Yorkshire, England – Reality

"Is the vampire finished for the afternoon?" The Dowager grumbled as John tucked the cotton ball into the bend of her elbow and applied the plaster.

"I'm finished Mrs. Crawley and you did a wonderful job." He pulled out a lollypop. "And, for your patience, you can have your sugar treat for the day."

"What? Not worried about me rotting my teeth?"

"Do you have teeth left?" Mrs. Isobel Crawley piped up from behind John and he caught the Dowager's scowl. "I thought we were both on dentures."

"I still have all of my teeth, thank you." The Dowager's hand flexed on her the head of her cane as her other hand took the offered lollypop. "And I'll enjoy this as I wear them."

"Just remember to brush your teeth before bed." John gathered his things, cataloguing the blood samples and moving back to the kitchen so he could store them in the marked section of the fridge. He noted the time and the sample numbers on a clipboard before pausing. He frowned, looked at his pen, and put it back to the paper to continue making his notes.

A moment later the he stopped, holding the pen over the paper as something drew his attention again. With another frown, he took a step back and twisted to look around the room but he could see no one else. Even stooping to dip under the counter failed to reveal a small child or one of the dogs. But as he straightened, the sound from above him repeated and John craned his neck back to try and identify the source of the noise.

After another moment, the sound stuttered in a poor imitation of a more consistent loop. It repeated with a touch more urgency from above his head and John set the clipboard down as he pinpointed the source through the ceiling. With the clipboard on the counter, he ascended the stairs to the second floor and followed the noise now that it was slightly louder. And, with the clarifying sounds, John finally stopped outside Anna's studio.

He frowned, failing to recognize the sound. It did not strike anywhere in his memory similar to previous sounds that originated from Anna's studio. That alone gave him pause until the sounds picked up in urgency again. At this, John raised his hand to the door, tucking his fingers into his palm, and rapped his knuckles against the wood.

As he waited for a response, a scratching on the other side of the door and a whine were all that replied. The desperate note in Bernie's whine had John checking the knob on the door. When it turned in his grip, John almost stumbled through the door in surprise but he caught himself before he could trip over Bernie as the dog waited just inside the room.

The dog impacted John's legs as John caught his footing and the force almost pushed John back into the hall. All that saved him was his grip on the doorknob so he avoided the embarrassment of tumbling back onto his ass. But, for a moment, he imagined himself as an inelegant seesaw with his whirlwind of pinwheeling motions.

Righting himself, once again, John managed to regain his footing and even withstood Bernie's second impact into his legs. He bent with the impact and put out a hand to try and calm Bernie from the obvious agitation that left the normally quiet and subdued animal whimpering and whining before him. The position allowed John a new perspective of the room and he finally gauged the source of Bernie's distress.

For there, across the room, Anna lay prone on the floor.

John hurried over and dropped to his knees to immediately pulled one of Anna's arms from the floor. His fingers settled on her wrist to take her pulse but the steady thump of a heartbeat through the pads of his fingers barely registered as Anna jumped in his grip. Startled himself, John practically launched himself backward.

This time he really did land on his ass. Sideways, as he tried to avoid cracking his skull on the edge of the table, and almost collided with Bernie. The dog made his opinion on the near-hit known immediately with a bark that temporarily deafened John but he noted Bernie moved to Anna's side and placed his head under her abandoned hand. The same hand that stroked through Bernie's fur as she sat up.

"Calm down Bernie, you'll scare John."

"He'll scare me?" John spluttered and shifted sideways to move onto his knees as Anna sat up. "Haven't you scared me?"

"Did I?"

"Yes." John took deep breaths, "I came in and there you were, prone on the floor and you weren't moving and…"

"And it scared you." Anna winced, "Sorry about that."

"That?"

"Yes 'that'." Anna shrugged, "Sorry."

"What was that?"

"A training exercise for Bernie." Anna's hand moved soothingly through Bernie's fur and the dog scooted closer to nestled himself into Anna's side. His head moved onto her lap as she shifted on the floor but he remained close to her all the same. Anna smiled at him, her hand never stopping from stroking into his fur. "He's trained to get help if something happens to me but I've got to keep up his training to make sure he never forgets how."

"And you being prone and incapacitated on the floor was a part of the whole training exercise was it?"

