by M. C. Cerny
I felt her stirring in my arms enough to make our companions fidget. The panther and bear, whose names I didn’t catch, eyed each other warily. “Thank you,” I told them as I adjusted her in my arms. Her head rested on my shoulder, facing away from them, arms limp at her sides.
“Anytime, Boone.” Confused, I was about to ask them how they knew my name, but our companions, obviously residents of Woodland Creek, ran off down the road, likely to help someone else. Seeing as how they claimed hearing the call on the scanner, I dismissed any further lingering questions. Most might have found it odd that a panther and bear shifter came so willingly to help a human, but I was happy to put off any differences and know when to be grateful for small mercies.
The rain continued to pour and all of us were soaked through. My hair, now grown out from shifting, was annoyingly plastered to my face and neck. Tonight had been one of those nights, and any help by anyone, shifter or otherwise, was appreciated.
A strange night indeed.
“Hand her up to me.” I had a moment of hesitation placing her in Jase’s capable arms. He’d got the stretcher out of the ambulance but couldn’t get it into the ditch and back out again. I trusted him implicitly, but I still didn’t want to give her up.
Jase saw my hesitations and raised his brows. “Now, Warren. We can’t help her out here.”
I reluctantly agreed. I crawled out of the ditch, my clothes a bit torn, my jacket now useless from half shifting, and we loaded her into the ambulance. Sitting in the back getting her settled, Jase returned up front to drive, unfazed by his ragged appearance.
Secured on the stretcher, I quickly checked her vitals and assessed her injuries, wrapping a warming blanket around her. I pushed wet hair off her forehead to see the beginnings of a bruise across the bridge of her nose, likely from the airbag. Even with two black eyes I would guess she would look pretty. She was breathing independently, but definitely needed more care. I reached behind my neck and pulled the rest of my jacket and shirt off, grabbing another dry one from the supply cabinet. Jase waved me off when I offered him a clean shirt.
He told me, “The road is closed, so I can’t get her to the hospital, but I can get her to the urgent care clinic. I called it in and the nurse on call said to bring her in. Eden is working tonight.”
“Let’s go. It looks like a possibly broken wrist, hypothermic, head trauma possible…” I raised the blanket slightly and looked down, peeling her top back to listen to her heart with the stethoscope. I ignored the uncomfortable feelings when I saw her bright green bra. I was more worried about the rest of her bruises and ripped up pants with minor cuts.
“Looks like deep contusions where the seatbelt was across her chest and scrapes all over her knees.” Jase called it in as he drove back toward town, advising dispatch we’d take her to the clinic and to send a wrecker for her car. She looked battle worn, this unknown stranger in her fragile state, and a feeling I was unfamiliar with overcame me.
She stirred a bit and I grasped her hand, holding it in my own to examine how different she was from me with pale smooth skin and blonde hair. Curvy breasts that make me swallow back lustful thoughts. She was a patient, but I was drawn to her. It should be wrong, it was wrong, but yet the feelings didn’t abate.
Whispered breaths had me leaving over to hear what she was saying. “H-hurts. C-cold.” I pumped her hand in a squeeze meant to be reassuring and gentle, but she held on tight with whatever energy she had left. I was pulled down close to her face to look at her more closely. Shapely brows and dark lashes juxtaposed her pale skin. Her lips moved, but the only sounds I heard were the beating of my own heart against the wail of the ambulance’s sirens.
“You’re gonna be okay. Have sweet dreams and I’ll catch you if you start to fall.” It was a ridiculous thing to say. I didn’t know her, but I’d never wanted to scoop anyone up and protect them after a call before.
This was going to be a problem.
Chapter Four
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” C.S. Lewis
KERRI
“Welcome back to the land of the living, Miss Harper. I’m Dr. Eden Lupinski.” An unfamiliar voice pierced my ears and weight shifted the edge of the bed on my right side. I was cold. So damn cold. I was pretty sure there was nothing left below my waist because of the heaviness that draped over my body. My chattering lips wanted to beg the doctor to chop me in half. That was about as far as my thought processes would go.
