“Oh, really? I don’t remember.” Feeling more than a little embarrassed that I’d been caught dreaming about Noah, I looked over to the window and was surprised to see sunlight seeping through the blinds. “What time is it?”
“Almost ten. You’ve been out for a good while.”
“How long?”
“In and out for two days now.”
“Seriously?” I sat up and was surprised that even though I was still a little groggy, I didn’t feel as bad as I had before. I wasn’t as stiff and sore, and I didn’t feel like the room was spinning. I brushed the hair from my face and cringed at how tangled and matted it was. “How is it possible that I’ve been out of it for two days?”
“It’s perfectly normal. Your body needed time to heal.”
“That means it’s been even longer since I’ve had a decent shower. I feel so gross.”
“I tell you what.” He motioned his hand over to the plate of food. “Since your fever’s finally broken, we can get you a shower and a change of clothes, but I’m gonna need you to eat something first.”
A shower sounded marvelous. I’d been wanting one since the night of the attack, and the thought of feeling a little more normal had me reaching for the plate of food. “Well, I’m definitely up for that. So, does this mean the infection is gone?”
“No, you’ll need to stay on the antibiotics for a good bit longer, but the worst is over.”
“Thank goodness.” I took a bite of toast, then said, “Thank you, Doc. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been here to help me.”
“Glad to do it, doll.” A smile crossed his face. “Now, eat up. You’ve got a big day ahead.”
“Big day ahead?”
“We’ll talk about that later. For now, let’s get you ready to face the day.”
While I was tempted to push him for more, I was too excited about taking a shower to care. I finished my toast, and after I ate a few bites of eggs and bacon, I couldn’t eat another thing. Doc took my plate as he said, “I’ve got a couple of things to tend to. I’ll be back in a bit to see if you’re feeling up to having that shower.”
“Okay, I’ll be here.” I chuckled.
With that, he gave me a big smile, then turned and walked out of the room, leaving me to wait alone. I took the moment to lift my t-shirt and check out the wounds for myself. They were both covered with bandages, but I didn’t let that stop me. Starting with the larger one on my lower abdomen, I slowly peeled back the surgical tape and cringed when I saw the long line of stitches. While I was thankful that they weren’t red and angry, I had no doubt that they’d leave a nasty scar. I replaced the bandage, then quickly checked the second, much smaller one. Similar to the other, I feared that it would also leave a pretty bad scar. I’d just started putting my bandage back in place when the door opened, and Noah stepped into the room. As usual, he looked incredibly hot in his jeans and black leather vest, but there was no missing the fatigue in his eyes. It looked like he hadn’t slept in days as he rushed over to me and asked, “What are you doing? Is something wrong?”
“No.” Realizing that I was fully exposed and he was getting an eyeful, I quickly secured my bandage and pulled down my shirt. Embarrassed, I snapped, “Everything’s fine.”
“Then, what were you doing?”
“Nothing. I was just looking at my injuries.” Having him so close made me think about the dream I’d just had and how real it felt, so much so, I could almost feel the warmth of his touch on my skin. Shaking the thought from my mind, I said, “I think I’m finally getting over all this.”
“I see that.” A strange expression crossed his face. “You had us worried there for a minute.”
“I had myself worried. But Doc seems to think the worst is over.”
“That’s good to hear.”
He stood there for a moment, just looking at me like he had something to say. I was curious to know what was on his mind and hoped that he would actually tell me, but the words never came. Instead, he just nodded his head and started walking over to the door. “You’re leaving?”
“Yeah, got things to do.”
Before I had a chance to respond, he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. Damn. What was it about this man that got to me like he did? He was often cold and distant, hard to reach, but at the same time, I felt an unexplainable pull towards him—like he was a part of me, and without him I’d never truly be complete. I knew it was crazy to think such a thing. I barely knew the man. I wouldn’t have even met him if he hadn’t found me in that damn dumpster, but I felt it all the same.
I was in my thoughts when Doc came back into the room. I could hear him talking, but I was too stuck in my head to respond. I simply sat there and watched as he unhooked my IV. I remained silent as helped me to my feet and led me over to the door. I was still pretty weak, but with every step, I felt a little stronger. When we made it across the hall to the room, Doc opened the door, and I was surprised to find my purple duffle bag sitting on the bed along with a couple of towels and toiletries. “Is that mine?”
“I reckon so.”
“But how’d they get here?”
“I’m guessing Shotgun had something to do with that.”
“But...”
Sensing my concern, Doc said, “I’m sure he was careful. He always is.”
“If you say so.”
I opened up my bag and quickly sifted through all the different clothes and some toiletries. An uneasy feeling crossed over me when I thought about Noah going through my things, but that notion quickly left my mind when I found my favorite pair of sweats and t-shirt. “Okay, I think I’m all set.”
“Great.” He led me into the bathroom, and after he turned on the shower, he looked over to me and asked, “Do you think you can handle things from here?”
“Yeah, I think I’ve got it, but what about my stitches?”
“I’ve already cleaned them, and the bandages I used are waterproof, so you should be fine.”
“Okay.”
As he stepped out of the room, he said, “I’ll be right outside if you change your mind.”
“Okay. Thanks, Doc.”
“No problem.”
Once he’d closed the door, I started to undress. It wasn’t too difficult. The clothes I’d been wearing were way too big and practically hanging on me. I just released the drawstring on the pants, and they fell to the floor. The t-shirt took a little more maneuvering, especially with the two sets of stitches on my chest, but I managed to remove it. With my clothes puddled at my feet, I looked at myself in the mirror, taking a minute to examine the bruises on my face and was pleased to see that they were almost gone. There were just a few remnants under my eyes and cheek, but for the most part, they looked a hundred percent better. Feeling relieved, I stepped into the shower and closed the sliding door. I couldn’t begin to describe how good the hot water felt against my skin. I was in absolute heaven.
Once I was done washing up, I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. It took some time to dry off, but I managed to do it without having to ask Doc for help. I reached for the clothes, and my insides tightened into a painful knot as I leaned down to put on my panties, causing me to almost fall. Hearing me stumble, Doc called out, “You okay in there?”