"Yes." Anna reached a hand up and grabbed the edge of the counter to lift herself to her feet. John was at her side in a moment, his hand under her other armpit as Bernie rose to be at Anna's side should she need him. "I closed the door and mimed a fall. Then I held my breath so Bernie would attempt simple CPR."

"Your dog can perform CPR?"

"Yes he can." Anna scrubbed hard on Bernie's head until the dog's expression could almost be said to smile with pride. She eased off but continued to scratch between Bernie's ears as he now bore signs of relaxed joy at the moment of quality care. "And when I don't breathe after three rounds he's supposed to go for help."

"But you closed the door."

"I did."

"The how does he go for help?" John paused, "Unless he knows how to open doors as well as perform CPR and count."

"If it's a push handle Bernie can open the door but knobs are outside his wheelhouse." Anna held up her hands, wiggling her fingers. "No opposable thumbs, unfortunately."

"He's got the body mass of a tank if he need to bust through one like the Kool-Aid Man so I'd think knobs aren't really an issue for him."

"It'd have to be extraordinarily serious for Bernie to try and break through a door." Anna frowned, "And I don't think he's heavy enough for it."

"Tell that to my kneecaps and the way he almost put my on my ass when I entered the room." John snorted, "With the door closed and a knob on it, what does Bernie do then?"

"He's supposed to make noise to draw attention. Which he did, obviously, since you're here." Anna leaned back into the counter. "Sorry if I scared you."

"I could've used a little forewarning."

"The purpose of the exercise is to test if Bernie's methods work. To let you in on the test means you might not respond as quickly and then Bernie gets anxious." Anna pursed her lips, "Or you respond too quickly and then you've skewed the results."

"As someone who's invested money and effort into the scientific method I can acknowledge the need for blind procedure." John took a breath, "Should I prepare myself for more indignities if Carl does the same tests as Bernie?"

"You don't have to worry about Carl."

"No?"

"No. Carl's a guard dog, not a service animal. He's not got to train himself the same way Bernie does."

"Because he makes noise and people come running or run off?"

"Something like that, yes." Anna sucked the insides of her cheek, "Again, I'm sorry for freaking you out."

"I accept your apology and all I can say is that I'm glad you're not really hurt." John shrugged, "Bernie does need his training after all."

"He does."

"And, speaking as a fellow scientist," John crouched down and held out a hand to Bernie, who sniffed it and accepted a scratch before returning to Anna's side. "He did an excellent job. Top marks."

"Good." Anna bit at her lip as a smile crested over her face. "You know… I just had a thought. But… Maybe not."

"Maybe not what?" John rose and folded his arms over his chest as Anna's face scrunched before her lips turned up into a smile.

"Well, that thing is, as a nurse you'd be well within your rights to perform a thorough check. You know, make sure I'm entirely alright and all that."

"You think so, do you?"

"I do, Nurse Bates." John tracked the way Anna's tongue dipped out ever-so-slightly to wet her lips. "I think you'd be determined to."

"Oh would I?" John allowed a smile to creep over his face as well as he matched her tone. "And how, Ms. Smith, would I make sure that you're entirely alright?"

"I'd think a thorough examination would be appropriate."

"Would it?" John moved to close the distance between them, noting the hitch in Anna's breathing as she sensed him closer to her. "And what kind of examination should I perform? I'm not your nurse, after all."

"That's true, you're not."

"Ah well," John clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Then what are we to do?"

"Act on our Christian impulses."

"I'm sure whatever you're thinking, judging by that lovely dash of red over your cheeks, Ms. Smith, is decidedly not appropriate for church."

"Who said anything about church?" Anna raised her hands, as if in surrender, and affected an innocent posture. "But a Good Samaritan would make sure I had a heartbeat."

"I felt your pulse a minute ago."

"Did you?"

"I did." John reached out and took one of Anna's arms, noting the way the other fell back to hold at the counter behind her. "I took it just like this."

His fingers moved over the pulse in her wrist and John noted the hitch in the beat there as he stepped into Anna's space. He imagined he could see the tiny hairs on her skin raise in response to his presence but John swallowed to refocus as he bent his head to put his lips near her ear. The catch in Anna's breathing almost undid his plan then and there.

"But I could take your pulse another way."

"And how's that?" Anna's voice, barely a whisper, had John practically grinning against her skin as her breath ghosted past his ear.

"It'd be something like this."

