Chapter 4: First Impressions Die Easy
Two Mornings Later. Bright and Not So Early.
Chloe grinned anxiously at Nurse Brenda and ran to the first elevator. She was late. "Shit," she muttered, riding the elevator up to the third floor. "Shit," she cursed again. She'd slept in. She was never late for work. But she'd been dreaming, dreaming of Mr. Tall, Blonde, and Handsome. He had been pretty drugged up the last few days but hopefully he was up and around this morning.
As the elevator doors dinged open, she grimaced as she reported to the charge nurse who proceeded to write Chloe up. Ugh, this day had already started out badly and the only way Chloe figured it would get better is if she saw Brady. He always managed to cheer her up. Okay, so she had never spoken to the guy. But she'd fantasized about it, especially since the day before yesterday when he'd opened those beautiful baby blues and called her his "angel of music." She loved the Phantom of the Opera and knew the reference well. Maybe Brady was an opera buff. She would've asked Belle but then Belle would wonder why she'd be thinking of something like that at a time like this. She would've asked Mimi, but Mimi was still going on and on about her and Brady being soulmates. Chloe continued to dismiss the idea, explaining to Mimi that she didn't even believe in soulmates and she hadn't even officially met Brady yet. She was just his nurse and his sister's best friend. That was all she was and ever would be to Brady. Though, somewhere deep inside, Chloe was beaming at the possible prospect of Brady as her soulmate. No, it was true, she hadn't believed in soulmates. not until she laid eyes on him this week and felt that strange pull, that otherworldly connection to him. And now it was like her world turning upside down. All she'd been able to think about was Brady. What he must look like not so drugged up. What he must sound like singing to her as they danced under the moonlight. What his lips would feel like pressed against her own. She laughed at her thoughts. God, who was she kidding? She needed a boyfriend or a hobby.
She approached Brady's room, her smile falling as she heard a muffled commotion going on inside. So she pushed open the door and gasped at the sight. Brady, her Brady, was throwing a fit, like a child. This wasn't her soulmate! This wasn't her soft spoken, opera loving, manchild.
Brady fidgeted in his bed, not liking his legs elevated above the bed or the awesome amount of pain that throbbed in his left shoulder. "This is ridiculous!"
"Brady, relax," John smiled and tried to settle his son down. All morning, John, Marlena, Belle, Shawn, Mimi and Jason had tried to calm Brady down. But ever since he'd seen the state of his own body and the headline of the Salem Spectator, he'd been downright hysterical. Under normal circumstances, Brady's visitors would be concerned for him. But his outburst this morning had them cracking up. Maybe they were just relieved he was alive and glad he was back to his old self again. Maybe that's why they couldn't help but quietly laugh at him.
"Relax?" Brady laughed maniacally. He'd shot dead four criminals, and therefore was suspended, with pay, while an investigation took place. Standard procedure of course but it still pissed him off. And then he'd found out his shoulder had been shot and both of his legs were broken. He'd been hit by a car. After quote unquote saving the day, he'd been hit by a car. How f&cking ironic was that!? He snatched the Salem Spectator in his hands again and ogled the headline: 'Small Town Car Catches Big City Cop With Pants Down.' "Where is Jack Deveraux!? I am going to kick his ass!"
"Kick Jack's ass, huh Brady?" Belle smiled at her brother and lightly patted his cast-bound legs.
"That's not funny, Belle!" Brady glared at his sister and ran his hand through his hair. And that's when his eyes landed on a beautiful, blue- eyed brunette standing timidly at his door dressed adorably in Marvin the Martian scrubs, her hair up in a high ponytail. "Who the hell are you?" He spat, uncomfortable with the shocked way she was looking at him.
All eyes and heads in the room turned to Chloe. He didn't remember her. His angel of music. He didn't remember her. Chloe cleared her throat. "I'm."
"Brady, be nice." Belle pulled Chloe over to Brady's bed. "This is your nurse, Chloe. And this is also my best friend. She's been taking care of you."
Brady looked her up and down, looking as if he were sizing her up. Chloe's face scrunched, not liking the untrusting way Brady was looking at her. "Hmmm. . ." Brady grunted in reply. He really didn't know what to say. [i]She[/i] had been taking care of him the last few days? This beautiful creature? And now she'd just walked in on one of his not so shining moments and he was embarrassed. 'Hmm' would have to do for now because he was too taken aback by this woman's presence to say much more.
