Handle Me

by Kira Sinclair

  “Incoming. Car accident. Unconscious on scene and hasn’t come around. Minute and a half.”

  Van grabbed the bottle of water she’d set on the nurse’s station, and chugged it back.

  Red lights flashed across the large glass doors. They opened with a silent whoosh as her nursing staff rushed out to greet the ambulance.

  When had it gotten dark? And when had it started to rain?

  Shaking her head, Van followed at a trot. Around her, nurses gathered information from the paramedics and relayed it to her and the rest of the team.

  She reached the cluster of people running alongside the man strapped to the gurney.

  People were calling out details. “SUV hit a tree head-on.” The words registered even as Van’s gaze began visually assessing the patient from his feet up. They sped through the halls toward trauma two.

  “Airbag deployed. Wearing his seat belt.”

  For some reason her stomach rolled when she reached the man’s hands. Electricity zinged up her spine and felt like it exploded out the back of her head.

  “Unconscious on the scene and still hasn’t come around.”

  She didn’t understand why until her gaze came to rest on his face.

  “Shit,” she said, grinding to a halt.

  Behind her, Cara, a nurse who’d been with the hospital for almost twenty years, slammed into her back. “Van? What’s wrong?”

  Her throat tightened, but she forced the words out anyway. “I know him.”

  Cara just stared at her expectantly.

  Van looked down at her, panic welling inside her chest. “I know him,” she said again, unconsciously putting emphasis on the second word.

  Cara’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

  It was against hospital policy to treat anyone you were involved with. She should call for another doctor.

  A loud, low groan came from the gurney, now several feet ahead of them. From where she stood, Van watched Ty rear up, or try to, and begin to thrash against the straps holding him down.

  Possessiveness jolted through her. There was no way she was letting anyone else touch him. Ty needed her and that was all that mattered.

  Shaking Cara’s hand off, she rushed into the large room Ty and her team had disappeared into.

  Edging a nurse out of the way, Van positioned herself right next to Ty’s head. Placing a hand on his forehead, she forced him to lie back down. If he’d hurt his spine or neck he was only going to do more damage. She’d protect him, even from himself.

  His eyes were open, but they were unfocused and glazed.

  “Ty,” she said softly.

  “Stop” he growled, his voice trailing to a moan. “That hurts.” Suddenly, he started thrashing, fighting against the straps holding him down and screaming. “No. Don’t touch me!”

  Someone behind her gasped, but Van didn’t have time to deal with anyone else’s reaction. Or the sick sensation that settled into her own belly as she realized Ty was stuck inside a terrible memory. And, knowing him, he’d be mortified to learn of the public display.

  Leaning close, Van placed her mouth at Ty’s ear. “Ty, it’s me, Van.” His body stilled, the straining muscles relaxing against the straps holding him in place. So she continued. “No one’s going to hurt you. You’ve been in a car accident. You’re strapped down to prevent you from further injuring yourself until we assess the damage.”

  She pulled away several inches, enough that she could look into his eyes again. This time, his stormy-blue gaze was clear, though sharp with the edge of pain.

  “Van?”

  Her fingers smoothed over his forehead, shifting strands of hair away from his face. “Yeah.”

  “Where’s Kaia?”

  Oh, hell.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your parents asked me to check on her since you were at work. I picked her up and we were out driving. The rain came down fast. We must have hydroplaned.”

  Shit. Kaia had been in the car?

  Ty began to struggle against the bindings again, his hands fruitlessly trying to free himself. “I have to find her.”

  Glancing up, Van caught the eye of a nurse standing at the back of the room. “He had a dog with him. Kaia. She’s a retired military dog who lost a leg overseas. Please find out what you can from the paramedics.”

  She turned to Ty. “We’ll figure out where she is, Ty. I promise. But right now I need you to lie still so we can assess how you’re doing.”

  “No. I’m fine. A few bumps and scratches.”

  “The paramedics said you were unconscious when they found you, and you only just came to. That’s not a great sign, Ty. At the very least we need a CAT scan to make sure you don’t have a more extensive brain injury or internal bleeding.”

  “I’m fine,” he said again, through clenched teeth.

  Stubborn man. “You might be fine, but I’m not letting you up until I verify that with medical technology, so you might as well lie still and enjoy the attention.”

  Pulling out a pen light, Van placed a hand on his forehead and shined it straight into his eyes. He flinched and squeezed them shut. “Goddammit, Van. Warn a guy.”

  “I’m going to shine a bright light in your eyes, you big baby. Better?”

  The nurse rushed back in. Leaning close she said, “One of the paramedics said the dog was at the scene. A firefighter has her. They’re bringing her here.”

  Van thanked the young nurse with a smile before turning back to Ty. “There. Now you can stop worrying and start letting me do my job. The faster I get all these tests done the sooner you can walk out the door.”

  “Fine,” Ty grumbled, his body finally going lax against the spinal board beneath him.