John dipped his head and leaned forward to close the distance between them. His lips graced over Anna's skin and traced her jaw before landing at the pulse point on her neck. Anna shivered under his touch and let out a little sigh when John pressed his kiss there. And when he did it again, nipping at the beat of her pulse, Anna's arm twisted so his fingers slid to contort in his grip so she could hold his hand.

"This one." Anna gasped when John retraced the trail of his kisses back toward her ear. "Definitely take my pulse like that."

"So, better one," John kissed at her pulse again before pulling back to bring her wrist to his lips. "Or better two?"

"One, definitely one."

"Then," John mouthed at the pulse thrumming through Anna's wrist for a few moments before retreating. "I should tell you Ms. Smith, your pulse is elevated."

"Dangerously so?"

"There's only one way to know for sure."

"And what way would that be?"

The fingers of John's other hand brushed the collar of Anna's button-down to the side enough to leave the skin of her upper chest exposed. "Checking at the source, of course."

"And how will you check?"

"Through a continuation of my current methods I think." John's lips grazed Anna's skin from her neck to just over her heart. He paused, smiling a hair from Anna's skin when her breath caught and her chest rose in response. "Unless you think the method insufficient to support my conclusions."

Anna's hand slipped fully from John's grip and ran over his arm to stabilize at the back of his head. Her fingers immediately carded into his hair and she flexed for a moment before tightening the digits. The tug on John's scalp distracted him a second before Anna steered John's lips back to her skin.

With a wider smile, John skated to where Anna's heart thumped so loudly it almost made her skin vibrate. Tiny flits of his tongue traced over the area in time with the quickening pace of the beats. Each kiss and taunt of a nip had Anna's fingers clutching into John's hair, steering him where she wanted him until the rasp of her shirt collar brought John up short.

He paused, his nose just above the curve of Anna's bra, and swallowed so his throat would be clear to speak. "Ms. Smith, I find that I may need to investigate further."

"Do it." Anna's fingers flexed in his hair again.

"Do I have your consent to take off any clothing item that may impede a thorough and proper investigation?"

"Yes." Anna breathed, her fingers tightening so her nails dug into the back of John's scalp. "Yes. Do it. Please do… Stop."

John paused immediately, his fingers frozen on the buttons of Anna's shirt. "What?"

"Is the door closed?"

"I…" John looked over his shoulder. "No."

"Bernie." Anna gave a short whistle through her teeth and Bernie padded to the door.

John watched as the dog adjusted his position to push the door almost closed. And, when there was only enough space for the dog to slip through the opening, he slid into the corridor. A moment later, in a feat of impressive training, Bernie tugged enough on the handle to close the door behind him.

The moment the door clicked in place, Anna's nails dragged over John's scalp and he turned into the kiss Anna pressed to him. A bit off-center at first but within a moment she found his lips with hers and distracted him long enough with her tongue that it took John another few seconds to realize she slotted one of his legs between hers. A motion made all the more obvious when her hips undulated to rock against him.

John traded kisses with Anna as his hands landed on her hips. His fingers traced the line of her jeans, stroking up and under her shirt to reach the back of her bra. With a flex, and a moment of confusion he hoped to bury in a deep kiss, Anna's bra loosened. Given the little giggle Anna let out, John knew his moment of struggle was not lost on her. However, her gasp of pleasure when John used the opportunity to undo two buttons and use the gap in the bra cup to latch his lips on her breast made it worth the effort.

Anna's other hand left the edge of the counter to clutch at John's hand where it rested on her hip. Her grip tightened when John sucked hard at Anna's nipple and then loosened his hold to nip her skin. And, when he finally managed to finish with all the fiddly buttons on Anna's shirt, it forced her hands to release their grip on him so he could shuck her shirt and bra to the side. They landed with unsatisfying flutters but John only took perfunctory note of their position before he lifted Anna onto the counter so he could return his attention to her breasts.

Their hands traded holds and grips as their unique callouses rasped over their skin. Anna's nails scraped through his hair or raked over his shoulders toward his neck when John left a trail of hickeys around her breasts. John's hands could not stop smoothing over Anna's back and shoulders as he tried to find more skin on her upper body he had yet to lavish in attention as he spread kisses to every part of her he could reach. He only broke from his crusade when Anna's equally insistent fingers found the edge of his scrub shirt and tried to force it upward.

