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Chapter 9

BRIDGETTE

His brown eyes, hooded by his stubborn eyebrows, were fixed on me. Amy must have sensed trouble coming my way so she slowly turned around and left, leaving me alone with the handsome doctor. I knew Cara was afraid of the man, but I was challenged. I saw a lot of layers in him and I so desperately wanted to rip them off one by one, starting with his shirt, of course.

But that would have to wait. For now, I had to get away because Cara was screaming in my ear to do so.

“I’m fit for work,” I told him, my chin raised as an impulse. With the gaze he was fixing me, I wouldn’t just bow down and obey. Hell no! I would fight to the death.

“You will be taking care of patients. I don’t want a nurse who needs more medical attention than them.” He crossed his arms across his chest.

I raised an eyebrow. “I know my body, Dr. Newman. I can manage, I promise.”

“Just walk away!” Cara was screaming in my ear.

The doctor frowned. “Just make sure I don’t see you doing any mistakes.”

“You won’t.”

“That’s enough. Walk away now.” Cara’s voice was nervous.

Of course I didn’t listen. I would stand my ground. If someone wanted to leave, it would be the hot doctor.

We stared at each other for ten more awkward silent moment before he finally blinked, nodded his head once and squarely walked away. I released my breath and walked inside the locker room.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” I answered Cara, walking straight to her locker. I opened it and inspected the door. She had a picture of her and her dad and a few with the same friend. Cara didn’t have a lot of friends back in high school and I thought that it still stood the same even after ten years. We were not different in that regard though a lot of people considered me their friend while I didn’t.

“When he comes in your way again, ignore him. Just nod, accept whatever mistake he points out and forget about it. If he ever senses, even just a little, that you seem different, my job is over. My license will be goodbye.”

“Just relax, Cara. I can handle him. Don’t keep on talking like you are not going to live another day because it might just ruin my eardrum--your eardrum.”

“Says the one who won’t shut up yesterday.”

“Someone’s coming. Shut up.”

It was the tall lady, Amy. She went straight to me, her eyes wide. “You really pissed him off, do you know that?”

“Who?”

“Dr. Newman! He’s not just leaving the unit, he’s right out there in the station, going over everything we did today. Do you know what that means?”

Well, honestly, I didn’t. How the hell could I know what the guy was up to or what the nurses were doing that didn’t have to be known? “Don’t worry. He’ll get over it,” I said, pretending I very well knew what she meant.

“Don’t talk too much around Amy. She has appointed herself as the news anchor of the unit.” It was Cara.

I studied Amy carefully and instantly knew what Cara meant. But then, I didn’t care. As long as I stayed alive by the end of the shift without patients dying on me, I was fine.

“You don’t look okay,” Amy noted as I started to get dressed.

“I’m cool,” I answered.