Page 26 of Forever to Fall
“Next time, you’re bringing me to help.” She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she caught a smile at her inviting herself along.
“Yes, Nurse Lawson.” He raised his free hand to salute, but Mallory snatched it before he could put it down.
With a steady hand, she peeled the corner of the bandage free and frowned. Glancing back at the chart, she saw one of her coworkers had done the work. While a nice person, Nurse Martha was hardly known for her tight wrapping skills. “I’m going to get this cleaned again and rewrap it. Looks like Dr. Shuptar wants to discharge you before the shift change.”
“And when’s that?” Beckett asked, his eyes pinched shut.
“How bad is it?” Mallory washed her hands, pulled on a fresh pair of gloves, and returned with supplies. When the old bandage was removed, she saw a quarter inch wound right through the center of his hand, black stitching holding the skin together. “Oh, my God,” she wailed. “You literally shot yourself with the nail gun?”
Beckett winced. “Yes? When the ladder fell out from under me, I was in the middle of nailing the shutter into place. I guess I shot myself on the way back to Earth.” He said it like it was common, to shoot a nail through your hand while hanging from a second-story window.
“You’re lucky you won’t have permanent damage.”
“That’s what I said,” Dr. Shuptar said as he entered the room. He pulled out a pair of glasses from his coat pocket and perched them on the edge of his nose. “Mr. Fox, it looks like the scans were clear, so you’re good to go. No permanent ligament damage, and you missed all the bones. I guess if you had to shoot yourself in the hand, you did it the right way.” He paused long enough to chuckle at his own joke. “Do you have anyone who can pick you up? I’d like you to rest that hand and ankle for a few days before you drive.”
Mallory didn’t hesitate. “I’m taking him home.”
Dr. Shuptar raised a dark eyebrow, the corner of his lips twitching. “My word, Nurse Lawson. I know you are praised for your bedside manner, but this goes above and beyond.”
“We’re friends,” Beckett said, jumping to her defense. “Mallory wouldn’t just take random guys home.” He paused a moment before adding, “I think.” That earned him a covert elbow pinch, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“My shift is done in thirty minutes. I’m happy to drive Mr. Fox home.”
After scrawling a couple of notes on the chart, Dr. Shuptar took off his glasses and rested his hands on his hips. “Then you’re good to go. Make sure you have someone monitor you tonight, in case you did hit your head on the way down. The scans looked clear, but with potential concussions, we like to follow a strict protocol.”
“I’ll spend the night,” Mallory said, unable to stop the words from pouring out. Lord, she’d thought about that invitation a lot over the years, but obviously under different circumstances. Concussion watch was far less stimulating than she’d like it to be, but a girl can’t have everything. Making sure Beckett lived was her top priority, her own feelings be damned.
The doctor seemed satisfied, nodding and backing out of the room. “You’re in good hands, Mr. Fox.”
As soon as they were alone, Mallory met Beckett’s gaze. “I can call Evan, Mal. You really don’t need to trouble yourself. And what about Fernando?”
Mention of her cat warmed her for a moment before she flinched at his unwillingness to spend time with her. “First of all, he’s a cat and he’ll survive a day on his own. And second, you obviously haven’t checked your phone.” She busied herself with tidying up the room, throwing out the old bandages and jotting her own notes on the chart. Her hand trembled as she documented the wound.
Beckett scoffed and wiggled his limbs. “I’ve been a little busy today.”
Mallory straightened and sighed. “Then I guess I’ll be the one to share the good news. Evan couldn’t wait and popped the question this morning at the diner. I imagine he’ll be a little busy celebrating with CeCe tonight.”
When she’d gotten Evan’s text, she truly was happy. It was a selfie of him and CeCe in the diner’s kitchen, matching smiles on their faces. Held in the foreground of the picture was CeCe’s hand, Nana’s ring shining for all the world to see. Mallory was happy for her brother, and for CeCe. The woman had become family the minute they met, and she looked forward to having her in her life permanently. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t still bitter about the ring, and her own cowardice at not sharing her feelings with her brother.
“Oh, wow. Go Lawless,” was all Beckett said before nudging her with his toe. “How are you handling this?”
Mallory blinked a few times, willing the tears not to fall. “I’m thrilled for them. Evan’s been in love with CeCe since they met, and I cannot think of a better partner for him.”
Beckett sighed. “I’m happy for them too, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be disappointed.”
What Beckett could not possibly understand was that she was disappointed, but not only because of the ring. This engagement marked the beginning of Mallory’s spinster stage. When Evan was single, it was the two of them against the world—or at least their family’s meddling. Last year, her best friend Alice had faked a relationship with her current boyfriend for the same reasons, to get people off her back. Funny enough, it turned out she and James really liked each other and the rest was history.
But Mallory wasn’t Alice, and she needed to figure out a way to move beyond her girlhood crush on Beckett. Unfortunately, that would have to wait until she took him back to his place and made sure he didn’t die in the middle of the night from an undiagnosed head injury.Ah, the life of a nurse...
Mallory checked the time on the wall clock and said, “Give me twenty minutes to check in with my last patient. I’ll come by to get you.”
Beckett shook his head. “I can call an Uber and—”
She silenced him with a firm shake of the head. “You’re not calling anything. I’m taking you home, and that’s final.” She turned and headed for the door before adding, “And you’ll have to leave in a wheelchair. Hospital policy.”
“Oh boy, a free ride.” Beckett chuckled.
Mallory left, letting the door close behind her. She leaned against it for a moment, willing herself to calm down and focus on the patients who needed her. She could handle a car ride and a night with Beckett. It was purely for medical purposes, and she was a professional, dammit.
