what she was thinking. “Don’t cry.”
“ I’m sorry.” She wiped her face on the pillow. “You’re being so good to me, and I’m being so difficult.”
“ I’ll leave you two alone now,” Kenny said, softly. “Do you need anything else?”
“ No thank you,” Heather answered, still wiping her eyes.
Kenny patted her leg. “Just concentrate on getting better, honey. You’re gonna get through this.” He smiled at Justin again. “What about you, Justin? I can get you a pair of scrubs to sleep in so you’ll be more comfortable, if you want.”
“ Thanks, but I’m fine.”
“ Get some sleep, then, both of you.”
Kenny turned to go back to his station, but Justin called after him and thanked him. They paused and smiled at each other for a moment, before Kenny left them alone.
“Go to sleep, sweetie.” Justin kissed her forehead.
“ Stay with me.”
“ I’m not leaving. I’m gonna be sleeping right there.” He pointed to his bed a few feet away.
“ No, lie down next to me and hold me.”
“ I can’t do that.”
“ Please, Justin.” She begged him to stay. “I need you.”
He cautiously l ay down next to her and gently cradled her in his arms. “Am I hurting you?”
“ No. You’re making me feel better.” Even though every part of her body ached and she was never more scared in her life, she felt safe and protected within Justin’s embrace. She wished Peter was more like him, and then felt guilty for comparing the two. She knew she could never replicate her relationship with Justin. She only wished Peter could provide her with the warmth, comfort and love that she desperately craved – the same warmth, comfort and love that Justin readily offered her, without the slightest bit of hesitation.
#
Heather slowly opens her eyes and squinted at the daylight that brightened the room. When her vision focused, Kenny’s face loomed over her.
“ I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“ I thought you were Justin.”
“ Where is he?”
Heather glanced at the empty bed next to her. “He must be in the bathroom.”
“ You mean he goes to the bathroom?” Kenny’s smile lit up his entire face. “I haven’t seen him leave your side since my shift started.”
“ That’s Justin. I don’t know what I would do without him, especially last night. I’m sorry I was such a big baby. You would’ve had your hands full if Justin wasn’t here.” She lowered her eyes, embarrassed at her dependence on him. “I can’t seem to handle anything without him.”
“ He takes good care of you.”
“ Yes, he does. He means the world to me.”
“ I can see that. So, you look like you’re feeling better this morning. How’s your back?”
“ A little better. Everything’s sore and it hurts to move. I feel helpless. Thank you again for everything. You’re very sweet. Do you treat all your patients this good?”
He winked at her. “Just the special ones. Go back to sleep, honey. My shift’s over. I’ll be back tonight.”
She was sad to see him go. She found him soothing and comforting, and she looked forward to seeing him again later that evening.
Chapter Twenty-One:
Justin yawned and stretched as he walked back to Heather ’s room. He barely got any sleep last night in the cramped hospital bed he shared with Heather, but at least she slept peacefully after she took her medication. He saw Kenny down the hall, standing outside Heather’s room. Something must be wrong. Justin walked faster, but then Kenny smiled at him, and he wondered if Kenny was waiting for him.
“ Good morning,” Kenny said. “She had a rough night, but she seems better today. How are you holding up?”
Justin sighed. “I’m alright now, but those first two nights were pure hell. I don’t even know what day it is anymore.”
“ She’s lucky to have someone like you. My shift’s over. I was just waiting around to let you know that I’ll be back
“ I’m sorry.” She wiped her face on the pillow. “You’re being so good to me, and I’m being so difficult.”
“ I’ll leave you two alone now,” Kenny said, softly. “Do you need anything else?”
“ No thank you,” Heather answered, still wiping her eyes.
Kenny patted her leg. “Just concentrate on getting better, honey. You’re gonna get through this.” He smiled at Justin again. “What about you, Justin? I can get you a pair of scrubs to sleep in so you’ll be more comfortable, if you want.”
“ Thanks, but I’m fine.”
“ Get some sleep, then, both of you.”
Kenny turned to go back to his station, but Justin called after him and thanked him. They paused and smiled at each other for a moment, before Kenny left them alone.
“Go to sleep, sweetie.” Justin kissed her forehead.
“ Stay with me.”
“ I’m not leaving. I’m gonna be sleeping right there.” He pointed to his bed a few feet away.
“ No, lie down next to me and hold me.”
“ I can’t do that.”
“ Please, Justin.” She begged him to stay. “I need you.”
He cautiously l ay down next to her and gently cradled her in his arms. “Am I hurting you?”
“ No. You’re making me feel better.” Even though every part of her body ached and she was never more scared in her life, she felt safe and protected within Justin’s embrace. She wished Peter was more like him, and then felt guilty for comparing the two. She knew she could never replicate her relationship with Justin. She only wished Peter could provide her with the warmth, comfort and love that she desperately craved – the same warmth, comfort and love that Justin readily offered her, without the slightest bit of hesitation.
#
Heather slowly opens her eyes and squinted at the daylight that brightened the room. When her vision focused, Kenny’s face loomed over her.
“ I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“ I thought you were Justin.”
“ Where is he?”
Heather glanced at the empty bed next to her. “He must be in the bathroom.”
“ You mean he goes to the bathroom?” Kenny’s smile lit up his entire face. “I haven’t seen him leave your side since my shift started.”
“ That’s Justin. I don’t know what I would do without him, especially last night. I’m sorry I was such a big baby. You would’ve had your hands full if Justin wasn’t here.” She lowered her eyes, embarrassed at her dependence on him. “I can’t seem to handle anything without him.”
“ He takes good care of you.”
“ Yes, he does. He means the world to me.”
“ I can see that. So, you look like you’re feeling better this morning. How’s your back?”
“ A little better. Everything’s sore and it hurts to move. I feel helpless. Thank you again for everything. You’re very sweet. Do you treat all your patients this good?”
He winked at her. “Just the special ones. Go back to sleep, honey. My shift’s over. I’ll be back tonight.”
She was sad to see him go. She found him soothing and comforting, and she looked forward to seeing him again later that evening.
Chapter Twenty-One:
Justin yawned and stretched as he walked back to Heather ’s room. He barely got any sleep last night in the cramped hospital bed he shared with Heather, but at least she slept peacefully after she took her medication. He saw Kenny down the hall, standing outside Heather’s room. Something must be wrong. Justin walked faster, but then Kenny smiled at him, and he wondered if Kenny was waiting for him.
“ Good morning,” Kenny said. “She had a rough night, but she seems better today. How are you holding up?”
Justin sighed. “I’m alright now, but those first two nights were pure hell. I don’t even know what day it is anymore.”
“ She’s lucky to have someone like you. My shift’s over. I was just waiting around to let you know that I’ll be back
Similar Books
