Chapter 9

Fifteen minutes after Steven received her message saying she was home safe and had kicked Dade out, the doorbell rang.

Opening the door for Dade, he grinned. “Been expecting you.” He left him standing inside the door and went back into his living room.

Dade closed the door and strode into the next room quickly. “What did you expect? You know I couldn’t have gotten to sleep tonight wondering.” He Dropped down on the chair and put his hands behind his head. “So.”

Steven dropped the folder he’d been reading onto the table and leaned back looking at him. “Thank you for keeping your mouth shut.”

Dade shrugged. “Was it a choice?”

Steven shook his head. “Not really. Not if you wanted to keep all your teeth at the time.”

Dade smirked, “figured as much.” He sat forward. “Now will you explain to me why you finally getting your hands-on Rach is such a big secret, and how the hell did you two manage to sneak around like that with all of us around?”

“Guess we’re talented that way.” Steven got up and walked towards the kitchen. “This conversation requires beer, be right back.”

Dade stared at the few empty bottles in front of them then looked up at him. “So, let me see if I have this right. She doesn’t want to screw up the perfect friendship with a public relationship.” He took a drink of his beer, “you just get to sneak around and fuck like bunnies when no one is looking?” Steven sent him a warning look. “Sorry, but that’s how it looks to me.”

Steven leaned forward and set the bottle on the table. “If you had that chance to finally, finally be with Cora what would you do?”

Dade opened his mouth and then closed it. Sitting back, he shrugged. “Okay, so I’d take it but I wouldn’t let her just walk away thinking it was just really great sex, no strings… I’d fucken chain her to my house and never let her leave.”

Steven rubbed a hand over tired eyes. “I’m sure that would go over well.” He opened his eyes and looked at him. “If I push her, she’s gone. So, I’m doing it her way—for now.”

“Well that sucks if you ask me.” Dade looked at the empty bottle and then set it on the table.

Steven sighed. “It’s actually worse.” Dade raised his eyebrows. “She’s expecting me to find easy answers for her little foster buddy and turn him into an energetic healthy child.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose suddenly feeling exhausted. “And my initial gut reaction is not good.”

“Are you ever wrong in that?” Dade asked seriously.

Steven shook his head. “Not in this, this is what I’m good at.”

Dade sighed and sat back. “Keep me posted.” He grunted and stood up. “I really have to go find a bed before I fall on my face. I spent all night, while you were quite happily occupied, lying beside Cora, watching.” He walked to the door and paused leaning against it smirking. “I gotta ask, so don’t belt me for it…the tongue ring, right?”

Steven grinned. “Don’t even mention it or I’ll be awake all night thinking about it.” He groaned.

Dade laughed. “Yeah, well at least you have that. My fucken eyes almost fell out of my head when I saw the nipple rings on Coralee.”

“Nipple rings?” Steven’s head swung around.

Dade’s mouth dropped. “You’re too far gone on Rachel if you missed that, which is good you weren’t looking, but yeah, can’t even close my eyes without seeing them.”

Steven shook his head. “Didn’t even notice. Wow, so that’s… wow.” He grinned at the other man. “Fuck, they like to drive us crazy, don’t they?”

Dade pushed away from the door. “Yep. I’ll talk to you later.”

~~

Steven flipped through the messages on his desk. Stopping he picked one up. Rachel Winters would be here at four. He glanced at his watch. If he hid his face and walked with his head down, he might have enough time to grab a sandwich before she got here. He opened the door and got no more than two steps before he heard. “Doctor O’Reily.” Sighing he turned, food would have to wait.

By the time he’d assured the worried mother her daughter’s cast would not crumble if she moved, it was after four and he was late. Opening the door to the small waiting room he saw Rachel sitting on the floor with Marie, while Ricky was stretched out on the small couch watching them.

“Sorry, I’m running behind again… still, one of those…” He grinned down at them.

Marie sat up slowly and stood up taking a step back. She turned and picked up a box. Stretching out so she wouldn’t have to get close she smiled shyly. “We brought pastry things, we ate some, and they’re good.”

