Alana resisted the urge to roll her eyes as the flock of nurses communed around the nursing station, far more interested in spreading the latest gossip than filling out their charts. Usually, Alana would be back with Baylee, but she had to finish a little last minute charting and pulling orders that the doctor had prescribed for the boy. It wasn't that she didn't like the nurses she worked with, but some were just ridiculously two-faced. Especially the ones working on the seven to three shift. She hardly ever put her trust into others, unless they proved to be worthy. Especially as these nurses spoke of slipping to the media that Baylee was in their hospital and what a stoic profit they would make. The media was fiendishly conniving, practically starving for information on the young patient. Their deals of massive profits were no doubt alluring. And, when they told Alana what a handsome profit she would make off the deal, she just made a face and turned slightly. "How could you honestly use a poor sick little boy as your meal ticket? Doesn't this hospital pay you enough?"
"It's not like it'd hurt anything--" the older of the nurses cut off when she saw a young man approaching the station.
"Excuse me? Can you tell me which room Baylee Littrell is in?" he questioned, his gaze seeking out Alana.
"My God, it's Nick Carter!" one of the freshly graduated nurses squealed from behind Alana.
"Should we get him an ID Badge?" Alana questioned with a playful squeal, moving to stand from her seated position behind the long desk. Flipping Baylee's chart closed, she leaned over the counter with a kind smile. It didn't take a genius to realize who the man was standing before her, especially as she studied the depth of his dark indigo eyes. Nor did it take the wild squeal of her overly excited co-worker. Though, even if he wasn't famous, she still would have recognized him as Baylee's beloved 'Nicky.' Picture frames littered the child's room, most encasing photographs of himself and Nick. She knew he would be a happily anticipated guest for the sick little boy. "Sorry about that. He's right down the hall, last room on your right, 415-A."
"Thanks," Nick murmured, ignoring the heated whispering going on around him as he stared into a pair of mesmerizing teal eyes. Dipping his gaze slightly, he read her ID badge quickly before looking back up. "Last room on the left?"
"Right," Alana laughed, pushing a few fallen strawberry blonde, straight locks behind her multiply pierced ears. Keeping direct eye contact with his indigo eyes, she decided that he could very well be considered handsome. Dark blonde locks highlighted with platinum streaks spiked into a messy style. A sleek, angular nose. And those lips… But she brushed those thoughts aside, having no desire to fall down that road again. "Go to your right. If you swing a left, you're going into a teenage girl's room. And, though I'm sure she'd scream with delight, her heart couldn't take it and you probably couldn't either."
"Gotcha…" Nick trailed, letting his eyes sweep the curve of her neck as she leaned her head to one side, studying him. Flicking his tongue over his lips, he suddenly wondered what her skin tasted like. Releasing his breath in a soft sigh, he quickly pushed away from the desk, grateful for his baggy track pants. "Thanks a lot," he said after a moment, giving her a quick smile before heading down the hall.
'They're an honest to God herd of nosy cows,' Alana thought with a rueful smile, moving to seat herself once more with Baylee's chart in her hands. Leaning toward the printer and fax, she snatched his latest blood work from the top, comparing it to the past few days, and what the doctor had been ordering. She was always in the habit of checking out doctor's orders, knowing quite a few times she had caught a sleepy doctor's mistake. She was intelligent, having graduated high school at the age of seventeen, with honors. Then going directly to college for nursing, four year degree at the age of twenty one, Summa Cum Laude. And she assured herself that she would use all of her knowledge to make sure that Baylee would become well again. She would not make another mistake when it came to a child's life.
"God, Alana, he was totally checking you out!" a squeal erupted from behind her, seconds later the newest nurse sat down on the desk, pushing aside Alana's paperwork. "Like, my God, did you see that bulge in his--"
"I wasn't exactly checking out his lower anatomy, Heather," Alana interrupted, offering the woman a somewhat kind smile, despite the agitation creeping just beneath her skin. She was always kind to those around her, despite her inner thoughts. "He just wanted to go see his friend's son. Give him a break. I bet he's worried sick."
