Doctor Lyman’s gaze narrowed. “None of us have worked with patients like you, but I will continue to let Nurse Simone try to jog your memory.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
Nurse Twitchell hustled by Wyatt’s bed, throwing him a glare. Inwardly, he groaned. That woman didn’t have a decent bedside manner at all.
“Well, let me know if you need anything else.” Doctor Lyman stood. “I’ll come to check on your burns before bedtime, just in case we have to bandage your face again.”
“Before you go,” Wyatt quickly said once Nurse Twitchell had moved out of the room, “I need to talk to you about one more thing.”
Nodding, Doctor Lyman sat back in his chair.
“I would really like it if you could keep Nurse Twitchell away from me.”
Doctor Lyman’s eyes widened. “Keep her away?”
Wyatt shrugged. “You can ask any of these men in here, but she’s not very nice. Not only is her manner snippy, but she acts as if she doesn’t have time to help us. And... don’t make me explain to you what happens during sponge baths.” He shook his head.
The doctor’s lips thinned, and his expression hardened. “I’ll talk to her. Thank you for bringing that to my attention.” He glanced at the pitcher and glass on the bed stand. “Do you need more water?”
“Indeed, I do. Nurse Twitchell only brings me water once a day.”
The doctor’s nostrils flared as he stood up quickly. “I’ll have Nurse Simone take care of you now.”
When the doctor left the room, Wyatt sighed in relief. Perhaps now he could be treated as a patient in a hospital instead of a prisoner in a jail.
* * * *
Jessica finished changing the sheets to one of the empty beds, and with her arms full of dirty sheets, she walked down the hallway toward the laundry room. Today’s visit with Wyatt had been enjoyable. She’d told him a few more tales of the mischief they’d caused while growing up, which made him laugh out loud. It was nice to hear his laugh again after all these years. She’d missed him so much, and she cherished the time they spent together, even if it was as patient and nurse.
Thankfully, nobody had caught – or even suspected – her of sneaking in after-hours and using healing creams for his burns. But lately, she’d been keeping the visits short and their conversations even shorter. Nobody could know what she’d been doing since that was considered unprofessional.
She stepped into the laundry room and set the sheets next to the other sheets and towels that needed to be washed. Their cleaning person would be coming to work soon to get these all ready by morning. Looking at the pile, reminded her that she had her own laundry to do when she went home after work. Her shift would be over in an hour, but because she had errands to run and things to do, her evening was filled with busy work. She’d definitely be tired by the time she came back to the hospital with her herbal creams to administer to Wyatt.
Sighing, she stretched her neck, from one side to the other, relieving some of the tension in her muscles. She’d rather be caring for patients instead of changing the sheets on their beds. But, it came with the job.
As she turned to leave, Hugh walked into the room, closed the door behind him, and locked it. Her heart jumped to her throat. They couldn’t be alone together... not like this. She had been purposely ignoring him for these past few days, only because she didn’t know what to say to him. She’d wanted to apologize for kissing him – even though he had made the first move – but still, she’d responded. Yet, she wasn’t sorry for kissing him. The only thing that she was sorry for was enjoying kissing a man who wasn’t the one she loved.
“Hugh... um, Doctor Lyman.” Her voice was raspy, and she blamed it on the fact that her throat suddenly turned dry. “What are you doing here?”
“I needed a moment with you.” He stepped toward her. “And since you’ve been avoiding me these past few days, I thought to take any chance I could get to talk with you.”
She licked her dry lips and shifted nervously back and forth on her feet. “Well, I do have a patient—”
“They can wait a few minutes, I’m sure.” He stopped in front of her. “Jessica, avoiding me only makes me want to see you more.”
She chuckled uncomfortably, wishing there was a better way to approach this subject. “I’ve needed time to think about... what happened.”
“Well, you’ve had four days now. What have you decided?” He took her trembling hands in his and gently stroked the pads of his thumbs over her skin.
