Cabin Fever

by Rye Hart

  I smiled weakly and nodded. “Yeah, my lunch just didn’t agree with me. Remind me not to eat sushi from the cafeteria again,” I said, trying to ease her obvious concern.

  Finally, she nodded and smiled. “Well, yeah, that’s kind of a given,” she said before turning around and heading out into the main corridor to catch a doctor she needed to speak to.

  With a groan, I got to my feet and walked around my desk to clean up the room. Olivia’s weights were still on the ground, and I hadn’t yet wiped down the surfaces for the day. I put the weights back on the rack and grabbed a bottle of sanitizer and a towel. Just as I wiped down the last bar, a chime echoed through the room. I turned toward my computer with a sigh and hurried over, sitting down to read the e-mail that had just come through.

  It was from Anne, one of the E.R. nurses I knew well. I’d only been working at the hospital for a short time but my father worked here my entire life, so I knew almost everyone on staff. Anne was a kind, older nurse, who always made sure to e-mail me when a potential PT patient came through.

  Her e-mail was short and to the point:

  “T—New patient came in today. Multiple injuries to his leg and a possible back fracture. Pretty rough shape. Definite PT patient. Thanks—A”

  I groaned and leaned my head back against my chair. Part of me wanted to rush out of the office and get to bed, but I knew no other PT would be available to see the patient tonight. I scolded myself for doing it, but I typed out a response to Anne’s e-mail:

  “I’ll be down shortly to check on the patient. —Tara.”

  Just as I was about to hit send, Abi peaked through the door.

  “Hey Tara. Don’t worry about the new PT patient. I was downstairs when they wheeled him in and I began his report already. I know you’ve had a long day and your shift is almost over anyway.”

  “Are you sure, I don’t mind staying.”

  “Yes for sure. Head on home and I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.”

  “Thank you.” I began to grab my belongings and thanked my lucky stars that I had such an awesome team to work with.

  “And just thought I’d mention this about that patient. The poor guy got the injuries on the job while working as a fire fighter. He saved a little girl’s life.”

  “Wow, that’s impressive.”

  “Yes, and please don’t think me insensitive for mentioning this last part, but boy is it true. He’s a complete knock out. You might find yourself needing to fan yourself when you’re around him. Just a word of caution.”

  I chuckled. “Duly noted Madam.”

  I grabbed my belongings and headed over to the employee garage. I reached my car and settled gingerly behind the wheel, tossing my bag on the passenger seat. I cranked the engine and let the cold air help me relax and center my thoughts. The first thing that came to my mind was the apparent hot fire fighter who was now my newest patient. It sounded like something out of a movie.

  Tomorrow should be an interesting day.

  CHAPTER THREE - CALEB

  My head felt heavy as I slowly opened my eyes. Sunlight was streaming in through blinds I didn’t recognize. I squinted against the bright light and turned my head, trying to figure out where the hell I was. As I glanced around, I saw my mom’s face smiling down at me. She was standing right by my bed, her husband Darren just behind her. They both smiled at me nervously.

  “What the fuck happened?” I asked, trying to sit up. A sharp pain shot through my back and I winced, falling back against the pillows. “Shit. What happened to me? Where am I?”

  “You’re in the hospital,” Mom said. “You had an accident on the job.”

  “The little girl!” I cried out, suddenly remembering what happened in the apartment building. “Is she okay? Did they get her out?”

  “I think so,” Mom said nervously, glancing at Darren.

  “Tyler said no one else was hurt,” Darren said, taking a step forward.

  “Good,” I said, sighing with relief. “Shit, this fucking hurts.”

  “Language,” Mom said, a warning in her voice.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled. “But my back is killing me.”

  “Your back?” Mom asked. “How’s your leg feel?”

  “My leg?” I frowned and looked down. My lower half was covered by a hospital blanket so I couldn’t see my legs. I lifted my left leg and didn’t feel any pain, but when I tried to do the same with my right, I screamed and threw my head back against the pillow.

  “Don’t move it!” Darren said, rushing around to steady me. “I’ll go get your doctor, okay? Just be still.”

