Page 44 of Rescuing Ryder
Ryder went into the bathroom and noticed Kassie spent some time laying out a razor, shaving cream, and scissors. A bag lay open for his clothes and he set the gun from Whiskey on the shelf above the toilet.
The water felt pleasantly hot as he shaved then scrubbed down. He threw on his clothes and towel-dried his hair before opening the door. Kassie never moved. When he walked toward her, she pushed a button on the wall, and Annabelle, one of the nurses who worked the floor, appeared with a tray of food.
“Eat. Then I’ll let you have your place back,” she ordered him.
He quirked an eyebrow in her direction as if the tiny redhead could stop him from taking his spot. Kassie smiled as if she knew what he thought.
Not wanting to appear the caveman type, Ryder sat in the recliner and broke open the two cartons of orange juice. A lid covered the meal, and he raised it, already deciding he didn’t want cold, rubbery eggs. To his surprise, a large breakfast sandwich sat on the plate. Made of sourdough bread, eggs, bacon, and cheese, the smell hit his nose. Instantly, he knew Randy made it for him. A scoop of breakfast potatoes and a big bowl of fruit accompanied it. A minute later, Annabelle returned with a large cup of coffee and a couple of creamers.
“Thank you,” he called to the nurse as she left the room. She smiled and went about her business.
“Thank you, Kassie,” he whispered as he pierced a piece of fruit with his fork.
“Thank you, Ryder, for saving our friend. She never said a word about anyone threatening her. To think about whatmight’ve happened if you didn’t go after her…” Kassie’s voice drifted off.
“Did Doc receive all the test results back?” he asked.
“Yes. He’s waiting to talk to Claire and called in a specialist to check her eye.”
“What did he say?” he asked anxiously.
Kassie glanced at Claire lying in bed. “I’m sorry. I’m not at liberty to tell you. Don’t worry. As soon as Claire wakes, I’ll ring Chase. If Claire consents to let you stay, he can tell you both.”
Ryder frowned. He knew why she said it, but it didn’t mean it didn’t irk him to some degree.
Kassie pulled out lip balm and placed some on Claire’s lips. “Ryder. Can I ask you something?”
“Bring it,” he shot back at her.
“It’s not a question as much a statement. It’s against the rules for staff to carry on a relationship with any of our patients beyond a professional level. I’m assuming Claire requested you change to Dr. Hill when she noticed you developed feelings beyond a doctor-patient relationship. After you requested the transfer, Dr. Hill agreed. Because of my injury, Dr. Winters signed off on the arranged plan later than usual. You and Claire only met professionally until last night, correct?” she suggested.
He swallowed, realizing Claire’s job and life’s work hung in the balance of what he might say. Kassie gave him a plausible story.
“Yeah. She never acted inappropriately or unprofessionally. Claire never mentioned any feelings toward me except concern for my recovery. Upon learning I transferred my emotions to her; she suggested I switch psychiatrists. After not seeing her over the last week, I realized what I felt was,” he snapped his fingers, “what do you call it…I experienced transference.”
Kassie stared at him a moment before her attention went to Claire. She stirred and her hand went directly toward her eye.Ryder jumped and prevented her from touching the swollen injury.
Kassie smiled. “Welcome back, Claire. Chase will come in and talk to you. I’ll leave you two alone.”
Ryder watched Kassie leave the room before turning his attention to Claire. Where she clutched his hand before, it now hung loosely in his.
“Good morning.”Chase entered the room, followed by his wife. “You gave us quite the scare.
Claire let her hand fall from the man beside her.
“You’re suffering a concussion. I called in a specialist concerning your eye. He didn’t see any reason for it not to heal properly. Do you mind if Ryder stays in the room?” Chase asked her while he eyed the man across from him.
Turning her pounding head toward Ryder, Claire murmured, “You can go. Thank you for helping me.” She focused on Kassie. “When can I go home?”
“You’ll stay here a couple of days. We’ve called in cleaners to handle your home, and you need to recuperate,” Kassie answered.
“Ryder. Can I see you in my office in about ten minutes?” Chase dismissed him.
“I hope you feel better, Claire,” Ryder gritted his teeth before walking out the door.
“We’ll start by discussing your pain level. How do you feel on a scale from one to ten?” Chase checked her vitals and listened to her lungs.
“My head’s pounding and it hurts to breathe. I feel as if I can’t catch a breath,” she admitted.