  Van didn’t miss his minuscule wince or the flash of pain that crossed his face. It did little to settle the anxiety that made her heart stutter uncomfortably.

  She couldn’t do anything about that. But she did have the knowledge and experience to handle Ty’s injuries. That was a problem she could tackle.

  * * *

  TY WAS DONE with this place. It was almost midnight, and if it weren’t for Van he would have left a long time ago. But each time he got ready to, he’d see the flash of fear cross her face.

  On one hand it bothered him that she felt it at all.

  On the other, it meant that she cared, right? Something he wasn’t entirely certain of after the way she’d walked out on him yesterday.

  Not that he had a reputation of love ̓em and leave ’em, but Ty was used to being the one hoping to extricate himself after a sexual encounter.

  It hadn’t felt great having the shoe on the other foot.

  Especially when Van was involved.

  What he’d really wanted to do was scoop her into his arms, find the nearest bed and spend the rest of the day there, waking up whenever the mood struck him to love her again.

  Instead, his brain had barely been engaged when she’d pushed away from him, scooped up her clothes and locked herself behind that bedroom door. She’d moved so fast Ty didn’t even have time to react.

  Or stop her.

  Standing in the middle of her kitchen, staring dumbfounded after her, had left a bitter taste in his mouth. Especially considering how wholly their encounter had rocked his foundations.

  He’d had two choices, wait her out—eventually she’d have to leave that room—or go, give her the space she apparently needed, and come back later to tackle whatever had sent her scurrying away like he’d sprouted a forked tongue and tail.

  A prudent soldier always recognized when it was smart to retreat and regroup, so he’d left, his body still humming from the best orgasm of his life.

  He’d still been stewing when he’d gotten the call from Margaret asking him to swing by and check o
n Kaia since Van had been called in to the hospital.

  “How did you get into my house anyway?”

  Van busied herself with something at the counter on the other side of the room, clinking together instruments and bottles, or whatever.

  Surely, she had things she needed to do, but she’d pretty much been in his room since the moment they wheeled him in. In a different situation he might have assumed that meant she couldn’t bring herself to move away from him.

  In reality, he was pretty sure she was afraid he’d walk out the door the minute she turned her back.

  She wasn’t wrong. The thought had crossed his mind. More than once.

  “Your mom gave me a key.”

  Van’s mouth twitched and then pulled into a frown. “Remind me to yell at her for that.”

  “You know that’s not going to happen.” A smirk twisted his lips but didn’t stay long. “Have you seen Kaia? Is she okay?”

  That, more than anything, was what worried him right now. “She’s been through so much already. She might be masking the pain of any injuries because she’s worried about me. She’s like that. Loyal.”

  Van glanced at him over her shoulder, her deep green eyes a mix of emotions—understanding, gratitude, the dull ache of a quiet pain. “I’m aware. I called in a favor from a friend. She’s been looked at by a vet and cleared. She’s outside because security won’t let her in.”

  Ty grumbled beneath his breath. He understood this wasn’t a war zone where Kaia could have free rein, but it wasn’t like she was some random puppy without training or discipline.

  “I should have told them she was my Seeing Eye dog.”

  Van laughed, the sound a little ragged at the edges. “Yeah, that would have made things easier for the cop writing up your accident.”

  He grimaced and then winced when the movement made his head pound.

  Van was across the room like a shot, her soft, warm hand pressed against his forehead, tipping it back. Her gaze bounced back and forth between his eyes, no doubt looking for signs that he was harboring some internal time bomb waiting to explode.

  “Chill out, princess. I’m fine.”

  “You say that, but it’s not true. You were unconscious for quite a while. That’s not nothing, Ty.”

  “Maybe I didn’t have anything to wake up for until I heard your voice.”

  Shit. He hadn’t meant to say those words out loud.

  He expected her to pull away, like she’d done yesterday when things got too intense. But she didn’t. Instead, Van simply stared at him, her eyes wide and troubled.

  “You can’t say things like that.”

  Screw it. Tiptoeing around her wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Van was the kind of woman who understood action.

  “Why not? It’s the truth. I’ve wanted you for years, Savannah. I’m done pretending that’s not true, or telling myself I’m not good enough for you or that I need to leave you alone because you’re Ryan’s sister. The last few months have been hell, but they’ve taught me one thing. Life is too precious to not live it wide open.”

  An unhappy sound rumbled through Van’s chest, a cross between a laugh and a wheeze.

  “I’m pretty sure you’ve always lived your life that way, Ty. Nothing new about your philosophy now. It’s something I envy about you.” There was a slight hitch to her words. “You don’t apologize or pull punches. You do what you want, what needs to be done...no matter the consequences.”

  “That doesn’t sound good, Van. Not when you say it in that murky, dejected tone of voice.”

  She shook her head, dark hair flying around her face. “Doing the right thing is always good. Even when it’s not the easy thing.” Her hand slipped down his forehead to settle against the curve of his cheek. “And what’s this bullshit about you not being good enough for me? You’re a war hero. I’m pretty sure that makes you good enough for anyone you want. There’s currently a cluster of nurses lingering outside your door just waiting for the chance to take your temperature or fetch you water.”

