His eyes searched my face. “I can go get a camera and catalogue, if you’d like me to.”
I just nodded and went back to staring around the room.
Of course, in this big ol’ mansion of his that apparently nobody knew about, he had a gorgeous medical setup. The room was sterile, and complete with all sorts of machinery that looked foreign to me. He slipped the needle out of the crook of my elbowwith a soft ‘done,’ and his little wheely stool squeaked as he rolled to and from across the tiled flooring of the room.
“Do you perform surgeries in here, too?” I asked.
“Got a separate room for that.”
Of course, he does.
I didn’t know what to do with all of the anger rushing inside of me. I was angry at how things turned out. Angry at what was done to me. Ultra-angry at what was done to Em. Angry that I was AWOL and going to lose my career over some bullshit I couldn’t control. Angry that this house was so damned big and it took me forever just to make one round in it.
My lungs were a goddamn embarrassment.
I hated the marks those men had left on me.
Just about the only thing I didn’t hate was how big this house was. I mean, sure, it sucked to walk. But at least I didn’t have to hear the sounds of everyone fucking all the time.
Especially Em.
I mean, I loved her and everything, but that didn’t mean I wanted to know what she sounded like slobbing on someone’s knob.
“Like corn on the cob,” I muttered to myself as I bounced my head a bit. “Check in with me. And do your job.”
“You a fan of Three Six Mafia?”
My head whipped toward him. “Huh?”
“Three Six Mafia. The song you’re humming. Are you a fan?”
I blinked. “Areyoua fan?”
He just shook his head. “One of my bunkmates back in the military was a big fan. I know pretty much all their songs.”
“Huh.”
He rolled back over to me with a camera in hand. “All right, Miss Elizabeth. Where do you want me to start documenting?”
“My back,” I said as I gripped the edge of the table and hopped down.
Pain immediately ricocheted up to my knees. My ankles gave way, wobbling the instant my body weight slammed down onto them.
“Oh shit,” I whimpered out as my arms flailed.
A pair of long, strong arms wrapped around me.
“You’re okay,” Doc said as he helped steady me onto my feet, “let me know when you’re steady.”
His warmth pulled the breath from my lungs. My head touched down right in the slat of his chest, and I heard his heart beating.
I wanted to close my eyes and enjoy the sound.
“I’m good,” I muttered.
His arms didn’t move. “Are you sure, Miss Elizabeth?”
It took me a moment before I responded. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
