Author Note:…this chapter was completely self-indulgent…totally fluffy and has little to do with the plot…except for the part about the bikini models…I just liked writing it.

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Chapter 12 – Goose Egg

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Jackie lit the fireplace and grabbed a blanket. She was going to just sit by the fire with a bag of frozen peas against her head. Donna's prediction of a goose egg was correct and it just throbbed. She swallowed a couple of aspirin and hoped they started working soon.

The radio was playing soft pop music and Jackie was looking through a home and garden magazine. She reminded herself to check out the nurseries for popular springtime plants. Flowers near a sidewalk or the front of the house added to the curb appeal and Jackie liked the gardening part of her job.

Why was Donna in such a hurry to get away? Jackie didn't understand that at all. She just left her groceries and took off. Jackie wished she would have stayed around longer but her kid obviously wanted to leave.

Now Jackie's head was pounding. The aspirin wasn't helping and the peas had defrosted. Maybe she should just call it an early night. She didn't have to be at the Forman's until late afternoon. She put out her fire and locked the house, turning off lights as she left the living room. On her way down the hall to her bedroom the telephone rang. Crap.

Sitting in the chair wasn't too smart. Jackie's back was starting to hurt from landing on the grocery store floor – she did not fall gracefully. "Hello?" she said softly so she didn't aggravate the headache.

"It's me. Are you busy?"

"Hey Eric. I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait. Why so early? It's barely seven."

Jackie tried to explain but her little goose egg was hurting. "I had a cart accident at the store. I'm just calling it an early night. See you tomorrow." She hung up the telephone and willed herself to shuffle to her luxurious queen size bed. Her feather pillows might help cradle the ache and maybe then the aspirin would work!

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The telephone dropped from Eric's hand. Jackie was in a car accident at the grocery store? He should have gone with her after all! Maybe this wouldn't have happened! Eric quickly grabbed his jacket and keys and flew out the door.

He drove recklessly but there was little traffic and within minutes he was pounding on Jackie's front door. Her car wasn't in the driveway – was it totaled? Hurry up! He rang the doorbell incessantly. Then he heard, "Stop it with the door bell jeez!"

The door opened and Jackie was standing in the threshold wearing nothing but a purple tank top and a pair of sweatpants. Thick socks covered her feet and she was holding a hand to her head.

"Eric what are you doing here?" She opened the door to let him enter. He walked in to the dark living room and his shin connected with the coffee table. He forgot that piece of furniture was there.

"You were in a car accident. I want to make sure you're okay." He replied. Jackie walked to the kitchen to get another back of peas from the freezer. "I wasn't in a car accident. I said cart. C.A.R.T. accident."

Eric breathed a sigh of relief. "But you were hurt." She nodded her head, "I'll survive but it hurts like a bitch." Jackie fell into a dining room chair. She took a deep breath and sighed as she exhaled. "Sit and I'll tell you the story." Eric listened as she explained about how her grocery cart was upended by the little blonde boy and then Donna helped her to feet.

"I don't know why she took off. It was like she didn't want to be seen talking to me. Anyways, I have this damn swollen bump on my head and my back hurts."

"Let me see it. I took a first aid training course when I was sent to Europe for this photo shoot with some Swedish bikini models." His long fingers were gentle as they pressed against her scalp. He found the base of the swelling and heard a little hiss. It was a pretty big bump for Jackie's little head. He parted her hair to see if there had been any bleeding and luckily there wasn't. He picked up her frozen peas and held it against her head.

"Bikini models? You have to be kidding me." She scoffed.

Eric smiled and ran his fingers down both sides of her spine looking for the spot of her back that hurt. When he got down to her lower back she moved away from his fingers. "You may need to see a doctor if that still hurts on Monday, but we can use some ice and heat - maybe a little massage.

"Well, do you mind if we continue this conversation in my room? I'd like to be horizontal if you don't mind."

Eric watched how she got out of the chair to see if she was having any balance problems or signs of a concussion. He took her arm and walked her to her bedroom. "Lay on your stomach and this bag of peas will cover your head better."

