A Knight for Nurse Hart

by Laura Iding

  “Will you take him out into the back yard for me?” Caleb asked. “I need to get all his stuff packed into the car as he’s coming home with me.”

  “Sure. Come on, Grizz,” she called, walking through the house, flicking on lights as she went. The back door was in the kitchen, and she followed the dog outside, waiting patiently while he took care of business.

  He bounded toward her soon afterwards and she stroked his silky fur. “I bet you’re already missing Dr. Frank, aren’t you?” she murmured. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Caleb is going to take good care of you.”

  She took Grizz back inside the house to find Caleb lugging a forty-pound bag of dog food out to his car.

  “All set?” she asked as he closed the trunk.

  “Yes.” He opened the back passenger door. “Come on, Grizz, you get the whole back seat to yourself.”

  The ride to Caleb’s house didn’t take long and when she followed him inside, she was assaulted by memories. Good memories. Painfully good memories. She averted her gaze from the sofa where she and Caleb had very nearly made love.

  She wished more than ever she’d made love to Caleb that night. Now it was too late.

  She put a hand to her stomach, surprised to note her earlier attack of nausea seemed to have gone away. Determined to hope for the best, she told herself that was a good thing. Maybe the sickness was nothing more than a touch of flu.

  Grizz paced around Caleb’s house, sniffing at everything with interest. When he’d finished exploring his new surroundings, and apparently deemed them acceptable, he made himself comfortable by flopping on Caleb’s sofa.

  She heard Caleb sigh, but he didn’t make Grizz get down. Instead, he reached over to scratch the silky fur behind his ears. “I’ll be back later, Grizz, okay?”

  The dog thumped his tail on the sofa in agreement.

  Raine followed Caleb back outside to his car. The ride back to the hospital was quiet.

  When he’d parked the car, he turned toward her. “Thanks for coming with me, Raine.”

  “You’re welcome.” She tilted her head curiously, wondering if he was wanting to get rid of her. “Ready to head inside to see if there’s any news on your dad?”

  He took the key from the ignition and flashed a tired smile. “Raine, it’s well after midnight. I appreciate everything you’ve done, but I’m sure you’re exhausted. It’s fine if you’d rather head home.”

  Slowly she shook her head. No matter what had transpired between her and Caleb in the past, there was no way in the world she could just walk away. Not now. She opened her passenger side door with determination. “Let’s find out how he’s doing, okay? Then I’ll head home.”

  Caleb didn’t protest when she followed him inside, riding the elevator up to the waiting room. She wanted to believe he was glad to have her around, but suspected he was just too tired to argue.

  The desk in the waiting room was empty. Apparently the volunteers who usually manned the area had already gone home for the night.

  She stood off to the side, while Caleb picked up the phone to call up to the OR.

  “This is Caleb Stewart. Is there any news on my father, Frank Stewart?”

  Raine couldn’t hear what was said on the other end of the line, but when Caleb nodded and murmured thanks, before hanging up, she couldn’t help asking, “Is he still in surgery?”

  “Yeah. They’re finished with the main portion of the procedure, and they’re starting to close him now. They estimate he’ll be in the ICU within the hour.”

  The knotted muscles in her neck eased. “That’s good news.”

  “Yeah, although apparently he ended up having his aortic valve replaced too, in addition to the repairs to his coronary arteries.” Caleb scrubbed a hand over his face. “But he’s hanging in there, so I’m going to keep hoping for the best.”

  She watched as he crossed over to take a seat. He glanced up in surprise when she followed. “Raine, I don’t expect you to hang out here with me indefinitely.”

  They may have dated for two months, but he obviously didn’t know her very well. Why was he so anxious to believe the worst about her? Just because he’d been cheated on in the past? Was it possible he was incapable of trusting her at all? Maybe. But no matter what had transpired between them, she couldn’t have left him alone in that waiting room if her life had depended on it.

  She dropped into the seat beside him, curling her legs underneath her. “I’m not leaving, Caleb. I’m staying.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CALEB glanced over at Raine sitting in the waiting-room chair, her eyes closed as she’d finally given in to her exhaustion. He stared at her, watching her sleep, trying to figure her out.

