Friend, Fling, Forever?. Janice Lynn

to move her neck. Her strep and influenza were negative.

      Lumbar punctures weren’t Gabe’s favorite things to do as there was always risk, but his concerns over meningitis were too high not to test her spinal fluid. As soon as he had the CT scan results back, he’d pull the fluid so long as the scan didn’t show any reason not to. He didn’t want to risk brain herniation by not following protocol.

      From all indications, the woman had meningitis. Gabe needed to know the exact culprit.

      He cleared out two other patients who’d come into the emergency department. Then, protective personal equipment in place, he went back to Mrs. Arnold.

      The woman was now going in and out of consciousness and didn’t make a lot of sense when she was awake.

      Also wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, Kami was at her bedside. She’d already gathered everything he’d need for a lumbar puncture. They needed to move fast.

      Hopefully, the antibiotics infusing into her body via her IV line would be the right ones for whatever caused her infection, but if they weren’t, waiting around to see could mean the difference between life and death.

      That wasn’t a chance he was willing to take.

      “Dr. Nelson?” Mindy stopped him from entering the area where Mrs. Arnold was. “Dr. Reynolds just called with her CT results. He is concerned about meningitis and recommends proceeding with lumbar puncture.”

      This was the call Gabe had been waiting for giving him the safe go-ahead.

      Checking to make sure his respiratory mask was secure, Gabe nodded, then entered the area where Mrs. Arnold was isolated.

      From behind her clear plastic glasses, Kami’s eyes were filled with worry when they met his.

      “She has gaze palsy and mild extremity drift now,” she told him. “I thought you’d prefer her husband not be in here for this as he was getting agitated. I sent him to the private counseling room to wait for you to talk to him after we get this done.”

      That was one of the things he loved about Kami. She was always one step ahead of him.

      Except when it came to the auction.

      On that one, he planned to outstep her. Not planned to—he would outstep her, because the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to go on that “date” with Kami.

       CHAPTER TWO

      “WHAT A NIGHT,” Kami mused at the end of her twelve-hour shift that had turned into over fourteen. She couldn’t wait to get home, shower, eat whatever she could find in the fridge, and crawl into bed to pass out until it was time to come back and do it all again for night two of her three in a row.

      “You look tired.”

      She glanced toward Gabe. “You don’t look like a bowl of cherries yourself.”

      He laughed. “Not sure if that was meant to be an insult or not, but I’ll go on record saying I’m grateful I don’t look like a bowl of cherries.”

      Kami shrugged. “Too bad. Cherries would be an improvement.”

      “A cherry fan?”

      “They’re my favorite,” she admitted with a quick sideways glance toward him.

      “You one of those talented people who can knot the stem with your tongue?” he teased.

      Kami had very few silly talents, but tying a cherry stem into a knot was in her repertoire. Rather than admit as much to Gabe, she shrugged again.

      “I’ll never tell.”

      “Because you prefer to show me?” he joked, not looking tired at all despite the fact he had to be exhausted.

      It really had been a long night.

      “Okay.” He gave a dramatic sigh. “I’m game. There’s a pancake house a few blocks from here where you can get whipped cream and cherries.”

      She frowned. “You know this how?”

      “A man has to know where he can get whipped cream and cherries twenty-four hours a day.”

      Kami scrunched her nose. “Ew. Spare me the details because I don’t want to know.”

      Looking intrigued, he chuckled. “Your mind went to the gutter, Kam. I’m surprised, but I think I like it.”

      “Nothing to like about you grossing me out.”

      His brow arched. “My liking whipped cream and cherries on top of my pancakes grosses you out?”

      She ran her gaze over his broad chest, down his flat abs that his scrubs failed to disguise. “Yeah, I can tell you regularly chow down on pancakes with whipped cream and cherries.”

      “You might be surprised.”

      Not really. She’d seen him put away a lot of food during their shift breaks. The man could eat. Not that it showed. Whether because of good genetics or his time spent in the gym, Gabe truly was the picture of good health.

      “Doubtful,” she tossed as she clocked out and grabbed her lunch bag. “Not much about you surprises me.”

      His brow rose. “Oh? You know me that well?”

      “As well as I want to.” She gave him a look that said she was well aware he had fallen into step beside her as she exited the emergency department. “Bye, Gabe.”

      “You have to eat, Kam. Let me take you to breakfast before I hit the gym.”

      Her brows knitted together. “You’re going to the gym this morning after working over and having to be back here this evening?”

      His eyebrows lifted. “Why wouldn’t I?”

      Kami stared at him as if he were the oddest anomaly. “Do you not need sleep?”

      He grinned. “Not when I’m properly motivated.”

      “You that excited at the prospect of running into Baxter again?” She glanced at her watch. “You should hurry or you may miss him. Wouldn’t want that to happen.”

      Gabe burst out laughing. “Okay, I’ll take a hint and a rain check on the pancakes with whipped cream and cherries.”

      * * *

      That evening, Kami glanced at her cell phone and winced. Her mother. Should she answer? Guilt hit her that she considered not doing so. Her mother knew it was time for her to be at work. If she was calling, something must be wrong, right?

      “Hi, Mom. I’m about to clock in at work, so I can’t talk but a second. What’s up?”

      “I’m headed out of town,” her mother answered. Then a male voice spoke in the background and, muffling the phone, her mother said something back. Then she said into the phone, “Can you feed my cat while I’m gone?”

      Why her mother had gotten the scruffy cat, Kami had no clue. Most days she couldn’t take care of herself, much less a pet. But at least she’d not left without making arrangements for the stray she’d taken in. Then again, her mother should have been an expert at taking in strays.

      Fortunately, her mother didn’t make a habit of asking Kami to feed them. At least, not since Kami had moved out the moment she’d graduated from high school and escaped the constant chaos of Eugenia’s life.

      “I’ll swing by in the morning and feed her.” Then she couldn’t hold back asking, “What’s his name?”

      “Bubbles. You know that.”

      “Not the cat. The guy.”

      “Oh.” Her mother giggled and the person in the background said