She stared at Lee with guilt, she hated the thought of packing her belongings and leaving him here to fend for himself like the lonesome bachelor he once was. She didn't want to have the conversation but she couldn’t just pack up and leave. The puppy love that they shared made any separation much more difficult than it needed to be. 

“Lee, I have to start packing tonight.” Y/n said with a saddened tone. 

“What are you talking ‘bout Darlin’, did I do something to upset you?” 

“Don’t be silly Lee, I’m not upset with you. I have to go back to work in a few days if I want to keep my job. So, I need to pack my things and go back to my place tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay Darlin’.” Lee said quietly. He looked like a child that had just broken their favorite toy. “I guess it has been a couple weeks now hasn’t it.”

Y/n heart broke at the sadness in his eyes and in his voice. She knew he would be okay without her but Lee is a sensitive man at heart and deep down dreaded being alone. Since he was not ready to go back to work he didn’t have anything to do except sit in his chair and wallow. 

“If it wasn’t for my job I would stay with you Lee, but I can’t lose my job. I can give you my phone number and you can call whenever you’d like.” She said in an effort to reassure him. 

She makes her way over to Lee in his chair. He looks up at her with sorrow and gestures for her to have a seat in his lap. She sat on his good leg and cuddled into his chest. He brought her into an embrace, holding her, afraid of losing her. Lee had never had someone care so much about him the way Y/n does. She made him feel like the only man in the world and he tried his best to make her feel the same. They sat quietly as Y/n rested her head on his chest and listened to the pounding of his heart and his steady breathing. They both stayed still in effort to make this moment last forever. Lee looked down and smiled at the sight in front of him, her breathing was heavy as she was resting in his embrace. Lee took his hand and brushed away the escaping locks of hair and tucked them behind her ear. He knew that no matter what would happen, he could never let her go. She was his breath of fresh air. He rubbed the outside of her thigh and made repetitive motions of drawing shapes and figures on her. 

Lee let her rest for a while before he woke her with a gentle brush of her cheek as he called her name. She slowly opened her eyes and was met with Lee’s smile. He had never smiled a lot in life but it was contagious when he did. As she attempted to sit up Lee pulled her back into his arms. She giggled at his actions and continued her attempts. 

“Lee you have to let me up, I need to get some cleaning done” she exclaimed as he tightened his grip and lightly tickled her sides. 

“I’m not letting you go Darlin’, you belong right here with me” he chuckled

Their laughter died down as they locked eyes. They looked at one another for a few moments before they both began to lean in. They were interrupted by the doorbell. Y/n quickly hopped off of him and Lee slowly rose up from his chair. He hobbled to the door and was met by a familiar face on the other side. His deputy chief, Wilson, had dropped by to check on Lee. 

“Wilson, good to see you. Is everything alright?” Lee questioned. Y/n curiously stood by his chair and made her way to the kitchen.

“Of course everything is alright, just wanted to check in on ya and see if you needed anything.”

“Well thank you, come on in and have a seat.” Lee opened the door and gestured for his guest to have a seat on the couch. The men seated themselves and began discussing Lee’s future return to work, Y/n made quick work in the kitchen and brought both men a glass of water. As she walked into the living room Wilson looked at her shocked to see that she was here. He continued their conversation waiting for her to leave the room before interrogating Lee.

“Lee, is that the lady who took care of you in the hospital?” He questioned

“Yes, but she is not just some lady. Her name is Y/n, she’s been helping me ‘round the house and taking good care of me.”

“So let me get this straight, you have a random woman you met at the hospital, living in your house and caring for you. And you have only known her for a couple weeks?”

“Well when you put it like that it sounds crazy.” Lee chuckled. “Look, she is a really great gal. We both have feelings that we are figuring out and she has been keeping me in check. It happened quite fast but we are both comfortable with this arrangement. However, she is leaving in a day or two to go back to work.” Wilson sat there and shook his head in disbelief. He was ultimately confused with how they had been casually living together for the last few weeks like it was no big deal.

