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She knew he was there and was choosing not to have to interact with him. Her accusation earlier hit him. He did avoid her. How could he not when being near her made him want to forget common sense and lessons hard learned?
Surely, she agreed avoidance was for the best or she wouldn’t be pretending to be asleep.
He checked Sawyer, eyeing every one of the dozen monitors keeping tabs on the baby.
Just as he was turning to leave the bay, McKenzie’s phone went off. When she answered, he could tell it was the lab.
He waited, wanting to know what the test results were.
When she hung up the phone, she turned her lovely, concern-filled green eyes his way.
“Sawyer’s white blood cell count is twenty-seven thousand.”
Ryder winced. Her numbers should be under ten thousand.
“The fluid is from pneumonia,” he said unnecessarily.
McKenzie nodded. “The lab is sending off the sputum sample you suctioned, but it’ll be a few days before we know for sur
e. I’m ordering additional RNA viral testing, then I’ll go talk to Sawyer’s parents.”
“I’ll stay here while you’re with them.”
She started to argue. He could see the denial on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped herself, nodding instead. “I plan to okay the Littles to come back here with her for a while, to give them some time with her.”
She didn’t say just in case, but he heard the unspoken words.
“They’ll appreciate the time with her.”
McKenzie nodded, glancing toward the baby with so many wires and tubes attached that she seemed almost unreal.
“They have to be terrified that she’s in distress,” McKenzie said, so softly Ryder barely heard her.
Ryder imagined any parent would be. Even without the current situation, Sawyer’s parents had a long, stressful road ahead of them due to the baby’s congenital heart defects and any number of complications that could occur.
That likely would occur from time to time.
McKenzie knew that, but her heartfelt whisper didn’t surprise him. McKenzie had a big heart, one that loved her job and her patients.
His reaching for her hand was automatic. He regretted it the moment her surprised gaze jerked to his.
The moment her cool-to-the-touch skin still managed to shoot fire to his core that spread through his whole being, reminding him of how it had been with McKenzie.
How he’d been with her.
“Ryder, I...” She paused, pulled her hand away. “I’ve got to go speak with Sawyer’s parents.”
With that, McKenzie left, but it wasn’t long until she returned to the bay with the Littles. Ryder’s heart went out to the young couple who couldn’t take their eyes off their baby and all the attached tubes and wires. They’d seen worse after her heart repair, but no doubt the image was still intimidating.
“Let’s give them a few minutes,” he suggested, taking McKenzie’s elbow, ignoring that he was yet again touching her, and guiding her from the bay. There were several nurses at the nurses’ station, and Ryder just kept walking.
See why he couldn’t be near her? His hand was still on her elbow.
When they reached the elevator, Kenzie pulled her elbow from his grasp. “Where are we going?”
“To the cafeteria. When’s the last time you ate something?”
She gave him a blank look.
