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So, I forced myself to get ready for work. Walked out the kitchen door to where my car sat and threw my bags inside along with my travel cup of coffee.
And then I took the second cup I prepared and walked down the driveway to where Fox sat on the curb watching me silently as I approached.
“You didn’t have to stay all night.” I said and held out the cup to him. He looked from the cup, then to me and back before rising to his feet and taking it. His hand covered mine when he did, on purpose I was sure, and my skin burned from his touch.
“It was three hours.” He said in response before taking the lid off the cup and looking inside.
“I didn’t poison it.” I said defensively. “I’m all out of arsenic until I go grocery shopping again.”
He smirked at me and then put the lid back on, “I wouldn’t be able to blame you if you did.” He took a sip of it and groaned, letting his eyelids flutter closed before looking directly at me. “You always could make the best fucking cup of coffee.” He looked exhausted, just like me.
I fought the urge to smile and looked down at my feet to hide the way my muscles twitched at his compliment.
“Go home, Fox.” I sighed, “I’ll be safe at work.”
“Can I drive you?” He questioned.
“No.” I shook my head, kicking the dirt. “Go home.”
“You are my home.” He countered and I closed my eyes to the desire I knew I’d see if I looked up at him. “When can we talk? Weneedto talk about this.”
“I know.” I swallowed and looked down the street as a car passed by. “I’m off tomorrow.”
“What about tonight?”
“I work at Cherry’s.”
“No-.” He shook his head and took a step forward, “Damnit, D, that’s too much. You can’t possibly survive on such little sleep. And with your ribs busted, please.” He reached out and put his hand around the back of my neck. “Please, you have to take care of yourself.”
“I’m trying to Fox.” I shook my head and backed up, making him drop his hand, “I have to pay the bills for my household and that means I have to work stupid hours.”
“I hate this!” He roared, pacing away from me. “Let me fix this.”
“I have to go or I’ll be late.” I backed up a step, “Please go home, Fox.”
He shook his head and his shoulders deflated, “I already told you; you are my home.”
I pursed my lips to keep from arguing with him and stepped off the curb. “I have to go.” I walked back across the street to where my car sat and made myself put the key in, start it up, and back out of the driveway when I wanted to do anything but that.
Fox stared at me as I drove by him with desperation in his eyes and then threw his leg over his bike and sped up after me, tailing me until I got to the hospital employee parking lot. He parked along the curb and silently let me walk past him into the ER and lifted the travel mug for another sip. “I’ll be here when you get out.” He called to me as I walked in, and I smiled to myself at how fucking relieved I was to hear that.
“Go home.” Oliver groaned at me four hours later. “Seriously, D, I appreciate your dedication and loyalty to the cause, but go the hell home and get some rest and come back on Tuesday refreshed and better.”
I tried ignoring him as I fought with an IV machine that was getting the better of me. “I’m fine.”
“You have three cracked ribs.” He droned on, “I ordered the films, remember? And don’t try to lie and say you slipped in the shower or something, because I know what I’m looking at.” He snapped and I looked over my shoulder at him in surprise.
“I think that’s the first time you’ve ever raised your voice at me.”
He put his hands on his hips under his lab coat and gave me a curt nod, “I don’t like doing it, Delilah, so don’t make me tell you twice. Go home.”
“I can’t leave the floor short staffed like that.”
“We’re fine.” He rolled his eyes and huffed, “I mean it, as your supervisor, go the fuck home.”
My hands fell to my side as we stared at each other. He was right, though I’d never tell him that. I was useless.
I couldn’t physically care for my patients because of the pain. And I couldn’t even chart my backlog because I was so tired, I fell asleep twice already when I tried.
