Loving the Loveless Pt. 7

August 27, 2018 at 4:00pm

MUSC, Charleston, SC

Detective Derek Kyle

He stood outside Brianna's private hospital room watching Dr. Sebastian Kane talk with her. For all that the doctor had blown into the trauma ward with all the force of a hurricane in human form, Brianna hadn't seemed afraid of him which was odd because everyone else on the floor seemed to avoid making so much as accidental eye contact with him. Everyone from police officers to civilians visiting loved ones gave Dr. Kane a wide berth that wasn't entirely born of fear or the look of murder he'd had when he'd arrived before he'd seen Brianna was alive with his own eyes.

So Derek had checked the good doctor's alibi because someone had attacked and raped his best friend and Derek knew the statistics. Rapes predominately were done by someone you knew and Brianna seemed to know Sebastian Kane very well.

And he wasn't jealous of that. Definitely not.

But Sebastian had been here, handling a psychology case of a child aged 7 being beaten brutally by her grandfather. He had wrapped the prelim interviews up maybe 30 minutes before Brianna had arrived and word got around just who she was. But while he checked out, Derek's gut still whispered that something was off. And ever since he'd lost the Heartless five years ago he wasn't inclined to ignore those instincts again.

Sebastian turned and greeted the attending doctor as she came in to discuss insurance and keeping Brianna overnight for observation. What little Derek was able to read of lips told him Sebastian was going to pay for everything. Brianna clearly wasn't having that—God only knew she hated handouts—but Sebastian turned to look down at her and Derek's breath caught. Because that look was one he'd only seen in movies and read about in books: that was love, pure and filtered through the kind of mask you wore when you were trying not to show just how terrified you'd been that you'd lost someone after seeing for yourself that they're safe and sound.

Fuck. He loves her. Who the hell is this guy?

Brianna's long suffering sigh was loud enough for him to hear in the hallway and Sebastian just frowned at her. But she smiled and touched his hand, nodding her permission. And he knew then that she had to feel the same, that the doctor made her feel safe because there was no way she'd have done that if he'd been her attacker.

Sebastian turned back to the attending doctor who gestured towards the door, an amused and understanding smile lighting her face and making her green eyes sparkle.

"We can talk in my office, Seb," she said as they stepped into the hallway.

"Lead the way, Minny," his voice was deep and inviting, like the first bite of rich dark chocolate and Derek shivered involuntarily. Sebastian stopped alongside him, eyes never losing track of Minny even as he spoke to Derek, "You're her detective friend?"

"I am," he confirmed turning to watch as a muscle along the doctor's jaw twitched.

"And you are assigned to her case?"

"You know that I am."The fuck is with the twenty questions?

"Do not make her more stressed with your questioning." Finally Sebastian turned and smiled at him. It was not a pleasant smile and had he not just spent the last 30 odd minutes watching this unnecessarily tall, dark, and handsome doctor interact lovingly with his best friend, Derek would be hard pressed not to find a reason to lock him up and lose the damn key. "Do we understand each other?"

"Loud and clear, Doc," Derek replied with a mock two finger salute. "I'm gonna do my best not to make things any worse for her."

Sebastian nodded, seemingly pleased with his response. "Very good. Excuse me." And with that he strode off after Minny, turning down a hallway at the next intersection and disappearing from sight.

As he signaled O'Shaunnesy to join him in Brianna's room for further questions, Derek couldn't shake the feeling that he had just narrowly dodged a bullet in the form of one Dr. Sebastian Kane.