by Sherie Keys
The camera slid back in, and the screen showed a clear picture of where the tumor had been removed from. The pink matter had signs of trauma, but there was no bleeding, and no other unusual lumps or bumps lurked. She gave a final look, and then began to pull the camera out.
“I’m giving the clear, we’re going to close up and Lucas will head to the recovery area.”
In what seemed like moments, the camera was removed, and she began to close his incision. The robotic tools worked seamlessly to mend the bone and flesh together so they could properly heal. Catherine gave a small smile as she made the last stitch, the incision by far the smallest and cleanest she had ever made for such an in depth procedure. She turned to her team and nodded.
“That’s a wrap everyone, let’s get him into recovery.”
The team let out a round of applause. Smiles were hidden under their masks, but their eyes shone brightly and their whoops of joy marked the happy end to the operation. Catherine smiled back. She was exhausted and relieved it was over, but she knew this was just the beginning of his journey back to normalcy. The outcome appeared good, but the what-if’s remained in the back of her mind. Until he awoke and they had an idea of where his mental capacity was at, she would worry.
The team sprang into action and began to prepare him for the recovery area. She stood up and headed straight to the door where Michael waited, his eyes locked on her as she entered the room. She pulled off her mask and glasses, slid off her coat, and ran fatigued hands through her hair, shedding the hair net and letting down her curls. It felt good to free herself from the operating room uniform.
He strode over to her. She looked up and saw his red, tired eyes crinkle as he gave her a small, drained smile, and then he wrapped her in an all-encompassing hug. She held him tight. His warm body pressed against hers, and she drank in his embrace like a long, needed drink of cool water after a journey in the hot desert.
He slowly pulled back, “How did it go?”
Catherine took a deep breath and sat down on the white bench. He followed suit and rested a hand on her knee as she composed her thoughts.
“I think the removal was a success, and there were no signs of trauma to any area of the brain. But these things are delicate, we’re going to have to wait and see where he’s at when he wakes up.”
A moment of silence hung between them. The bustle of clean-up and the sound of footsteps from the other room echoed around them as they both tried to process the last twelve hours.
He inhaled slowly, then asked, “When do you think that will be?”
She shook her head. “He’ll be out at least another twelve hours from the drugs. We want to keep him under for a bit and let everything settle. We’ll just need to watch his vitals and brain activity. Right now everything is normal, just needs to stay that way.”
“Okay, the team will be keeping an eye on him?”
“Around the clock, they’ll inform us if any changes occur.”
He nodded, but his eyes drifted to the now empty room. Only a few staff members remained as they worked to clean the equipment.
“I can’t even begin to process this all. If it wasn’t my baby brother, I’d be out having a celebratory drink right now. But…” he drifted off and closed his eyes. He reached his hand up and kneaded his temple as he tried to find the words.
She rested a hand on his forearm. His weary gaze met hers, and she managed a wan smile. “We’re over the first hurdle, remember that. And the bonus? The robotic assist was a complete success.”
“You’re right, it was amazing seeing you out there. You were truly one with that machine, I was blown away.” He quirked a brow at her, “Think I might have to send one back to New York with you.”
She gave a small laugh. “I would love that. This machine is going to save a lot of lives, Michael. You’ve created a true miracle maker.”
He nodded, his eyes returning to the empty room. “We’ll have to wait and see.”
Another moment of quiet fell over them, their fatigue tangible. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, then kissed her gently on the forehead.
“Truly, you were unbelievable out there. I can feel how tired we both are, why don’t we head home, get some rest, and come back here tomorrow?”
“Yes, please. All I want right now is a long, hot shower.” She groaned as she leaned her weight into his frame.
He chuckled. “Only if I can join you.”
She looked up at him with bright eyes and a smirk. “I think I’d prefer it that way.”
…
They returned home, the silence between them comfortable and brought on only by the absolute exhaustion of the day. Catherine watched the tropical scenery pass by, her eyes heavy as she went in and out of consciousness. He played Creedence Clearwater Revival as they drove. The soundtrack seemed to take on a new meaning thanks to her state of fatigue and the surreal sunrise that cast warm hues over the land.
The estate appeared in the distance, the towering, stone building a sanctuary after the seemingly endless day she had experienced. After being awake over twenty-four hours, her mind could only think of the warm water that waited in the shower and the soft bed that beckoned her to come sleep.
The two of them moved in quiet unison as he parked the car and they returned to the house. Too tired to even eat or do anything else, they headed toward his room where the large shower awaited. Catherine began to pull her clothes off, her sore shoulders and aching neck making her hiss in pain. Michael came up behind her. His rough hands gently opened the buttons of her blouse, slowly undoing each one. She closed her eyes and let him remove every article; each brush of his flesh against hers brought a comfort she had never felt before.
