Frank squints at him. “Doctor, I trust you with my life. I do not trust you with my comfort.”
“That’s fair,” I murmur.
Colton glances at me, seeming surprised.
I flash a knowing smile before turning back to Frank. “But Dr. Fisher’s right. Pushing it too far will only leave you groggy.”
“Already there,” Frank says cheerfully. “I want to be groggy and numb.”
Colton huffs a laugh.
“Tell me something good,” Frank says suddenly, pointing between us. “Either of you. I don’t care what. Lie if you have to.”
I pause, then smile softly. “The cafeteria is serving a dish that resembles real food today.”
Frank gasps. “Now I know you’re lying.”
Colton looks over at me. “He’s not wrong.”
I grin. “It was worth a try.”
Frank watches us for a moment, eyes sharp despite the humor. Then he nods to himself. “There it is.”
Colton arches a brow. “There what is?”
“That,” he says, gesturing vaguely between us. “You two actually smiling. Took long enough.”
I stiffen slightly. Not sure how to reply. I catch his wife, Diane, rolling her eyes in the corner, but not joining in. She must be used to her husband inserting himself quite often.
Colton clears his throat. “Frank?—”
“Nope,” he cuts in. “I don’t need details. I’m dying, not blind.”
I let out a quiet breath. “Frank …”
“I like you both,” he continues, gentler now. “You make this place less miserable. That’s saying something.”
I soften at his words, resting a hand briefly on the rail of his bed. “We’re glad you’re here.”
He scoffs. “I didn’t have much choice.”
Colton glances back at his chart. “Your labs from this morning are holding steady.”
“That’s doctor talk fornothing’s exploded yet, right?”
“Exactly.”
A soft giggle escapes me. Colton’s head turns in my direction. Frank appears to notice.
“Careful, Doc,” he says mildly. “You keep looking at her like that, people are gonna talk.”
My laughter fades into a quiet breath as my cheeks heat again at what Frank is implying.
Colton straightens again. “I’m looking at her because she’s good at her job.”
“She is,” Frank agrees. “And she’s easy to talk to. Makes the hard stuff less hard.”
I swallow. “Thank you,” I reply.