Page 21 of Guarding the Doctor
Then I realized that I was kidding myself. I couldn’t have a casual fling with Darla. I scarcely knew the woman, but I was already developing feelings for her. Strong feelings. And for a person who’d carefully kept every relationship casual since high school, that was scary.
“What’s up with the new janitor?” Stacy asked Darla as we took a coffee break in the employee lounge.
We’d only been working for four hours but I was already exhausted. Probably because I had barely slept last night. Thankfully tomorrow was my day off.
“He told me he’s a friend of yours and you can vouch for him.” Stacy gave Darla an expectant look. “I know you said you’d worked together.”
“He’s a good guy, super sweet and kind,” Darla said slowly. “I’ve only known him for six months, but my friends have known him for longer. He and his brothers own a great restaurant and his brother’s ma--, uh, wife, is best friends with my sister’s wife.”
Stacy blinked as she processed the convoluted connection. “So he’s what? Based on his size, I’m guessing bear shifter.”
If Darla was surprised that Stacy figured it out so quickly, she didn’t show it. Then again, Stacy’s sister was married to a wolfshifter who worked for the Fire Department, she was more aware of the shifter world than most humans.
“Yeah, he’s a bear.”
“He asked me out a couple of times,” Stacy said. “At first I said no, then I suggested tonight but he says he’s busy with a ‘work project’ tonight.” She made air quotes with her fingers. “I’m not sure what kind of project a janitor needs to work on after hours.”
I was surprised Yuri hadn’t mentioned the mate thing yet. Maybe he was trying not to freak Stacy out.
“Yuri and his brothers are involved in a lot of business ventures,” Darla lied smoothly. “They own a restaurant too.”
“He’s a great cook,” I supplied before I realized that I’d revealed too much.
Stacy frowned. “You know him too?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I just met him, but we all had dinner together last night.”
“Well next time invite me. That bear is one hunk of man. He’s enough to make me reconsider my ‘no men’ rule.”
I guess Stacy wasn’t the only human feeling the pull of the supernatural mate bond.
As we exited the staff lounge we heard a crash. Down the hallway, Yuri had knocked over a bucket, spilling some water on the floor. Stacy rushed over to help him.
“He’s not very good at this janitor job,” I whispered to Darla.
“He’s better than he appears,” she said, nodding at where Stacy crouched beside him, helping him wipe up the water while Yuri made puppy dog eyes in her direction.
My pager went off, and Darla and I headed towards the Fishbowl. Martha was there, chart in hand.
“Foreign object stuck in body,” she said, her eyes sparkling with humor.
I didn’t need to ask any questions to know where that foreign object was stuck. We dealt with a shocking number of butt-related accidents in the Emergency Department, and everything from sex toys to household objects to vegetables eventually showed up between someone’s cheeks here.
“On it.”
We headed into the exam room where a middle aged man was laying on his belly, ass propped up by a pillow under his hips.
I chanced a glance over at Darla, who looked taken aback. She’d probably assumed that this was a projectile injury, not a sexthing. I’d felt the same way the first time I’d encountered one of these cases.
“I’m Dr. Kathryn,” I told him, as usual using my first name to make myself more approachable to the patients. “This is my medical assistant Darla. Can you tell us what happened, Mr. Johanson?”
“I, uh, slipped and fell and this screwdriver went up my bum hole,” he mumbled into his pillow. “We… I tried to get it out, but the handle somehow detached from the rest of the screwdriver.”
“You were walking around naked and fell on a screwdriver?” Darla asked incredulously.
I gave her a quelling look. It was always the same story – they were walking naked and fell on something. There was no sense arguing about it, it would only heighten the patient’s embarrassment.
“Okay, I’m going to take a look and see where it is, try to stay still please.”
