coffee?»
«In the kitchen, right?»
«I'll get-«
«I can pour my own. Had years of training. You couch it.»
Jane sat back down on the sofa and pulled the lapels of her robe closer as she rubbed her
temples. Shit, was she ever going to feel like herself again?
Manello came in just as she leaned forward and put her head in her hands. Which naturally sent
him into full doctor mode. He put his mug down on one of Jane's mother's books on architecture
and knelt on the Oriental.
«Talk to me. What's happening here?»
«Head.» Jane groaned.
«Let me see your eyes.»
She tried to sit up straight again. «It's fading-«
«Shut up.» Manello gently took her wrists in his hands and eased her arms away from her face.
«I'm going to check your pupils. Lean your head back.»
Jane gave up, just gave the hell up and relaxed against the couch. «I haven't felt this horrid in
years.»
Manny's thumb and forefinger went to her right eye and carefully peeled her lid wide while he
brought up a penlight. He was so close she could see his long lashes and his five-o'clock shadow
and the fine pores of his skin. He smelled good. Cologne.
What kind was it? she wondered in a fuzzy mess.
«Good thing I come prepared,» he drawled, clicking on the little beam.
«Yeah, you're a Boy Scout all right-Hey, watch it with that thing.»
She tried to blink as he shone the beam in her eye, but he didn't let her.
«Make your head worse?» he said, going over to the left side.
«Oh, no. That feels great. Can't wait for you to-Damn, that's bright.»
He clicked the light off and tucked the thing back into the breast pocket of his scrubs. «Pupils
dilate properly.»
«What a relief. Guess if I want to read under a klieg light I'm good to go, right?»
He took her wrist, put his forefinger on her pulse, and brought his Rolex up.
«Is there going to be an insurance copay with this exam?» she asked.
«Shh.»
» 'Cause I think I'm out of cash-«
«Shh.»
It was awkward being treated like a patient, and keeping her mouth shut made it worse. Man,
there was something to be said for hiding awkwardness behind words-
A dark room. A man in a bed. Her talking… talking about… Hannah's funeral.
Another sharp shooter nailed her in the head and she sucked some air in. «Shit.»
Manello let her wrist go and laid his palm on her forehead. «You don't feel hot.» He put his hands
on the sides of her neck, right under her jaw.
While he frowned and prodded, she said, «I don't have a sore throat.»
«Well, you don't have any swollen glands.» His fingers went down the column of her neck until
she winced, and he tilted her head to the side. «Shit… what the hell?»
«What?»
«There's a bruise here. Or something. Goddamn, what bit you?»
She put her hand up. «Oh, yeah, I don't know what that is. Or when I got it.»
«Seems to be healing up okay.» He palpated the base of her neck, right over her collarbones.
«Yeah, no swelling here, either. Jane, I hate to break it to you, but you do not have the flu.»
«Sure I do.»
«No, you don't.»
«You're an ortho guy, not an infectious-disease czar.»
«You're not having an immune response here, Whitcomb.»
She felt her own throat. Thought about the fact that she wasn't sneezing, coughing, or throwing
up. But, hell, where did that leave her?
«I want to have a CAT scan on your head.»
«Bet you say that to all the girls.»
«The ones who present with your symptoms? Absolutely.»
«And here I thought I was special.» She shot him a weak smile and closed her eyes. «I'll be okay,
Manello. Just need to get back to work.»
There was a long silence, during which she realized that his hands were on her knees. And he
was still up close, leaning over her.
She lifted her lids. Manuel Manello was looking at her not as a doctor would, but as a man who
cared about her would. Shit, he was attractive, especially like this… except something was off.
Not with him-with her.
Well, duh. She had a headache.
He leaned forward and stroked her hair back. «Jane…»
«What?»
«Will you let me set up a CAT scan for you?» As she started to shut him down, he interjected,
«Consider it a favor to me. I couldn't forgive myself if there was something wrong and I didn't
push on this.»
Shit. «Yeah. Okay. Fine. But I don't need-«
«Thank you.» There was a moment's pause. And then he leaned in and kissed her on the mouth.
Chapter Thirty-six
On the Other Side, Vishous stared down at Cormia and wanted to shoot himself in the foot.
Following her wobbly
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