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Huge thank you to POTOPHAN1010 for her continued support.

Again, thank you all.

WTIE

Chapter 5:

Erik crouched down by the window outside the café. He watched Dana as she waited and then some man came. While Erik could see the indifference in the man's demeanor, Dana's emotions were written all over her, encompassing her like spilled black ink.

How was he going to do this? How was he going to approach her and get her to talk to him? He was off-putting at best and the only thing he had to go on was his gut telling him that she may be able to see beyond. "Get me a flower."

"What?" Fletcher stood behind him.

"I know you heard me. Get me a flower!" He shooed his stalker away and breathed when he heard Fletcher's footsteps on the gravel.

He froze when he saw the man touch her, but then just as abruptly the man rose and left Dana alone in the restaurant.

While he didn't know what to do if the man stayed with her, now his plan was handed to him, a gift he couldn't, wouldn't squander.

She stayed in the restaurant and Erik stood up straight. For the longest time she sat there staring straight ahead. Erik pounded his fist into his leg, he hated restaurants and the way people stared, even from his vantage point, he noted her pale complexion.

He pondered his next move, wondering if he should go inside and make a bigger spectacle than what already happened to her, or wait for her to leave.

Even with the winter chill he became over heated. He pulled his scarf down. Now was the moment, and he leaned over to catch his breath. Right as he looked up again, he saw her darting out of the back of the restaurant.

He followed her into a side street and stopped. There was no way he could run up to her, it had to be more casual, more refined. He lagged behind trying to think, when she sped up and went around another corner.

Erik rushed to keep up with her, but halted himself as she turned into an ally. His heart beat hard enough that he was sure anyone near him could hear it and he was about to walk up to her with his face half hidden by a scarf and sunglasses. "I should have worn a mask." He shook his head, he couldn't approach her in an ally. He would appear to be a deranged mass murderer or some crazy stalker. "Oh my God. It has to be tonight." He pulled the hood off his head, and his diatribe was only interrupted when Fletcher tapped him.

"Here." Fletcher hand him two daisies.

"What's this?" Erik took the flowers. They weren't wrapped, or accompanied by a bow. In fact, they had a bit of dirt on them and a root.

"Flowers." Fletcher motioned toward them.

Erik wanted to ask where he got them, or why he chose to actually pick some flowers rather then purchase them and then something dawned on him. He just allowed the woman he wanted to walk down a small ally by herself in New York City when she was obviously upset.

Not caring what he looked like, he dashed away, but the screech of tires and a thud stopped him again. "No." He tossed the flowers away and went into an all out run.

He sped around the corner with enough time to see a yellow cab drive disappear, and a form lying motionless off to one side, like yesterday's garbage. "Fletcher!"

Erik went to her side, skidding on his knees to reach her. "Please be alive." His body set on automatic, he checked her pulse and bent over her to ensure she was breathing.

"Thank you." His body went weak, but he knew he had to be something he wasn't…a doctor. "I'm better than an MD." He pushed himself up and assessed her. Blood dripped from her forehead and her ankle was twisted at an odd angle. He put his hand on her face. He never had the chance to see her this close up, and with the moonlight illuminating the ally, she was more beautiful than he ever dreamed. With no time to indulge, he found his penlight in his breast jacket pocket and checked her eyes. "They're blue."

He kept his hold on her and scanned his surroundings. No one was here, no one saw them. They were in the middle of the business district and had he had not been following her she could have laid there for hours with no help. He turned to Fletcher.

"Ambulance?" Fletcher took his cell phone out of his pocket and held it out to Erik.

Erik swiped his hand away and stared down at her. There was no way he would let her go off in an ambulance and be taken from him. He would be the one to personally tend to her. No one would treat her like he would. No one.

He glanced around again, his plan changing and he nodded when he spotted some wood stacked up by a building. "Get me one of those boards and go get the car."

Fletcher didn't move.

Erik grabbed his arm and pulled the man toward him. "You work for me, never forget that. Get me the damn board and get the car, she needs my help." He thrust Fletcher away from him. "Now!"

Fletcher scrambled to his feet and retrieved the board.

"Help me." Erik took hold of her and they managed to get her on the board and Fletcher left to get the car.

Erik adjusted her, he took off his jacket, cutting off some strips of fabric to secure her to the board, and covering her with the rest. He checked her vitals once more and picked up her purse, making sure nothing was left.

He swallowed. "Hello." Erik gazed into her face. "My name is Erik Chalon." While he waited, he went into the speech he tried to come up with for when the first met. "I have noticed you for quite some time. You may remember me from when you picked up some of my patients from my brownstone." He took a breath. "I was hoping that maybe you would allow me to treat you to a cup of coffee or perhaps some desert?"

He paused trying to think of what he would have said if she was conscious. He figured she would be looking at his face right now. "I know that maybe I'm not what you expect, but maybe you could become used to me in time." He started to shake. "Did I tell you that I'm a surgeon?" He thought he should end with that, women liked to be with surgeons, and he purposely didn't use the word doctor.

Before he was able to continue, the car came into the ally. Fletcher hurried out and both men got her inside. Erik got in with her. "I need to monitor her while you drive. Get home quickly." He took her hand and gave her a light squeeze. He never held a woman's hand before and he reveled in how small and soft Dana's was.

"Then what?" Fletcher asked.

Erik took her all in. She was here, she was alive, and she needed him. "Then I will heal her." Maybe once she knew he was the one who saved her, she would want him back.

She needed him.

***
"What are you doing?" Anton followed Erik and Fletcher into one of their exam rooms and assisted in getting Dana off the makeshift stretcher and onto an exam table.

