Selfless Hero

  Table of Contents

  Selfless Hero

  Selfless Hero

  Savage Soldiers Book One

  By Nicole Elliot

  Parts of this book were previously published as His Naughty Nurse by Nicole Elliot

  Prologue

  My skin burned from the cigarette.

  “Don’t you cry again, you little weasel.” She sneered at me and took a puff of tobacco.

  “I’m…I’m not crying.”

  In reality, I was trying hard not to, but could feel the tears stinging the backs of my eyes, threatening to betray me. I wouldn’t let them though. I couldn’t.

  If I did, she’d just hit me again, and that wasn’t going to happen. Not tonight.

  “I don’t know why your father didn’t make a man out of you. Jesus, he’s as useless as you are, isn’t he?”

  “Don’t talk about him like that,” I said, knowing I would pay for the comment later. I should have kept my mouth shut.

  Just as she reached out to slap me, I woke up, sweat dripping down my forehead.

  Being overseas in the military, should have been the hardest moments of my life. Yet instead, I had nightmares full of burns, pain, and harsh childhood memories.

  Fuck my childhood, and fuck everyone who ever hurt me. Someday, I would make them wish they hadn’t.

  CHAPTER 1

  Kylie

  “How’s it going, Kylie?”

  Taking a sip of coffee from my thermos and breathing in the aroma of hospital air, I looked up to find one of the new medical students giving me a quick wave and a nod. I couldn’t remember her name and almost felt guilty about it until she redirected her attention elsewhere so quickly that I didn’t even have time to respond.

  “It’s okay. How about you?” I muttered. I thought back to my own days in school. Initially, I had dreamed of becoming a doctor. But the more I studied in the field and learned the roles of the players within it, life as a doctor started to seem too distant and cold. Sure, doctors had one of the most important jobs in the world. Yet, in my time studying and working with them, I felt they spent too much time treating symptoms rather than people. I was drawn to the medical field because I wanted to help people, not just their symptoms.

  Fortunately, I came to the conclusion that nursing would allow me to experience the personal connection I desired in terms of helping those in need. I was well aware that when people walked out of the hospital doors after a prolonged illness, an accident, or a frightening brush with death, it was often the nurses and the care they received that they remembered afterwards. I wanted to be a part of those memories.

  That being said, caring for patients wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, especially when working at a military hospital. That’s why every day, before I left home, I made a ritual of looking in the mirror, taking a deep breath, and saying to myself, “You got this, Kylie.” I’d come to depend on this daily pep talk because constantly witnessing trauma could quickly burn you out. I still found my work rewarding though; not only was I in the position to help people, but I was serving my country as well.

  Regardless, the past week had been exceptionally busy. Even though I was just starting my shift, I was already praying for an easy day. But I hardly had time to sit my coffee down before I realized my hopes for an easy day weren’t going to be granted.

  “INCOMING GSW!”

  The announcement rang through the air and instantly sent my heart pumping. Nurses began to dash across the floor, hurrying to prep. Instinctually, I reached into my pocket for my hairband, quickly and efficiently twirling my hair up and out of the way. My body went into auto-pilot mode. Everyone working in military hospitals quickly learned to expect gunshot victims regularly, although that never made it easier to deal with. There was always pressure when someone’s life was on the line, pouring from a wound.

  And the biggest question of all, would they live?

  The typical questions started firing back and forth while we all scattered about, trying to prepare.

  “Male or female?” I asked.

  “Male,” someone yelled in reply.

  “Location of the shot?”

  “Lower back!”

  “How long ago?”

  “About fifteen minutes.”

  I analyzed the information, trying to determine what would potentially be needed for the incoming patient. By the time he’d been rolled through the hospital doors, I was ready. I followed closely behind the patient, noting the amount of blood collecting at the bottom of his uniform top.

  My nerves were already starting to subside, confident that Dr. Nehru would be able to save this one.

