“Yeah.I moved here five years ago and set up the clinic.”
“That’s impressive.”
“Thanks.”He tucks the blankets around me.“You should get some more rest.I’ll be back with some food in a bit.”
“It’s weird,”I say, smiling slightly.“I thought getting shot would hurt more, but aside from the initial soreness and feeling cold and tired, I feel okay.”
“That may be the, uh, medicine,” he says, avoiding my eyes.
It’s like he’s not telling me the whole story.
“Doctor McAdams?”someone calls.
He looks torn, like he doesn’t want to leave me.“Be right there.”
He turns back to me, his expression anxious.
I smile.“I’m fine now.Thanks.”
He nods and takes a deep breath before he leaves my room.I watch him go and wonder about him.
He’s the first man who’s caught my attention.I was always different from my peers.They had crushes on movie stars, boy bands, and classmates.I never did.I could appreciate that some of them were attractive, but they did nothing for me.I never daydreamed about any of them or drew love hearts around our names in my journals.
I never dated, not even in college.I was too busy getting perfect grades and trying to make my parents happy.Joke’s on me, though, because my parents paid no attention to me or my grades.Hell, maybe they would’ve taken more interest if I’d started failing classes, but I doubt it.
I close my eyes, hoping to get some more rest, but now I’m awake, I can’t go back to sleep.I can’t stop thinking about Dr.McAdams.
Is he married?I should’ve looked for a ring.Oh, who am I kidding?It’s not like he’d be interested in someone like me.Besides, I’m sure that doctors aren’t allowed to date patients, and I’ll be going back to New York in a few days.
The door opens again, and Dr.McAdams reappears.He seems surprised to see me still awake.
My gaze darts to his hands, and I smile when I see no ring on his finger.
“Everything okay?”he asks, checking the monitors.
“Yeah.I, uh, I have to go to the bathroom.Is it okay for me to get out of bed?”
“Yeah, you should be good.I’ll help you.You need to take it slowly.”
He takes my hand, helping me swing my legs off the bed.I stand carefully, my legs trembling slightly.My chest aches a bit, but I can handle it.We shuffle toward the bathroom, and I grip the doorframe when we get close enough.
“This will have to stay by you,” he says, pushing the IV pole into the bathroom with me.
“Thanks.”
“I’ll be out here when you’re done.”
I nod and brace one hand on the bathroom sink as I move the IV pole out of the way.Looking up, I catch my reflection in the mirror and freeze.My eyes lock on the mark on my neck.
“Is that a… bite mark?”I whisper, frowning as I trail my fingers over the mark.
“What the hell happened to me?”I ask, turning to Dr.McAdams.“I thought I was shot.”
Guilt is etched into his features, and he swallows hard.“I can explain.”
FOUR
Christian
