“I picked the lock and used the emergency shut off code to disarm the alarm.”
“You broke in?” I nearly cry out. He speaks about his breaking and entering like it isn’t as big of a deal as it is.Don’t forget to add ‘lackadaisical feelings about breaking the law’ to his file.
“More like let myself in.” He sighs again, finally opening his eyes and looking up at me. “You gonna let me in or not?”
I give him a soft smile. “Sure, of course, come on in.”
Using my key, I unlock the lobby door and wave him in ahead of me. He towers over me and with twice the muscle mass I have, dwarfs me significantly. This wasn’t exactly how I planned to start my day but when a patient is in crisis, I do what I can to help them.
“Here, take a seat out here while I get settled for the day. Do you want anything while you wait? Water? Coffee? There’s a kitchen down the hall for the other offices in the building you can go help yourself to.”
“A coffee sounds good.” He nods. “You said it’s down the hall?”
“Yeah, down the hall and on the right. If anyone asks, just tell them you’re my patient,” I instruct.
“You got it, doc.” Using two fingers, he salutes me and steps out into the hall. The navy blue windbreaker he’s wearing ruffles with his movement.
I head into my office and quickly unpack my work bag, setting my laptop down and tucking my lunchbox into the mini fridge I keep under my desk. I give myself a few minutes to get organized and ready and when I feel like I have my head on straight, I go out into the lobby to call him in. He’s sitting in one of the chairs which seems to be hugging his thick thighs a little too much, holding a papercup. It hardly looks like his eyes are open but when he sees me, he’s suddenly at full attention.
“Ready when you are,” I say with a smile. When he stands I have to lift my chin to be able to keep my eyes on his.
He takes a few steps and squints down at me. “How bad is your vision?”
“Did you break into my building before normal human hours to ask me that?” I tease, tipping my head to one side. My oversized glasses slip out of place and I have to reach up to fix them.
“Not really,” he mumbles before stepping into my office.
Following behind him, I side step around him and lower myself into the oversized chair I like to sit in when seeing patients. Just like the last time he was here, it takes him a second to take in the space. His eyebrows knit together as he glances around the room before giving me an inquisitive look.
“You moved the bookshelf,” he comments, nodding his head towards the window where the old bookshelf used to be. “And took some things down from the walls.”
I confirm his observation with a nod. “I did. I had the patient after you help me move some things around. He wasn’t overly thrilled about the job but I know he likes being helpful. He’s grumpy, but has a good heart.”
I smile at him and wait for his reaction. For a moment, he does nothing other than look around the room completely stunned. Then, he snuffs out a laugh and relaxes into the couch before looking at me.
“I can’t believe you rearranged your office for me.” His lips settle into a smile that reaches into sinful territory.
“Like I said when you were here last week, this space isas much yours as it is mine. I want all of my patients to feel comfortable when they’re here.” I shrug my shoulders trying to play it cool.
“How’d you know I’d be back?” His deep brown eyes catch the light when he squints at me again and I can’t help but smile wider.
“I didn’tknowyou were coming back. But I hoped you would,” I reply honestly.
After he left last week, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. From the moment he stepped into my office I knew he had something he was carrying with him. And while I know it isn’t my job to be a savior, I still want to help the people who come to see me as much as I can.
Something shifts in the way he’s looking at me and his smile turns from appreciative to almost alluring.
“Are you saying you were hoping to see me again, doc?”
The way his voice tips up leads me to believe he’s trying to flirt with me. I can’t stop the chuckle that slips out before awkwardly adjusting my glasses even though they don’t need adjusting.
“I’m saying I was hopeful you’d come back and be more willing to talk about why you were sent to me in the first place,” I answer evenly.
“Ahh, yes,talking.” He leans into the word and presses his lips into a tight line. Bringing the coffee cup to his mouth, he takes a long pull and stares at the floor. After a long beat of silence, I try a question.
“You said you had a fight, out in the hall. With someone named Carter. Is that a friend of yours?” My pen is poised and at the ready as I watch his body language to pick up on any silent signals he might communicate without speaking.
“He’s my brother—well, foster brother,” he corrects quickly and I make a note of the relationship while alsowondering more about his upbringing. “He’s also one of my company members. He was a paramedic at first but decided it wasn’t for him and became a fireman. We both work at Firehouse Nine.”