  After not seeing her for the past month, it was scary how easily they’d ended up here together. He almost reached out to brush a strand of hair away from her eyes, but stopped himself just in time. He didn’t want to read too much into her actions, but he couldn’t help from wondering if her staying here with him meant she was willing to give him another chance.

  And would he mess things up again, if she did?

  He let out a heavy sigh, wishing he knew the answer to that one. Raine was beautiful, smart and funny. He’d enjoyed just being with her. But he couldn’t blame the demise of their relationship solely on her. He owned a big piece of the problem.

  Trust didn’t come easy. And he didn’t have a clue how to fix the tiny part of him that always held back. The tiny part of him that always doubted.

  The tiny part of him that constantly expected and saw the worst.

  The door to the waiting room swung open, distracting him from his reverie. An older man dressed in scrubs, a surgical mask dangling around his neck, emerged through the doorway. He recognized him as Dr. Steve Summers, one of the cardiothoracic surgeons who operated out of Trinity Medical Center.

  “Raine?” Caleb reached over to gently shake her shoulder to wake her up.

  At his touch, she bolted upright and recoiled from him, her eyes wide and frightened as she frantically looked around the room. “What?”

  He frowned, bothered by her reaction. Had he interrupted a bad dream? He gestured to the CT surgeon who was approaching. “The doctor is here.”

  “Caleb Stewart?” the cardiothoracic surgeon asked, as he crossed over to shake his hand. “Steve Summers. I thought your name was familiar. I recognize you from the ED. Your father has been transferred to the ICU. I had to replace his aortic valve along with three of his coronary arteries. His heart took a bad hit and he lost a fair amount of blood, but seems to be holding his own at the moment.”

  Caleb knew that was a tactful way of saying his father was still in a critical condition. He’d used the same lines with family members himself. “How long do you think he’ll need to stay in the ICU?”

  “At least a day or two.” Steve glanced curiously at Raine, no doubt recognizing her too, but then turned back to Caleb. “If he stays stable over the next couple of hours, I’ll take him off the ventilator. The sooner we can get him breathing on his own, the shorter his recovery time should be.”

  “Can Caleb go up to see him?” Raine asked.

  “Sure. Just give the nurses a couple of minutes to get things settled, and then you can head up.” The surgeon flashed a tired smile. “I’m sure he’s going to do just fine.”

  Caleb wished he could be as sure, but he nodded anyway and shook the surgeon’s hand gratefully. “Thanks again.”

  The surgeon returned the handshake before turning to leave. He glanced at Raine. “Do you want to come upstairs to the ICU with me?”

  She hesitated, her arms crossed defensively over her chest, her expression uncertain. “I’d be happy to come up if you like, but I don’t want to intrude. He’s your father. I’m just an acquaintance.”

  The way she backed off made him question her motives for staying in the first place. Maybe this was her way of telling him she was willing to be there for him, but only up to a point? She had told him they should j
ust try being friends. It was possible she didn’t want to come along because they weren’t formally dating.

  He swallowed the urge to ask her to come along, respecting the distance she apparently wanted to keep. Especially considering Raine had already gone above and beyond, sitting here with him while he’d waited to hear how his father had fared. Besides, it was already two in the morning and he understood she needed to get home. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” he asked instead.

  “Absolutely. I’m awake now.” Her lopsided smile tugged at his heart. “Tell your dad I’m thinking about him and that he needs to get better soon, all right?”

  “Sure.” His fingers itched to touch her, to pull her close, seeking comfort in her warm embrace. But they were colleagues. Maybe even friends. Nothing more. “Take care.”

  “You too, Caleb,” she said softly.

  They left the waiting room together, but then parted ways, heading in opposite directions. For a long moment, he watched her heading toward the parking structure, fighting the desperate need to call her back.

  Cursing himself for being a fool, he turned away, heading toward the elevator to go up to the critical care unit.

