Dark Steel: A MC Romance Novel (12 page)

It was the eleventh hour of my twelve-hour shift and my feet were really feeling it now. Three in the morning at the ER could be really slow and a quick power nap would help me get through to the end. I went to an empty room and shut off all the lights. The hospital bed was hard and smelled funny but it felt better than anything in the world right now.

I let out one big breath and my eyelids slowly fell. Sleep never felt so good.

Not even a moment later, the door opened and a burst of light blinded me.

“Doctor Holmes, we got incoming.”

I shielded my eyes and noticed it was Nurse Fiona. “Okay, I'll be right out.”

I rubbed my face and combed my hair with a little travel comb I kept in my pocket. I knew I looked like a mess but I didn't have time to fix myself up. At least my appearance might keep Dr. Green away from me.

The ER was in a stir as nurses ran around frantically trying to prepare for the 911 call. I found Nurse Fiona behind the desk. “What do we have coming?”

“Bar fight at the Stinky Goat.”

It figured. Where else would lowlifes be this late at night? At least with bar fights, the injuries tended to minor—concussions and lacerations to the face from broken glass.

Doctor Green sidled up next to me. “You're looking really good tonight, Grace.” I was wrong about my looks deterring him. Green was the sleazy doctor that tried to sleep with every nurse. I was the only female doctor at Sacks General and Green made sure to focus on me like I was a conquest. I hated how unprofessional he was. Why couldn't he call me by my last name like everyone else?

“Please Dr. Green. We need to focus on the 911 call.”

Green put his hands up in defense. “Sorry, just trying to give a lady a compliment.” Luckily he was harmless.

The ER doors opened and a gurney with two EMTs burst into the hallway. I swung my stethoscope around my neck and ran to them. “What do we got?”

The young EMT yelled out. “Male in his late twenties—two stab wounds to the back.”

Another gurney with a man with a broken face came rolling in.

Stab wounds. Fuck.
Most bar fights were broken hands and bloody noses. Tonight was going to be interesting.

Another gurney with a man with a broken face came rolling in. “Dr. Green, you take that one.”

He winked at me and checked the man's pulse.

I quickly checked my patient's pulse and it was faint. He had already lost a lot of blood. “Get him to OR Two right away.”

The EMT rushed him away and Nurse Fiona came over. “What do you need, Doctor Holmes?”

“We're going to need some O Negative right away,” I said. Fiona nodded. “Try to keep Dr. Green away from me too while you're at it.” Fiona smiled and ran off.

A whole herd of bikers came in through the doors and tried to rush past me. “Everyone stop,” I yelled, looking at the security guard by the door for help.

“Where's Tanner?” one of the men with long hair asked.

I recognized the leather jackets they wore as the same as my patient's. “Tanner is being taken to the operating room now. I'll give you all an update when I have one.”

The security guard held them off as I went to go wash my hands. I entered the OR and Fiona helped me put on my disposable surgical scrubs and mask. The patient was already vented and breathing normally. A crowd of nurses were running around with their heads cut off. One nurse was poking his arm with an IV to give him a transfusion. He would need more than one tonight if he was going to survive.

First order of business was to cut off his clothing to see how much damage there was. His leather cut slid off but I needed scissors to cut away at his bloodied wife-beater.

Oh my.
His skin was covered in tattoos. A huge black widow spider dominated his chest. I lost my breath for a moment as I stared at his perfectly formed pecs. This man must work out.

“Doctor, we need to flip him over,” a nurse said, snapping me back to reality.

I nodded and helped flip him over. Two stab wounds lay at the bottom of his back—right above his nice ass cheeks...Holy shit, Grace! Get a hold of yourself. It's just a man.
You've seen a million of them before. Nothing special about this one.

There was so much blood that I couldn't see the extent of the damage. “Nurse, I need some suction.”

Fiona came to my side and used what she called “The Little Sucker” to suck up some of the blood. I got a clearer view of inside and realized that nothing major was damaged. He was going to be fine.

With the blood transfusions, his vitals were returning to normal. I stitched up his wounds gently, not wanting to add to the enormous amount of scars that already decorated his back. This man had been through a lot. I looked over and saw the leather cut that resembled the ones I saw outside. They were apart of a motorcycle club. In other words, an outlaw. No wonder he had so many scars.

I finished stitching his wounds and the nurse dabbed the sweat from my brow. “We're all done here,” I announced.

A man with blond hair burst into the OR wearing the same leather cut as the patient. “Sir, you can't be in here,” I calmly said. We always get a family member or friend who don't follow the rules.

