NaNoWriMo: Chapter 10 Excerpt

The doctor sat beside her bed, a book open in his lap and a light snore came from his slumped form as Alex drew nearer. Amy, who lay silently in her bed, was smiling at the doctor. When she saw Alex approach, she raised her finger to her lips and pressed it to them in the universal signal for silence. "Shh." she whispered, then patted the side of her bed.

Alex sat where she bid and grinned at the dopey look on Russ's face. "I could wake him and send him to his room ya know." he whispered.

Amy shook her head softly. "He rarely sleeps, I'd hate to interrupt him now. He'd make some excuse about work and then be up another twelve hours."

"Up at all hours trying to figure out what to do with you eh?" Alex teased.

Amy shrugged. "I told him he should do the operation but he's... he doesn't think he can."

"I'm sure he'll figure it out. He's very dedicated." Alex bit his lower lip for a second and then reached into his jacket. His fingers ran along the frame and he hoped it wouldn't distress her. "I've brought you something, though I'm not sure..." Without consciously making the decision, he pulled out the picture.

Even without seeing the photograph, she seemed to know the contents and choked out a sob as she reached for it. "Let me see Alex." He wanted to protest, afraid it might make her start crying and trigger another seizure or something, but he couldn't watch her beg for more than a second before he handed it over to her. To his surprise, she smiled, albeit sadly, as she looked down on the faces of her family. She traced their faces with her hand and Alex was reminded of how serious her condition was by the various IV tubes the doctor had semi-permanently affixed to her arm. "Thank you Alex..."

Moving in his sleep, the book tumbled off the doctor's lab and fell to the floor with a loud thud. Russ jumped at the noise, his eyes popping open, and he let out a startled cry. "Ahh!" He looked around for a second, noticed the book on the floor and bent to scoop it up. "Wha?"

Though fresh tears were glistening in Amy's eyes, she smiled at the charmingly confused look he had on his face and Alex wondered if she was growing attached to the young doctor. "Morning Doc." Alex grinned at him. "Have a good nap?" Amy had to fight back a giggle at his expense.

"I feel asleep? Oh I'm sorry Amy, I know I was reading...." he held up the book halfheartedly.

"It's alright Doctor, you rarely sleep, I can't say I mind too terribly." Amy said. Having a moment to really look her over, he couldn't help but wonder if the doctor's sleep schedule directly correlated to Amy's. She had deep, purplish bags under her eyes and looked drawn and tired. It could be due to the injuries and being constantly subjected to the rhythm of the monitors but she didn't look well at all today.

Before he could voice his concerns, however, one of the many medical devices in the bay let out a loud shrill beep. Amy cringed and Alex looked around for the source. "Ah, blood tests are done..." he said, snapping the book closed and handing it to Alex as he rushed past.

"Blood tests?" Alex asked, instantly concerned.

"Oh nothing to worry about. The good doctor siphons my blood every few days for tests of some sort. Being bed bound, I don't put up much of a fight." Amy joked. "Though, to be honest, I'm beginning to suspect he's a bit of a vampire."