Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 9

for taking care of Dedrick when I was away. You can hardly see the scar. So, thanks anyway." She looked at the space where James had been sitting. "Is it broken do you think?"
    Eli shrugged. "It didn't look good. I guess we'll know for sure shortly." He looked down at the little guy with a faint pink line on his forehead. "And you're, uh, welcome for the..." He waved at Dedrick.
    She just beamed back at him. He kept repeating 'Abigail Uhura' in his head as he looked at her. An entire family. He should have asked what their parents' names were. He finally shook himself out of his Star Trek induced stupor. "I have to ..." He waved the charts in the air.
    "Yeah. Sure. We'll be just outside if James is looking for us; Dedrick needs to burn off some energy. And like I said, thanks again." She caught the little guy's attention. "Say thanks to Dr. Zimmerman."
    Dedrick looked up at him. "Sanks."
    "You're welcome." This was the weirdest fucking day he'd ever had. People thanking him, smiling at him, happy to see him. What the hell? Maybe he was so overtired he was hallucinating. But then he'd only been on duty for eleven and a half hours and he'd even managed to grab a couple of hours sleep. And then offering to hang around until the x-rays were ready? He was losing it.
    Within thirty minutes, the nurse told him James was back, and yes, it was broken. Eli told her to get the supplies while he found a more subdued James slumped on the table. Eli didn't say anything as he looked at the x-ray. It wasn't too bad - just a small fracture - but James'd need a cast for about four weeks.
    Eli was starting to get worried. James hadn't said anything or even looked up at him. "James? Are you okay?"
    James' head snapped up and he glared at Eli. "No, I'm not fucking okay. I have a broken wrist." He waved his arm in the air, then gasped as the pain hit.
    This was what Eli was used to dealing with in the ER. None of the happy smiley friendly crap. "It's a minor break and should be healed completely in four weeks."
    "Do you know what my job is?" James was practically snarling now.
    "Um. You said you're a teacher."
    "Yeah, I'm an outdoor ed teacher. Do you know what that is?"
    "You, uh, teach about the outdoors?"
    James rolled his eyes. "Close. I'm basically a glorified gym teacher. I teach surfing, kayaking, wilderness camping, rock climbing. So tell me, which of those do you propose I teach with a fucking broken arm?"
    Eli licked his lips and swallowed. Usually when patients got pissy, he just ignored them or put them in their place. He was having trouble doing that with James. His instinct was to give him a hug and tell him it would be okay, which was bullshit. "Camping?"
    James shook his head in disgust. "You can't assemble a goddamned tent with a broken arm."
    "Wrist."
    "What the fuck ever."
    Eli closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm going to give you a shot to help with the pain. It will probably hurt when I set the bones in place."
    James shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea. I'm really sensitive and I get super-loopy." He did not need to get super-loopy in front of Dr. Studly.
    He watched Eli prepare a syringe. "Trust me, loopy or not, you're going to want this." Before James could protest, Eli had pushed up his shirt sleeve, swabbed his arm and jabbed in the needle. Shit, Eli's bedside manner could use some work.
    James winced and pulled away. "Christ, Eli. Be gentle with me when you stick it in." James noticed the nurse raise her eyebrows.
    Eli just snorted and started doing whatever doctors did when you broke your wrist. James tried not to look - he had a feeling he'd freak out if he watched them. It did hurt like hell when Eli pulled his wrist straight, but James could feel the buzz of whatever was in that shot as the pain soon dulled to a low-level ache.
    James stared down at the top of Eli's head as the doctor bent over his wrist wrapping plaster around James' arm. When Eli tipped his head, James could see his ear; there was a small hole in the lobe where Eli'd obviously had it pierced at some point. James was having trouble focusing, so he leaned closer to see if the hole had grown over. Closer and closer he moved, head spinning, eyes blinking. He reached out with his good hand and grasped the lobe of Eli's ear between his thumb and forefinger.
    When Eli's head snapped back, James almost fell off the table. "What the hell?" Eli was standing in front of him and the doctor reached up to touch his ear. "What