“I ken ’tis hard.”
“I haven’t seen you before,” she said, making conversation to direct it away from herself.
“Just got on shift,” he said without meeting her eye. He glanced down at his name tag. “I’m…uh, Joseph. Joseph Lassiter.”
She nodded. “Aubrey. Have you talked to her doctors, then, Joseph? Do you know anything more? What are they saying?”
“She’s a fighter, that one. Or so I hear. It’s a waitin’ game, is all.” He turned his beautiful face fully toward her now. “But ye look tired. How long have ye been here now?”
“Since last night. I should go home, shower, change my—”
“Och,no,” he said abruptly. “I mean, I’m verra sure we could find a spot for you to rest here. If ye want to, that is.”
“Really? I don’t know. I can’t really think straight.” She rubbed her aching forehead. It was surprising. So kind of him to offer. But she really wanted to change her clothes and eat something besides vending-machine coffee and candy bars.
“Might be best.” He shot a concerned look at her, as if convincing her of that was as important as his job taking care of Emma—his patient.
Fear punched through her brain fog. “Are you saying that because you think something bad might happen again tonight? You think I shouldn’t go?”
“No, no. I’m only sayin’ it might be easiest for you to stay close if I can find ye a bed. Send your fella, Jacob, out to your place. Pick up your things?”
“You…you’ve met Jacob?”
“He’s worried for ye,” he said, studying Emma’s face as he absently lifted the clipboard from where it hung. “Good lad. He asked me to talk ye into a rest.”
It was true that Jacob had been trying for the last few hours to get her to lie down somewhere.
Joseph lifted Emma’s wrist to take her pulse, despite the beeping monitor a few steps away. It might have just been her imagination that he rubbed his thumb gently against the back of Emma’s hand before releasing it.
Their eyes met for an instant. His were a gray-blue color she’d honestly never seen before. There was something…luminous about him. Something different.
“I’ll go look for a room for ye, all right? Ye can have a shower? A wee nap.”
“Thank you, Joseph. I really appreciate that. You’re from Scotland, aren’t you?” She wasn’t sure why she’d asked him. Just to make conversation, she supposed. Or to prolong the inevitable.
He shrugged. “But not for a long time. What gave me away?” he asked with a grin.
“Oh, I don’t know. I think all you need is a kilt to go with that accent. It’s charming.”
“Or perhaps I can find me a wee bagpiper to follow me around so there’ll be no confusion.”
She laughed. It felt good to laugh after the day she’d had. “I’d like to see that.”
“So would I,” he said. “I’ll look after her now. Try not to worry.”
“Please try to help her live.”
With the briefest flicker of a smile in Emma’s direction, he nodded, then left the room.
It was probably just that she was so tired that she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly felt odd about that encounter. Except that most of the nurses kept their thoughts to themselves, unlike Joseph Lassiter, who’d gone out of his way to be kind. But she made a mental note to remember his name. She wanted to make sure she thanked him later.
*
Connor tore offJoseph Lassiter’s name tag from the scrubs he’d requisitioned from the nurse’s lounge as he made his way down the corridor. On the way, he buttonholed an orderly who agreed to arrange for a place for Aubrey to rest. It took no time at all to convince the thin, young orderly that it was his own idea, after all. Humans were so easy.
That done, he pressed the elevator button and entered alone, reverting back to his guardian form before the car hit the next floor.
Twice in one day was some kind of record for him. First for Winston, then for Aubrey. Or rather, for Emma. He shook his head. Yes, he’d done it for her, knowing how concerned she was for Aubrey’s safety. Allowing Emma’s niece to walk solo into the mess at Emma’s home was not an option. If whoever had torn apart Emma’s home hadn’t found what they were looking for, Aubrey wasn’t safe going back. It seemed the least he could do to enlist Jacob to walk into the chaos first.
