Then There Was You

by Mona Shroff

  “Nilay, get off me!”

  “I’m trying.” Nilay stood and offered his hand to Annika to help her stand. She reached for him. “Aw, jeez, Didi, you’re bleeding.”

  Sure enough, there was a large gash on the palm of her left hand. Blood oozed from the gaping wound. Nilay led her to a chair away from all the debris. Daniel was kneeling by her side in an instant, no sign of Steven or his friends.

  “What the hell...?” Mrs. P. materialized at Daniel’s side. “How can I help?”

  “Where’s Steven?” Annika searched the bar, even as a wave of nausea gripped her at the sight of her wound. She turned her focus to Daniel. His brow furrowed as he gently examined her hand with a professional eye. Pain throbbed from her hand, up her arm, and the sight of the blood was not helping her stomach. She tried not to notice the gentleness of his touch, or how it sent an electrical current through her.

  “Well, our Daniel pulled him off your brother. Now Phil’s got him, don’t you worry, hon.” Mrs. P. comforted her, pride in her husband all over her face. “He’s not too old to take care of a troublemaker like that.”

  Daniel glanced up at Mrs. P. “Let’s get some fresh towels to clean this off.” He looked at Annika. “Can you stand?”

  She paused before nodding. Her stomach was settling, and there was no light-headedness. He held her injured hand gingerly and wrapped his other arm around her waist. With no apparent effort on his part, he lifted her to standing. If her hand hadn’t been throbbing with pain, she might have actually enjoyed his proximity. Who was she kidding? She was totally enjoying his proximity, pain or not.

  His face was inches from hers as he scanned her face. “Steady?”

  He was so close she was unable to speak, so she nodded again and allowed him to lead her to the sink as Mrs. P. went to the back to grab towels.

  “How’s she doing?” Phil asked as he returned to the bar.

  Daniel wrapped her hand with a clean towel, before finally settling his gaze on Annika.

  “Well, she needs stitches.” He turned to her. “Let’s go.”

  “Go? Go where?”

  “The ER.” He hesitated, then looked her in the eye. “I can do them for you.”

  Annika shot a look at Nilay. He set his lips in a straight line. “You have to go,” her brother said.

  “Can’t you just do them here?” She knew she sounded like a little girl, but she couldn’t face the ER. Especially not right after seeing Steven.

  “No.” Daniel grinned at her. “They frown on us taking lidocaine home.”

  “Young lady.” Mrs. P. came close and spoke. “Anni, you do what this young man says. I know it’s hard going back there...” Mrs. P.’s blue eyes met hers with understanding.

  Annika’s hand throbbed. Her heart began to race, and she started to sweat, her breaths shallow. “I don’t like the ER.”

  Bobby had already started righting tables and Phil was sweeping. The few customers slowly went back to their conversations now that the excitement was over.

  “No one does.” Daniel leaned in and spoke quietly, gently, and Annika tried not to concentrate on how sexy he sounded when all he was doing was trying to take care of her. “I’ll do them myself. You won’t feel a thing.”

  “Don’t you have a bag with all that stuff in it?” Annika bit her bottom lip. “Actually, I’ll be fine.” She looked at Nilay. “Maybe Sajan could do it.”

  Nilay shook his head like she was an idiot. “You’d still have to go to the hospital.”

  “Who’s Sajan?” Was it her imagination, or did Daniel tense up and seem irritated?

  “No one. A friend.” She instantly regretted bringing up Sajan’s name. What was wrong with her? Why did it matter?

  Daniel studied her for a moment and seemed to relax some. “Okay. We’ll go elsewhere.”

  “Not the ER?”

  “Not the ER. But we’ll have to take your car. All I have is my bike.” He put his hand out for her car keys.

  “I’ll drive,” Nilay spoke up.

  She looked from one grim man to the other. “But no ER?”

  Nilay looked to Daniel. Daniel raised his hands. “I promise.” He side-eyed Nilay. “How long have you had your license?”

  “A week.”

  “He passed the squirrel test,” Annika assured Daniel. “And I’m not going without him.”