  Dr. Nehru, a kind and caring Indian woman, was the doctor I usually got assigned to. Together, we made an excellent team. After some of the previous doctors I’d worked with, all whom had distant and aloof attitudes, it had been a breath of fresh air when I first got assigned to Dr. Nehru. Rarely did I encounter doctors who cared about patients just as much as I did. When I first met her, she smiled, looked at me with her warm brown eyes, took my hand and said, “Let’s save some lives, Kylie.”

  “You’re going to be fine,” I said, jogging alongside the patient as he was wheeled in to the emergency department bay. He glanced up at me through his pained expression. “What’s your name?”

  “Neal.”

  “Well, you’re going to be okay, Neal. I promise.”

  I didn’t leave his side until we reached the bay and technicians began tending to him, preparing him for the doctor.

  I scanned the area in search of Dr. Nehru, coming to a halt at the sight of someone else in her spot.

  Standing at the sink was a doctor I did not recognize. Male. I saw the flash of tattoos on his skin as he scrubbed his hands and forearms with antibacterial soap.

  “Where’s Dr. Nehru?” I asked the room at large, though I instantly regretted doing so. I didn’t want to make the patient nervous.

  “She’s not in today. Dr. Lewis will be covering for her.”

  At the sound of his name, or perhaps at my question, Dr. Lewis took a quick glance over his shoulder at me.

  My heart gave an unusual patter that had nothing to do with the job ahead of me. In just that brief instant, it was impossible to not notice how handsome Dr. Lewis was. Even through his scrubs, his muscular build was evident. He had a headful of dark shiny hair, a prominent jawline that was covered with a 5 o’clock shadow, dark penetrating eyes, and an expression that showed he was all-business.

  “Kylie?” I jumped at the sound of a fellow nurse, Megan, calling my name. She stared at me with her eyebrows raised. “Are you all right?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  Dr. Lewis briskly made his way over to the patient, who was now unconscious.

  I took a deep breath and forced myself to concentrate while several nurses attempted to disrobe the patient’s wound area.

  “Careful,” I said.

  Dr. Lewis glanced at me for an instant, although I couldn’t quite decipher his expression. There was no time to anyway. All my attention was on the patient now, making sure everything ran smoothly. All the while, I made sure to stay one step ahead of the doctor, anticipating his needs and his moves before he had even figured them out himself. That was my job.

  “Looks like an exit wound right about here,” Dr. Lewis said in a voice that made knees weak. “Probably a surprise attack.”

  “Let’s just concentrate on what we’re doing rather than taking guesses at the events on the battlefield.”

  “I know what I’m looking at,” he quipped.

  “I’m sure you do,” I responded, “but we have a very specific job to do here, doc. So we should stick to it.”

  Dr. Lewis mumbled under his breath and several other nurses r
aised their eyebrows, making me realize my words had come out harsher than intended. I didn’t really care though; Neal was my concern, and for his sake, we needed to stay on task. I was forcibly reminded of why I preferred Dr. Nehru; we were always on the same page and she would have never taken a moment to contemplate any details other than what was absolutely necessary to treat the patient right then and there.

  After a long stretch of silence, Dr. Lewis spoke again. “Lucky guy here. There won’t be any permanent damage. He’ll need therapy, but he’ll walk again. No severe bone or nerve damage. The bullet seems to have made a clean exit out without hitting anything serious. Send a notice to the surgeon upstairs that he needs to be stitched up.”

  I let out a relieved sigh, causing Dr. Lewis to stare at me again. A flush rose over my cheeks.

  “Hackett?”

  I gave a start at him saying my last name. “Yes?”

  “You almost looked more panicked than our patient did when he first came in. Word of advice—if this kind of thing is too much stress for you, maybe you should reconsider your line of work.”

  I blinked and felt a flush spreading across my face again, but this time, it was purely from rage. I cleared my throat. “I beg your pardon, doctor. But as I’ve said before, you should refrain from making assessments you are in no position to make—be in the type of bullet wound, or my competence as a military nurse. So a word of advice for you—stick to what you know.”

