Page 27 of Doctor Enemy

Just not Olivia.

I’ve worked myself into a real mood about it all when someone knocks on the door. It’s got to be staff because they don’t wait for me to saycome in—the door just swings open.

“How are you feeling?” Kurt asks, stepping into the room. He’s still wearing his scrubs, but his white doctor’s coat has been left somewhere. His stature seems to fill the room.

“What time is it?” I counter. Late enough that the shift has switched out, but my room doesn’t have a window and there’s no clock within easy-looking distance.

He checks his watch. A large gold face, with a black leather strap. It looks like it cost a lot. “Quarter till nine.”

“You should be off by now,” I say, frowning a little bit. I’m lucky, because the door to the room is within my view, and I don’t need to try and twist around the neck brace to try and look at him.

“I am off.” He makes a gesture with one arm, up toward his shoulder. “Notice the lack of a jacket? That usually indicates the fact that I’m off work.”

My eyes narrow. “Don’t be a smart ass about it. I just mean—” I fumble. “If you’re off, then what are you doing here? Haynes is on call for me tonight. They already told me that.”

Arnold Haynes has been a doctor at Mercy General for about four years. He’s a bit of a creep when it comes to the women on the staff, but the man has never had a single complaint from any of the patients. He knows what would get him a slight slap on the wrist, and what would cost him his medical license.

“And I told you earlier that I would come by after my shift and check on you again. So, here I am. Checking on you.” Kurt grabs an extra chair from the other side of the room and lifts it over to my bed. He spins it around so that the back is facing me, and then drops into it, legs spread around the sides.

I can’t help staring at him. The swelling around my eye has gone down a little bit over the last few hours, but I still feel like a puffer fish.

Kurt asks, “What’s that look for?”

“I just… Didn’t expect you to come back in here,” I admit.

“Why?”

“Because— Because you’reyou.”

Kurt frowns a little. “What is that even supposed to mean, Lori?”

I shift a little bit, wincing as it sends pain rocketing through me. “It just means… When do you ever go the extra mile like this for your patients?”

But even as I say it, I can’t help but think about the upside-down name tag earlier, and how sweet of a gesture that was.

If I wasn’t in so much pain, I would huff and turn away from him, or even leave the room.

I don’t like admitting that I’ve misjudged someone’s character, but this is the second time in one day that Kurt has managed to catch me off guard by doing something stupidly nice.

“I always do what my patients need,” Kurt tells me, sounding exasperated. “You know, I was waiting for you to do this earlier.”

“Do what?” I bristle at the tone he uses.

Kurt drapes one arm over the top of the chairback.

With the other hand, he points a finger at me. “Start shit. I’ve thought about it, and I can’t think of a single thing that I’ve actuallydoneto you. So unless you’re really just mad that my father’s the head of St. Mary’s Heart, then I’m at a loss. But every time we talk to each other, you find a way to act like a kid and kick up sand.”

“Kick up sand. What is this, the thirties?” I grumble, but the words are sullen.

Kurt just gives me an expectant look.

God, he’s infuriating. The man acts like he’s the biggest gift that this hospital has ever seen!

So that’s what I tell him.

“You’re so smug about everything,” I snap. “And every time we work together, you act like you’re the only one who knowsanything.”

“When we work together, I’m the lead doctor, and you’re the resident. That makes you second,” Kurt says. “It’s not personal, it’s—”

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