"I'm going to get an IV going and get her hydrated, then I'm going to get some x-rays." Erik checked her and went to the sink to wash his hands.

"Erik!" Anton came to his side. "What is this? How did you end up with her?"

"Old man." Erik fought the urge to lunge at him, instead opting to put on a pair of gloves. "I went to talk to her, she was hit by a taxi and the bastard drove away and left her for dead."

Fletcher nodded and went to Erik with a disposable gown.

Erik slipped into the gown. "You can go." He tilted his head at Fletcher.

Fletcher backed out of the room.

"She was hit by a car?" Anton followed Erik as he returned to Dana.

"Yes. What did you want me to do, leave her on the street?" He put on a mask, and then not wanting to scare her if she suddenly woke up, he put on a pair of surgical goggles. He would be pretty well hidden with all the lights and equipment.

"Did you ever think of calling an ambulance?" Anton pulled on a pair of gloves as well.

"You may normally get to choose the cases, but this one I'm choosing." Erik picked up a pair of scissors and cut up one of her pant legs.

"She doesn't need reconstructive surgery." Anton held his hand out.

"Thank god they didn't mar her." Erik glanced at his hand. "What?"

"I'm going to do the other side." Anton said.

"No." Erik shook his head. "No one touches her but me."

"Erik." Anton moved aside as Erik cut up her other pant leg.

"What is your plan?" Anton put his hand out before Erik could cut her shirt open.

"I already told you." Erik kept his focus on his patient. "Get out of my way, I have a lot to do."

"What happens when she wakes up?" Anton didn't move his hand.

Erik swatted his hand away, and in one fluid motion, cut her shirt open. He stopped. Everything stopped and he stared.

Her bra was beige lace, but now he could definitely make out that she had quite a figure. He didn't need to touch her to know her breasts were real, they were soft, perfect and he envied the bra that got to cradle her. Her skin was unblemished and light, untouched by the sun.

"Erik."

He didn't realize he was holding his breath until he tried to speak and he coughed. "When she wakes up I'm going to explain what happened."

"And what if she thanks you and walks away?"

Erik began setting up her IV, grabbing the fluid he wanted and getting the instrumentation.

"What if she walks away?" Anton asked again.

He put his supplies on a tray and rolled it close to her. "Then she walks away." He swallowed.

"Are you sure?" Anton pointed at him. "If you're not sure, then let me treat her and call an ambulance."

Erik paused, trying to envision her seeing him and running away, or giving him a nervous smile and tiptoeing away. One of those scenarios was the most likely outcomes no matter what he did to help her or how much he cared. He pressed his lips together. "At least I know I did something."

The men looked at each other.

"All right." Anton backed up. "Treat her."

Erik nodded and went to remove the rest of her clothes. He needed to separate himself right now and remember right now she was his patent, nothing more.

He slid the garment down and she moaned.

"Hello?" He let go of her arm and leaned over. "Can you hear me?"

She didn't open her eyes, but nodded making another moan.

Erik reached up and adjusted the light, knowing she wouldn't be able to see him. "Can you say something?"

"Wh…" Her voice gave out.

"Try to speak. Tell me who you are." Erik grabbed her wrist not sure who he was trying to support. She could very well choose to leave the second she came around.

She shook her head and winced. "Where…where am I?" Her voice was strained as if she swallowed a mouthful of sand. "It hurts."

"You're in my surgery center. You were in an accident." He put his hand on her cheek. "Can you tell me who you are?"

Her head slumped to one side.

"Dana!" Erik yelled. Normally his patients were already put under and he fought the urge to grab her and shake her awake. "Wake up!"

"Erik." Anton stepped toward them.

Her eyelids fluttered and she licked her lips. "Who?"

"Dana." Erik said softer this time.

"Who?" She shook her head again. "Help me it hurts."

He glanced at Anton and put his hands on her shoulders. "Tell me who you are."

"This isn't unusual for the type of injury she sustained." Anton said. "She just has to clear her mind and recover."

She paused, blinked her eyes, but didn't open them and bit her lip.

"Tell me, it's all right." Erik prodded.

She opened her mouth as if she were priming herself to speak and closed it.

"Please tell me."

"I…" She wrinkled her nose. "I don't know."

"You don't know who you are?" Erik asked.

"Oh." She started to shake. "I don't."

Anton leaned over her. "Are you Dana?"

She winced, retracting as if she were slapped. "Who's Dana?"

"You're not Dana?" Erik tried as well. She didn't think she was Dana and rather than trying to think of how to heal her, his mind wandered in a million directions in the one second before she answered.

"No. That's not right." She opened her eyes and squinted.

"Can you tell me where you are?" He told her only minutes before, he wondered what part of her memory was in tact.

"You said I was at a surgery center." She groaned and tried to reach her hand up to her head.

He nodded, now for another test. "Can you tell me what state you live in?" Erik caught her hand before she hit her forehead.

"No. I don't know." Her voice hitched.

"And can you tell me who you are?" He asked once more, purposely not using her name. "Try hard."

She shut her eyes, squeezing them shut as if she were trying to squeeze her mind. Force the information out. She started to gasp for air, short breaths. "Help me."

"I'm here to help." Erik said. "Tell me who you are. Try to breathe."

She opened her eyes wide. "Oh god! I don't know!" She reached out, finding Erik's arm. "I don't know!" Her eyes rolled back in her head and body went limp.

Erik looked over at Anton.

"This is only temporary, she just had a jolt." Anton went to go help Erik with the IV.

"I'm the only one who treats her." Erik pointed to the door. "Until further notice, I'm the only one who talks to her."