The Doctor's Private Visit by Altonya Washington Page A

E.R. He did a double take and frowned slightly when he saw a woman across the room who reminded him of Capri Timmons. Tiberius watched her for a second or two before he realized that it was Capri. When he noticed her leaning against her girlfriend Pepper, he wasted no more time heading over to her.
    “Listen, I can’t take this anymore. I gotta sit down,” Capri cried, slapping a thick curl out of her face.
    Pepper rolled her eyes and stomped her foot simultaneously. “Cap, will you—”
    “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
    Pepper and Capri looked up at the sound of the deep male voice bellowing overhead. “Tiberius,” they said in unison.
    “What are you doing here?” Tiberius asked Capri, his voice growing softer.
    “She tripped and fell on a loose step,” Pepper explained. “It’s swelling badly and she can’t even wear her shoe.”
    Tiberius’s stare fell from Capri’s face to her shoeless right foot. “Dammit,” he whispered, easily lifting Capri in his arms.
    “Did this happen at the house?”
    “Uh…well, yes,” Capri nodded, more stunned than she wanted to admit as she eased her arms around his neck.
    Tiberius was able to find a couple of vacant seats in the waitingarea. He sat Capri down, and knelt before her. Cupping her foot in his palms, he studied her injury.
    Capri’s dark eyes widened and she glanced up at Pepper. “It looks worse than it really is…jeez!” she hissed, when he pressed his thumbs against her heel.
    Tiberius slid his eyes to her face and grimaced. “Does it?”
    “I just needed to sit down,” Capri assured him as she tried to keep from wincing at the pain.
    Tiberius kept his head bowed. “You need more than that,” he advised. “But I don’t think it’s broken.”
    “Tiberius, it’s all right. I’m gonna be okay,” Capri continued to tell him, though she found his concern quite pleasing.
    “Hmm.” His tone was absent and he lifted her against him once more. He managed to find a free table and left her there while he went to find someone who could help her. In minutes, an intern was seeing to her injuries.
    “Well, it’s swollen,” the young med student, Carlos Dunston announced a while later, “but not broken. Try to keep the pressure off for a couple of days, all right?”
    Capri nodded and inspected the neat wrapping job Carlos had done on her foot. “Thanks,” she sighed.
    Carlos nodded and spoke for a few moments with Tiberius before he left the examining space.
    “I’ve gotta get that step fixed,” Tiberius proclaimed when he returned.
    “I should’ve been watching where I was going instead of carrying on with Pep.”
    “Hey!” Pepper cried.
    A quick smile flashed across Tiberius’s face. “Still, I’ve put it off way too long. I obviously can’t keep ignoring it. It split shortly after the remodeling was done.”
    “I’m sorry,” Capri said, feeling as if it was her fault.
    Tiberius frowned and stepped in front of Capri. Placing his handson either side of her on the table, he leaned in close. “I wish you’d stop blaming yourself for this. You don’t need to apologize to me.”
    Capri was silent for a moment. Her wide eyes lowered from the intensity of his stare and she shrugged. “Thank you so much for your help.”
    Tiberius cupped her chin and made her look at him. “You don’t need to thank me, either.”
    Capri’s lashes almost fluttered closed and she willed herself not to swoon before him. “You won’t let me apologize, you won’t let me thank you. What can I do?” she asked.
    “Go home and stay off that foot,” Tiberius ordered, reluctantly pulling his hand away from her face. “I’ll be over later to check on you.”
    “Oh, there’s no need for you to do that,” Capri argued.
    “It’s the least I can do,” he firmly replied, ignoring her protest. “Pepper, you’ll get her home?”
    “Of course.”
    Tiberius nodded, then slid his gaze back to Capri. “I’ll see you later.”
    Capri’s