Stone & Chains by Aurelia T. Evans

Author:Aurelia T. Evans [Evans, Aurelia T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary Romance Fiction
Publisher: Totally Entwined Group
Published: 2022-10-22T00:00:00+00:00

* * * *

There was no getting around it. Abby was distracted, and her night patients noticed—many of whom were tired after their day shifts or, as night wore on, tired because they had to get out of bed to see a doctor when they didn’t even want to be wearing pants.

“You’ve already taken my blood pressure,” Jorge Martinez said.

Abby held up the blood pressure cuff and racked her brain to remember doing it, but she failed miserably.

“I’m sorry, Jorge. It’s been one of those days.” Abby checked her notes. Yes, there it was, slightly elevated blood pressure, but nothing worrisome, which made sense because he’d come here with a persistent, productive, hacking cough and fever. Abby didn’t need a doctor to know that Jorge had a nasty case of bacterial bronchitis sitting uncomfortably on the edge of pneumonia, although Dr. Drobny would still have to put in a perfunctory appearance, just to reassure himself that his degree still had purpose in the same facility as a healer who diagnosed by touch.

Not that Dr. Drobny knew, but he usually trusted her instincts without much pushback. A doctor couldn’t be too arrogant working here. He wasn’t paid enough for pride. None of them were.

“Tell me about it. Give me some good news,” Jorge said, practically croaking his words, because that was the best he could manage.

“Good news is that Jesus is alive and so are you, sweetie,” Abby said.

That got her a crackling, phlegmy laugh that turned into another cough.

“The bad news is you probably have a bad case of bronchitis. We’ll consult with the doctor, but we both know he just consults with me, right? A course of antibiotics will clear the worst of it right out.”

“I have work to be doing and bills to be paying. What the fuck do these antibiotics cost?” Jorge muttered.

“Let’s not think about that until we get the doctor in here. And ideally, you shouldn’t be at work at all, Jorge. You’ll pass it on to everyone else and make them miserable, too.” She set her hand on his on the examination table—a firm grip instead of a flirtatious one so that her signals couldn’t be mistaken.

“I know, missy, but at least we’ll all be miserable and paid.”

“I’m contractually obligated to tell you to stay home and drink lots of fluids. You need some good vitamin C. I’d write a note if I thought it’d help.”

She hoped that their conversation masked the magic that passed from her palm to the back of his hand like fireflies.

“Not in the real world, missy. But I gotta say, you’re a balm for the soul. I feel better already. Must be that pretty smile of yours.”

Maybe she didn’t hide her impact as well as she’d hoped, but he didn’t seem to connect his feeling better to her contact, so she patted his vascular hand and took up his file.

“All right, I’ll get the doctor for you. I’d say he’ll be right with you, but we both know I’d be lying.

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