  Daniel sighed, resigned. “Let’s go.”

  * * *

  IT WAS DECIDED that Nilay would drive and Daniel would direct from the passenger’s side, leaving Annika in the back seat. Nilay kept up a stream of conversation while he drove.

  Daniel was suddenly interested in the traffic. “Watch out for that guy.”

  Nilay easily maneuvered out of the way. “So I saw you help Phil get rid of Steven.”

  Daniel shrugged.

  “Could you show me that move sometime?”

  Daniel side-eyed Nilay. “We just met. You don’t know anything about me.”

  Nilay grinned. “I know people. Trust me.”

  Daniel turned his head to Annika in the back, his eyebrows raised. Annika nodded. “It’s true. He’s got some kind of radar or something.”

  Daniel shrugged. “Sure, kid.” He nodded at Annika’s hand. “How’s it feel?”

  Her hand was pounding, but it was nothing to how the rest of her was shaking from the encounter with Steven. How had she ever thought she loved him? Honestly, if there really was a radar that detected the character of a person, hers was permanently broken. She met Daniel’s concerned gaze, unsure of what her own face revealed.

  “It’ll be fine.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her as if he wanted to ask her something, but instead he nodded and faced front again. “Almost there.”

  Annika studied his profile, enjoying the lines of his face as he spoke to Nilay and laughed at something her brother said. That warm feeling of contentment passed over her again as she watched them. She shook her head of it. No point in going there. Your radar is broken, remember?

  But Nilay definitely liked him, and he had great radar. Maybe...

  As they approached a small building with a large field, she sat up straight. “You’re taking me to your chopper base, Chopper Guy?” Oh, shit, did she say that out loud?

  “What did you call me?” Amusement dripped from his voice, and he turned to face her, his face lit up, green eyes dancing.

  “Nothing.” Annika focused her gaze out the window. Her face heated in response to his smile, even though she couldn’t see it. Thank goodness for brown skin.

  Nilay’s face lit up. “This is a chopper base? You’re a flight medic?”

  Daniel nodded. “Yes, on the side.”

  “Wow.”

  Annika grinned to herself. Her little brother was completely starstruck. Just when Daniel couldn’t get any cooler, he turned out to be a helicopter flight medic. She sighed, slightly disappointed. Nilay’s radar was most likely tainted by the fact that he thought Daniel’s jobs were amazing.

  “So...do you carry a gun?” Nilay started his questions.

  Annika rolled her eyes in the back seat.

  “No,” Daniel answered. “There’s no need. We’re not cops.”

  “Right. So what do you get to do?”

  “Well, we start IVs, stop bleeding, do minor procedures if necessary. Basically, we stabilize the patient so we can airlift them to the surgeons as quickly as possible.”

  “What’s some of the worst you’ve seen?”

  “Well, there was the gunshot wound a month ago at Phil’s Place.”

  Too late, Annika began shaking her head from the back seat in an effort to get Daniel to not mention that.

  “There was a gunshot at Didi’s bar?” Nilay’s voice filled with alarm.

  “Uh—” Daniel side-eyed Annika.

&nbs
p; “It was nothing. No need to mention this at home.” She glared at Daniel. Thanks a lot.

  “What do you mean nothing?”

  “Hey, there’s a spot. Think you can get it in there?” Daniel interrupted.

  Nilay concentrated on his parking, and Daniel offered information about the base before Nilay could continue with his interrogation.

  Daniel held Annika’s arm for support as he guided them through the door and into the building. Normally, Annika would have insisted she could walk on her own—her feet were not injured!—but she wasn’t inclined to say no to being this close to him. She might never get another chance.

  “The base is set up much like a house. We have three bedrooms, one for each of us and one for the pilot. That way we can rest in between calls,” Daniel told them as he led them to a small room with a single bed and a desk.

  By this time, Nilay was bouncing with excitement and asking about everything he saw. Daniel sat Annika on the bed and turned to Nilay. “You’re free to look around while I do this, just don’t touch anything.”