"So worried he had a boner bigger than I've ever seen--" Heather snorted, carefully examining the tips of her fake nails. Smoothing the front of her Scooby Doo scrub top, she glanced up when the intercom light lit up. Reaching over, she pressed the button. With a bored sigh, she plucked a pen from her pocket. "Yes?"
"'Lana? Where 'Lana at?"
"I got it," Alana announced with an excited coo at Baylee's chipper voice. Since she managed to get his medication infused, he seemed to have been doing better. Well, at least the fluid was reducing from his body. They just needed to get his heart fixed. Unable to hide her smile, she scooted Heather off the desk so she could roll over to the intercom system. Pressing the button, she leaned close. "What can I do for my Jungle Boogie Boy?"
"My 'Lana gots a boyfriend?" Baylee questioned loudly.
Surprised by his blatant question, Alana leaned back in her chair only to find the other nurses suddenly hurrying back to the station to find out the answer. She had never brought her personal life into the workplace. She cherished her privacy; especially from the gossip-mongering vultures she called coworkers. They didn't need to know the highlights nor the disappointments of her life. She'd much rather hear about them and offer jokes as means of relief from what she faced at her empty home. "I was hoping that'd be you after you get discharged, Handsome. Why?"
"You like tall guys wit' blonde hair?" Baylee fired off quickly, and in the background there was a muffled protest.
"Oh my God," Heather breathed. "He's trying to hook you up with his Dad, and that's just--"
"Brian is by no means tall. I'm five foot, nine inches," Alana chided in hopes to hush up the woman, leaning closer to the intercom so she could possibly hear what was being said in the background.
"Baylee! You little--"
"'Lana? You 'member Nicky?" Baylee continued, a quick giggle escaping him as the voice in the background died into a whine.
"Of course I remember your Nicky. Did he make it to your room?" Alana inquired, moving to stand, though she kept close to the intercom.
"Uh huh. An' he's tellin' Daddy about the hot nurse with big boobies an' I knowed it was you--"
"Baylee!" Nick's voice erupted in the background, filled with horror. "Brian! Do something!"
There was a quick shuffle before Brian's voice crackled through the system, "Alana, come back here and I'll tell you everything."
"Not that!" Nick yelped.
Baylee's jubilant laughter came through the intercom. "'Urry, 'Lana!"
"Good Lord, y'all are so goofy," Alana laughed as she grasped Baylee's chart, filing it back into the system. Then, glancing down the hall momentarily, her teal eyes electrified as she sauntered into the medicine room. Retrieving Baylee's next dose of medicine as means of an excuse, she came out to see the nurses looking at her expectantly. "He needs his medicine."
"Right…" Heather trailed, rolling her eyes. "…Need help?"
"I can hang an IV bag myself," Alana assured as she glanced toward Heather for a moment. "You want his number or what?"
"Whose? Brian's? Or Nick's?" Heather questioned in confusion, her lips forming a pout as Alana headed down the hall without answering.
Alana knew Heather made some kind of face, but she refused to turn around as she continued down the hallway. Stopping just in front of Baylee's room, she turned to catch her reflection in the glass covering the fire extinguisher. Wrinkling her nose at the image before her, she balanced the IV bag on her shoulder and pulled her long strawberry blonde locks back into a tighter twist, fixing it just so a few strands layered her pretty face. Halfway through smoothing her Disney's Lion King scrubs, she stopped herself with a dark scowl. What was she thinking? She was in no position to be looking for a love interest. Nor did she want one. Rolling her eyes at her foolishness, she reached to tap politely on Baylee's door.
"'Lana's here!" Baylee announced with a delighted squeal. "C'min!"
"I've got your next dose of medicine, Handsome," Alana announced with her natural drawl, making sure to avoid Nick's eyes as she breezed toward Baylee's side. Crouching down, she brought out a needless syringe from her pocket to attach to the tubing in his arm. It was to assure that the catheter was still in his vein before infusing the medication. Pushing some normal saline in, she then stood to hang the bag of medicine. "I haven't seen you all day, y'know. You were sleeping when I came in."
