arms, her head against his chest. “I know he did, Kara.”
“I'm so sorry, Dr. Sherman.”
“Nick. You don't have anything to be sorry for, honey. It was the concussion.”
“But you had a blood test and everything, all because of me.”
He chuckled softly as he tried to comfort her. “That's not a big thing to me, Kara. Really. I am glad to hear you remember it that way now, though. I hoped your memory would come back on that. It makes it a lot easier for me to ask you out for dinner now, once you're released.”
“I'm sorry; what?”
“I'd like to take you out for dinner, get to know you a little. Could we do that, please?”
Chapter 2
Kara was still leaning against Nick's chest, enjoying the feel of his arms around her, when he surprised her by asking her out to dinner. She moved back enough to be able to look into his eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Of course I am,” he said with a reassuring smile.
“After the way I treated you, you would still be willing to get to know me better?”
“The way you treated me was due to a concussion. The way you apologized when you remembered what actually happened was genuine, and I believe it was the real Kara. I would very much like to get to know the real Kara better.”
She leaned back against his chest, and wrapped her arms tentatively around him. When his arms pulled her tighter against him again she melted in next to him. “Thank you.”
“I'm confused. What are you thanking me for?”
“For understanding and not hating me. I really did think it was you.”
“I know. I could tell you were being honest.” While he still had her in his arms he rubbed her arm. “And I'm being honest when I say I'd like to take you out for dinner.”
Kara laughed as she turned her head so she could see his eyes. “Your bedside manner really is fantastic. Do you do this with all your patients?”
Now it was Nick's turn to laugh. “Not the men.” When he saw her look at him with her eyebrows raised he couldn't hold back a little chuckle. “Actually, only the feisty little brats who won't answer my questions. Will you have dinner with me?”
“I'd love to, Nick. Can we go in your Lexus SUV?”
“We sure won't be going in a yellow Mustang.” After another laugh, he helped her lay back against her pillows. “Are you ready for your dinner?”
He made sure she was comfortable and then sat with her while she ate. Afterward he checked her foot and was about to ask if she needed more pain medicine, when Stella came back in.
“Oh, Dr. Sherman, I didn't know you were still here,” she said, though she didn't sound real convincing to either of them. “I came to check Kara's vitals again.”
“I think you'll find her blood pressure up a bit. She needs more pain meds; I can tell by her face. She should have had them sooner.”
“She didn't ring us and ask for any.”
“She is to have them regularly for 24 hours after surgery.”
“I'm sorry, Doctor. I'll go get them now.”
“Thank you.”
After she left, Kara sounded a little worried. “Nick, I don't want anyone getting into trouble because of me.”
“She's not getting into trouble because of you, Kara. I'll explain why I did that after you're released, okay?”
She looked at him curiously, but didn't push it. “Okay.”
Stella returned shortly after their conversation. She put the medication in Kara's IV, and checked her blood pressure. She noted it in her chart, and looked over at Nick. “Is there anything else, Doctor?”
“I'm waiting to see if she has any fever before I leave.”
Stella nodded and checked Kara's temperature. “100.4”
He picked up her chart and began writing. When he was finished he turned back to Stella. “Check it hourly until it's under 100. If it goes up at all call me.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
Nick looked back at Kara and smiled. “Sleep well tonight. I'll be in tomorrow morning and check your foot.” He winked at her before he left.
Kara wondered why Nick left so quickly, but was busy with Stella, who was checking her IV and the stitches she'd gotten in her arm. She changed the IV bag then, talking to Kara the whole time.
When she left Kara realized she was sleepy again and closed her eyes. She was just starting to drift off to sleep when her phone rang. She looked at it and smiled when Nick Sherman came up on the ID.
“Kara, I hope I didn't wake you,” her handsome doctor said.
“No, you didn't,” she fibbed. “What's up?”
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I wanted to explain my quick departure tonight. I had a reason, and I'll explain it all once you're released and I take you home. I can't really do it now, but I wanted to tell you I know it was quick, and I was rather rude with the nurse, but there is a reason. I'm not normally that rude.”
“Okay,” she said, even more curious now. “I didn't think that was the real you. I'm looking forward to get to know the real you better, though.”
He laughed at her wit, how she threw his own words back at him. “Getting to know you is going to be fun, I can tell. You get some sleep now, and I'll see you in the morning.”
“Okay. Thanks for calling, Nick.”
“My pleasure. Oh, and one more thing. The nurses should be giving you pain medication regularly, every four hours without you having to ask, until at least tomorrow evening. If they don't, you ask them for it. You'll heal quicker if you're not trying to deal with surgical pain.”
“Okay.”
“That's my girl. I'll see you in the morning. Good-night, Kara.”
“Good-night, Nick.” Kara put her phone down with a smile on her face. She found she really was eager to get to know him better. She closed her eyes and went right to sleep, with Nick starring in her dreams.
Kara slept soundly for several hours, but woke up restless. Her foot hurt, as did her head. She looked at the clock and thought back to when Stella had given her some pain medicine before she went to sleep. It had been a little over five hours ago. She'd been asleep, so she didn't know if a nurse had come in and put it in her IV or not. She assumed they probably had and she'd slept through it, since Nick said they would