"Yes Dr. Forman." She muttered into her pillow. Eric chuckled, "Do you have a hot water bottle or heating pad?" She pointed to her closet. "Top shelf on the right. Turn the TV on would you? I want to listen to the weather report."

Eric easily found the TV remote and flipped the channels to the local news. The hot water bottle was right in front so he went to the bathroom to fill it up. If he had gone to the grocery store with her he might have seen Donna! He wasn't ready for that yet. However he still had to make contact with all the people from his past. He should arrange to see Donna soon before he accidentally ran into her and had a similar uncomfortable reunion!

Eric carried the hot water bottle back to the bedroom where Jackie was lying on the bed. The frozen peas were sliding off her hair so he pushed the bag back up. "Glenda, which side of your back hurts the most?"

A muffled, "Right side." came from the pillow. Carefully, Eric pulled down the top of her sweat pants and saw a sizeable bruise just over her hip. He set the hot water bottle over the muscle and she sighed. "Feels good."

Eric smiled and asked the standard concussion questions. "Do you feel nauseous?" She shook her head no. "Do you have a headache?"

She groaned, "Dorothy, what do you think?"

Eric chuckled, "Dr. Dorothy thank you. Do you feel dizzy?" She shook her head no. "Do you feel confused or have you lost consciousness?" "No and no. I think my peas melted."

Eric replaced the bag with his hand and the goose egg felt cool. "We'll do this again in an hour. If we keep repeating this every hour, it should go away on its own."

"I can't stay awake to do this every hour." She protested. Eric moved the water bottle higher on her hip. "No you won't have to …because I will. I'm a trained professional."

"Well I'm no Swedish bikini model."

"Well you could be but you're too short." He teased. She muttered, "I'd kick you if I could move." Eric laughed and took the bag of peas to the kitchen to refreeze. He liked her little house. The kitchen was functional; there was no wasted space for clutter and the hanging pots and pans looked well used. She was a tidy little thing that was for sure!

Eric ventured back into the bathroom looking for an ointment he could rub on the muscles by her spine. She had a topical analgesic and that would be perfect. He came back in the bedroom and she was trying to put the water bottle back on her hip.

"Jackie I'm going to ask you to move over so I can sit on the edge. I have some crème I'm going to rub into your back that should make it feel better." She scooted over and Eric kicked off his shoes as he sat on the mattress. He squirted a line of ointment along her spine and started rubbing along the top of her sweatpants. She groaned in appreciation. He lifted the hem of her tank top and saw a smaller bruise. "Does this hurt?" He pressed gently.

"Not really. I just feel like I got beat up." She said into the pillow. Eric rubbed the rest of the ointment into her lower back and went to wash his hands. By the time he came returned she had fallen asleep. Smiling, he looked at his watch. It would be another half hour before she needed the cold pack so he settled up against the headboard to watch television.

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Jackie woke up the next morning and marveled that the headache was gone and in its place was a solid warm male body. Eric's arms were wrapped around her waist and his warm breath against her neck was enough to make her melt. He stayed with me all night! What a sweetheart. She pulled the covers over the two of them and fell back asleep.

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Eric woke up with Jackie's hair tickling his nose. He reached up and felt her head and the swelling was gone. He smoothed her hair out of his face and snuggled back up. She was soft and warm and there wasn't any place he had to be just then. This was like coming home. His eyes closed and he drifted off into a pleasant dream.

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The ringing of the telephone woke both of them up. Jackie had turned and was burrowed into Eric's chest and he had his hands around her in a hug. She opened her eyes to see a pair of smiling eyes looking at her. "I think we got us a predicament." Eric said in a low voice that made her stomach flip.

"I guess we do. Back away slowly Dr. Forman." Don't move. Stay here!

"Okay, but first how's your back?" The phone went unanswered.

She wiggled around a little, "Not too bad. I think you did good." Eric smiled and eased himself off the mattress. At least he had all of his clothes on. That skimpy little tank top left nothing to his imagination and it was time to go home or get in trouble. Trouble was not on his list of things to do today!

"I'll let myself out and see you at dinner."

She pulled the blankets back over her shoulders. "Thank you Eric. I'll see you later."

Eric wished he could just jump back in that bed but he couldn't take advantage of a woman who was injured. Especially a woman who was his friend!

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