“Relax, you’re in the emergency clinic here in Woodland Creek.” She held my wrist and shifted the sheets aside so she could press the stethoscope against my skin. It was cold and I would’ve pulled away, but her grasp was too strong. “My brother and cousin brought you in the ambulance after you drove into a ditch. Silly human, ditches don’t make nice storm bunkers, don’t you know?” She chuckled and I didn’t particularly like her or her condescending tone. I have a name and I’m a person, not just some human thing.
“It was raining?” The room was dark with dim recessed lighting and opening my eyes was painful, so I didn’t try. One crack of my eyelids left me with a spinning disaster inside my head and images of yesterday. A fight with Dillon, calling the school admissions at Hastings-Albrecht to accept, and rushing to pack my little car up for a new adventure…it was a blur and the thought made me groan with dismay.
“Still is raining by the looks of things.” Her voice seemed far away and I rested against the pillows, but found I was curious with more questions if she was willing to answer them.
“My car?” I raised my right hand up to my throat, swallowing down what felt like damp sand and dust in my throat. Hearing water being poured, she held a cup to my lips, instructing me to drink slowly.
“The boys called a wrecker to come and tow it to the garage in town, but it’s going to take some time. Doubtful they’ll find your door with the flooding. The roads are a mess and the sheriff has advised everyone to stay home if possible.” I let that information sit with me for a moment. I wondered how much of my stuff had survived the ordeal.
“My wrist?” I knew my left wrist was wrapped up securely and throbbing dull pain radiated through my arm. I glanced at the doctor, gauging her next words.
“Oh, that’s definitely sprained and bruised. Luckily, it’s not broken, the X-rays look good. We should keep it immobile for a week at least, maybe two. Damn lucky.” Dr. Lupinski was apparently finished chastising me and stood up to leave the room, grabbing a sheet and pulling it closed around my bed. Poking her head back in, she smiled bright, a mouth full of straight teeth, making me nervous again. “Rest, I’m pretty sure you’ll have some visitors later.” That sheet separated me from the rest of the hallway and all I could think about was that my student health insurance probably hadn’t kicked in yet. Another cost to add to my growing student loans.
Not much I could do about that, so I rolled over and tried to rest because there wasn’t any other place for me to go. I didn’t want to call my parents or my sisters and definitely not my ex. My injuries weren’t life-threatening and I just didn’t need to hear their criticism about my accident. More things that would be viewed as my fault and I wasn’t up to any battles.
A touch gently caressed my bare arm. I didn’t realize it was uncovered until roughly padded fingers pressed on my bruised skin. I let my eyes drift closed again and felt the blankets being pulled up to cover my arms, gently tucked around my shoulders. The heat was like a beacon to my chilled core and I craved to have more of it over me, on me, and strangely within me if I could. Leaning into it, I didn’t care how it happened and a rumbly laugh vibrated against my ear with spicy breath that heated my cheeks and left me turning my head toward the source, hearing muffled words. “Rest, please.”
* * * * *
Heat suffocated me from all sides like flames licking up my body. I struggled to get the covers off, but it was hard because of my weakened state. Feeling trapped again left my chest tight with impending panic and s
uffocation. A racking cough followed and immediately I was hauled up the bed to a sitting position roughly with a gentleness that belayed the contrast.
I was face to face with a complete stranger and gasping for air. Gray eyes lined with black and gold flecks in his pupils narrowed slightly. A mess of choppy looking brown hair covered his head wildly, with a stubbly chin of a beard. My right hand was drawn to smooth it down, but I realized his hands were holding my arms, helping me to sit up. I felt like he was pawing at me, but I knew that couldn’t be right.
