Doctor Perfect: The Omegas of Sweet Water, Texas

by Beau Brown

  I sat beside his bed, studying is face as he slept. He was a beautiful man. His features were delicate, his skin smooth and unlined. His mouth moved every now and then, as if he was dreaming. I wondered if he dreamed about me ever. Maybe I’d made too much of what we had. Perhaps to him it was just physical, and he’d been perfectly fine with just moving on. My thoughts went to that other alpha. It hadn’t even occurred to me to see some other omega. I’d been too upset about my quarrel with Fox. But he’d obviously enjoyed that other guys company, and he hadn’t seemed to mind the guy touching him either.

  Jealousy bubbled in my gut, and I covered Fox’s hand with mine. He didn’t move, but his breathing seemed to quicken slightly. I knew it probably meant nothing, but it prompted me to speak. “Hey, Fox. It’s me, Liam.”

  Nothing.

  I cleared my throat, and gave an embarrassed glance toward the door. I didn’t want anyone to walk in on me whispering sweet nothings to Fox, but I also felt compelled to tell Fox how I felt about him. I scooted closer, and cleared my throat again. “I’m sorry about the other night. I… I was scared.” I licked my lips, trying to drum up my courage. “I really like you. More than I’ve liked anyone… ever.” I grimaced. “Maybe you don’t care. Maybe I’m just another alpha to sleep with. But… but if I made you feel bad, or like I didn’t care, I don’t want that.”

  When his lashes fluttered, my pulse beat faster. But when nothing else happened, my heart sank. I sighed and squeezed his hand, enjoying the warmth of his skin against mine. I’d never been a hand holder, but the feel of his hand curled in mine felt right. With my other hand, I brushed the hair off of his forehead, and smiled at his peaceful expression. My heart ached with affection as I ran my gaze over his face, and I would have given anything to hear his husky laugh again.

  “I want you to wake up, Fox. I need you to wake up.” My voice was hushed.

  He seemed to sigh, and excitement spiked through me. Could he hear me?

  “Please wake up, Fox.”

  He didn’t seem to respond, and I hung my head, feeling demoralized. I continued to hold his hand, listening to his gentle breathing as the minutes ticked by. After an hour, I glanced at my watch, and was frustrated to see it was time to head upstairs. I didn’t want to let go of his hand, but I knew I couldn’t just call in sick so I could sit there holding Fox’s hand. Exhaling, I forced myself to slip my grip from his, and my heart instantly ached. My chair creaked as I stood. On impulse, I leaned over and kissed him. The feel of his lips against mine felt perfect, and I inhaled his scent, needing to drink in his fragrance more than oxygen.

  I lifted my head, and touched his cheek. “I’ll be back later.”

  His lashes did that fluttery thing again, and I watched to see if he’d open his eyes. But he didn’t.

  Clenching my jaw against the disappointment, I moved to the door. I gave one glance back at his sleeping form, and I left.

  Chapter Ten

  Fox

  I opened my eyes, finding it difficult because my lashes seemed stuck together. My body was stiff, and I groaned as I tried to lift my arm. A stabbing pain went through my rib area, and I gasped, pressing my palm to my side. I was disoriented, and didn’t recognize where I was. Slowly it sank in that I was in a hospital room, and the memory of being hit by a car came back.

  I wanted to sit up, but my muscles felt weak and my ribs still throbbed. There were no other people in the room, only machines with blinking lights and annoying beeps. My chin felt scratchy, and I rubbed it, noticing I had the beginnings of a beard. How long had I been in this bed? I didn’t remember anything after the truck hit me. I tested moving my legs, and it seemed I didn’t have any broken bones. I was sore, and incredibly stiff, but hopefully I was right, and nothing was fractured.

  Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to slowly move upright. My muscles resisted, but I just kept going until I was sitting with my legs hanging off the edge of the bed. It took me a long time to manage, and I was sweaty when finished, but at least I’d sat up on my own. From what I could tell, I wasn’t paralyzed, or permanently injured. I wasn’t dumb enough to try and walk, not when my legs felt like spaghetti, but I was dying of thirst. I fumbled around the bed and found the button to call the nurse.