"'Hmm?'" Belle mocked him. "Is that all you have to say to her?"
Brady began to feel all eyes in the room boring into him now, making him uncomfortable and therefore a little defensive. Okay, a lot defensive. "What does she want? A medal? She was just doing her job." He wiped the accumulating sweat off of his brow with a shaky hand.
'Okay, that's it! The gloves are off now,' Chloe thought to herself as her eyes darkened with irritation. "You need to settle down, Mr. Black," Chloe said coolly, reaching into one of the drawers and pulling out a small syringe, filling it with a yellowish liquid.
"Whoa, what are you doing?" Brady asked her, reaching out for her hand to stop her task. But she deftly pulled her hand away and kept drawing up liquid. "Belle," Brady started. "Tell her to stop."
"If you'll excuse us," Chloe asked the small crowd in Brady's room, an aggravated look marring her lovely face.
"Don't leave," they could hear Brady pleading as they shuffled out. John nearly burst out laughing and helped herd everyone from the room, leaving Chloe and Brady alone.
"Look, Nurse," he eyed her nametag and read her name. "Chloe," he started, as she turned to look at him. Suddenly, he felt something very familiar about her. Her eyes were striking, absolutely sparkling and set in this gorgeous face that could only be described as angelic.
"Yes?" She cocked an eyebrow at him, swearing she could see devilish horns peaking out from under his tousled, blonde hair.
"I. . ." he trailed off, lost in the swirling blue pools of her eyes. "I. . . forgot what I was going to say," he said honestly and laughed nervously. She gifted him with an incredible grin that intoxicated him and made him a little giddy. Unfortunately, she also gifted him with a sharp stick in his IV laden hand. "Ouch! Christ," he cried. "What'd you do that for?"
"Get some rest, Mr. Black," she dropped the emptied syringe in the sharps container and walked briskly out of the room.
"Right," Brady muttered. If only she knew how ridiculous she looked in those Marvin the Martian scrubs, trying to be so haughty. Freaking shrew.
*********************
Later that Day. . .
Chloe worked the rest of the day angry. She tried very hard to come into contact with Brady as few times as possible. He'd needed his vital signs taken quite often but luckily the nursing assistant working today had handled it. Until now.
"What a jerk," the young blonde crossed her arms over her chest after exiting Brady's room.
Chloe inwardly groaned. "What is it, Judy?"
"Mr. Black."
"What's he done now?" Chloe sighed and closed another patient's chart.
"Well, he said if I touch him with the blood pressure cuff one more time, he's going to kick me. He won't even let me take his temperature." Judy huffed and frowned, on the verge of tears.
"Don't worry, Judy," Chloe sighed. "I'll take care of this." Chloe readied herself, slapping on a pair of gloves and grabbing a tube of KY Jelly, before backing into Brady's room.
"Not you again," Brady muttered at the sight of her.
"Yes, me again," Chloe replied, taking a glob of KY Jelly and lubricating a thin, glass rod.
"What's that?" Brady peered at the red bulbed object in her gloved hands.
"Roll over, Mr. Black," Chloe said flatly, not at all enamored with him in the least any longer. He'd shown his true colors this morning and they weren't very pretty. "You won't treat the nurses here with respect, you won't get respect."
"You're insane," Brady's eyes widened as he realized she was holding a rectal thermometer.
"And you're a pain in the ass," Chloe replied. "Roll over."
"No," he protested, uneasily eyeing the slick object in her hands.
"I don't want to have to call George to handle this."
'Who the hell was George,' Brady thought but was certain he didn't want to find out. "This is ridiculous," Brady muttered, awkwardly twisting his body so that his back now faced Chloe. He didn't know why but he couldn't seem to deny her anything. Even if he was conceding in fear, he was conceding just the same.
Chloe pushed back his open hospital gown and noted how broad and strong Brady's back was and how cute and tight his butt was. Such a shame he was such a jackass. "Okay, relax Mr. Black. This won't hurt a bit."
********************
A Little Later. . .
"You are a witch!" Brady spat at Chloe when she'd come in to take his vitals again.
