8 She couldn't thank him

Early morning, as soon as Caroline woke up, she rushed towards her window and looked outside.

"Did I dream about him again?" she mumbled and went inside her bathroom to freshen up. But the moment she put the brush inside her mouth and looked at herself in the mirror, she screamed and ran towards the kitchen.

"Gramps, did you put this sweater on me last night?"

"No, I didn't!" He answered, flipping the pancake. "Why do you ask?" and he turned towards her.

Wiping the toothpaste from her mouth, she plastered a smile on her face and said, "Nothing. Just asked. I might have put it on myself!"

"I had checked your temperature in the morning. It was normal. How do you feel now? You can call and take a day off, you know! Maybe present some other day?"

"No, gramps. I have to. Maybe I will come back after that." She walked back towards her room but then halted and asked hesitantly. "Did that guy come back again? I mean later in the night?"

"Morpheous? No. But why?"

"Erm… nothing! Just… couldn't thank him properly yesterday for helping you. I guess I was too grumpy coz of the fever."

"You were, indeed." 

Lowering her head, she took a deep breath before walking toward her bathroom. As she splashed water on her face, she recollected everything. - Him coming inside her room and shushing her when she open her eyes. How her heart skipped a beat when he placed his palm gently on her chest.

That hesitation on his face a second before touching her bare skin!

Her stomach curled as she remembered that tender touch of his fingers, which lingered momentarily, igniting her desires. His eyes were heavy, lidded, the amber burning and gleaming like a pit of fire.

Was that all a figment of her imagination? Or did that happen for real? There was no way to tell, though. 

She removed her burgundy sweater and looked at herself in the mirror, remembering how his lips parted the moment his fingers rested on her chest. She remembered how he averted her gaze as if he was fighting to look away from her. His touch, just like a miracle had instantly relieved her, lulling her to sleep.

She remembered the mattress bouncing back when he got down from her bed and rummaged through her closet. He had brought that sweater and helped her wear it. She remembered being all clumsy and half sleepy, even though his hands were dangerously close, touching her, ripping off her sanity. But neither she could open her eyes nor say a word, as she drifted into the land of slumber as if she had been drugged.

What the hell happened last night?

Resting both her hands on the sink's countertop she looked at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks flushed, her ear lobes, burning hot. "This isn't happening!" she blabbered and ran a cold bath.

Twenty minutes later, after getting ready she came to the kitchen and picked up a pancake in her hand, and with the other, she picked up the juice bottle that her gramps had freshly squeezed in for her.

"See you in the evening, Gramps!"

"Carol! Eat a bit more. You need to recover well."

"I love you, Gramps…!"

And she rushed towards the garage for she was getting late for her seminar.

*****

"Amazing presentation Dr. Young! I must say, if your procedure is approved then your cardiology department can be one of the best in Seattle!" complimented one of the panelists.

"Well, of course, we have one of the finest doctors, here. Dr. Young is one of them," said Dr. Brorokowitch, the President of the Seattle High Hospital.

"Thank you Dr. Brorokowitch! But for that, we need to recruit more! We are heavily understaffed right now."

"Is it?" asked Dr. Brorokowitch with a puzzled look on his face.

"Well, I had several times submitted the request to the hiring management team. But my request was denied due to fund shortage."

"Is that so? Why I am not aware of any such request?" he asked surprised.

"Well, maybe then we should check what's going up to your table Dr. Brorokowitch,"  Dr. Van commented, his face looking smug and slyly as he slowly walked towards them.

"Ah, Dr. Van, nothing goes unnoticed by you is it?" Dr. Brorokowitch replied with sarcasm written on his face.

"Well! What to do? It's my department. I have to take care of my doctors. Can't let them burn on a daily basis. Right?" Dr. Van wiggled his brows looking at Caroline, and she couldn't help but suppress her grin.

"I will definitely see what I can do about it!" Dr. Brorokowitch said and then excused himself to meet others from the guest panel.

"That was sort of direct jibe. Wasn't it?" Caroline asked, turning towards Dr. Van.

"He needed that. He very well knows what requests go from hiring managers. Just that he doesn't want to loosen his strings."

"Someday you may land into trouble by going against him."

"Well he needs me more than I need him," Dr. Van winked and walked toward the food and drinks area and Caroline couldn't help but admire the guts Dr. Van possessed. She had always admired him and looked up to him and his works. He was one of the finest cardiothoracic surgeons in the entire world. She was lucky to work and learn under his shade.

After greeting a few other distinguished seniors from the board, she went back to her chamber. Although she had initially thought that she would take a half-day break, she felt absolutely fine and decided to continue the day at the hospital.

It was almost six in the evening, and she was just done with her last patient of the day when Erica came in.

"What spell did you cast on Mr. President today?"

"Spell!" Erica laughed. "He must be mentally calculating how much money he can mint from the new procedure. Give it a day, and he will even forget my name."

"No Doctor. They have posted a vacancy notice in the job portal for three nurses and 2 resident doctors for our department."

"No way!" Caroline exclaimed.

"But that's not all. You are also getting an assistant for yourself too. Looks like someone is more than impressed."

"Looks like Dr. Van's trick worked,"  Caroline muttered to herself and smiled.

"They will be starting the interviews soon but the final call has to be taken by you and Dr. Van."

"I see. Looks like I will sign off today on a great note!" and she picked up her bag and jacket to leave.

"Erm… Caroline. One more thing. The ground staff contacted me during your presentation. They said that, they couldn't find that patient of yours. No clue even from the security feed too."

"Oh I see," she remarked thoughtfully. "Anyways, it seemed like he had healed fully. Not sure why he ran away."

"Yeah, wierd right?"

"Tell me about it?" Caroline faked a half hearted laugh and walked away. How could she tell her, that she had found the same mysterious man in her own house and because of her own prejudice, she couldn't even thank him.