door opened. He looked up in relief as she entered, followed by Dr. Hopkirk.
“Everything all right?” he directed his question at the doctor.
“I’ve taken some skin samples and I’ll run some tests overnight. We should know more tomorrow. But at this stage, I’m hopeful.”
“You sure about doing this, sis? The decision was rather sudden, wasn’t it?”
The look that passed between doctor and patient tweaked his radar.
Dr. Hopkirk cleared his throat. “Actually, it’s not. I’ve been seeing your sister for a few weeks now.”
Enzo started . “Seeing her?”
The young doctor flushed. “No, no, not that way. I meant, we met when I treated Miss Harding’s leg burns. I saw your sister’s injuries and…well, I’ve had a hard time convincing her to let me take a look.” His eyes strayed to Cara and stayed. “She approached me today and agreed, finally.”
Enzo followed his gaze. “Just like that? Cara, are you sure?”
She nodded, hesitant at first, but then a rare light of determination shone in her eyes. “If it’s possible, I’m willing to give it a try.”
Hopkirk smiled. “That’s the spirit. I’ll give you a call tomorrow when I have the results and we’ll schedule you for another consult, all right?”
She nodded.
Enzo shook hands with the doctor and turned to her. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
In silence, they walked out into the corridor.
“I’m really proud of you, you know. Whatever help you need, I’ll be there for you.” He pulled her close into a hug.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she murmured before pulling away. “Let’s take the stairs. That damn elevator takes too long.”
Enzo fell into step beside her, but with the mention of the elevator, his mind flew miles away. Or not far enough away, depending on which way he looked at it. He shouldn’t be wondering whether Lexi was home by now; shouldn’t be wondering what she was doing. It was Tuesday, not Friday.
But maybe he could call her. They’d made an exception last week, maybe she’d be too hot for him to wait until Friday.
“…don’t you think?”
He tuned and found Cara’s quizzical gaze on him.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said, Lexi had a lot of balls showing up here today, don’t you think?”
He suppressed a sigh at the familiar belligerent tone. “I’m sure she came because she was contacted by Fiona’s parents, much the same way you were.”
“Yeah, but she could’ve said no. She could’ve waited until tomorrow. Anyone with an ounce of sensitivity wouldn’t have turned up. Talk about rubbing it in everyone’s face.”
He frowned. “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”
“But Fiona’s parents are still here. The last thing they need to see the very day she wakes up is the person who put their daughter in a coma. I mean how insensitive is that?”
“Technically, the accident wasn’t her fault, Cara. The truck came from the other side of the road and hit her car, remember? Besides, with things looking up for Fiona, maybe her parents are ready to put the tragedy behind them?” he suggested, hoping she’d drop the subject.
“Or maybe Lexi just doesn’t know when to quit.”
Frustration ate at him. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he stopped. “I don’t understand you, Cara. You were upset last week when you thought she was leaving town. Now you’re upset because she’s still in LA. What exactly do you want?”
“I want to be able to turn back time. For me not to look like this!” She shoved her hand in her face. “For everything to go back to the way it was! Is that too much to ask?” she shouted as tears swam into her eyes.
Swallowing his anger, he enfolded her in his arms, her cry of pain ripping through him. “No, it’s not, and I’m sorry for what happened to you. But we can’t turn back time, Cara. All we can do is move forward. Look, the main thing is that she came because Fiona woke up. Fiona is who we should be concerned about.
“Everything all right?” he directed his question at the doctor.
“I’ve taken some skin samples and I’ll run some tests overnight. We should know more tomorrow. But at this stage, I’m hopeful.”
“You sure about doing this, sis? The decision was rather sudden, wasn’t it?”
The look that passed between doctor and patient tweaked his radar.
Dr. Hopkirk cleared his throat. “Actually, it’s not. I’ve been seeing your sister for a few weeks now.”
Enzo started . “Seeing her?”
The young doctor flushed. “No, no, not that way. I meant, we met when I treated Miss Harding’s leg burns. I saw your sister’s injuries and…well, I’ve had a hard time convincing her to let me take a look.” His eyes strayed to Cara and stayed. “She approached me today and agreed, finally.”
Enzo followed his gaze. “Just like that? Cara, are you sure?”
She nodded, hesitant at first, but then a rare light of determination shone in her eyes. “If it’s possible, I’m willing to give it a try.”
Hopkirk smiled. “That’s the spirit. I’ll give you a call tomorrow when I have the results and we’ll schedule you for another consult, all right?”
She nodded.
Enzo shook hands with the doctor and turned to her. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
In silence, they walked out into the corridor.
“I’m really proud of you, you know. Whatever help you need, I’ll be there for you.” He pulled her close into a hug.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she murmured before pulling away. “Let’s take the stairs. That damn elevator takes too long.”
Enzo fell into step beside her, but with the mention of the elevator, his mind flew miles away. Or not far enough away, depending on which way he looked at it. He shouldn’t be wondering whether Lexi was home by now; shouldn’t be wondering what she was doing. It was Tuesday, not Friday.
But maybe he could call her. They’d made an exception last week, maybe she’d be too hot for him to wait until Friday.
“…don’t you think?”
He tuned and found Cara’s quizzical gaze on him.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said, Lexi had a lot of balls showing up here today, don’t you think?”
He suppressed a sigh at the familiar belligerent tone. “I’m sure she came because she was contacted by Fiona’s parents, much the same way you were.”
“Yeah, but she could’ve said no. She could’ve waited until tomorrow. Anyone with an ounce of sensitivity wouldn’t have turned up. Talk about rubbing it in everyone’s face.”
He frowned. “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”
“But Fiona’s parents are still here. The last thing they need to see the very day she wakes up is the person who put their daughter in a coma. I mean how insensitive is that?”
“Technically, the accident wasn’t her fault, Cara. The truck came from the other side of the road and hit her car, remember? Besides, with things looking up for Fiona, maybe her parents are ready to put the tragedy behind them?” he suggested, hoping she’d drop the subject.
“Or maybe Lexi just doesn’t know when to quit.”
Frustration ate at him. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he stopped. “I don’t understand you, Cara. You were upset last week when you thought she was leaving town. Now you’re upset because she’s still in LA. What exactly do you want?”
“I want to be able to turn back time. For me not to look like this!” She shoved her hand in her face. “For everything to go back to the way it was! Is that too much to ask?” she shouted as tears swam into her eyes.
Swallowing his anger, he enfolded her in his arms, her cry of pain ripping through him. “No, it’s not, and I’m sorry for what happened to you. But we can’t turn back time, Cara. All we can do is move forward. Look, the main thing is that she came because Fiona woke up. Fiona is who we should be concerned about.
Similar Books
