Page 39 of I Still Do

Dr. Coalson nodded, removed his gloves and then dropped them in the trash on the way out.

Grey couldn’t stop the grin on his face. “Did you hear that? He’s a fan of your stitching.”

“Hush.” She whacked him gently on his shoulder. “I’m going to get what I need to clean…”

She was interrupted when a woman brought in the kit Cora needed. The newcomer was trying hard to look uninterested and failed miserably.

“You might as well have a pair of binoculars around your neck or an ear to the wall, Jen.”

The woman pursed her bottom lip out in a dramatic pout. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Cora shook her head. “Grey, this is my friend, Jen. Jen, this is Grey.”

Grey gave her a wave. “You must be the friend that’s always trying to fix her up on dates.”

When most people might be embarrassed by that revelation, Jen only smiled proudly. “And you must be the man that’s had Cora in a funk since she got home.”

Grey didn’t miss that Cora not-so-subtly kicked Jen in the leg.

“I’m pretty sure you have your own patients to attend to. Right, Jen?”

“Absolutely. It was nice to meet you, Grey.”

“You, too.” He waved as she left before turning a grin in Cora’s direction. “A funk, huh?”

“Shut up, Grey.”

He chuckled as Cora got to work cleaning his leg. She worked quickly, her gentle hands moving expertly, and then bandaged his leg again. “Okay, you’ve got probably another good forty minutes on that antibiotic. You may as well lay back and relax for a bit.” She pointed to the control. “You know what to do if you need anything.”

An hour later, his antibiotic had finished, and he was cleared to go home. Cora carefully removed the IV from his arm and pressed gauze against the small wound. He laid his hand down on top of hers. “Thank you, Cora.”

She paused for several heartbeats, her gaze colliding with his, before saying, “You’re welcome.” She put a bandage on top of the gauze and moved away.

He signed the release papers and carefully got to his feet.

“I really wish you had someone take you home.” Cora glanced at the clock. “I’d do it, but my shift isn’t over for another three hours.”

Her concern warmed his heart. “I’ll be fine. I’m going straight home, getting some sleep, and I’ll fill the antibiotics after I get some sleep. I’ll text you when I get home. Will that make you feel better?”

She nodded. “Just be careful. And promise me you’ll go see your doctor if this gets any worse, or if the antibiotics don’t start clearing things up in a couple of days.”

“I promise.”

“Good night, Grey.”

“’Night, Cora. Thanks again.”

He felt better now than he had before going to the ER. Between the pain medication, fluids, and antibiotics, his leg wasn’t throbbing nearly as bad as it had been.

He got home and was about to text Cora when he thought of something better. He took a thumbs-up selfie while standing on the porch of his house. It was dark, but the porch light illuminated him enough. He sent that along with a message saying, “I’m home. Going to go sleep this off for a while.”

Grey went into his house, checked on a few things, and then collapsed on his bed. He was just about to drift off when his phone chimed with a text from Cora.

“Good. Feel better soon. I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

“I’d like that.”

Grey prayed that this would be the start of truly reconnecting again with Cora and fell asleep with a smile on his face.

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