Second First Kiss

“Something like that.” Sage winced, the joy of the cinnamon roll evaporating from her face.

The door behind him banged open. He looked at Sage and realized he had backed her up against the wall of the patient room, and he had one hand on the wall and was leaning over her. The distance between them was narrow, but all too wide at the same time.

How must this look?

“Oh, there you are, Dr. Hotchkiss! We were paging you from the O-R, but the noise from the birthday party probably drowned it out.”

The noise of that birthday party could drown out a Rolling Stones concert. “Is there an emergency?” He dropped his arm, stepping away from Sage. Her shoulders fell, and he saw a blush of pink slide up her neck.

Nice.

Very nice.

“Come with me, Dr. Hotchkiss. An emergency room patient with possible surgical needs.”

“Will anesthesia be required, do you think?” Sage was back on duty at the snap of fingers. Impressive compartmentalization, considering how otherwise focused she’d seemed a second ago. Yet another reason to want Sage Everton. “I’m available. I think Babbage left for another fishing trip earlier today, if I remember right.”

“Come with me.” The nurse started walking down the hall quickly toward the ER.

“What’s going on?” Sage jogged to keep up.

Yessir, Sage Everton indeed looked good when she jogged. Jasher had turned to verify that previously known fact from when he’d gone to the track meets to watch her as a distance runner. She still had incredibly good form, by all definitions of form.

“Dr. Smithers in the ER says we’ll need an emergency surgery to save Dr. Babbage’s hands.”

“Dr. Babbage!”