Breaking their contact for a second, but staying in the safe confines of the space between Anna's knees, John hauled his shirt and the vest underneath over his head and tossed them toward Anna's already discarded clothing. The pile grew a moment later when he kicked his shoes in that direction and helped Anna's join them. And grew again when Anna's hands slapped the counter to lift herself enough for John to tug both her jeans and knickers free.

Before her hands could return to their hold on John, he ducked away. It took him a moment to snag Anna's stool and bring it back to their position so he could sit in front of her. Anna's knees widened slightly when John's shoulders slotted between them and he brought the stool close enough to knock his knees on the support beams of the counter. But none of that mattered once he maneuvered one of Anna's legs over his shoulder and set his mouth to tracing kisses along the inside of her thigh until he reached her clit.

If Anna's fingers in John's hair before threatened to steer him, now her grip left him wondering if there would be patches of it missing when he finished. But each and every tug was worth the threat of pain and baldness as John's lips and tongue continued their efforts in lavishing Anna with attention. And when her grip dug so hard John knew there would be divots from her nails and the bend of her knee threatened to crack his shoulder, John continued sucking and lapping at her until Anna's grip loosened.

Only then did he slide back. He took a moment to appreciate the view of Anna, chest heaving for air as her arms shook from the effort of holding herself at an angle, before he nudged the stool to the side and shucked his remaining clothing. The soft fump of impact did nothing to distract John as his hands smoothed over Anna's quivering thighs and his kisses tracked up her torso.

He paused in the valley between her breasts, paying due heed to where he already left marks, before returning to Anna's neck. There he paused as Anna's fingers trembled against the skin of his shoulder until her grip firmed. Then John trailed his lips to Anna's ear and whispered there as his hands landed lightly on her hips to bring her to the edge of the counter.

"Ms. Smith, I believe I've a solution to your raised heart rate."

"Do you?" Anna's voice cracked slightly, her chest still rising high enough to press her breasts into John's chest.

"I do." John's fingers stroked Anna's skin as he positioned himself to rub along the fresh evidence of his work at Anna's folds. The slick stroke left Anna's breath catching again and her fingers digging into John's shoulders. "Would you like to hear my diagnosis?"

"Yes." Anna's head fell back and John spent a minute kissing over it.

"I think you need an orgasm."

"Another, you mean?"

"If the lady insists." John did not thrust forward but chose, instead, to continue sliding between her folds to coat himself in the results of his efforts.

"I do." Anna's nails now used their dig into his skin to urge John forward. "I insist. I insist on it right now."

"Your wish is my command." John took half a second to position himself and then thrust forward.

The looseness in Anna's body, brought on in the aftermath of her climax, immediately tightened as John waited. When her fingers loosened their claw-like grip on his shoulders, John slid back a fraction before he thrust forward again to bury himself to the very hilt. At this Anna's knees tightened at John's hips and her back arched to bring John deeper if that were possible.

Following the silent urging, John set a slow pace. Each thrust struck with the intention of reaching as deeply into Anna as he could manage. Small adjustments in angle and position allowed John to track the effect on Anna's reactions. Every motion aimed to bring her to pleasure until her vaginal muscles tightened around him in time with the rake of her nails over his shoulders and sides as she came again in his arms.

The resulting shudders and shocks, with the spasming flex of Anna's internal muscles around John, left him biting the end of his tongue to stop himself mindlessly thrusting forward. Instead he waited, his forehead pressed to Anna's shoulder as he tried to control his breathing. But with the temptation of Anna's breasts before him, John caved and redirected his attention to the distraction.

It took almost no time then for him to bring Anna right back to the edge. Even with his finesse flailing and an almost frenetic nature to his motions, John's fingers proved dexterous enough to bring Anna over the edge with him. This time they slumped together, skin sticking through sweat as they clung to one another through their mutual aftershocks and tried to stop themselves sinking to puddles on the floor.

Eventually John withdrew, reaching for one of the towels within convenient grabbing distance, and set to cleaning over the both of them. But Anna caught his hand, giving a soft laugh as she did. "I think, Nurse Bates, that I don't need a sponge bath to go with your impeccably thorough examination."

"The offer's on the table."

"I think you already had me on the table," Anna slid down, her hands holding the edge of the counter as she maneuvered to the sink and pivoted to operate the peddles as she held the towel under the water. "The rest of this I can handle for myself."

