Nosebleed or Heartbleed?

It was a beautiful morning, and instead of Monday blues, Caroline was running enthusiastically in her room, getting ready for the day.

Skimming through her clothes, Caroline picked up a peachy floral shirt and black jeans to go with it. Standing in front of the mirror, she looked at herself and tweezed a few stray hairs from her eyebrows before painting her lips pretty pink.

Spraying a bit of Calvin Klein in the air, she waltzed around, bathing in its fragrance. Lifting her locks, she was about to twist them into a bun---her near everyday ritual---but on second thought, she let her natural curls breathe on her shoulders.

'Was it for him?'

She didn't know why she looked forward to her morning rounds. Maybe she did. It was just that she wasn't ready to accept that she could be so intrigued by someone she barely knew. 

In her excitement, she had forgotten entirely about her drunken episode of Saturday, but the moment she neared the nursing station and saw Elora looking at her with a faint grin, it all came rushing in.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

Forget the rounds. She had no idea how she was going to face Dr. Van. So avoiding the nurse station, Caroline strutted ahead towards her chambers.

"Dr. Caroline!" called Erica.

'Please don't remind me what happened at the bar!' She prayed out of her wits.

"Hi, Erica!" She replied but avoided looking at her.

"The new junior residents have already reported. Dr. Leslie and Dr. Gavin from the Seattle Institute of Medical Sciences. But as Dr. Van had to go to another hospital to assist a transplant case, he has requested you to take them for the outdoor rounds."

"Oh! So Dr. Van isn't here?" She asked again. Just to reconfirm.

"Nu ... huh!" 

Great News! Just what she wanted. No interaction with Dr. Van.

"No issues. I will take them." Caroline said and inched close to Erica and whispered into her ears, "Did Dr. Van say anything about me? I mean anything stupid that I did apart from my rant in the bar?"

"No he didn't," Erica smiled and then added, "And even if you did something, he will never berate you, Caroline. Hope you know that."

Letting out a breath of air, Caroline just nodded. "Well, then I better go and start my outdoor rounds. Just pray we have a less eventful day."

"By the way, you look quite nice today. Any special plans for the evening?"

"Do I?" Caroline beamed at her compliment but then pouted, "No plans Erica. Just another normal day."

"Is it? And here I thought you might be considering having an orange juice date. Silly me!" and giving her a wink, Erica turned back towards the station.

No wonder she was called the eyes and ears of Seattle High. Nothing escaped from her. Not even her little Sunday charade. But that meant that Morpheous was here. Carrying her blushed cheeks, she walked towards her chamber, and the moment she opened the door, she saw him get up from his chair.

"Nice setup!" she said and placed her bag on the table.

"All thanks to you!" he said, still standing where he was, wearing that blotched shirt from yesterday.

"No need to be so formal. You can sit," she said and turned to take out a few shirts and trousers---which belonged to her father---that she had packed for him.  Reaching his desk, she said, "I got these for you! Go and change."

But unfortunately, he swiveled his chair back and stood up instantly, ramming her nose with his head.

"Ouch!" she winced, holding her nose while he vehemently apologized.

"Oh, God! I am so sorry, doctor! I am so so sorry."

She tilted her head up so as not to have a nose bleed, but unfortunately, the impact was good enough for her to taste the metal of blood inside her mouth.

"You are bleeding!" he exclaimed, his eyes worried to death, and he rushed to pick up the first aid kit from her closet. Towering close to her, he asked, "Can you remove your hand? Let me just check."

"It will be fine. Just give it a minute," but her nosy voice didn't convince him, and neither did her eyes, as they had turned teary from the impact.

"Please!" he requested, holding a cotton pad in his hand, soaked in rubbing alcohol.

She slowly released her thumb and index finger, and a stream of crimson trickled down, but he was quick. Moving even closer, he wiped it with his cotton pad and pinched her nose lightly.

His face was just inches away from her, his ignited breath all over her face; a bit minty and spicy. His worried amber eyes were fixated on her, narrowed with the utmost attention. She swallowed, trying to calm her heart which was now thudding against her will with the fraction of his touch.

'Can he hear it?'

She willed her heart to slow down. She even tried to tame her breath. But nothing helped.  Worried, she closed her eyes, forgetting that she had to tilt her head. But he was there to do what she had forgotten. She felt his fingers grazing along the nape of her neck, and he gently tilted her head back.

Her lips trembled as goose bumps rose and drew a shiver. She forgot how to breathe and just rested her head over his palm. He gently wiped everything, even the dried remnants of blood, with gentle pressure. He was doing it intently, his brows jotted as if he was detonating a bomb. One wrong swipe, and she would explode.

It was too much to take in, so she closed her eyes. The moment she did, he stopped wiping, and she could swear that he lightly grazed his finger along the ridge of her nose. Time froze for her. Surprised, she opened her eyes.

"Better?"

She touched her nose, and suddenly there was no pain. Except for the taste of metal in her mouth, nothing was uncomfortable. It was as if she hadn't hit her nose at all.

'Was it the effect of his touch?'

'Am I hallucinating?'

"Thanks!" was all that she could say, her eyes lowered, for she was in no way ready to meet his soul-seeking gaze.

"I am so sorry!" He wiped the tear which was almost ready to drop from the corner of her eyes. His voice was so low and raspy that she couldn't think of anything else but say, "I feel fine!"

She lied because she didn't know what that feeling was yet. A flurry of confusion over the way her heart rate increased, and her stomach flipped when he touched her. She didn't remember when it was the last time her heart had fluttered like that for someone.

So when he moved inches away from her, bending his neck to see if she was OK, she gasped and prayed for her sanity to kick back in.

But instead, the PA announcement kicked in.

"Code Blue - CS-28 patient, second attack."