“That is quite the arrangement, just be careful Lee.”

“You have nothing to worry about Wilson, she’s a good one.” Wilson shook his head in utter disbelief. “Well I should get down the road before the misses sends out a search party, I’ll see you later Lee.” Lee bids him farewell as he lets himself out.

Lee gets up from his chair in order to find Y/n. He finds he in the kitchen was dishes wearing an apron to prevent her dress from getting wet. Lee walks up to her and wraps his arms around her waist pressing himself against her, burying his head in her neck. He peppers her skin in small pecks.

“Lee, I have to get this done, so I can start packing.”

“C’mon Darlin’ I want you to pay attention to me.” He pouts

She dries her hands and turns around to become face to face with Lee. he smiles as he grabs her thighs and lifts her onto the counter, she squeals in fear that he will drop her.

“Lee, don’t pick me up like that, you are gonna hurt yourself.”

“Darlin’, you can tell me what to do all you want, but I will never stop picking you up. And I must say you look mighty fine sitting all pretty up here for me. Just as gorgeous as the day I met ya.” He then presses his lips into her jaw and litters her with his kisses. Making his way up to her lips as he grabs at her thighs and hips. She drapes her arms over his shoulders as she snakes her hand into his hair holding him close. As they break away for air Lee looks her up and down taking in the sight in front of him. Her swollen lips turn into a smile as she catches his stares.

“A picture would last longer Lee” she remarks. “Now I really need to start packing.” His smile quickly becomes a frown. He huffs and helps her down from the counter. He follows as she walks to the living room and watches as she packs her things. She sets out her nightwear and tomorrow’s outfit. Lee waits patiently for her to finish. She spins around and makes her way towards Lee. 

“Darlin’ let's go out for dinner tonight. I know a good place a couple towns over that would be nice.”

“That would be really nice Lee, let me get ready and we can head out.” She grabs her toiletries and heads to the guest bathroom. She always kept a nice dress in her bags, and it would be the perfect fit for tonight. It was a black A-line dress that hugged her figure just right. This gave him the time to make their reservation and head upstairs to get ready himself. He stood in front of his closet attempting to pick a nice outfit for tonight. He settled for his black slacks, a white button down and his black blazer.

He made his way downstairs to find Y/n gazing out the living room window at the neighborhood children playing together. He wishes he could read her mind at times like these. Did she want children? She was much younger than him and still had plenty of time to have children. 

“Darlin’, you ready to go?” She turned towards Lee and was taken back by his appearance. He looked so sophisticated and handsome, more than he already did. He took his time capturing her gorgeous curves in that dress, and knew that it would not stay on her long when they got back. Lee extended his hand out to her and she reached out to him. He led her to the garage and opened the door for her and gently closed it behind her. Lee hopped in the driver’s seat and made their way down the road. Y/n silently gazed out the window and took in her surroundings. She did not want this night to end. She knew she was falling for him even more than she thought she would. He rested his hand on the bottom of her thigh as he drove. 

They finally made it to a small town with many shops and restaurants that littered the town square. Lee led the way as they walked down the sidewalk towards the restaurant. He was concerned with how quiet Y/n was but did not want to impose. They entered the building, and were seated at a table by the front window. 

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

“Oh nothing Lee, just thinking about tomorrow and going back to work. I don’t want to leave.” She states as she grabs his hand that’s laying on the table.”

“Darlin’, it will be alright, I don’t want you to go either but it’s what you have to do. But for tonight let’s enjoy the night and forget tomorrow.” She nodded as they moved on to their usual topics, sharing stories of one anothers childhoods and lives before they met. The food was delicious but Lee thought Y/n’s food was better. She shook her head at his brown nosing. They took their time finishing their meals, Lee eventually paid the bill and they made their way back to his car. In the car they sat close together and just enjoyed each other’s company. They reached Lee’s house 30 minutes later. He parked the car in the garage. He turned the car off and sat quietly and shared glances. Lee’s eyes switched his gaze from her eyes to her lips repeatedly before he pulled her in swiftly and connected their lips. 

