Page 67 of Nikolai
The doctor put on latex gloves and fiddled with things on the cart.Nick did not want to know.He hated being sick, he hated doctors, he hated hospitals.Dr.Crowley held gauze in a forceps-type…thing.He poured a smelly liquid over it.A disinfectant.
“Mr.Garin, can you sit up?”
The fuck kind of question was that?Of coursehe could sit up.Except…he was finding it hard.He placed a hand with an IV line running into it on the bed and pushed, schooling his face to impassivity.It freaking hurt!
So quickly it was over before he realized what she was doing, Parker stepped forward, put a hand on his uninjured shoulder and pushed and he sat up.Before he thought to tell her he didn’t need help, she’d stepped back again against the wall.
The doctor slipped the hospital gown down over his shoulders.“Let’s look at the wound,” he said.
Nick twisted to see what he was doing.The doctor deftly peeled off thick gauze from his back.Nick had to stretch to see the wound.The wound was as long as his index finger, very neatly stitched up.Didn’t look bad at all, and the skin was clear.
Parker gasped.
“It’s okay, honey,” he said.“It’s just a scratch.”
“You military types,” the doctor said absently, swabbing the wound.It hurt, a little, but Nick would rather be fed to alligators than show anything.
“Not military,” he said between clenched teeth.
The doctor stopped, the swab held in the air and stared at him.“You were.You definitely were.I’d bet my degree on it.”
Bingo.Nick nodded briefly.
In a moment, the wound was cleaned, together with the wound on his shoulder, and bandaged back up.
Doctor Crowley straightened.“Well, it looks like you’re healing nicely.No infection, clean margins.In a couple of days you can go home.Is there anything we can do for you?”
“Yes.”Nick put his legs over the edge of the bed.“Can I be released now?”
“Now?”
“Now.I have my clothes.”Nick reached for the IV needle in his hand.
Dr.Crowley put his hand over Nick’s.It was much smaller than his hand, but sinewy and visibly strong.“Nope,” Dr.Crowley said cheerfully.“I know you’re used to being the alpha male, but in here, I am.And you stay for as long as I say so.I know you’re also King for a Day for something you did that no one can know about, but you do not want to cross me.”He smiled.“Trust me on this.”
Nick knew when he was beaten.He sighed and pulled his legs back up onto the bed.Parker pursed her lips, trying not to smile.
“Can he eat, doctor?”she asked.
Dr.Crowley was walking out and stopped, one hand on the door, considering.“He’s lucky.The bullet didn’t hit the intestines.He can eat very bland food.Soon dinner will be served.Cream of wheat and a boiled potato.”He shot Nick a smile.“Buon appetito,” he said, in what even Nick realized was an atrocious accent and disappeared.
Parker approached the bed.She bent and kissed him on the forehead.“It’s a good thing I brought you some food, then.”
His eyes widened.“You did?”
“I surely did.Food fit for a convalescent, which you are, much as you’d like to deny it, but not food straight from the hospital equivalent of the Consulate kitchen.”
“You owe me a home-cooked meal,” Nick said, trying to keep a whine out of his voice.They should have had a romantic evening at her place—including food—whereas instead he’d been under anesthesia being stitched up.Though in his heart of hearts, he knew he wasn’t up to much today, and it was better to be in bed, hurting, with stitches, than six feet underground.He’d be better tomorrow.He was a fast healer, and he had the best motivation in the world to heal up fast.
That motivation was right by his side, laying out a dinner for him on the table next to the bed.
First, a pretty light green table mat.Then a pretty bowl with flowers around the rim, the flowers matching the color of the table mat.He laughed when he saw what she pulled out next, though laughing freaking hurt.
Silverware.Honest to God silverware made of honest to God silver.They’d been taught to recognize and identify a lot of precious metals.
“A silver spoon?Really?”
She smiled.“I would have set a nice table for you if things had gone normally.Hush now.”
