Saving My Hope

Chapter 17-Surprise

**Shaneria Blenco P.O.V**

I woke to the feeling of Nate stroking my bare shoulder.
I nuzzle my head closer to his chest and softly groan in annoyance.
He pulls the blanket a bit up more to cover my body and rubs my back.
I move my hand gently across his chest as I breath in his breathe taking cologne.
"Rough night?" He says, sarcastically with a smile down to my closed eyes.
I groan again.
I feel as if Im getting a headache. Maybe its from me hitting my head on the armrest of the couch because Nate moved alot last night.
"What time is it?" I mumble with my eyes closed.
He leans a bit over me to press the home button on his iPhone.
He leans back and tells me, "seven on the dot".
"Twenty more minutes please"I sigh tiredly.
"Twenty and twenty minutes only" he says and runs his hand from my shoulder to my hip and rests it there.

I keep my eyes close and head on Nate as we spoke about little things.
But Nate left me on the couch before the twenty minutes was up.
He took the throw blanket on the back of the couch and wrapped it around his hips and tucked the tip in so it wouldn't fall as he walked.
I nustle into the couch more because it ws so comfortable.
But soon enough, I wasnt.
The familiar sound of nails skimming the wooden floor, echoes through the house and a few barks cause my eyes to snap open to see what was going on.
I turn my head to see where was Nate.
He walked behind his excited dog who ran up to the couch and jumped on me.
The air was knocked out of me and my face became wet with doggy kisses.
"Get down, Bentley" Nate demands his german shepard.
I wipe my face with the edge of the blanket covering my body.
The big dog jumps down and the couch vibrates a bit as he runs to Nate.
Nate kneels and pats his head and rubs the side of his neck.
I watch the two and smile.
Gotta love men who love animals.
"What would you like for breakfast?" Nate asks me as he rises and walks to the laundry room, across from the kitchen.
"I can eat at home, no problem. I got to get going anyways" I tell him and wrap the blanket around me as I bend over and pick up my clothes.
He immediately stops what hes doing and peeks from around the door,
"You got to go right now?".
"Ya, Im sorry. I shouldn't have even spent the night" I say and slid on my underwear and then my pants are next.
He picks up his jeans which are near my feet, and he slides them on so he doesn't have to wear a blanket on his waist.
I slip into my shirt and pull my hair out of the collar and then ease my feet into my socks as I hop with bad balance.
"You work today?" He asks and puts on a fresh long sleeve.
"Yeah. I just remembered this morning. I picked up a morning shift because a general got sick last night. Usually on wednsdays I go in the afternoon, 1pm to midnight" I reply as I walked over to the front door.
"Well, I'll drive ya home then" he says and too puts on his shoes.
"Thank you" I tell him.
He looks up and takes the keys off the key holder.
"No problem" he replies and locks the door behind us.

* 10 minutes later *
He drove into my driveway and let me out.
I dug out my keys and Nate watched to make sure I got in okay before he left.
"Shan" my sister calls out from upstairs, upon hearing me enter the house.
"Yes?" I ask back and set my purse down on the couch.
"The hospital phoned" she said and started making her way down the steps, one at a time.
"Oh?" I asked.
I wasnt late.
My shift started in thirty minutes.
"Its not an emergency but they just wanted to let you know in advanced that you should immediately go to see Dr Goran once you get to work" she tells me.
"Did they say why?" She stopped on the landing and leaned against the railing.
"No, but they seemed kind of shocked or worried" she replied.
I nod in response and then go to grab an apple from the kitchen.
"How baby doin?" I ask slightly louder so she would hear me from her spot.
"Decent. Shes kicking and starting to turn for when she gets evicted any day now" she smiles.
"Good good" I reply and take a bite.

* * *
When I got to work, I made my way to Joel's office.
Im hoping Daniére wasnt playing some kind of joke.
I knock on the open door to let him know from filling out papers, that Im here.
He looks up as I walk in.
I stand behind the chair and put my hands on the back of it.
"Hospital phoned and said for me to see you when I came in" I say.
"Uh, yes" he says and stands up while looking at a chart he had in his left hand.
He walks beside me and shows me the paper.
"A patient came in with a neck wound. We're saying its an animal attack. Can you assess her and we can discharge her" he says.
"Why do you need me for this?" I ask and take the chart from him as my eyes still look over the information.
"Because youre really good at what you do" he says and sits back down in his office chair.
I stand there a few more seconds before inhaling from being a bit more tired this morning and then turn my back to him to leave.
"Shan" Joel says.
I turn my head to him.
"Dont be hesitate to discharge her. Its not a bad wound. Just tell her to clean it and such" he tells me.
I nod and then leave from his sight.