10. Chase

I stood in the doorway,watching as she kissed him. And not just any kiss—a heated kiss. Not anything like we shared, but it definitely wasn't a friendly kiss. They were together.

I stepped back and let the door close, leaning against the wall. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe…maybe they kissed like that all the time. It happened, right? People had friendly kisses they shared and…

Crap, there was no good way to explain that. I didn't kiss any of my friends on the lips, and even if I did, it wouldn't go on for five Mississippis. The door opened and Elijah walked out, stopping when he saw me.

"You shouldn't be here."

"I just wanted to see how she is."

His jaw clenched angrily as he looked at me. "Better, no thanks to you."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I got her out of there and to safety."

"And you could have killed her. What were you thinking, putting a rag soaked in bacteria-infested water? She was already sick, and then you introduced more germs to her body."

"I wrapped a wet rag around her head to cool her down."

He huffed out a laugh. "Do you know why bacteria flourishes in the jungle?"

I was about to kick this guy's ass.

"Because it's humid, which is bad for a person who's already immunocompromised. You could have killed her."

"I weighed the pros and cons," I hissed. "Bringing her temperature down was the most important thing. And she's fine."

"But she might not have been. Do you really think you're what she needs in her life? I know how to take care of her. I would have made sure she was safe."

"But you weren't there."

"No, but I'm here now. She doesn't want to admit how badly things could have gone, but when we get back home and she returns to her life, she'll realize that although her run through the jungle with you might have been fun, it could have cost her her life. So, thank you for your services, but let someone who knows what he's doing take over from here."

He clapped me on the arm and strode away with a smug look on his face. I wanted to call him back and tell him he was an ass, that I could protect her. But that wasn't true. He was right, I could have gotten her killed. I didn't know anything about her heart condition or how to help her. I didn't even know what drugs to give her when we got in the chopper.

"Hey," Patrick said, walking down the hall with a bag of Funyuns and coke. "Did you see her?"

"No, not yet."

"What are you waiting for?"

I grimaced as he tossed a Funyun in his mouth. "Why are you eating those?"

He looked at the bag and shrugged. "I guess Fox got me hooked on them. So, are you going in?"

I glanced back at the door and shook my head. "I don't think so."

"Why not? I thought you were all googly over this woman. Now you're walking away?"

"She's with the prick," I said, jerking my head at Elijah, who just walked around the corner.

"And you're letting her go just like that? Why?"

"Because…I could have gotten her killed," I admitted, knowing Elijah was right.

"Uh…she was in the jungle voluntarily. I'm pretty sure that could have happened to anyone."

"But it's my fault she got so sick."

"Right," he nodded. "I get it. You had total control over her immune system. I can see it now, no one will hire you for a job because you couldn't keep bacteria away from her. Makes sense."

"You know what I mean," I growled in frustration. "He's a doctor. He knows how to take care of her."

"That doesn't mean she wants him."

I snorted in derision. "You should have seen the kiss. She clearly has feelings for him."

"Oh," his eyebrows shot up. "Well, if we're basing feelings off a kiss, then you really don't stand a chance. Walk away now, my friend."

"That's what I was thinking," I said, my brows pulling in consternation.

He slapped me upside the head. "Are you fucking kidding? I was being sarcastic. Just go talk to her."

He strode away, still munching on those damn Funyuns. I hesitated, not sure I should take his advice, but if I left without saying anything to her, that was just cruel. I had to at least see her one last time with my own eyes and know that she was fine.

Pushing the door open, I walked inside before I could change my mind. Mercy laid there with her eyes closed, and for just a second I thought of taking the coward's way out. But then her eyes opened and she smiled at me, and I knew I couldn't walk away without saying goodbye.

I smiled as I walked further into the room. "Hey, you're awake."

"Yeah, I'm getting there," she said, struggling to sit upright in bed.

If she was hoping to make me feel better, she did the opposite. Guilt stabbed me right in the gut, reminding me that I nearly hadn't gotten her here in time. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. No permanent damage," she grinned. "Maybe when I'm feeling better, we can do that again. I still don't know what it's like to eat a lizard fried over an open fire."

"Yeah," I tried to laugh, but it fell short. All I could think about was how I had to leave her. "Maybe we can plan another trip in a year or so."

Her face fell slightly, but she tried to remain cheery. "I could give you my number."

I glanced at the ground, shoving my toe against nothing at all just for something to do. "Yeah, I have to get back."

"When do you leave?"

"Soon," I said, finally looking up at her again. "Duty calls."

"Right, more damsels in distress to rescue. I hope you don't share your protein bars with all of them."

It occurred to me that she might be talking about sex, but that might have been wishful thinking. Yeah, I would share protein bars with a client. But what happened between us…that was special.

"My protein bars are only yours," I answered, feeling a lump form in my throat. Damn, I had to get out of here. I couldn't do this. "Anyway, I ran into Elijah in the hall. He said you're all set for getting back on your meds. That's good."

"Chase—"

"I'm sorry I didn't get you here sooner," I finally admitted, feeling warm all over. I was burning up and it had nothing to do with the temperature or any infection I might have picked up from her. No, this was the burning guilt that wouldn't let me go. If I hadn't been so stupid and gotten us lost, she might have never been in this situation.

"You got me here when you could. Without you, I would have died out there."

"Without me, you probably would have gotten to the chopper immediately. My boss informed me that he's going to stitch a compass into all my clothes," I joked. "Anyway, I have to catch a flight home. Your parents are flying in soon, and I know they're eager to see you."

I walked forward when she didn't say anything and held out my hand. "It was nice to meet you, Mercy."

Her eyes flicked to my hand. Slowly, she held out her own. "You too."

The awkwardness was too much to take. I turned on my heel and walked out of the room without another word to her. I would get over this, even if it killed me. This was why we weren't supposed to get involved with clients. It clouded our judgment and fucked with our heads. It wouldn't be long before she forgot about me, so it was best I do the same.