Unconscious Desires

al Center. She inhaled deeply, fingers clamped around the strap of her canvas tote bag. Her heart hammered against h

the physicians had warned. A routine procedure to remove an ova

er nerve

rse called out, c

, not looking at the pale blue walls or the patients whizzed by on wheels. At the pre-op room, the nurse handed her a gown and

ospital setting. Maybe it was that shivery sensation of

onto the gurney, she heard the door open and so

y Ha

t to the man

to fit his precise dimensions. Dark hair ruffled at the crown, the rest of him neat to a point of s

r stare-it was the cold steel in his eyes. A s

how, devastatin

rst. "I'll be your anesthesiologist today. I'll be administering general anest

d a small

hers for a moment.

nausea? Fever? Chest

, n

h your heart?

N

"You're a good candidate, then. We're going to be inserting an IV shortly

thing. Cold. Bru

e sort of fellow to soften his rough edges for anyone. Probably spent years perfecting thi

dn't help speculating a

general anesthesi

ook he

breath was stuck in her throat. There was something behind those eyes. Not warmth, not exactly. Bu

gh the steps," he said, h

ectric charge-like the quiet thrum of a horn buzzing just under her skin. He didn't react, yet his hand stay

and avoide

administer the anesthesia via your IV. You'll be out quickly, and

e asked, and then immediately

and this time there was a

I'll be right there the w

r in the chest harder

e at the bottom, she tried not to think about how he said the

precision. Dr. West took a step back, folding his arms across his chest,

e," he said, adjusting the IV drip. "I want y

e world already starting

es you feel warm. S

lids fl

alled wasn't a memory or a

se

t v

drian

-

ke up

achines and the occasional squeak of a nurse's shoes on tile.

n she s

her bed, chart in his hand,

doing?" he

again. "Dizz

nesthesia will take a couple

nce. it was too much. Too close. Too

dream," s

O

slowly to turn to hi

. Then, slowly, his mouth curved-not into a

o think of something

d

aybe it was the vertigo of consciousness. But his gaze fixed u

lo

silence that ha

finally s

t over her. Another tender touch, another jolt of electricity run

el like noth

there, heart pounding, trying to make

ogist. He was cold, impas

bout him made her fe