supplies. I haven’t shown you the location yet so I while I go to get them, I need you to stay with Mr. Bentley.” Her eyes were serious as she studied me for weakness or any crumbling under the pressure.
Resolutely, I nodded. He might be loud and in pain, but I’d seen much worse. His symptoms and surly attitude were nothing compared to what I had helped patients through while volunteering at clinics in the Philippine jungle and inner-city. Nope, this would be a walk in the park.
“I’ll be back shortly.” Regina rose and left the room in quickly.
“You’re new.” His voice was gravelly, thick with tension no doubt as a result of pain. I glanced up.
“Yes.” In keeping my answer short, I tried to avoid upsetting him.
His gray eyes narrowed as he regarded me while he worked his jaw. And I thought he was about to speak, but he groaned instead, twisting on his bed and shuddering.
“They never tell you what it’s like to go without the drug, just tell you how awesome you’ll feel when you take the damn thing.” His words were stuttered as he pulled a blanket tighter against his chest.
“Would you have taken them if you knew?” I asked as I began to arrange the medication that had be tipped over from his earlier fit with the first nurse.
“Hell, yeah. Though I’m seriously regretting it now. Shit. Does it ever stop?” he asked between gritted teeth.
“Yes, it does. But your body needs time.”
“Can’t they give me something to kill the pain? I’m dying here.” He groaned.
“No, you’re not dying. You’re quite alive and your body is learning how to survive without the drugs.” I didn’t want to say more. I was afraid I would cross the line and speak more of my mind rather than medicine.
“What is it?” He had relaxed slightly and was watching me curiously.
“What is what?” I questioned.
“You’re not saying something. What is it?”
I hesitated, debating whether to be painfully honest or to be politically correct.
“Don’t give me this PC shit either, I’m sick of it.” He began to shiver.
I noticed another blanket on a chair and I placed it over the others.
“Thanks,” he said grudgingly.
“You’re welcome.”
“Now what were you thinking?”
“Persistent, aren’t you?” I quirked an eyebrow.
“No, just willing to go to any lengths to get my mind off of all this damn pain.” He closed his eyes and leaned back against a pillow. Dark eyelashes fanned across his undeniably masculine face, accenting the perfect line of his jaw.
I swallowed and glanced away. “Understandable. Tell me…” I sat down on a chair next to his bed and leaned forward slightly. “What is the pain doing? Is it something you’ll ever forget?”
“Hell, no. This is… shit, this is bad. I could be passed out drunk and bumped, but I’d remember this.” He gave a humorless chuckle as another shudder overtook him.
“Good.” I leaned back and waited, hoping I hadn’t pushed too far.
“Good! Good? How dare you—”
“Because you are suffering so greatly, once you’re healed and on the other side of this addiction, you’ll remember. Like a permanent scar, you’ll wear this pain as a badge of honor that you overcame something near impossible. And you won’t look back, will you? The pain alone is enough of a deterrent to remind you to never touch drugs again.” I shrugged and leaned back, watching his bloodshot gaze study me with a grudging respect.
“Damn, I walked into that one.”
“You did. But it’s true. You’ll move past this, but before you do, it will get worse. Know that. But with every beat of your frantic heart as it survives what you’ve done to your body, remember that the pain is a reminder that you are still living. The drugs, the addiction didn’t win. You did.”
His gaze pierced me with curiosity. “Who are you?”
“No one important.” I glanced down, self conscious about my soap box rant. Funny, I usually reserved that for people I
Resolutely, I nodded. He might be loud and in pain, but I’d seen much worse. His symptoms and surly attitude were nothing compared to what I had helped patients through while volunteering at clinics in the Philippine jungle and inner-city. Nope, this would be a walk in the park.
“I’ll be back shortly.” Regina rose and left the room in quickly.
“You’re new.” His voice was gravelly, thick with tension no doubt as a result of pain. I glanced up.
“Yes.” In keeping my answer short, I tried to avoid upsetting him.
His gray eyes narrowed as he regarded me while he worked his jaw. And I thought he was about to speak, but he groaned instead, twisting on his bed and shuddering.
“They never tell you what it’s like to go without the drug, just tell you how awesome you’ll feel when you take the damn thing.” His words were stuttered as he pulled a blanket tighter against his chest.
“Would you have taken them if you knew?” I asked as I began to arrange the medication that had be tipped over from his earlier fit with the first nurse.
“Hell, yeah. Though I’m seriously regretting it now. Shit. Does it ever stop?” he asked between gritted teeth.
“Yes, it does. But your body needs time.”
“Can’t they give me something to kill the pain? I’m dying here.” He groaned.
“No, you’re not dying. You’re quite alive and your body is learning how to survive without the drugs.” I didn’t want to say more. I was afraid I would cross the line and speak more of my mind rather than medicine.
“What is it?” He had relaxed slightly and was watching me curiously.
“What is what?” I questioned.
“You’re not saying something. What is it?”
I hesitated, debating whether to be painfully honest or to be politically correct.
“Don’t give me this PC shit either, I’m sick of it.” He began to shiver.
I noticed another blanket on a chair and I placed it over the others.
“Thanks,” he said grudgingly.
“You’re welcome.”
“Now what were you thinking?”
“Persistent, aren’t you?” I quirked an eyebrow.
“No, just willing to go to any lengths to get my mind off of all this damn pain.” He closed his eyes and leaned back against a pillow. Dark eyelashes fanned across his undeniably masculine face, accenting the perfect line of his jaw.
I swallowed and glanced away. “Understandable. Tell me…” I sat down on a chair next to his bed and leaned forward slightly. “What is the pain doing? Is it something you’ll ever forget?”
“Hell, no. This is… shit, this is bad. I could be passed out drunk and bumped, but I’d remember this.” He gave a humorless chuckle as another shudder overtook him.
“Good.” I leaned back and waited, hoping I hadn’t pushed too far.
“Good! Good? How dare you—”
“Because you are suffering so greatly, once you’re healed and on the other side of this addiction, you’ll remember. Like a permanent scar, you’ll wear this pain as a badge of honor that you overcame something near impossible. And you won’t look back, will you? The pain alone is enough of a deterrent to remind you to never touch drugs again.” I shrugged and leaned back, watching his bloodshot gaze study me with a grudging respect.
“Damn, I walked into that one.”
“You did. But it’s true. You’ll move past this, but before you do, it will get worse. Know that. But with every beat of your frantic heart as it survives what you’ve done to your body, remember that the pain is a reminder that you are still living. The drugs, the addiction didn’t win. You did.”
His gaze pierced me with curiosity. “Who are you?”
“No one important.” I glanced down, self conscious about my soap box rant. Funny, I usually reserved that for people I
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