"But why should you have to?" John slid behind her, his nose running over the skin of her throat again before he put his lips to her ear again. "I could do this for you. Wait on you hand and foot."

"I think your two other charges would take umbrage to being thrown over for me in that fashion." Anna's laugh vibrated through her back and into John's chest as he pressed against her from behind.

"They'd make do." John's hands wandered to Anna's hips before stroking up her torso toward her breasts to gently knead there.

"Would they?" Anna's response caught in her throat and her head rolled back to rest on John's shoulder.

"Of course they would. They're hardy old women. Fully capable of managing themselves." John's hands continued, gentle and thorough in their appreciation of Anna's breasts from a new angle. "I'm sure they don't even need me."

"And I do?"

"I'll leave that up to you to answer." John kissed over Anna's neck again, pausing when he tracked back to her ear. "Would you like another demonstration of my skills? I promise you, I can provide a full CV."

"I trust your work thus far." Anna arched into John's touch and moaned slightly when one of his hands left their effort at her breast to trek south and begin a gentle tease of her clit. "But keep going. You might convince me."

"Any particular requests or would a general demonstration do?"

"Keep doing what you're doing and I think we'll get on just fine." Anna sighed and almost sank back into John as his fingers at her clit slid down to take advantage of the angle to slip through her already soaked folds to work along her vaginal muscles.

"Then I'll continue. But it should be noted," John kissed gently along Anna's neck and shoulder as his other hand massaged one of Anna's breasts before he moved to the other. "I am somewhat of a connoisseur of the female form."

"Is that so?" Anna flexed and shifted against John.

"Yes. Years of anatomy and medical rounds make me a bit of a physical expert."

"Only physical?"

"I would be a fool to assume I'm even that but I definitely wouldn't dare assume I'm an expert in any other capacity. However," John's fingers paused for only a moment as his fingers rubbed over the place inside Anna that had her writing against him. "I will say I continue to be impressed by the female form?"

"Do you?"

"Of course." John moved his lips back toward Anna's ear, "Especially the impressive ability women have to continue experiencing pleasure. The turn-around time is practically non-existent because you can continue to orgasm. It's enviable."

"Is it?" Anna's fingers scratched and dug into the skin at the back of John's neck.

"I can imagine how many men would beg to have the chance to continue orgasming."

"Good thing they can't then. It would be murder for women who want a rest on occasion and need their rest."

"Do you need a rest now?" John's fingers paused. "Would you like me to stop?"

"No." Anna's other hand closed over John's wrist as his fingers shifted to drag his thumb over her clit while his fingers continued to work against her g-spot and encourage her higher. "I want you to continue."

"I'm at your command." He continued to drag his fingers slowly, working over the place inside Anna that had her twisting in his arms. Twisting and trying to find the high that her hitching breath signaled would soon arrive. But something about the catch in Anna's voice had John putting his mouth near her ear.

"John-"

"What?"

"I need… I can't without-"

"Don't worry." John quickened the pace of his fingers and steadied the rhythm to something consistent and reliable. I've got you."

"You do?"

"Of course." John kissed just below Anna's ear. "You can let go now."

And Anna did.

John withdrew his fingers, kissing softly over Anna's neck as her body quivered in his hold. His other hand withdrew from her folds and he shifted behind Anna to suck his fingers into his mouth. Within a moment her fingers closed over his wrist and tugged his fingers free so her lips could take over his mouth.

She broke away when the need for air had her back expanding against his chest but John's hand at her hip remained in place. The gentle brush of her fingers over his had John smiling and dipping down to snatch a second kiss. But when he went to pull away her fingers stayed on his and held fast.

"Was there something else you needed Ms. Smith?"

"Maybe." Her fingers continued stroking over his hand as her ass gave the barest of grinds against his burgeoning erection. "But perhaps it's not about what I need but about what you need."

"I'm not in a rush."

"But you've patients downstairs that might wonder where you've gotten off and you're supposed to be professional." The tease in her voice had John's other hand latching onto her unclaimed hip and pressing close to her again. Her breath caught in a little gasp that turned into a moan with a shiver as John ground against her.

"Are you suggesting I be unprofessional now?"

"I suggest you finish what you started or the people in this house with working eyes will see that you didn't."

