddering from her head to her toes. Biting her lip, she tried not to scream, but she couldn't help it. Tanya still felt that screaming during sex was a little embarrassing. She wasn't one who liked to lose control, but Morgan brought her to it again and again as they climaxed. His groans were nearly as loud as her screams, when they reached their final peak, falling limply to the bed. Tanya couldn't even speak, all she could do was gasp for breath and giggle. Morgan kissed her over and over, chuckling deep in his chest.

"God that was great!" he panted, sliding over on the bed, tangling his legs with hers.

"Yes!" It was the only word she could force out between tortured breaths. "I'm not...in good enough...shape!" she gasped.

"We'll just work out more often," his lips brushed her cheek and down her neck.

"Can't now, I'm just too.... Whew!"

"Me too. I don't think we could top that right now anyway, and I hate disappointment."

"Silly," she swatted him with a pillow. "I need a shower and some breakfast," she grinned. "What are we having today?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I have absolutely no food in the house at all. Literally nothing, not even bottled water."

"Then we need to go to the store."

"Or we can go to Molly's for breakfast."

"They do breakfast? I thought they just did lunch and dinner."

"Only for special customers. She and her husband live at the back. She invited us yesterday, I just forgot to mention it to you. But we'll be late if we fool around anymore. Molly hates it when people are late."

"I don't imagine she's very nice about it, either."

"Molly? She's a peach, always a kind word for everyone. Never out of temper, that girl."

"We're talking about Molly? Your sister?"

He winked. "No, a fictitious Molly who is never bad tempered and always serene. Not my sister."

"What was she like as a child?"

He chuckled and his eyes took on a faraway look. "I was in kindergarten and Molly was in sixth. It was a rural area, so everyone from kindergarten through sixth went to the same school. So we were out on the playground at recess and this huge kid came up to me. So there's little, bitty Morgan, about the size of a preschooler and then there's this hulking brute who decided to pick on the smart, scrawny kid.

© 2020 Dellani Oakes

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The Best Medicine by Dellani Oakes – Part 22

Morgan invites Tanya over to his place. He shows her a statue he bought.

"You didn't seduce anyone for that, did you?"

"Seduce? No! God, it was a guy! No, I just made him an offer he couldn't refuse, paid for my pearl of great price and brought it home. But it's been worth every penny I spent, just to see your expression. That's how everyone should look at it. It has to be admired." He grinned proudly.

"It's the saddest and most majestic thing I've ever seen," she whispered. "It reminds me of your song. He looks like he's lost all hope, but he still has his dignity, and he wears it around himself in tatters."

"I know exactly what you mean," he said softly. Taking her by the hand, he led her down the hall, showing her the office and guest bedrooms. "Now, the most important thing," he told her as he led her up the stairs. "Close your eyes."

The last three steps were awkward because her eyes were closed, but he insisted that she stand at the top of the stairs and turn half way around before she could open her eyes. He got her in position, told her not to peek and dashed across the floor. "Okay," he said triumphantly. "Open them!"

The room was like a jungle, surrounded by plants of all kinds. The outer wall and ceiling were tinted glass. Ferns and vines hung from the ceiling, creating a lattice work across the open space. Palm and Ficus trees ran the perimeter of the room. Plants she couldn't name, filled every corner. In the center of the room was a koi pond with a small waterfall made of real stone.

On the far side of the room, where Morgan stood, was the bed. It was king sized and round, covered in a puffy, white duvet. Colorful pillows littered the top of it, like a spectrum had fallen through his roof. He plopped down on it and it undulated.

"A round water bed?" She was shocked. That wasn't exactly his speed.

"Well, it was built into the house. I didn't want to wait for renovations, so I left it. It's a little weird, but hey, it's the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on. Not that I intend to sleep at the moment. Come try it out!" He rocked on the bed, making waves dance across the surface.

Grinning happily, Tanya flopped onto the bed and looked up through the ceiling. "What an incredible view! I never saw so many stars!"

"Do you really want to star gaze?" He leaned over, kissing her lingeringly. "The only thing prettier than the stars, is seeing them reflected in your eyes." He kissed her again. "So, you like the house?"

"The house is great," she sighed. "It's an amazing house! It's almost as amazing as you."

She grinned up and him, seeing desire growing in his eyes, matching her own. This time their kisses didn't stop, and they made love slowly, enjoying the wave motion of the water bed beneath them.