His touch was causing havoc inside her. How could she come to any decision when her heartbeat was in flipping competition with the butterflies in her belly? “I... haven’t.” She couldn’t meet his stare, so she looked at his chest – his very wide and muscular chest. Her palm still burned from when she had touched his chest the other day.
“Tell me one thing, Jessica.” His voice was smooth as silk. “Did you enjoy yourself during our kiss?”
Inwardly, she groaned. Of all the questions he should not ask, that was one of the top three.
“Hugh, I—”
“Jessica,” he interrupted, taking his hand and cupping the side of her face as he lifted it until she met his stare. “I want to know what you were thinking and how you were feeling during that time.”
Oh, why did he want her to look into his dreamy eyes? Her confusion was worse now. “I... liked it, but I didn’t want to like it.”
He smiled, turning his eyes a softer brown. “You’ve been on my mind constantly since that kiss.”
“But, Hugh—”
“No. Don’t try and argue with what your heart is telling you.”
She shook her head. She wanted to tell him the truth about Wyatt, but she still didn’t dare. “My heart is telling me that I shouldn’t get involved with a doctor. Nurse Twitchell was correct when she warned me about having dalliances with the doctors.”
He caressed her cheek. “And I know I shouldn’t have let things get this far with you, but I’m not sorry it happened. You came into my life and made things brighter for me.”
“No, Hugh. You shouldn’t say such things.”
“The kiss awakened feelings inside me that I didn’t know I had.”
A sigh escaped her throat, even if she didn’t want it to. Why was Hugh talking this way? She wasn’t used to men saying these words to her. Although she and Wyatt had shared so many memories, he wasn’t the romantic type. He just came right out and said he loved her, and he always would. Of course, that was right before he joined the war. But she knew by the look in his eyes and the way he had held her, that he loved her.
And now... how was she supposed to respond to a man with such flowery words?
“Hugh, I don’t think—”
Voices came from the other side of the door just as the doorknob jiggled. Jessica’s heart dropped. She couldn't be caught with Hugh in a locked room.
His expression turned to one of panic, and he glanced around the room. He pointed toward a closet. “We’ll hide in there.”
“But...”
“Trust me,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her into the small room with many shelves of linens and towels.
Just as he was closing the door, the laundry room door opened. Jessica pressed her back against the shelves until she couldn’t go any further. Hugh’s body leaned against hers since there wasn’t much room. She rested her hands on his chest, only because she didn’t know what else to do with them. Her stomach twisted, and she had a horrible feeling about this. Someone was going to catch them, and she would get fired.
She lifted her gaze and met Hugh’s wide eyes. The warmth from his body, touching hers, created such havoc, and her heartbeat raced faster. Indeed, this wasn’t going to turn out well at all.
Once the voices inside the laundry room became clear, Lana Twitchell’s distinctive tone boomed through the air. Jessica wouldn’t doubt that the walls were shaking. From what she could hear, the head nurse was complaining about Jessica.
“
I don’t like her at all,” Nurse Twitchell snarled. “She waltzes around here as if she was the belle of the ball. Most of the patients have doe-eyes for her, and half of the doctors sniff after her like dogs in heat. That so-called nurse doesn’t know how to do her job at all. In fact, I’m half tempted to have her investigated. I don’t believe she’s certified.”
Jessica narrowed her gaze on Hugh, frowning. “What is she talking about? I am certified. I have the paper to prove it!”
“Shhh...” Hugh placed his fingers on her lips, stopping her. “Twitchell doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” he whispered.
“Listen, Lana,” the unknown man said in a raspy voice, “we’ll look into it. However, worse things are going on right now that need our attention more.”
“Well,” Lana huffed, “as long as the end result is getting Nurse Simone out of this hospital, that’s all I care about. Did you know, the other day she...”
