by Ann Raina
"I'll go home with you, but not to a hospital."
"Why the heck are you complicating things?"
Julian turned to her, giving the smallest of smiles. "Because I can't help it."
"Great." Kyra lowered her head for a moment, thinking. "Since I'm not the sister of hulk, you either make it down there alone or I'll fetch some of the workers to help you into my Jeep. But at home…"
"I'll make it."
"Then tell me, what is it? Has one of the workers to do with it?"
"No. Just an upset stomach, I'd say."
"You look by far too bad for that." She jumped down and called for Ashby. "I'll bring my car up and you and Brian help him down."
"All right, Ms. Jennings. You take him to a hospital?"
"You bet." She smiled, went for her car and told Sabrina on the way, "I won't be back for the day. Cancel all appointments."
While Julian was helped into the back seat she called Josepha's father at the hospital. He was not truly a specialist for internal diseases, but the only one she trusted to diagnose correctly or call a colleague who would.
"For how long have you been hiding the symptoms?" She watched his slumped figure over the rearview mirror.
"I've not hidden anything. I told you I might just have eaten something…" He stopped, gasping for air.
"Yeah, right, and I still believe in the Easter bunny." She concentrated on the road and partly on her unwilling patient. "You know, it would be so much easier if I could take you to a hospital. You know, these people know their jobs! It's not as if I'd deliver you to a butcher. Why are you so damn stubborn?"
"You know how they'd treat me," he rasped. "To them I'm just a criminal. I saw what they did with my mother…and a friend."
"And you project that the staff would treat you the same? No, Julian, that's not the case. Please, let me take you to where a friend of mine works. He'll take good care of you."
Julian panted and needed a moment to finally come up with a breathy, "Yes."
Kyra took the turn to the highway and stepped on the gas.
The ER was busy, but the two male nurses, who came to meet her at the entrance helped as if they had only waited for Julian to arrive. "Don't leave me alone now," he asked when he was put on a stretcher.
Kyra found no words. "I've got to park the car, but I'll hurry." She left him, but the undisclosed panic in his eyes touched her deeply. She hurried to find a free parking lot and then ran back across it to find Julian in one of the cabins. He grabbed her hand. "See? In a flash. No need to worry."
"Who's worried?" His attempt at a joke was ill bound.
"How bad is it, Julian?"
"I can't say. It just hurts."
A male nurse put his head through the folders of the curtain. "Doctor Nolan will be with you in a moment."
"Thanks." Kyra turned back to Julian. "That's my friend. Doc Nolan has worked here for the time I know him. I'm his daughter's girlfriend. He's got four. You met one of them already, Josselyn. She's the third born. You remember, the nice nurse who took care of your bruises and cuts after the hitman's attack?"
"I remember." He grabbed her tighter, hurting her, but she put a feeble smile against his fear. "Whatever they say, I don't want to stay here. Hear me? I will not stay."
"Back to being stubborn?"
"Please!"
"Hey, let's wait what he says, okay? After that…"
Doctor Nolan entered the cabin, and his presence calmed both Kyra and Julian. He was about six foot, slender, with a clean-cut face, blond hair and thick brows that fit well over his blue eyes. There were wrinkles around the full lipped mouth, but you could believe they came from laughing and not from worrying, though he had seen his share of tragic in fifty-eight years. He had long limbs and slender hands you would expect from a surgeon and, when he pressed Julian's hand, there was reassurance in it, taking away the edge of fear in a second. He had been a doctor for twenty-five years and calming down patients was one of his gifts. "I heard you have some trouble with your stomach?" His voice held concern and friendliness. He made Julian forget he was at a hospital. "Might I examine you?"
Julian nodded and Kyra relaxed and let go of her breath she had not known she was holding. A part of her had feared that Julian would jump up and run out of the ER, headless and too afraid to let anyone touch him.
Dr. Nolan gently exposed Julian's stomach. He did not miss the patient holding Kyra's hand the whole time and his short eye contact with her was enough. He put a smile against the palpable anxiety and won. Julian bit his lips, but remained still while Nolan carefully pressed his fingers down on the upper and lower stomach. "Tell me where it hurts the most."