  It felt strange to walk into the busy unit as a visitor rather than as a physician. When he approached his father’s room, his footsteps slowed.

  As a doctor, he’d known what to expect. But seeing his dad so pale, connected to all the machinery, it made his breath lodge in his throat. He took a moment to watch his father’s vital signs roll across the screen on the monitor hanging over his bed. The numbers were reassuring, so he softly approached his father’s bedside.

  The bitter taste of regret filled his mouth. He reached down and took his father’s hand in his. “I love you, Dad,” he whispered.

  His father’s eyes fluttered open, his gaze locking on his. Caleb blinked away the dampness of tears and leaned forward, holding his father’s gaze. “The surgery is over and you’re doing fine, Dad,” he assured him, knowing his father couldn’t speak with the breathing tube in his throat. “I took Grizz to my house, so you don’t need to worry about a thing. Just rest and get better soon, okay?”

  His father nodded and then his eyes drifted shut, as if that brief interaction had been all he could manage. Caleb squeezed his father’s hand again, and then slowly released it.

  Part of him wanted to stay, but there was really no purpose. In fact, he had to get home to take care of Grizz, as he’d promised. His father needed to rest, anyway. There was nothing more he could do here.

  Regretfully, he turned away. His dad was a fighter. He was sure his dad would feel better in the morning.

  Caleb went home, surprisingly glad when Grizzly dashed over to greet him. He hadn’t realized what a difference it made to come home to a pet rather than an empty house.

  “Hey, Grizz, were you afraid I wasn’t coming back?” He scratched the dog behind the ears. He let the dog outside and then made his way into the bedroom. Grizz followed, tail wagging, glancing around the new environment.

  “I bet you miss him, don’t you, boy?” Caleb murmured. Grizzly laid his head on the edge of the bed, staring up at him with large soulful brown eyes. “I know. I miss him, too.”

  It was true, he realized. He did miss his father. But, truth be told, he missed what he and Raine had once had together even more.

  Raine had the next day off, so she didn’t see either Caleb or Dr. Frank. But she called the ICU and was told Caleb’s father was in serious but stable condition. Raine knew if she wanted more details, she’d have to ask Caleb.

  Or visit Dr. Frank for herself.

  She kept busy at the animal shelter, glad to see the animals were doing much better. Everyone was concerned about Dr. Frank, so she told them enough to satisfy their curiosity without violating his privacy.

  The next day, Friday, she was scheduled to work, so she went to the hospital an hour early to sneak up to Dr. Frank’s room for a quick visit. Normally, the ICU only allowed immediate family members to come up, but her hospital ID badge worked to open the doors so she was able to walk in.

  She found Caleb’s father’s room easily enough.

  “Hi, Raine,” Dr. Frank greeted her with a tired smile. “How are you? How are things at the shelter?”

  “They’re fine. In fact, I brought you pictures. See?” She took several glossy photos out of her purse and spread them out over his bedside table, knowing he’d appreciate them more than a handful of balloons and a sappy card. “Rusty, Annie, Ace and Maggie all miss you.”

  Dr. Frank’s smile widened when he saw the pictures of his favorite dogs at the shelter. There were dozens of animals at the shelter, but since she couldn’t take pictures of them all, she’d focused on the dogs who’d been sick, so he could see how much better they were doing. “They’re beautiful, Raine. Thanks. I wish I had a picture of Grizzly, too.”

  “I’m sure Caleb is taking good care of him,” she said reassuringly. No matter how much Dr. Frank missed his dog, there was no way she was going to ask Caleb if she could stop by to take a picture of Grizz.

  That would be taking their new-found fragile truce a little too far.

  “He is. I just miss him,” Dr. Frank said in a wistful tone.

  “Everyone at the shelter hopes you get better soon. I didn’t tell them much, only that you were in the hospital and doing fine.”

  The older man lifted a narrow shoulder. “I don’t mind if they know about my surgery. Seems like they’ll figure out something is wrong when I’m not able to work for several weeks.”