He unsnapped her bra and let the silky material fall away, then leaned in and lightly kissed her breasts. His hands continued to work, removing her pants, and her hums of pleasure echoed in the bathroom. Soon she stood naked in the room, her body bent in exhaustion and ease as he delicately grazed her body with his lips. His intentions were not to seduce her, but simply to bring her the physical comfort of his touch. She looked at him with half-lidded eyes, slow to realize that he was still dressed.
“Why are you still wearing clothes?” she asked, almost drunkenly.
He let out a quiet chuckle. “I was too focused on taking yours off.”
She gave him a weary smile. “I can help you with that.”
With sore fingers, she pulled his shirt over his head, her lips nuzzling his chest with light, lazy pecks. She undid his pants and pulled his briefs off with the slacks. His half-hard cock greeted her and she looked at him with a coy smile.
“You always ready to go?” she asked with a light laugh.
He shrugged with a bashful look. “Only for you.”
She stood up and wrapped her arms around his naked form. His warmth felt so good against her overworked frame that they momentarily lingered, his hands rubbing her back. She felt her muscles relax against his touch and sighed in contentment, letting him comfort her. She had never had this after a long procedure, but damn did it feel good.
He subtly pulled her back. “That shower looks pretty good, doesn’t it?” he asked as his eyes looked to the oversized stall.
“Mhmmm.” She could only manage a sound of agreement as her eyes closed. She wavered as he released her to step toward the faucet and turn on the hot water.
He looked back at her with a raised brow then stepped into the stall, where steam had begun to roll out in thick, white clouds. The shower had two heads, one on each side to achieve maximum coverage, and she watched the liquid pour over him. His body shimmered in the soft, white light under the trails of water.
She was mesmerized, his athletic frame and full muscles making her twitch in excitement down below. His thick, black hair fell into those dark eyes, and his beard appeared rougher than usual as he gave her a playful smile and a nod to invite her to join him. She snickered at herself—he could turn her on at the drop of a h
at even in this state of foggy, half-asleep exhaustion.
She stepped into the stall, the streams of heat and mellow pounding of the water almost orgasmic. She closed her eyes, stepped right under the showerhead, and let the water fall over her face and soak her hair. She felt Michael rest the front of his body against her back as she stood there, letting the pain, stress, and worry of the day drift away. They remained that way for a long while, his arms wrapped around her hips, his hands clasped over her middle. The curves of her body fit perfectly with his—his cock rested against her ass, and his strong, broad shoulders hovered over her as if to protect her from the outside world.
She breathed in the steam and let the water roll over her skin, letting his hands quietly explore her body and work out the knots that had formed deep in her muscles. She let her chin drop to her chest and the thoughts, the what-ifs, the looping memories faded away with the water that swirled down the drain. All she needed right now was his touch, accompanied by the rejuvenating waves of the water.
When the aches began to fade and her body was fully relaxed, she turned to face him. He looked down at her through a mess of black hair, his eyes heavy but warm as he leaned in and tenderly kissed her. She felt herself melt into him, and he simply held her. She didn’t know how long they held each other, lips and hands working over one another—it could have been minutes or hours, but she didn’t care. She just needed him right now.
When she felt the day had been sufficiently washed away, she finally turned the faucet off. Steam had filled the large bathroom; the mirrors were fogged over and the lights were dim. She grabbed a fluffy, white towel and dried her body with slow, easy strokes, watching as Michael took his own and patted his body down. His eyes kept meeting hers, and they could read each other’s minds. They wanted nothing more than to lie in bed and fall into a deep slumber, wrapped snugly in each other’s arms.
She led him into the bedroom, her delicate fingers intertwined with his, and they collapsed onto the silky sheets. He pulled her close and fit her body against his, his big spoon position like a comforter that was laid over her small frame. A smile spread across her face. It was done. The day was over, Lucas had survived the operation, and she was now lying with Michael in blissful peace. She knew the journey wasn’t over and there were more struggles to face, but right then, in that moment, all seemed right with the world.
She closed her eyes, the images of the day lazily passing behind her lids—Lucas giving her a thumbs up as he headed into surgery, Michael watching her with worried eyes from behind the glass, the screen on the monitor glowing as she grasped the tumor, the team watching with wide eyes. She could still feel the flash of the alarm as Lucas’ heart stopped and the relief as they brought him back.
Michael tightened his hold and pulled her closer. She gave a soft hum, and he kissed her gently on the head. She sighed and let the images go, relishing the feel of this man pressed against her, his warmth all around her. Then she drifted off into an exhausted, deep sleep.
Chapter9
The next morning Catherine and Michael awoke before dawn. Eager to see how her patient was doing, she got up and started getting ready for a day at the hospital. She checked her messages and found only a few updates that Lucas’ vitals were good, but he still remained asleep. Michael told her he needed to quickly go touch base with the tech team, but then he would be joining her at the hospital. With a quick goodbye kiss, they parted ways.
