Compulsion

Compulsion Part 24

"When are you going to tell me what you've done to yourself?" Georgia asked as she stood beside him while he inserted the key into the front door to his house. For though he had tried to hide it she had seen him wince several times during the course of the evening. And even now, when he had raised his arm to insert the key into the lock, he had tried to suppress a wince. She'd been tempted to ask him about it during the meal, but had opted to wait for him to tell her what was wrong.

Elias looked over at her as he opened the door to his house and gestured for her to enter. "Not sure what I've done, to be honest. Feels like I've pulled a muscle in my shoulder or back or someplace." He replied without any preamble and followed her into the hallway. "It will pass!" He flicked the light switch on, as it was quite late, and they'd left the house in darkness when they had set off for dinner earlier this evening. Elias reached for the coat hook to hang up his jacket, only to wince again as his muscle protested that movement.

"Why are men so slow to admit to pain! You should have said something earlier or even before we went out to dinner." She remonstrated.

"Why?" He did not want to cancel their date. So of course he wasn't going to mention the fact his back hurt.

"So we could have had a look." Georgia told him as if it was obvious. "Sitting through dinner must have been agony."

"Not really." He told her and reached to help her ease off her coat. "It's only when I move. And even then it's sporadic. Just a twinge every now and then. It will pass."

"Let's have a look." She said flatly.

"What?"

"I am a doctor." She reminded him pointedly, "Even kiddies doctors had to train in general medicine. Remember?"

"Yeah, but ...."

Georgia interrupted, "It won't take long." She put her handbag on the side table by the coat stand. "So where does it hurt?" She asked him in her no nonsense voice.

Elias banked his smile. There she was. That feisty strong woman who lurked beneath that mantle of gentle conservatism. "Just past the shoulder blade." Elias told her. "I probably just slept oddly or something."

"Men self-diagnosing! Second to men pretending something doesn't hurt when it does!" She told him with a sigh of exasperation. "Right. Take off your shirt." She ordered calmly and prepared to examine his back.

"What?" His eyes widened in mock surprise. "You want me naked? Here?"

"Take off your shirt." She repeated and her lips flat lined when she saw he was teasing her instead of taking this seriously.

"Georgia, that's very forward for you." He grinned and stepped closer. He was sure his back was not going to stop him from seeing this evening to the conclusion he'd been dreaming about all week.

Georgia evaded his arms. "Stop messing about. Take it off, and then let's see what your movement is like."

"Hadn't realised you were this bossy." He told her with a smile.

"Hadn't realised you were this evasive!" She replied and threw him a replica smile, "Now, shirt off and let's see what's the problem!"

Elias started to unbutton his shirt. Then he paused and looked over at her suggestively, "I might need some help."

Georgia rolled her eyes, "Just take the shirt off!"

"Oh, you're no fun, Doc!"

"And you're not fit for fun at the moment, Casanova!" She corrected blithely. "Now, we can stand here all evening, wasting time. Or you can take your shirt off, I can see what the problem is and we can do something about it!"