by Claire Adams
“Mrs. Rikka,” Violet said as she half raised her hand before speaking. “I’d like to say that it’s really a pleasure to be working with someone as accomplished and highly regarded in the administrative world as you are.”
“Miss Metzler,” Mrs. Rikka said as she looked over the top of her glasses. “Do not suck up to me. It’s unattractive and entirely unprofessional.”
Violet turned a shade of crimson that I didn’t think I’d ever seen before. Beside me, Liz chuckled softly as she watched her nemesis be brought to heel. She elbowed me, and I shot her a look as I whispered, “Behave.”
I reached down into the pocket of my scrubs, pulled out my badge, and clipped it to my front pocket before looking up. Mrs. Rikka was frowning in my direction, but before I could ask if I'd gotten it right, she spoke.
"Miss Burke, your badge should be clipped to the front pocket of your scrubs so that staff members and patients can readily see it," she instructed, then raising an eyebrow, she added, "And your scrub top should never interfere with that ability."
"I like to have a little fun with my scrubs," Liz said as she shifted her badge to the right place.
"Yes, well..." Mrs. Rikka trailed off, looking around the table and stopping at Violet and her friends, and she said, "Miss Metzler, Miss Watkins, and Miss Drake, your uniforms are impeccable."
"Thank you, Mrs. Rikka," the three girls said in unison and then giggled. A faint smile that looked more like toleration than actual joy crossed Mrs. Rikka's lips and then quickly disappeared. I couldn't tell if she liked the girls or not and made a mental note to watch more closely so I'd know.
"Ladies, today you are starting your internship here at Chicago General," Mrs. Rikka began. "We have very high expectations given the fact that you are coming out of one of the top nursing programs in the country, so before you begin, I want you to understand that all eyes are on you, and by association, on me as well. I expect you to behave in a way that reflects well on this program, and if there are any infractions, rest assured, they will be dealt with swiftly. Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes, Mrs. Rikka," we all replied solemnly. Liz reached under the table and pinched my thigh, causing me to jump in my seat.
"Is there a problem, Miss Pierce?" Mrs. Rikka asked. I shook my head, and she continued, "I'm going to assign you a department today. You will work there for three weeks before you rotate to a new department. By the time you finish your internship, you will have rotated through all of the major departments in the hospital and will be familiar with the protocols for each one."
She quickly began reading off the list of assignments, and I was happy to find that Liz and I had been assigned to the ER on the first rotation. Violet and her group had been assigned to the maternity ward, and were oohing and ahhing over how fun it was going to be to be around all those babies.
"Ladies, the maternity ward is more that just babysitting," Mrs. Rikka said, looking at them pointedly. "There are as many unpleasant things that happen on the ward as there are pleasant, so please be aware of the possibility that you might be assisting with some sad moments in people's lives as well as the happy ones."
"Yes, ma'am," Violet's friends said.
"And you two," she said looking at Liz and I with one eyebrow raised. "I'm sure you're familiar with the general nature of the ER."
"Yes, ma'am." I nodded.
"Sure," Liz said as she bounced a little in her seat. "It's like on television, right? Always busy and bustling with activity, and tons of interesting characters."
"You'll be observing and doing basic work down there, Miss Baker," Mrs. Rikka said. "Our ER is not a television program."
"That's a darn shame." Liz grinned up at her.
"Miss Baker, need I remind you that this is a hospital, not a game show?" Mrs. Rikka said disapprovingly. "If you can't behave appropriately, I'll have no problem removing you from the internship and telling your advisor you're not ready for this portion of your education. Do I need to do that?"
"No, ma'am," Liz said, looking down at the table sufficiently chastised. I’d long ago learned not to feel embarrassed by Liz’s outbursts or her somewhat uncouth behavior. I knew she had the best of intentions, even when people misunderstood her actions.
After she'd finished filling us in on the expectation of our internship, she sent us off to the departments we'd been assigned to. Liz and I were quickly assigned mentors and were absorbed into the flow of the ER department. The morning passed much quicker than I'd expected, and after lunch, we'd headed back down to find our mentors had clocked out and gone home. Liz and I still had a couple of hours left until we could punch out, so we busied ourselves helping stock and clean.