Lee moved down the seat and pulled her into his lap. 

“Lee let me get off, I’m going to hurt you.” she said in between kisses.

Lee stopped in his tracks, “Darlin’, what did I tell you about saying that. You are so god damn beautiful and I want you in my lap. You are not going to hurt me.”

“Lee I’m too-”

“Too what? And you better not say big because you're perfect, absolutely perfect and you’re all mine. Do you hear me? I don’t want you saying that again.” 

“Okay, Lee I won’t say it again.” he quickly resumed his action and let his hands wander her figure.

“Let’s go inside Lee.”

“Are you sure Darlin’, we can stop-”

“I’m sure” She climbed down from his lap and they made their way into the house 

Y/n grabbed Lee’s hand and led him up the stairs to the bedroom. She closed the door and turned to find Lee sitting on the end of the bed looking her up and down like a hungry animal. She tossed her heels to the side and made her way towards him. He grabbed her hips and pulled her down onto the bed with him. They had resumed the position they took in the car. Lee pulled down the zipper that began at the back of her dress as he toed off his shoes and took off his jacket without separating his lips from hers. Lee made his way off the bed and stripped down to his underwear. Y/n laid there breathless and took in the sight before her as he moved towards her, placing himself between her legs. He pushed the bottom of her dress up to put her beauty on display. She pulls the dress over her head as Lee leans down to kiss her thighs. He slowly works his way up, spending extra time at her breasts. As he reached her neck she wrapped herself around him. He tried to withhold the urge but he couldn’t help but buck his hips into her. Y/n moaned at this foreign feeling. 

“Lee please, I need you” he swiftly reached around to unhook her bra. He tossed it to the side and took her breast into his mouth. Swirling his tongue and watching her squirm underneath him. He works his way down her body and stops his kisses at her panty line.

“Darlin’, are you sure.” he asks, “Yes Lee, I’m sure”

He removes her underwear, tossing them to the floor to add to the scattered mess of clothing. He positions himself between her thighs and kisses her everywhere but where she wants him. Moments later he devours her as if she is his last meal. She snaps her legs closed in reflex, but quickly let’s go in order to not suffocate Lee.  He grabs both legs and pulls her back in and tossing her legs over his shoulders, she arches her back as he dives deeper. She moans as Lee continues, gasps for air as he inserts a finger with little resistance. Adding another to stretch her out. Lee can tell by her noises and movements, that no man has ever made her feel this way, making him even harder knowing she’ll be begging for more. He continues his actions bringing her closer to her climax. Her moans became louder as she laced her fingers in his hair, unknowingly pulling it too hard. 

“Lee please don’t stop, please Lee.” Lee grins as he hears her begging him to continue. He continues his actions as she moans his name reaching her climax. Lee stops once she releases his hair from her grip. As she lies breathing heavily, Lee removes his underwear and lays next to her. Caressing her face and bringing her gaze to him.

“You okay, Darlin’?”

“I’m more than okay Lee”

He smiled and got on top of her, littering her face and neck with his lips. Y/n captured Lee’s lips with her own and they became in sync. 

“Darlin’ are you sure, you are okay to keep going?” Y/n nodded her head “Darlin’, I need to hear you say it, that you are okay.”

“I’m okay”

Lee pumps himself a few times before he enters her. He groans as he seats himself in her fully. Her face contorted in pain, legs wrapped around him, nails digging into the skin of his arms. Lee hated seeing her in pain, he halted all movements and waited for her to relax underneath him before moving slowly. As he sped up she held onto him more and moaned in his ear. Send chile down Lee’s spine he continued his movements until he reached his climax with Y/n reaching her’s as well. 