Tanya woke the next morning with Morgan cuddled up beside her. She gazed at the lightening sky and wondered how anyone could sleep past dawn in this room. Even though the glass was tinted, it was bright and getting lighter with every passing minute. The edges of the glass were bevel cut, something she had not noticed last night. Each edge acted like a prism and the combined spectra were breathtaking. She had never seen anything as awe inspiring as Morgan's bedroom at dawn.

Morgan yawned and stretched beside her, blinking against the glare. "Oh, I forgot," he said, reaching over to a small button on the night table by the bed.

One by one the panels turned opaque and shut out most of the morning light. He rolled over and cuddled up again with rainbow pillows all around him. Tanya watched him sleep, noticing the tiny laugh lines around his mouth and eyes. He looked so content, so happy.

Quietly, slowly, to minimize the waves, she got out of the bed and walked to the bathroom. Roughly the size of her kitchen, it was done all in black granite. The fixtures were burnished steel and ultra modern. The shower stall was huge and had jets on three sides, as well as at the top. The water at the sink came directly out of the wall in a smooth stream, falling into a shallow bowl that was carved out of the stone. There was also a raised tub with Jacuzzi jets and a separate stall for the commode.

Tanya stopped just inside the door. "Wow," was all she could say.

"Cool, isn't it?" Morgan had come up silently behind her, sliding his hands under her nightshirt. He kissed her neck and massaged her belly and down her thighs.

"Beautiful! You and your home are full of surprises," she told him, turning to face him.

"Sorry if the light woke you," he said. "I forgot to activate the opaque filters. I was a little preoccupied last night." He kissed her and nibbled on her earlobe.

"I liked seeing the sunrise," she told him honestly. "I don't see it very often."

"Come back to bed," he teased, tugging on her hips.

"In a minute," she blushed slightly. "I did come in the bathroom for a reason," she smiled at him. "I'll be right back."

"I'll warm the bed," he grinned and slipped back out, closing the door behind him.

Tanya found herself staring at the bathroom again and forced herself to stop goggling like a tourist and pee. That was, after all, why she had come in, in the first place. When she got back out to the bedroom, Morgan had put on some quiet music and started the fountain. It was lit from below and the shifting colored lights played along the ripples of the pool, casting rainbows around the room.

Tanya belly-flopped on the bed. Morgan crawled over, lying beside her on the duvet. He kissed her tenderly, his eyes open as he nibbled her lower lip. She could feel him firm against her thigh and rolled over to face him, pulling his face down to hers.

"I was thinking," he said softly. "What could we do differently? I like variety, how about you?"

"That's an interesting point," she said, her expression turning clinical. "We haven't made love on a trapeze yet."

© 2020 Dellani Oakes

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The Best Medicine by Dellani Oakes – Part 21

Davida is so happy with Morgan, for helping relieve Tanya's stress, she gives him a kiss.

Morgan stared at her, totally confused. "Wait. I did something right?"

"Oh, you precious man! She was killing herself in that dark, little room." She looked around to see if they were alone. Leaning over conspiratorially, she whispered in his ear. "So, did you make her scream?" She wiggled with anticipation.

Morgan fought a smile, but his lip quirked up into a half grin. "I beg your pardon, Dr. Davidson. Is that appropriate subject matter for two professionals to discuss?" His eyes glittered as he winked at her.

Davida glared at him, her eyes dangerous. "I know you didn't just say that to me."

Morgan's smile grew more secretive as he sipped his coffee, making her wait for his answer.

"Well?" She was going to hit him if he played her too much longer.

"Well, what?"

"You heard me. I don't stutter." Her stance was dangerous.

Morgan looked smugly at her over his coffee cup. "Why—yes." His lips pouted playfully.

Davida kissed him again and hugged him to her, nearly choking the life out of him. "I knew it, I knew it!" Without another word, she strutted out of the lounge and down to the elevator.

"That was one of the weirdest conversations I've ever had," he admitted to the empty room.

The rest of the shift went quietly. Morgan checked on his patients and Tanya depleted a stack of films, she strongly suspected had been left for her to handle. She'd discovered that the other residents, and some of the attendings, didn't actually like to work when on shift. They did as little as possible. Tanya's work ethic, ingrained since birth, made it impossible for her to do that. She worked hard her entire shift, getting more work done than any of the other doctors.

