The Protege

by Kailin Gow

  “Do you know what he ate?” the nurse asked.

  “Hmm, we had an appetizer with escargots in a creamy sauce. After that he had…” Serena gazed at Sebastian. She hadn’t really paid much attention to what had been on his plate.

  “Duck,” he grunted.

  “How many drinks?” Though the question was aimed at Sebastian, Nurse Miller looked pointedly at Serena.

  “A glass of champagne before dinner and a few glasses of wine with his meal. I didn’t see him take anything else.” Serena was tempted to tell the young nurse who Sebastian Sorensen was exactly. Not that she wanted him to have special treatment, but… perhaps she’d move him along a little faster if she knew who he was. She gazed at Sebastian and wondered why he didn’t mention it himself. Why didn’t he demand the VIP treatment affluent people always seem to believe they deserved?

  “No after dinner liquor?” the nurse went on. “No cognac, no brandy or anything like that?”

  “No, we left right after the main course.”

  She cocked a brow. “Okay. Looks like it could be a little bit of food poisoning, but we’ll get him tested to see what’s really going on. How are you feeling?”

  “Me? Fine. Perfect.”

  “Do you know if anyone else fell ill at the dinner?”

  “No. Like I said, we left right after dinner.”

  “Okay, well, let us know if you start to feel any signs of queasiness or fever.”

  Serena nodded.

  Another nurse entered and her eyes immediately popped wide open when she looked at Sebastian. Her tight and stressed lips turned into a bright smile and she beckoned her colleague to the far end of the small room. They whispered a private exchange for a few moments, both glancing repeatedly at Sebastian.

  When Nurse Miller finally returned to them, her demeanor had considerably softened. “I’m sorry, Mr. Sorensen. It seems I didn’t recognize who you are.”

  Sebastian let out a dry chuckle and coughed then gagged and threw up, making a mess of the white tiled floor. The newly arrived nurse hurried out to find someone to get the mess cleaned up.

  “Does that mean you’ll get him tested faster?” Serena asked.

  The nurse shot a professional glare at Serena. “No. He’ll get tested quickly because he shows serious symptoms, not because of his celebrity status. What his status will allow, however, in addition to the expansive health insurance he has, is a private room the moment he’s been tested.”

  Pleased to see he’d get the prompt care he needed, Serena smiled and let the nurse finish her examination of her patient.

  “I’ll have someone bring you to an examination room right away. In the meantime, I’ll make sure your room is prepared and ready.”

  The nurse left them and went into the small office adjacent to the triage room.

  Sebastian looked at Serena. “It’s late and you must be exhausted. You don’t have to stay, Serena. You’ve already done enough.”

  “I can’t just leave you here. I’ll stay until you're settled in your room and then we’ll see.” When he remained silent, she added, “Unless you want me to leave.”

  “Not at all. I want you here, but I would never dream of imposing.”

  The nurse returned just as an intern arrived with a wheelchair.

  After being wheeled away, he was tested and all that remained to do was wait for the results in his room.

  Serena was surprised by the serene décor of the hospital room that resembled that of an elegant, and quaint country inn. The colors on the wall were warm and inviting. The comforter on the bed was thick and homey. They’d even put a beautiful vase of flowers on the large dresser in front of the window.

  “If they spoil me too much, I won’t want to go home,” Sebastian said as the intern helped him into bed.

  The young man smiled. “We want you to be comfortable, Mr. Sorensen. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like, but, to be honest, I think you’ll be tired of being up here soon enough.” He tucked Sebastian in, nodded a salutation at Serena and left.

  “How you feeling?” Serena said as she came to rest her fingers on his forehead. “You're still burning up.”

  “I’m strong. I can take it.” He offered her a sly, but weak grin.

  “Yeah, well, I think it’s the clean up crew who can’t take it anymore. You left a pretty distinctive trail from triage to here.”