  The room fell so silent, the beeping of the patient’s heart monitor practically sounded like a siren. One of the other nurses attempted to pass the tablet to another, but dropped it, her eyes too busy darting between me and Dr. Lewis.

  “Sorry,” she said hastily, kneeling to retrieve it, but the other nurse—Lester—beat her to it.

  Gripping the tablet in his hands, Lester cleared his throat. “No offense, Dr. Lewis—but Kylie really is one of the best nurses we have here. So if she ever left this line of work, it would be a real tragedy.”

  Dr. Lewis shot Lester an annoyed glance and then turned back to the patient.

  I caught Lester’s eye and nodded in appreciation. “I’ll take that,” I said, reaching for the tablet. “Can someone read out his vital signs, please?”

  I proceeded to record the patient’s information, deciding to let someone else take over handing Dr. Lewis the tools he needed because I suddenly wasn’t keen on having any additional interaction with him.

  “Good work, team,” Dr. Lewis said after a while. “Put out the notice that Neal can be sent up to a room awaiting surgery. Has his family been located and contacted?”

  I glanced up from the tablet, dumbfounded. Dr. Lewis looked toward me, a challenging gleam within his gaze. “Yes?” he said.

  I lowered the tablet. “You haven’t finished examining this patient. His whole body has to be examined, not just the area with the noticeable wound.” I looked around to my fellow nurses for backup, but they remained suspiciously quiet, some of them looking positively scandalized. Only Megan looked at me and nodded, encouraging me to go on. I shook my head and laughed though I found the situation far from humorous. “Unbelievable,” I muttered, realizing they were all too intimidated to speak. This was yet another reason I appreciated Dr. Nehru; she had taught me to follow my instincts and never be afraid to speak up on a patient’s behalf, even to the doctor in charge.

  “What is it that you feel is unfinished, Ms. Hacket?” Dr. Lewis said. “The patient is stabilized. His vitals are good. He is expected to make a full recovery in due time. Surely, you can see that.”

  I pursed my lips together and took a deep breath. Perhaps it was just my imagination that made me think Dr. Lewis’s eyes had briefly lowered to my chest…

  I swallowed before speaking, staring him straight in those deep seductive eyes of his. “You should be well aware that it is standard procedure to give the patient a thorough whole-body examination, not just solely concentrate on the area of the GSW. Although he appears to be fine otherwise, we have to be certain nothing is overlooked.”

  I set the tablet down and approached the patient, ready to complete his examination even if I had to do it alone. All the while, I thought Dr. Lewis’s eyes would burn a hole in my head. But instead, after what felt like forever, he approached the patient again.

  “Step aside, Hackett,” he said, and then proceeded to complete the examination.

  The other nurses watched with bated breath until it was over.

  “He’s fine.” Dr. Lewis glanced at me one last time before removing his gloves and leaving the area without saying another word.

  “Good job, Kylie. Nehru would be proud,” Megan said, patting me on the shoulder.

  “Thank you.” I cleared my throat, attempting to ignore the obvious tension in the room. “Has Neal’s family been contacted?” I asked, mainly to fill the silence.

  “Yes, I believe they’re on the phone now. Where are you going?”

  “To go talk to them myself,” I said.

  “I’m pretty sure that’s where Dr. Lewis just went.”

  I paused. “Oh…Okay.”

  Megan shook her head and laughed. “Kylie, please don’t get yourself in trouble.”

  I recalled the way Dr. Lewis looked at me before he left. “I think it’s already too late for that.”

  Shit.

  CHAPTER 2

  Max

  It was already lunch hour, and I still felt disoriented. Dammit. I felt like my time working the night shift had turned me into a vampire. All it took was one day to recall why I had previously vowed to stick with the night life.

  One day and one nurse, that is.