"George an' me played King Kong last night," Baylee admitted, dipping his hand into the pocket of her scrub top. Extracting the pad of Post-It notes, he grinned from ear to ear. "Nicky! You c'n give 'Lana your number now--"
"Scooper," Brian admonished softly, shaking his head as he perused the leftover contents of the breakfast tray. Making a face, he replaced the cover, deciding he would run down to McDonald's for some real food shortly.
"That's okay, he's just lucky I keep the Post-It's in my patch pockets instead of my breast pocket," Alana teased, leaning to blow a raspberry on the side of Baylee's face after securing the tubing of the IV to the port in his hand. Setting the right calculations, it began to flow.
"'Lana, this is Nicky," Baylee murmured, pointing to the man who slouched in a chair in the far corner. "Nicky, this is my 'Lana, otay? You tell her now how hot she is?"
"Despite the air conditioning, I think I'm hot too. Red cheeks and all," Alana attempted to dissuade, noticing the dark red tint to the tall man's cheeks. She smiled kindly nonetheless, reaching out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Carter. I'd be Alana, Baylee's nurse."
"Look, about what Bay said," Nick began, grasping her hand for a quick shake before dropping it into his lap, where he began to fiddle with the hem of his t-shirt. "I didn't mean… I didn't tell him to… That is…"
"He thinks that the intercom is his personal phone to me. He loves to play with it almost as much as he loves to play with the call bell. And, from what I can tell, he loves to start trouble. No harm done. Honestly. He's already told me I have big boobies, so, I can imagine he conjured up the rest as well," Alana assured.
"Nuh uh!" Baylee cried in disbelief, turning to stare up at his father. "Daddy! Tell her! Tell 'Lana Nick wants to give her a rid--"
"Scooper! That's for Nick to discuss privately with Alana!" Brian blurted, reaching to cup a hand over his son's mouth. "We really have to start watching what we say around him, Nick. I mean, honestly--"
"But you were going to tell me what he said?" Alana inquired, her interest suddenly piqued as she moved to sit on the bed with Baylee, slipping off her nursing clogs.
"I didn't say anything," Nick defended with a scowl in Brian's direction, ignoring Baylee's wild hand motions. Had he realized Baylee would sound the alarm and tell the entire staff of the hospital what he had said casually to Brian, he would have kept his mouth shut. "I simply said--"
"That Alana is attractive," Brian interrupted, dropping his hand from Baylee's mouth.
"Daddy!" Baylee huffed, turning to look at Alana. "Nicky said that you's hot, and then he said that he wished he could take you for a ride that you'd never forget," he informed her hurriedly.
"Does he have a nice car for a ride, Baylee?" Alana inquired further, unable to help her teasing as she saw Nick squirm with mortification. Pulling herself into the hospital bed, she allowed Baylee to crawl over to snuggle against her side. Playing idly with his light blonde locks, she continued to steal glances at Nick through her long eyelashes, wondering if he really did find her attractive. Not that she needed verification, nor the approval of a man. She was satisfied with herself. Attractive or hideous, though she saw more imperfections than anything.
"Um…" Baylee pursed his lips in thought for a long moment. "He did'n' bring any car… He flewed on a plane. But at home he's gots lots of cars. An' then he told Daddy that he would rock your world--"
"Baylee, that's enough," Brian interrupted as Nick sank lower in the chair.
"Thanks for all the information, Handsome," Alana laughed, turning to lightly kiss the top of his head before reaching to check the IV tubing to assure it was infusing properly. That is, till Baylee set the Post-Its on her chest. "Giving them back already? Usually you have them all around the room by the end of my shift."
"You gots to give Nicky your number so he can give you a ride an' rock your world, 'Lana," Baylee explained with an impatient sigh.
"I bet Nicky has plenty of girls' numbers," Alana answered, feeling Baylee's hand sneak into her pocket once more to produce a pen.
"But yours is better," Baylee returned with a bright smile, laying the pen atop the Post-Its.