At the end of shift, Grace came down to get her. "Morgan's here asking about you. Ready?"

Tanya nodded as she clicked off the viewers.

"Grace, you aren't related to him too, are you? I'm beginning to think half the town is."

Grace chuckled. "Actually, I'm his aunt. His mother was my younger sister. Now scoot, or I'll put you back to work."

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm going!" She laughed all the way to the front door. Morgan was waiting for her and walked her out to her car.

"You're in a good mood."

"Aunt Grace and I had a talk," she smiled. "I don't suppose you and Melinda are cousins or something, are you?"

"No. Just good friends. We didn't even date, honest." He held up his hands as if surrendering.

They stopped by her car, kissing for several minutes. Tanya hoped he'd suggest another night together, but wasn't sure what to expect. It had been a long shift and he was probably tired.

"So," Morgan said casually. "Want to come over? You've never seen my home."

"I'd like that." She smiled happily, glad he knew what she wanted.

"I live over on Jupiter Lane," he said. "Follow me."

He made sure she was in her car before he walked to his and started out of the parking lot. He drove more slowly than usual, waiting patiently for her to catch up. It was no more than a fifteen minute drive, slightly closer than her house.

Where her house was old, staid and cozy, his was ultra modern and sleek. It reminded Tanya of a mine shaft with lots of metal and odd, acute angles. Over ninety percent of it was glass and she wondered what it cost to heat and cool the place.

Morgan opened an automatic garage door and gestured for her to pull in and park next to him. His garage could easily have held four cars, but half of it was taken up with boxes and crates. He hopped out of his car, closing the door with the remote and walked over to help her out of her car.

"You like it?" He gestured around them. "I just bought it a couple months ago. I'm still getting settled. I've got all that crap to put away, but I haven't had the initiative. Come in and see the place!"

The garage opened into the kitchen which was also ultra-modern. It had a slate tile floor and stainless steel appliances. There was a gas stove top on an island in the middle, with a grill next to it. It was set up for entertaining, with lots of counter tops for serving, as well as a wet bar and smaller island with stools around it. He looked expectantly at her.

"It's the best kitchen ever!"

"Isn't it? This is what sold me on the house. I told the agent the rest of the house could be a hovel and I'd still buy it. Of course, it isn't." He grabbed her hand, excitedly dragging her to the living room.

The floors throughout the house were the same slate tile. The living room was really more of a great room that swung easily into a dining area, TV area and office area.

The different sections were delineated by furniture groups and decorations. In the middle of the living room, there was an amazing bronze sculpture of a Native American warrior. He was gazing into the distance, his hair and clothing blowing in a stiff wind. The artist had used only the head and shoulders of his model, but he had captured the loneliness and sorrow of an entire race in the simple piece.

"That's magnificent! Where did you get such a thing? If you tell me you made it, I'm going to sit right down and cry."

"Me? No! I'm not that talented. I came across it in this little studio in New Orleans a number of years ago. They didn't want to part with it, but I persuaded them to."

© 2020 Dellani Oakes

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The Best Medicine by Dellani Oakes – Part 20

Tanya has a slightly embarrassing conversation with the head nurse, Grace.

"Beneficial is one word for it," she grinned up at her friend. "I don't want to say much, because I was taught that was bad form."

"Give me a sliding scale then."

"A what?"

"You know, from one to ten. One being Ho Hum, to ten which is somewhere along the lines of Oh—God!" She gave special emphasis to each word, gasping between.

Tanya giggled, leaning closer to Melinda. "How about Oh, yes, yes, oh God! Oh, my God, yes, yes!?"

Melinda's eyes grew wider and rounder. "You kidding me?"

"Honest, I swear! That's all I'm going to say on the matter."

"Wow! I wish I'd known that. He seems like such a quiet guy."

"It's the quiet ones that really go," Morgan had popped up behind them.

Tanya wanted to melt into the floor. Melinda found several charts that suddenly needed to be filed. Tanya couldn't look Morgan in the eye, she was so embarrassed to have been caught discussing him.

"I'm so sorry," she muttered. "What you must think of me!" Her cheeks burned.

Morgan took her elbow gently and steered her into an empty waiting room. He pulled her around behind the door and took her in his arms, kissing her.