"More up."
"Good." The doctor's hands found the spot and Julian clenched his teeth. "Guess that's it." The smile was all soothing and kind. "You don't need to worry, Mr. Bithrell. From first diagnosis it's a gastritis. I would like to have you checked with a gastroscopy to be sure there's no ulcer."
"What's a gastro--"
"A gastroscopy is a method to check the stomach from within. A possibility of a biopsy with a specially designed endoscope."
"You mean a tube."
"Yes."
"Through my…nose?"
"Actually through your mouth down your throat." The pressure on Kyra's hand made her wince, but she did not want to ask him to loosen the iron tight grip. "Would you, please, save Kyra's hand?"
Julian's head swiveled round and he let go of her at once. "I'm sorry, Kyra. I didn't mean to--"
"Calm down," she said. "I'm all right." She showed him her hand and wiggled the fingers. "See? Still attached and in one piece. Please, doc, continue."
"Not much more to say. I recommend the gastroscopy, but you can deny it, of course."
"Julian?"
"Your throat will be anaesthetized so you won't feel the tube go down. It's harmless. My colleagues and I do it twenty times a day."
"Maybe you should knock me out completely and I don't have to worry anymore."
"Mr. Bithrell, I can assure you--"
He raised his right hand, slightly shaking his head. "I don't doubt you. I doubt me."
"But with Kyra at your side you don't need to doubt or worry." Nolan smiled genuinely. "I've known her for a very long time. She's the one you can trust. If she says it's okay you can believe her."
Kyra blushed. At twenty-six she should not be embarrassed to be praised, but such high esteem had seldom been spoken. "Doc, you're ruining my reputation," she replied, but was too touched to make it a complaint.
"Ah, well." Nolan laughed and turned to Julian again. "Did you know that she was a cop once? And a really good one?" Julian gave a slight nod. His hand searched for Kyra's again and held fast. "She got into a shootout one day. Her colleague went down with a glancing shot and she had to hold position until reinforcements rolled in. She did. She kept the bad guys at bay until the squad came." Doc Nolan's eyes rested on Kyra again. She almost squirmed under his admiration. "I understand that you changed jobs, but you were a good cop."
"Thanks."
"So, Mr. Bithrell, will you keep holding her hand while I send you to the second floor for the gastroscopy?"
"Yes, if I don't have to stay any longer."
"Sure. If nothing bad shows up you'll be out of here in two or three hours."
"Okay."
"Great." Nolan pulled up the sheet to cover Julian's midsection again. "I'll get everything ready for you upstairs."
He left and Julian turned his head to Kyra. "A good cop, hmm?"
"Oh, he's exaggerating."
"Who was the other cop that got shot?"
"His daughter."
None of the nurses could say if Kyra or Julian lived through the worst three hours of their lives. Kyra was nervous enough to start biting her nails, a habit she had lost as a child. She paced the waiting room, drank water because the coffee tasted like dishwater solution and waited impatiently for the door to open. Yet within her impatience there was f
ear that Julian might jump and run. He had promised to remain calm, but what was calmness against such deep-rooted fear of hospitals? When Doctor Nolan showed up she was much relieved.
"Sit down, Kyra," he said and gently led her to a chair close to the window. He sat opposite, a fatherly smile on his lips. "You're so deep in love it's a marvel."
"What?" Kyra had expected much, but the statement caught her unawares.
He laughed. "Yes, you are! He's one fine guy, I'd say."
"So?"
"I can't judge too profoundly, but what I've heard tells me that there's some really deep emotion between you two." He cocked his head, still that glitter of amusement in his eyes. He rested his elbows on his knees and laced his hands. "There's nothing bad about it, even though your parents think you invited a…gangster into your house. I think it's always right to follow your heart."
"Josepha--"
"Josie sung some tunes, yes, as she always does. But, think of it, the way he clung to you when you brought him in showed enough. Believe me. He held to you like a lifebelt and you did everything you could to calm him down."