Playfully rolling her eyes toward the young boy, she leaned to affectionately kiss the side of his face nonetheless. Picking up her pen and Post-Its, she glanced at the dark purple paper, clicking her pen to produce a tip. She wasn't interested in making any sort of romantic connection with Nick, but she hadn't the heart to break the excited face of the little boy. Nick would probably be far to embarrassed to use it anyway. Scrawling her number on the piece of paper, she glanced toward Baylee. "Do I need to give it to him?"
"I do it," Baylee insisted, scooting to the edge of his bed. Holding Alana's hand, he gingerly slid to the floor. Remembering the IV, he looked up at the nurse hopefully. "Pull my thingie?"
Nick snorted with laughter, clapping a hand over his mouth when he saw the glare Brian gave him. "Sorry," he muttered.
"He's just jealous cause I won't pull his thingie, Baylee," Alana assured when Baylee shot a puzzled glance between his father and Nick. Reaching for the IV pole, she moved it around the bed so Baylee could walk. She kept a close eye on him, observing his mere exertion at walking across the room. God how he needed that surgery.
Climbing into Nick's lap, Baylee released a soft sigh of exhaustion before handing over the purple paper. "You call her, Nicky? Rock her world--"
"Baylee, please stop saying that," Brian breathed, shaking his head. It seemed that all Nick had to do was show up and his son's vocabulary was littered with phrases and words that he did not understand. He only hoped Baylee wouldn't let some of them loose when his parents showed up later.
"What wrong wit that?" Baylee questioned, pursing his lips in order to catch his breath. "Nicky like my 'Lana. Wanna make her a happy world. Ride in her car. She got's a dark blue jeep!"
"I'll call her, Bay," Nick promised softly, gently wrapping his arm around the boy and holding him close. Pressing a kiss to the top of his head, he lightly rubbed his back, glancing down at the phone number written on the paper. "Hey, you want to put this in my Blackberry for me? You know how I am with paper, dude. I'll end up washing my pants and then have to start stalking her…"
"I play with your Blackberry?" Baylee squealed with excitement, obviously loving to play with gadgets.
"That'd probably be my cue to leave… I've got a break coming up…" Alana trailed, glancing to Brian with a smile. "Jungle Boogie Boy, I'll bring Lion King back after my break for us to watch, alright?"
"Otay. You get milkshake and 'nuggle with me?" Baylee questioned hopefully.
"You probably need to take a little rest while she's on her break, Bay. That way you can have energy to snuggle," Nick murmured, lifting his gaze to look at Alana. She met his eyes for a moment, a smile touching her lips, and instantly he felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment once more. Of all people to blurt things in front of, he should have known better than mention his attraction in front of Baylee. He would never be able to live this down.
"Nicky 'nuggle too?" Baylee asked Alana, leaning forward to give her a hug.
"Sure, Nicky can snuggle too. We'll rock his world together, alright?" Alana teased, blowing an affectionate raspberry against the side of Baylee's face, trying to ignore the delicious smell of Nick's cologne.
"Oh, God," Nick hissed under his breath, grateful that Brian was scooping Baylee from his lap. Jerking his t-shirt down, he stood from the chair in an attempt to conceal his arousal.
"Good God," Brian breathed, shaking his head as he settled Baylee in the bed. "Get some rest, Scooper, okay?"
"Love you, 'Lana," Baylee murmured sleepily as she stepped over to adjust his IV tube.
"Love you, too, Jungle Boogie Boy," Alana promised, kissing his forehead before turning to glance at Nick. "It was nice to meet you."
"It was really nice to meet you," Nick murmured, aware of Brian's gaze moving from him to Alana. Smiling, he glanced down at her number, deciding to ask Brian what time she left work once she was out of the room.
*~*~*
Glancing up from his expensive Blackberry, Nick saw Brian flipping through the small photo album that Baylee kept on his bedside table. Hoping to forget his earlier embarrassment, he grinned suddenly. "So, B… Where's your hot assistant at?"
