A Nurse for Wyatt Read online

  “Miss Simone, you’re a nurse.”

  She hiccupped a laugh. “And you’re a doctor.”

  He nodded. “I’m Doctor Lyman.”

  Nurse Twitchell stepped closer to Hugh and arched an eyebrow. “You two know each other, I presume?”

  Hugh’s smile faded slightly when he looked at the older nurse. “Yes. Nurse Simone lives at the boarding house where my mother works.”

  Jessica’s heart did a silly flip. The man actually recognized her for her profession and addressed her correctly. “Well, Doctor Lyman, I’m happy to be working with you.”

  When his brown-eyed gaze met her, his hearty smile seemed to return. “And I’m happy to be working with you. But you must excuse me. I have a patient to attend to.”

  “Of course, doctor.” She really should give Nurse Twitchell her attention, but she couldn’t stop herself from watching Hugh move to the last bed in the room and sit on a chair beside it. The patient’s head was bandaged to where Jessica couldn’t see his face. Then again, she wasn’t really watching the patient’s face. Instead, she admired the way Hugh’s experienced hands unwound the bandages around the soldier’s head. She also realized Hugh wore a different expression when dealing with his patients. Now, she could see the serious man behind his cheerfulness.

  Nurse Twitchell cleared her throat loudly, and Jessica quickly snapped her attention back to the older woman. Twitchell’s eyebrow was arched as she shot Jessica a critical glare.

  “Just to let you know,” the woman said in a quieter voice, “there will be no dalliance between doctors and nurses.” She tilted her head. “Is that understood, Nurse Simone?”

  Jessica swallowed hard and straightened her shoulders. “Yes, I understand.” It looked as if she could admire Hugh from afar, and that was as much as that infatuation could go.

  She listened to Nurse Twitchell talk about the man on the bed where they stood, and his infirmities before they moved to the next bed. Jessica should be listening, but instead, her thoughts were on Hugh. If he came to visit his mother at the boarding house, Jessica would surely see him outside the office. The man appeared to be interested in her, and yet, he must know about Nurse Twitchell’s rule. Or... was it only a rule for the nurses? She’d met two of the other doctors, and they were all old enough to be her father.

  Hugh Lyman, however, was younger and vigorous. It would be difficult to only think of him as a doctor. Why couldn’t they at least be friends? Nurse Twitchell wouldn’t criticize Jessica if she and Hugh were just friends, would she?

  As they moved from one bed to the next, they came closer to Doctor Lyman. It was easier to see the patient he was working on, especially the burns on the man’s face, making him unrecognizable. Poor man. Would he ever recover? And if he did, would he go straight from the hospital to jail? After all, he was a deserter.

  As Hugh was wrapping clean bandages around the man’s head, he talked to the man, who responded eagerly. For a moment, the soldier’s voice sounded familiar, but then she dismissed the thought. She wouldn’t know anyone here in Vermont.

  Jessica followed the head nurse to the back door. As Jessica passed the injured man with Hugh, something on the patient’s arm caught her attention. The lightning bolt-looking blemish on his forearm didn’t appear to be an injury at all, but a... birthmark.

  Recognition struck, making her stumble against Nurse Twitchell. Jessica’s heartbeat whacked so hard against her ribs, and she thought she might be the hospital’s next patient. But she didn’t let this stop her from rushing to the bed, halting next to Hugh. Her gaze locked on the soldier’s arm.

  As she realized who this man was, tears formed in her eyes. Her mind grew blank, and her body became numb with shock.

  “Nurse Simone?” Hugh asked, standing and grasping her arm. “What is wrong?”

  She shook her head, not believing what she saw. There had only been one other lightning bolt birthmark she’d seen in her life, and the man who’d possessed such a mark on his forearm was none other than Wyatt Ryker.

  “Nurse Simone?” Hugh said again. His voice held a touch of concern. “Do you know this man?”

  Finally, she was able to lift her gaze back to Hugh, and through her teary vision, she nodded. She didn’t dare tell him that she had been in love with Wyatt and was in hopes of marrying him once the war was over. If she confessed that information, they would make sure she wasn’t his nurse.