  “Why, doctor, is that jealousy I hear?”

  Van’s eyes widened, deliberately. She stared at him out of that deep green gaze that always had the ability to slice right through him. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  But she couldn’t stop the twitch of humor at the edge of her lips.

  Ty felt an answering laugh bubble up inside his chest. Without a thought to what he was actually doing, he wrapped a hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her close. “You. I want you.” His words were husky.

  That sweet, spicy scent of hers swirled around him, filling his lungs and making his body ache in ways that had nothing to do with his accident. Her skin was soft beneath his fingers. The silky strands of her hair brushed against the back of his hand. Even those few simple touches had his body reacting.

  The accident clearly hadn’t injured his dick, since it was currently tenting the gown Van’s staff had slipped him into after cutting the clothes from his body. A shame since he’d really liked the jeans he’d been wearing. They were worn in and comfortable as hell.

  Van’s eyes closed. Her head bowed until her forehead pressed against his. Ty slid his hands to her waist, bracketing her hips and fighting the urge to pull her down onto the bed with him so he could feel her next to him.

  Not the time. Not the place.

  Instead, he just breathed her in. Pulled her deep into his lungs and held her there. Appreciated the warmth radiating from her body and soaking deep beneath his skin.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this. Warm. Cared for. Safe. Ty was used to being the one to provide those things. He’d never really been given them.

  Ty had no idea how long they stood like that. Long enough for him to realize she hadn’t responded to the bold statement he’d made, at least not with words. And her actions weren’t exactly clear-cut, either.

  But she hadn’t walked away.

  Behind them, someone cleared their throat. “Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Cantrell, but the results are back.”

  At the first sound, Van sprang away, looking more like a guilty teenager caught with her hand down his pants than a seasoned ER doctor who’d been innocently touching him. The blush that stained her cheeks didn’t help alleviate the impression.

  Ty liked it. He liked seeing her a little flustered. The color on her skin made her look...innocent, a word he never would have thought to use to describe Van. Because she wasn’t. But the reaction was sweet.

  The nurse hovering in the doorway apparently thought so as well if the grin spreading across her face was any indication.

  “No problem, Cara. Let’s take a look.”

  Her mantle of authority firmly back in place, Van went to powwow with the nurse in the corner. She flipped through a couple papers on his chart, a tiny frown puckering the skin right between her eyes. He wasn’t sure if that was concentration or concern.

  No matter. She’d tell him soon enough. Aside from a massive headache, he really did feel fine.

  “Well, all of your blood tests returned normal and your CAT scan is clear, but you definitely have a concussion. I’d like to keep you here overnight for observation.”

  No way in hell. “That’s a little extreme, don’t you think, Van?”

  “What is it you guys say? Standard operating procedure?”

  “So you’re telling me that every patient who comes into the ER with nothing more than a concussion gets admitted for observation?”

  He might have thought the scowl that pinched her face was funny if they weren’t currently talking about his freedom for the next several hours. He wanted out and needed to check on Kaia. Despite Van’s assurances that she was okay, he wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d checked her over himself.

  “Th
ey do if they were unconscious at the scene of a car accident.” Van’s scowl deepened.

  “Don’t make me check myself out AMA, Van,” he countered.

  The bullish expression on her face told him he was in for an argument.

  Until Cara, his new best friend, spoke up. “Van, it’s not unheard of to release a concussion patient into someone else’s care, with instructions on what complications to look for.”

  Ty shifted up so that he could throw Cara a huge smile to counteract the glare Van shot in her direction. “The problem is, you don’t have anyone to follow the proper protocol,” Van ground out between clenched teeth.

  “Sure I do.”

  Her gaze narrowed and the jealousy that had amused him several minutes ago flashed sharp and deep in her eyes.

  Ty crossed his arms over his chest, enjoying the way her gaze strayed to the bulge of his biceps against the cuff of the gown. Just because he could, he flexed the muscles again. Van’s frown deepened and her green eyes jerked back to his face.

  “Who?”

  “You.”

  Her mouth opened and then shut without a single word coming out. Behind them, Cara smothered a snicker, though not very well.

  “Nope. I have to work.”

  “Tina asked me to remind you that you’re off the clock,” Cara said. “Technically, Ty’s care has already been shifted to Dr. Brighton. She also wanted me to remind you that ten hours was almost six hours ago and that she’s not to see you inside that door for the next five days.”

  Savannah let out a strangled sound, somewhere between a harrumph and a groan. Her eyes smoldered with irritation and her arms crossed over her chest. No doubt, she was completely unaware of how the pose pushed her breasts against the tight fabric of her scrubs. “Sure, seventeen hours ago she was begging me to come in because she didn’t have another choice,” she grumbled beneath her breath.

  Ty didn’t even bother suppressing his chuckle. “It would appear you’re free to nurse me back to health, Dr. Cantrell. Just my luck.”