Nursing The Doctor by Bobby Hutchinson Page A

who wants nothing more than to see you make a full recovery. Sure you’re not used to being helpless and flat on your back, everybody understands that and we all know it’s not easy. But you don’t have to be so grumpy, Greg. Your attitude stinks from what I’m hearing.”
    “The hospital grapevine always did work overtime,” he said with a sneer. “What’d the staff do, have a little meeting over the way Brulotte’s acting and send you up to chastise me?”
    The last of Lily’s patience fled. “You’ve got an exaggerated idea of your own importance, Doctor, if you think all the staff have to do is sit around and discuss you. There are other patients in this place, in case you haven’t noticed.”
    This time the silence was charged, and the other visitors in the room were suddenly quiet. Lily knew they’d heard her tirade. She turned to leave.
    “Sorry.” The apology was gruff, but his tone of voice at least indicated regret. When she turned and looked at him, he met her gaze. There was chagrin and mute appeal in his eyes. “I’m just not good at this, Lil.” The confession was reluctant.
    “I doubt that anyone is.” Her voice was still tart. “It’s not exactly a situation any of us plan for.”
    “I know it’s the biggest cliche in the place—I must have heard patients say it a million times—but I never dreamed this could happen to me.” A sound intended as a laugh touched her heart because it was so filled with pain.
    “Time takes on a whole new meaning while you’re just lying here. I know it won’t be like this forever, but it sure feels that way at the moment. If this damned wound on my leg would just heal enough for them to cast it, I’d at least get as far as rehab.” He paused and then added in a rush, “And now they figure maybe there’s some paraparesis as well. I can’t always feel my toes.”
    Compassion filled her. Platitudes were useless. He knew as well as she the ominous effects that such partial paralysis might have.
    “Greg, that’s awful. But if they’re not sure, maybe it’s just swelling.”
    “That’s what I keep telling myself.” Their eyes held for what seemed a long time before he turned his head away.
    “I actually am better left alone, Lily. I appreciate your concern, but please don’t come again. I’m not fit for man nor beast, as my grandfather used to say.” His tone was once again distant, and this time she left without another word.
    Outside the hospital in the parking lot, she tried to insert her key in the door lock of her car and realized she was trembling.
    Damn the man. He had an uncanny ability to get under her skin. Well, she’d do what he wanted, that was certain. She’d have to be totally masochistic to visit him again. She had better things to do with her time.
    Like worrying about the darned needle stick, for instance.
    No doubt about it, she thought with a sardonic grin as she pulled the car into traffic, she led an incredibly dull life, work, home, her daily run, renting the odd video and going out for dinner now and then with Frannie was about the extent of it. And she’d been looking forward all week to baby-sitting Zoe on Thursday night when Kaleb and Frannie had their big date, so what did that tell you?
    It wasn’t exactly the fast lane. No wonder she was obsessing about that damn needle stick.
     
     
    “Dr. Brulotte?”
    Greg turned his head and warily eyed the tall man standing beside his bed. He was fairly sure he’d never laid eyes on him before, but that was nothing new.
    There’d been an absolute parade of people, some familiar, some strangers, to and from his bedside all morning. Two specialists that Bellamy had brought in for yet another consult, a technician needing to draw blood for the twentieth time. What the hell did they do down in the lab with all the blood they drew, drink it?
    A dietitian had been in to talk about meals, a physiotherapist had breezed by to remind him to do deep breathing and coughing