  “Okay, I’ll let them know. When are you getting out of here?” Raine asked, changing the subject with a quick glance around his room. “I thought they were transferring you out of the ICU to a regular floor sometime soon.”

  “That’s the plan.” Dr. Frank’s gaze focused on something past her shoulder so she turned round, in time to see Caleb walking into the room. Her heart lurched a bit in her chest but he wasn’t smiling. She hadn’t seen him in the past twenty-four hours, and had no idea why he might be upset.

  Her stomach churned, the nausea that came and went seemingly at will, returning with a vengeance. Since the nausea hadn’t been as bad over the past day or so, she’d convinced herself the sensation had been nothing more than her over-active imagination. Or a touch of flu.

  Now she wasn’t so sure. Suddenly her stomach hurt so badly she could barely stand upright. She swallowed hard and prayed she wouldn’t throw up her breakfast. Fighting for control, she pushed away the desperate fear and worry. Enough playing the denial game. She needed to stop avoiding the possibility. She’d go and buy a stupid pregnancy test so that she knew for sure what was going on.

  Everything inside her recoiled at the thought of being pregnant.

  “Hi, Dad, you look much better today,” Caleb said, crossing over to his father’s bedside. He frowned a little when he glanced at Raine. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine,” she forced herself to answer cheerfully, when she felt anything but. Of course he’d noticed something was wrong. She wished Caleb was a little less observant. “Just hungry. I didn’t eat anything for lunch. I’m going to get going now, so I can eat before my shift.” She knew she was babbling, but didn’t care. She wanted to get out of there, fast. “Take care, Dr. Frank, I’ll let everyone at the shelter know you’re doing better.”

  “All right. Thanks for the pictures, Raine.” Caleb’s dad looked better, but it was obvious he still tired easily. Just her short visit seemed to have worn him out.

  She edged toward the door. “Bye, Caleb.”

  “See you later,” he said as she practically ran from the room.

  Raine sought refuge in the nearest ladies room, bending over and clutching her stomach until the urge to throw up passed. She didn’t have time now, before work, but she was going to have to get a home pregnancy test soon.

  Tonight.

  And if it was positive, she’d deal with that news the same way she’d dealt with everyth
ing else that had happened.

  Alone.

  Raine was glad she was able to avoid the trauma room for her Friday night shift. The patients seen in the arena certainly needed care, but it wasn’t the life-and-death action that the trauma bay held.

  But moving to the arena didn’t help her escape Caleb.

  “You’re working tonight?” she asked, when he walked in, hoping her dismay didn’t show. The nausea she’d felt earlier hadn’t gone away.

  Caleb shrugged. “I’ll need to take some time off once my dad is discharged from the hospital, so I figured I should work now.”

  Since his logic made sense, she couldn’t argue. “He seems to be doing much better,” Raine said.

  “Yeah, he is.” Caleb raked his fingers through his hair. “I guess they bumped me out of Trauma for tonight. Brock Madison is covering the trauma bay instead.”

  Probably in deference to what he was going through with his dad. Something she should have figured out for herself, before switching to work in the arena.

  Elana had called off sick, so they were a little short-handed, but Raine didn’t mind. If she could find a way to keep her emotions under control and her stomach from rebelling, she’d be fine.

  Their sickest patient was a woman with congestive heart failure, who’d been taken into the arena when she’d first arrived, but then had quickly needed more care. They would have moved her to the trauma bay, except that they were busy with traumas, which meant they had to manage her here.

  “Raine, have you sent the blood gases yet?” Caleb asked.

  “Yes.” She frowned, glancing at the clock. “The results should be back by now. I’ll call the lab.”

  She made the phone call, gritting her teeth in frustration when the lab claimed they’d never got the specimen. She hung up the phone and turned toward Caleb. “The sample got lost in the tube system. I’ll have to redraw it.”

  “That’s fine.” He kept his attention focused on the chart.

  The night they’d saved Greg Hanson’s life they’d been completely in sync. Now that companionable relationship seemed to have vanished. Her stomach lurched again, and she concentrated on drawing the arterial blood gas sample from Mrs. Jones, trying to ignore it.