  “Yes,” she said in a tight voice before quickly clearing it. “A boy I’d known from back home had that same birthmark on his arm. His name was Wyatt Ryker.” She gulped down the emotion rising in her throat. “He’d gone to war and never returned.”

  “Do you think this is that man?” Hugh asked.

  She inhaled a shaky breath. “Wyatt was on the missing soldier’s report.” She glanced back at the man on the bed with the bandages around his head and face. He had the same light-brown hair as Wyatt, and from what she could see, he was about the same height and build.

  The man on the bed reached out a hand to her, and automatically, she took it. His fingers looked the same, too, except they were more cut up now than before.

  “Nurse?” the man said. “Do you know me?”

  She blinked back tears of joy. She couldn’t let Wyatt know it was really her, or Nurse Twitchell would definitely not let Jessica attend him. “I think so.”

  His other hand reached over and patted her arm. “I pray you do because I have no clue to my identity.”

  She hitched a breath, not sure what she’d just heard. She swung her gaze to Hugh’s concerned expression.

  He nodded. “It’s true. This man doesn’t have a memory.”

  Holding back her gasp of surprise, she clenched her teeth. Wyatt wouldn’t remember her at all? Then again, would he be telling the doctor that for fear of going to jail? That was definitely a possibility.

  She switched her gaze between Wyatt and Hugh as her mind swirled with ideas. She couldn’t let anyone at the hospital know her true feelings for the patient. But, at the same time, she needed to talk privately with Wyatt.

  “The only way I would be able to identify him,” Jessica told Hugh, “would be to look at his face. However, I received a glimpse of his face when you unwrapped the bandages, and...” She shook her head. “I didn’t recognize him because of his burns. But, his voice sounded familiar.”

  Taking a deep breath for courage, she turned back to Wyatt and gently took hold of his hand as she slowly lowered it to the bed. “I’m sorry, sir, but until you remember something about your life, I won’t be able to truly identify you.”

  Wyatt’s frame relaxed in defeat, and she wanted to cry again. But she couldn’t. Not in front of the doctor and nurse.

  Hugh tapped her shoulder, making her look at him again. His expression was sorrowful. “I’ll let you know if he has a breakthrough. He’s been here for two weeks, and so far, nothing we do has worked.”

  “Thank you, Doctor Lyman. Keep me informed.” She turned back to the head nurse. “We can continue.”

  It irritated Jessica that Nurse Twitchell’s attitude was one of impatience as if it ruined the woman’s day to take a few minutes for Jessica to converse with the soldier. Because of Nurse Twitchell’s poor attitude, Jessica would make sure she never became that kind of uncaring nurse. She was a nurse because she enjoyed taking care of those who were injured. They needed someone with a caring heart, which was what Jessica had.

  As she followed the woman out of the room, her mind returned to Wyatt. She couldn’t be obvious in her concern for him. She must show the other patients the same amount of attention. Unless... what about at night while everyone was asleep? That was the only way she and Wyatt could talk personally.

  She’d return tonight, and she prayed that he would tell her the truth.

  THREE

  At the stroke of midnight, Jessica entered the back door of the hospital. As a nurse, she was given a key. She’d learned that there was only one doctor and one nurse who worked th
e late shift, so as long as she stayed away from them, she’d be fine.

  She tiptoed down the corridor toward the large room. For tonight’s visit, she had changed her clothes into a darker color, mainly because she couldn’t get noticed or caught. That wouldn’t do well for her reputation as a nurse, and if she lost her job... Her heart sank. She couldn’t return home, so the only other option she had was to return to Harrow School of Nursing and beg Nurse Clara to send her to another hospital.

  But Jessica couldn’t think of that now. She’d focus on her task at hand, and pray nothing bad would happen.

  At the door to the large room, she paused with her hand on the doorknob. She listened for any sounds, especially footsteps. So far, the only steps she heard were her own.

