as he did. "It's a great sign that she woke up so soon and that she's speaking well. Her vitals are strong. She's going to be hazy for a few days but I have no reason to expect she won't make a full recovery."
"Thanks Drew" Eric said gruffly. "I knew she...she was in good hands with you."
Sarah reached for her purse and slipped it over her shoulder and stood beside Andrew. "I'll walk out with you, I have to get to the office for a bit today."
As Eric took her spot in the bedside chair, Sarah followed Andrew into the hallway. It was difficult to say who was more surprised, Sarah or Andrew, when she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. It was such a spontaneous gesture and so out of character for her that he was stunned into silence for several seconds.
"Thank you" she mumbled against his shoulder. "For saving her."
Feeling his scrub top dampen, he slid a finger underneath her chin and tilted her head up. He brushed her tears away with his thumb before softly kissing her on the lips. For a whisper of a moment she gave in before pulling away. "Drew," she began.
"Sarah, one of these days you're going to realize I am not the enemy." His rich brown eyes were swimming with warmth.
"I...I c-can't do this...us," she said, stumbling over her words. "You know that."
He shrugged. "That's too bad then, for both of us." Turning on his heel, he walked away from her.
#
Eric watched her as she slept. It had been more than 18 hours since they had been tangled up in each other and he was awash in feelings and memories. He wondered if she had felt as complete as he had when they were kissing and touching. There had been no lack of women wanting to spend time with him and he had taken several up on their offers but none of them made him feel as at peace as she did. Even with all the drama churning around them, those moments, those precious few moments where they had only concentrated on each other and not everything else, that same sense of tranquility came over him.
"You're....still...here" she said hoarsely, her eyes opening slightly.
Tilting forward on the chair, he nodded. "Hey there sleepy head."
She gave him a curious look. "You should go home." She exhaled slowly. "You look terrible."
He smirked. "I'm not sure you're in any position to point fingers about looking terrible."
"D-drew drilled...a hole...in my head. Wh-what's your excuse?"
"I don't want you to be alone," he told her quietly, taking her hand in his.
Scoffing slightly, she shook her head. "It's...it's a little late for th-that." Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him. "I p-pushed everyone away. G-got what I d-deserved."
He closed his other hand over hers and shook his head. "No, you didn't. And it's not too late. You aren't alone Nat - you really aren't."
"Is Jack ok?" She asked, a light sheen of tears shimmering in her eyes.
"He's fine, Nat. He wants to meet you."
She nodded slowly. "I'd like that."
Pausing, he took a deep breath and slowly let it go. Her final thoughts before collapsing still haunted him. Their argument was playing on a continuous loop in his head and he needed her to know how he felt.
"Listen, there is something I need to tell you."
Gradually opening her eyes again, a tiny smile ghosted across her lips. "You w-want your shirt back?"
Chuckling lightly, he shook his head. "Okay, there are two things I need to tell you." Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed it.
"I don't hate you Nathalie. I don't," he told her emphatically. "And us...being together," he sighed, "us making l- being intimate, it wasn't revenge or exorcism or payback. I wanted to be with you. You weren't the only one who needed to be whole again and you did that for me. Touching me, kissing me, being with me - I felt whole."
Asleep again, her breath echoed in the room. Eric smirked to himself before dipping down and placing a lingering kiss on her forehead. "Sleep Nathalie," he whispered. "You aren't alone and you are loved."
Chapter 19
As she reviewed the file in front of her for the tenth time, Sarah sighed heavily. Her boss had been incredibly understanding of her sudden need for time off but afraid of falling behind she had been bringing files home with her to keep up. The only problem was she was so distracted by everything that