Fight, Flight, or Freeze: The Healer's Story
Chapter 58: I Need You

Chapter 58: I Need You

I need you.

That was it. I looked down at my phone and the message I had just sent out. I need you. I dropped my phone on my desk and leaned back in my chair, my eyes closed.

I would be surprised if he responded to my message. He seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to me. And knowing that I had been ghosting him for over a year now would not endear me to him. Oh, sure, I was still texting him, but it was fluff, and we both knew that.

But for the sake of my sanity, I needed to stay away from him, to put up a wall that neither one of us could pass.

I let out a depressed bark of laughter as I realized just how much of a bitch I was. I couldn’t be with him, but I hated the idea that he wasn’t beside me.

I wanted everything... but that just wasn’t possible.

I was so fucked.

My phone dinged, letting me know that I had a text message, but I ignored it. It would be someone from the hospital asking me to do something that not even the interns would be asked to do. But I was the youngest one on staff.

However, it was my department and my responsibility to keep it running smoothly.

Letting out a tired sigh, I picked up my phone and looked at it.

He replied.

He... replied to my message.

I looked at the time stamp and saw that it had taken him less than two minutes to read and reply to my text. A surge of happiness and hope exploded from my heart, but I pushed it down ruthlessly.

In my darkest of moments, I could admit to myself that I was in love with him, with a few of them... but I refused to act on it.

I am on my way. Where do you need me?

That was it. No comment on not texting him or anything along those lines. I told him I needed him, and he just appeared.

Hospital. Text me when you are in the parking lot, and I will come to you. Do not come in until I tell you to.

Understood. Be there in 5.

I didn’t reply to his text. Instead, I stood up and left my office. I needed a blood collection kit, a test, and a hazmat suit. I wouldn’t take the chance of drawing the blood while he was inside the hospital; I didn’t want him to catch anything. The hazmat suit was for when he insisted on following me inside.

Collecting everything I needed and putting the kit and test into my pocket, I threw a white suit for Cheng Bo Jing and a second one for myself over my arm.

I strolled through the ER, ignoring all of the questions from the doctors and nurses. It was against the rules to go outside with my suit on, but it would take too much time to go to the back of the hospital that was designated for dressing and undressing.

I waited until the doors closed behind me before I took out all my supplies and started taking off my suit. This should be a two-man job, but I was beyond caring right now.

My phone vibrated just as I was stuffing the old suit into a blue plastic bag. Tossing it into the hospital, I stepped back and took out my phone.

Here. In our spot.

I chuckled and shook my head. I guess we did have a spot.

With my arms full, I walked across the curved driveway and into the parking lot.

I watched him get out of his SUV and lean against it as I approached, his arms crossed against his chest. He was still in uniform. Fuck.

"Did I take you away from something?" I asked, scrunching my nose. I didn’t want to get him in shit, but there was a part of me that preened over the fact that he dropped everything to be here for me.

I was sick.

"Nothing important," he replied with a shake of his head. "You said you needed me; how can I help."

It was frustrating that I was pissed that he was only here because I needed him, but I understood that he was also trying to respect the boundaries I had set by not being around all the time.

Taking in a deep breath, I looked around the parking lot. He stiffened, straightening when he realized what I was doing.

"There is no one around, and I wasn’t followed," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.

I nodded my head. I was probably being paranoid, but there were just some things I couldn’t take a chance on. Bai Long Qiang and the other’s safety was at the top of that list.

"Do you know how to draw your own blood?" I asked, not responding to his comment. I needed his blood, but I hadn’t been able to scrub down after taking off the hazmat suit, and I didn’t want to get close just in case.

"I do," he replied as he started to slowly undo the gold buttons on his dark green jacket. I watched, mesmerized, as each button revealed the tan shirt underneath and his tie.

A man in a suit was hot. A man in a military uniform should be illegal.

My pussy clenched as more and more of his shirt was exposed. It wasn’t even like he was getting naked, but I still wanted to climb him like a tree.

I was the worst person in the world.

Looking down, I pulled out the needle and syringe. It wasn’t the normal protocol for a blood draw. There was no serum that was normally in the collection tubes to prevent clotting, but I would be testing this blood as soon as I got back into the hospital.

I wouldn’t take the risk of anyone else getting their hands on it.

I threw the syringe with the capped needle to him, and he caught it in one hand.

"Is there any reason why you are so far away?" he asked as he opened the back seat to put his jacket inside of his vehicle. Rolling up the sleeve of his shirt, he removed the cap using his teeth and took his blood.

This was so against protocols that I wanted to break out in hives, but all I could do was remind myself that this was necessary.

I needed to protect my boys... even if it was from themselves.