Page 10 of A Diagnosis Dark & Deadly

“I’d say brain tumor,” Hayes said, his fingers wrapped around his chin. “If she can’t control what she’s saying, it’s gotta be a neurological problem.”

Hadley thought about it, pressing air into his right cheek and then pushing it to his right. “Do an MRI,” he stated after a moment.

The team began to get up, Hayes quickly grabbing the patient’s folder. Goodson followed the two out the door, curling a strand of hair behind her ear when she ran into Andy. She was somewhat surprised at how quickly Shelby had sent him up to Hadley’s office, but then again, it was such a Shelby the thing to do. She was quite impatient whenever conducting her experiments.

“Hi, Dr. Goodson,” Andy said formally, a small smile on hisface.

Goodson smiled at him. Andy was incredibly cute; not the picturesque handsome, but very, very cute. He was tall and somewhat lanky, with short dark hair and dark eyes that clashed with his pale skin. His smile was normally shy, but when it came to his profession, he was incredibly persistent. He was incredibly sweet and very friendly, although Goodson had to wonder if he might have been a bit intimidated by her boss. The two were standing in the doorway of Hadley’s office, and Andy kept glancing at Hadley, almost as if he expected the diagnostician to pounce onhim.

“Congratulations, by the way,” Goodson told him quietly, leaning in so Andy could hear her. “’Bout time Summer.”

Andy chuckled at that. “I was wondering if you weren’t doing anything, you’d assist me with a consult in the clinic?” he questioned.

Goodson glanced back at her boss and was surprised to find Hadley staring very intently at Vince. His blue eyes were narrowed somewhat and his lips were pressed into a thin line. A throb in her pelvis sent tremors through the inside of her body in reaction to his territorial look. Maybe Shelby was on to something.

“Is that a problem?” she inquired curiously.

Hadley looked at her, his blue eyes pooling into hers. “It doesn’t take three people to do an MRI,” he stated. The wasn’t really an answer, but Goodson knew Hadley well enough to know that was his way of sayingyes.

She turned and followed Andy down to the clinic, the two discussing his impending nuptials.

“Your fiancée is smarter than I give her credit for,” she told him after a moment.

“Yeah,” Andy replied, scratching the back of his head. “I’ve learned that the hardway.”

* * *

By the timefive o’clock rolled around, the team figured out that it was not a brain tumor as they initially believed. However, the patient seemed stable and nurses would be around supervising through the night, promising to beep the team if anything happened. They, of course, were not allowed to beep Hadley; usually Goodson took it upon herself to beep him if things were too serious for the three of them. It didn’t look like tonight would be a long night for Hadley’s diagnosticteam.

Hayes and Roberts were out the door by the time Goodson slipped off her lab coat and draped it over her arm. “Good night,” she called over her shoulder, glancing at Hadley who was staring at his computer screen.

At the sound of her voice, he abruptly stood. “We need to talk,” he told her and then walked over to the door so he could shut it, giving the two privacy. When he turned, he stared at her pensively, but after three years of working with him, the inquiring stare did not intimidate her like it oncedid.

“Yes?” she asked, slowly arching abrow.

“Who was that physician who asked you for a consult?” he asked bluntly. “How come I’ve never seen him before?”

“Maybe if you actually paid attention to your surroundings, you would know that he works in the clinic,” she retorted dryly.

“I pay attention to you,” he toldher.

“Obviously,” she said with a chuckle, “because if Dr. Summer hadn’t come to talk to me, you wouldn’t have noticed him atall.”

“You know his name.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Actually, I know a lot more about him,” Goodson continued. “I know his full name, his favorite color, and much, muchmore.”

“So who is he?” Hadley leaned his backside on the edge of his oak desk and crossed his arms over my chest.

“None of your business,” Goodson told him firmly. “Now, if there’s nothing else…?” She let her voice trail off as a question and looked at him expectantly.

“I want to make it my business.” He was sure when he said it; there was no hesitation or doubt. He had been thinking about everything the whole day, when he wasn’t concentrating on the case, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized he wanted to share many more nights with her. It was an odd feeling, liking her, but he couldn’t quite say it that way out loud, at least not yet. He wasn’t quite sure how Goodson would react, but at least he got it there out in theopen.

Goodson was surprised. Whatever Shelby had concocted worked more than they had both originally anticipated. Goodson had wanted some kind of friends-with-benefits type deal. Was he asking for a relationship? She was normally good at reading between the lines when it came to Hadley, but this statement wasn’t as clear as his otherswere.

“I don’t… understand,” she said finally, furrowing her brow. “You leave after we get together and now that some guy asked for my consult, you want… me?” Her eyes narrowed and she placed her hands on her hips. “You just want me because somebody else does. You’re as territorial as a dog, you knowthat?”

“Yes,” came his nonchalant reply. “I see nothing wrong withthat.”