Page 13 of The Candle Palace (Jamison Valley 6)
I had to get out of here before he saw the effect he was having on me. Before he saw through my flimsy façade to the attraction I was failing miserably to hide.
I gathered up all of the soiled dressings, balling them in the pad set by Milo’s feet. Then I deposited them in the trash can, followed by my gloves.
At the sink, I washed my hands with fury, letting the noise of the water drown out any stray sounds. Simply being in Milo’s room made me jittery. I was not a good nurse to him when my heart raced at the sound of his voice. When his natural woodsy scent made me light-headed.
I finished with my hands, knowing the right thing to do would be to turn around, say good-bye and find Kym to make an assignment change. But when I turned around, his dark eyes were waiting.
They pleaded with me not to go.
“I have to.”
Milo’s forehead furrowed. “Hmm?”
“Go. I have to go,” I recovered, barely. “I’ll, uh, be back when Dr. Vernon is ready for your arms.”
Milo’s eyes turned to the ceiling. The look of peace he’d had moments ago faded to dread.
The urge to rush to his side, to hold his hand and promise this pain wouldn’t last forever, was so strong I took one step forward before I stopped myself.
“We’re back.”
My head whipped around as Teresa and Kirk walked into the room, both carrying cups of coffee. With a small smile, I ducked past them and escaped into the hall. The air was lighter out here, the hallway bright and clean. I’d gotten lost in the warm darkness of Milo’s room.
But, standing here, I knew.
I had to remove myself as his nurse.
My shoulders fell as I trudged down the hallway to the nurses station, catching a glimpse of Kym as she ducked into one of her patients’ rooms.
What would I give her as a reason? What would she say? This was ludicrous. Silly. Was I really going to throw our entire day out of whack because of a little attraction?
I was a professional. I could remain a professional, at least until the end of the day. Absolutely.
By the time I made it to the nurses station, I had a plan. I’d stick today out, help Dr. Vernon with Milo today and tomorrow, and then I’d simply ask for the other side when we were dividing up rooms.
There would be no need for an awkward explanation. I was only mixing it up. Kym would buy that, wouldn’t she?
I hoped so, because my only other option would be to admit I had a crush on a patient.
And that was not happening. I loved my job, thank you very much. I wanted to keep it.
A weight came off my shoulders as I continued to the nurses station to do my charting. This plan of mine was full of wins. I’d get to appreciate Milo’s handsome face from a distance. I’d be able to keep tabs on his recovery. And the ultimate win: when he eventually left, I wouldn’t be heartbroken.
I stayed away from Milo’s room for an hour, working on charting, checking on my other patients and spending time with Luna. I was coming out of her room when Dr. Vernon found me in the hallway.
“Oh, Sara. There you are.” He stood too close as he spoke. “I’m ready for you in 503.”
I shuffled away six inches. When I’d first met Dr. Vernon, I’d thought he was a close talker. That person who had never quite learned the invisible line of a person’s bubble. But now . . . I wasn’t so sure. “Okay, great. Lead the way.”
Two hours later, Dr. Vernon had finished debriding both of Milo’s arms, finding the burn damage was worse than he’d hoped.
“Watch fluids closely,” Dr. Vernon told me after we’d brought Milo back to his room.
“Okay.” I was exhausted from the procedure, my shoulders and back stiff from hovering over Milo and collecting the discarded tissue. I’d sat through longer debriding procedures before, but this . . . this one had hurt.
Teresa and Kirk weren’t the only ones experiencing sympathy pains.
I felt wrung out, like I’d run a marathon without any training. I wanted a shower and a nap. I wanted a large vodka tonic, my pajamas and a few uninterrupted hours on my couch to watch TV and unwind. But I still had one more hour left on my shift.
