Free Raw Medicine (A Medical Romance Short Story) by Elizabeth Hawkes

You might have a spinal
injury."

 
    She rolled her eyes. "It was
only like fifteen feet. I'm not going to die."

 
    The men carried the stretcher
inside and dropped her off on my exam table. I snapped on a pair of gloves,
preparing gauze and antiseptic to clean her wounds.

 
    The medic and the ranger left,
and she lay there for a second before she saw me.

 
    "Oh hey," she chirped.
"I see you around the village all the time. I had no idea you were the
doctor."

 
    "That's good you had no
idea," I said, reciting a familiar line, "it means you've never had
to come see me. I’m Dr. Hulse, but you can call me Clay."

 
    "Ha. Right. But I don't
think I'm hurt now, either. Kyleen," she said as she extended a hand.

 
    She was spirited, that was for
sure. I examined her neck. I felt her suck her breath in and her body stiffen for a second as my fingers ran over her skin. I
was used to that reaction from women, but this time, it was different. I
couldn't help looking into her big blue eyes as I touched her, and our gazes
locked together for a second.

 
    She was beautiful. Even in her
disheveled state, she looked radiant and healthy, her pale white skin
practically glowing and her eyes alive. Her blond hair was tied back, and the
way the fine wisps blew around in the breeze from the window was alluring. I
wanted to bury my nose in her hair, suck in the smell of her body. I tried to
control myself, but I couldn't, and I felt my cock lurch, pressing against the
front of my pants.

 
    Beautiful
and too young for me. Did she have any clue just how beautiful she was? How fucking
hot?

 
    I tore my eyes away.

 
    "You're fine," I said
finally. I removed the brace that was immobilizing her neck. "You may sit
up now.” I swear , the rangers here turn everything
into a big deal, just to feel important.

 
    "Thank God," she said,
brushing her hair back. "I thought I was going to suffocate with that
thing on me."

 
    I started preparing the gauze to
clean up her abrasions.

 
    "What happened?" I
asked. Kyleen made a disgusted expression.

 
    "I met a boy this morning.
Cory. He said he'd take me climbing, so I met him in the parking lot around
three. So I get there, and he shows me how to put a harness on and belay him
and everything, and then he climbs up and sets up a top rope for me...anyway. I
climb halfway up this cliff, and it's pretty easy, but then he ties off the
other end of the rope and just leaves me hanging there! I had no idea why he
would do that! I had to untie from the end of the rope and climb back down to
the ground by myself. That's when I fell."

 
    I listened to Kyleen's story as I
cleaned her wounds and bandaged her up, shaking my head. I knew Cory and he was
a real punk. But I didn't understand why he would leave her hanging on the side
of a cliff, either. That kid must be even shadier than I thought.

 
    "You're all set to go,"
I said. "I've got your insurance on file already. It's a
ten -dollar copay.

 
    "Okay," Kyleen said,
smiling. Our eyes met for just a second too long, and it made me feel like my
stomach was starting to float. If only I could find a reason to make her stay.
Hell, I was going to ask her out. Forget the age difference. I'd take her out
to dinner tonight, tell her it was to make up for her
shitty day. Steak and wine. And then I'd charm the
pants off her.

 
    I looked back at Kyleen. She was
searching through her backpack, opening and closing zippers.

 
    "Shit shit shit," she
said, her face suddenly growing tight with panic. "It's gone! My wallet's
gone. My credit cards, everything!" She jumped to her feet.
"Shit!" she yelled. "That's why he left me hanging up there!
That kid stole my stuff!"

 
 
 
    Kyleen

 
 
 
    "Come on!" Clay said,
ushering me outside and jumping into a Park Service truck.

 
    "Where are we going?"

 
    "We're going to try to catch
that little shit. There's only one exit out of the park, and we're going to get
there