As Jessica continued to listen to the other nurse’s rant, her heart twisted. She hadn’t done anything to Nurse Twitchell – or anyone else in the hospital – that deserved such ridicule. Why did the woman make Jessica sound like she was the worst person on earth? She had always gone beyond her job duties to help those who needed care.
Tears filled her eyes, even if she didn’t want them to. Why was this happening to her on the very first job of her nursing career? Why were people so... mean?
“Jessica,” Hugh whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers. “She’s a bitter woman. You can’t let her words break you.”
“But... I’m not like that.”
“I know, and the rest of the staff knows, too.”
“Who is she talking to?”
“I’m not sure. The voice is familiar, but I can’t picture a face with it.”
“She... wants me to leave,” Jessica’s voice broke. “I love my job. I can’t—”
“Shhh...” His fingers moved back to her lips, but this time they gently outlined her mouth. “I won’t let her get rid of you.”
She had so many mixed feelings growing inside her at this moment, and she didn’t know which one to act upon. As she stared at Hugh’s gaze that was glued to her mouth, the scratchy voice of Nurse Twitchell began to fade. Hugh appeared to be fascinated by Jessica’s mouth, and in return, her throat dried as excitement pounded through her.
Forcing herself to swallow – even if it was difficult – she tried to calm her fast breaths. She licked her lips, which were suddenly just as parched as her mouth. Oh, why did Hugh have to make her insides flutter so wildly? She didn’t want this complication in her life. She didn’t want to think of any other man besides Wyatt. And yet, she found herself thinking of Hugh more.
“Hugh,” she sighed, not knowing why. But saying his name calmed her.
She wasn’t surprised when he lowered his mouth to hers. In fact, she had anticipated his soft lips moving with hers. As his arms circled her, she slid her palms up his chest and around his neck. He was tall, but it was his muscular build that amazed her even more. The man’s hair was even softer than she thought it would be. Slowly, he was becoming nearly perfect in her eyes. Yet, she couldn’t let him. It was Wyatt she loved. It was Wyatt she’d waited for after he’d left to join the war. She couldn’t come this far to find her beloved, only to have another man turn her head and take her heart.
However, as much as her mind told her to break the incredible kiss, her body was refusing to listen to reason. Instead, she found Hugh’s kiss very addicting, and she couldn’t stop. The unexplained feelings of excitement rushing through her were refreshing, as was the way her heart fluttered.
When he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, she welcomed the different tingles of delight running rapidly over her skin and making her shiver. His arms tightened around her, and she enjoyed the comfort his strong arms gave to her during this time.
The thud of someone hitting the wall jerked Jessica out of her dreamlike state. Hugh even jumped back. His breathing was ragged, but his wide eyes told her that he was worried about being caught, too.
“Woman, would you stop jabbering like a magpie!” The unknown man’s voice was harsh. But it worked because Lana Twitchell’s consistent whining stopped. “We need to figure out a backup plan, just in case this doesn’t work.”
The man was very near to the closet. Jessica suspected he was the one who had hit the wall. Her heartbeat still raced with excitement, but also with fear. She laid her head on Hugh’s chest as she tried to calm herself.
“We don’t need a backup plan,” Lana hissed. “John Doe will not remember. I’ll make sure of that.”
Jessica hitched a breath, and Hugh’s arms tightened around her. Her mind swam with confusion. What had she missed during the steamy kiss where she’d blocked out the intruders’ conversation?
“But, Nurse Twitchell, were you not just telling me that Nurse Simone has close contact with the patient, and she’s trying to help him remember?”
Silence grew in the room for a few seconds before the older nurse started chuckling. Eeriness crawled over Jessica as though she was standing on an anthill in the heat of the day.
“Leave it to me,” Lana snickered. “I’ll take care of everything.” Her footsteps moved toward the other side of the room. “Now, don’t do a thing until after I talk to you. I’m certain things will be better then.”