  Darren glanced at my mom before he disappeared into the hall. I watched him go with a frown on my face. It wasn’t a surprise to see my mom here but Darren? I never expected him to flock to my bedside, no matter how badly injured I was.

  “He’s worried about you,” Mom said, reading my mind.

  “Right,” I snorted. “Worried I’m going to take your attention away from him.”

  “Caleb!” she snapped. “Don’t talk like that.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I’m just out of it right now. My back hurts like hell, Mom.”

  “I’ll tell the doctor when he arrives,” Mom said. “For now, let’s just try to relax, okay? You’ve been through a lot, and your body needs to heal.”

  I nodded, knowing that arguing would be futile. My mother had been a nurse for most of my life. She knew this hospital inside and out. There wasn’t anything I could experience as a patient she hadn’t seen a thousand times before. I could tell from the way she kept her hand clamped firmly on my shoulder that she was worried I would move too much and hurt myself even more.

  She wasn’t wrong. I longed to get out of this bed, to find my buddies and hear the real story of what happened out there. They, unlike Mom and Darren, wouldn’t sugarcoat things. They would tell me straight up what the hell happened to me, brutal details included. I needed that, but I knew my mom would never let it happen. She wouldn’t leave my side unless she had to.

  “Your doctor said he’d be here in a few minutes,” Darren said, stepping back into the room. “He has two patients to check up on first.”

  “What?” Mom asked, her eyes narrowing with rage. “Caleb is in pain. He can’t take two seconds to stop in and assess him?”

  “No,” Darren said. “You know how this works, Cathy. There are priorities.”

  “That’s unacceptable,” Mom snapped. “Who is it?”

  “Dr. McGee,” Darren said.

  “That child?” Mom scoffed. “I’ll be right back.”

  She stormed out of the room, leaving me alone with Darren, who was also a doctor at the hospital. I laughed to myself, imagining the things my mother would say to this Dr. McGee. She was a badass nurse but an even more badass mom. Despite the hell I put her through when I was young, she stood by me through everything. She defended me. I knew she would rip Dr. McGee in half if he dared to contradict her.

  “I’m sorry you got hurt,” Darren said.

  “Thanks.”

  That was more than I could ask from Darren. He’d been my step-father since high school, but that didn’t make us close. We weren’t father and son. We tolerated each other for my mother’s sake.

  Just when the silence stretched a little too long, my mother walked back through the door. I expected to see this Dr. McGee person behind her, but instead, a familiar face appeared over her shoulder.

  For a split second, I stopped breathing.

  A pair of pale ocean blue eyes pierced me, and my mouth fell open in shock. All my pain disappeared as I took in the sight of Tara Jones walking toward me. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. It caught the sunlight and shimmered. I swallowed hard and tried to speak, but no words came out. What was she doing here?

  My eyes trailed over her body, taking in the sight of her gorgeous curves, long legs, and full, round breasts hidden beneath a pair of black stretch pants and a gray top. The top hugged her breas
ts, making my heart pound inside my chest. She stared at me for a few seconds before tearing her eyes away and walking toward Darren.

  He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. She smiled back before turning to face me.

  “Tara,” I said, finally finding my voice. “What are you doing here?”

  “Well,” Tara began. She shifted her feet beneath her and realization suddenly dawned on me. Her pants were scrubs, and her top sported a name tag. She wore black tennis shoes and had a chart in her hand. I’d been so preoccupied with her presence that I hadn’t realized what she must be doing here.

  “Wait,” I said slowly. “Are you my physical therapist?”

  Tara nodded and moved around to the side of my bed.

  “You knew Tara moved back to town,” Mom said softly. “Remember?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Sure.”

  “I’m doing my last clinical rotation here,” Tara explained.

  “How is that possible?” I asked.

  I felt hot and confused. My face was still flushed, and every word that poured from my mouth felt wrong and awkward. I knew I had to pull myself together.

  “Well, I went to school,” Tara said, a snarky tone in her voice. “Now I’m here. Not exactly complicated.”

