Spartan reared, pawing at the mountain lion that sprang from the cliff. Amy tried to stay on his back but his jerky movements made it impossible. She went flying backwards, taking the full force of the hit on her spine. Her entire body went numb, and she couldn't move. Everything faded to darkness.
She awoke to the smell of sterile hospital filling her nostrils. She tried to sit up, but she couldn't feel anything from her neck down. A strange halo-like apparatus made from metal surrounded her head, holding her neck and body ridged. She tried to remember what happened, but she didn't. The tears stung her eyes. She was scared.
Ty walked into the doctors' entrance, punching the up button on the elevator. He was greeted by his assistant when the doors opened.
"Good morning, Dr. Borden; how was your weekend?" she asked.
"It was good; thanks for asking, Jane. Anything happen around here that I should know about?"
"It was a quiet weekend, doctor. Nothing much to report."
Ty nodded and sat down at his desk, opening his laptop to get started on the many emails he knew would be waiting for him. He scanned his inbox, looking for anything unusual, when one caught his eye.
It was from a colleague he'd worked with before. She was working in a small hospital in the town of Hudson now. Opening the email, he began to read about a young woman who had a spinal injury from a fall off a horse. Her spine had been damaged, and she was paralyzed from the neck down. Looking at the MRI that was attached to the email, he reached for his phone.
"Jane, will you get Dr. Virani at Hudson Memorial Hospital on the line for me, please?" She responded and his phone rang back almost immediately.
"Tricia, how are you? Been a while since we talked. I'm looking at the MRI of the patient you sent me—Amy Fleming. Any changes in the case since she was brought in?"
"Ty, it's great to hear your voice. How have you been? I just finished rounds, and the patient is reporting a tingling sensation in her right hand this morning."
They talked for a while longer and decided Amy should be flown to Calgary for further evaluation. Ty said he would make the arrangements and would let Tricia know what his thoughts were after his initial exam. Tricia thanked him and hung up, knowing he was the right man for the job.
Dr. Ty Borden was a very well-known and respected surgeon in the field of spinal injuries. Everyone who knew him knew that he was a conscientious man who cared about his patients. He took the time to research how the patients lived their life before their accidents. He not only did ground-breaking surgery but also worked closely with his team of physical therapists to rehabilitate each patient to the fullest.
Amy had never been in a helicopter before, so it was a little frightening. She would be excited if she could look out the window, but that wasn't going to happen. She wasn't sure why she had to go to Calgary in the first place, but she trusted Dr. Virani, so she tried to relax.
The flight took just thirty minutes, and they landed on the rooftop at the hospital. The sun was shining brightly as they wheeled the gurney to the elevator. They took her to a very lovely private room and got her settled in. Everyone on staff was very friendly, making sure she was comfortable.
"Amy, I'm Dr. Borden. Welcome to Calgary. How are you feeling this morning?"
Her eyes turned to see a tall, dark-haired young man looking down at her. Their eyes locked. Neither spoke, mesmerized for what seemed like hours. The connection was broken by the sound of a nurse entering the room.
Amy cleared her throat. "Hello, I'm Amy Fleming, but I guess you already know that." A smile curled the corners of her mouth. "Other than the fact that I can't move, I'm doing great. How about you?" she asked sarcastically.
He smiled, not able to take his eyes off her. Something in her blue eyes held him captivated. Her smile was soft, even if he did detect a bit of sarcasm in her voice. Ty could feel the color rising in his face as she stared back at him waiting for an answer.
"Umm, yes, I guess that would be a bit perplexing. Any tingling in your arms or legs?" he asked, looking at her chart.
Amy could see he was a bit flustered, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Did I say something that upset you—it's Dr. Borden, right?"
"No, of course not. Are you in any pain right now?" he asked, not looking directly at her. She said a little, and he instructed the nurse to administer a shot to ease her discomfort.
Amy hated needles, and her voice quivered when she asked him if there was something other than a shot they could give her.
It was Ty's turn to smile. "Sure, we can try the pill form first to see if that helps ease the pain. However, it takes a while to get into the system. Shots enter the blood stream faster."
His eyes met hers. There it was, the feeling he couldn't explain coming over him again. He felt like a kid, all his defenses melting as her blue eyes captivated him.
The nurse watched in amusement as the usually very professional Dr. Borden fell speechless under the spell of his new patient.
Amy blushed, turning her head away and feeling foolish for not being brave enough for a shot. Her anger took control. She was frustrated for being in this position in the first place making her lash out. "Fine, just give me the damn shot then," she spat out.
Ty, stepped back, surprised by her reaction to his words but understanding where her frustration was coming from. "It's okay, Amy. Lots of people don't like needles." He nodded at the nurse to administer the shot as he watched Amy fighting off the urge to cry. He felt bad for her and wanted so badly to reassure her, but she wasn't ready to hear that just yet.
He took a breath and explained that as soon as she was comfortable, they would take her down for an MRI. He wanted a different angle than the one that had been done in Hudson. "Get some rest, Amy; you've had a busy morning. I'll be in to see you later."
He made his way back to his office. Shutting his door, he went over and stood staring out the window.
What was it about this woman that got through all his defenses? He'd always been able to keep his patients at arm's length, not allowing his emotions to cloud his judgment. But Amy Fleming was different. It was like she could see into his soul, and it unnerved him. All the walls he'd put up to protect himself had crumbled with one look in her eyes.
He turned to the sound of a knock on the door. "Come in," he responded, sitting down at his desk.
