Out of Reach

Chapter Nine

I found myself back at the nurse's station, deciding to get ahead of my charting. My gaze flickered at room 6B's door but then focused back on the computer screen in front of me.

Upon finishing charting, I looked at the time, not realizing how much time had passed. I had worked through my dinner break but honestly, I wasn't even hungry. Instead of taking my break then, I decided to do the vitals.  I grabbed the blood pressure machine and wheeled it towards 5B.

I peaked in and saw that the lights are off and they are sleeping. I hesitated, turning, and seeing Cassidy's light on. I decided to go to his room first.

However, when I got into the room, it was empty. Did he go into the lounge?

As luck would have it, I turned around to go check at the same time the bathroom door swung opened, almost colliding with a half-naked Cassidy.

I couldn't help but take in his toned physique. The only thing he had on was sweatpants, his hair dripping wet from the shower, and a towel in his hands, drying his arms and torso.

Cassidy looked up startled, not expecting me to be in his room.

"I-" I began, "sorry, It's 7:30."

"Vitals time already?" He asked, not bothered by his exposed torso.

"Yeah, I need to do it before the next aide comes in."

Cassidy walked past me and over to his bed, putting on his white t-shirt. He then sits on the edge of the bed, looking over at me, waiting.

I carefully wheeled the machine over and placed the blood pressure cuff around his arm. His white t-shirt clung to his wet skin, the water bleeding into the white fabric, becoming more opaque by the second. His eyes watched my hands the entire time, causing my heart to beat faster.

"I didn't mean to upset you before-"

"Blood pressure is normal. 120/80." I wrote the numbers down on the chart.

"Are you working tomorrow night?" His tone rang of innocence, changing the subject.

"No, I'm not working again until next week."

"Oh."

I hesitated, unsure if I should ask the question that has been on my mind since he got here.

"When will you be back at school?"

He broke eye contact, "probably Tuesday, I'm getting out of here on Monday."

"Just in time for the sociology test on Wednesday," I joked.

Cassidy chuckled, "Yeah, I guess so."

"Hey, maybe we can do a last-minute review right before the test Wednesday morning?"

He glanced back at me, "I don't need to review for that class."

"That's big talk for someone who hasn't been there for an entire week."

Cassidy's forehead creased at my remark, but my eyes fell from his and down to his lower lip, as his tongue swiped across.

"Are you doubting my scholarly knowledge, Amberlee?"

I sat up straight at the sound of my full name.

"What?" Cassidy asked, confusion plastered across his face, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," I tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear, "it's just, the only person that calls--called me by my full name was Tyler...my brother."

I shook my thoughts off and smiled briefly at Cassidy.

"What happened?" Cassidy's stare was piercing, yet comforting. I don't know what it was about him, but he made me feel comfortable telling him the truth.