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Ellie is a bright and bubbly, yet dedicated new nurse in the Emergency Department at Chicago Medical Institute. Dr. Harry Styles, meticulous, hardworking, and driven, is the head of the department. Ellie's little q...
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After a few weeks of limited mobility and being forced to rest all the time, Harry became cranky. On the days I worked, his mother came over to help him and to remind him to rest. He didn't need a babysitter, but what he did need was someone to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. Like trying to get on the treadmill. I caught him just about to step on the thing and a look of shame crossed his face.
"What are you doing?" I asked with a giggle.
"I wanted to get some exercise," he said, defending himself.
I walked over to him and led him away from the treadmill. He had ditched the wheelchair and was now able to walk around quite well. "You get plenty of exercise with your physical therapist and just by getting up and walking around the apartment."
"I know, but look at this," he said, lifting his t-shirt. "I'm growing a belly."
I giggled at the sight of his little paunch. "Oh, it's cute."
"It's unmanly," he grumbled.
"So is your behavior," I said in a slight reprimanding tone. "You, of all people, should know that after your body takes a beating like that, you can't just jump back into your normal activities. You have three major breaks in your body and you're not going to heal by pushing them too hard."
"I know," he grumbled again and sulked off ahead of me.
"Tell you what," I called after him. "Why don't we take a walk outside before we head to your folks' place for dinner? You can walk as far as you want before you tire out. The sun is shining and it's getting so warm out there. The fresh air will do you good."
He turned around and gave me a humble smile. "That sounds nice."
We didn't get very far down Lake Shore Drive before he was fatigued enough to go back.
"And you wanted to get on the treadmill," I teased.
"Don't make fun of me," he retorted and then smiled, stopping me to place a kiss on my cheekbone. I turned fully to let him kiss me in the waning daylight, the soft breeze from the lake bringing the evening chill.
We arrived at his parents' house just before 6 PM. I'd seen plenty of his mom when she came to help Harry, but I hadn't seen much of Des, maybe just once since the hospital. I wondered how their relationship would be.
As always, Anne had cooked a fantastic dinner, and we had overindulged. We remained at the table, Anne and Des drinking wine, and Harry and I sipping iced tea. I wished that they wouldn't drink in front of Harry, but at least this time, they only brought their glasses to the table instead of the whole bottle. The conversation turned to construction on the pediatric ER.
"Have you been there to see it yet?" Des asked Harry.
"Just once or twice," Harry admitted. "I'd like to be there more, but I'm finding that I'm weaker than I had thought. I still have a long way to go in recovering from the accident."