"She's not my assistant," Brian reminded, glancing up from the photo album, finding it highly ironic that Nick had mentioned the woman in the particular photograph without even knowing who Brian was looking at. Though, when he noticed the devilish gleam in his friend's dark blue eyes, he knew Nick was starting to cause trouble. He was just highly embarrassed about what had happened earlier that morning. Baylee had all but handed Nick's backside on a silver platter to Alana, who had been surprisingly good natured with the teasing as well as dishing her own. He certainly appreciated Alana more than she would ever know. "She does the website and public relations for Healthy Hearts Club."
"Whatever," Nick shrugged. "She's always hanging around you, I just assumed she'd be here… Nita? That's her name, right? The little short thing with a big rack and--"
"Natalie," Brian gritted, suddenly remembering how much he detested the way Nick treated and spoke about women. He acted as if they were party favors; that is, if they were beautiful enough to be considered such. Not to mention, Brian certainly had a soft spot for Natalie Hayes, his public relations and website designer for the foundation he started to help children with heart defects. Not to mention, she had been his former wife's best friend for what seemed like ages. He had known her as long as he had known Leighanne. Perhaps better than he knew Leighanne.
"Sorry… Sheesh. I'm just wondering why she's not here is all…" Nick trailed, rolling his eyes. Brian had always gotten testy whenever anyone mentioned Natalie. As though she were his wife instead of Leighanne. Sometimes Nick wondered if his friend had ever… No, not Brian. But he had to know. Had to egg the older man just a little bit. "You and her aren't ban--"
"And risk the sanctity of my marriage?!" Brian shrieked, causing Baylee to jerk in his sleep. Tossing the photo album upon the bedside table, he immediately reached to cover Baylee with the blankets. Alana was getting ready to leave work and if Baylee woke before then, he would con her into staying later. Though, glaring now at his friend as he boosted himself from the bed, he decided maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea. "I'm not like you, Nick. Using women because you're desperately alone in life and far too impulsive to control your sexual needs."
"I don't use women," Nick returned defensively. Hating how Brian always turned the tables in their conversations, he tossed his phone aside and stood. Scooping up the photo album, he smirked when he saw the picture Brian had been looking at. "No offense, Frick, but I don't think anyone would blame you if you tried… Probably not even Leigh--Leigh. Where is she?" he blurted, just realizing that the woman was not there.
"Florida, California, Boca, Bora Bora, Georgia… I don't know," Brian admitted honestly, leaning on the heavily covered windowsill filled with get well gifts. Glancing outside, he realized that they were overlooking the employee parking lot, immediately locating Alana's expensive jeep.
"You kicked her out?" Nick questioned incredulously, letting the photo album drop to the table.
Brian winced at the radiating sound, immediately glancing backwards to see Baylee still sound asleep. He smiled with relief, turning back to the window. That boy could honestly sleep through anything. Brian knew it came from being on tour. "She left."
"When? Why?"
"She's been threatening to leave for months," Brian admitted with a heavy sigh, pressing his forehead to the cool windowpane. "She's not happy. I don't love her. She didn't want to be a mother. I don't know, there are dozens of reasons that she gave. But none that she left when I came home to find everything gone but her wedding band and engagement ring… And our wedding picture…"
"Whoa," Nick breathed, not knowing what to say. Even though he had never cared for the woman, he knew that Brian had meant to be with her forever. He was one of the few men Nick knew who took their vows seriously. "I'm sorry, Frick…"
"Yeah, I was, too… Now I'm just mad that I didn't realize it was all some kind of big joke to her… I should have known…" Brian mumbled with a heavy sigh, deciding not to dwell on the past affairs. It had been Leighanne's choice to leave. If she didn't want to stay, fine, he couldn't have made her anyway. He had to focus on his son. "Hey, there's Alana…" Brian motioned as he trained his gaze on the parking lot, motioning toward the woman sauntering toward her Jeep, throwing her messenger bag on top of the hood before ducking inside to pull out a bag to locate a different pair of shoes. "Want to go down and get her license plate number?"
"Why do I need to do that?" Nick questioned with a snort, though he pushed his friend aside to look down.