"What I think is, I was successful in getting you to relax and unwind. And I think that I'm very glad I put a smile on your face. I don't think I've ever rated higher than Gee, That Was Terrific, on the sliding scale though."

"Oh, God, you didn't hear that!"

He tapped his ear with one finger. "Exceptional hearing, remember? I've always had a penchant for listening at doorways and eavesdropping. Nasty habit, but it's amazing the tidbits you pick up."

They kissed for a few more minutes until her phone rang. It was Grace calling her. She answered her phone.

"Yes, Grace?"

"Your break ended two minutes ago, Tanya. Hop back down here, and let Morgan get back to work. Dinner's in an hour for you both."

It was impossible to ignore the summons. "Yes, Ma'am," she said politely and hung up. "I always feel like I'm talking to my Gran, when I talk to Grace," she said with a chuckle. "If we didn't say yes, ma'am, we'd get a rap on the knuckles."

"I'll see you at dinner," he said, brushing her hair out of her face. "You've got a smear," he told her, pointing to her lips.

"Oh, good grief!"

She grabbed a tissue and started rubbing around her lips, hoping to get it off. Morgan took the tissue, held it for her to lick, and then applied the damp tissue to the smears on her face.

"You're a mess," she pointed out when he'd finished, and applied the tissue to his face as well. "Now I have to go, or Grace is going to fuss at me." A quick kiss and she was gone.

Morgan watched her walk down the hall to the elevator, waving to her as the doors closed. She smiled and waved back. Sighing deeply, he took up one of his charts and wrote his post operative orders, then went to the doctor's lounge to put his feet up. He was happier than he could remember being in years. Tanya had been as good for him, as he had been for her.

It wasn't just the sex, although that was the best he'd ever had. It was her whole attitude. She was so optimistic and excited about every new experience. She hadn't even minded his quirky family, and all their oddities. She'd walked into the restaurant that first night, as if she owned it. They accepted her just as quickly as she had them.

Vanessa had never tried to fit in. She was always calling his family weird and made disparaging remarks about how close he was to Cullen. Vanessa hadn't respected him or anything he was and he was glad she was gone. Grinning widely, he poured himself some coffee. He was stirring it absently when Davida walked in.

He was so startled to see her, he nearly spilled. Standing awkwardly, he smiled and gestured for her to sit. She planted her feet wide, arms crossed over her ample chest. Her head was tilted at a challenging angle, her expression stony. She was taller than he was, in her heels, and he felt slightly intimidated by the majestic, dark skinned woman. The fact she was wearing multiple hoop earrings and startling turquoise eye shadow somehow added to her daunting effect.

"Hello, Dr. Davidson. What brings you up here?"

"I think you know very well what I'm here about. I called Tanya fifteen times this weekend and didn't get an answer. Then I talked to Grace last night, she said you'd called in and told her you were treating Tanya for stress. Does that mean what I think it means?" She tapped her foot impatiently, glaring down at him.

Feeling small and insignificant, Morgan set his coffee down. He wasn't going to let this woman intimidate him any longer. She had caught him by surprise, but he wasn't a man to back down from anyone.

"If you mean, did we spend the weekend together, yes. Any specifics, you'll have to ask her about."

Davida's eyes glittered happily and she grabbed Morgan tightly by the elbows. "For real? Oh, that's fantastic! You sweet, dear man, I could kiss you!" She planted a big kiss on each cheek.

© 2020 Dellani Oakes

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The Best Medicine by Dellani Oakes – Part 19

It's time to go back to work. Tanya does her best to get herself ready to go.

Tanya did a load of laundry and picked up around the house. She had a short nap and a shower before she dressed for work and fixed her hair and makeup. She took extra care to make herself look nice for Morgan, though she knew he wouldn't care if she spiked her hair and pierced her nose. He liked her for who she was, not some image he had of her. Cliff had always tried to mold her into the perfect, little wife, and that wasn't who she was. She wasn't one to stay home all day and make babies and chicken pot pie.

She'd have liked a family, but there never seemed to be time with the schedule she kept. Now she was just as glad, because being a single mom with her hours, would have been miserable, most especially for the child. Maybe if things went well with Morgan— But she didn't finish that thought. He had no commitment to her other friendship and really fantastic sex. They could go their separate ways at any time. Thinking of permanence and children was silly and futile.

