rtification. She couldn't bring herself to move
etition more surreal than the last. This was a hospital. He was a doctor. This was a medical ex
ith apparent calm, though his pulse wa
is voice steady but with an underlying
een them, loaded with meaning
s a doctor who'd see
d he had
right? Doctors said strange, blunt things all the tim
positioned herself on the bed, bu
an said, his voice growing rougher despit
pered, her hands clutchi
m his body. His breathing had become slightly uneven, and when sh
en't doctors supposed to be indifferent to this sort of thing? We
he said softly. "F
ana squeezed her eyes shut and slowly
n saw her, his ja
swollen, clear evidence of th
tly, the words escaping b
body went rigid
s he wasn't apologizing as a doctor at all. The thought surfaced before she could stop i
tarily, including the inti
i-inflammatory cream from the nearby medical
the swelling," he mur
flesh, applying the cool cream with gentle circ
mortification, she felt herself responding-not
ite everything, despite the clinical setting, desp
smile tugged at the
while continuing his ministrations. "There are no other symptoms, no rashes
, his touch both clinical and intimate, watchi
nd removed his gloves, Alana q
he said, walking toward t
tuation. It was over. It was finally over. In a minute she would walk out of this room,
out to flee, the door
, her expression shifting from mild an
doing here? When did yo
miliarity, not professional courtesy. And she had called him by name-th
an replied casually, but there w
th growing alarm. Her gaze snapped to the discarded gloves, the opened tube of cream,
t a li
, as if from a great distance, refusing to f
Alana like a
n't a
ver been
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