Jessica listened intently as the footsteps left the room, and the door was shut. But still, neither she nor Hugh moved, just in case. After a few moments, she looked up into his worried eyes.
“I’m frightened, Hugh. That woman is evil.”
He sighed and cupped the side of her face. “I won’t let her hurt you. I’m going to find out what she’s up to and put a stop to it. I cannot abide with staff who thinks they are the high-and-mighty rulers here.”
“Hugh,” she touched his chest again with both hands, “I’m also worried about Wyatt. Why doesn’t she want him to remember?”
“The question is,” he said in a quiet voice, “what doesn’t she want him to remember?”
“Will you help me?” She kept her plea soft.
The tips of his fingers swept over her hairline before moving down to her mouth. The pad of his thumb caressed just under her bottom lip. “I’ll do anything for you... as long as—” He brushed his lips against hers. “As long as you promise to kiss me that way again.”
She tried not to let the thrill of acceptance become too strong inside her. After all, she needed to remember that she was still bewildered about her feelings for him. There was no way she could make that kind of promise.
As she searched through Hugh’s eyes, her heartbeat continued to flip crazily, and she couldn’t form the words to tell him no. “If you help me protect Wyatt, I’ll give you the best kind of thank-you that I know how to give.”
He grinned. “My darling, Jessica, that had better include a kiss, or you will be dealing with the most depressed man alive. In fact, I might just be your next patient – dying from heartbreak.”
SEVEN
Wyatt stared out the window... because he could. Doctor Lyman didn’t know what kind of privilege it was just to see more than a few minutes a day when the doctor changed his bandages. But today, he felt like he could jump with excitement and run around the hospital, enjoying his sight as much as he could. He would always cherish God’s gift. And once he finally gained his memory, that would be another thing he could cherish.
One more of God’s gifts was having a sweet angel as his nurse. He prayed that he was the man she thought him to be because her presence made him happy. His heartbeat skipped every time he heard her voice, and every time she walked by his bed, he wanted to stop her and have her visit with him just to stare at her lovely face.
From nearby, he smelled a hint of Jessica’s flowery perfume, and he whipped his gaze toward the nearest door. His hopes sank when it was Nurse Twitchell coming toward him instead of his dear Jessica. The older nurse wore a scowl. Then again, she always looke
d this way.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted politely.
“Doctor Lyman shouldn’t have removed your bandages. Your burns have worsened.”
What was she talking about? Even the doctor had noticed this morning a remarkable difference. Immediately, he was on the defensive. Placing the bandages on meant his eyes would be covered again. He shook his head. “Doctor Lyman will check me to see if I’ve improved or worsened.”
“Well, I’m your nurse, and I will do as I see fit.” She reached in the medical supply bag that Doctor Lyman usually carried when changing Wyatt’s dressings. She pulled the chair closer to his bed and sat. “Lie still while I put this ointment on your face.”
As she lifted the bottle to pour some out, Wyatt lifted his hand, stopping her. “No!” Irritation coated his voice, and he hoped the woman would get the hint and leave. Instead, she arched an eyebrow.
“I’m sorry, but you don’t have a choice. You’re a patient here – and while you’re in this ward, you are also considered a prisoner.”
Wyatt fisted his hands. How dare she make him sound like a criminal? And yet... maybe he was. After all, he was in this ward with the other deserters, so what if he was a criminal?
“Yes, ma’am,” he grumbled. If he tried to stop her physically, she would have the sheriff arrest him immediately.
She gave him a smug look and poured some ointment on her fingers before reaching out to him. “This will sting slightly, but just grit your teeth.”
“Hold on,” he said again, grasping her wrist to stop her. His twisting gut told him something wasn’t right.
“Now what?” she snapped.
“What kind of ointment is this? Doctor Lyman usually applies medicine to my burns, but he’s never used this. It doesn’t smell like the ones he’s used before.” And it definitely didn’t smell like Jessica’s creams.
A Nurse for Wyatt Page 5