  Cautiously, she opened the door and peeked inside. The room was dark, but the full moon had shone through the curtains on the windows, giving her a sliver of light to find Wyatt’s bed. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her, and slowly moved to his bed.

  The occasional snore from the patients broke the silence, but thankfully, that was the only noise she heard. She stopped at Wyatt’s bed and knelt beside it, laying her hand on his arm. From the rise and fall of his chest moving in a steady rhythm, she could see he was asleep. Gently, she shook him, but he continued to slumber.

  Frowning, she tried to think of something else to do to wake him, but then she didn’t want to startle him too much for fear of waking the others in the room. She leaned closer to his ear. “Wyatt? Wake up.”

  She gently shook him again. This time, she noticed the different rhythm of his breathing. Thankfully, it was working. “Wyatt, it’s me, Jess... um, Nurse Simone,” she continued in soft tones.

  His body jerked, and his hand shot out, meeting with her shoulder. He patted her arm as if trying to familiarize himself.

  “Nurse Simone from earlier today?”

  “Shhh...” She took hold of his hand, stopping its exploration. “We cannot wake the others.”

  “What time is it?” he asked groggily.

  “It’s almost midnight, but I had to come and talk to you.” Her heart wrenched. She prayed he would remember – or at least be the man she thought he was. “Tell me, truthfully. It’s only us now. I won’t let anyone know I was here tonight.”

  “Truthfully? Why would you think I wasn’t honest?”

  “Please, I need to know if you really cannot remember,” she pleaded earnestly.

  “It’s true. I don’t remember anything.”

  Her chest tightened again. “You don’t remember a woman named Jessica from before the war?”

  “No.”

  Desperation wrenched her chest tighter. Wyatt would have to know his parents’ names. “What about Henry and Martha Ryker?”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”

  She wanted to cry... or bawl like a baby. But she wouldn’t. She’d try all she could to help him remember their lives together, especially how much they had deeply loved each other. His family needed to know he was alive, too. She wasn’t just doing this for herself.

  Jessica took hold of his hand and gently caressed it. “Wyatt, I’m a nurse, and I’m going to help you remember.”

  “Are you certain I’m this man? Why doesn’t that name sound familiar to me?”

  She drew her fingers along his forearm, wondering why the mark was puckered and swollen like a burn. He flinched, so she stopped. “You have a birthmark right there on your arm in the shape of a lightning bolt. Not many men have that mark and in the same spot on your arm. Plus,” she quickly continued, knowing he wasn’t going to answer, “your voice is familiar to me, and your hair color is about the same color as Wyatt’s.” She took a lock of his hair, gently caressing it.

  Memories returned when she and Wyatt would meet in the cornfield back home so that they could be together and sneak a few kisses. Times had changed so much since then. They were no longer children, and the innocence of young love was long gone.

  “I just want to remember something – anything.” His voice broke. “I’m tired of living in this void existence. I’m tired of not being able to see, and every time the doctor takes off the bandages, the air stings my sores.”

  Jessica fought back the tears. He was correct. That would be a difficult challenge to bear. “Wyatt, I’ll fix some poultices to go on your sores. My mother and grandmother taught me about healing, and I’m going to help you.”

  His grip tightened. “Thank you... Miss.”

  “My name is Jessica Simone. Please, call me Jessica.”

  “Are you the woman I’m supposed to remember?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you for wanting to help me.” His voice cracked.

  “Go back to sleep, Wyatt. I will come every night around this time. We won’t be able to visit for very long since I don’t want to get caught.”

  “What if you get caught?”

  She breathed uneasily. “I fear they will relieve me of my position here. If that happens, I won’t be able to stay at this hospital.”

  “Then go, and be very careful.”

  She wanted to hug him, to kiss him in some way, but she didn’t dare. Not yet. Not until his memory returned. And when it did, they would be together forever.

  * * * *

  “Nurse Simone? Will you please come into my office for a moment?”

