Page 28 of The Candle Palace (Jamison Valley 6)
I was too much of a coward to go ask.
Instead, I stayed in my seat at the nurses station—the safe half of the invisible line that divided the floor—where I’d been for the last thirty minutes, processing paperwork for a patient who’d been discharged today. My heart wasn’t in it as I mindlessly clicked through forms. My heart wasn’t in any of my work these days. It hadn’t been for two weeks.
My cursor was hovering over the final submit button when a loud shout filled the hallway.
Milo. My head whipped over my shoulder toward the noise. Toward the room I’d been banished from.
Was he okay? Should I go check?
I stood from my chair and walked to the end of the long counter that bordered the nurses station. Then I clutched the wall and peered at Milo’s door, my fingers gripping hard to keep me from taking another step.
There was no other noise, just the hum of the florescent lights above.
Dr. Vernon was in Milo’s room. So was Kym. They’d gone in twenty minutes ago to check his burns. What was happening? Was he in pain? I stayed there against the wall for another long moment, hoping someone would come out and tell me what was wrong. But the door remained shut.
I sighed, released my hold on the wall and turned away. Only before I could return to the computer, I heard a faint sound that was a lot like my name.
I froze midstep, listening again. Nothing.
“Ugh.” I plopped down in the chair, my frame slumping. I hated that he could be suffering. I hated being trapped on my side of the unit. I hated that I hadn’t seen Milo’s eyes or his simple smile in fourteen days.
But here I was, stuck. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
The sound of a door opening perked me up in my seat. I kept my eyes on the screen, my hand poised over the mouse like I’d actually been working, as footsteps came my way.
“Hi, Sara.” Dr. Vernon’s voice was cheery. Too cheery, given that he’d just been with a patien
t who’d shouted loud enough to penetrate a closed door and long hallway.
“Hi.” I gave him a tight smile.
Kym, on the other hand, looked like someone who’d come from a stressful patient visit. Her eyes were dazed. Her cheeks were missing their normal healthy flush. And she stood back from Dr. Vernon, giving him the side-eye, like she was wondering what had just happened.
“Kym, you deserve a break after that one,” Dr. Vernon joked.
Her eyes darted to me, then back to the doctor. She forced her own strained smile. “I’m fine. I’ll just go and grab some water.”
She looked at me once more, her eyes saying I’ll tell you everything later. I gave her a small nod, then looked back at my screen as she walked away.
Everything about my posture—my rigid back, my eyes on the screen, my lack of a smile—screamed I’m busy. Go away. But did Dr. Vernon take the hint?
Of course not.
“So, Sara. Any big plans for Valentine’s Day next week?” Dr. Vernon slid down the counter until he was directly across from me. Then he propped his elbows on the Formica as he waited for my answer.
“Um, no. I don’t think so.”
He grinned. “No date?”
“Nope.”
Why was he even talking to me? We weren’t friends. I’d been giving him the cold shoulder since he’d reported me to Amber. He’d gotten what he wanted. Milo was no longer my patient. So why couldn’t he leave me alone?
Professionally, I had a lot of respect for Dr. Vernon. He excelled at treating burns. But over the past two weeks, he’d been the easiest person to blame for my situation. Besides myself, that was. He’d never once commented on the evenings I’d spent with Luna. So why Milo?
Maybe he liked me. Maybe I’d been ignoring the signs for a long time—or denying them. Because here he was, leaning in too close as his eyes drifted down my chest.
My B cups were smashed flat in the sports bra I wore under my scrub top. There wasn’t much for Dr. Vernon to see. Still, that didn’t stop him from trying.