  When the nurse appeared at the door, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She came into the room, looking shocked, but pleased. “You’re conscious!”

  I nodded, unable to speak because my throat was so dry. I pointed to my throat and made drinking motions, and she nodded and left the room. She returned moments later with a doctor I didn’t recognize. He asked me some questions but I didn’t respond because I was dazed and so groggy, I could barely keep my eyes open. He shone a pen light in my eyes, and checked my vitals, but eventually sitting up was too much. I groaned and slumped back onto the bed, and fell asleep.

  When I woke up, I only stayed awake a few minutes before slipping back into oblivion again. That went on for what felt like the entire day, me waking up, and then falling asleep. At one point my parents where there, then gone when I woke. I had trouble knowing what was a dream and what was real life. I even thought I imagined Liam holding my hand, and telling me he wanted to be with me.

  Eventually I was able to stay awake longer than a few minutes, and the nurse informed me I’d had a second MRI while I was out, and that things looked extremely good for a full recovery. I was relieved to hear that since, as a nurse, I knew how easily my life could have changed for the worse. I think a few days passed until gradually, I managed to stay awake for hours at a time. I started remembering dreams and the accident. The memory of Liam confronting me and Aaron at the coffeehouse returned, and so did my longing for Liam.

  I woke at one point to find Priscilla sitting beside my bed. She looked tired, but she smiled when I opened my eyes.

  “Hey, Sleepy Head.” She leaned forward in her chair.

  I licked my dry lips and she handed me a cup of water from the pitcher beside my bed. The water tasted so delicious as it slid down my parched throat, I wanted to drink the whole pitcher. But I controlled myself because I didn’t want to vomit it back up. My stomach felt sensitive after not eating or drinking, for what Priscilla told me, was a week.

  “You look exhausted,” I whispered.

  “I am.” She laughed, but then her smile disappeared. “But I’m afraid to leave you in case this is all a dream.”

  I reached out and she took my hand. “It’s not.”

  She swallowed hard. “I was so scared.”

  “I know,” I rasped.

  “Mom and Dad were here earlier, but you were asleep.”

  I frowned, feeling guilty. “Tell them I’m sorry.”

  “You can’t help it, silly. They’re just happy you seem like you’ll make a full recovery.”

  I touched my head. “I barely remember the accident.”

  She nodded, looking ill. “You were so lucky.”

  I knew she was right, this situation could have been so much more disastrous. From what I was able to remember about my conversation with the neurosurgeon, nothing was broken, and my brain scans were normal. Now it was just a matter of recovering from my bruises, and getting my muscles back in action. After lying in a bed for a week, they seemed to be on strike. I’d walked to the bathroom with help once or twice, and each time I’d wobbled along like a toddler learning to walk.

  Priscilla nibbled her bottom lip, watching me with a line between her eyes.

  “You look so worried, Priss,” I said softly.

  “I feel better now that you’re awake.” She hesitated. “Liam came to see you a lot while you were unconscious.”

  Surprise rippled through me. “He did?”

  “Yes.”

  Groggy though I was, the idea of Liam made my pulse flutter. “I thought it was a dream that he was here.”

  “No.”

  I closed my eyes, fighting sleep. “He was probably just being nice.”

  “He could have done that by sen
ding flowers. He didn’t need to sit with you for hours.”

  I sighed, and opened my eyes. “I can’t believe he did that.”

  “He did.” Her gaze was soft. “I think he might really be into you.”

  “He’s just a good guy.”

  “I think he is a good guy, but he was here because he cares about you.”

  I avoided her gaze. She didn’t understand because I hadn’t had time to tell her about my breakup with Liam. She was also more of a romantic than me, and no doubt thought Liam had visited me for more sentimental reasons. I was more realistic. My guess was Liam felt guilty about our breakup, and that was why he’d visited me in the hospital. I’d hinted I wanted more, and he’d made it clear he didn’t. That was the reality I had to face.