“How's Tanner? Is he going to be all right?”

I led him back outside. “Tanner is going to be fine. He lost a lot of blood but they were merely flesh wounds.” The man smiled and I noticed a Vice President patch on his left breast. These men think they ruled the world. “We'll be moving him to a private room shortly. Please go back to waiting room.”

“Thanks, Doc,” he replied.

I tore my scrubs off and threw them in the medical waste trashcan. I only had ten more minutes of my shift left. Just enough time for a cat nap to keep energized for the drive home. I went back to the empty room to find Dr. Green sitting on the bed.

“You know we could sleep here together,” he said, rubbing the spot next to him.

My face contorted out of disgust. Just the thought of his hands on me made me want to vomit. I closed the door and walked down the hallway but Green chased after me.

“Come on, Grace. One date. I promise you won't regret it.” His hand slipped down my back and grabbed my ass.

My open palm cut through the air and slapped him across the cheek. “Touch me one more time Doctor and I'll file a complaint.”

Green felt his hurt cheek. “I love a strong woman. You'll come around.”

I walked away, my hand still stinging from the slap. A smile appeared across my face. I was proud of myself for finally sticking up for myself.
Green would think twice before trying that again.

“Everything okay?” Fiona asked me.

“I'm fine. Just dealing with Doctor Green.”

Fiona cringed. “Now that's one mistake I wish I could take back.” We both laughed. “Keep up the defense and he'll soon get discouraged.”

“I hope,” I replied. I looked at my watch and realized my shift was finally over. All the stress in my shoulders finally released. “I'm done for the night. I'm going home now. Thanks for all the great work, Fiona.”

“Drive safe, will ya? I don't want you falling asleep on the road.”

I nodded. I was tired but not
that
tired.

A rhythmic beeping slowly woke me from rest. My eyes peeled open to see the most beautiful chick I'd ever seen. Her short blonde hair glowed brightly and her blue eyes were as deep as the ocean. I could get lost in those for hours. She was dressed in a white lab coat which confused me. I didn't remember sleeping with a scientist last night. I looked around and realized I was laying in the middle of a hospital room.

The blinds were closed, only letting in a sliver of sunlight. The beeping noise I heard earlier was coming from the monitor next to me. The room had that classic sterile smell that haunted every hospital. A tube ran from my arm to a IV pouch hanging on a coat rack. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. The doctor noticed me move and quickly brought out a pen flashlight.

“Don't try to move yet. I don't want you to pull out your stitches.” Her voice was so soothing.

Wait...stitches?
What happened to me last night?
I tried to remember but my head was blank. It felt like another blackout from being too drunk.

“Follow my pen with your eyes.” She leaned in closer and I got a whiff of her addicting flowery perfume. She drew a line across my face with the flashlight and I tried my best to follow it. “Good job, Tanner.”

I wanted to hear her scream my name.

She poured me a cup of water from a pitcher and brought it to my lips. The water rejuvenated my throat and mouth, bringing me back to life. Her hand grabbed my wrist and a static shock jolted through me. My heart raced at her touch.

The doctor looked confused as she watched the monitor. “We might need to run some tests on your heart.”

“What happened?” My voice was gravelly as the words came out.

Caleb was standing in the doorway with the rest of the MC. “You are one tough son of a bitch, Tanner.”

I tried to sit up but my arms were so weak. “Take it easy,” the beautiful doctor said, lowering me back down onto the bed.

“I'll leave you guys alone to visit but don't strain him too much. He needs his rest.”

“Don't worry, Doc, we'll watch over him,” Caleb said.

The doctor gave me one last look before she left. I didn't want her to go. I wanted her to hold my wrist forever.

Mike, the Sgt-at-Arms, came over to my bedside. He was the biggest out of all of us—almost 6'4'' and strong as an ox. We liked to call him our big oaf.

“What happened?” I choked out.

Big Mike laughed heartily. “You don't remember?”

I shook my head.

Claire came through the crowd and held my hand. She was what you would call our den mother. She dated Mason, our President, for years and decided to stick around after they broke up. Now she took care of us. “Honey, you were in a bar fight and got stabbed. We thought we lost you.”

The memories of the Stinky Goat came rushing back—the hot red head, the bloody brawl, and the knife in my back. My blood began to boil.

Claire put her hand on my chest to calm me down. She continued, “The doctor told us you lost a lot of blood but the wounds weren't serious. You're going to be fine.”

