The next two days pass slowly, and I only seem to get worse. Edward changes antibiotics to a stronger one, and I get more breathing treatments, but I still feel awful and barely get any rest. Thankfully, Edward is the only one Emmett doesn't seem to limit visiting, so he's sitting with me today while Emmett works. If my brother thinks it's odd that his friend and my doctor is coming around so much, he doesn't mention it. In fact, he thanks him.

And I'm pretty thankful too.

I cough like hell, and he brings my water cup over, holding the straw to my chapped lips. I sip generously—my throat raw and dry.

"Good girl," he says as I let the straw go. "Mind if I take another listen?"

I shake my head as he grabs his stethoscope off the bed tray. He puts the buds in his ears, and I sit up, trying not to cough as he listens.

He puts it down with some force as he sighs. "I need to order another X-ray. I'll be right back."

He's out of the room like lightning, and while he's gone, Rosalie comes in to check on me, bringing yet another bag of fluids because I can barely eat and drink without throwing up from the constant cough.

"I was just told to get X-ray back in here with the most serious tone," she says. "Also, is it just me or is he incredibly close to you?"

I shrug, but she's right. When Emmett's not here, he doesn't do as well at hiding his feelings—constantly holding my hand, rubbing my back, and even helping with the gross stuff like the copious amount of fluids coming from me.

"He's a friend," I say, feeling out of breath even with the oxygen. My O2 sats sucks, to say the least. "How's Ben?"

Changing the subject is always a good idea when she asks stuff like that.

"He won the science fair," she says proudly, clearly smiling behind the mask. "I took him out for ice cream, but I'm also surprising him with this experiment kit thing I got off Amazon. Hopefully, it's not too advanced for him. But I totally noticed the subject change, by the way. Mum's the word if there's something brewing there."

I don't know why I do it. My plan was to be subtle, but I blurt out anyway. "I think my brother likes you."

Her brows raise, and she cocks her head slightly. "No, he doesn't."

I nod. "Told him to ask you out, but he said you'd say no, and it'd hurt his ego. Would you say no?"

"What are you doing? Setting us up?"

"If it works, yes. Just … one date. He's great with kids—not that I'm saying you'll introduce them to each other, but he is."

She shakes her head. "I'm sure he doesn't want someone with a kid. He's incredibly good looking and could have anyone."

"What if he wants you?"

Just say yes already. I can tell you want to.

"I-I … I mean, you're my patient. He's your brother. Plus, I work with him. It's all in bad taste."

"I won't be your patient forever, and it's not like you're his scrub nurse or anything. You see each other, what, twice a day? Hardly working hand in hand."

She's silent for a moment before I notice the tiniest nod. "If he asked, I'd probably say yes. If."

"If is good." I smile as Edward comes back in with the X-ray tech close behind.

I've noticed when he's worried his brow gets this little crease in it, and it seems to get deeper the more worried he gets. It's a full-blown canyon now.

He barely even leaves the room while the X-ray is taken, and then heads back out of the room to, I'm assuming, look at them.

Well, now I'm fucking scared.

Thanks to May, Nole, Fran, Brier, and Meg for prereading and Sally for Beta'ing.