Page 26 of Doc Defence

“Hi.” He smiled as his eyes searched hers.

“Hi,” she whispered back.

She needed to pull away. He was high, and he had a girlfriend. She shushed the internal voice which told her he was splitting up with Star, as she couldn’t trust the words of a drugged man.

Frost dropped the green whistle onto the floor, and Hel distantly heard the clatter. She couldn’t look away from his eyes, she didn’t want to. His breath brushed over her face, and he was so close she could feel it when he grinned.

He lifted towards her, and his nose grazed over hers. Hel’s eyelids fluttered closed, and she felt his lips touch hers.

Her eyes flew open, and she wrenched back out of his grip. What the hell was she doing? What the hell! He was her patient. He was higher than he had ever been in his life, and she had tried to kiss him.

She flushed crimson with shame. Was she really so desperate for a man that she would take advantage of someone injured? She was pathetic.

Not making eye contact, she busied herself with repacking the medical bag. When he didn’t say anything, she finally risked a glance over her shoulder. He was staring right back at her.

“Hel—“ He began to talk, but the Coach walked back into the room.

“The ambulance crew are behind me. Let’s get you loaded and out of here.” Coach Morgan pointed at the two paramedics trailing him.

Hel sighed with relief and, resolutely ignoring Frost, turned to the paramedics, who were two young men she knew well from work. “Hi, guys. Good to see you.”

“What have you got, Hel?” The taller of the two men enquired.

“I’m Frost,” Frost piped up from the bed, waving to them.

Hel ignored him. “This is Jake Forster, he’s thirty-six years old. He’s got a compound fracture of his left lower leg. I’ve splinted him and tried to reduce it as much as I could.”

“I did not enjoy that,” Frost slurred.

Hel shushed him. “He’s had penthrox for analgesia.”

“I like the green whistle,” Frost interjected again.

She rolled her eyes. “He’ll need some more analgesia, as I’ve had to take the penthrox off him. He was huffing on it like a junkie.”

“I enjoyed that,” Frost announced.

Hel shivered for a moment that he might be talking about their near kiss, then chastised herself. He was talking about getting high, not her.

“Sure thing.” One of the paramedics opened his bag and began to sort out the painkillers.

Hel wasn’t sure how it happened, but somehow, after they moved him onto the ambulance stretcher, she ended up holding his hand. She gently tried to pull her hand out of his grip, but his fingers tightened around hers.

“Frost. I have to fetch my handbag.” She needed her car to follow the ambulance to the hospital, as Coach Morgan would probably want to ride with his player.

“Don’t leave,” Frost muttered.

She stared down into his eyes and saw such vulnerability that, against her better judgment, she found herself saying, “They’ll wait for me while I fetch it, and I’ll come in the ambulance with you.”

She raised an eyebrow at the paramedic, who nodded his agreement.

CHAPTER 10

FROST

Froststaredupatthe fluorescent lights as they wheeled him through the corridors of the emergency department. Every judder and jolt of the trolley he was strapped on to sent waves of agony through his leg. The only thing keeping him grounded was the hand he clutched onto. A hand attached to Hel, who was murmuring reassurance to him as they went.

“Hel, what are you doing here?” A woman’s voice exclaimed.

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