RUIN - Part Three (The RUIN Series Book 3) by Deborah Bladon Page B
Authors: Deborah Bladon
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possible, it's busier than the hospital where Ben works.
I'll never understand medical jargon and as Ben explains in Spanish what is happening to Peter's mother I stand to the side watching him trying to calm her down.
"Dr. Foster?" A woman carrying a clipboard approaches all of us from the left. "We need to talk."
He glances down at Peter's mother. His hand flies through the air towards the waiting room as he says something quickly to her. She nods in response and turns on her heel in search of a chair in the over cramped, obviously, under-funded small space.
"What is it?" He turns back towards the woman with the clipboard.
"Insurance?" She cocks a brow and dots the tip of the pencil in her hand against her tongue. "I need that for the patient you just brought in."
"No." It's curt and direct.
"No?" She parrots back. "He doesn't have any?"
"Where is Melody?" He looks past her to the reception desk where several women are trying to quell the growing line of people waiting to see a doctor. "I usually deal with Melody."
"She's left for the day." She taps her foot against the tile floor. "You need to deal with me today."
He turns towards me without notice. "Kayla, I need my wallet."
I reach into my purse and pull it out, handing it to him without question.
He opens the billfold and yanks free a credit card. "This will take care of it."
"You're paying for his surgery?" The woman stares at the credit card. "Is this even going to cover the entire cost?"
Ben's head snaps in her direction. "Use the credit card, get me a lab coat and get out of my way."
"You don't work here." She's on his heels as he walks towards the reception desk.
He turns swiftly to face her, his expression a mixture of anxiety and frustration. "I volunteer here. Melody knows that. You'll learn it."
She doesn't say a word as he turns back towards me. He walks right past her, grabs my shoulders in his hands and leans down to kiss me gently on my mouth.
"I'll be here all night, Kayla." He whispers against my cheek. "I thought we'd be able to get back into my bed so I could finish what I started, but they need me here."
I run my fingers over his chin. "Thank you for bringing me here."
"Thank you for everything," he says softly. "Go home. Sleep. I'll call you tomorrow."
***
My eyes dart to where my phone is perched atop the pillow next to mine. I reach for it, pushing my hand against the screen to wake it from its sleep. It's just past five in the morning. I'd finally fallen asleep less than an hour ago. The adrenaline high I was feeling after watching Ben race to help that boy had stolen any chance I had to get a good night's rest. My mind and my heart have been on overdrive ever since I left the hospital.
I hear the faint knock that woke me again. This time I'm certain it's not my neighbor's door that is being assaulted, it's my own. I pull a robe around my nude body before I walk into the hall. The overhead light takes a few seconds to flicker on after I hit the switch.
"Who is it?" I call through the heavy wooden door. It's not the first time this has happened. It's actually the third. A trio of middle-aged frat boy wannabes lives in the apartment above mine. Late night pizza and beer deliveries seem to be the bane of their existence. If I can get rid of the delivery person without having to open my door to subject them to the horror of my messy bed hair, my day will start on the right foot.
"Dr. Foster." His voice calls through the silence. "I'm making a house call."
I unhinge the dual locks that keep me somewhat safe from the outside world. I swing the door open quickly and pull him inside.
His lips are on mine in an instant. His kiss is a sweet mixture of peppermint gum and coffee. "You stole my keys."
I laugh into his mouth. "You gave them to me."
It hadn't even crossed my mind to fish Ben's keys from my purse before he kissed me goodbye on the curb in front of the hospital after hailing me a taxi. I'd like to think that it
I'll never understand medical jargon and as Ben explains in Spanish what is happening to Peter's mother I stand to the side watching him trying to calm her down.
"Dr. Foster?" A woman carrying a clipboard approaches all of us from the left. "We need to talk."
He glances down at Peter's mother. His hand flies through the air towards the waiting room as he says something quickly to her. She nods in response and turns on her heel in search of a chair in the over cramped, obviously, under-funded small space.
"What is it?" He turns back towards the woman with the clipboard.
"Insurance?" She cocks a brow and dots the tip of the pencil in her hand against her tongue. "I need that for the patient you just brought in."
"No." It's curt and direct.
"No?" She parrots back. "He doesn't have any?"
"Where is Melody?" He looks past her to the reception desk where several women are trying to quell the growing line of people waiting to see a doctor. "I usually deal with Melody."
"She's left for the day." She taps her foot against the tile floor. "You need to deal with me today."
He turns towards me without notice. "Kayla, I need my wallet."
I reach into my purse and pull it out, handing it to him without question.
He opens the billfold and yanks free a credit card. "This will take care of it."
"You're paying for his surgery?" The woman stares at the credit card. "Is this even going to cover the entire cost?"
Ben's head snaps in her direction. "Use the credit card, get me a lab coat and get out of my way."
"You don't work here." She's on his heels as he walks towards the reception desk.
He turns swiftly to face her, his expression a mixture of anxiety and frustration. "I volunteer here. Melody knows that. You'll learn it."
She doesn't say a word as he turns back towards me. He walks right past her, grabs my shoulders in his hands and leans down to kiss me gently on my mouth.
"I'll be here all night, Kayla." He whispers against my cheek. "I thought we'd be able to get back into my bed so I could finish what I started, but they need me here."
I run my fingers over his chin. "Thank you for bringing me here."
"Thank you for everything," he says softly. "Go home. Sleep. I'll call you tomorrow."
***
My eyes dart to where my phone is perched atop the pillow next to mine. I reach for it, pushing my hand against the screen to wake it from its sleep. It's just past five in the morning. I'd finally fallen asleep less than an hour ago. The adrenaline high I was feeling after watching Ben race to help that boy had stolen any chance I had to get a good night's rest. My mind and my heart have been on overdrive ever since I left the hospital.
I hear the faint knock that woke me again. This time I'm certain it's not my neighbor's door that is being assaulted, it's my own. I pull a robe around my nude body before I walk into the hall. The overhead light takes a few seconds to flicker on after I hit the switch.
"Who is it?" I call through the heavy wooden door. It's not the first time this has happened. It's actually the third. A trio of middle-aged frat boy wannabes lives in the apartment above mine. Late night pizza and beer deliveries seem to be the bane of their existence. If I can get rid of the delivery person without having to open my door to subject them to the horror of my messy bed hair, my day will start on the right foot.
"Dr. Foster." His voice calls through the silence. "I'm making a house call."
I unhinge the dual locks that keep me somewhat safe from the outside world. I swing the door open quickly and pull him inside.
His lips are on mine in an instant. His kiss is a sweet mixture of peppermint gum and coffee. "You stole my keys."
I laugh into his mouth. "You gave them to me."
It hadn't even crossed my mind to fish Ben's keys from my purse before he kissed me goodbye on the curb in front of the hospital after hailing me a taxi. I'd like to think that it
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