"Dr. Borden, I thought you would want to know that they're doing the MRI on your patient now. The results should be in your email within the hour," Jane said.
"Thanks, Jane. Oh, could you get me some back ground on Ms. Fleming—what she did for a living, where she lives, things like that. I want to know how she lived her life before the accident." He didn't look at Jane as he spoke. He didn't want her to see the concern he had for this patient.
"Sure, I'll get right on it." Smiling to herself, Jane closed the door behind her. It was true what the other nurses had told her. Amy Fleming, whoever she was, had gotten through Dr. Borden's wall, and Jane was thrilled.
She had been with Dr. Borden—Ty—since he came to Calgary and the hospital. She knew enough about him to know he had been hurt deeply by someone, maybe a former lover, to the point that he wouldn't let himself go there again. He buried himself in his work, making a career for himself as a well-known surgeon. Maybe this Amy Fleming was the person who could help him move on in his personal life.
The next morning, when he walked into Amy's room, there were so many beautiful flower arrangements that he could hardly find his patient. "Morning, Amy. Wow, it looks like a flower shop in here!" He smiled as he tried hard not to make eye contact. She didn't answer him right away, trying to control the tears. Her lack of response made him look at her, and his heart melted, seeing the tears running down her cheeks.
He moved closer to her bedside, his hand instinctively reaching out to wipe the tears from her cheek. "Everything okay, Amy? Are you in pain?"
She turned to look up as his bright green eyes, seeing his compassion. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you, Dr. Borden. I'm in the middle of a pity party right now." She sniffed back her tears.
He continued to wipe the tears away, lost in her gaze. "It's okay; you're entitled to a few tears every now and then, but I have some news that I think might help. Okay if I share it with you?" He smiled at her.
She smiled through her tears. "Yes, please. I could use some good news right now."
Suddenly he realized he was still touching her cheek. His hand retreated to the clipboard as he went over and turned on the monitor. He raised the head of her bed just enough so she had a better view.
He pulled a chair over to the side of the bed, sitting down so he was more on her level. He flipped slowly through the images on the monitor and explained what they each showed of her spine. He talked to her with ease, like a person he had known all his life, not as a surgeon to a patient. She made him feel different, and he couldn't explain it. His enthusiasm came through as he told her he was sure he could get some of her feeling back with surgery.
She watched his face as he talked, hearing his voice reassuring her that there was hope—that there was a chance she wouldn't be totally paralyzed forever. The feeling was so overpowering that she started crying again.
He stopped, their eyes connecting again, and he could barely stop himself from leaning over and kissing her cheek. His thumb brushing away the tears as his green eyes searched hers.
"Why more tears? Did you hear what I said, Amy?" His eyes were full of concern.
"Yes, I did, and they're happy tears, Dr. Borden. How soon can we get started?" Her eyes showed her trust in him.
He laughed, relief showing on his face. "I'll start the process today. We need some other tests done to make sure your body can tolerate the surgery. If everything checks out, then we'll get you on the schedule. Is that fast enough for you?" His eyes smiled at her.
Her eyes closed, breaking the connection, but her head moved just a bit for him to see her nod. He placed his hand on hers. "I promise, Amy, I won't let you down."
He left the room, walking to the nurse's station and filling out the forms on the computer to get all the tests done to ensure that he could proceed with Amy's surgery. He walked back to his office with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.
Shutting his office door, he stopped dead in his tracks. What had he done? This was a patient! He had almost kissed his patient! How had he let that happen? He broke his own rules. You never get involved with a patient, ever!
Jane knocked on the door, waiting to hear a response to enter. When she didn't, she knocked again and slowly opened the door. "Dr. Borden," she called out.
Ty looked up, coming out of the daze. "Jane, sorry, I didn't hear you knock. What do you need?" he asked.
"I have the information you requested on your patient." She handed him the envelope.
"What patient?" he asked, half reaching out for the envelope, distracted.
"Amy Fleming."
He froze, his hand in midair. "Ahh, just lay it down and I'll look at it later."
She placed it on the corner of his desk and turned to leave the room.
"Jane, please hold all my calls this afternoon. Thanks."
She left the office, concerned and confused. This wasn't the Dr. Borden she knew. Something was wrong.
He reached for the envelope and then stopped himself. He needed to take a step back from this case; he was getting way too involved. The right thing to do was to hand it off to another surgeon, but what needed to be done to help Amy was his specialty. How could he not do this for her? He'd made her a promise.
He took the envelope and walked over to get a cup of coffee before making his way to the couch. Sitting down, he opened the envelope and reached in to take out its contents. A newspaper clipping fell out on the floor.
Reaching down to retrieve it, he stopped. There in the photo was Amy Fleming, the headline reading "World-Famous Horse Trainer."
Picking it up, he began to read the article about a young girl who had been offered the chance of a lifetime to travel the world with a prince as his team's trainer. The article told of her success with the team and making a name for herself among the rich horsey set.
As he read on, he tried to imagine the woman he knew as Amy being in that setting, and it didn't match. The Amy he knew was down-to-earth, a country girl through and through. He put the article down, looking for her bio.
Reading through it, this was the woman he knew, the real Amy Fleming. The woman he saw when he stared into her captivating blue eyes. The woman who had managed to bring down all his defenses with just one look.
He had feelings, ones he hadn't had for another person in a long time. Suddenly realizing he was falling in love with Amy Fleming, and he couldn't stop himself even if he wanted to.