THE MAVERICK DOCTOR AND MISS PRIM/ABOUT THAT NIGHT... by Scarlet Wilson

imperfect situation. If she hesitated, she put people at risk.
    This was her decision. The buck stopped with her.
    “There are risks attached to any vaccine but this vaccine was widely used and we’ve got a lot of data on the issues raised. I’ve reviewed our medical notes. There’s nothing in my history, your history or the parents’ that would prevent vaccination. The only issue is Alison—and she’s already told me she’s decided against it.”
    There was an expression on his face she couldn’t fathom. Something flickering behind his eyes, as if the thoughts in his head were about to combust.
    This man was almost unreadable.
    Was he relieved or mad? Did he want Alison to have the vaccine and put her baby at risk? Or did he want her to take her chances without?
    Obviously, she knew the outcome—but that didn’t help here.
    Had Sawyer’s wife been in similar circumstances and avoided a vaccine because she had been pregnant? Or had she taken a vaccine—that was untried and untested on pregnant women—with devastating consequences?
    It was almost as if he’d gone on autopilot. He washed his hands, lifted a syringe and needle and tipped up the vial, plunging the needle inside and extracting the vaccine. “If this is what you want, let’s do it.”
    She was stunned. She’d thought he was going to refuse—going to argue with her some more and storm off. This was the last thing she’d expected.
    “Are you going to get vaccinated?”
    He nodded almost imperceptibly. “Of course.”
    She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows at him, the question obvious.
    “I’m working on the assumption you’re going to say that only vaccinated personnel can work with the kids. These kids are mine. They’re my patients. I won’t let you keep me out. And if a vaccine is what it takes...” he shrugged “...so be it.”
    The words were stuck in her throat now.
    The thing that seemed to pass her by. The people thing.
    The thing she really wanted to concentrate on, but her public health role wouldn’t let her. She’d learned over the years just to lock it away in a corner of her mind.
    But it was the thing that was on the forefront of his mind. And it was affecting his reactions. If only she could have the same freedom.
    He was prepared to take a vaccine with known side-effects in order to keep looking after these children.
    And no matter how hard she tried not to, she had to admire him for it.
    There was only one thing she could do.
    She turned her arm towards him. “Let’s do it.” Her voice sounded confident, the way she wanted to appear to the outside world. Her insides were currently mush.
    His finger ran down the outside of her upper arm. Totally unexpected. The lightest of touches. She heard his intake of breath before he went back to standard technique and pinched her skin.
    It was over in the blink of an eye. She never even felt the bifurcated needle penetrate her skin. It wasn’t like a traditional shot and she felt the needle prick her skin a number of times in a few seconds before it was quickly removed and disposed of.
    “You know this won’t be pretty, don’t you?”
    She nodded, automatically reaching up and rubbing her arm. “I know what to expect. A red and itchy bump in a few days...” she rolled her eyes “...a delightful pus-filled blister in another week and then a scab.”
    She washed her hands at the sink as he drew up another dose of vaccine and handed it to her, pulling his scrub sleeve up above his shoulder. She could feel herself hesitate, taking in his defined deltoid and biceps muscles. Did Sawyer work out? He didn’t seem the type.
    “Something wrong?”
    “What? No.” She could feel the color flooding into her cheeks. How embarrassing. He hadn’t given her arm a second glance.
    Concentrate. Focus. He was smirking at her again, almost as if he could see exactly what she was thinking.
    She scowled, pinched his arm and injected him, delivering the vaccine in an instant. It was as