At ten o'clock, the first SERE instructor arrives. He’s a big guy and has a friendly smile. We have no problems. I take his vitals, ask the standard questions, and send him on his way a half hour later.
See? Easy. Professional. I’ve got this.
At ten-thirty-five, the second one comes in. Then the third. Then the fourth. Not a single issue, but also… No Blaze.
By eleven-thirty, I start to relax. Maybe he's not on the list at all. Maybe he's out on a training exercise. Maybe the universe is giving me a break for once in my life. I check my tablet for the next patient.
Reynolds , Blaze. 12:00 PM.
The blood drains from my face.
"Serena?" Maya pokes her head in. "Your twelve-o’clock is here. Exam room three."
"I—" I swallow hard. "Can you take this one? I'm not feeling well."
She frowns. "I've got back-to-back until two. Are you okay?"
Hell no I’m not okay.
"I'm fine." I force a smile. "Just a tired, but I've got it."
I smooth my scrubs and stand outside exam room three for a full minute. I inhale and try to remember how to breathe normally. My hand shakes when I reach for the door handle.
Then I open the door and there he is.
Blaze sits on the chair beside the exam table. His arms are crossed over his chest. He looks exactly like I remember with his dark hair, sharp jaw, and tattoos curling up his forearms like smoke. Only he's in his uniform now and that makes it worse.
He looks… untouchable. Forbidden. And like something I have to have.
I pull my shoulders back and swallow down my nerves. But his eyes find mine, and everything stops. For a moment, neither of us moves. We don’t speak. The air between us is thick with three days of silence and one night I’ll never forget.
Then he smiles. It’s not a smirk. It’s a real, genuine grin that lights up his whole face and makes my chest ache.
"Serena."
The way he says my name. Like he's been waiting. Like he's been hoping to see me walk through the door. I'm going to pass out.
"Mr.Reynolds." I grip my tablet like a lifeline and step into the room, letting the door close behind me. "I'm Nurse Serena Logan. I'll be conducting your physical today."
His smile doesn't waver. "Mr.Reynolds? Really?"
"That's your name, isn't it?" I keep my voice clipped and professional. I don't look at him as I pull up his file. "Date of birth?"
"Serena."
"Date of birth, please."
"August seventeenth." He's still watching me.
I can feel it like a brand on my skin. “The year please.”
"You left."
My fingers freeze on the tablet.
His voice is low. Soft. For my ears only. "I woke up and you were gone. Not even a note or a phone number."
"Please, Blaze, I’m at work." I force myself to meet his eyes and it’s a big mistake. They're darker than I remember. There's something in them that makes my stomach flip. "I'm your nurse. You're my patient. Whatever happened before isn’t…" I shake my head.