  “Seriously? Awesome! I promise—I won’t touch anything. Where’s the chopper?” He started to bounce away, then turned back. “You’re okay, right, Didi? I mean, I can stay if you need me.”

  Annika shook her head. “I’m fine. Go ahead.”

  She had barely finished before Nilay was off.

  Daniel had opened a black bag, rummaged through it and pulled out a small pouch, which turned out to be a suture kit. “Sorry about telling him about the incident at the bar. I guess I wasn’t thinking.”

  Annika shrugged. “It’s fine. It’s only a problem if he tells my parents, which he won’t because he thinks all this—” she waved with her good hand “—is supercool.”

  He placed a small nightstand in front of Annika before he turned to open an overhead cabinet and get things set up. The muscles of his back and arms flexed as he reached inside the cabinet and pulled out a clean sheet, which he draped over the small nightstand, placing Annika’s injured hand on top of it. He left the room for a minute and returned, drying his hands on a clean paper towel. He pulled up a chair and sat down across from her, donned gloves and proceeded to set up his instruments.

  His breath came steady and sure, his movements graceful and practiced. He filled the small space, and she was mesmerized. More than aware of the fact that she sat on a bed he slept in and that they were very much alone.

  When all seemed set, he gently removed the makeshift bandage he had put on. He cleaned the wound and readied a needle. “This will pinch. It’s just lidocaine.”

  It did pinch, and Annika squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to flinch.

  “So, who was the asshole?” Daniel did not look up from his work.

  “No one.” Tears welled in her eyes. Everything came back. She concentrated on her hand, but when he looked at her, she had to bite her lip to keep the tears from falling. She failed.

  “Well, ‘no one’ really had your brother riled up.” He spoke softly, but Annika caught an edge in his voice.

  Annika wiped away her tears and swallowed hard. “Why do you care?”

  “Because I do.” His lips pressed together, but kindness filled his eyes when he stole a glance at her.

  More silence.

  “Steven. He’s the asshole.” She found herself speaking into the silence. Must be a technique they taught in nursing school. How to get people to spill their guts without saying anything. “I’m not sure what that says about my taste in men, but we were engaged—and then we weren’t.”

  “Seems like you dodged a bullet there.”

  Annika stared at him.

  He looked up as if he could feel her gaze. “You know, him being an asshole and all that.” Daniel’s touch was gentle as he started the stitches, sending a small thrill through her.

  Annika snuck a glance at him as he focused on his work. Long dark lashes framed those green eyes perfectly. His hair was thick, the color of brown autumn leaves that had fallen, with just a touch of wave. Her fingers wiggled at the thought of running them through it. Wait, what?

  “Whoa, easy there.” Daniel glanced at her. “No wiggly fingers.”

  “Sorry.” She kept still and changed the subject to cover her flush. “Where is everybody?”

  “Out on a call. Which is good.” He didn’t look up. Probably a good thing, as Annika could still feel the heat in her face from her wayward thoughts.

  “Why?”

  “Technically, I shouldn’t be treating you here.” If he hadn’t already been looking at her hand, Annika had the distinct feeling he would have avoided her gaze.

  “Why are you treating me, then?” She tried to keep still.

  “You need stitches.”

  “You could have forced me to go to the ER.”

  “Yes. I could have. But you looked terrified of the ER, so I came up with plan B.” He glanced up at her and flushed, almost embarrassed, then quickly bent back to his work. “You seem to really like teaching.”

  Annika smiled. “I love it. Chase Creek Elementary all the way!”

  Daniel froze for a split second as she pumped her good hand.

  “Oh. I’m sorry, no sudden movements. I do get a bit overexcited about my job.” She slowly put her hand down and concentrated on being still. This must be how her students felt all the time. “I really love being with the children and watching them discover how the world works.” She switched gears. “My parents wanted me to go to medical school—but I couldn’t do it. I took a year or so off after college—after I had decided against med school—to save up some money for grad school. Teaching is part of me. It’s like I need to do it.” She hadn’t talked about this in forever, but it felt easy to share with him.

  “Well, that’s something we have in common.”

  “You teach?” She grinned.

