Free Dr. Dark and Far-Too Delicious by Carol Marinelli

them laughing as he tried to rest.
    And whatever they were doing it must be funny because he even heard the po-faced nursing supervisor, who must be doing her rounds, start to laugh.
    Jed turned on the white noise machine but still he couldn’t sleep.
    He could do without this!
    * * *
    ‘Morning, sunshine!’ Greg rapped on the door at six, but Jed was awake. He rolled out of bed and brushed his teeth, headed out, took a few bloods and discharged a couple of patients, and wished the place would pick up.
    He got one query appendicitis and one very grumpy old man called Ken Jones. He had a chronically infected leg ulcer, which was being dressed by a visiting nurse twice a week, but he had decided at five-thirty a.m. that it was time to do something about it and had called an ambulance. He was very grubby and unkempt and had his radio with him, which was tuned in to a chat show.
    ‘What’s his blood sugar?’
    ‘Eight,’ Jasmine said.
    ‘You’re taking all your diabetic medication, Ken?’ Jed checked.
    ‘I just do what I’m told.’
    ‘Okay.’ Jed had already carefully examined the man and his leg and he chatted to him for a little while. ‘I’m going to get the medics to come down and have a look at you,’ Jed said, ‘but it might take a while. We’re really quiet down here but I know they’re very busy up on the ward, so you might have to stay with us for a while. And we could look at the dressings nurse to come and have a good look at your wound and maybe try something new.’
    ‘Up to you.’
    ‘It could be a few hours,’ Jed said.
    ‘I don’t make a fuss.’
    Jed grinned as he walked out. ‘He’ll be ringing up the radio station to complain about how long he has to wait soon.’
    ‘Does he really need to see the medics?’
    ‘Probably not,’ Jed said. ‘Penny will probably clear him out by eight, but...’ he gave a shrug, ‘...the old boy’s lonely, isn’t he? Anyway, he could do with a good looking over, his chest is a bit rattly and he’s a bit dry. I’ll run some bloods.’
    ‘I’ll order him breakfast,’ Jasmine yawned.
    She ordered a breakfast from the canteen and then checked on the query appendicitis. His drip was about through so she headed over to the IV room. When she swiped her card and saw that Jed was in there, sorting out his trolley to take the bloods, she nearly turned and ran.
    But that would be making a big deal of things so instead she stepped in.
    ‘We need to talk,’ Jed said without looking up from his task.
    ‘No we don’t,’ Jasmine said. ‘Really, it’s fine.’
    ‘Sure about that?’ Jed said, and then looked over.
    And, no, she wasn’t sure about that because the ghost of their kiss was there in the room. She could see the exact spot where he’d pressed her to the wall, feel again every feeling she had yesterday—except the anger, except the upset.
    ‘What about we meet for coffee after work?’ he suggested.
    ‘People will see,’ Jasmine said. ‘You know what this place is like.’ She certainly didn’t want a hint of this getting back to Penny.
    ‘I meant away from the hospital. Just to talk.’
    She shook her head. She’d hardly slept yesterday and had to work tonight as well as stop by her mum’s at five and give Simon his dinner.
    ‘I just want to go to bed.’ She opened her mouth to correct herself and thankfully they both actually laughed.
    ‘I really,’ Jasmine said slowly, ‘and I mean really am in no position to start something. I know people say that, but I’ve got a whole lot of things to sort out before...’ She shook her head. ‘I’m not going there.’
    ‘I get that,’ Jed said. ‘Believe me, I had no intention of getting involved with someone at work but yesterday, hell, these past weeks...’ He wondered how something he had spent all yesterday regretting should be something he would happily do again right this minute.
    ‘Is that why you’ve been so horrible?’
    ‘I haven’t,’ he said, then conceded,