Message Received (13 page)

“We’re friends,” Amanda said, and promptly
sneezed.

“Allergies?” the woman inquired.

“Could be,” Brady agreed, cocking his head in
thought.  “She’s been doing a lot of sneezing since we got here.”

“You’re visiting then?” she asked.

“Yep, from the West Coast.”

“Are you enjoying yourself?” the woman inquired
of Brady, clearly intrigued by his good looks, and obviously unconcerned about
Amanda, who was holding onto the counter in order to stay upright.  She’d been
hit by a sudden bout of vertigo and her world was spinning.

“I love Florida,” he answered, and then gestured
to Amanda, “but I think the Sunshine State is killing her.”

The woman finally turned back to Amanda.  “I’m
sorry you’re not enjoying yourself.”

“I do love Florida,” she said, “but
unfortunately, I think Florida hates me.  I can’t stop sneezing.”  She pointed
toward the bushes outside.  “Those flowers are toxic,” she informed.

The woman chuckled and passed her a clipboard. 
“Please fill out the paperwork and we’ll call you back momentarily.  Oh, and
may I make a copy of your insurance card?”

She passed it to her and then she and Brady sat
down side-by-side in the waiting room.  While Amanda filled out the paperwork,
Brady stared at the fish tank in the corner of the room.  The fish were
tropical, and very colorful.  He nudged Amanda.

She glanced his way.  “What?”

“Did you see the fish?”

“No.”

He nudged her again.  “Look at them.”

“I’m filling out this paperwork…”

“But look at the fish…”

“I will when I’m done,” she said testily and
suddenly winced.  “My
ear
…” she moaned.

After a moment, Brady wondered aloud, “Do fish
have ears?  And if so, do you think they get ear infections?”  He cocked his
head, as if pondering the question.

Amanda dropped her pencil and stared at him,
mouth agape.  Was he being deliberately obtuse?   

“What?” he asked, spreading his hands wide.

She resumed filling out the paperwork.  “Lord,
it’s a good thing you blessed this man with good looks,” she muttered under her
breath.

Brady laughed, and then to her consternation,
nudged her again.  “You really think I’m good looking?”  When she didn’t
answer, he asked, “If I were a fish, what kind do you think I would be?”

She socked him hard in the arm.  “A clown fish! 
Now, be quiet!”

“Owww!  You pack a punch,” he observed,
seemingly impressed.

Amanda glanced up.  The patient registrar was
watching Brady.  Drool was practically dripping from her mouth.  He apparently
noticed, since he nudged her again.  “That woman is staring at me.”

To her horror, she burst out laughing.  “Would
you shut up?”  She continued chuckling as she worked on the paperwork.

“Made you laugh,” he teased, and then chuckled
good-naturedly.  “I’m trying to distract you from the pain,” he informed.

“Oh, sure.”

He appeared mock-wounded by her skepticism. 
“Hey, I really was.  You look so feverish and miserable.  I’m trying to make it
all better…  Do you need a hug?”  

Amanda shook her head ruefully.  She hadn’t
quite finished the paperwork, when the nurse opened the door and called her
name. 

“Thank you, Lord,” she muttered.

She rose to follow the woman, surprised when
Brady stood up too.  “Where do think you’re going?” she asked.

“With you,” he told her matter-of-factly.

“No, you’re not.”

The nurse watched them with interest.

“Why can’t I go back with you?” he whispered.

She glared at him.  “Because, I don’t need you
back there with me.”  She took her voice down a notch.  “I barely know you.”

“Yes, you do,” he said.  “Was I, or was I not,
the man putting wet rags on your feverish brow much of last night?”

She shook her head in confusion.  “I don’t…  Did
you? 
Really
?”

“Yes, I did.  And I really should hear what the
doctor has to say.  I have a vested interest in your prognosis.”

“Prognosis?  It’s an ear infection, Brady.  Not
a brain tumor.”