My muscles relaxed and my heart beat slowed. I lay back down on the hospital bed and let out a sigh. Everything was going to be okay.

Mason came up and shook my hand. His horn-rimmed glasses gave him a sophisticated look while his gray hairs gave away his age. “Rest up, Tanner. We want you back as soon as possible.”

“I feel good. Let's go home.” I sat up and the room began to spin—a feeling I was all too familiar with. I stood up and steadied myself. My knees were wobbly and my legs weak. I took a step and Caleb had to hold my arm to keep me from crashing down.

“What is going on in here?” The blonde doctor rushed into the room and grabbed my arm away from Caleb.

“I feel good, Doc. It's time to go home.” Her hand on my arm felt really nice.

“Over my dead body,” she said with conviction. She grit her teeth and flared her nostrils. This was one woman shouldn't be trifled with.

I put my hands up in the air. “I surrender. Sorry guys but it might be a couple days until I'm out of here.”

The doctor helped me lay down on the bed, placing my head gently on the hard pillow. Claire came over and kissed me on the forehead, leaving a red lipstick mark. “Get some rest, Tanner. And listen to the doctor.”

I smiled at her. Claire really was a mother to me. “Yes, Ma'am.”

The MC left the room, waving goodbye and slapping my legs. The doctor checked my vitals and I stared at her. She had a slender figure but her large white coat hid any evidence of it. Her name plate on her left breast said: Dr. Holmes.

“Your vitals are getting better. But we still need to do some tests.”

“Dr. Holmes eh? Any relation to the famous detective.”

The doctor sneered at me. “Like I haven't heard that one before.”

I laughed and could feel the stitches in my back pulling at my skin. “What's your first name?”

She cocked her head to the side and looked at me funny. Like nobody had every wondered her name before. “It's Grace. But you can call me Dr. Holmes.”

“Well Grace, I'm Tanner. It's nice to meet you. Thank you for saving my life.” I lifted my hand out for her to shake. Grace ignored my polite gesture and checked the monitor next to me. She must not like my defiant attitude.
Not yet at least.

“If the tests look good tomorrow. You'll be able to go home,” Grace said, walking to the doorway.

“Thanks again, Grace.” My smile turned to seriousness. “Thank you again for saving my life. I owe you one.”

Grace was about to leave without a reply but poked her head back in. “Your welcome, Tanner,” she said, without making eye contact.

I rested my head against the pillow and grinned.
Who was this woman?

—

Nurse Fiona and I were seeing a lot of each other. She came into the room almost every ten minutes to check in on me. Her brunette hair was tied back into a ponytail that let her beautiful face glow. Her playful flirting was more than just flirting. I could tell by her flushed cheeks that I could have her any moment I wanted.

The best time of the day: sponge bath.

Nurse Fiona popped into the room. “Ready for your bath, Tanner?”

“Do I have a choice?”

Fiona giggled and brought over the sponge and bucket. I sat up and Fiona undid my backless hospital gown. She dunked the sponge into the warm water and ringed it out. Fiona ran the rough sponge across my back, massaging my skin. I let out a guttural moan and shut my eyes. My erection began to grow between my legs and Fiona ran the sponge across my chest. The blood drained from my head and filled my stiff shaft.

“That feels really good, Nurse.”

“Oh does it now?” she replied. “Does this feel good?” She ran the sponge down below the sheet covering my waist. Fiona reached the base of my erection and washed around it. My heart beat began to race, the monitor next to me beeping faster and faster. All Fiona had to do was wrap her fingers around my shaft and stroke me. I'd come instantly all over her hands.

Fiona eyed me deviously, the sponge rubbing up against my shaft.
Oh fuck yes. She's going to give me a handjob.

I waited patiently as her hand disappeared under the sheet. I closed my eyes...and a knock at the door interrupted us. Fiona instantly withdrew her hand and grabbed the sponge.
Dammit!

Doctor Holmes walked in. “Everything going all right in here, Nurse?”

“Yes, Doctor. Just giving the patient a sponge bath.”

I winked at Grace. The white sheet barely covered my body—my erection clearly defined. “It might take the both of you to clean this body.” The doctor rolled her eyes. She really had heard it all. I was going to have to take my normal charm up a notch.

“I think Tanner is clean enough, Nurse. Mr. Jacoby in room five needs a bath too.”

Fiona sulked as she left the room. My throbbing member missed her already. Grace flicked the light switch, drenching the room in darkness. “Get some rest, Tanner.”

I put my hands behind my head and lay on the pillow. “Yes, Ma'am.”