  He shook his head. “Every time I think – okay, that’s it, I have nothing more in my gut – I’m wrong. When I least expect it… there it comes again.”

  The last few bouts of vomiting had been virtually dry vomits. He gagged and gagged, but there in fact was nothing left to expel. His voice showed the strains. It’d become more raw and hoarse with every bout.

  “My mouth feels dry and disgusting.”

  “I’ll go get you a glass of water.” In the little bathroom of his room, she ran the cold water and called out. “I think I have a few breath mints in my purse.”

  “I’m not a fan of breath mints, but tonight I’ll make an exception.” He took the glass of water and took a swallow then accepted the breath mint.

  “Better?” she said.

  He nodded. “Thanks. You're too good to me. I could get used to this.” Pushing his head deep into the thick pillow, he suddenly reached for her hand and held on tight.

  Though he didn’t groan or grumble or complain, Serena could see by the beads of sweat on his brow, by the speed with which the color left his face and by his tightly closed eyes that his gut was acting up again.

  “Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?” Serena said.

  His fingers tightened around hers just as a tight grimace came to his face.

  She pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat down. “Maybe I should call your parents.”

  “Why bother?” he grunted. “Do you really think they’ll drop everything and come running to see their ill son?”

  Serena chocked. How could he say such a thing? She knew he’d been sent to boarding school and he’d mentioned of the strained relationship he’d always had with his parents, but this? He was sick. He was in the hospital. How could they ignore that?

  “Aren’t you exaggerating, Sebastian?”

  He shrugged. “Go ahead. Call them. You’ll see.” He grimaced and groaned as he squeezed her hand to the point of pain.

  “There must be something I can do.” She felt so helpless just watching him suffer.

  “I’m okay.”

  “I have an idea,” she whispered. Still holding onto his hand, she reached for her purse and pulled out her ipod. “Here.” She set the ipod on the mattress beside his shoulder and put one earpiece in his ear then leaned in close as she put the other earpiece in her own ear. She quickly found the song she wanted to play.

  As The Flight played into their ears, his fingers relaxed around hers. The soothing strings, the plaintive brass and the haunting woods brought them on a journey of heartache, joy, pain and love. As Serena’s emotions rode on the melody, she felt certain Sebastian was right there with her, traveling on every chord.

  The crease of his brow was gone as was the tightness in his jaw.

  “Your music is beyond magical, Sebastian. It heals.” She set her head on the pillow beside his. “I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve listened to these songs.”

  Serena heard the soft shuffle of rubber soles on the tiled floor and reluctantly opened her eyes as she turned down the volume of her ipod. A young nurse stood in the doorway admiring the scene.

  “I’m so sorry to disturb you,” she said. “I just wanted to let Mr. Sorensen know that we tried to contact his family, but…” She shifted her weight and seemed uncomfortable.

  Sebastian released Serena’s hand and grunted. “See what I told you? What did my fine, upstanding parents have to say?”

  “Hmm, we spoke to your mother and she said she’d try to pass by after…” She coughed and shot an embarrassed gaze at Serena.

  “The fundraise
r. Yeah, yeah. How could my mother possibly leave the posh yacht filled with important people to tend to her sick little boy?” Sliding his index finger across his thumb, indicating money, he let out an annoyed sigh.

  “Anyway,” the nurse went on. “Someone should pass by tomorrow morning to see you.”

  “Don’t look so brokenhearted, sweetie. It’s not like I’m dying or something.” He shot a cynical gaze toward Serena. “Not that that would change much.”

  The nurse looked at Serena. “I was told you may have eaten the same things as Mr. Sorensen. You still have no symptoms?

  “No. I’m fine.”

  “Okay then. I’ll go see if the test results have come in yet.”

  Sebastian leaned back.

  “I know it’s little consolation, but I’m here, Seb,” Serena said.

  A slow, lazy smile came to his lips, but his eyes remained closed. “That’s a big consolation.” He reached for her fingers. “Do you have Insane Love on there?”

