Page 19 of Driven By Desire
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Familiar now with the layout of the hospital, Max had Krish admitted and settled into a bed in the emergency room before he could voice an objection. Or rather slur one, since his tongue no longer seemed to be working properly. His lips were now massive and his face seemed flushed and reddened to her worried gaze.
“Max?” It was the attractive doctor from their previous visit to the hospital. “Are you alright?”
“Me?” Frowning at his misplaced concern, Max gestured to the bed, “He’s the one who needs your help.”
The doctor’s startled gaze travelled from one to the other. Moving past Max, he leaned over Krish to examine him.
“Iws abow wamn thime.” The glower was impressive especially when taken in combination with the swollen lips and slurred words.
“I think he means it’s about damn time.” Max translated helpfully.
“I figured that out.” The doctor’s dry rejoinder had her flushing with embarrassment. “This looks like an allergic reaction. Has there been any change in your routine recently? Anything new you ate or drank?”
Krish shook his head. “No.”
Turning to the nurse who’d come up behind him, the doctor rattled off a stream of instructions before returning to lean over the bed. “The more information you give me the better. I need you to think about this carefully. Please don’t hold back.”
A short nod was all Krish could manage.
“What happened to the two of you anyway? You look like you’ve been rolling in mud.”
“Motor oil.” Max’s interjection saved Krish from the exhausting attempt at replying. His head was spinning and his throat felt like someone had it in a vise. Not to mention that his lips seemed to think they merited an identity separate from the rest of his face.
“Why exactly were the two of you rolling in motor oil?” The doctor’s calm interrogation continued even as he flashed a torchlight into Krish’s eyes.
“Twying to bwind me?”
The barely comprehensible but clearly indignant question had the doctor smiling. “No, I’m not trying to blind you. Although you may see spots for a while. Anything else the two of you have been rolling in? Other than motor oil?”
Playing the torch light over Krish’s lips, he took a closer look. Eyes narrowing, he straightened before asking, “Are you using some kind of fruity lip balm?”
Affront and outrage had Krish’s eyes widening. “wah klid wof slupeed queshion ees thart?”
“It’s not a stupid question when I can see the red glaze on your lips and smell it on you but I assume that means your answer is no. That might be the cause of the allergy. Allergies to cosmetic skin products sometimes manifest like this. It would be helpful if you could just tell me the truth.”
Another mortally offended glare was his only answer until -
“I am.” The strangled whisper had both men turning to stare at Max. Mortification had her looking a lot like a ripe tomato as she mumbled. “I’m using a new lip balm that my aunt sent me from London.” And then she added, “It’s raspberry flavoured.”
Raspberry flavoured. The words echoed and ballooned in the tiny curtained cubicle until Max thought she might suffocate from the weight of it. Why had she felt the need to add that idiotic piece of information?
“Right.” Clearing his throat uncomfortably, the doctor backed away from the bed. “I’m going to go see about those anti-allergy shots. Be back in a bit.”
Swishing the curtain shut behind him, he made his escape before either of them could stop him. Not that they particularly wanted to at the moment.
After a moment of contemplating her feet like her life depended on it, Max was just about to sneak a look at Krish when the doctor marched back in with a tray of injections. Well, just two but she knew that would be enough to freak the daylights out of Krish. Sure enough, the gentleman in question was showing signs of trying to get out of the bed.
“Krish.” Laying a calming hand on his chest, she pushed him gently back on to the bed and sat down next to him.
“No injections,” he mumbled, sounding surprisingly clear. Leveling a ferocious glare at the doctor, he continued, “Tablets.”
“The reaction is too strong for me to control it only with tablets, Mr. Mehra. You need these injections.”
“I’ll hold your hand again,” Max coaxed, coming to sit next to him on the bed and taking one of his hands between both of hers.
An exhausted, unintelligible whisper had her gently stroking his hair back from his face. Ignoring the startled looks both doctor and nurse were giving her, she climbed into bed with him. Settling in full length by his side, she cradled his swollen, flushed face to her chest keeping the doctor and nurse out of his line of vision.