“Fuck Darlin’, you fell so fucking good, gonna fill you up nice and full.” he said as came into her, and as she reached her own high. Lee laid his head in the crook of her neck as they both breathed heavily. 

Lee lifted his head and smiled at Y/n, “This means you're my girl now.”

“I’ve been yours since day one Lee.”

He kissed her and removed himself from her. Lee went to the bathroom and came back with a warm rag to clean her up. He handed it to her not wanting to be too overbearing. He then crawled into bed beside her, and she laid on his chest as their hearts began to slow down from the previous excitement. They quickly fell asleep in one another’s embrace with no regard for the loneliness to come.

“Darlin’ I am fine. I don't need the crutches anymore. I did just fine getting around, now get back in that bed and eat.” She shook her head at his stubbornness and sat down. 

Lee sat the tray in front of her and walked around to his side. Y/n was quite surprised with Lee’s cooking. She could see him out of the corner of her eye. He drank his coffee as he admired her. He propped himself against the headboard and rubbed small circles on her back. They ate in silence, Lee pulled Y/n close when they were done. Y/n placed the tray at the foot of the bed and relaxed into Lee’s arms. He kissed her forehead then used his free hand to lift her chin to kiss her properly. They stayed in that position for only a few minutes before Lee laid Y/n on the bed and hovered over her.

He studied her features for a moment before he leaned down to connect their lips. As they kissed Lee moved his hand to caress Y/n’s hip. Gradually moving up and down her thigh and with one quick motion his hand was under her dress resting on her behind. Lee gave her a firm squeeze and pushed against her. The feeling of his girth made her moan in ecstasy. Lee removed his lips from her and placed kisses from her chin to her jaw and then to her neck. He spend little time there and moves further down. He kisses down her chest to her breasts. She pushes the material of her clothing aside and Lee continues his worship of her body. After a few minutes he lifts his head, his lips are slightly swollen and red.

“As much as I’d love to continue Darlin’, I want to go slow and take my time with you.”

As they take time to catch their breath Y/n can’t help but admire the pink tint that covered Lee’s cheeks. He placed one final peck onto her chest before getting up. Lee made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. She loved seeing Lee gain his independence back so quickly. It saddened her as well, she enjoyed taking care of Lee and not just as a patient. She liked making him dinner and just spending time with him. Her insecurities crept back into her mind. She thought that if Lee was doing well on his own, it was time for her to leave. She heard Lee turn on the shower. She started to get herself ready for the day, halfway through picking out her outfit she heard a large thud. Before Lee could call out for her, she burst through the door to find him lying in the tub.

“Hey Darlin’ nothing to see here I’m alright.” He tried to wave her away as he made multiple attempts to get himself up.

“Lee, you are not fine.” She rolled her eyes as she walked towards him. “You just fell in the shower, you are pushing yourself too much.”

“Y/n I am fine, I can get myself up please just let me do it.” He huffed as he tried to grip the side of the bathtub.

“Lee, you could have injured yourself even more. You need to be careful-”

“Y/n just get out.” Lee was upset and didn’t want to get angry with Y/n. 

She scoffed and turned on her heels. Lee flinched as she slammed the door, he rubbed his hand over his forehead as he laid in the tub with the, now cold, water pouring over him. Lee eventually got himself out of the tub and finished getting ready. He looked at his hip in the mirror and saw a new bruise forming and small streaks of blood coming from his incision. 

“Shit.” Lee had gotten used to the pain but it was now worse from his overzealous actions.

Lee limped into the bedroom and laid down; he had only draped a towel over himself. He knew he needed her help but she was mad at him. The bedroom door was slightly cracked and he could hear her in the other bathroom getting ready.

“Darlin,” He tried not to sound too aggressive as he called for her. “Darlin’ please come here. Y/n.” Lee started to get more irritated the more he had to call out for her. Just as he was about to get up to find her the bedroom door creaked open.

