A Soldier's Reunion. Cheryl Wyatt
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at the softness in his. “I—I haven’t had anything.” She dipped her face, partly to avoid the compassion in his. How she hated to be weak in front of him again.
Nolan rose, looking determinedly down halls, probably for a nurse.
Mandy straightened. “They offered but I declined it.”
He inclined his head. “Now why would you go and do a silly—”
“Dr. Manchester?” Nurse Bailey approached.
Thank goodness. Saved by the Bailey.
“Yes?” Mandy stood.
Nolan stepped back but put his hand to her unaffected elbow.
Bailey motioned toward the unit. “You’re up next. Come on back.”
Nolan made motions to follow. Mandy held her hand palm up in halt position. Comically annoyed but steadfast, he looked at it like it was no barrier. When his gaze reached hers, he stopped and drew a long breath that made his chest bigger. Like it needed it. Not!
“Look Mandy, I came here to see how you were. But also, I wanted to set up a time to meet. We need to talk.”
Her hand jammed to her hip. “Not interested in discussing anything.” Knees trembling, she turned to go.
A strong hand curled around her healthy wrist. “Don’t be mule-headed.” He moved toward the room with her still in hand.
She stopped, tugged her hand free and shot him a caustic glare. “Bye, Nolan.”
His body tensed, but paused. The knot in his jaw rippled. Always a sign of frustration in Nolan. Yet rarely, if ever, had it been directed at her.
She turned to go to the room Nurse Bailey disappeared into.
“This is far from over, Mandy.” The decree floated from somewhere behind her.
She ignored him until she reached the room entrance. Then mistakenly cast a glance over her shoulder to see if he’d actually listened to her and left.
Right.
He stood, stubborn and tall, feet planted right where her words had left him. And according to the steel-plated glint in his resolute eyes he not only wasn’t going anywhere, her words may as well have fallen on deaf ears.
He wasn’t budging.
This is far from over.
Then an unspoken version of that message traveled, mesmerizingly slow and daringly potent, down the corridor from his eyes to hers. And his immovable jutting stance said exactly the same yet fractionally different:
We are far from over.
Chapter Five
“It’s broken for sure?” Mandy askd Dr. Riviera after she’d been taken to a room and her wrist X-rayed.
“Yes.”
A sinking feeling hit her gut. “Are soft tissues involved?”
Wheels on the med cart squeaked as he pushed it toward her. “Subsequent X-rays and an MRI will tell for sure. But judging by the pain, swelling and disfigured angle of the hand, I’m guessing yes.”
“Figured as much.” How would this affect her job? Could she safely carry out examinations with her left hand when she was right-handed? Her mind clicked through common procedures. Discouragement abounded.
A knock sounded at the door. “Bailey in here?” a male voice Mandy recognized as Dr. Callahan’s asked. “We have issues in nine and could use another pair of arms.”
“You’re in hot demand today.” Mandy smiled at Bailey, feeling compassion for the tired woman. All the wrung-out staff, really.
“Always. Excuse me.” Nurse Bailey scurried out.
Dr. Riviera suddenly looked weary as he moved into the light. Dark shadows circled his normally bright eyes, now bloodshot. Puffy bags of skin clung to them, making him look older.
Empathy filled her. “You’ve been here all night?”
He nodded and offered a tired smile. “I’ll get relief soon. I wanted to see your treatment through first.” He stifled a yawn.
“I understand.” She eyed the cart and moved to the edge of the table’s padded seat. Paper crinkled beneath her. “So what torture are you about to inflict, hmm?”
He chuckled. “First, I need to know how you’re getting home. If these bones aren’t aligned, we’ll need to reset the hand.”
Ouch. “I know.”
“Which means you also know I’ll have to heavily sedate or anesthetize you?”
She gritted her teeth and nodded.
He unwrapped her bandage. “Whoever splinted this did a fabulous job.”
Mandy licked her lips and stared at a spot on the wall.
“Be right back and we’ll get this fixed up after I snag someone to help me. Now that Callahan stole Bailey from me.”
It took longer than Mandy expected for the door to open. Dr. Riviera re-entered, armed with hot pink casting paraphernalia.
Bailey started Mandy’s IV, then left to answer a call light.
Wheels creaked as an anesthetist entered with a cart. “You’re not going to be able to walk home after we apply this.” He looked pointedly at Mandy’s wrist, the anesthesia cart and casting material. “Is there someone you can call?”
“I’d offer a ride but we have a mandatory stress debriefing,” Riviera said.
“I imagine patients need this bed, too.” Occupied gurneys crammed all hallways with curtained partitions around them. Guilt slammed her over having this private room.
“Other than you and Doc Callahan, the two hoodlums who recruited me to supposedly calm Refuge, I don’t know anyone awake at this hour.” She hated to wake Amelia.
“You know me,” Nolan said from the door.
Her head lifted.
He must have had a shower because he looked clean-shaven and wore civilian clothes. Trendy jeans hugged lean legs, revealing muscles she hadn’t noticed yesterday. His shirt caught her attention too. A pressed black button up with silvery-white pin stripes—her favorite colors. Coincidence? Or did he remember? Nolan never wore black in the summer.
She cleared her throat and eyed her supervisor.
Dr. Riviera watched them with amused interest.
“May I come in?” Nolan asked.
Mandy shifted. “Looks like you already are.”
Guilt prodded Mandy to squirm under his gently inquisitive eyes.
Vague recollections of him walking her to the lab and imaging departments last night seeped into her thoughts. Holding her as she’d tried not to yelp from pain as technicians straightened her hand to get a good image. He’d talked her through the procedure as a doula coached a woman through labor. Like he’d talked her through hundreds of problems growing up.
And, because meds had lowered her resistance, she’d let him.
“I’m not really up for visitors, Nolan.”
“How’s it going, Airman Briggs?” Ignoring her, Dr. Riviera walked to the door and extended his hand. “Nice job on the bridge. Got all the children off safely, I hear.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Nolan shook Riviera’s hand.
“Rumor has it you might be leaving soon?” Riviera said.
Mandy looked up. What? Leaving? What?
Nolan’s jaw tensed. “Maybe.”
“How