"Open," she said simply and watched as he opened his mouth this time, allowing her to stick in an oral thermometer. "Thank you," she smiled sweetly. He only glared at her as she finished her work. Brady was all talk Chloe soon realized after coming in the first few times to take his vitals. He was almost cute. Almost.
"What are you doing now?" he growled as he saw her draw up another syringe with a clear liquid.
"You do want pain medication, don't you?" She looked him over incredulously.
"I want another nurse," Brady grabbed the remote with the call button.
"Don't you dare press that button," Chloe warned him, tired of his bratty attitude.
"Is that a threat. . . Nurse Chloe?" He sneered.
"Yes," she said simply, staring him down and grabbing his pitcher of ice water.
"You wouldn't," he looked from her to the water and back at her again.
"Oh, I would," she countered, nodding her head in affirmation.
Never breaking eye contact he held the remote up with his good arm and pressed the call button. "Whoops," he smiled. "My hand slipped."
That was it. Chloe had had enough as she held up the pitcher of ice water and poured it right over his. . . err middle area. Brady howled and cursed harshly as the ice water soaked through his hospital gown and right through to his. . . err middle area. "Mine too," Chloe spat and stuck him with the syringe, injecting him with the pain medication, before leaving the room.
**********************
Evening Time. . .
Chloe rubbed her aching back. At last her shift was over. It had been a nightmarish day. There was one more thing she had to do but she had put it off and put it off and put it off, time and time again. It was time to change Brady's IV. 'Greeeeeat.' She couldn't wait until the doctor 'okay'- ed him for solid foods, because she was seriously considering starving him by holding out on giving him his much needed IV at all. She entered his darkened room and noticed his eyes were closed. 'Maybe he was finally sleeping. Thank God.' Chloe stood over his bed at his IV stand and went to work. She began to hum softly as she did so.
"Can you not do that," Brady asked softly, his eyes still closed. She had a beautiful voice but for some reason it made him very sad. It made him think of his mother Isabella and his childhood and all that he missed by losing her. Marlena had been a good mother, yes. But sometimes he got into these wistful moods, especially after almost losing his life, which happened quite often in his line of work. But he wouldn't have it any other way. As a teenager, he'd been so malicious, so angry, so tortured. Yet as he matured, he learned to turn all that anger and all that sadness into helping others, first as a volunteer firefighter and then as a cop. His work was all he had, all he needed and all he would ever need.
"Sorry, Mr. Black, I didn't realize you were up," Chloe replied quietly.
"Chloe?"
"Yes?" She asked, surprised by how gently he'd said her name.
"Call me Brady," he said, looking up at her innocently. He certainly had a new respect for this woman. He'd known he had been absolutely unbearable today but he'd been through a lot, not that he was making excuses. But Chloe, Chloe had stuck with him. Sure, she hadn't made this the most pleasant time for him but she hadn't just walked out on him and given up like many others had before when he'd acted this way.
"Okay. . . Brady," Chloe smiled at him genuinely for the first time all day.
Brady gave her a lopsided grin and winked at her, closing his eyes again. 'Chloe wasn't all that bad,' Brady thought to himself, though he'd known he never thought she was so horrible to begin with.
***********************
Chloe clocked out for the day and grabbed her things in her locker, before making her way to the elevators to head home. But halfway to said elevators, she thought of Brady. It had taken all day but he'd finally become bearable. Chloe wondered what the harm in seeing him and saying goodbye would be. He was an okay guy. 'Just frustrated and angry,' Chloe realized as she stood before his door. She pushed it open and smiled at Brady who turned to look at her, softly smiling back. "How are you doing, Brady?"
"I've been better," he murmured, turning his head away to hide his face that was flushed from having had a much needed, good cry only minutes before.
"Well, that goes without saying." Chloe replied, taking the seat by his bed.
He turned to look at her, not caring about his tear stained face any longer, just wanting to be left alone. "Chloe, what are you doing here?"
"I wish I knew," Chloe said honestly and turned to gaze out of the window, but not before taking Brady's hand and squeezing it tightly.
Brady looked down at her hand grasping his and felt his heart swell. He didn't know what it was about Chloe. He had only met the woman today. But having her here, knowing that she cared, even if she was just doing her job, touched him. "Thanks."