Steven took the box and smiled. “I am starving. I missed lunch and haven’t anything but a mint in hours.” He grinned at Rachel still sitting at his feet. “A couple of angels, you ladies are.”

Ricky sat up slowly. “I made them save the good ones for you, Doc.” He grinned.

Steven winked at him. “Excellent! We men have to stick together.” He reached down and pulled Rachel to her feet. “How was work?”

She grinned. “Great. Scared the crap out of some new delivery guy, he’ll never try to touch my forklift again.”

He laughed as he opened the door to his office. “You’re a scary woman sometimes, Rachel. Come on in.” He went and sat at his desk and flipped open the box. His mouth watered just seeing the treats inside. Grabbing one he took a big bite and watched as Rachel led a very slow-moving child in, to sit in a chair. Marie followed her eyes scanning everything in the room. He winked at her pointing to the half pastry in his hand then gave her a thumb up while chewing.

Pushing his chair back, he reached and got a bottle of water from a small fridge. Taking a few sips he turned back. “I’ll eat every crumb after we’re done here.” He set the bottle down and placed his hands loosely in his lap and looked at Ricky. “So, Ricky I’m going to want to do some blood tests first.”

Ricky sat up straighter. “I’m not scared.”

Steven grinned as he stood up and walked to a cabinet. “Didn’t think so.” He took what he needed and pulled a chair up in front of the boy. “I usually have cute little nurses running around doing this for me.” He winked as he checked the child’s thin arms. “But they’ve all gone home for the day, or are off doing… stuff.” The boy’s eyes watched his every movement carefully. “So, here’s the deal.” He placed the band around the thin bicep and continued to talk. “I want you to reach your other hand up by my ear and if I hurt you, you squeeze as hard as you can.”

He looked up to see the scared eyes looking at him and smiled at him. “It’s either that or Rachel’s gonna slug me and I’d rather walk around with a red ear then have to explain to the other doctors that a girl beat me up.” The boy nodded and put his hand against his ear when he bent back down over him. Working with quick hands he continued to talk softly, “Just hold this arm on my leg and don’t jump, or she’s gonna start swinging.” He wiped the skin with alcohol and checked the vein again. “That’s perfect. Okay, grab that ear of mine… you’re going to feel a little pinch.”

Steven continued to talk to the child until he had enough for the tests he wanted to run. Placing the bandage over the sight he straightened up and grinned. “Thanks for leaving my ear there.”

Ricky rubbed his hand over the Band-Aid. “It didn’t hurt like the other times.”

Steven turned and set the vials on his desk. “I practiced for days on poor oranges when I was in school, always had lots of fresh orange juice.” He checked his eyes and glands as he spoke to him. Pulling his stethoscope from his neck he winked and placed it close enough to the child’s ears. “You check mine, then I’ll check yours okay.”

Huge eyes looked at him and nodded excitedly.

Pulling up his own shirt, Steven held the bell against his chest and watched the child’s eyes widen. When he grinned at him, he pulled it away and lowered his shirt. “My turn.” The boy lifted his top eagerly for him. Steven noted the bruises as he put the ear tips in place. He watched the child’s face as he listened carefully.

Standing slowly, he moved it to Ricky’s back and asked him to take a few deep breaths. Sitting back down, he pulled the stethoscope off and casually handed it to Marie, sitting a few feet behind Ricky. She took it with a small grin.

As he reached around for his blood pressure cuff, he noticed her listening to her own heart. He winked at Ricky as he put it around his tiny arm. “Gotta wait a second and get my stethoscope back from Nurse Marie when she’s done.” The boy grinned at Marie who pulled the ear tips out of her ears and handed it back to Steven with flushed cheeks.

Rachel sat there unable to speak, just watching how he was with the two kids made her happy. She knew he was good with kids, had seen him with many over the years, but watching him in his element caring for those that weren’t the strongest made her heart skip.

She could tell he was noting everything carefully as he joked with Ricky and a few times she thought she seen something in his eyes, but he’d smile at Ricky and move to the next test without hesitation.

