One moment Paul had been standing tall in front of Madison. He’d felt the urge to pick her up, sweep her off her feet, and carry her away from this hospital to a field of flowers, just like in some sappy romance movie. The next, he was falling into her, his own legs knocked out from under him.
He’d like to say his pride had been hurt from that fall. The truth was that Paul felt nothing as his body came crashing down around Madison. At least he’d had the presence of mind to twist his torso to avoid direct impact.
It was just too bad that Dr. Lamb hadn’t made it over in time. Paul would’ve happily crash-landed on top of the man. But no, Lamb had stood dumbfounded in the doorway, not moving until after Madison was tugging at Paul’s forearms in vain.
It had taken Madison and the MRI technician to get him back onto the table. In the end, the medical professionals decided it was best to have him go into the machine to get the details that they needed to figure out what was going on with his body.
Paul was thankful for the solitude inside the machine. The machine clanked loudly, making him feel he was inside a clock tower with rusty gears. He was even more thankful that he had no choice but to keep still as the machine began its detective work to figure out what was wrong with him.
Paul knew exactly what was wrong with him. He’d gotten cocky. And just like the mighty Sampson, who allowed his vanity to get the better of him, he’d allowed his growing feelings for a woman to weaken him. Well, at least Paul still had his hair. So there was a bright side.
“Just a few minutes more, Major Hanson.”
The sound of Madison’s sweet voice filled with professionalism grated on Paul’s nerves. She’d called him Paul twenty minutes ago. He’d been getting under her skin. He’d been close enough to kiss her. When he’d stood over her, she hadn’t pulled away. She’d tilted up her head like an invitation.
Paul hated that he’d had to decline. He wanted a rain check, and he wanted it now. The only place he’d get to taste the sweetness of her lips was in his dreams. Paul closed his eyes and tuned out the world.
Even behind his closed lids, he was seeing a dream. He saw a woman walking to him, barefoot in a field. Her golden-brown skin in stark contrast to the green blades of grass. In his mind, his gaze panned up to a pastel-colored dress covering a round belly filled with a child, his child.
“Major Hanson?”
Paul had to get to the woman of his dreams. But he was encased inside a tomb. The truth was, the real tomb was his body. One day it would work and the next it wouldn’t. If he didn’t get answers, he would not only be out of a job, he had no idea how he’d live his life.
“Paul?”
Paul opened his eyes. The fluorescent lights overhead urged his lids to close, but he couldn’t. He didn’t dare. His dream come true stood over him.
“I’m going to marry you,” he said.
Madison’s lips parted. He watched her try and fail and then try again to swallow. She tried to pull the professional veneer back over herself. It was a joy to watch. But he wasn’t fooled. He saw right through her.
“I had a vision,” he said.
“Oh?” She frowned. “You had a vision while inside an MRI machine?”
“Clear as day. Though you were smiling in my vision. Made you look a lot prettier.”
“I think maybe we need that psych consult after all.” But there was a smile in her words that didn’t quite stretch across her mouth.
“That might be for the best since I see those little hearts and tweety birds floating around again.”
That was a definite smile on her face. “I’ll schedule an optometry consult as well.”
“You should probably add cardiology onto that, too. My heart keeps skipping beats when you’re near.”
The war between professional and woman was lost. Madison grinned like a schoolgirl at the after-school dance. And even though he lay prone on a medical table, Paul felt like he could take on the world for this woman.
A throat cleared behind them. The sound was louder than the churning gears of the MRI machine. Madison looked over her shoulder, and the gates of her features clanged down in place.
“If the two of you are done flirting,” said Dr. Lamb, “we have results to look at.”
Madison pulled her clipboard to her chest like it was armor. Paul noted she had an inch over Dr. Lamb. It appeared Dr. Lamb noted it as well. He looked down at Madison’s heels with irritation.
Paul used his forearms to push himself up to a sitting position. His legs were still number and useless. But from his seated position, Paul was eye to eye with the other man.
“The tech will help you back to your room, Mr. Hanson,” said Dr. Lamb.
“It’s Major Hanson,” Madison corrected.
Lamb ignored her. “While Dr. Gray and I discuss your results and consult with you later.”
It was clear Lamb meant his terse words to be a dismissal. He turned on his heel, his over-polished shoes squeaking on the linoleum. He paused when he got to the door, turning back for Madison.
“I’ll be there in a second,” she said.
Lamb glared at her. His eyes shouting protests that even Paul could hear. With a slight raise of Madison’s brow, Lamb lost the staring contest. He huffed out a breath and walked out the door.
Madison turned back to Paul. There was worry in the crease of her brow. Paul wanted to reach up and smooth it away. Instead, he kept his hands to himself.
“You’ve seen the results?” he said.
She canted her head to the side like a bird. She scratched at her chest with the other hand not holding the clipboard. All while avoiding his gaze.
“It’s bad?”
“I want to take a closer look before I make any determinations.”
She wasn’t telling him everything. She wasn’t telling him anything. Instead of fear or trepidation, Paul felt calm and certainty. Just as he knew he would heal and walk again, he knew that the vision he’d seen of Madison in the field was true.
Call it faith. Call it crazy. It was going to happen.
“Promise me something?” he said.
Madison shuffled uncomfortably.
“If it’s surgery, I want you to do it.”
Her gaze did meet his then. Her palm flattened on her chest. She took a step closer to him.
“And if it’s a success, you’ll go on a date with me after.”
She took a step back. “I cannot promise that. It’s against ethics.”
“For you to heal me? Didn’t you take an oath? Or are you a hypocrite?”
That earned another crack of a smile from her. “It’s a Hippocratic Oath. The doctor dating a patient thing is against hospital policy.”
“I respect that. But after the surgery, you won’t be my doctor anymore, so that won’t be a problem. Unless you don’t think you can actually heal me.”
“You’re incorrigible, you know that.”
“A man won’t get far without a little courage.”
Madison took two steps toward him. She was standing so close that the fabric of her white coat brushed up against his knees. Even though he couldn’t feel anything below his waist, he still felt warmth flood his chest.
“Paul, I promise you one thing, I’m going to do everything I can to get you back on your feet. Mainly, because it’s the only way I’ll get you out of my hair.”
And with that last quip, she turned and sauntered out of the room. Paul felt a tingle in his toes, watching her depart.