"With that kind of invitation, how could I say no?" John's knee barely nudged at one of Anna's and shifted her leg to the side to give him enough room. His mouth trailed kisses over her neck and he shifted forward and stroked the length of his arousal against her folds to brush her clit. "I would hate to think I left you unsatisfied."

"Feelings mutual." Anna's hand returned to its perch at the back of his neck and her nails dug into his skin. "But keep teasing me like that and I'll think you're just going to leave me wanting here."

"I think you'd manage."

"It's not as fun alone."

"Truer words." John took a second to adjust and then thrust forward.

Their position did not leave him much room for romance or sensuality but John tried. Given their position, and the threat of a relatively uncomfortable counter right in front of Anna, he kept the pace slow. And the slow pace allowed for micro adjustments as he held off so he could bring Anna with him. Another change in angle and the dedicated use of his fingers accomplished the task to bring Anna over the edge.

With her quivering and trembling in his arms, John allowed himself to lose any finesse and finish. There was no grand fanfare but he pressed sloppy kisses to Anna's shoulder and neck as he withdrew. A moment later the water in her sink was running and one of Anna's hands found his arm and then hand to press a wet cloth there.

"To make you presentable enough to return to your other patients, Nurse Bates."

"Thank you." John took care to wipe himself down and rinsed for another dousing of himself with the cloth to try and remove the tacky sensation of sweat drying to his skin. "They may be among the elderly but they've got sharper eyes than me."

"Maybe we should get you some glasses."

"Even if I needed them," John carefully reached around Anna to drop the cloth with her used one and then went about parsing out their clothing to hand hers back before taking his own. "I wouldn't get them."

"Why not?"

"Contacts give you a better range of vision." John shrugged and then smiled to himself. "And glasses, let's be honest, are a stylistic choice these days."

"Some people's eyes get tired when they wear contacts too long."

"Maybe they do." John got back into his clothes, rolling his shoulders and pulling at his sleeves to resettle the fabric on his skin. "But glasses are for people to appreciate how they look on you, not so much for the vision they offer."

"You're sure about that?"

"Relatively sure." John shrugged again, "Besides, the only person I'd want to impress with what I wear would be you and, thus far, you've been amenable to whatever I've got."

Anna's hand found his shoulder and she shoved at him. "Prat."

"It's the truth."

"It's sappy and probably not at all true."

"It's true." John tugged on her hand and moved himself closer to Anna to drop a kiss on her lips. "I think you'd accept me in whatever I'm wearing."

"That's not true."

"You can't see it so you'd never know."

"I can still feel things and I draw the line at uncomfortable fabrics."

"Then that's me in jim-jams for the rest of my life."

"Ugh." Anna put both of her hands on John's chest and pushed him backward. "You forget, Nurse Bates, that you've only taken me on one date. You can't act like we're intertwined just yet."

"No?"

"Absolutely not." Anna raised her hand and affected a posture that took on the expression of prim superiority… Or as close as she could get without seeing it for herself. "I'm still a woman of decisions and those decisions will be affected if I'm not properly wined and dined."

"Between trysts in your art studio and me reading you erotic novels?"

"Every part matters." Anna wagged her finger in John's general direction. "Now shoo. I've got work to do and so do you. More to the point, I'm sure Bernie's beside himself waiting for me out there. Probably thinks I can't manage without him."

"I'd hate to leave Bernie waiting." John opened the door and Bernie immediately rose to his feet and padded over to Anna's stool to stand next to her. "He's a right knight in shining armor."

"I say that when he's got his vest on." Anna scratched behind Bernie's ears. "He's good to me and I hope I'm good to him."

"In that case," John swept a dramatic bow, despite the only spectator to appreciate being a nonplussed canine. "Let me bid you adieu."

"If that's what you think 'wining and dining' me sounds like, I think you need to try a little harder."

"I'm just testing the field." John grabbed for the handle of the door. "I'll find a way to sweep you off your feet."

"I'm breathless with anticipation."

"I could make you breathless for other reasons."

"Go." Anna's hand flapped toward him, as if shooing him off. "Before you distract me anymore today."

"Says the woman who called me up here for a fake-"

"It was a routine check." Anna shook her head as she placed an earbud in one ear. "But you're welcome to come and give me routine checks of your own in the future, if that would help."

"We can certainly test that theory." John closed the door almost all the way. "Until later, Ms. Smith."

"Until later Nurse Bates."