Around four, we heard some shouting out in the main area of the ER. Liz grabbed my hand and yanked me away from the shelf of gauze pads I was organizing and restocking and pulled me to the nurses’ station. A group of firemen were standing around a gurney yelling at the nurse to do something, and do something fast.
"He's in pain, can't you see that?" a tall guy in a Chicago FD baseball cap pleaded with the head nurse. "Can't you do something?"
"I'm waiting on the doctor," the nurse said as she typed something into the computer and then ordered the man moved to Exam 2. "She'll be right down and deal with this."
"What's going on?" I whispered to the nurse standing next to me.
"Firefighter cooking accident," she said, rolling her eyes. "We get these every so often. Good guys, but a lot of them are idiots when it comes to kitchen safety. Sometimes I feel like we ought to go into every fire station in the city and give lessons on cooking techniques as a public safety."
"What'd he do?" Liz asked.
"Took his shirt off while frying meatballs," the nurse said with another eye roll. "He's probably got some second degree grease burns."
I winced as she told us what happened, and when I turned back around, I found myself standing in front of a tall man with broad shoulders, unruly rust-colored curls, and piercing green eyes.
"You must be new around here," he said, smiling down at me. "I haven't seen you here before."
"It's...um...my first day," I said, trying to look away but completely unable to stop myself from staring. "I'm a nursing student...new...it's my first day."
"So you said." He grinned. "What's your name, newbie?"
"Me?" I asked, pointing to my chest.
"Well, yes, you," he said as he sunk his teeth into his lower lip.
"Alexandra," I said thrusting my hand forward as I tried to remember my manners. "Pierce. Alex Pierce."
"Well, Alexandra Alex Pierce," he said, taking my hand and shaking it warmly. "I'm Cameron Conner, but most people call me Cam."
"Hi, Cam," I said as I stared up at him, trying hard to control my breathing. If there was such a thing as a beautiful man, Cam Connor was it, and I had no idea how to act around him. Suddenly, I remembered why I was there in the first place and sputtered, "Do you need some help? I mean, are you hurt, too?"
"I'm not as bad as Danny over there, but I do think I got some grease on me," he said as he held on to my hand still shaking it. "Do you think you could give me a gauze pad or two to cover it up?"
"Gauze! Yes! I can do that!" I cried, remembering that I'd been stocking the supplies just before he'd come in. "I'll get some!"
"I'll just come with you, if you don't mind," he said, following me back to the back storage area in the trauma room.
Once inside the room, I became even more unsettled as he pulled his shirt up and revealed his bare torso. He had a lightly hairy chest and abdominal muscles that I would have killed for. The fire department logo was tattooed all the way around his upper bicep.
"Nice tattoo," I said as I wiped off the small area that had been hit by grease with an alcohol wipe. He winced, but said nothing. "Did that hurt?"
"A little," he said, watching me closely. "So, Alex Pierce, what made you decide to work here?"
"It's part of my nursing program internship," I said, l
ooking up at him and noticing that in addition to being mesmerizingly green, his eyes were flecked with gold.
"I see; so, technically you probably shouldn't be treating me?" He grinned.
"Oh my God, no, I shouldn't be!" I said as I stepped away ready to go get a real nurse. "You probably need a licensed professional to look at that burn."
"Nah, it's all good, I've had worse burns that I didn't get treated." He shrugged back into his shirt and stood up. He smiled at me and said, "I just wanted a few minutes alone with a pretty girl."
"Do you use that line on every woman you meet?" I asked, suddenly aware of the fact that a man this handsome was probably used to the constant attention, and that I was most likely acting like every other woman he came in contact with. Now it was his turn to be surprised.
"No, actually I've never used that line before in my life." He laughed. "And I'm not sure why I thought it was a good idea now."
"I see," I said, turning toward the door. "Well, it'll probably work if you try it again on someone else."
