Free Doctor's Delight by Angela Verdenius Page A

Damien
goodnight and moved out ahead of Cherry. Thankful the ordeal was
over, she flicked the main light off on her way out the room, only
to find him waiting in the corridor. As he turned to face her, some
idiot turned the passage lights off. The only thing lighting the
corridor now was the dim light in the room behind her.
    Total
recognition flashed across Rick’s face.
    Cherry quaked
and took off in a very fast walk that was almost a run.
    Beth came
around the corner and snapped on the lights as she did so. “Sorry,
Cherry. Leo got up and was wandering around, turning off all the
lights. Oh, Dr Reed, good timing. Your other patient, Mitch, in
room thirty four. He’s complaining of abdominal pain and I was
hoping you could see him while you’re here.”
    The doctor had
no choice but to comply. Thank God for professionalism. Cherry
continued on to the treatment room and leaned against the wall, her
eyes closed and her breathing a little ragged.
    Her nightmare
had come true. Rick Reed had recognized her! Damn Damien for making
her hair grip come out, and damn Damien for wanting the light off,
and damn Leo for turning the corridor lights off. The dimness
combined with her hair having fallen down – of all the dumb, rotten
luck. She felt like crying. Rubbing her eyes with trembling hands,
she moaned.
    “Cherry?”
Dropping her hands, she found the afternoon coordinator looking at
her in concern. “You don’t look so good. Do you feel sick?”
    “I – yes. My
head pounds, and I feel really sick.” Really, really sick. She
wanted to go home before Rick came back out into the ward and to
the nurses’ station. Grabbing the opportunity with both hands, she
added, “I think I’m coming down with something.”
    “I think you
should go home.” The coordinator glanced at the watch pinned to her
shirt. “It’s knock-off in another hour. We’ll hold the fort until
the nightshift comes on. Get your things.” She’d obviously thought
of something. “Dr Reed is here looking at some patients. We could
get him to have a look at you while he’s here—”
    “No!” Hell no!
“No, honestly, I’ll be okay. I just need to go home to bed.”
    “Well, if
you’re sure.” The coordinator stepped back. “Will you be okay to
drive?”
    “Fine.
Honestly.” Straightening up from the wall she was leaning against,
Cherry left the treatment room and walked to the nurses’
station.
    The coordinator
checked the roster as they passed, forcing Cherry to stop in
politeness. She almost died on the spot when she saw Rick and Beth
approaching from the opposite direction.
    Rick looked
directly at her, his features grim as he mouthed ‘wait.’
    Like that was
going to happen.
    “You have two
days off from tomorrow anyway,” the coordinator said. “So if you’re
coming down with something, it’s nicely timed.” She laughed.
    Cherry didn’t
think it was amusing.
    Rick rounded
the nurses’ station desk and looked directly at Cherry. “Sick, are
we?”
    To the stomach.
She could barely meet his cool gaze. “Just a little something,” she
managed, staring at his chin.
    That very
strong chin. That jaw line with the shadow of beard. The muscle
that ticked in it. She gulped.
    “Step into the
treatment room,” he said levelly. “I’ll have a look at you.”
    Oh God, that
stirred up all kinds of images. He had looked at her, seen her,
done things to her. Been inside her. Lifting her gaze, she met his
eyes squarely and felt a flush of heat blossom in her cheeks. The
bloody man knew exactly what she was thinking, she just knew by the
glint in his eyes!
    “Thanks, but
not necessary.” In one swift turn, she walked quickly down the
corridor.
    She could feel
his gaze burning into her back, but she knew there was no way he’d
pursue her. He had patients to see, notes to write, and no gossip
to stir up. She was safe. Until she came back to the hospital,
anyway, and that was a problem for another day. For tonight and the
next two days