“What do you want Lee?” She didn’t want to sound so harsh but he was being a jerk.

Lee patted the empty spot beside him on the bed. Y/n slowly walked over and plopped herself down.

“Darlin’, I’m sorry for snapping at you like that. I was out of line. I don’t want to make excuses for myself but I guess I’m just really frustrated because I wanted to rely on you a little less and I screwed up. I’m sorry Darlin’, will you forgive me.” Lee gave her a pouty lip to lighten the mood a bit.

“I understand that it’s frustrating but rushing the healing process won’t help you. I guess I forgive you but if you talk to me like that again, we are gonna have a problem.”

“Yes ma’am. Can you help me bandage up, my incision broke open?”

“Jesus Lee, you should have just removed the sutures. You need to slow down.” She looked at his wound and grabbed the proper supplies. 

“I’m going to clean it with some alcohol, just try to stay still.” Y/n poured the solution onto some gauze and placed it over his wound. Lee was in a lot of pain, he made small groans but tried his best to keep it in. Y/n bandaged him up and gave him some clothes to put on.

“Darlin’, I have been a pretty good patient. I think I deserve a reward.” Lee wiggled his eyebrows in an effort to make her smile.

Y/n chuckled, “Oh yeah, you think so?” She leaned down and was close to his face. “Maybe you do deserve a reward.” She leaned in as if she was going to kiss him but pulled away at the last second.

“On second thought, I don’t think you do.” She stood up and started walking out of the room.

“If I wasn’t a gimp right now you would be in a lot of trouble young lady.”

“Oh what a shame.” She chuckled as she walked out.

Lee wanted nothing more than to have her right then and there. He got himself down to his chair, he swallowed some of his pills with the lukewarm water that was on the side table. They went about their day like they had been and just enjoyed each other's company.

“Maybe I want you back Lee. I made a mistake by hurting you and I want to apologize-”

“I don’t want it, any of it. I don’t want you.”

“So you are just going play house with that lard ass teenager in there?” Lee got closer to Florence so he didn’t have to raise his voice.

“Listen here you selfish whore, I don’t want you. Y/n has been better to me in the past three days than you were our entire marriage. She is an amazing girl who actually knows how to think about other people instead of herself.”

“Well I bet she’ll enjoy the drinking and being home alone just as much as I did.”

“I stopped drinking and at least she makes meals worth coming home to. Get out of here Florence, go find some other idiot and bleed their pockets dry until you’re bored and hop to the next.” Lee turned around and walked into the house. He was just in time for dinner. He tried to push everything to the back of his mind and put his full attention on Y/n.

“Darlin’, thank you.”

“You’re welcome Lee, I’m glad you like dinner. I used some different spices than usual.”

“I mean for everything. Being so kind to me, taking care of me, spending so much time with me. It’s more than anyone has done for me and I want you to know that I truly appreciate it.”

“I don’t just do it because I like helping people, Lee. I like you a lot and you have been so sweet to me even when you are in pain or upset you still treat me with respect. And Florence is one dumb broad to think that you are anything but a handsome and amazing man.” All Lee could do was smile. They finished dinner and Lee once again attempted to help clean up to no avail. They spent their evening sitting on the front porch and made small talk. As the sky became darker Y/n went inside to clean up some things before they went to bed

By the time she was done cleaning up from the day she felt a wave of exhaustion over her. She went to the living room and rooted in her bag to find pajamas. Lee was already dozing off while they were on the porch. She quickly got changed and went to get Lee. She found him with his head hanging down and could hear small snores coming from him. She walked closer to him and shook him lightly, Lee jumped a little but relaxed when he saw her.

“I think it’s time to get you ready for bed.” She rubbed his shoulder and stood by as he stood up.

“Darlin’, I need to sleep in my bed tonight. Getting too old to sleep in a chair.”

