Six Sexy Doctors Part 2. Joanna Neil

done a hernia repair on earlier that morning. “How’s your pain this afternoon?”

      “I hurt, but I expected to,” the fifty-three-year-old said, scooting up onto his pillow, wincing in the process.

      “Be careful,” his wife warned from the uncomfortable-looking chair pushed up next to the hospital bed. “You don’t want to pop anything open.”

      “Definitely not,” Adam agreed, although he’d done a good job with Robert’s procedure and the site wouldn’t easily “pop open”. He pulled back the thin white blanket so he could check the repair site.

      Liz entered the room, but Adam refused to look her way, refused to acknowledge her presence despite every single cell in his body crying out for him to look at her, hold her, love her. He continued to examine Mr Keele and was pleased with what he found.

      “I last changed his dressing about thirty minutes ago,” Liz said from beside Adam. Her voice was almost emotionless, cluing him in to the fact that she fought tears.

      He knew every little nuance about this woman. That she’d learned long ago to keep a tight rein on her emotions when in public, but that tonight her tears would flow. Because of him.

      He bit back an apology.

      He owed her one. This was his fault. If he had any decency at all he’d tell her it was over and let her get on with her life.

      Liz ducked behind the nurses’ station and grabbed a stack of papers without looking to see what they were.

      “Liz?”

      She didn’t meet Kelly’s eyes.

      “Is something wrong?”

      She couldn’t answer.

      “Liz?” Her friend’s concern heightened her voice.

      “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just tired.” And I want to throw up.

      How could the man she’d loved for months act as if she was an inconvenience he wished would go away?

      “I don’t believe you,” Kelly said, her hands on her hips and a determined gleam in her voice. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

      Could a relationship as wonderful as what she and Adam had shared end just like that? With no warning, no arguments, nothing to make her suspect he had been unhappy? Had she been so caught up in Gramps’s illness that she’d missed Adam becoming unhappy with their relationship?

      She hiccuped, fighting tears. She couldn’t cry. Not at work. She had patients to tend to.

      “Liz, look at me right now,” Kelly ordered. “You were in Mr Keele’s room? Did he remind you of Gramps?”

      Liz met Kelly’s concerned expression, and proceeded to spring a leak. Two leaks. Leaks that flowed freely down her cheeks, and Kelly hugged her.

      “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I know how much you miss him.”

      Another hiccup escaped her mouth. This one carried a half-hysterical edge. Her friend thought she was mourning the loss of her grandfather. In reality she mourned the loss of her best friend and lover, Adam.

      “Adam and I are breaking up.”

      Kelly looked startled. As if Liz’s words were the last thing she’d expected to hear. “I know you’ve been concerned lately, but every couple has arguments. Adam loves you. It’ll all work out. You’ll see.”

      But they hadn’t argued. She hiccupped again. “He’s never said he loves me.”

      Kelly paused, clearly taken aback by that admission. “Some things don’t have to be said with words for them to be true. I’ve seen how he looks at you. Take it from me, he’s crazy about you.”

      Liz didn’t comment, just swiped at unwanted tears.

      “He’s probably having a bad day and took it out on you,” Kelly comforted, giving Liz another quick hug.

      “A bad month is more like it.” Wiping her palms over her scrub top, Liz pulled herself together. She was stronger than this.

      She really had to get her act together. If not internally, she could at least put on a cheery front for her coworkers and patients. They deserved a smiling face and positive attitude. She smiled at her friend, counting her blessings that she had a friend like Kelly in her life. “I’m sorry for blubbering all over you like this.”

      “No biggie.” Kelly gave her a quick hug. “I’m surprised you’ve held up as well as you have, with your grandfather having been sick so long, and then the long hours you’re working, and now Adam. Why are you pulling so many extra hours? When’s the last time you had a day off?”

      “I’ve got next Monday and Tuesday off.”

      “Until HR calls begging you to fill in for whoever isn’t coming to work that day.” Kelly gave her a knowing look. “Say no for once. Take those days and rest. After you catch up on your sleep things will look brighter.”

      Liz nodded slowly.

      Nausea constricted her throat and, not wanting to alarm Kelly any more than her friend already was, Liz gave her a hug, excused herself, and went to the ladies’ room to throw up.