Five Years Earlier…

Upon walking into the clinic I found myself rather unimpressed with the layout. It was a small building that was never meant to serve as a medical facility. The layout made it look like the makeshift medical tents you'd see on an old war film—open, exam rooms separated by nothing more than a few partitions. Annabelle looked my way and could tell I was skeptical.

"I know it doesn't look like much but we help a lot of people here. We're not equipped to perform major surgery or anything but stitches we can handle easily."

She led me into the first provisional exam room and, with some effort, helped me up onto the table.

"I'll need you to remove your coat and shirt. Would you like help?"

"No, I'll manage." I gingerly removed my blood-soaked clothing and laid both articles aside. By the time I was done, she had laid out her materials. She seemed to pause for a moment and take in the sight of my well-muscled body.

"Okay, first I'll have to clean the wound. It's going to sting a little, so my apologies in advance."

"I think the worst part is already over," I said wryly.

"I guess so," she said with a smile.

Her hands moved carefully over the wound in my upper back, rinsing, disinfecting, all while trying to make me as comfortable as possible. She dressed the wound and fashioned a press to keep the bleeding down.

"That's about the best I can do for now," she said, scrutinizing her work. "I'll have to check the dressing throughout the rest of the night. Now all that's left to decide is what to do with you."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm concerned about your body temperature. It's a little low from the blood loss and your running around in the rain for so long. The clinic stays chilly at night and these beds are somewhat uncomfortable—I don't think you should sleep down here. I think it will be best if you stay in my apartment upstairs."

She wrapped me in a blanket and escorted me up a hidden staircase into the apartment over the clinic. Inside it was warm and inviting, much different than the cold, utilitarian clinic downstairs. She sat me down on the tiny sofa and proceeded to light a fire in the fireplace.

"Nice place you've got here," I said.

"Oh, thanks. It's tiny but it suits me fine."

"So, you live here?"

"For the time being. I usually stay here when I come to visit because it's so much closer to the city, and it's right over the clinic so I'm close by in cases of emergency. It sits empty most of the time. It seems such a waste."

She stared at the fire for a moment lost in thought, the golden glow pouring over her lovely skin. "Well, first thing I need to do is find you something to wear. Your temperature would regulate a lot quicker if you weren't half naked." At that last statement, she went a little red-faced. "Uh… I think some of my brother's old clothes are in the bedroom. I'll go see."

She returned moments later with some sort of brightly colored pajama pants with cartoon characters on them. I stared at the pants with disgust and looked up to find her trying to conceal her amusement.

"I'm sorry. That's all I could find. He doesn't keep many clothes here. I think he must have left those behind on purpose."

"I'll skip on the pants, thanks," I said, handing them back.

"I completely understand. There's a bath robe if you'd prefer that."

"That would be lovely."

When she returned with the completely normal bath robe, I unwillingly lifted myself from the couch beside the warm fireplace. Feeling weak, I began to swoon.

She put her arm around my waist, steadying me. "Easy, let me help you. Hold on to me."

I did as she commanded, wrapping my arms around her waist, resting my head on her shoulder. She was surprisingly strong—even though she was nearly a foot shorter, she held me up with no problem all while helping me to remove my pants. Her fingers grazed my skin, sending a shiver through my body. She delicately laid the robe around my shoulders and tied it at the waist. When she was finished, we stood there a moment holding on to each other. I looked into her eyes. She was staring back at me with such intensity I found her impossible to resist. I pulled her in close, kissing her softly. When our lips parted, she looked at me, mouth open, her breaths quick and deep. Her eyes burned with desire.

"You need to rest."

"How's a man supposed to rest when you're staring at him like that."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Let me show you where you'll be sleeping."