RJ Nolan - In A Heartbeat

worked between her legs. Jess couldn't resist tweaking her sister. She cleared

her throat loudly.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Jess asked in an insinuating tone.

Riley jumped at the sudden sound behind her. She jerked her hands back and

blushed even though she knew she hadn't been doing anything remotely

embarrassing. Sam's eyes popped open and met Riley's slightly embarrassed

gaze. She glared at her sister's grinning face and snapped at her. "Knock it off

Jess!"

"What? What'd I do?" Her answer was a hard jab in the ribs from her wife. One

look into Kim's face and Jess instantly sobered. "Sorry." She murmured

contritely.

Sam smirked at Jess as if to say, 'you're in trouble'.

"Hello Dr. Connolly. How's my troublesome sister today?" Jess asked trying to

take the focus off her poor attempt at a joke.

"Please call me Riley," she reminded her. She removed her gloves and smiled at

Sam gently patting her leg before covering her back up. "She's doing well.

Incision looks good with minimal swelling. She's still on antibiotics and pain

meds. She should be ready to start getting up and moving around this evening.

I'm estimating a week and a half to two-week hospital stay. She'll then go home

and into outpatient rehab."

"Hey I am right here you guys. Damn, you talk about me like I'm not even in the

room." Sam complained.

Jess and Kim both watch with interest when Riley placed her hand on Sam's

shoulder.

"Sorry Sam, professional hazard." Riley said squeezing her shoulder.

Kim sat a large bag on Sam's bedside tray. The aroma coming from the bag was

heavenly. "Real food as requested." She told Sam leaning forward to kiss her

lightly in greeting.

A very loud growling sound interrupted Sam's thank you. Riley blushed when all

eyes in the room turned to her.

"Well Sam I'll check on you tomorrow. Have a good evening." Riley had taken a

single step away from the bed when Sam reached out and took hold of her

forearm pulling her back.

"Please stay and have something to eat. I'm sure there's more than enough."

Sam gave Riley her best puppy dog look. She glared at her sister when she

heard her snicker.

"I'm really not that hungry." Riley denial would've been more believable if her

stomach hadn't chosen that moment to growl even louder. She blushed at the

behavior of her protesting stomach.

Kim spread out the food containers on Sam's over the bed table. "Come on Riley

there's more than enough. It's from Sam's favorite restaurant Dim Sum. You like

Chinese?" Kim asked ignoring Riley's comment about not being hungry.

Riley's stomach answered for her and Sam surprised her by pulling her down to

sit on the side of the bed. She tried to get up but Sam even injured was

amazingly strong.

"Come on Doc. We can't have you falling into your patients on the operating

table." Sam teased her.

Riley gave in relaxing on Sam's bed and helped herself to the food Kim had

spread out on the tray she'd slid between them. Riley moaned with pleasure at

the first taste of the wonderful Sesame chicken. It was one of her favorites. Sam

felt her heart pick up speed at the sound and was thankful she wasn't still

hooked up to a heart monitor.

Riley was amazed at how comfortable she was around the other women. They

laughed and joked comparing stories of the various experiences at the different

hospitals they'd worked in. Sam was captivated, her eyes never leaving the

doctor for long. She was mesmerized watching Riley's many varied expressions.

She frowned suddenly realizing she could easily fall for the beautiful doctor.

She'd never been involved with a straight woman and wasn't about to start now.

She knew that way lead to heartbreak. Sam unknowingly let out a big sigh,

saddened by what might've been. Riley immediately caught Sam's change in

expression; she quickly got up and approached her.

"Are you alright? Do you need your pain meds?" She asked softly in concern.

Unconsciously she took Sam's hand in hers stroking the back of her hand with

her thumb.

Sam forced herself to smile though it was half hearted at best. "No I'm fine, just

tired."

Riley suddenly realized she was acting as if she was visiting a friend and not

checking on a patient. As much as she enjoyed the company of the three

women, Sam was her patient. Riley berated herself; she again had started

thinking of Sam as a woman and not as a patient. Riley turned to Jess and Kim.

"Don't tire her out too much. She's still weak. She does need to try and walk a bit

tonight but don't let her over do."

She turned back to Sam trying to regain her professional demeanor. "I'll send the

nurse in with your pain med. You might want to take a little nap before trying

your walk. Don't over do it" She smiled at Sam unable to help herself. "Don't

make me have to come back into the hospital."

Riley quickly made her exit, waving to the women as she left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kim had been watching the interaction between Sam and Riley while they'd

been eating. Riley's eyes rarely left Sam's face when she was speaking and

even when she or Jess were talking she'd watched Sam; obviously taken with

her. Kim had interacted with many patients in her career and it was clear to her

that Riley Connolly cared for Sam well beyond her concern for a patient. She'd

thought Sam might be beginning to have feelings for the doctor as well. Now she

wasn't quite sure what was going on.

She sat down on the side of Sam's bed. When Riley left the room, Sam had

leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. Kim stroked Sam's arm

until she opened blue eyes so familiar to Kim. Even though she appeared

outgoing, friendly, and affectionate the total opposite of Jess, in many ways she

was the same. Her emotions ran deep and she never let anyone get too close

emotionally. Many people thought they knew Sam but the truth was all they ever

saw was the tough cop persona she presented to the world. None of them had

ever seen the true Samantha McKenna. Kim herself hadn't realized the depths

of Sam's personality until she'd spent extended time with her when she visited

with Jess. It had taken real work on Kim's part to get Sam to trust her as she did

her sister.

She made eye contact with Sam. "Want to tell me what's really wrong?" She

asked gently.

Sam looked down at the blanket. Kim knew her too well and could read her

expressions as easily as she did her sister's. "It's nothing... I'm just tired."

Kim sighed in frustration; she didn't believe Sam for a minute. That was Sam

and Jess's stock answer when they didn't want to talk about something. It's

nothing. Kim had been married to Jess for just over a year and had learned in

that time when to push and when not to with both women. Now was a time to

push.

Kim reached out and gently lifted Sam's chin forcing her to make eye contact. "I

don't think so. You were fine just a minute ago. Want to try again?"

Sam looked over at Jess silently asking for help. Jess took up a seat on the

other side of Sam's bed. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say. 'Don't look me;

you're on your own'.

Sam really did want to confide her developing feelings to someone. She trusted

Kim and Jess to keep her confidence. Giving a dramatic sigh, she met Kim's

eyes.

"I really like Riley." Sam explained glancing down before adding, "a LOT."

"So what's the problem Sam?" Jess asked. "She obviously likes you a lot as