16

Hey Gin, go out with me tonight," Alice came bouncing into Gin's office. "What?" Gin exclaimed, looking up confused, from the list of medication she was ordering for the pediatric ward. "You know, you, me ___ on a date." "No thank you," she brushed him of, none too kindly. Alice groaned loudly. "Gin, is there a possibility, you're going to hook up with him?" "Excuse me?" 'the loser you're pining for Gin. You know ___ Vin's father. You've never been with a man since ___." "Get out Alice!" Gin stood up. She was incensed at his impertinence. "Fine, just dump on me, like I'm the trash can," Alice gave her the wounded look. 'stop trying to look like the victim here Alice," she sliced an accusing finger in his direction. "You know Kin was right about you! "Whoa! "Kin!" 'so you're on first name basis with the boss man?" Gin coloured. Her palm brushed at the heated flesh at her neck. "Well, what do you call him?" "Dr. Arvis, like every other staff member does!" Alice wagged a finger at her. "You've got the hots for him, haven't you?" he sneered. She'd stopped calling him "Dr. Arvis," now that they"d had rather an intimate liaison, besides it seemed ludicrous when Kin was the father of her child and not to mention he was badgering her to marry him. Gin silently cringed. "More psycho-analysis," she rolled her eyes, defectively. "Mmm, perhaps not," Alice was contemplative. "I mean if a virile, sexy stud like myself does not turn you on, how can Arvis, who just arrived on our doorstep?" "I want you to leave my office Alice," Gin was getting bored. Alice laughed. 'so what did Arvis say about me?" he quizzed. 'something along the lines of you being a consummate flirt," she smiled, raising her eyebrows as she held the door open for him to leave. "Don't know what you missing, saying no to me, Gin," he grinned. "I'll take my chances," she smiled sarcastically. "Dr. Mikhayla," Nurse Julia burst into Gin's office as Alice left. "Little baby Alex is not responding to his medication." Gin listened, though she understood Alex's dilemma. "Acute otitis media would cause extreme pain, Nurse Julia. "Coupled to that baby Alex's hearing is affected and the earache has brought on a fever." "Can't we increase the dosage of his painkillers, please?" "No! Absolutely not," Gin disallowed. "Baby Alex is already receiving the maximum dosage for toddlers under three. A higher dosage will be fatal." "But we"ve all failed to pacify him," a look of resignation covered her face. "Myself, Nurse Abbey, even the intern. "He refused his breakfast, now he refuses to eat his lunch. We"ve tried everything." Gin stood up. "I cannot increase his medication," she shook her head, determinedly. She began walking when her mobile rang. "Dr. Mikhayla," she answered absently. "Did I tell you, you're the sexiest doctor I know?" Kin's racy voice flirted in her ear. Heat flamed her face. "You don't know many doctors then," she murmured uncomfortably, Her eyes shifted away from the nosey Nurse Julia who was straining her ear to catch who Gin was on the call with. Gin picked up her stethoscope and walked out of her office. "I'm working. What do you want?" She spoke softly into the phone. Kin had called her at six thirty the previous morning. That was a sacrilege as far as Gin was concerned. She only got out of bed after nine on a Sunday. She'd thought there was an emergency and when Kin had said he'd just called to say "good morning," Gin had groaned loudly and when she'd heard Kin's rip roaring chuckle, it thawed out her hormones, dousing her anger. They"d chatted for a few minutes before Kin had rung off saying he'd call again in the evening. She'd thought it was just passing words, that he probably would not call, but she was surprised when she'd come out of the shower in the evening and Kin's number had reflected on her screen. Gin could not deny, her heart had skipped a beat, the adrenalin had made her heart pump so wildly, she thought Kin would hear it on the other end of the line. He'd wanted to know how she'd spent her Sunday. Gin had told him she'd taken her mum and Vin to the movies and they"d gone to Debonnairs for pizza, Vin's idea. Kin had flirted with Gin nonstop on the phone. Every time she wanted to say goodnight, he'd have her in stitches laughing about something naughty, but she wisely perceived he was turning on the charm, hoping she would agree to marrying him. Gin decided not to be confrontational, instead, she devised her own secret strategy on how to deal with Dr. Kin Arvis. "Have lunch with me," Kin requested, breaking into her thoughts. "I'm busy with a patient, Kin," she murmured into the phone and cut the call. She walked to baby Alex's bed and lifted the howling baby. He was red in the face from his incessant crying. Her heart went out to him, he must be in so much pain, but she could not give him more pain killers, not for another two hours, her concerned eye scanned his chart. "I'm sorry sweetheart," she cooed softly. "I know it hurts, but you have to have some lunch." "He's stopped crying," Julia whispered. "Lift up the lid of his lunch tray," Gin whispered back. Julia opened the tray and held it out so Gin could feed little Alex. She scoped a little stewed pumpkin into the spoon and gently held it to his mouth. "Come on Alex," Gin murmured softly. "Just have a little please." As if heeding her call, Alex sucked on the spoon and emptied it. 