Page 33 of A Sudden Response

“I’m demanding a raise,” Joe muttered against his chest.

“Damn straight.”

This wasn’t goingto end well, Eric thought, biting back a heavy sigh as he followed Joe to their bunkroom even as he couldn’t help but wonder how he should tell her. He’d considered making a run for it while she was in the shower this morning and leaving her a note or sending a text message, but he knew that would just piss her off more.

It was probably for the best if he just told her.

Decision made, Eric closed the door behind them as Joe began making her bed. She sent him a questioning look, but thankfully, didn’t say anything as she tucked the top sheet in. After a minute, he realized there was no point in putting this off any longer. She’d find out soon enough and, really, it was better that they handled this in private.

Praying that she didn’t go for his balls, Eric said, “You’re on light duty.”

She paused mid-tuck. “What did you just say?” Joe demanded without looking back.

“I said you’re on light duty,” Eric repeated, trying not to wince when she abruptly stood up and glared up at him. “For the entire shift. You’re not allowed to lift or drive,” he quickly explained, mentally kicking himself for not wearing a cup.

“If I’m not allowed to lift or drive, then what the hell am I supposed to do?” Joe asked evenly as she crossed her arms over her chest while she waited for an answer.

“Rest?” Eric suggested seconds before she slammed her foot down on top of his. When he leaned down to check on his poor abused foot, she shoved him out of the way and stormed out of the room, probably to track down Bill and give him a piece of her mind. He just hoped the man didn’t sell his ass down the river and inform the little brat that it had been his idea to keep her on light duty.

Of course, the man would rat his ass out, Eric thought with a curse. His only hope was that Joe didn’t turn her anger on his balls.

CHAPTER 14

“Are you still in a pissy mood?” Eric asked as he sat down next to her on the couch and threw his arm around her shoulders.

In answer, she rammed her elbow into his side. “Shit!” he gasped as he bent over and sucked in a breath.

If she wasn’t stuck on light duty, Joe might have felt bad about it, but she was. Some people might enjoy light duty, but she was not one of them. Neither was Eric. It was incredibly boring and now, she was stuck on it for at least this shift,a twenty-four-hour shift, she’d like to point out.

The only thing she was allowed to do for the next twenty-four hours was sit around, walk with Eric and Greg to get patients. She wasn’t allowed to drive, help with the stretcher, move a patient, or even fill out paperwork because, apparently, that would be too strenuous for her. Hell, if they ended up with a heavy patient, she wouldn’t be allowed to help them. They’d have to call for another ambulance while she stood around feeling completely useless.

She liked staying busy during her shifts, especially during her twenty-four-hour shift. It made the time pass by quickly. As much as she loved her job, and she did, it could get a little boringwhen there was nothing to do, and it appeared that she had nothing to do for the next twenty-four hours.

“Such a baby,” Eric said, sighing heavily as he stood up, grabbed her hand and yanked her to her feet so that he could steal her place on the couch and yanked her back down on his lap. “There. That’s much better,” Eric mused as he got comfortable.

Most of the guys were used to their odd relationship and didn’t care enough to tear their eyes away from the game. Greg, on the other hand, wasn’t and every few minutes, he sent them a questioning look that she decided to ignore. She was pissed and in no mood for any bullshit today. She swore if he asked her out again that she was going to stomp on his foot, too. The only thing she wanted to do was sulk all day.

Of course, she also wanted to get the bastard, who was absently running his fingertips over her arm, back for yet another betrayal. She couldn’t believe he’d sold her out to Mom, but this was worse, so much worse. This was twenty-four hours of boredom and he knew damn well that she didn’t do well with downtime. He knew that and it pissed her off like nothing else that he went behind her back and did this to her. He was her best friend and was supposed to have her back, not screw her over.

With a muttered groan, Joe climbed off his lap, barely resisting the urge to ram her elbow into his stomach. She ignored his questioning look and walked away.

“Uh-oh, looks like someone’s in trouble,” one of the guys said, but she ignored him and the snickers and snorts of laughter that followed and walked outside.

With nothing else to do, Joe walked over to the picnic table on the side yard and sat down on the table. Barely an hour into her shift and she was already feeling useless. She thought about washing the ambulance, but Eric already did that and when shetried to help, he actually had the nerve to glare at her until she walked away.

True to his word, he hadn’t allowed her to do anything. She hadn’t been allowed to grab more run slips, check the ambulance, get more supplies, or make the stretcher. Standing around watching them work had been embarrassing.

She could do this job and they both knew it. She wasn’t going to let a head injury interfere with her job and he knew it, but he was being so damn stubborn and she didn’t know why. Being overprotective of her wasn’t exactly something new, but he’d never gone this far with it before. The only thing she could think of was that he felt responsible for what happened the other night.

Getting injured was a hazard of the job and he knew that. Well, he used to know that. Now, he was just hellbent on pissing her off.

“Are you mad at me?” Eric asked with a little pout that she refused to find adorable when he joined her, so she pointedly looked away from him.

“Yes.”

“You know that you shouldn’t even be at work right now,” Eric said as he sat down next to her.

“I’m fine,” Joe bit out and she was. Her head didn’t hurt that much, she could see straight, and she no longer wobbled when she walked. In her book, that meant that she was more than fine.

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