CHAPTER 4
GEORGIA
Alice had briefed me on the patient while I was on the way to the hospital. When I’d gotten her text message, I’d immediately dropped what I was doing at home to come over at once. She had mentioned it was a high profile client who shouldn’t be kept waiting, but she’d failed to mention the name.
Imagine my shock when I came face to face with the boy my parents and I were just discussing earlier. He’s now a grown man, of course, but I would never be able to erase his teenage appearance from my memories. The agonizing recollection of prom night had seared itself solid onto my brain.
To make matters worse, I had to actually touch him. I was, after all, a SEM doctor. His SEM doctor. It’s what I do.
I paced back and forth in my office as I waited for him to return from the x-ray procedure. A part of me wanted to reveal my identity, to remind him of how he’d humiliated me on what was supposed to be an unforgettable evening of my high school senior year. But what good would that do?
It’s just to appease my hurt ego, I told myself. For me, it was enough to see the shock on his face when he realizes that the nerdy girl he’d picked on was now a whole lot different. Someone he would never be able to stomp on again, even if he was filthy rich.
I was pacing toward the door of my office when it suddenly opened. I stepped back instinctively and seemed to lose my balance for a while. He reacted at once, placing one arm around my waist to steady me. But the sudden movement had caused one of his crutches to drop, which made him lurch forward unexpectedly toward me. Luckily, the bed was right behind me, stopping our ultimate fall from happening. That would have been extremely embarrassing.
I was able to regain my balance, but not before feeling his body pressed onto mine and taking a whiff of his manly scent. Not before I got to admire his striking features.
After the minor incident, we brushed it off awkwardly, uttering our apologies. But I was already perplexed, at times losing myself in the powerful gaze of his deep gray eyes. I found myself getting distracted by the way strands of his sandy blond hair would fall onto his eyes every now and then.
“Are you… okay, Dr. Hill?” he asked at one point. We were actually trying to have a casual conversation while waiting for the x-ray results, but it seemed to be going off in all directions.
“Yes, sorry,” I said. “I was saying you ought to be extra careful on the field. I mean, if that’s actually possible for a football player.”
“You’ve never watched football?” he asked in surprise.
“Uhm, maybe bits and pieces, but not an entire game.”
“I see,” he said, a faint smile playing on his lips. “That’s a little strange for a doctor who decided to specialize in sports and exercise.”
“Well… not really,” I answered, glad that he seemed to be relaxing with me. There was less tension in the air. Sort of.
“What sports are you into then?” he wanted to know, leaning forward and surprisingly making my heart beat fast.
“I… I’m a fitness buff, actually,” I admitted. “It started when I entered medicine school. My way of keeping healthy amidst all the late nights, strong coffee, snacking, and stress.”
“Yeah, must be tough,” he agreed. “So you’re not involved in any sport?”
“Running, if you could consider it a sport,” I answered. “I’m not into contact sports, but I’ve developed a liking for treating people who get injured doing them.”
He actually chuckled. Quite rare. Even in high school, he was the brooding, mysterious type who hardly smiled.
A knock came on the door. I was suddenly reminded of why we were here in the first place. He was my patient, so I had to act professionally and just do my job.
After explaining the results, I told him, “Congratulations, Drake. You’ve got an ankle sprain. Consider yourself lucky.”
“Wow,” he said in a sarcastic tone. “How long before I can play again?”
“Ten days to be safe,” I told him. “But do see me after a week. I’ll give you a prescription now, though…” I took out my pad and began scribbling. “Let me know if there’s any problem or concern. Just give me a call.”
“I will,” he promised, still looking like his usual serious self.
He didn’t make an attempt to stand up to leave, so I went first. I extended my hand automatically, and when he shook it, I felt a teeny bit of electricity shoot up my arm. “Thank you for coming, Mr. Walton. Take care of yourself.”
He gave me a smile. Another rare moment. It made his gray eyes light up, which immediately grabbed my attention. I didn’t say anything.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Georgia Hill,” he said, gazing at me with no indication whatsoever that he had any clue who I really was.
“Same here,” was all I said.
He was hesitant, but he eventually turned around to leave. I slumped onto my chair, heaving a sigh of relief when he was finally gone.
But I’ll be hearing from him again, of course. I’ll be seeing more of him, for sure. It gave me a thrill somehow, but at the same time, I dreaded it, too. Only two days back in my hometown, and already my past was catching up fast.