Learning To Trust Again

Two days later Rebecca had an early start at work and right from the beginning of the shift it was hectic. Every room was already full and there were several people still waiting to be seen when a police car pulled up out front. It was not an unusual occurrence in her department, police were in and out of the hospital all the time for any number of reasons, but on this day, for Rebecca, it brought Jake to mind. Thoughtful and a little sad at the premature end of their involvement, Rebecca moved her eyes and her focus back to the chart on the desk that she had been filling out. She needed to finish it and move on to the next patient.

‘Rebecca’ a deep male voice said a few seconds later, startling her. Looking up, her eyes widened as she met Jake’s steady green gaze. Jerking to her feet, embarrassed suddenly as if he could tell she’d just been thinking about him, she said ‘Jake? Hi.’ She felt slightly breathless as she inspected him in his uniform. He was certainly a sight to be seen in navy blue pants and shirt, with a vest over the top that looked to contain all sorts of bits and pieces and had the word police on it. Her gaze moving further down, she saw the gun strapped to his right thigh. Looking away, she shuffled the forms on the desk as she tried to get her breathing under control ‘what brings you here?’ she asked without looking up.

Holding up his bandaged hand, that Rebecca hadn’t even noticed, he said ‘I need some repairs.’

Further embarrassed as she looked back and realised that she had been so busy checking him out she’d missed his injury, Rebecca blushed and said ‘sorry, um okay.’ She felt hot and flustered and cursed herself for her uncontrolled response. She looked around, not meeting his gaze and muttered ‘let me find somewhere to put you?’

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jake smile and cursed herself. She knew he hadn’t missed her nervousness. He said ‘I can wait.’

‘No that’s okay’ she said, doing her best to pull herself together ‘you need to get back to work’ and still without meeting his eyes she turned and said ‘come with me.’ It was hospital policy to see injured members of the emergency services as quickly as possible so they could get back on the job without delay. Therefore she wasn’t doing anything she wouldn’t have done for any officer who presented themselves needing assistance. It was just a matter of finding somewhere to see to his injuries.