“You’re okay. Take shallow breaths.” His head nodded and I tried to focus my breathing. Looking down, I saw thick corded arms and his sleeves were rolled up to show his muscles. He moved one arm behind me and a heavy hand stroked my back as the coughing settled to a racking shake. His other hand rested gently over my chest, fingers rubbing against my throat. I worked to catch my breath and untangle myself from his hold. My right hand covered the one on my chest and the room felt like a vacuum. Caught in time and standing still, my breaths were the only sound I heard and his eyes seemed to be guiding me, helping me calm my crazy heart.
“W-what?” Speaking was a chore and I shut my eyes, hoping everything was part of a dream as I disconnected myself from his pull.
“Shh…you’ve developed a cold sitting in that icy bath of a car.” His voice was smooth as he continued to lull my body into a false sense of security. He smelled fresh and woodsy. Some combination of male, pine, and clean laundry I couldn’t fully describe but wholly appreciated.
“Is there a reason you’re in bed with my patient, Mr. Boone?” At the interruption, my body stiffened as the bands of warmth released me slowly against propped up pillows with hesitation. He leaned half sitting on the bed.
“I wasn’t in bed with her.” It came out more like a growl that made my heart skip a beat.
I wanted to bury my head in his warm shoulder. I was clutching onto him like a kitten with useless claws. Please let this be a dream or something else.
“And do they teach that in paramedic classes these days? What are you doing here, Warren?” So his name was Warren. My mind tested it out, drawling the way the doctor said it, and I liked it.
“Geez, sis, you’re a real hard ass.” A look across the room and a second man stood leaning against the one wall that didn’t have a curtain. He looked like the doctor’s twin but younger and smiling.
“Jase, don’t be facetious.”
“She’s not well. I was trying to help.” Warren, I presumed, extricated himself from sitting on the bed and removed my fingers from his arm and shirt gently. I whimpered at the loss.
“What’s the diagnosis?”
“A really bad cold from exposure, but nothing some good antibiotics and a strong tea won’t cure, you two furry control freaks.” Dr. Lupinski sounded annoyed, but I didn’t know why. Jumbles of foggy lights and the sensation of cold, so cold, came to mind. Flashes of yelling, angry voices made me wince and want to retreat back into my shell.
“Eden, you’re upsetting her.” Warren held my hand and I was grateful Dillon was at least seven hours away from there because my heart seemed to have reengaged before my mind could wrap itself around the idea.
“And you’re in my clinic, with my patient.” The doctor was tapping her foot impatiently. Her legs and feet appeared long and elegant to my scrambled brain. I wanted to say she had a predatory way about her, but that didn’t seem right either.
Everything just felt off, but I couldn’t describe why.
“Don’t be greedy, I found her first.” Did he? Wait! What did that even mean? I struggled to lift myself off the bed to sort out the muddle of what was occurring. I needed to sort out my things, get to the university campus and check in. I needed my car, my personal belongings, but sleepiness and aching body parts were dragging me down again.
“Easy,” he said and his soothing touch on my hand mesmerized me. Letting my fingers wrap around his wrist, I could feel his heart beat strong, a thumping drumbeat that calmed me down.
“Kids, kids, kids…no fighting. I brought the tea and herbs you wanted, Warren. You definitely owe Pia for the willow tree bark and me a drink. It’s cold as fuck out there and wetter than a witch’s…yeah, well, anyway, here you go.” The other guy stepped forward and I watched him place a bag on a chair next to what looked like my soggy purse. Who was Pia? I was hoping they would all leave soon to stop the chatter in my head, except for the warm, calm stranger. He could stay, and I’d be all right with that.
“Thanks, Jase.” Watching him, Warren nodded and his hand slipped under my hair to hold my aching head up from the pillows under me. My face smiled slightly against the tightness across my nose and cheeks. I bet he would make a good pillow. A giggle rose making me cough, drawing everyone’s attention to me.
“She gets the medicine first and then the tea…her face…this is so unorthodox.” With a huff, the doctor removed a syringe from her pocket and poked it into the IV line I only now realized was taped to my right hand. Confused, I watched her inject the clear liquid into the line. A ripple of anxiety coursed through me along with a slow burn as I imagined the medication swirling into the line and then into my body. Warren’s hand caressed me like I was spun glass, fragile and easily destroyed.