The clock ticked inexorably toward time to go on shift. She grabbed her keys and purse, going through her OCD ritual with the door. She smiled, thinking of how that must look to Morgan. But since it worked, she wasn't going to stop. She hadn't locked herself out in almost a year, and that was saying something.

The drive to the hospital seemed to move like molasses, but before she knew it, she'd pulled up into a parking space. She sighed, thinking of how tedious the night was going to be. Only the prospect of seeing Morgan at dinner time, motivated her enough to get out of the car.

Walking in the door, she heard sirens growing louder. It was 2:30, not quite time for her to go on shift, but she quickened her pace and headed toward radiology. She tossed her purse and jacket into her locker and checked in. She'd picked out the distinct sound of at least three ambulances and thought she detected a fourth coming quickly up behind them.

"Another multiple car accident," the head nurse said after getting off the phone with the emergency department. "Gear up, gang, it's going to be a long one. At least seven victims with multiple broken bones. Angie," she said to a passing volunteer, "put on a fresh pot of coffee, honey. Thanks. You've got time for a pee or a smoke," she told the doctors. "Be back in ten minutes."

None of them argued with her. Nurse Grace was a Navy nurse for over thirty years before taking the job as evening charge nurse in radiology. She ran a tight ship, and even the doctors knew better than to disregard a directive. She would gladly flay an M.D. as she would an L.P.N. and did so without batting an eye. In the short time she'd been at the hospital, Tanya had come to respect the woman's judgment.

Grace turned to Tanya, sharing a secret smile. "Feeling better, dearie?" she whispered as she looked around to see if anyone was listening.

"Beg pardon?" she matched the woman's manner, wondering why they were whispering.

"I had a long talk with your young man," she said quietly. "He said you were in need of a weekend of intensive therapy. I hope the relaxation sessions helped. You looked terrible the last time I saw you."

Tanya blushed from her neck to her hairline. "Oh, very successful, thank you for asking, Ma'am. I think probably the most successful of my entire life." She fanned herself, inhaling deeply.

"Really?" Nurse Grace looked rather surprised and raised an interested eyebrow. "You'll have to tell me more specifics later, young lady. In fact, I've a few suggestions I might just pass along to Dr. Fellowes the next time I see him. Judging by how the shift is starting, it will be at least once before the night's over. Run along and take the rest of your break, all hell will be breaking loose soon enough."

Grace had been disconcertingly correct. The next few hours were hell for the radiology and surgical departments. There were nine victims, some critically injured, others with only minor fractures. Tanya was busier than she could ever remember being, reading the X-rays quickly before sending them up to surgery. She babbled into her recorder so quickly, she hardly recognized her voice.

I could never have done this without Morgan, she thought more than once. Had she gone into the shift as tense as she'd been a couple days ago, she would have cracked up.

After the emergency films were examined, she got down to the routine of daily work, making reports for the doctors' offices with her evaluations. She had a thick stack to look over, but she took a short break before she started on them. Her feet took her up to the surgical floor, hoping to see Morgan. Perhaps she'd get lucky and he'd be between patients. However, she suspected he would be occupied for quite a while. She strolled up to the nurse's station and caught the eye of one of the nurses she knew. Melinda looked tired, but at least she didn't look despondent.

"How's it going?" Tanya tried to keep her tone light.

Melinda knew Tanya was referring to the accident victims. "Going well. We've done most of them, only the minor stuff to do now. The first couple were touchy, but the gang up here does good work. I swear, I think Dr. Fellowes has magic in his hands. He put together one guy that we thought for sure we'd lose. He's in checking on him now, but he'll be out in a minute."

"Mel," Tanya leaned closer to the perky nurse. "Does everyone know?"

"Know what?" Melinda was trying to be coy, but she wasn't succeeding.

"You know what I'm talking about, don't make me say it."

"No, just me and Grace. We covered for you both this weekend, perpetuating a myth." She winked. "You look better. I take it the therapy sessions were beneficial."

Tanya felt herself redden once more. She glanced down at her shoes, feeling the blood tingle the edges of her ears.

© 2020 Dellani Oakes

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The Best Medicine by Dellani Oakes – Part 18

Morgan is feeling friendly, his hands and lips busily occupied. Tanya says it's too bad they have to drive all the way back to town.

He winked at her, taking her hand and tugging her along behind him. "We don't, actually. Well, provided there's no one there right now. The family has a cabin up here, we all use it from time to time, to get away. I like to come up on my days off and relax. I was planning to come up this weekend, so it's been cleaned and aired, fresh sheets on the bed...."

