The Plague Doctor's Daughter

30. Giovanna

Her heartbeat accelerated at the double meaning the words stirred inside her brain, and for a moment, Giovanna imagined herself in Matteo's arms as she straddled him in the gilded armchair. Surely she would be going to hell for such profane thoughts.

She cleared her throat. "Ahem. By the fire would be best," she said, balling her fist at her side. When he'd gotten situated, she continued, "You said it pained you to breathe. Can you be more specific? Is there a certain area that hurts more than elsewhere?"

Matteo took a deep breath. "Humph. It's the worst here," he said, moving his hand in a circular motion over his chest.

Giovanna smirked at his inexactness. Men.

"I see. And can you tell whether the source is on a particular side? Right or left? Front or back?" she asked, eyeing him with reservation.

He filled his lungs again with as much air as they allowed before grimacing. "I'm afraid not. It's just a general discomfort that intensifies into a sharp ache, but I cannot pinpoint its origin."

"I suppose I will have to check everything, then," Giovanna said, lifting the front of his shirt. "May I?"

Matteo smiled. "You may."

Without meeting his eyes lest they prove any more of a distraction, she used touch to find the first rib just under the collarbone and gently pressed the flesh around it. Working her way down one side, Giovanna repeated the process without causing Matteo any pain. The other side proved just as unexceptional, at least from a medical perspective. Her personal captivation by the task was another matter.

He should have been just like any other patient, but Giovanna didn't even try to fool herself into believing that was possible. The way her insides fluttered at his nearness, how she couldn't stop thinking about him when they were apart, or the manner in which she ignored all propriety while around him were all new to her. And as much as she tried to contain herself, being able to freely run her fingers across his flawless skin right now wasn't making it easy.

"Your ribs on the front don't feel damaged, but that's not much of a surprise," she said, dropping the shirt after a quick peek at Matteo's smooth stomach before moving behind him. "Falling on your back would more readily result in an injury to that part of the body."

Continuing the examination by running two fingers over the length of each bone from shoulder blade to kidney to feel for abnormalities, she finally found two unusually sore spots.

"The ninth and tenth ribs on the left side are likely cracked," she said, facing Matteo again. "The good news is that won't kill you, and they'll heal on their own with proper inactivity and time."

"And the bad news?" he asked, adjusting his shirt as it loosely hung on his torso.

"The bad news is that there isn't much more I can do. Peppermint oil applied to the skin would help with the pain and perhaps binding your upper body to stabilize the rib cage would ward off aches from sudden movements, but I have neither tonics or wrapping supplies here at my disposal."

Matteo put his hand against his chest and scowled, clearly uncomfortable. "What then?"

"Then," she said, stepping closer. "You should rest. Here, let me help you to your bed."

Surprisingly, he didn't object. After tucking Matteo under the covers, Giovanna was about to retreat when he called after her.

"There is room on the other side," he said.

She turned, unsure why he'd be sending her into the chamber on the other side of the door. "What?"

"There is plenty of space on the opposite side of the bed. You may sleep there, undisturbed. I promise I will tell no one."