Page 13 of Rookie Days

“Flex your fingers from time to time over the next few days, but not too much. Don’t make it a case of‘No pain, no gain’.Stop if it hurts. You’re set to regain full function but it’ll be quicker if you give yourself time to heal properly.”

“Okay, thanks again.”

Sensing her impatience, Janet slowed down a little more.

“Also, try not to get your cut wet in the shower.”

“No worries.”

“And keep the wound clean. Use soap and warm water and a new bandage every day. Come back in ten and we’ll see if we can remove the staples. You had to have five put in, you know? No small matter. I’m afraid you’ll be extremely sore for a bit.”

“I can handle it.”

Janet cut her a look, noted the heat in her stormy eyes and the gritted teeth. Tough, stubborn, sexy... With a dash of skittish thrown in for a challenge. Ellie James was her type, one hundred percent.

“You say that now,” she remarked. “I’ll be happy to write you a prescription for painkillers.”

”No.”

“Sure?”

“Totally. I don’t want to get addicted to pain meds.”

“Fair enough, but have a little faith, Detective. I’m not in the business of getting patients addicted to opiate drugs. May I see your hands, please?”

When Ellie presented open palms, Janet took her left hand in both of hers and turned it over gently. She found the knuckles swollen, bruised, the skin broken in places. No surprise there. As a surgeon, she was well used to observing the result of violence on her patients. She had seen the other guy, already knew thesort of rage that would have been involved. This only confirmed it.

“If you’ll just give me a couple more minutes of your time,” she requested when Ellie glanced at the door. “I’d like to fix this for you.”

???

Janet cleaned her hands with medical grade alcohol, using a soft wipe that eased the sting, then rubbed aloe vera cream over her aching knuckles. She took her time with the treatment, causing Ellie to almost fall into a trance. She could not remember the last time anyone had been so gentle with her, or so patient. And the fact that it was a woman caring for her went a long way too. Ellie had been aware of Janet Fox on the periphery of her own life for quite some time. She knew of her as Quinn’s best friend, as an enthusiastic member of the same ocean swimming club that Lia Kennedy belonged to, and as a talented and dedicated surgeon. Janet was also a beautiful and alluring woman. Perhaps because of her reputation as an insatiable flirt with a voracious sexual appetite, Ellie had kept her distance in the past. Not for her, this kind of thing. Only one thing mattered in Ellie James’s world and it was her career. She had zero time for sex or relationships, and even less, complications of any kind.

“Are you cold?” Janet inquired.

“No, I’m fine.”

Twinkling brown eyes settled on her face, and the surgeon flashed a knowing smile.

“Are you aware that you’re trembling?”

Ellie became aware as she said it, yes, and realized it had nothing to do with being cold. She swallowed, managed a one-shoulder shrug.

“I guess my body’s still a bit wired.”

“Mmm.” If Janet bought the blatant lie, Ellie could not tell. But at least she did not insist. “Keep breathing nice and slow for me. We’re nearly done here.”

“’Kay.”

She stood close enough for Ellie to be able to see strands of copper in her rich brown hair. If she had known anything about hair styles, she would have recognized this one to be a pixie cut. As it was, all Ellie could tell was that it really suited the slim and intelligent shape of Janet’s face. Thin wire-framed glasses looked good on her too. She spoke without thinking.

“I didn’t expect a famous neurosurgeon to handle knuckle- cleaning duty in the ER.”

Janet grinned, shot her an amused glance.

“You’re right, this is way below my level of skill. But I like roughing it on the lower floor from time to time. Keeps me in the game and honest, you know?”

She may be joking, yet Ellie knew that the statement held a certain level of truth to it as well. Quinn displayed the same kind of attitude. Because she damn well could, Ellie figured. Often mistaken for arrogance, it was in fact the blistering confidence of a woman who’d earned her stripes through sheer hard work and consistency.

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