Two Mornings Later. Bright and Not So Early.
Chloe grinned anxiously at Nurse Brenda and ran to the first elevator. She was late. "Shit," she muttered, riding the elevator up to the third floor. "Shit," she cursed again. She'd slept in. She was never late for work. But she'd been dreaming, dreaming of Mr. Tall, Blonde, and Handsome. He had been pretty drugged up the last few days but hopefully he was up and around this morning.
As the elevator doors dinged open, she grimaced as she reported to the charge nurse who proceeded to write Chloe up. Ugh, this day had already started out badly and the only way Chloe figured it would get better is if she saw Brady. He always managed to cheer her up. Okay, so she had never spoken to the guy. But she'd fantasized about it, especially since the day before yesterday when he'd opened those beautiful baby blues and called her his "angel of music." She loved the Phantom of the Opera and knew the reference well. Maybe Brady was an opera buff. She would've asked Belle but then Belle would wonder why she'd be thinking of something like that at a time like this. She would've asked Mimi, but Mimi was still going on and on about her and Brady being soulmates. Chloe continued to dismiss the idea, explaining to Mimi that she didn't even believe in soulmates and she hadn't even officially met Brady yet. She was just his nurse and his sister's best friend. That was all she was and ever would be to Brady. Though, somewhere deep inside, Chloe was beaming at the possible prospect of Brady as her soulmate. No, it was true, she hadn't believed in soulmates. not until she laid eyes on him this week and felt that strange pull, that otherworldly connection to him. And now it was like her world turning upside down. All she'd been able to think about was Brady. What he must look like not so drugged up. What he must sound like singing to her as they danced under the moonlight. What his lips would feel like pressed against her own. She laughed at her thoughts. God, who was she kidding? She needed a boyfriend or a hobby.
She approached Brady's room, her smile falling as she heard a muffled commotion going on inside. So she pushed open the door and gasped at the sight. Brady, her Brady, was throwing a fit, like a child. This wasn't her soulmate! This wasn't her soft spoken, opera loving, manchild.
Brady fidgeted in his bed, not liking his legs elevated above the bed or the awesome amount of pain that throbbed in his left shoulder. "This is ridiculous!"
"Brady, relax," John smiled and tried to settle his son down. All morning, John, Marlena, Belle, Shawn, Mimi and Jason had tried to calm Brady down. But ever since he'd seen the state of his own body and the headline of the Salem Spectator, he'd been downright hysterical. Under normal circumstances, Brady's visitors would be concerned for him. But his outburst this morning had them cracking up. Maybe they were just relieved he was alive and glad he was back to his old self again. Maybe that's why they couldn't help but quietly laugh at him.
"Relax?" Brady laughed maniacally. He'd shot dead four criminals, and therefore was suspended, with pay, while an investigation took place. Standard procedure of course but it still pissed him off. And then he'd found out his shoulder had been shot and both of his legs were broken. He'd been hit by a car. After quote unquote saving the day, he'd been hit by a car. How f&cking ironic was that!? He snatched the Salem Spectator in his hands again and ogled the headline: 'Small Town Car Catches Big City Cop With Pants Down.' "Where is Jack Deveraux!? I am going to kick his ass!"
"Kick Jack's ass, huh Brady?" Belle smiled at her brother and lightly patted his cast-bound legs.
"That's not funny, Belle!" Brady glared at his sister and ran his hand through his hair. And that's when his eyes landed on a beautiful, blue- eyed brunette standing timidly at his door dressed adorably in Marvin the Martian scrubs, her hair up in a high ponytail. "Who the hell are you?" He spat, uncomfortable with the shocked way she was looking at him.
All eyes and heads in the room turned to Chloe. He didn't remember her. His angel of music. He didn't remember her. Chloe cleared her throat. "I'm."
"Brady, be nice." Belle pulled Chloe over to Brady's bed. "This is your nurse, Chloe. And this is also my best friend. She's been taking care of you."
Brady looked her up and down, looking as if he were sizing her up. Chloe's face scrunched, not liking the untrusting way Brady was looking at her. "Hmmm. . ." Brady grunted in reply. He really didn't know what to say. [i]She[/i] had been taking care of him the last few days? This beautiful creature? And now she'd just walked in on one of his not so shining moments and he was embarrassed. 'Hmm' would have to do for now because he was too taken aback by this woman's presence to say much more.