Catherine felt right at home as she walked through the clinic entrance before the rays of the sunrise. She greeted her team members and discussed her patient with each specialist. The morning went by quickly, getting updates and new scans and running tests on Lucas. Everything was coming out normal. His numbers were good and his counts were in range, but he still hadn’t come to. The drugs had worn off, and he was now able to wake up on his own accord, but for some reason, he wasn’t.
Catherine chewed her lip in worry. While it was normal for a patient to remain unconscious, the longer it went on, the possibility of damage increased. If these hours turned to days, the possibility of permanent damage was a real threat. She worried about that, running the operation through her mind, the memory of the screen burned into her brain and eyes. She recalled how the machine had worked out the mass and how they had checked for any lesions or abrasions. Her thoughts raced. The brain would need to readjust after the removal—was there anything that could interfere with that? She felt her heartbeat quicken and her palms begin to sweat. Then she grabbed the charts and once again traced through each one carefully.
In a sigh of frustration, she dropped the papers on the desk in her makeshift office and rested her chin on her hands. She knew she had to wait and give it some time. The other doctors didn’t seem concerned yet. Still, she couldn’t help fretting. Lucas was her patient and her responsibility. She wanted him to wake up, so she could observe him conscious, get a reading on where he was, and gauge the results of the surgery.
With a sudden buzz, her phone went off. She pulled it out of her pocket and was surprised to see it was her friend, Ella. She had been so busy that she hadn’t talked to her best friend in almost two weeks.
She slid the button across the screen and answered the call. “Hey Ella,” she greeted her friend warmly.
“You move to Cuba, disappear to a paradise, and leave me hanging. How the hell are you, woman?”
Catherine let out a long sigh. “It has been a hell of a month. We had to go into an early surgery yesterday, when Lucas started seizing.”
Her friend gasped. “Oh my, is he okay? How did it go?”
“The operation went well; this robotic assist is a complete game changer. But right now I’m worrying about him. He hasn’t woken up yet, and I can’t figure out why.”
“What do you mean?” her friend asked inquisitively.
Ella was a nurse at the hospital where Catherine worked, so she knew she could tell her the results of the tests and get solid feedback. Comforted by that knowledge, she took a deep breath and began going over the readings with her friend.
“It just doesn’t make sense, from everything on paper, he should be awake,” Catherine finished with a sigh of exasperation.
She could see Ella shaking her head as she spoke, “Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, when are you going to learn?”
Catherine straightened up. “Learn what?”
She could see her friend’s sweet smile, as she lightly chided, “That things aren’t always as they appear on paper. You need to let Lucas heal and wake up on his own time, you know that. I know you’re worried, and you know that won’t do any bit of good. You need to relax and let him heal at his own speed. His vitals are good, his scans are clean. Just let it be for a bit. You need to take a walk and go get some fresh air. I know how close you are to this patient and this case, but it doesn’t do any good for you to worry.”
A smile crept on her face, and she nodded. “You’re right, Ella. It’s nice hearing someone else's perspective on it.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, you did good. Just breathe and let it be, okay?”
“Okay, thanks lady.”
“Of course. Now how is that hot boyfriend of yours doing?”
Catherine let out a laugh. “He’s not my boyfriend!” she exclaimed.
“Mhmm, you tell him that? What have you two been up to?”
“Honestly, a lot of work.”
“Oh, what kind of work would that be?” Ella laughed.
Catherine felt her face grow warm; even from another country, her friend could make her blush. “Some of that,” she replied coyly.
“I’m happy for you, if anyone deserves an amazing man, it’s you.”
“Well, I’m not sure if he’s—”
“You two sleeping together every night?”
Catherine hesitated. Before she could reply, Ella answered for her.
“He’s got you wrapped in those big, strong arms every night, trust me woman, he's yours.”
She let out a wholehearted laugh a
t her friend’s response. “Fine, you win.”
“I think you’re the winner here.”
She thought about Michael for a moment, his big, bright smile and those dark blues eyes flashing in her mind.
“Yeah, you might be right about that one.”
“Well, I’ll let you get back to it. Keep me posted about Lucas, I’m looking forward to meeting him when he wakes up. He needs to make a stop in New York, you let him know for me, okay?”
She snickered at her friend’s request, knowing exactly what her motive was. “You got it, take care.”
“Bye girl!”
She hung up and returned her phone to her lab coat pocket, then stood up and stretched. She would give Lucas a quick visit, then head for a walk around the clinic and out to the courtyard for some sun and fresh air. Her friend had been right—she needed to let Lucas heal at his own rate and not waste energy worrying. Whatever was going to happen would happen.