“Well, let’s hope it’s not a brain tumor,” he
said crisply, and nudged her.   “The nurse is waiting for us.”

“She’s waiting for
me
…”

To her consternation, the nurse didn’t intervene
and back her up by telling him to stay behind.  Instead, she was staring at
Brady, as if mesmerized by his gorgeous features.  Amanda figured from the way
she was looking at the man, she had fallen under his spell—just like the
registrar.

“Oh, good grief,” she said in defeat.  “Come
on.”

The couple followed the nurse, who continued to
send veiled, almost flirtatious glances at Brady.   To his credit, he smiled
benignly and took a seat in the exam room.  Amanda sat on the table, feeling
terribly uncomfortable with him in the room.

After the nurse had asked a series of questions,
taken her temperature, and sent Brady a ‘come hither’ smile, she reluctantly
left the room.  She returned not a moment later and passed Amanda a cotton
smock.  “Please change into this so the doctor can examine you.”

“It’s my ears…” Amanda protested.

The nurse wouldn’t be deterred.  “It makes it
easier for the doctor to…”

“Examine me,” she cut in wearily.  “All right.”

The nurse left again, sending Brady yet another
flirtatious smile, and then closed the door behind her.

She’d no sooner left, than Brady said, “Change.”

“Not in front of you,” she said adamantly, and
promptly covered her right ear when she felt a piercing pain slice through it. 

Brady rose and to her chagrin, pulled her into a
hug.  “It’ll be better soon,” he soothed. 

“Okay, Brady, thanks,” she said, pushing him
away. 

“Hey,” he said, raising his hands, “I was just
trying to comfort you.  And you need to get into that smock.  It’s the rules,”
he said, grinning.

“Turn around,” she told him.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said.  “You don’t
have anything I haven’t seen before.”

For whatever reason, she cracked up laughing. 
“That wasn’t a request.  That was an order.”  She pinned him with a look,
raised a finger, and gestured for him to turn around.

He finally relented, sighing loudly, as if she
was majorly inconveniencing him.  “Can I turn back around?” he asked.

“Not … yet.  I’m having trouble getting my arm
out of…”

“I’ll help you.”

“No!  You won’t!”  When she finally managed to
get out of her top, and into the smock, she sighed.  “Okay.  You can turn
around.”

He chuckled and took a seat again.  “Where do
you think they are right now?” he asked.

It took her a moment to figure out he was talking
about the grandparents.  “Probably miles from here.”  She frowned.  “Aren’t you
able to track them, Brady.  I thought you said you had the means to locate
them.”

“If Granddad uses his credit card, I’ll know
it.  When we’re done here, I’ll call my buddy.”

“Wouldn’t he have called if he’d found out
anything?”

“He’ll call when he can” he assured her.  “It
may take a while though.  He has a lot going on.  Like I said, I’ll call him in
awhile.”

The doctor entered the room.  “I’m Doctor Moreau,”
he said, glancing from Amanda to Brady, and back.  “I understand you, Amanda…”
he said, checking his notes, “are having ear pain…”

“We’re pretty sure she has ear infections,”
Brady told him.  “She’s been running a fever, and has been in a lot of pain…”

The doctor nodded and addressed his question to
Amanda.  “How long has this been going on?”

“I think it came on about three or four days ago
and has gotten worse.  I was on the beach back home…”

“It was windy,” Brady cut in.

The doctor nodded.  “Are you prone to ear
infections?”

“I get them all the time,” she answered.

He nodded.  “Well, let’s have a look.”  He
checked her left ear, and then the right.  He let out a low whistle. 
“Definitely infected,” he said.  “The right ear is worse than the left.  I’ll start
you on a course of antibiotics.  We hate to use them anymore, but those are
some rough looking inner ears.”  He folded his arms across his chest and
watched her for a moment.  “Are you treating the pain?”

Brady answered.  “I’ve been giving her over-the-counter
ibuprofen.”