"'Hmm?'" Belle mocked him. "Is that all you have to say to her?"
Brady began to feel all eyes in the room boring into him now, making him uncomfortable and therefore a little defensive. Okay, a lot defensive. "What does she want? A medal? She was just doing her job." He wiped the accumulating sweat off of his brow with a shaky hand.
'Okay, that's it! The gloves are off now,' Chloe thought to herself as her eyes darkened with irritation. "You need to settle down, Mr. Black," Chloe said coolly, reaching into one of the drawers and pulling out a small syringe, filling it with a yellowish liquid.
"Whoa, what are you doing?" Brady asked her, reaching out for her hand to stop her task. But she deftly pulled her hand away and kept drawing up liquid. "Belle," Brady started. "Tell her to stop."
"If you'll excuse us," Chloe asked the small crowd in Brady's room, an aggravated look marring her lovely face.
"Don't leave," they could hear Brady pleading as they shuffled out. John nearly burst out laughing and helped herd everyone from the room, leaving Chloe and Brady alone.
"Look, Nurse," he eyed her nametag and read her name. "Chloe," he started, as she turned to look at him. Suddenly, he felt something very familiar about her. Her eyes were striking, absolutely sparkling and set in this gorgeous face that could only be described as angelic.
"Yes?" She cocked an eyebrow at him, swearing she could see devilish horns peaking out from under his tousled, blonde hair.
"I. . ." he trailed off, lost in the swirling blue pools of her eyes. "I. . . forgot what I was going to say," he said honestly and laughed nervously. She gifted him with an incredible grin that intoxicated him and made him a little giddy. Unfortunately, she also gifted him with a sharp stick in his IV laden hand. "Ouch! Christ," he cried. "What'd you do that for?"
"Get some rest, Mr. Black," she dropped the emptied syringe in the sharps container and walked briskly out of the room.
"Right," Brady muttered. If only she knew how ridiculous she looked in those Marvin the Martian scrubs, trying to be so haughty. Freaking shrew.
*********************
Later that Day. . .
Chloe worked the rest of the day angry. She tried very hard to come into contact with Brady as few times as possible. He'd needed his vital signs taken quite often but luckily the nursing assistant working today had handled it. Until now.
"What a jerk," the young blonde crossed her arms over her chest after exiting Brady's room.
Chloe inwardly groaned. "What is it, Judy?"
"Mr. Black."
"What's he done now?" Chloe sighed and closed another patient's chart.
"Well, he said if I touch him with the blood pressure cuff one more time, he's going to kick me. He won't even let me take his temperature." Judy huffed and frowned, on the verge of tears.
"Don't worry, Judy," Chloe sighed. "I'll take care of this." Chloe readied herself, slapping on a pair of gloves and grabbing a tube of KY Jelly, before backing into Brady's room.
"Not you again," Brady muttered at the sight of her.
"Yes, me again," Chloe replied, taking a glob of KY Jelly and lubricating a thin, glass rod.
"What's that?" Brady peered at the red bulbed object in her gloved hands.
"Roll over, Mr. Black," Chloe said flatly, not at all enamored with him in the least any longer. He'd shown his true colors this morning and they weren't very pretty. "You won't treat the nurses here with respect, you won't get respect."
"You're insane," Brady's eyes widened as he realized she was holding a rectal thermometer.
"And you're a pain in the ass," Chloe replied. "Roll over."
"No," he protested, uneasily eyeing the slick object in her hands.
"I don't want to have to call George to handle this."
'Who the hell was George,' Brady thought but was certain he didn't want to find out. "This is ridiculous," Brady muttered, awkwardly twisting his body so that his back now faced Chloe. He didn't know why but he couldn't seem to deny her anything. Even if he was conceding in fear, he was conceding just the same.
Chloe pushed back his open hospital gown and noted how broad and strong Brady's back was and how cute and tight his butt was. Such a shame he was such a jackass. "Okay, relax Mr. Black. This won't hurt a bit."
********************
A Little Later. . .
"You are a witch!" Brady spat at Chloe when she'd come in to take his vitals again.
