Page 27 of Liberating Mia
“Phew, someone seems to be enamored,” Mia said.
“Who? The nurse? What? No.” Finn couldn’t tell if she was teasing or not. He sure hoped she was.
“Yip. That girl was so checking your ass out.”
“She was not.”
“Oh wow. I didn’t know you had eyes in the back of your head.”
“Now you’re just laughing at me,” he huffed.
“Who? Me? Never.”
Mia’s amusement at his expense would have pissed him off had it been anyone else. However, in that moment, Finn was so captivated by how she lit up as she laughed at him it had him inhaling sharply. Despite being in pain now that the meds the EMT had given him earlier had worn off, an intense wave of lust slammed into him.
Breaking eye contact, he looked around him, taking in details of the ward as he fought to get a handle on his libido. He was only one of three patients, the toddler from the waiting area another. The little one had clearly exhausted himself and lay lethargically in his mother’s arms. He wondered what was wrong with the child.
“Hello. I’m Dr. Charles. What brings you to my emergency room?”
Finn’s head snapped back in the direction of the doctor’s voice.
“Evening, Doc. It seems I have need of your needle skills.”
“Ah. Well then, you’ve come to the right place. I’m told I have the touch of a master seamstress.” The doctor, a man who appeared to be in his late fifties, grinned at him. “Why exactly do we have need of my sewing talents, Mr. Finn?”
“I was injured on duty. Took a knife to the side while serving and protecting.”
“The community thanks you for your service, officer.”
“No thanks needed. All in the course of a day’s work but thank you for your kind words.”
The doctor was examining the wound as they spoke. Hitting a particularly sensitive spot, Finn cursed.
“Sorry about that.” The doctor proceeded to swab the area clean.
“No problem, Doc. I get you’re only doing what needs doing.”
“Right, this will pinch a bit. Once it’s in, though, it reacts quickly, and you’ll be feeling no pain in no time at all.” The doctor held up a syringe for Finn to see.
This was the bit he dreaded the most. And it made him feel like a weakling. Almost as if she sensed his unease, Mia scooted forward in her chair close by and slipped her hand into his. “I’ve always hated this bit. I wish they could find a better way of administering drugs than with a needle. You know?”
Finn nodded in agreement. “Yeah, not exactly my favorite either, I hate to admit.” He smiled rather self-depreciatingly.
“I’m just going to go check on my young patient over there while the local anesthetic takes effect. I’ll be right back.”
True to his word, the doctor was back in a matter of minutes. He made short work of stitching up the wound and redressing it.
“The pain meds I’ve prescribed will most likely make you drowsy. I’m sure by now you know the drill. Get some rest, and if you experience any problems, come back and see me.”
“You’ve got it. Thanks, Doc.”
“I’ll make sure he does, Dr. Charles. Thank you,” Mia said at the same time.
“So long then. Take care.” Handing a prescription and his folder back to Finn, the doctor took his leave to see the next patient.
A momentary silence followed the doctor’s departure.
“So, you’re going to make sure I take care of myself, are you?” Finn grinned at Mia.
