CHAPTER SIX
THE NEXT MORNING, Mrs. Kim’s wound wasn’t any better.
Stone ordered a new culture, added an additional intravenous antibiotic and talked with her family about keeping her at the hospital longer.
He spent most of the day doing routine procedures, but did have a more intensive mastectomy scheduled for the afternoon.
Every time he was in between high concentration, his mind drifted to Carly.
She had a lot more going on than met the eye. He wanted to lighten her load. He just wasn’t sure how to go about it without offending or pushing her away. She was as touchy as the most delicate flower. If he pushed too hard, she’d wither and refuse to let him in.
“So how did your conversation the other day go with my favorite nurse?”
Stone glanced up from the hospital computer at Rosalyn and he grinned. “She’s my favorite nurse, too, you know?”
“Oh, I know.” Rosalyn laughed. “Not going to tell me details, huh? Neither would she and I’ve asked her more than once.”
“Some things are better kept private.”
Rosalyn’s eyes brightened. “Oh?”
“Not those things,” Stone quickly assured her. “We’ve decided to be friends.”
Rosalyn frowned. “I’m not sure if that makes you the world’s dumbest man or her the dumbest woman. Or both.”
He chuckled. “Nothing wrong with being friends.”
“Except for when you both want more.”
“What makes you think Carly wants more?” Yes, his question was self-serving because he wanted Rosalyn to confirm what he knew deep in his gut. Carly was interested in him, but didn’t think she had time. He’d just have to make himself so useful that she’d realize his being around made her life better, easier.
Rosalyn tsked teasingly at him. “You’re showing your ‘more than just want to be friends’ interest,” she accused.
“Which you already knew since you were the one informing Carly I had the hots for her.”
She gave him a “so what?” look. “I didn’t hear you denying it.”
“Nor will you.”
A pleased smile spread across her face. “Carly is a hard worker, always positive, never complains about anything, nor says anything negative about anyone. But sometimes, when she thinks no one is looking, I see the truth on her face and get the impression she has a hard life.”
Rosalyn wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t Stone’s place to fill in the gaps.
“That said, in the five or so years I’ve known her, not once has she been distracted from her job.”
“Now she is?”
“Oh, she’s still an excellent nurse, one of the best, but for the past month she gets dreamy-eyed.”
It was Stone’s turn to smile. “Wonder what happened a month ago to put that look in her eyes?”
“I wonder.” Rosalyn’s face took on a motherly expression. “All I have to say is you’d better not hurt that girl ’cause I think someone must have done a real number on her in the past.”
Carly hadn’t mentioned someone in her past, but certainly there could have been. Stone didn’t like the idea of a man in Carly’s past, especially not one who’d hurt her. Maybe her mother had always been ill and the effects of that was what Rosalyn had picked up on.
“I’ve no intention to hurt Carly.” Quite the opposite. He wanted to make her life better. To take away the darkness and fill her world with sunshine. As much sunshine as he could beam her way when she was dealing with such a tragic situation. She needed his help whether she knew it or not.
Rosalyn’s almost black eyes narrowed in warning. “Some pain isn’t from intentional infliction.”
“Point taken.” Not that he didn’t already know firsthand. He’d never meant to hurt Stephanie, but had. Or was it the opposite? If only she’d let him help her, how different would their situation have been?
“Just you be good to that girl or stay away from her is all I’m saying.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he assured Rosalyn. “Now tell me about my new surgical consult in Room 210. An abdominal pain?”
* * *
Carly stood from the chair next to her mother’s hospital bed and stretched her aching muscles. She’d worked late into the night, set her alarm and gotten up early to work several hours, then fed and bathed her mother, got her out of bed and into her wheelchair, and taken her out for a stroll down their bumpy sidewalk.
She hated her mother being cooped up in the house all the time, but, even with the mechanical lift, getting her in and out of her bed was becoming more difficult.