"Open," she said simply and watched as he opened his mouth this time, allowing her to stick in an oral thermometer. "Thank you," she smiled sweetly. He only glared at her as she finished her work. Brady was all talk Chloe soon realized after coming in the first few times to take his vitals. He was almost cute. Almost.
"What are you doing now?" he growled as he saw her draw up another syringe with a clear liquid.
"You do want pain medication, don't you?" She looked him over incredulously.
"I want another nurse," Brady grabbed the remote with the call button.
"Don't you dare press that button," Chloe warned him, tired of his bratty attitude.
"Is that a threat. . . Nurse Chloe?" He sneered.
"Yes," she said simply, staring him down and grabbing his pitcher of ice water.
"You wouldn't," he looked from her to the water and back at her again.
"Oh, I would," she countered, nodding her head in affirmation.
Never breaking eye contact he held the remote up with his good arm and pressed the call button. "Whoops," he smiled. "My hand slipped."
That was it. Chloe had had enough as she held up the pitcher of ice water and poured it right over his. . . err middle area. Brady howled and cursed harshly as the ice water soaked through his hospital gown and right through to his. . . err middle area. "Mine too," Chloe spat and stuck him with the syringe, injecting him with the pain medication, before leaving the room.
**********************
Evening Time. . .
Chloe rubbed her aching back. At last her shift was over. It had been a nightmarish day. There was one more thing she had to do but she had put it off and put it off and put it off, time and time again. It was time to change Brady's IV. 'Greeeeeat.' She couldn't wait until the doctor 'okay'- ed him for solid foods, because she was seriously considering starving him by holding out on giving him his much needed IV at all. She entered his darkened room and noticed his eyes were closed. 'Maybe he was finally sleeping. Thank God.' Chloe stood over his bed at his IV stand and went to work. She began to hum softly as she did so.
"Can you not do that," Brady asked softly, his eyes still closed. She had a beautiful voice but for some reason it made him very sad. It made him think of his mother Isabella and his childhood and all that he missed by losing her. Marlena had been a good mother, yes. But sometimes he got into these wistful moods, especially after almost losing his life, which happened quite often in his line of work. But he wouldn't have it any other way. As a teenager, he'd been so malicious, so angry, so tortured. Yet as he matured, he learned to turn all that anger and all that sadness into helping others, first as a volunteer firefighter and then as a cop. His work was all he had, all he needed and all he would ever need.
"Sorry, Mr. Black, I didn't realize you were up," Chloe replied quietly.
"Chloe?"
"Yes?" She asked, surprised by how gently he'd said her name.
"Call me Brady," he said, looking up at her innocently. He certainly had a new respect for this woman. He'd known he had been absolutely unbearable today but he'd been through a lot, not that he was making excuses. But Chloe, Chloe had stuck with him. Sure, she hadn't made this the most pleasant time for him but she hadn't just walked out on him and given up like many others had before when he'd acted this way.
"Okay. . . Brady," Chloe smiled at him genuinely for the first time all day.
Brady gave her a lopsided grin and winked at her, closing his eyes again. 'Chloe wasn't all that bad,' Brady thought to himself, though he'd known he never thought she was so horrible to begin with.
***********************
Chloe clocked out for the day and grabbed her things in her locker, before making her way to the elevators to head home. But halfway to said elevators, she thought of Brady. It had taken all day but he'd finally become bearable. Chloe wondered what the harm in seeing him and saying goodbye would be. He was an okay guy. 'Just frustrated and angry,' Chloe realized as she stood before his door. She pushed it open and smiled at Brady who turned to look at her, softly smiling back. "How are you doing, Brady?"
"I've been better," he murmured, turning his head away to hide his face that was flushed from having had a much needed, good cry only minutes before.
"Well, that goes without saying." Chloe replied, taking the seat by his bed.
He turned to look at her, not caring about his tear stained face any longer, just wanting to be left alone. "Chloe, what are you doing here?"
"I wish I knew," Chloe said honestly and turned to gaze out of the window, but not before taking Brady's hand and squeezing it tightly.
Brady looked down at her hand grasping his and felt his heart swell. He didn't know what it was about Chloe. He had only met the woman today. But having her here, knowing that she cared, even if she was just doing her job, touched him. "Thanks."