Page 111 of The Closed Off Captain

He puts out his hand. “Come with me.”

He surprises me by taking me to the medical room. I look up at him in confusion. “Chloe, good you’re here,” Trent says. “Kim’s ready to take your blood.”

I frown in confusion. “What?”

Gunner tugs on my hand and turns me towards him. “I asked them to do some bloodwork just to make sure everything looks normal.” His eyes soften. “Only if you agree to it; I won’t make you. But I thought maybe just lining it up and getting it done would be easier than trying to go to a doctor to get a script and all that.”

I stare up at him. “Does it really matter to you that much?”

He stares into my eyes. “I hate that you’re sick a lot. I just want to make sure nothing else is wrong.”

“Okay,” I say simply.

“You’ll do it?” he questions.

I give him a small smile. “If it will help you sleep better at night, yes.”

He squeezes my hand. “It will.”

I walk over to where Kim is set up. “Sit right here, Chloe. This will be over in a jiffy.” She preps everything and starts the blood draw. I look over at Gunner, but he’s got his back to me.

Kim gets the blood she needs. “Okay, Coftman. She’s done.”

He turns back to me, and I look between him and Kim as realization dawns. “Coftman, are you okay?” There’s humor in my voice. “Thanks, Kim.”

“Of course, Chloe. It should only take us twenty-four to forty-eight hours for results.”

I stand up and walk over to Gunner. “Is it the blood or the needle?” I ask softly.

He makes a face. “Both.”

I can’t help but smile. “Come on, Big Guy. Let’s get out of here.” We head back to my office. “Eat while you have a chance.”

I sit back down at my desk just as my cell rings. A quick glance shows it’s Stan. “I’ve got to take this; it’s Stan.” He nods and starts eating.

“Hey Stan, what can I do for you?’

The call takes longer than I was expecting. Gunner finishes and gives me a kiss on the forehead before heading back to his day. I don’t get a chance to really lift my head until late afternoon. I'm so behind from not being here. I push away from my desk and stretch. “I need to move.” I grab my iPad and start walking towards the media room to see that everything is in place for tonight. Before I get there, I stop in the medical area to get an update on a few injuries for tonight. “Hey, Rebecca.”

Rebecca turns to me. “Hey, Chloe, are you here for an update?”

“I am.”

“I’ll grab Trent.”

Trent appears a moment later. “Hey, Chloe. Did that guy find you?”

“What guy?”

“One of the players from the other team was just here, looking for you?”

I frown in confusion. “Why would a player from another team be looking for me?”

Trent shrugs and grins. “You’re just that popular.”

“Right. Anyway, do you have my injury update? I needed to walk, so I figured I’d just get it in person.” He gives me what I need, and I’m on my way a few minutes later and nearly run into a wall of muscle in the hallway.

“Chloe Liessman, hey, just who I was looking for. “

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