“Easy, there. You had a car accident, drove right off the shoulder into the ditch.” He pulled the blanket up, covering me as I shuddered.
“I know that much, and then what happened?” He paused, looking me over, and a blush warmed me again. My voice warbled nervously, and I felt the drowsing effects of the medication starting to take over.
“And then the river had a flash flood, partially submerging your vehicle in the ditch.” He spoke as if that was all matter-of-fact, like I should have been able to surmise that on my own.
It sounded pretty bad to me and a million other thoughts rushed into in my head. “Oh, I see.” Though, I didn’t see anything at all, not really. The room was still pretty dim. I could hear the rain still falling, and I was alone with strangers in a town I’d never been to before.
“My name’s Warren Boone, by the way. My cousin Jase and I work for the Woodland Creek EMS squad.” I didn’t know if he was just filling in the awkward silence or telling me that because I should know it. “Someone called in your accident to the local dispatch and we responded. The road was flooded, so we couldn’t get you to the hospital as planned. We brought you here to the urgent care clinic instead since your injuries weren’t life-threatening.”
“Oh. That’s good.” The doctor had pretty much said most of that already, but his voice carried reassurance and hope with it instead. He knew absolutely nothing about my situation back home and that somehow lifted my spirits. Whispers of guilt in my consciousness bubbled up. He was holding me together at my frayed seams.
“She’s not very chatty.” The intrusive voice of the other man reminded me we weren’t alone.
“Jase over there is my cousin and the doctor, Eden, is his sister. Apparently, he thinks you should be ready to jump out of the bed already.” Warren shook his head smiling and it was like a breath of fresh air after the storm. His eyes glittered with humor while his cousin scowled.
“She could if she were—” Jase didn’t finish what he was about to say and I didn’t miss the warning look Warren gave him, puzzling me further. Getting knocked around in a car accident really screwed with my senses.
“We can ignore Jase. He’s kind of the town idiot.” Warren said it kindly, but I didn’t think he meant it that way.
“Yeah, welcome to Woodland Creek.” Jase seemed uneasy and I began to surmise that Woodland Creek was a strange place so far.
“Thanks for finding me and bringing me here.” I meant it because who knew what would have happened if I were left out there.
“No problem. I’ll, uh, leave you to your little project here and see you back at the house later.” Leaving us, it was just Warren and me.
Struggling to keep the conversation normal, I asked about
my car. It wasn’t much but right then it was all I had. “Is my car badly wrecked?”
“We had to take the door off your car to get you out safely.” He saved my life and he was acting worried about the door to my piece of shit car. “Sorry about that.” He was even apologizing, fancy that. It was awkward in that, I knew he saved my life kind of way. I was embarrassed and wondered if visiting patients after the fact broke some kind of ethical code for him.
“It’s okay, the car probably looks better without it.” My lame joke got a chuckle from Warren. A throaty sound that made me light-headed listening to it. Old records played in my mind, telling me I was pathetic crushing on him.
“I thought you might have more injuries when I examined you, but you were fortunate out there. You could have been out there a long time if we hadn’t gotten the call.” Whoa, back the car up and out of the ditch, he examined me? I knew it happened, it was his job, but that meant he probably saw my lady bits. Oh God, was I wearing cute underwear? Frantically, I searched my mind for what I had been wearing. No. I definitely wasn’t now that I recalled putting on my not matching teal green bra and hot pink panties. I looked down at my body in the bed and wiggled under the blankets. I was pretty sure I had nothing on under this sexy hospital gown. Humiliation compounded my headache.
Sheepishly, I hoped he’d stop talking and I could disappear, maybe sink right down through the bed and into the floor. “Yeah, lucky, that’s me.” Whimpering, I was having a hard time feeling so lucky. I had to take that for what it was. God’s cruel little joke.