  He chuckled, a low rumble that Annika could have listened to forever. “No. Med school. I applied after nursing school. Pressure from everyone—” he lifted his gaze to her and rolled his eyes “—about not living up to my full potential, and I got in. But it wasn’t for me. I decided to do my graduate work toward my DNP instead.”

  “So why do you do this?” She indicated the base with her good hand.

  “Um...well.” He hesitated, suddenly unable to meet her eyes. “This is just a side gig—like you working Phil’s. I like to keep busy.”

  “I work at Phil’s because I need the money.” She shrugged, then grinned at him as an idea struck her. “You should come to my class and talk about this. The kids will find it exciting. The helicopter, the whole thing.”

  For the second time in a few minutes, his entire body seemed to stiffen, almost imperceptibly. She couldn’t stop watching him as he clenched his jaw and then almost forcibly relaxed it.

  “Oh, I doubt that. They’re a little young for trauma.” He maintained concentration on her hand, though he was holding the needle and not stitching. “Maybe I can arrange a visit from the local fire department instead. That fire engine is very popular with the kindergarten-age set. A firefighter friend of mine, Lance, loves showing it off.” He looked up at her, the tension still in his face, even as he smiled at her. “The kids love it.”

  Annika paused a moment, trying to figure out what put that tiny bit of fear in his eyes. “Sure.” She finally managed. “The children would love that fire engine! Let’s make it happen.”

  He grinned wide, the tension finally leaving his face and body. “Consider it done.”

  Annika inhaled the scent of him, clean and fresh, mixed with the sharp scent of rubbing alcohol.

  The combination was strangely comforting, maybe even familiar. Her eyes met his, and she was powerless to look away, her guard slipping just a bit more.

  “So...I was pregnant.”

  Daniel paused in his work, his mouth set in a line, but h
is eyes were warm, and he said nothing, waiting for her to continue. Her guard melted away, and tears prickled at her nose. Daniel was mid-stitch, and even in her state she could appreciate that he was conflicted between wanting to touch her and breaking sterile. Silence stretched between them while Annika gathered herself.

  “With his baby.”

  Daniel nodded, finished the last stitch, applied antibiotic ointment, and wrapped up her wound with gauze and a small splint.

  “Initially, he was great. He proposed, and said he loved me and wanted a family with me.” She paused, forcing herself to speak with clinical detachment. “Five months ago, I had cramps and bleeding in the middle of the night. He drove me to the ER. By the time he parked the car and found me, I had...lost...” She shook her head and swallowed her unspent tears. So much for detachment. “I had been waiting for him, but when he got there, he—he—” She searched the room for the words she still couldn’t believe. “He broke up with me right in the ER. Said the only reason he proposed was to do ‘the right thing.’ And today, he acted like it was nothing!”

  She thought about the hospital band that she always carried. It reminded her of the worst day of her life. Of that night. It reminded her that if she could survive that, she was stronger than she thought. But those damn tears burned behind her eyes again. They filled her eyes, though she was determined they not fall. “I was so stupid!” Well, so much for no tears falling.

  His work finally done, Daniel pushed aside the suture tray, tossed his gloves and scooted his stool up to the edge of the bed where she sat. He was level with her, and he cupped her face with his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. Rough calluses rubbed against her skin, and it was all she could do to not melt into his tender touch right there.

  “No, you were not stupid. He was.” Daniel moved closer. She could see the small brown flecks in the green of his eyes. She was so moved by the determination in them that she believed him.

  “I felt like such a failure.” Tears were free-flowing. “I lost my baby, not to mention the man I thought I—” It was ridiculous to say the word love here, because she could see clearly that what she and Steven had had was nowhere near love. She swallowed hard, and her next words came out of the sadness she’d been feeling for these past months. “You know, I didn’t even know I wanted to be a mother. I was always all about my career. Family would come in time, I kept telling my parents. But when I found out I was pregnant, I wanted that baby so bad. I wanted to be a mother. Then, when it was...all over, it was like the world continued and I was standing still. Stuck in that moment.” She could still feel that pit of despair in her belly from time to time.