"Is he…"
"He's fine. Just a gastritis. A heavy one, but still nothing to really worry about. He didn't response well to the first medication so he will feel sick to the stomach for a day or two, but I already ordered alternate medicine you can take home. He'll be on deck in five days, maybe a week."
"That's great. You don't know how hard it was to get him here."
"I see. It was for his best. I couldn't have made a proper anamnesis at your home." He took her cold hands in his. "I wish you all the best with Julian. He's one fine man, and he really loves you."
"How do you know?"
"His eyes, Kyra. His eyes tell the whole story. He endured the nurses and my presence because he knew you'd be out here waiting for him. He asked for you right before we started, but I couldn't let you in anymore." Nolan smiled sadly. "For a second I thought he'd be up and out, but I told him where you'd be. And that you wouldn't leave."
"Sounds like soothing a child."
"Looks like he's got a real phobia connected with hospitals. That's nothing you should take lightly. If he ever has to stay here I bet he's the one to just sneak out and be gone before the treatment starts. Unless we chain him to the bed, of course." The last sentence was spoken so lightly it was a joke. Nolan stood. "I've got to go. Julian's dressing right now so he'll be with you in ten minutes. Pick up the medicine at the counter." He kissed her brow. "Good luck to you and keep me informed." He waved goodbye and went down the corridor, his frock swinging around his long legs.
Kyra waited with bated breath and, when Julian came fumbling with the jacket, she was there to help him. He looked even paler than before. "I won't ask if you're okay, just get out of here, yes?" He nodded and pointed to his throat. "Still numb?" He nodded. "Fine. So I've got a chance to talk your ears off and you can't do shit about it."
It was no lie that the patient's throat was anaesthetized during the examination, but it was a lie that there were no side effects and no pain later.
Kyra had tucked Julian up in her bed, brought a hot water bottle and a bowl, and came to check on him every half hour, waiting for him to feel better and find his voice. However, Julian's throat was so sore he could hardly speak and swallowing was a completely different matter. She tried to give him tea in small sips, but he brought it up again. She washed his face, cleaned up, and stayed at his side for the night. Since it was impossible to give him painkillers Julian lived through rough hours, but had the assurance of Kyra's presence. She was tired and worried in the morning, seeing him so pale and weak.
"You've got to work," he rasped.
Kyra shook her head. "I cannot leave you like this, not without knowing you'll be in good care."
"Not… Pierre, please."
"No, I hadn't thought of Pierre."
Josselyn Nolan came at noon, granting Kyra three hours to drive to work, speak with customers or postpone meetings and be back before Josselyn had to leave for her shift.
She sat down beside him again. He was looking better by a few degrees since Josselyn had given him an injection against the pain, but still he was a shadow of his usual self. Kyra put a hand on his cheek, loving, caring. She knew she had felt more for him for some time, but had thought it to be lust.
Julian had a luscious body so damn perfect that no woman could withstand the temptation. His body had been the trigger to her playroom fantasies, but there was much more to it. She was drawn to him in so many ways. There was sexuality in the package, but she had seen him outside her dreams. Working. Laughing. Pulling her legs when he thought it right. Angry and brawling. Even fighting with another worker. The picture of Julian Bithrell was a puzzle of hundreds of pieces and she liked each and every one she found.
Julian opened his eyes and sighed deeply. "I'm sorry."
Woken from her reverie, Kyra's face held nothing but a surprised frown. "For what?"
"For being such a pain in the neck." He reached for the cup of tea on the nightstand and drank. "What do other employers do when their convicts get sick?"
"The prison hospital takes them if it's unavoidable."
"Oh."
"But Doc Nolan was a better choice, wasn't he?"
Julian made an approving sound. Still resting on his side he eyed her. "You look very tired. Did you sleep at all?"
"No. I'm dead on my feet, all right." She stroked a strand of hair off his brow. "If you're okay I'll snuggle up on the other bedside and get some rest."
"Yeah, I'd like that."
Kyra's smile was filled with relief. "I knew you'd say that."
CHAPTER 25
"Kyra, wait a moment."
