Page 55 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“Oh my! That’s a big gash,” I intone.

“Why, thank you for noticing. I tried.” Another smirk.

“What do you mean?” I frown.

He just smiles as he pulls himself into a sitting position and makes himself comfortable.

The doctor makes rounds around the room, talking with each nurse to ensure that they know what they are doing. When he stops in front of me, he glances at Vitry’s wound and shakes his head.

“That will need stitches,” he mentions.

“Of course.” I smile. “That is what I am going to do.”

I’ve sewn things before. It can’t be that hard. Right?

The doctor nods and leaves.

I mentally rehearse what I have to do. Clean and disinfect the wound, then patch it up and bandage it.

“I am ready when you are,” the male drawls.

He’s lucky I need this job or I would have cut him up even more than he already is.

I ignore him as I grab some clean cloth and start cleaning the wound.

“Why did you run off the other night?” he asks.

I don’t have to look up to know he’s staring at me. He’s a little too close for comfort. I can feel his breath on the side of my face.

“Please be quiet. I am concentrating,” I mutter.As in, I am concentrating very hard not to take a scalpel and drive it through your heart, you scoundrel!

“Ah, little thief, I’m surprised you can concentrate at all with the smell coming from your bag.”

“One more word and I’ll cut your entire arm,” I mutter under my breath.

“So bloodthirsty. It’s a little too early in the morning for that, although I wouldn’t mind it later in the night.” He wiggles his brows suggestively.

I press on his wound.

“Be. Quiet.”

I get to work on his wound, but in my haste to get this over with, I grab the rubbing alcohol instead of the iodine. The moment the liquid makes contact with his open flesh, he lets out a loud hiss.

It might have been an honest mistake, but I’m not mad about it now. Serves him right.

“You did that on purpose,” he grumbles, struggling to breathe through the pain.

I shrug. “I told you to be quiet.”

“You wound me, Nurse Anyan. And here I thought this was the beginning of a great friendship.”

“Oh, I will wound you all right if you don’t stop talking,” I grumble.

How is it my luck to gethimas my patient for this test?

“Please don’t,” he murmurs in a mocking voice. “I don’t think my poor heart can take it.”

I glare at him.

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