'that's it," Gin smiled. "she tried some of the baked fish. He ate that as well. "Oh. You're such a good boy," Gin praised Alex, as he finished the last of his lunch. She was feeding him, some grape juice, when she saw Kin in her line of vision. He raised his authoritative eyebrows questioningly. She was a doctor. Why was she doing a nurse's duty? Why was the nurse lazily sitting there with her hands folded and her legs crossed whilst Gin was doing what the nurse was paid to do? Out of professional habit he scanned the patient file. "Dr. Arvis___ good day," Nurse Julia jumped up and nervously fiddled with Alex's chart. "Dr. Mikhayla," Kin ignored the nurse. "May I have a word with you?" His question intimated he was asking, but his eyes were warning her it was an instruction. Gin carefully handed the little boy to Nurse Julia. "Record his meal into the cart," Gin instructed, as she scrubbed her hands, before she walked out with Kin. "What did you want to talk about?" She questioned, though her mind already knew the only topic on his brain. "Let's walk, shall we?" He smiled, guiding her by the small of her back towards the hospital's scenic gardens. "I told you on the phone I was busy." "Why are you doing the nurse's job? "Kin interrogated. 'that's what she gets paid for." "she was not coping with little Alex," Gin informed him. "she asked me to increase the dosage of pain medication." "I hope you overrode that request. His current medication is extremely strong, for one so young." Kin's hand at the small of her back guided her out the balcony. "Yes, I declined," she sighed, "but he's in so much pain. I'm also worried that he may lose his hearing if he does not respond to the antibiotics." "Are you administering the antibiotics orally?" "Yes." "Add it to the eardrops, it will work faster," Kin advised. Why didn't I think of that? "Hello, Dr. Arvis," a theatre nursed flirted with Kin, giving him the bedroom eye. What an audacity! Gin felt her heart constricting by a green monster. Kin returned the greeting, but in a voice that was civil. Gin could feel all the curious pairs of eyes on her. She wished Kin would keep his distance from her at work. She really did not need the rumour mill, spreading stories about her. She'd heard in the corridors, that in the last week, her name was being bandied as Kin's current lover. When they were in the privacy of the garden, Kin spoke. "I have to attend a conference in Port Elizabeth," he announced. "Excuse me!" Gin was more shocked that he was reporting to her, than that he was going off somewhere. "It's only for two days, Gin," he lifted her hands between his. 'the organizers want me to stand in for an international cardiologist who has an emergency he can't get away from." "Kin, you don't have to inform me of your schedule," she tried to remove her hands. "But I want to," he smiled into her eyes. "You're going to be my wife." His wife! It sounded nice … pity it would be for the wrong reason. "Are we back to that?" "No," he murmured, lifting her hand to his mouth, pressing his lips to it, She looked away, trying to block out the sensations rippling through her from what his lips were doing to her palm. It didn't help, she inhaled heavily because her mind was focused on his thumb, arousingly running up and down the sensitive pulse on the inside of her wrist. "I'm leaving right now," he murmured. Her head swung up to his face. Okay Port Elizabeth was still inside the country, an hour and half's flight. Why was she feeling this way? She'd managed without him this past ten years. Yet … she already felt his absence. "Goodbye Gin," he murmured huskily. His goodbye sounded so ominous. Involuntarily, her arms flung around his neck. She kissed him passionately, clinging to him tightly, until she realized, she was behaving like a love sick teenager. So much for keeping Kin at arm's length and keeping her distance from him. 'travel safely," she whispered. "I'll call you tonight," he murmured," releasing her. She nodded, hoping he would. She really should exercise more restraint where he was concerned. "Bye Kin," she inhaled heavily, watching Kin's back as he left. Gin was sad. Strange how she felt his absence so profoundly. She missed him barging into her office. She missed his arrogant smile. She longed to feel his sensuous lips on hers again. The emptiness stayed with her until she was about to climb into bed and when her mobile rang, she answered on the first ring. "Kin!" She slid under the covers, curling up comfortably. "Hi darling," she heard his warm laugher in her ear. For once the endearment sounded like a symphony in her ear. 