  I yawned. “God. I’m sorry. I’m so tired still.”

  She touched my arm. “You should rest.”

  “Yeah, I think I will.” My words were slurred as sleep crept up on me again.

  “I’ll be here. Just sleep.” Her voice was gentle. “I’m so glad you’re getting better.”

  “Me too,” I whispered, giving a weak smile.

  I had no idea how much time passed by the time I woke up again, but Priscilla was still there when I opened my eyes. Mom and Dad came by too, and we had a short visit before I fell asleep again. It was frustrating to be so tired, but I couldn’t help it. I realized it was simply my body attempting to heal, but keeping up a conversation that lasted more than five minutes was exhausting. My stamina would improve as time went on, but in the meantime, I was like a zombie.

  I had a restless night, and around two in the morning I woke to find Liam sitting beside my bed. He sat with his shoulders slumped, staring at the floor. He didn’t notice I was awake immediately, and that gave me a chance to study him. My heart sped up at the sight of him, and I felt shy when he glanced up and caught me watching him.

  His expression immediately warmed, and he smiled tiredly. “Hey.”

  My face felt stiff when I tried to return the smile. “Hello.”

  He reached over, surprising me when he took my hand in his. His skin was firm and heated against mine. “You gave us all quite a scare.”

  “Not on purpose.”

  “I know.” He sighed.

  We held each other’s gaze. It was as if there was so much to say, I didn’t know where to begin. Besides, I was too tired to put up a front. The last time we’d seen each other hadn’t been great, and I didn’t have the energy to pretend everything was perfect.

  He rubbed his thumb over my skin, sending tingles along my flesh. “I’m sorry about that night.” His voice was hushed.

  I was well aware of what night he meant, but I wasn’t sure what to say. “It was fun while it lasted.”

  Pulling his brows together, he said, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “You never promised me anything, Liam.”

  “I know.” He frowned. “What would you say if I told you I think I made a mistake?”

  “About what?”

  A muscle worked in his jaw. “Us.”

  I stamped down the flicker of hope that tried to grow. “What kind of mistake?”

  His grip tightened. “I’m not good at this stuff.” He winced. “Sharing my feelings. I’ve always been horrible at it.”

  I studied him, but didn’t speak. My heart thudded with excitement, but I wanted him to say what he needed to say, uninterrupted.

  He sighed. “When I heard you were hurt, I thought I’d never have the chance to tell you how I feel.”

  “You already told me how you feel the other night.”

  “But that wasn’t the truth.” He shook his head. “That was me trying to protect myself.”

  “From what?”

  He let go of my hand and he leaned back in his chair. His jaw was tight and he looked almost scared. “You hinted that maybe you want more than just sex. Is… is that true?”

  It was terrifying admitting the truth to him. But he was trying, so I felt I needed to do the same. “Maybe.”

  He looked relieved. “Okay, good.” He gave a gruff laugh. “I never thought I’d say good to someone wanting something more serious with me.”

  As happy as I was to hear what he was saying, I was also concerned at the sudden change in him. “Liam, it’s not your fault this happened to me.”

  He frowned. “I know that.”

  I sighed, adjusting my position. My ribs were still sore, and I winced. “I don’t want you to make this gesture because you have misplaced guilt.”

  He chuffed. “Fox, I’m not guilty. I still want us to see each other. It wasn’t my idea to break things off. That was all you.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “It wasn’t all me.”

  He exhaled. “I don’t want to play games anymore. I like you and I’d like to explore that. Why should that be a big deal, right?”

  “I suppose it’s just the sudden change that has me curious.”

  “You could have died.” He swallowed hard. “That woke me up to how dumb I was being.”

  I must have looked skeptical, because he said, “I’d like to see how we get along when we’re not both so guarded. I was surprised at how much I like you, and let’s just say… it didn’t bring out the best in me. I can do better.”

  I squinted. “Am I dreaming this? Is it the drugs?”

