CHAPTER TWO

A BUMP IN THE NIGHT

Disclaimer: I do not own or make money off these characters.

Garret was hearing voices, but his head hurt too much to open his eyes and see where they were coming from. One of the voices sounded like the beautiful dark-haired woman he remembered from before. She seemed to be upset with the other person, who was telling her she had to leave the room. A soft hand clutched his own hand gently, and he wanted to never let it go.

"I'm not going anywhere." The dark-haired woman was saying. "His only family is out of the country, and I am his closest friend. I'm staying!"

She was his closest friend? Garret groaned slightly and opened his eyes to slits. He could see her sitting next to him, holding his hand, while a short, very red-faced young nurse tried to argue with her.

"Ma'am, only relatives are allowed...."

"I am as close to him as a relative, and that will have to ......."

Garret spoke in a hoarse voice, "Please let her stay."

The nurse looked at him, surprised. She turned in exasperation toward the door to the room. "I'll tell the doctor that you've regained consciousness." With that, she exited.

"Gar, honey, are you all right?" Jordan Cavanaugh reached over and gently stroked the side of his face. It felt so good. He opened his eyes and looked at her quizzically. She noticed his look and spoke.

"What's wrong, Garret? What happened to you?"

He wasn't sure where to start, but finally decided to answer her question with one of his own. "Do I know you?"

Jordan caught her breath, and then her brow furrowed as she appeared to be processing something. She leaned a little closer to him and spoke.

"You don't know me, do you?" He responded with a negative. She managed to look concerned and amused at the same time.

"You're my best friend. We work together. Do you know who you are?" Garret blinked and thought.

"I....I'm Garret Macy, Chief Medical Examiner." He paused, "That's all I remember...."

Just then the door opened and a doctor breezed in. "Ah, I see you're awake, Dr. Macy. How do you feel?"

"My head hurts." Garret said, and then added, "And I can't remember anything."

Dr. Graves nodded. "You had quite a blow to the back of your head in the area that controls memory. You also have a mild case of pneumonia probably due to exposure. The memory should return in a few days as the swelling goes down, and we are starting you on some antibiotics for the pneumonia. You don't remember who hit you?"

"No," Garret replied. "I just remember waking up on the concrete. I had a badge in my pocket that told me my name and where I worked. Do I have a family?"

The doctor turned to Jordan for the answer to that. She didn't want to upset Garret so she just said, "You have a grown daughter. She's traveling in Europe with your ex-wife." She didn't add that they were with Maggie's latest boyfriend.

"Well," the doctor scratched his head. "I was going to release you, but if you don't have anyone to help take care of you..."

"I'll take care of that." Jordan spoke up quickly. She turned to Garret and squeezed his hand. "It'll make up for all the times I've driven you nuts!" She smiled at him. Looking at the beautiful woman, Garret could only think of one way she could drive him nuts, and he didn't think she had meant it like that. Still, he squeezed her hand in return and attempted a weak smile.

"Okay, then." Dr. Graves smiled and turned to go. "I'll get the paperwork started for you to leave. Oh...," He walked to a nearby locker. "There are some clean scrubs in here for you to wear home." He turned to Jordan. "Maybe you can help him get dressed." With that, he turned and left.

Jordan crossed the room and shut the door. Then she opened the locker and took out a pair of light green pants and the same color shirt. Garret's sock and shoes were in the next locker, a little damp, but she figured he could wear them home. She crossed back to the bed and stood by the side.

"Ready to do this, Gar?"

Garret struggled slightly to sit up and Jordan helped by swinging his legs over the side of the bed. In the process, the hospital gown rode up and Garret turned a little red.

"Uh, you know if you're going to help me get dressed, maybe I should at least know your name..." He managed to get out, embarrassed. She looked at him in surprise, and then smiled.

"I'm Jordan. Jordan Cavanaugh." She looked at him with affection as she ran her hand over the top of his shaved head. "And you and I have been good friends for a very long time." He loved how she seemed to be so comfortable touching him.

"Just friends?" He asked as he looked in her eyes. He saw surprise there at his question, and then something else he couldn't identify. She shook her head, and turned to get his pants.

"That's the way we've always wanted it." She said it oh so softly, like maybe she wasn't too sure about it. He hoped that was the case, and wondered why in the world he hadn't wanted to be more than friends with this woman. She knelt and fitted the pants over his feet and brought them up over his knees. She then held onto his arm as he stood and pulled them up thankfully without showing too much. He felt her fingers at his back loosening the ties that held the gown together. Then she slipped the garment from his shoulders as he turned around to face her. They were only inches apart, and he could feel the heat from her body on his exposed chest. It felt good.

For the first time in their relationship, Jordan felt herself seeing him as a man, instead of a friend. It was confusing, and even a little frightening. He was someone that she knew she had avoided all her life. A man who knew her inside and out. She realized that maybe she had kept him as a friend only so that she could have that close relationship without a commitment. Now that he had no memory, and the inhibitions that came with that, maybe he was actually displaying his true feelings for her. He wanted more than friendship. She let her hand do what it wanted to do - come to rest on his chest, feeling the soft, fuzzy skin there. His skin was warm, and he smelled good. She felt her knees weaken slightly as his huge brown eyes focused on her face. 'I never noticed he had such kissable lips.' she thought to her self. But the moment was broken as the room door swung open and a new nurse appeared. Jordan helped Garret slip his shirt over his head before she turned. The nurse place several papers on the bed and began to explain the check-out procedure to them.

TBC..............