“What time is it?” he asked.
“Four in the morning. You have a few more hours before the infirmary comes alive with its daily patients. I’ll check your pulse and blood pressure, and then you can go back to sleep, okay?”
And then tomorrow, after his body had its much-needed rest, I could talk to him about our fight. Tomorrow, when he wasn’t battling excruciating pain or fighting exhaustion, I would give him the heartfelt apology he deserved, and while I had no right to expect him to forgive me, I hoped he would.
The thought of him not forgiving me had tortured me all night.
I worked carefully, examining his wounds, checking his vitals. The entire time, his gaze remained fixed on my face, tracking my every movement.
“Okay. You can go back to sleep.” I resumed my seat in the chair beside him, where I’d been camped out for hours.
“So, you’re just going to sit there, staring at me?” One corner of his mouth twitched.
“Observing. Yes.”
“Kind of creepy, don’t you think?”
“TBIs require me to check you every two hours. It’s medical protocol.”
“Pretty sure medical protocol doesn’t require you to watch me sleep in between checks.”
He had me there.
“Maybe I’m making sure you don’t stop breathing.”
“Uh-huh.” His silver eyes glinted with something that looked dangerously close to amusement. “And the extra blankets? The pillow you fluffed three times? Also medical protocol?”
I crossed my arms. “You were cold.”
“I’m in a prison infirmary, not a spa. We’re supposed to be cold. Builds character.” He shifted slightly, wincing. “Besides, I’ve slept on a concrete slab in solitary before. This mattress might as well be a cloud.”
“Wow. The bar is literally on the floor.”
“Welcome to the prison system.” His gaze tracked over my face, softening despite his sarcastic tone. “You should go home. Get some sleep.”
Like I would leave him right now. “Can’t. I’m on shift.”
“You’re not on shift. You volunteered to babysit me.”
“Just go to sleep, Knox. I’ll wake you in two hours.”
“So you can stare at me some more?”
“So I can observe you some more. There’s a difference.”
“Uh-huh.” He settled back against the pillow, but his eyes stayed on me. “You know, if you wanted to spend the night with me, there are easier ways.”
I smiled.
His expression softened, the teasing fading into something more vulnerable. “Thank you. For staying.”
The sincerity in his voice made my chest ache.
“Don’t mention it.”
“I mean it, Harper.”
“I know you do.” I settled back in my chair, pulling my knees up. “Now close your eyes before I sedate you.”