He trotted up a narrow, indistinct path that could only be followed by forest creatures and people who knew it was there. They came to a cabin that was set facing inland with its back to the rapids. It was an elegantly rustic structure sprawling in a comfortingly substantial way. A porch wrapped three quarters of the way around it, with a deck and dock off the back. The river curved around this end of the island, providing a fantastic view.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" She breathed, gazing at the dark, rough wood building. The plaster and trim had been painted dark green, but the logs were bare bark.

"All ours!" Morgan shoved the door open and walked boldly inside. "Anyone here?" He called loudly, walking from room to room. "Hellooo the house!" There was no answer. "Excellent!" He locked the doors and closed the blinds on the ground floor.

They spent the remainder of the afternoon occupied as they had spent the night before. Tanya hadn't thought that she and Morgan could top the night's performance, but she was even more delighted. Morgan thought of more ways to bring her to ecstasy, and she tried to do the same for him. It seemed that by giving her pleasure, he gave as much to himself. About an hour before they were due at the restaurant, they took a shower and got dressed. Tanya hadn't noticed, but Morgan had planned well, he even had packed some clean clothing for her.

"You snooped," she said, playfully scolding.

"Yes, I did," he replied boldly. "And aren't you glad I did? Otherwise you'd be putting on the same panties, and I know you wouldn't be too happy about that."

"True. A girl has to have clean undies to feel shower fresh all day!"

Laughing, they walked to the dock, holding hands and chatting the whole way. They crossed the river in the same small boat and walked up to the parking lot. Morgan took the second bit of road that Tanya had seen when they parked earlier in the day. It twisted and turned for about half a mile. They came to a low, substantial looking metal bridge which took them to the island. They continued on a gravel track and passed the area where the video had been filmed. Morgan drove slowly until they came to a narrow bridge that looked as if it had been there since God created the world.

"We're going across that?" Tanya looked apprehensive.

"It's okay, really. The superstructure is steel. We just put the original stones over it so if anyone gets here without permission, they'll be too scared to try it." He chuckled. "It's worked well. We don't get many trespassers." He started across the bridge and Tanya was pleased to see that it held.

Dinner was great and the party went late into the night. Around two o'clock, Morgan and Tanya made their apologies and returned to the cabin. They spent the rest of the night in one another's arms. Tanya hated to think about it, but she knew they would have to return to reality soon, and it tugged at her heart. She'd greatly enjoyed her time with Morgan, and didn't want it to end.

Tanya woke around eight o'clock in the morning with the realization that her magical time with Morgan had officially ended. She went downstairs knowing that they both had to go back to work, and she hated it. They were doing the evening rotation, so didn't have to be to work until three o'clock, but that didn't make it any easier for her to face.

"Hey, beautiful!" Morgan had again fixed breakfast. This time it was Belgian waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

How he managed to guess her favorites, she didn't know, and didn't question. She sat down with a cup of hot, strong coffee and tried to smile. "Hiya, handsome."

"No long face, okay? Promise me that. There will be other weekends together."

"I know," she said sadly, warming her hands on the coffee mug. "But no more first weekends. This one is special, I don't want it to end."

He walked around the counter and sat beside her on another stool at the bar. "I know, but everything wonderful has to end sometime. It's the ordinary and the bad times that make us appreciate the good ones. I mean, if we had that incredible sex every day, pretty soon we'd get tired of it." He shrugged and then flashed his prize winning grin.

"Not!" She nudged him in the ribs. "I'll never get tired of that! You're going to have a problem though," she told him, trying to hold a serious face.

"Oh?"

"Yup, you've raised my expectations. Now you have to perform up to standard, or I'm going to be very disappointed."

"Oh, I see. Is that your professional assessment, Doctor?"

"It is, Doctor."

He kissed her softly, smiling into her eyes. "Then I'll do my best not to disappoint. Now eat up! I like my ladies strong and healthy! Can't have you passing out again. In fact, you and I are having dinner together so I can be sure you'll eat. If I guess right, you'll lose track of time in that dark, little hole of yours."

"I do," she admitted. "I can't wait."

On the way back to town, they kept conversation light. He dropped her at her house so she could get dressed in her professional clothing, and comfortable shoes.

© 2020 Dellani Oakes

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