sooner. Not that the big gorilla would have stopped without a tranquilizer gun. She traced his elbow. “How does this feel?”
He shrugged. “A little tender.”
She touched the lump on the back of his arm. “This?”
He grunted. “The same.”
Annie massaged the area with long, slow strokes. It took longer than before to relax him. “Macho heroics will land you back in the hospital. You should have told me about the pain.”
He closed his eyes. “I could handle it.”
“And when you're back in a hospital bed, it will be a huge waste of the taxpayers' money.” He stiffened as she touched the inside of his elbow. “In the future, if it hurts, tell me. If I say stop, you stop, no questions asked.” She raised his arm, guiding it in a slow circle. “Better?”
He nodded, his breathing level. “I'll try to watch the macho heroics, I promise.”
“This isn't a joke, Sam. One more stunt like that and I'll have you flown out of here.”
“I need to work.” He looked tired, infuriated at a body that wouldn't do exactly what he told it to do.
“All in due time.”
Keys rattled at the side door. Sam tried to sit up, but Annie held him still.
“Anybody home?” Izzy opened the door from the patio,looking from Annie to Sam. “Am I interrupting something? This feels like the last episode of
Survivor.
”
Neither Annie nor Sam laughed.
Izzy crossed his arms. “Let's have it. Why all the tension?”
“Because Sam's being an idiot.”
“A macho hero idiot,” Sam offered dryly.
“He could have hurt himself badly.”
“But I didn't.”
“How do you know?” Annie shot back. “That elbow is probably a mess inside.”
“My body, my choice.”
“Whoa.” Izzy stood carefully between them. “Take it easy, you two. I'll check Sam out. As it happens, the team from Bethesda just sent me some more equipment, and I have to run tests on him anyway. Looks like my medic training's going to be helpful.”
Sam muttered a few pithy phrases, which Izzy ignored as he reached into his jacket.
“By the way, here's that refill for painkillers.”
Annie stared at the bottle. “When did he run out of pills?”
“Last night. I ordered more as soon as the pharmacy opened.”
“You lied to me.” Annie glared at Sam. “Why am I surprised? Mr. Macho all the way, aren't you?”
“I work better when I can feel my body.” Sam grimaced, as if looking for a comfortable position. “You're making a big deal out of nothing.”
“Am I? Maybe we should just quit right now. Otherwise, I might murder you myself.”
“Hell of a way to go, Doc,” he murmured. “I could die of pleasure from one of your massages.”
Annie picked up the blue exercise ball and tossed it to Izzy. “Call me when the Boy Wonder here grows up. Until then, this is a complete waste of everyone's time.”
Chapter Fourteen
“W ANT TO TELL ME WHAT THAT WAS ALL ABOUT?” IZZY WATCHED Annie stalk out of the room, then turned to study Sam.
“I got her steamed.”
“No kidding.”
“I didn't tell her about the pain pills,” Sam said tightly. “Then I asked if she was involved with anyone.”
“Not your business, is it?” Izzy stared at the bar of sunlight cutting across the exercise mat. “I suggest you spend your time getting well, not asking Annie personal questions. How's your shoulder?”
Sam rotated his arm slowly. “It hurts.”
“How much?”
“Like a fragmentation grenade.”
“I take it you didn't tell Annie that.”
Sam merely snorted.
“She's got a point, macho man. She's supposed to be clued in so she can monitor your progress.”
“You want me to snivel about every little ache and pain?”
“We're not talking about little aches and pain. Annie's your on-site caregiver, and she needs to know if you've taken your meds or not.”
Sam's mouth flattened. “You, too?”
“Face it, friend. You're an important asset to the U.S. Navy, and I'm under orders to get you back on your feet pronto. Don't make my job
He shrugged. “A little tender.”
She touched the lump on the back of his arm. “This?”
He grunted. “The same.”
Annie massaged the area with long, slow strokes. It took longer than before to relax him. “Macho heroics will land you back in the hospital. You should have told me about the pain.”
He closed his eyes. “I could handle it.”
“And when you're back in a hospital bed, it will be a huge waste of the taxpayers' money.” He stiffened as she touched the inside of his elbow. “In the future, if it hurts, tell me. If I say stop, you stop, no questions asked.” She raised his arm, guiding it in a slow circle. “Better?”
He nodded, his breathing level. “I'll try to watch the macho heroics, I promise.”
“This isn't a joke, Sam. One more stunt like that and I'll have you flown out of here.”
“I need to work.” He looked tired, infuriated at a body that wouldn't do exactly what he told it to do.
“All in due time.”
Keys rattled at the side door. Sam tried to sit up, but Annie held him still.
“Anybody home?” Izzy opened the door from the patio,looking from Annie to Sam. “Am I interrupting something? This feels like the last episode of
Survivor.
”
Neither Annie nor Sam laughed.
Izzy crossed his arms. “Let's have it. Why all the tension?”
“Because Sam's being an idiot.”
“A macho hero idiot,” Sam offered dryly.
“He could have hurt himself badly.”
“But I didn't.”
“How do you know?” Annie shot back. “That elbow is probably a mess inside.”
“My body, my choice.”
“Whoa.” Izzy stood carefully between them. “Take it easy, you two. I'll check Sam out. As it happens, the team from Bethesda just sent me some more equipment, and I have to run tests on him anyway. Looks like my medic training's going to be helpful.”
Sam muttered a few pithy phrases, which Izzy ignored as he reached into his jacket.
“By the way, here's that refill for painkillers.”
Annie stared at the bottle. “When did he run out of pills?”
“Last night. I ordered more as soon as the pharmacy opened.”
“You lied to me.” Annie glared at Sam. “Why am I surprised? Mr. Macho all the way, aren't you?”
“I work better when I can feel my body.” Sam grimaced, as if looking for a comfortable position. “You're making a big deal out of nothing.”
“Am I? Maybe we should just quit right now. Otherwise, I might murder you myself.”
“Hell of a way to go, Doc,” he murmured. “I could die of pleasure from one of your massages.”
Annie picked up the blue exercise ball and tossed it to Izzy. “Call me when the Boy Wonder here grows up. Until then, this is a complete waste of everyone's time.”
Chapter Fourteen
“W ANT TO TELL ME WHAT THAT WAS ALL ABOUT?” IZZY WATCHED Annie stalk out of the room, then turned to study Sam.
“I got her steamed.”
“No kidding.”
“I didn't tell her about the pain pills,” Sam said tightly. “Then I asked if she was involved with anyone.”
“Not your business, is it?” Izzy stared at the bar of sunlight cutting across the exercise mat. “I suggest you spend your time getting well, not asking Annie personal questions. How's your shoulder?”
Sam rotated his arm slowly. “It hurts.”
“How much?”
“Like a fragmentation grenade.”
“I take it you didn't tell Annie that.”
Sam merely snorted.
“She's got a point, macho man. She's supposed to be clued in so she can monitor your progress.”
“You want me to snivel about every little ache and pain?”
“We're not talking about little aches and pain. Annie's your on-site caregiver, and she needs to know if you've taken your meds or not.”
Sam's mouth flattened. “You, too?”
“Face it, friend. You're an important asset to the U.S. Navy, and I'm under orders to get you back on your feet pronto. Don't make my job
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