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I grabbed her palm and squeezed, feeling the strength of her capable hand in my own. “Hey. Let’s wait and hear what the doctor has to say. Modern medicine has come a long way.”

I wanted to believe my own reassurances, but the tightness in my chest and shoulders didn’t lie. Losing her was not an option. Even if we didn’t work out, I wanted her whole, healthy, and happy, not nervous and broken.

I dated. I dated a lot. Women liked a man in uniform. Or out of it. Firefighter calendars for the win. But Melena was the first woman in a long time who didn’t make me feel lonely when I was with her. Who didn’t see a pretty, but empty package; a good-time guy with nothing more to offer. She let me in on the joke, instead of making me the butt of it. Objectification: not just for the ladies anymore. I didn’t need one more patronizing smile and comment about my fire hose. Anyone who thought you had to be an idiot to run into a burning building didn’t know the science involved. Women saw the beefcake calendars, not the minds behind the muscles. It was only when they got closer that the danger scared them away. Melena’s independence reminded me of my grandmother who exuded the same buck up energy from every pore. If she was fierce enough to start her own business from scratch, she was fierce enough to handle her medical issues and the hazards of dating a firefighter.

“Knock, knock,” a feminine voice called around the blue curtain.

I glanced quickly at Melena as she called, “Come in.”

A short woman in scrubs and a white lab coat rounded the edge of the curtain. “I always feel like I should follow with a joke, but I’m terrible at them,” she said with a hint of Britain in her pronunciation.

She smiled and introduced herself to Melena as Dr. Rai. Her white smile was bright against her light brown skin. My attempts to read the subtext beneath her bedside manner were stymied by her energy. She made it impossible to tell if she carried good news or bad. It was late, and she gave off vibes like she’d just finished a triple-shot espresso.

“I’ve had a chance to review your labs and tests. You told us earlier you have no history of heart issues in your family?”

Melena shook her head. “Not that I know of. Both of my parents are alive and well. I lost one of my grandfathers young, but I’m not sure what illnesses he had.”

Dr. Rai nodded. “Well, from the echocardiogram, it appears you’ve got a heart arrhythmia. Your heart is beating faster than it should.”

I opened my mouth before I could think better of it. “I thought that was just because I’m so handsome.”

Dr. Rai was generous with her side-eye, but at least Melena gave me a weak smile. I was an asshole for interrupting, but it broke the tension.

“Jimmy’s handsomeness aside, what does that mean? Why would my heart beating faster cause me to pass out?”

I squeezed her hand while we waited for the doctor’s response. The list of potential reasons to faint was long. Everything from heart problems and low blood sugar to anemia. I’d hoped for anemia. Iron supplements were cheap and easy.

“Heart arrhythmias are fairly common. Effectively the electrical system in your heart is malfunctioning.” She cast me a glance. “Not due to any eye candy nearby, but likely because of stress, diabetes, drug or alcohol use, heart disease, high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, or another underlying health issue.”

Melena looked mystified and scared. “I don’t think I have any of those. Can it be treated?”

Dr. Rai listed a lot of confusing options. I was only capable of catching ‘medication’ and ‘surgery.’ Judging by Melena’s crestfallen expression, she wasn’t excited about any of her advice. The doctor referred her to a cardiologist for further evaluation and sent in a prescription to the pharmacy.

“Please be sure to use the referral and take your medication. I don’t want to see you back here. Someone will be by with your release paperwork shortly. Before that happens, do you have any additional questions?” Dr. Rai asked.

Melena shook her head and thanked the doctor before she ducked back behind the curtain, leaving us to our pretense of privacy.

“Hey,” I said, tugging gently on her hand clasped in mine. “Are you okay?”

She looked anything but okay. Instead of admitting it, Melena turned to me with a brave face before releasing my hand. “Sure. I appreciate you coming with me tonight. I’m sorry we’ve had to wait so long.”

I sighed. Those walls had gone up fast. “Melena. I’m glad to be here. Also, if we’re being brutally honest, I’m thankful you didn’t pass out because of something I did. I have a reputation to maintain.”

Her smile may have been more of a grimace, but I’d take it.

“There’s my girl. Let’s go get your prescription filled.”

“I’m not, you know. You didn’t have to be here tonight.”

“Not what?” I asked.

“Your girl.”

I gripped my chest, pulling on every ounce of acting ability I’d garnered in my sixth-grade school play. “You wound me. You could be my girl. Or your own girl. Or someone else’s girl. But for tonight, I’m glad I was there with you.”

See? I could be cool. She was freaked out enough with her medical diagnosis. Melena didn’t need me mooning over her beautiful face too. If she wanted to be strong, I’d support her in being strong. But if she needed a cuddle, I was there for it. Any excuse for touching was A-OK with me.

Melena took a few moments to change into her street clothes while I waited outside the cubicle. An aide escorted us to the pharmacy with the prescription, and we waited for the late-night pharmacist to fill the order. I tried to give Melena her privacy as she spoke with the pharmacist, but she visibly stiffened when the man told her the amount.