  “No, Fox. This is real. I want to keep seeing each other, and I hope you do too.” He reclaimed my hand. “From the first moment I met you, you sparked something inside me.”

  “I think that’s called anger.”

  He grinned. “At first, but not anymore. Once I spent time with you, I wanted more and more.”

  “We argue a lot. Doesn’t that worry you?”

  “No. I like that you challenge me.”

  “Since when?” I smiled tiredly.

  He leaned forward, his expression earnest. “Fox, I’m trying to tell you I really like you, and I want to date you for real. Do you want that too, or am I wasting my breath?”

  It was hard to believe what I was hearing, but it was also amazing. If this was real, and he wanted to dig deeper into something with me, I didn’t have it in me to say no. “I… I want to see you too.”

  “Yeah?” He sounded hopeful.

  “I just don’t want to get hurt.”

  Me neither.” He shrugged. “I’m no expert on dating. But I don’t want to stop seeing you. That much I know.”

  “I kind of like this version of you. It’s warmer,” I murmured.

  He smiled. “I’m glad.”

  “Feels like a dream.”

  “It’s not.”

  I sighed. “I know this is horrible timing, but I’m falling asleep. Please don’t take it personally.”

  He chuckled. “I won’t.”

  I expected him to pull his hand away, but he didn’t. Instead he scooted his chair closer and smoothed my hair off my forehead. His touch felt nice, and I allowed my body to completely relax into the covers.

  I felt safe with him beside me. Maybe it was because he was an alpha and he had that ability to sooth any omega with just his touch. Or perhaps it was because I was relieved that we’d gotten over our rough spot, and would still be able to explore something together. Whatever the reason, for the first time in a long time, I felt completely at peace.

  Chapter Eleven

  Liam

  Once Fox agreed to keep seeing me, I felt like I’d been given a second chance at happiness. I’d been fine with my life the way it was until Fox came waltzing into it with his opinionated ways, but now I didn’t like to picture the future without him in it. My sudden attachment to him made me wonder if perhaps we were fated mates. I’d never been sure if I bought the idea of fated mates, but the intensity of my feelings for Fox, in such a short amount of time, made me a believer.

  I was in the hospital cafeteria when Priscilla came in for her break. She grabbed a tray of food and joined me, sitting down with a smile.

  “I didn’t think you ate
in here,” she said, opening her carton of milk.

  “I don’t very often. But I wanted to visit Fox on my lunch break, and driving to a restaurant eats up too much of my time.” I pushed my empty plate away. “I was able to visit him first, and still grab a quick bite to eat by eating in the cafeteria.”

  She nodded, unwrapping her breakfast burrito. “How very logical.”

  I smiled. “That’s me. Dr. Logic.”

  “From what I hear, your nickname around her is Dr. Sexy Pants.”

  My face warmed. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Nope. You’re fresh meat. The nurses are all a-twitter over you. You have two main nicknames; Dr. Perfect, and Dr. Sexy Pants.”

  I laughed, feeling embarrassed. “I prefer the nickname Dr. Logic.”

  “Awww. You’re so modest.” She smirked.

  I cleared my throat, and changed the subject. “Fox looked really good today. His color is great and he’s walking without help.”

  “I agree. He said the doctor was going to discharge him this afternoon.”

  I nodded my approval. “Only a week and a half in the hospital after being hit by a car is pretty darn amazing.”

  “He was so lucky.” Her voice was hushed. “It could have been so much worse.”

  My stomach clenched because she was right. It might have been a tragedy, but instead Fox was going home today. “I guess we should focus on the positive. He’s almost as good as new, and he’ll be back to work in no time.”

  She gave a sly smile. “I think his optimistic outlook on life has rubbed off on you.”

  “Maybe.” I did feel more hopeful about things these days. That probably was due to Fox.

  I jumped when Aaron sat down at the table with us. I gave him an uneasy glance, but he seemed unaware of any animosity between us.

  “How are you two doing today?” he asked cheerfully.