  “Of course.” Pleased she’d not left her ipod at home, but had kept it in her purse, she started the song and resumed her position on the pillow beside him.

  Before the song was over, she heard a soft and gentle snore come from Sebastian. Moments later she, too, drifted off and was awakened when Sebastian squeezed her hand and suddenly sat upright.

  “Are you okay?”

  His breath came in short sharp gasps and Serena reached for the emergency button beside his bed.

  “Don’t,” he grunted.

  “What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

  “It was just a nightmare. It’s nothing.” He sank back into the pillows and closed his eyes, but his grip on her fingers remained tight, almost desperate.

  “The doctor should come around with the results soon. I’ll see if he can’t give you anything to help you sleep.”

  “I’m okay,” he muttered as he drifted off again.

  Studying his face, she saw how the pain, whether from his belly ache or from another disturbing nightmare, played on lips as they tugged down, mouthed silent words and parted in fear. The crease of his brow fluctuated, accompanying the constantly changing play of his lips.

  “Mrs. Sorensen,” the soft spoken doctor said as he entered the room. Tall and lanky, he looked down at Serena then at Sebastian’s prone figure.

  Serena popped out the earpiece and stood. “I’m Miss Singleton, a friend of Sebastian’s.” Taking an eager step toward the doctor, she hoped he’d finally have the results.

  “I’m Doctor Nguyen. You must be a pretty good friend to still be here in the middle of the night.”

  “Yes, well, we can’t reach his parents, so… I can’t just leave him here alone. He’s been having nightmares and is very agitated.”

  “Does he often have nightmares?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know him that well.” The last word came out as a regretted grunt.

  “The agitation and fitful sleep could be a result of the nausea and fever.”

  “Have the results come in yet? Do you know why he’s so sick all of a sudden?”

  “Nothing definitive. These things can be tricky sometimes. We’ve tested for the usual suspects and they all came back negative. Now we have to look at more… shall we say, suspicious culprits.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We’ve ruled out food poisoning.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m not saying anything yet, Miss Singleton. Please don’t jump to conclusions. I’m just telling you that we don’t have a definitive answer yet.”

  Sebastian groaned.

  “I’ll pass by to check up on him a little later. Don’t hesitate to let a nurse know if anything changes.”

  Serena hurried back to Sebastian’s side as the doctor walked out.

  “Stay with me.” Sebastian said.

  “The doctor was just here, Seb. They still don’t have the results, but he’ll be back the moment they do.” As she reached him she realized, however, that his eyes were closed and he was talking in his sleep.

  “No,” he called out. “Don’t leave me!”

  “I’m here, Seb. I’m here.” She had no idea who he was calling out to in his dream, but she wanted him to know that she was there; that someone was there with him… for him.

  He grabbed her hand with fierce force and she let out a soft yelp of pain. With her free hand, she wiped his brow then gently ran her fingers through his hair. He immediately slackened his grasp.

  “I’m here,” she whispered. “I won’t leave.”

  Tears clung to his lashes as he struggled through the dream that so tormented him. She felt helpless for a brief moment then decided to try to wake him. Leaning over him, she kissed his brow and softly whispered his name.

  He stirred and groaned, but remained deep in sleep.

  “Sebastian, you're having a nightmare. Wake up, and everything will be okay.” Again she kissed his brow while her fingers continued to play through his hair.

  “I want you with me,” he muttered, the desperate and fearful voice of his nightmare now strangely husky, almost aroused. The fingers that had clasped around hers moved up to grab her forearm and pull her closer.

  She sat on the edge of the bed before he could break her arm, and tried to make sense of what was happening. He was asleep and clearly had no idea what he was doing, but… She was awake. She knew she should back away, but her body… her body wanted the heat of his, wanted the touch of his fingers on her skin… wanted him.