"Because--" Brian's eyes widened as he pushed a few more things aside to see what she was doing. After securing her shoes, she stood next to her car, peeling her scrub top over her head, revealing a bright purple sport's bra. She then wriggled out of her scrub bottoms to reveal a pair of tightly adhering cargo capris. There wasn't an ounce of fat anywhere on her athletically trained and leaned body. Her curves speaking volumes even at this height and distance. Even Brian found himself gawking as she tossed her long locks into a high ponytail. "-She's stripping…"
"Dude, you mind not standing beside me right now? Your hard on is sticking in my hip," Nick hissed, stepping aside. Pressing his forehead against the window, he stared down at the vision below, whining when Alana stooped, offering him the perfect view of her ample cleavage. "Holy shit, Frick…"
"She's got one helluva body," Brian whistled in shock, far too engulfed in watching Alana for the time being as she adjusted her cargo capris, sliding them further below her hips. "Who knew she was hiding all of that in those scrubs. I mean, she looked good in the scrubs but… Damn."
"Horny much?" Nick questioned, though he barely heard the older man's response, too busy watching Alana prop one foot on the driver's seat to tie her shoes. He could imagine all too well how wonderful her lithe legs would feel wrapped around his--
"Daddy? …Where George?"
"Shit," Brian cursed, forgetting to let George peek from above the covers. Reluctantly turning away from the sight, he trudged to retrieve the stuffed monkey from beneath the blankets.
"Sucks to be you," Nick teased with a smirk, reaching to feel the Post-It in his pocket as he gazed down at Alana. Licking his lips, he tried to decide how long it would take her to go home. How long he should wait until dialing her number. "Oh fuck me raw," he groaned, seeing an impeccably dressed man rushing up to speak to Alana.
"Is she naked?" Brian blurted before his brain could catch the impulse, rushing over to jump on Nick's back to see what was happening after Baylee drifted back off to sleep. Furrowing his sandy brows, he watched the man in a white coat embrace Alana with a peck to the cheek before allowing her to settle against the hood of her car to talk.
"From the look of joy on her face, she probably will be soon," Nick snorted with a scowl. It was just his luck, really. It seemed every attractive, personable woman he had met in recent months had been taken. Or lesbians… "And get off me, dude. Your dick's poking me in the spine!"
"It is not!" Brian scoffed, though he blushed nonetheless as he slid from Nick's back, carefully observing the situation. She showed no signs of interest in the man, just a general smile and occasional laughter, moving her hands with animation as she spoke. "And she told Scooper she was single."
"Maybe he's just a random get together guy?" Nick suggested, not believing his words even as he spoke them. Somehow, Alana didn't strike him as the random sex type. Though, he conceded as the man leaned in to embrace Alana again, this time hugging her longer, he could be wrong. "God, I hate that lucky son-of-a-bitch…"
"You hate him?" Brian inquired with a small smirk, watching Alana gently push the man away though he didn't seem to know the difference. Offering an exuberant wave, she dipped to pick up her messenger bag, tossing it into the backseat of her Jeep before jumping in. "And, why do you hate him? You weren't exactly stimulating conversation for her. Scooper had to make the play for goodness sakes."
"She made me nervous…" Nick trailed with a sigh.
"Made you nervous? The infamous Nick Carter? Nervous? Over a woman? How many women have you been with before she came along? I mean, honestly, Nick--"
"I can't explain it, alright? Jesus…" Shrugging, Nick turned to glance at Baylee, who continued to sleep peacefully, George the monkey tucked close to his side. "I think I'll run down and grab something to eat… You want anything?" he offered, looking to see Brian had once again picked up the photo album.
"Yeah, that'd be great. I got a room at the house set up for you whenever you want to head back…" Brian murmured absentmindedly, seating himself beside the bed once more.
"Sounds good, man…" Pausing at the door, Nick turned to look at his friend. His face breaking into a grin, he leaned in the doorway, clearing his throat to catch the older man's attention. He couldn't resist one final tease before dinner. "When your hot assistant shows up, she's staying in your room, right?"
Author's Chapter Notes:
We greatly appreciate all of the wonderful feedback we have received. If we could we would hug you all and give you candy. But, since we can't do that, we decided to update :) Thanks again ~ shrinkingviolet (Jo)