She felt her face flush when she realized she was watching those gentle hands on the boy, yet thinking of how those hands had been so perfectly not-so-gentle on her. Shaking her head, she glanced up to see he’d noticed her expression, the brief look he gave her sent a warm buzz across her body and added to the thoughts she shouldn’t be thinking right now.

Steven dragged his eyes away from Rachel and looked back at the child. “Well buddy, that’s all I can do today.” He got up and perched on the corner of his desk reaching over and grabbing a pen and pad. “Just gotta write this down before my old …” he paused and grinned at Marie, “brain forgets it all.” She grinned and put her head down. He quickly dropped the pen back on the desk. “I’ll run these tests then see if we need to do anything else.” He spoke to Ricky watching his reaction.

“I can go to the park soon?” the boy asked with bright eyes.

Steven squatted down in front of him. “We’ll get you there as soon as we can.” He winked. “I’ll carry you on my back if I have to, only thing I ask is no merry-go-round.” He grimaced. “They make my head dizzy.”

Ricky laughed softly and patted Steven cheek. “Okay.”

Steven stood up and looked at Rachel as she stood with questions in her eyes. “I’ll send these down tonight and growl in my doctor’s voice to get results yesterday.” He wanted to hold her. “I’ll call you as soon as I get the results.” He hoped his instincts were wrong this time. “How’s he eating?” He asked her quietly.

Rachel sighed. “He barely eats half the time.”

He ran a hand down her arm and walked over to look in a cupboard. “You like chocolate or strawberry Ricky?” He turned to see the boy thinking hard. “I’ll send both with you.” He grabbed a few packages of each and turned back to Rachel. “See if he’ll drink these, mix them with milk they’re mostly just to replace the nutrients he’s not getting.”

She nodded and put them in her purse.

Steven turned to Marie and grinned. “Not too freaky in here?”

Marie shook her head and smiled. “No, seems pretty normal, in an office sort of way.”

He smiled. “Do you want a tour?”

She looked around the office a few times and chewed the inside of her cheek. “No, I think I’ll call this good, and not go looking around too much, if that’s okay?” She added quietly.

Steven shrugged. “No problem. When you want to go looking around you let me know.”

She nodded and stuck her hands in her pockets.

Turning back to Rachel he watched her lifting Ricky up slowly. “Here let me carry him out.”

Ricky grinned. “Really?”

Steven nodded and scooped him up into his arms. “Absolutely.”

Ricky grinned down at Marie. “Now I’m bigger than you.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, only ‘cause you’ve got the giant carrying you.”

Steven grinned and began leading the way out to the parking lot, chatting quietly to Ricky as they went.

Settling the boy in his seat he watched Marie put his seat belt on. Rachel stood beside him. “Are you done here for the day?”

He sighed. “After I go back and pig out on those pastries, I have some patients to check on and parents to soothe.” He glanced at his watch. “I want to wait around for the results too.”

She smiled up at him. “You’re wonderful, Doctor O’Reily.” She gently touched his face and reached up to kiss him softly on the lips. “Thank you.”

Steven stood there with his hands on her hips wanting to pull her tight against him. His mind had been flashing memories of her, and just about everything they’d done in brief blips. like a slide show. He tightened the grip on her waist and felt like he was falling deep into her eyes…

“I’m not kissing you or anything, but you’re pretty cool for a doctor.” Marie muttered as she climbed into the front seat.

He released Rachel and turned to lean over the roof of the car grinning at Marie. “Us old guys try.”

She laughed with Rachel and got in.

“I’ll talk to you later,” he said as she climbed into the car.

Watching them pull out he sighed and headed back in to personally escort the vials of Rocky’s blood to the lab. He’d have to call in a few favors to get these analyzed quickly.

He had to find the women that had survived.

It was the only way to make the pain stay away.

He sat looking through the phone book.

He’d managed to find out the detective’s name.

Now he just had to find the right one.

He’d know where they had her.

She wasn’t at a hospital.

He’d find her.