  He pulled her closer, murmuring incoherently as he did so. His breath warmed her face and the longing to kiss him became unbearable. For a long, torturous moment, her lips hovered over his. It would be so easy, so delicious… just one small kiss… just one taste of his…

  As she battled with her lustful desires, Sebastian brought his free hand to the small of her back and pressed her to him. A shockwave of heated intensity coursed through her, enveloped her and she felt powerless to stop her reaction. She leaned in closer, inhaling his breath. Her lips parted and she closed her eyes. He was all she wanted. In that moment, he was all that mattered. Without a doubt, she knew she could easily do anything he asked of her. Her body was willing and her mind was mush.

  It’d been so long… too long… and his touch ignited a flame she’d intentionally doused with cold water for over a year.

  Her lips brushed against his just as the sound of Sands of Time sounded in the earpiece that lay on the pillow beside Sebastian. She pulled away, initially startled by the powerful opening notes of the song that had so often stirred so many emotions.

  Music. All her energy had been put into her music, her career, her love and passion. Was she going to throw it all away on a fling with Sebastian Sorensen? Despite the painful protest of her body, she pulled away and twisted her arm out of his grasp.

  He murmured a complaint, but remained asleep and after a few more murmurings, he quieted down and slept peacefully.

  Staring at him, she saw her past, her present and her future flash before her. She’d been through so much, had worked so hard and knew more work was still to come to get to this point in her life. “It kills me to pull away from your touch,” she whispered. “But I have to think of what’s best for me; not just the instant gratification, but what’s best for my future.”

  She kissed her fingertips and touched her fingers to his lips. “You’re dangerously sexy, Mr. Sorensen; too sexy for my own good.”

  Chapter 9

  The room was chilly and dark when Sebastian opened his eyes. Scanning the room he tried to find familiar ground. The past hours were a blur of fever, headaches and punches in the stomach that pestered his sleep and left him gripping the sheets in sweat.

  His last memory was of the fundraiser. Serena… she’d defended him, stood up for him. A man of lesser self worth could have easily been insulted by her outburst, but he’d been touched not only by the way she’d spoken to his parents, but the words she’d said about his work. Far from n
eeding praise and compliments, he’d enjoyed every word she’d said. Something about the intensity of her words had held more weight than the critical acclaim he’d received.

  Of course, there had also been that minor slip about how handsome and sexy he was. Or had that been intentional? He grinned at the thought then, like a shot, he sat upright and tried to remember what had happened to her. He didn’t remember dropping her off, didn’t remember going to her place. She’d been with him as they’d left the yacht and he clearly remembered her at his side when he’d pulled over to thank her for coming to his defense.

  But then…

  His eyes, aided by the dim light that peaked around the curtains, adjusted to the darkness and he was able to better make out his surroundings. None of it made sense until he realized Serena was right there beside him.

  Seated awkwardly in the small armchair she’d pulled up to the bed, her head rested on a tiny corner of his pillow. Lost deep in sleep, her lips pouted with innocence and sweetness. She was as lovely sleeping as she was dripping in sensuality at the fundraiser. He’d never had a woman sleep with him overnight before. Never even wanted that much of a commitment. Now he can see how he wanted to see Serena sleeping like an angel like this more often. The tender thought unnerved yet thrilled him at the same time.

  Slowly the events of the previous night came back to him; the sudden onset of nausea and the cramps, the fever. She’d been there through triage, through the tests… had she really been there throughout the night?

  The music. Yes, he remembered. When the nightmares and pain kept him from sleeping, she’d found the way to calm him. Touched by her compassion, he brushed her hair off her face. “My own family didn’t even bother coming,” he whispered.

  She stirred, and while he regretted waking her when clearly she couldn’t have slept well throughout the night, he was nonetheless happy to see her big green eyes looking up into his.

  “You're awake.” Serena sat up and ran her fingers through her tousled hair.

  “Had I known you’d be spending the night I would have made room for you up here,” Sebastian said with a wicked grin while his palm patted the mattress beside him.