Sizzling Nights with Dr. Off-Limits

“She is. I bet he’ll be by this morning and give the order for the ventilator to be discontinued. My guess is that he only left it in overnight as an extra precaution.”

The woman nodded, then glanced down at where her hand was laced with Cassie’s.

“She squeezes my hand in response to my questions,” the woman assured her, sounding ecstatic by the simple communication.

Emily smiled. A mother’s love was a beautiful thing. Something she’d never allowed herself to really embrace. Not before telling Lucas about their baby. She had been a mother. She had loved her baby.

Telling Lucas about their daughter had healed areas of her heart she’d thought incurable.

“I asked if she knew who I was and she gave me the funniest look and tried to nod her head, then squeezed my hand. I asked her to squeeze it twice if she knew.” Mrs. Bellows’s voice choked up. “She squeezed it twice.”

Feeling a little choked up herself, Emily patted where mother’s and daughter’s hands were linked. “She knows you.”

Emily was sure the child did. She’d seen the recognition and love in Cassie’s eyes when she’d looked at her mother.

“She really didn’t wake up much yesterday but has been awake several times during the night and this morning. She never lasts long, but each time I see her eyes, it’s enough to reassure me that my baby girl is still in there. But we won’t really know much until the ventilator is out and we see how she responds to simple tasks.”

Emily knew that it was possible Cassie would have reverted to the skill levels of a much younger child from the trauma of having part of her brain excised. Or that she might have suffered permanent damage and lost ability to stand, or walk, or talk, or so many things.

But so far every indication was that the girl’s surgery had been a huge success. Emily prayed that trend continued.

“I’ll be in and out checking on her, but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me to her room.”

Emily turned to leave the room and found Lucas standing in the doorway. She wasn’t sure how long he’d been watching her and Cassie’s mother. She supposed it didn’t really matter.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

If he’d wanted to say something, the same thing must have happened, because he just stood there, staring at her as if trying to see inside her head.

Feeling a fool, she stood next to Cassie’s bed as if paralyzed.

“Dr. Cain,” Mrs. Bellows greeted him, her face lighting up at seeing him. “You just missed Cassie being awake.”

“I’m sorry I missed her,” he answered, dragging his gaze from Emily’s.

Dear Lord, he looked good. So good her heart ached.

He’d been her husband, her lover, her best friend, and now...now she supposed he was her colleague and that would be the only link they maintained.

Sadness filled her, but she wouldn’t cry.

No, she’d focus on what she had shared with Lucas, celebrate the good, put the bad behind her and move forward with her life.

She could do this.

But at the moment, she didn’t feel so strong.

She excused herself from the room and left Lucas to talk with Mrs. Bellows and check Cassie.

It was what she needed to do.

She had another patient she needed to check.

She had a heart she had to start trying to piece back together. Again.

* * *

Lucas stood outside Emily’s apartment door, wondering if she’d let him in.