I walked out of the exam room and headed back to the nurses’ station where Liz stood chatting with the charge nurse as they watched the doctor examine Danny.
"Where have you been?" Liz asked.
"Stocking the exam room in the back," I said, looking away as Cam walked past the desk. "We needed more gauze and tape."
"Uh huh," Liz said as she looked at Cam and then back at me. "You'll have to tell me all about it on the way home."
"Nothing to tell." I shrugged. "Gauze and tape really aren't that interesting."
But Cam Connor was, and I knew it was going to be hard to get him out of my mind.
Chapter Five
Cam
After the doctor treated Danny and lectured him about proper cooking techniques, we loaded him back into the truck and returned to the fire station. Danny would be out of commission for a few days, but he'd be all right.
"Newsome is kind of an idiot," Victor said as he stood at the counter watching me finish preparing dinner. I'd volunteered to do it alone since we'd already fixed everything but the noodles.
"Shut up, Vangel," I said as I put two pots of water on to boil. "Everyone makes mistakes."
"Yeah, but frying meat without a shirt?" He laughed. "That ranks up there with ironing while naked and mowing the lawn without shoes."
"Like I said, shut the hell up, Vangel," I repeated as I felt my blood pressure start to rise. This guy pissed me off like no one else, but I knew that I had to keep my anger under control or I was going to get suspended.
"But you're not an idiot, are you, Connor?" he said with a sleazy grin. "You are totally on the up and up. A wise guy, maybe."
"I'm not sure what you're trying to get at, but whatever it is, you're not going to bait me," I said as I added salt to both pots and put the lids on. I went to the cupboard and pulled out two boxes of spaghetti noodles, and as I did, I made myself breathe deeply to slow down my racing pulse. I wanted nothing more than to punch Vangel, and he wanted nothing more than to goad me into doing it.
"What I'm getting at is that you're the man," he said, still grinning that idiot grin of his. "You've got it all going on."
"Either say what you're going to say, or once again, I will invite you to shut the fuck up," I said through gritted teeth.
"Never mind," Vangel said as he slid off the stool and walked toward the common room. "It doesn't matter right now."
I shook my head at his attempt at intimidation and went back to prepping dinner. As I did, my thoughts wandered back to the woman in the ER who'd treated my minor burns. She had reminded me of a young fawn; her blue eyes had been wary and watchful, but she'd definitely wanted to get closer. Or at least she had until I screwed it up by feeding her a stupid line. I shook my head as I recalled the way she'd abruptly pulled back and closed down when I'd acted like a smooth-talking idiot.
Alex Pierce. I wanted to find out more about her, to get to know her better. But as soon as the desire became real, the guilt kicked in and I did what I had done for the past ten years every time I'd found myself interested in a woman: I shut it down and reminded myself that I had a full life and that it was disloyal and unfair to want more.
I ran a hand through my hair as I bent over the sink. I was sick of feeling guilty about something I couldn't change. And I was sick of living so entirely alone because of it. I decided to talk to Leo about it in the morning when I went to visit him. Maybe he'd have a work around that would give me a chance to shed the guilt and start to live again.
I could only hope.
Chapter Six
Alex
I didn't get a chance to talk with Liz after my shift, so it wasn't until the next morning that we talked over breakfast.
"So, what's up with the firefighter?" Liz asked as she dug into a plate of pancakes. I watched her as she cut them into a plateful of bite-sized pieces and then, one by one, shoved them in her mouth. Liz could, and would, eat just about anything, and I was envious.
"I don't know." I shrugged as I stuck a spoon into my healthy bowl of oatmeal and fruit. "He said I was pretty, but I think it was just a come on line."
"Did you ask?" Liz said with her mouth full of pancakes. "I mean, he could have been telling the truth. You are pretty, you know."
"Give me a break," I said, rolling my eyes as I stirred my oatmeal. "I'm not ugly, but I'm certainly a long way from pretty."
"We really need to work on your confidence, Pierce," Liz said as she stuffed half a slice of bacon in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Let's go shopping after classes today."