  “Good job earlier today, Dr. Lewis,” one of the nurses said to me in the break room as I fixed myself an umpteenth cup of coffee. I glanced up at her, not recognizing her name or face. She blushed under my gaze, and I had to wonder if her compliment was genuine or sarcastic, given that my performance earlier had been far from my ordinary standards. When I offered her no response, she quickly got herself a bottle of water from the vending machine and left.

  I sighed, flopping down in a nearby chair and taking a sip of my coffee that was too hot and burned the roof of my mouth. I swore under my breath. All the whole, one face floated through my mind.

  Kylie Hackett.

  I’d never had the pleasure of working with her before, and frankly, that morning’s experience hadn’t exactly been a pleasure. Or perhaps in some ways, it had been too much of a pleasure…

  I couldn’t really figure out which was the case.

  There was no denying that Nurse Hackett was an absolute knock-out. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d seen a woman so attractive. Even hospital scrubs and a sloppy hair bun couldn’t hide the natural sex-appeal that oozed from her. That silky blond hair. Those stunningly bright blue eyes. Those amazing curves, which she had unfortunately caught me staring at…

  Way to go, Max, I thought to myself with a humorless laugh. I took another sip of coffee, thinking about how not only did the living Aphrodite think I was an unfit doctor, but she likely thought I was a sexist pig as well.

  The door to the break area swung open. I reached for a magazine, pretending to be interested as I sipped more of my coffee.

  “Hey, Max. How’s the daylight hours treating you?”

  I looked up to see Rick, one of our surgeons.

  “Makes me remember why I resigned to the night life,” I answered.

  Rick chuckled. “Oh, so you’re not fond of being here with us mere mortals?”

  I smirked. “No, that’s not it. It’s just that my brain doesn’t always kick in until the AM hours are over.”

  “Well, you’re in luck,” he said, pulling a paper bag from the staff refrigerator. He crossed the room over to the table, took a seat, and pulled a sandwich from his bag. “It’s past noon now.”

  I gave a strained smile. I had nothing against Rick. He was a great doctor and someone I could have even considered a friend. I just wasn’t in the mood for sm
all talk though, which was clearly lost on him.

  He beckoned me over to the table with him. “Come and keep an old man company, will you?”

  I’d been staring down at the magazine in my lap, trying to appear engrossed by it, but apparently, I hadn’t been convincing enough.

  “Anything interesting in there?” he asked, nodding toward the magazine.

  “Not really,” I said, although I hadn’t actually been reading anything.

  “So you’re filling in for Dr. Nehru, I hear?” Rick asked around a mouthful of his sandwich.

  “Yeah. Just for a little while. No offense, but I’m not trying to make mortal hours a permanent thing.”

  Rick laughed heartily once again beckoning to the table with him. “Well, in the meantime, I hope you’re having something more than just coffee for lunch, doc. You’ll be a jittery mess by the time your shift ends. Those of us working in the daylight have to refuel properly.” He held up his sandwich. “You should know that.”

  I smiled tensely again, not liking the sound of anyone telling me what I should know, even jokingly. Yet, right on time to save me, Rick’s pager went off. He swore under his breath. “Can’t catch a break around here these days.”

  “Another day, another dollar,” I said, gratefully resettling into my seat now that Rick was rising from the table, being called for duty.

  “You’ve got that right. See you around, Max.”

  “Yeah. See you, Rick.”

  The instant I was alone again, I almost regretted it. Rick’s brief appearance had at least managed to push Kylie from my mind. But now that I was in solitude once more, I no longer had a distraction.

  While her looks were undeniable, her skills had left me stunned as well. It was obvious that she was light-years beyond the other nurses. The way she worked around the GSW, she could have been a doctor. It’s not every day—or ever, in my case—that a nurse catches and calls out a doctor for making a mistake. Something about the way Kylie spoke to me while treating that gunshot patient had made me feel like a scorned child. It was like I was 14-years-old all over again, getting scolded by my algebra teacher in front of the whole class about ‘being too smart to be so careless.’