Point Of View 2 [*Do not read until you've read the same chapter of ATW]

Chapter 190 I'm Getting Sober

"I'm not saying it wasn't a good idea, mate. It was. People were only hearing Luke's side of the story. This puts things in a different light. A brighter one for me. But next time, don't do it behind my back, got it, Scofield?" Nate gives up the fight, and I smirk.

"Yes, sir." 

"And enough with the sir shit. You know me."

"Yes si-...yes...ok." He fumbles with his words and starts laughing.

"Give up, Nate. He can't do it. The manners are fucking tattooed into his brain or something. He still ma'ams me." I make myself useful and wet a cloth to put on Nate's clammy forehead. "Where is Jonah?"

"He went to fill my prescriptions on the first floor," Nate responds. I was so engulfed in watching the news that I hadn't noticed he slipped out of the room.

"Casey?" I raise a brow, looking around the room. Nate doesn't look too hot all of a sudden. I thought the coloring was off, but I also thought he was just stressed out about everything going on. But he's clammy and burning up.

"She went with him, why?" I lower the cloth and look to Evan for a second opinion. "Does he feel warm to you?"

"Um, ma'am, I'm not the best judge to determine if he has a fever..."

For fuck's sake. I roll my eyes and grab Evan's hand, placing it on Nate's forehead.

"What....I don't feel warm. I'm freezing."

"Exactly." I look up at Evan with concern. He nods slightly and pulls out his phone, quickly sending a text. He knows what to do. Get a hold of Jonah and tell him to get his ass back up here and figure out what's wrong.

"Casey is going to stay down there and wait for the prescriptions. Jonah is on his way up and is going to have the cardiologist paged." Evan tilts his phone to show me their text conversation. I lean closer to him to catch a glimpse of the messages, doing my best to ignore his intoxicating scent.

"It's probably nothing." Hollan fucking downplays it.

Another ten to fifteen minutes go by before one of the guards lets Jonah in. Right behind him is Dr. Simms holding Nate's chart. The floor nurse is with them as well, wheeling in a separate monitor cart. I step out of the way so they can evaluate him.

"Ok, let's take a look, shall we?" Dr. Simms gets right to it. "Let's swap the monitors. This one is fully charged, so your numbers will be accurate with it."

The nurse starts unhooking Nate from one device, and Jonah hooks up the other. Blood pressure cuff back on, thermometer in his mouth. I stare at Nate and get a sick feeling in my stomach. Something's wrong.

"103.7" Dr. Simms suddenly looks concerned. "Alright, Jennifer," He turns to the nurse. "Call down and get prophylactic antibiotics and administer them via IV. Mr. Marshall, could you place an IV in him again, please?"

"Yes, sir." Jonah gets right to it.

"What's happening?" I ask, needing information. A hard lump forms in my throat, and the doctor hasn't even spoken to me yet.

"Just tell me," Nate demands.

"Sir, it could be anything. We'll run some more labs. Could be a minor infection at the site, a reaction to one of the medications used after the procedure, or..." The doctor looks at Jonah. "MRSA."

MRSA?! I know exactly what MRSA is. It can be life-threatening!! I know because my mom got it while in the hospital, one of her many times, but Nate probably doesn't know what it means, so Jonah goes into Nurse Mode.

"Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It's a type of bacteria that is resistant to many antibiotics, making it challenging to treat." He turns back to Dr. Simms. "If not MRSA, then... endocarditis?"

"Endo-what?" Nate asks, and his monitor notifies us that his blood pressure is rising steadily.

"It's a bacterial infection where the pacemaker is. Or it could be a pacemaker complication like lead displacement or failure, which would require removal and a prolonged antibiotic treatment period under our watch. But let's not worry until we know more." Dr. Simms explains.

The words hit me hard, making me realize just how serious this was, and I started to cry. I NEVER cry in front of others, but I just couldn't hold it back. This news was the final straw for me...my breaking point.

"Hey," Evan takes my arm and brings me to the other side of the room, out of the way so the nurses can work on Nate. He gently sits me down on the loveseat near the window and joins me. He stays silent and lets me cry my little heart out for a little while.

"Sorry, Jesus, sorry. I never cry." I admit, trying to calm myself down. I take the box of tissues Evan offers me. "I just heard MRSA and know that's serious from my mom. And then hearing the infection could make them take the pacemaker out, and-" I ramble.

"Shh. Ma'am, it's ok. You don't need to explain anything." Evan assures me and pats my hand. "You all have been through a lot. Not just today. Since I've known you. It's been one thing after another, and showing emotion is normal."

"Yeah, but-"

"I get it, you never cry. You're like some bionic alien creature that doesn't feel emotions, correct?" He smiles, and I can't help but laugh through my tears. The bodyguard is trying to cheer me up.

"God, you big mountain man, how do you know me so well?" I tease and watch him shrug and scratch that perfect light brown beard of his.

"Probably because I spend every waking moment with you, Ma'am."

"You're Ma'am-ing me on purpose now, aren't you, hotshot?" I snort. Evan lets out a throaty laugh, knowing I caught on to his antics.

"You got me." He winks and leans back on the couch, looking more relaxed and less like a bodyguard, which is rare. At the same moment, we both realize his hand is still resting on mine. Evan looks down and back up to meet my eyes, and I notice a flicker of... something. I'm not sure what it was, but whatever it might have been has me feeling a bit flustered. A bit hot and bothered. Evan rarely offers physical contact, but lately, he has been doing so with me. Maybe it's just his way of distracting me. Maybe not..

Evan quickly comes to his senses, removing his hand and folding them in his lap. But I saw it in his eyes. I felt it. 

And I like it.

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