'so ___ how's the conference?" "Exhausting," he sighed. "I had three sessions today and I've got four tomorrow, and there's a gala dinner. I have to wear a tux," she heard his soft groan." 'so you won't be back tomorrow evening? Disappointment engulfed her. "Missing me?" He teased, mockingly" "No ___. Just making conversation," her fingers twirled around her hair. She hoped he could not hear the longing in her voice. "I wish you and Vin could be here with me." Gin cooed silently. He didn't just want her for her body. He wanted their son there as well. She could kiss him, if he was in front of her. Kin chatted for a lengthy period before he ended the call. Reluctantly, Gin said good night. The next morning, at work, Gin was in the toilet, when she heard the familiar voices of two nurses as they walked into the ladies" restroom. "What has she got" We're younger than her!" The one grumbling voice questioned. Well Kin … maybe you can answer these gossipmongers! "Okay, granted, she's very beautiful," the other grudgingly conceded. "And" the first reluctantly added, "Alice apparently thinks she a brilliant doctor, very intelligent," I believe," she gritted her teeth. "I still don't get why Dr. Arvis is into her, I mean, doesn't she have a baby and all that? Surely he would date women who were single, readily available, like moi." Gin heard the cynical laugh. She could just picture the theatrics. She stood frozen on the spot, inside the cubicle she was in. Hello! What am I eighty years old? "What I would give to have wild, exhilarating sex with him," the other groaned. You're so not getting into Kin's bed! "I mean have you ever seen a sex god on wheels?" Yeah. Dr. Arvis," the other laughed. "Did you hear? Julia said she was kissing Dr. Arvis in the gardens yesterday. She can't even restrain herself around him, even in the hospital!" Gin groaned silently with embarrassment. "Let's get back to work," one of them moaned protestingly. "I wish she would back off and give us a chance with him, "Gin heard one of them murmur as they exited the ladies" bathroom. Gin shut her eyes and came out of the cubicle she was in. How much more was being said about her, which she was not privy to? As if that bathroom incident was not bad enough, Gin was accosted by one of the theatre nurses at the cafeteria at lunch. Clearly diplomacy and politeness were not in her vocabulary. She had demanded to know if Gin was having a relationship with Kin, because she was in love with him! Gin had rolled her eyes in astonishment, and had just brushed past the theatre nurse. That evening, Gin was totally frustrated about all the harassment at the hospital and about her feelings for Kin, and mostly about his conspicuous absence; so when Alice knocked on her door with puppy dog eyes, pleading with her to go to the movies with him, she relented. She needed to get out. She needed some kind of diversion, besides it was torture waiting for Kin's call, not that she was counting, but if Kin called, she had another three hours and fourteen minutes to wait. "Good evening Shin," Kin smiled broadly holding a bouquet of long-stemmed roses in one hand and his other hand hiding, behind his back. "Kin? ___ good evening" Shin looked surprised, to see him, all dressed up in a tuxedo. "Is Gin expecting you?" "No," he gave her a dazzling smile. "I thought I'd surprise her." 'sorry, but she's out with Alice. They"re catching a movie," Shin smiled uncomfortably. Kin's face didn't reflect the cataclysmic rage surging inside him. He took a moment to right his breathing and nodded. "Guess, I should have called first." "Hi ___ Kin," Vin greeting, coming down the stairs. "Good evening Vin," Kin smiled. "How you doing?" "Is ___ that for mum?" Vin's eyes was on the box in Kin's hand. Kin looked down, at some moment, when he was having his silent rage, his hand had left the spot behind his back. Kin laughed. "No, the roses are for mum. This is for you," Kin handed Vin the box of chocolates. "For me? Kin grabbed the box. 'thank you ___ but mum will freak out if I eat all," his tongue drooled as he licked his lips. Kin ruffled his hair. "How about you have one or two, tonight." 'thank you, Kin," Vin beamed, looking up at his grandmother with delight. "Oh, this is for you, Shin," Kin removed a slim box from the inside pocket of his jacket. 'turkish delight," he smiled. "I hope you like it." 'thank you, Kin," she answered gently. "May I put the roses in water?" "Yes please. I ___ guess, I'll say goodnight," he nodded. "Good night," Shin smiled warmly. "Night Vin." "Night Kin," Vin answered with chocolate in his mouth. Kin laughed as he left the Mikhayla residence, but the second he closed the door, his face contorted into an angry scowl and a murderous look emblazoned his face.