She stopped on the threshold of her bedroom. Julian got to his feet and closed the laces of the jogging pants. Kyra thought that he still looked weak enough to stay in bed, but--being stubborn--he wanted to be up and around the house. He came to her, looking insecure. The picture of a boy put in a manly frame was back and Kyra smiled involuntarily.
"I just wanted to thank you…for taking care of me."
"Sure. No big deal."
"It's a big deal for me." Julian wet his lips. He had lost weight, but now that his appetite returned Kyra hoped for a quick recovery. "I never had anyone taking care of me like that."
She turned to face him, frowning. "I did it gladly. You know that. Like I said, no big deal."
He let go of his breath, groping for words, but she made it hard for him. He held her at the shoulders and made her look into his eyes. "Don't you understand, Kyra? Since I turned fifteen, there has been no one around who took care of me like you did the last days. Hell, like you've done for more than four months!" His laughter came and faded quickly. "Are you unable to see what that means to me?"
Kyra was helpless how to answer. "Julian, I don't understand. Would it have been more…normal for you if I had abandoned you?"
"No." He pulled her in a hug and held her tight. "You're so good to me." He closed his eyes and kissed her hair. "So good."
"Some air, please," she mumbled, pressed against his chest. He gave her air. "Thank you. I accept the moment of gratitude, but, if ever the need occurs, I'll do it again."
"Just like that." He kissed her brow and she felt a slight tremble in his hands, even in his lips. "You know, you brought me through one of the worst crisis I ever had and just shrug it off. That's…unbelievable."
"My hand's okay. Well, it was after a day." She grinned at him, impishly, and he made an effort to return it.
"So? After a day? I hope you're impressed with my strength."
"Enormously. As soon as you're your usual healthy self I'll order you to rearrange my living room and paint the ceilings. All of them."
"Sure. No big deal."
"Great. Do you want to grab some breakfast?"
"That's why I'm up."
"And the newspaper, too?"
"If it's worth it."
"It is." They went downs
tairs to where the table was already set. They sat down and Kyra handed Julian the third page. "Mr. John Doe had at least one accomplice. They hunted him down yesterday. Or even the day before. Sometimes there's a tight lid on the investigation to not inform accomplices too early."
"I see."
Kyra scrutinized his face as he read the headline and the article. It was mainly about the second man who had been arrested in an apartment near the bayside. Police had searched for material useful to produce bullets and they had finally made the connection between a supplier and the address. It was pure luck that they found a second assassin or, better, a man they supposed to be an assassin. Up to now not much was proven, but the speculation ran high that the men were connected. "They expect John Doe to talk before the other guy does." Kyra interrupted Julian's musing.
He looked up, a pleasant, empty look. "Oh, indeed? I thought he's uptied and not talking."
"He sure is, but what chance does he stand if the other guy's getting an offer by the D.A. and he doesn't?"
"You mean he'd talk about his targets? I don't think so."
"Target was and is the commissioner. That's a moot point. But maybe about other men hired to do the job. It's clear as mud that the mob wouldn't solely set their money on one killer. They haven't done so in the past and they won't do it in the future. And I bet my business that since the day's out when the mayor will make his last speech and the commissioner will announce his run for office there'll be more of those assassins out to kill him. Believe me, security can be tight as it wants to be. A determined killer will always find a way to sneak in."
"You're pretty certain about that."
Kyra shook her head. "Listen, Julian, I'm no longer a cop, but the training's still in my head. We were taught that there is always a certain amount of…chances. Circumstances. You can prepare for any scenario and still overlook something. A tiny detail. Something you'd never thought would or could happen. And, whoosh, there it is. I had a call once and thought it's just about the quarrel at a pub. Nothing serious. The bartender wanted us to show up and so we did. When we got there it was a mass brawl. People going down bleeding, guys hitting each others' noses to pulp, even girls tearing hair and throwing glasses. My, it was a mess! And we were only two cops at the scene. Sure, the bartender called when the fight was at its lowest and when we got there fifteen more people had joined. The bartender had fled and we stood there, flabbergasted."