overwhelming relief.
Leo laughed at his confusion. "I thought you'd be dancing in the hallways at the news."
"Yeah." Luke walked the length of the office and looked out the window. Dancing in the hallways? He would, but suddenly his stomach had fallen to a region somewhere near his toes. "Leo—"
Leo's pager went off. "Sorry, gotta run."
Yeah. So did Luke. The E.R. was full and they were short staffed. Over the rest of the day he removed two spleens, set a broken hip, stitched up a motorcyclist … and never stopped thinking about Healing Waters. Faith.
Why had she released him? She needed him, she'd said so. She needed his visible, public support. She needed the free additional medical staff. She needed … him.
He couldn't shake it, which was the only reason he stopped by the clinic after his shift instead of going home. It had nothing, nothing at all, to do with wanting to see her again.
No one answered his knock downstairs, but that made sense as the clinic was always closed on Mondays. Going around the back, he took the stairs, which were lined with potted plants. On her porch sat a comfy looking wooden swing. Her back door had a large window in it, lined with lace, which allowed him a clear look into her lit kitchen.
And what his clear look afforded him stopped his heart.
Faith, slumped on the floor.
----
Chapter 5
« ^ »
L uke fumbled for Faith's door. Finding it locked, he stepped back, then charged it with far less brute strength than he could have imagined, the door shuddered open.
She hadn't budged. She had her back to the cabinets, her arms around her drawn-up knees and her head down, and was far too still.
He dropped to his knees beside her. "Faith."
Slowly, as if it hurt to move, she lifted her head. Her face was ashen, and when he cupped her jaw in his shaking hands, she was damp with sweat. "Don't touch me," she said. "I'm getting sick."
He slid his hand through a tangle of long red hair. "The flu?" He stroked her hair from her face, felt her forehead. She was cool, even cold.
"It always happens when I let myself get run down. It's an old virus, and I felt it coming for two weeks. I'm all shaky and dizzy. Damn it."
He might have smiled at her petulant tone, if his heart wasn't still threatening to burst right out of his chest. "You don't have a fever."
"So?"
"So when did you eat last?"
Scowling at him, she pushed him away and made to get up, but he slid his hands to her hips and held her down.
She glared at him.
"Stay." Surging to his feet, he went to her refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice. He brought it to her. "Drink."
"From the carton?" she asked with such horror he laughed.
"Just a few sips."
"I'd rather have some tea. You don't by any chance know how to make purple coneflower tea?"
"Huh?"
"Echinacea. It's used to boost the immune system, and also as an antibiotic."
Luke just stared at her.
"Oh, never mind." Leaning her head back against the counter, she tipped the carton up and took a swig. He watched a drop escape her lips and glide down her chin, gaining momentum and hitting a breast. For some oddly inappropriate reason, his mouth watered. He swallowed hard. "Still dizzy?"
"Yeah."
"Then keep your eyes open." He kept his gaze on hers. With his hands already on her body, it was the safest route, though it was a little shocking to realize he needed a safe route. "It'll help."
When she shot him a daggered look, he lifted a shoulder. "Hey, once a doctor…" He watched her take another sip of juice, and some color came back into her cheeks Satisfied, he leaned back on his heels and let out a breath. "Well. That was fun."
"Sorry." Leaning back against the counter, she studied the ceiling. "You can give me some room now."
Yeah. Yeah, he probably could. Clearly she didn't want him hovering any more than he wanted to hover, so he scooted back a bit.
Better. Definitely better.
Too bad he couldn't forget the feel of her in his hands, and doubted he would
Leo laughed at his confusion. "I thought you'd be dancing in the hallways at the news."
"Yeah." Luke walked the length of the office and looked out the window. Dancing in the hallways? He would, but suddenly his stomach had fallen to a region somewhere near his toes. "Leo—"
Leo's pager went off. "Sorry, gotta run."
Yeah. So did Luke. The E.R. was full and they were short staffed. Over the rest of the day he removed two spleens, set a broken hip, stitched up a motorcyclist … and never stopped thinking about Healing Waters. Faith.
Why had she released him? She needed him, she'd said so. She needed his visible, public support. She needed the free additional medical staff. She needed … him.
He couldn't shake it, which was the only reason he stopped by the clinic after his shift instead of going home. It had nothing, nothing at all, to do with wanting to see her again.
No one answered his knock downstairs, but that made sense as the clinic was always closed on Mondays. Going around the back, he took the stairs, which were lined with potted plants. On her porch sat a comfy looking wooden swing. Her back door had a large window in it, lined with lace, which allowed him a clear look into her lit kitchen.
And what his clear look afforded him stopped his heart.
Faith, slumped on the floor.
----
Chapter 5
« ^ »
L uke fumbled for Faith's door. Finding it locked, he stepped back, then charged it with far less brute strength than he could have imagined, the door shuddered open.
She hadn't budged. She had her back to the cabinets, her arms around her drawn-up knees and her head down, and was far too still.
He dropped to his knees beside her. "Faith."
Slowly, as if it hurt to move, she lifted her head. Her face was ashen, and when he cupped her jaw in his shaking hands, she was damp with sweat. "Don't touch me," she said. "I'm getting sick."
He slid his hand through a tangle of long red hair. "The flu?" He stroked her hair from her face, felt her forehead. She was cool, even cold.
"It always happens when I let myself get run down. It's an old virus, and I felt it coming for two weeks. I'm all shaky and dizzy. Damn it."
He might have smiled at her petulant tone, if his heart wasn't still threatening to burst right out of his chest. "You don't have a fever."
"So?"
"So when did you eat last?"
Scowling at him, she pushed him away and made to get up, but he slid his hands to her hips and held her down.
She glared at him.
"Stay." Surging to his feet, he went to her refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice. He brought it to her. "Drink."
"From the carton?" she asked with such horror he laughed.
"Just a few sips."
"I'd rather have some tea. You don't by any chance know how to make purple coneflower tea?"
"Huh?"
"Echinacea. It's used to boost the immune system, and also as an antibiotic."
Luke just stared at her.
"Oh, never mind." Leaning her head back against the counter, she tipped the carton up and took a swig. He watched a drop escape her lips and glide down her chin, gaining momentum and hitting a breast. For some oddly inappropriate reason, his mouth watered. He swallowed hard. "Still dizzy?"
"Yeah."
"Then keep your eyes open." He kept his gaze on hers. With his hands already on her body, it was the safest route, though it was a little shocking to realize he needed a safe route. "It'll help."
When she shot him a daggered look, he lifted a shoulder. "Hey, once a doctor…" He watched her take another sip of juice, and some color came back into her cheeks Satisfied, he leaned back on his heels and let out a breath. "Well. That was fun."
"Sorry." Leaning back against the counter, she studied the ceiling. "You can give me some room now."
Yeah. Yeah, he probably could. Clearly she didn't want him hovering any more than he wanted to hover, so he scooted back a bit.
Better. Definitely better.
Too bad he couldn't forget the feel of her in his hands, and doubted he would
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