CHAPTER 

ONE

 

Come & Talk to Me

 

“D’Shae, please report to triage three.”

D’Shae rolled her eyes, blowing out a frustrated breath. She hoped to get a few minutes to rest her feet since this was another busy night in the ER.

“Not our favorite nurse in trouble,” a coworker teased, his tone comical as he typed on the computer. 

D’Shae groaned, dropping her face in her hands, and briefly shutting her eyes. “What now?” she whined as she didn't understand the reason. She lifted her head over her shoulders and stared into the distance, unaware of her favorite coworker's presence until she tapped her shoulder.    

“You working triage tonight, Dee?” Kenah quizzed, standing to the side and awaiting her answer. 

The wrinkles in Kenah's forehead and curled lips confirmed her confusion.  

D'Shae twisted around and said, “Not that I know of.” 

“Well, I’m goin’ too,” Kenah suggested with a nod of her head. “I want to be nosey and see why they called you.”  She stuck out her tongue.

D'Shae's face relaxed because she knew without a doubt, her home girl would follow her to the end. She lifted the cup of coffee and took a couple of sips before stretching her legs and twisting her neck side to side with her hands.

 “Damn, you got to do all that to go to triage?” the male nurse joked, turning around to type on the computer in front of him. “I don’t want no part of that.”

D’Shae chuckled before she and Kenah strolled down the hallway to cut through a side door leading to the room. 

As she attempted to open the curtains, Felishia, another coworker bumped into her. She was long-legged and sported a quick-weave. “Sorry,” she confessed, glancing between them.

“What’s up?” D’Shae asked, brows furrowed as she bit her bottom lip. 

Felishia gave them ‘the look’ and pursed her lips before encircling her arms with theirs. She pushed them toward the side. “Dee, there's a man inside of that curtain, and he has been showing out. I almost walked out on him.” She released her arms and put a hand to her temple. “I'm trying to make it to eight tonight, but he's trying me.” 

“Damn, if it ain't one thing, it's another. We're already short staff. We don't need any more problems than we have.”

“Right.” Felishia tilted her head to the side, but grabbed D’Shae’s arm. “Sorry we had to pull you out of your zone, but we had to page you, Dee. He was requesting you and told Carolyn and me that he wasn't giving anymore information until he laid his eyes on you.”

“What!” D'Shae spat, jerking her neck and tilting her head sideways. 

“These damn patients got too many privileges,” Felishia grumbled abrasively. “Besides his attitude, he's a good-looking man.”

“Damn his looks,” Kenah added smugly. “That defeats the purpose.” 

“I feel you, but I'm gonna let you work your magic.” Felishia smirked, pointing her thumb over her shoulder. “Ladies, I'm goin' to triage another patient,” Nurse Felishia said, patting D'Shae on the shoulder.

Rolling her eyes and blowing out an exhausted breath, D'Shae commented in air quotes, “Well, let me go work my magic.” 

“Work it girl!” Kenah mocked her friend as she snapped her fingers.

Giving an eye roll, she sighed, “I should be good, but---” D'Shae tossed over her shoulder. “If I’m not out in ten minutes, intervene.”

“I gotchu!” Kenah joked, walking back to her side of the floor.

D’Shae rolled her eyes and forced a smile as she pulled back the curtains to greet the nuisance. Scanning him from head to loafers, he was indeed gorgeous. His skin tone was rich in chocolate, an orange undertone kissed by the sun. His dark eyes held a mysterious glow. 

“Good evening, I'm Nurse D'Shae as you may already know.”

“I do.” His tone was profound, and his pupils blazed as he held a cloth over his left eyebrow.

D'Shae chuckled as she spun toward the computer. The only thing she saw in his chart was his vitals. “Can you tell me what brought you in tonight?”

“It’s finally good to see you again.”

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as it gave off ‘Fatal Attraction’ vibes. D’Shae didn’t address his statement, but simply began logging into the computer. 

“Should I repeat the question?” she asked, waiting to type his chief complaint. 

He grumbled, not expecting her to be so cold toward him. “I was painting the exterior of my house when suddenly something hit me hard in the face. Initially, I didn’t think I was bleeding until I felt something warm running down my face and heavy pressure in my eye.”

“Was there any glass present?”

“Yes, my window.”

“How long ago did that happened?”

“A few minutes ago.”

D’Shae typed up information on his visit, and then she turned around and grabbed gloves from a nearby cart to assess his face.

“Okay, I’m goin’ to take a look if you don’t mind.”

The cut was excruciating, but the personal closeness made him stifle the unspeakable pain. Not knowing which angle she wanted him in, he spread his leg to allow entrance to him closely as possible. His shoulders relaxed and the breath he was holding, he exhaled. 

“Can you remove your cloth?” she asked, her breath above a whisper.

Sighing, he removed the fabric, tilted his head to the side, and gaped at her flawless brown skin. The top of her hair was in a messy, high ninja bun. The way she did that puzzled him. He studied her uniform and noticed that it was neatly ironed. Although he wished their togetherness were under different circumstances, he’d take tonight over any day.

Cutting her eyes at him, D'Shae pondered the openness of his legs. Did he think she was going to step between them? If so, that wasn't happening. She stepped toward the left side of him to examine the wound. As she bent forward, she didn't miss his intake of breath, putting her breast near his mouth. The open cut appeared to be the size of a quarter, with redness and puffiness on the upper left eyebrow.

“You can put the cloth back now,” she uttered, discarding the gloves and sanitizing her hands. Swiveling around toward the computer, she began typing. “Your wound appears to need stitches. I'm goin' to put that in my notes. I’ve done all I could do, so if you could please wait back in the waiting room,” she voiced as she saved his information. While waiting for him to exit the space, she checked the active patients waiting to be seen on the screen. With each passing second, there was no movement in her peripheral vision, prompting her to repeat her statement. “Someone will call you in a few.”

Disappointment showed on his face as she didn’t take advantage of the easy access to him. His top lip arched, and a frown formed. This was the time. He waited this long. He had to do it. Closing his eyes briefly, he inhaled a deep breath to regroup. “Can I take you out for dinner?”

 Her back stiffened. It was annoying when male patients asked her out. And since he was an ass earlier to the nurses, she wasn’t in the mood. She clicked on the keyboard and grumbled, “I’m goin’ to ask you to sit back in the waiting room---”.

“It’s just food,” he argued, pressing on the open wound and wincing in pain. The sensation sent adrenaline to his brain, spurring a sinister smile as he stared at the back of her beautiful head.