"We have big exams coming up, Liz," I reminded her. "I can't afford to fail. I need to study."
"One afternoon of shopping for some cute things to brighten your look is not going to cost you your entire education," Liz said, rolling her eyes. "We'll head down to State Street and hit three stores, then we'll go back to the library and study. How's that for a compromise?"
"Fine." I sighed, turning my attention toward the day's lesson. "Did you finish the reading for today's anatomy lecture?"
"More skin?" Liz asked as she pulled out her book and began flipping through it as she shoveled the last of her breakfast into her mouth. “Ah, yes, I’m familiar with it.”
"Liz, you can't keep doing this." I sighed again and shook my head. The problem was that she could: Liz had a photographic memory and could remember everything she'd ever seen, even if she'd only seen it once. It drove me crazy that she didn't have to study as hard as I did in order to retain the material, and even crazier to watch her squander her talent as she dabbled in everything from standup comedy to graffiti art.
"Eh, it'll be fine." She shrugged. "I'm like a cat. I always land on my feet, you know?"
I crossed my fingers under the table and hoped that was true as I tried to push the images of Cam Connor's unruly auburn curls and broad chest out of my mind so I could focus on my studies.
It was easier said than done.
Chapter Seven
Cam
After I'd finished my shift at the station, I drove home, walked Tesla, then showered, changed, and headed over to see Leo. I was not looking forward to this meeting, but I knew that steering clear of it wasn't an option.
What I really wanted to be doing was driving back over to Chicago General and seeing if Alex Pierce was on duty. I hadn't been able to get her curvy figure out of my head for the duration of my shift. I cursed myself for not getting her number, but it hadn’t seemed like the best thing to do after she’d nailed me for using a pick up line, so keeping a safe distance had seemed like the smarter choice. Even if the choice meant I didn’t know how to contact Alex.
"Sometimes we have to do what we don't want to do; isn't that right, girl?" I said to Tesla as I stood at the counter finishing my breakfast. She looked up at me and thumped her tail on the marble floor, hoping that I'd toss her a bit of the bacon I'd made to go with my eggs.
"All right, fine," I said as I tossed a piece in the air a
nd watched as she gracefully leapt up and caught it in her open mouth. She chewed it quickly and then sat back down waiting for more. I laughed. "Nope, that's it. No more."
Tesla wagged her tail a few times, and, when it became obvious that I meant what I'd said, she sighed loudly and dropped to the floor, resting her chin between her paws as she gave me a mournful look. I smiled as I shook my head then went back to scanning the headlines on the iPad I kept in the kitchen.
"It looks like we've got the usual mash up of things going on in the city, girl," I said as I read the headlines out loud to her. "I see that the mayor is pushing a new education program, the governor is trying to cut the budget down to a manageable level, and the South Side is still going to hell in a hand basket. Looks like business as usual!"
I set my dishes in the sink, pulled on my coat, grabbed my keys and sunglasses, and headed out to meet with Leo. The office was down in the Loop, which usually meant not being able to find a parking spot, but we'd contracted with a local valet service at one of the restaurants and they'd agreed to let us use two spots for Chicago Security Corporation when we needed it, so I was able to park and get up to the fourteenth floor quickly.
"Mr. Connor," Becky said, surprised to see me. "Was Mr. Marini expecting you this morning?"
"I certainly hope so." I smiled. "He sent me a message yesterday requesting a meeting."
"Will you be in your office, sir?" she asked as she picked up the phone and dialed Leo's extension.
"Nah, I'll just head back to Leo's office and see what he wants," I said as I headed down the hallway. I could hear her telling Leo I was on my way in a hushed whisper.
"So, what's up with this contract, Leo?" I said as I pushed his office door open and entered. Inside, I found a somewhat flustered Leo buttoning his shirt as a lovely young woman folded up a massage table.
"I thought you'd call first," he said as I gave him the once over. "I didn't know you'd be this early."
"Yeah, well, my shift is over at eight and I headed right over because you said it was important," I said with an amused grin. Dropping my voice, I said, "Barn door's open. Close her up, friend."