“She’ll need something stronger,” he replied,
and to Amanda said, “I’ll give you a prescription for pain and I also want you
to take the antibiotics, twice a day for the next seven days.  I’ll want to see
you back here then.  Hopefully, those ears will be cleared up.”

Amanda gave Brady an alarmed glance.  “Uh, we’ll
probably be flying home before…”

He shook his head adamantly.  “You’re not to get
on a plane until those infections clear up.  I mean that.  I see enough scar
tissue in those ears from prior infections.  You get on a plane and the change
in air pressure may cause a puncture in your ear drum…  Best case scenario,
you’ll experience pain like you’ve never felt before.  No.  No flying.”

“She won’t get on a plane,” Brady said crisply,
eyeing Amanda sternly.  “We’ll see you in a week.”

He nodded, seemingly satisfied.  “Okay, look,
Amanda, you have a temperature too.  I want you in bed for the next three
days.  Hot water bottles on the ears should help with the pain.  If you’re feeling
better after the three days, you can venture outside, but keep those ears out
of the wind.”

Amanda watched his face, mouth agape.  “But…”

“No buts,” he said, and turned to Brady.  “You
know what to do?”

He nodded.  “I’ll keep an eye on her, Doc.”

“Okay, don’t leave until we have those
prescriptions for you.  It’ll take a minute to write them out.  The nurse will
be in shortly.”

After the door closed behind him, Amanda sighed
and met Brady’s concerned gaze.  “I’m sorry about this.  You know, you don’t have
to stick around.  Once we know the grandparents are fine, and that your
granddad is following the doctor’s orders, you should fly home.  I’ll follow
when the doctor clears me.”

Brady looked stricken at the suggestion.  “Oh,
sure, I’m going to go off and leave you all alone on the other side of the
continent.”  He shook his head briskly.  “I won’t do it.”

Amanda watched him intently.  “Really, Brady…”

“I’m not leaving you,” he declared, looking
aghast.  “It’s not safe—a young woman alone…”

“I’m an adult.  I can take care of myself.”

He merely shook his head and crossed his arms. 

“What about your work?” she asked.  She was
worried sick about her own job.  She’d have to call her boss soon.  She wasn’t
going to like Amanda’s news one bit.  That ad campaign for the soap brand
wasn’t going to write itself.

Brady noticed her troubled expression.  “Amanda,
try not to worry about your job.  Focus on getting well and then we can get
home.  Until the doctor gives you the all-clear, however, neither of us is
going anywhere.”

“I’m really sorry…”

“No need,” he said, suddenly very serious.

She nodded.  “I need to get dressed,” she said. 

He nodded and turned around without having to be
asked.  When the nurse walked in with her prescriptions, he took them from
her.  “Can you direct us to a pharmacy?” he asked.

She mentioned a couple options along the main
drag through town and he smiled his thanks.  The woman appeared entranced by
him.  “I hope you enjoy your stay,” she said.

He nodded his thanks and turned to Amanda and
took her arm.  He could see by her face that she really needed those pain pills
the doctor had prescribed. 

He escorted her down the hallway, but froze when
he heard the doctor say, “Be sure to get Mr. McKinney’s blood work to the lab
ASAP.  He’s departing on a three-day cruise this afternoon, and needs to know
how much of his blood thinner he’ll need to take during the upcoming week.”

Brady came to an abrupt stop.  “Doctor, did you
say Mr. McKinney?” he asked, turning and walking toward him.

The doctor watched him approach, brows furrowed
in a frown.  He shook his head uncertainly.

“Mr. McKinney?  Average height, gray hair and
mustache, in his late seventies…?” he prompted.

“Was he with a woman?” Amanda asked, before he had
time to answer Brady.  “Petite, plump, silver hair, mid-seventies.”

The doctor smiled and spread his hands in an
apologetic gesture.  “I’m afraid with our privacy laws…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Brady muttered.  “Look, Amanda and
I flew all the way from the West Coast, with the express purpose of finding our
grandparents.”