  Hugh Lyman stood at his office door, folding his arms over his chest. Jessica had just given a patient a spit-bath and had changed the dressing on his leg. Her apron was still slightly damp, and she was sure her hair was in disarray, even if it was in a bun, and she wore the required nurse’s hat. She wished she knew why she still felt the need to be presentable when in Doctor Lyman’s presence. It probably stemmed back to the fact that she still found him quite handsome.

  Nodding, she patted the back of her bun, feeling the loose hairs. Inwardly, she groaned. Hugh would see her and think she was an untidy woman. It didn’t matter that most of the other nurses’ hair looked this way, too.

  “Yes, Doctor Lyman.” She passed him as she entered his office. This was the first time she had been in here, and she resisted closing her eyes and inhaling his manly scent of musk.

  He closed the door before walking around to his desk. Instead of sitting on the chair, he sat on the edge of the desk and looked at her. His expression was pleasant, but she still worried their little office meeting wasn’t a social call. Her heartbeat flipped crazily, and yet, dread filled her. He must have known that she had sneaked into the hospital last night and talked to Wyatt.

  “I had to tell you,” Hugh began, “that I think you’re doing a remarkable job with our patients. Several of them have commented about how very helpful you are.”

  Relief flooded through her, and she sighed. “I love nursing. I’m glad I’ve made some of them happy.”

  “Isn’t that what our professions are about? Helping people should be our utmost goal.”

  “I agree.” She watched him closely, still questioning why he brought her into his office and shut the door, especially when there wasn’t anything personal about this conversation. He could have told her this in the hall.

  “However,” he said as his pleasant expression turned into a frown, “I’ve noticed – and a few of the other nurses have noticed as well – the way you almost single-out the man who lost his memory.”

  Jessica swallowed hard. Indeed, she’d had cause to worry. “Doctor, I haven’t singled him out at all.”

  “Well, we see that you give him a little more special treatment. And I,” he moved away from the desk, standing in front of her, “notice the way you look at him.”

  Her heartbeat pounded quicker from his nearness. She shrugged. “I’ve known Wyatt since we were children.”

  “True, however, we don’t know this is your childhood friend, and we won’t know that until his memory returns.”

  She nodded, wringing her hands against her middle. “But I feel it’s Wyatt. His voice is familiar, and that b
irthmark... Tell me, how many men do you know have that mark on their forearm in the shape of a lightning bolt?”

  “So, let’s suppose it is him.” Hugh cocked his head, his brown-eyed gaze narrowing on her. “Have you stopped to consider what ward of the hospital he is in?” He gently touched her shoulder. “Jessica, all those men in that ward are deserters. When they are healed, they will be delivered to their military units, and most likely, they’ll be in jail for a few years.” He motioned toward the door. “And some of those men have done despicable things since they abandoned their posts and have been on the run.”

  Jessica inhaled slowly, trying to stop the panic rising inside her. “Doctor Lyman—”

  “You can call me Hugh when we’re alone.”

  Butterflies jumped in her stomach. Heavens, why had that happened? “Well, Hugh, I don’t believe Wyatt is a deserter. The man I remembered before the war would have never done that.”

  Hugh’s touch slid from her shoulder, down her arm to clasp her hand. “I understand why you would feel that strongly, but most of the soldiers who were missing in action are either in an unmarked grave or they deserted their posts.”

  Her heart tugged painfully. No, she mustn’t believe Wyatt would purposely do that. “But what if he was forced to abandon his duties? Wyatt was an honorable man. That’s what is so frustrating, Hugh, is because deep inside of my heart, I feel that there is a good explanation for what happened to him.” She sighed. “If only he could remember.” She used both of her hands to grip his. “We must try and help him remember.”

  “I agree, but until he gains his memories, I pray you will keep an open mind. I’d hate to see your heart get broken when he realizes he is a deserter.”

  In a way, it was nice that Hugh cared about her getting hurt, but then part of her wanted to feel annoyed by his constant reminder about the war, and that Wyatt was a prisoner here in the hospital.

  She dropped her hand from his arm, and the loss of warmth was quite notable. In fact, she wondered if Hugh had a fever, because he was quite warm, too. When they had touched hands, the heat inside her had climbed a notch.