  “No, I know. I just meant…” I trailed off, clearing my throat and starting over. Tara did always have a way of throwing me off my game. “It’s good to see you, Tara.”

  “You too,” Tara said, though her eyes betrayed the truth. “All right, let’s talk about your injuries.”

  “Sure,” I nodded and tried to sit up, but Tara put one hand on my shoulder and held me back. I looked at her fingers, just inches from my face and felt myself burn even hotter. Her touch was more than I could take. She cleared her throat and moved her hand quickly.

  “You shouldn’t move,” she said. “Your injuries are quite substantial.”

  “I can tell,” I said, wincing at the pain.

  “Dr. McGee will discuss things with you when he arrives,” Tara said. “But for now, let’s talk about your leg.”

  “Okay.” I nodded.

  “Long story short, it’s basically torn to shit,” she said, not bothering to sugarcoat things. I smiled. “You landed on it, and it crumbled, then debris crashed on top of it. Your ligaments are a mess, and you’re going to need some serious physical therapy after you’re discharged to build up the muscles again from disuse. Dr. McGee already did what he could surgically, and that was a success, which is a positive. Still, I won’t lie to you, PT is going to be a bitch.”

  “Is that how you talk to your other patients?” Darren asked, disapproval in his voice.

  “The grown men?” Tara asked. “Yes. The sweet little eight-year-old girls? No.”

  I smiled again. Tara’s wit had always been sharp and hearing her shut down Darren’s insult was a breath of fresh air.

  “We’re going to get you through it,” Tara said, turning back to me. “You’re strong. You’re young. You’re healthy. It’ll be hard, but I don’t see any reason why you can’t make a full recovery.”

  “What kind of PT are we talking about?” I asked. “Weights? Jogs? That sort of thing?”

  Tara shook her head. “No. Not for a while. The first thing we’ll do is some mild stretching and range of motion exercises.”

  “Stretching?” I asked, my eyebrows raised. “That’s bullshit.”

  Tara’s eyes narrowed. “I’m happy to bring in another therapist if you’d like a second opinion.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” I said quickly. “But you don’t have to baby me.”

  “Baby you?” Tara scoffed. “The first time you try to stretch that leg, it’s going to feel like a thousand knives are piercing through you. It’s going to be more painful than anything you’ve ever felt. After that, you can tell me if you still want to go on a few jogs.”

  “I’m glad to see you haven’t changed much,” I said softly.

  Tara’s eyes met mine, and for a second, she softened. It didn’t last long. She got to her feet and walked back around to where Mom and Darren were standing.

  “I should get going,” she said. “I have a session downstairs in half an hour. Caleb, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Are you still coming over for dinner tonight?” Mom asked her.

  “Yeah,” Tara said, nodding. “Six?”

  “Yup,” Darren said. “See you then, sweetheart.”

  “Bye Dad,” Tara said. She waved to Mom and hurried from the room.

  I watched her go, still in shock by her sudden appearance. Tara Jones. The girl I met when I was seventeen years old. My step sister and so much more. The girl who still occupied more of my mind than I cared to admit. I couldn’t believe, after all these years, she was back in my life.

  CHAPTER FOUR - TARA

  I was back in that hospital room, leaning over Caleb’s body. This time, we were alone. I hadn’t seen him since we were teenagers. He looked better than ever. His body was bigger, muscles bulging from beneath his hospital gown. My eyes roamed freely over his strong arms, imagining the way they would feel wrapped around my body.

  He threw the blanket off himself, letting me trail my eyes down his body. His abs were so tight and defined that I could see them through the gown. I swallowed hard, desperate to rip that thin fabric from his body. His dick was hard, making a tent between his legs. I slid my hand up his thigh, barely grazing the tip of his rock-hard cock before I pulled away.

  “Fucking tease,” he growled.

  I grinned at him, my eyes locking on his. They were a deep green, darker than I remembered but even more alluring. I searched his face, taking in the sight of his five o’clock shadow and light brown hair. I’d pictured this same face a million times over the past few years but now, seeing it in person, I couldn’t contain myself.

  His injuries were forgotten as I crawled on top of him. His hands gripped my hips and our kiss was electric. He sucked on my bottom lip, and I moaned against him, tasting him with a passionate desperation. We kissed long and slow, remembering what it felt like to be together.

  Before I knew it, we were naked, fucking in that hospital bed. Caleb took me from behind, slamming into me with a wild abandon I’d never felt before. He slapped my ass and pulled my hair. He reached around to rub my clit, and I came so hard that I collapsed on the bed.

  Caleb wasn’t done with me. He flipped me over and lifted me in his strong arms. Holding me against him, he slid me down on his cock. I cried out as we rocked into each other with renewed vigor. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. The sensations Caleb was creating inside my body were erotic and sensual. I moaned and screamed, crying out his name and reveling at the sound of my own on his lips.

  Caleb clung to me, fucking me so hard and so fast that I soon saw stars. We both came, our orgasms mingling in a cloud of pleasure. I cried out, releasing my ecstasy into the air around us.

  My eyes shot open. I was panting and sweaty, my hand tucked inside my panties. The dream had been so real, so believable that I felt like it was still happening. I rubbed my clit with frantic desperation, searching for the pleasure I’d felt just a moment before.

  Caleb’s dark green eyes swam before me. I could still feel his arms wrapped tightly around my body, feel his throbbing cock inside me. My eyes rolled in the back of my head as I brought myself to orgasm. My legs twitched, and I moaned deeply as I came.

  It was like Caleb was still right there, holding me and fucking me senseless. I moaned softly and slowly continued to rub my clit, circling my fingers over my dripping pussy and wishing it was Caleb’s fingers instead of my own.

  When the waves of pleasure faded, I felt a profound sense of dread fall like a weight in my stomach. I removed my hand from my panties and sighed deeply, frustration and anger brewing at the back of my mind. What did I just do? How could I let myself fantasize about Caleb Lewis? After all these years, hadn’t I put him behind me? Hadn’t I let go of my feelings for him?

  I chast
ised myself for letting him get to me. After one day, being around him one time, I was already back to imagining what it would be like to be with him. I felt like I was seventeen years old again, desperately in love with a boy I couldn’t have. What the hell was wrong with me? How could I let myself act this way again? I wasn’t seventeen anymore. I was a successful twenty-seven-year-old woman. Ten years had passed since the last time I felt Caleb’s lips on mine. He was my past, and I refused to let the memories of him overwhelm my present.

  Determined to hold myself together, I jumped out of bed and hurried toward the bathroom. While I showered, I tried to wash away my dream. It had felt so real. I couldn’t shake it, but I knew I had to. Dreaming about Caleb wasn’t an option, not after everything he put me through.

  Years ago, I thought Caleb was the love of my life. I convinced myself he was it for me.

  When our parents first met, while working at the hospital, we didn’t even know each other. My mom died when I was young, and it had always just been my dad and me. Caleb was a trouble-maker who didn’t want anyone telling him what to do. We each thought it was the worst thing that our parents were dating. In a way, it was. It brought us together. We fell for each other so fast that we didn’t know how to handle it. Our emotions overwhelmed us, and soon, we were reckless in our desperation to be together.

  We went so far as to plan an escape. We were going to run away together, leave home and our parents behind. Nothing was going to stop us from loving each other. Nothing except Caleb himself. He changed his mind and left me holding the pieces of my broken heart alone. I was destroyed.

  I spent years repairing the damage Caleb caused, and I would be damned if I was going to let him back in now. He was nothing to me anymore. His mother married my father, but we were not family. I worked so hard to avoid seeing him for so many years. I missed countless family holidays and weddings if I knew Caleb was in attendance. Dad supported my decisions because he wanted me to keep my distance from Caleb more than I did. That in combination with Caleb’s military school schedule meant a decade of avoiding a run in. We hadn’t spoken in so long, and now he was my patient. I didn’t know how I would handle being in charge of Caleb’s PT, but I knew I wouldn’t shy away from it. My job was everything to me. Caleb wasn’t going to take that away.