“That’s fine Lee, I’ll make sure you’re settled and come down here-”

“You aren’t sleeping down here by yourself. Come sleep in bed with me.” She gave him a skeptical look. “I’ll keep you nice and warm so you don’t have to steal a sweatshirt again.” Y/n eyes grew wide.

“How did you know about that?”

“I’m the sheriff Darlin’, I know everything.” She rolled her eyes and followed Lee towards the stairs. It was becoming easier for Lee to go up the stairs the more he did it.

Lee was excited to finally sleep in his own bed, especially now that Y/n would be by his side. Y/n was sweating from her anxiety. She liked Lee a lot but she was still nervous to be so vulnerable around him and be so close to him. She helped him up to his room, she watched as Lee discarded each piece of clothing until he was left in his white t-shirt and his briefs. Lee could feel her eyes watching him, but didn’t want to disrupt her gaze. Once Lee started to lay down in his bed Y/n walked to the other side and laid towards the edge.

“Darlin’ I’m not gonna bite.”

“Unless you want me to” he thought to himself.

Y/n moved towards Lee but was still as stiff as a board. Lee moved a little closer to her and laid on his side to face her. He could tell that she was nervous.

“Darlin’ are you alright? You seem a little nervous?”

“Yeah Lee, why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Don’t lie to me Darlin’, why are you acting like you’ve never shared a bed with someone?”

“Well because I haven’t Lee.” She was beginning to get frustrated with herself over it.

“Oh, you have never slept in the same bed as anyone or even laid with another?”

“No Lee, I guess I’m just nervous about laying in bed with someone, especially a man.”

“Well Darlin’ there is nothing to worry about, we are just going to sleep. It’s quite nice to sleep next to somebody. I think after you get outta that pretty little head of yours, you will see that it feels nice to sleep next to somebody.” Lee started to rearrange himself on the bed. “Here, let me put my arm under your neck and you can get comfortable.”

Y/n turned to her side to face away from Lee as he placed his arm under her neck and snaked the other around her waist. Once he brought her closer to his chest she could feel the tension from her body disappear. Lee was rubbing small circles on her belly where his hand rested. He pressed a small kiss to her shoulder.

“Goodnight Darlin’.”

“Goodnight Lee.”

It didn’t take very long for Lee to fall asleep, but Y/n laid awake. She tried to relax into Lee’s warmth, but she had never laid so close to someone before. She laid as still as she could to prevent waking him. Y/n eventually moved to her back and Lee stirred and laid his head on her chest and tightened his grip around her waist. Y/n moved her arm to lay against his back. She didn’t take Lee for a man to cuddle in his sleep. She drifted off to sleep with a slight flutter in her chest.

Y/n nodded and grabbed her purse and keys. She was anxious to have Lee walk around so much, but wanted him to help pick things out at the store, and he needed the fresh air and scenery. She followed him as he crutched his way out the door. She helped him into the car and hopped behind the wheel. She was nervous to drive Lee around, as he was still a sheriff and feared any critiquing from him about her driving skills. With Lee’s directions it did not take long to reach the supermarket. Y/n pushed the cart as Lee followed her. They went down every aisle so they wouldn’t forget anything. However, Y/n still forgot an item from two aisles over.

“Shit, Lee, I forgot the flour and sugar. You stay with the cart and I will be right back.” She quickly walked off to grab the forgotten goods. Lee kept himself occupied as he waited for Y/n. He heard a familiar voice and turned towards it. Out of all the people he thought he would run into she was the last on his list.

“Hi Lee.” Lee froze when he heard her voice.

“Hi Florence.”

“What happened to you, are you okay?”

“I’m fine thank you, just an accident at work.”

“How have you been otherwise?” Florence tried to pry more out of her ex husband but Lee was very stubborn.

“What do you want, Florence? Why are you even here? I would have thought you’d run off with some rich man and get out of this shit hole.”

“I stayed close after we split, but-”

“I got the flour and sugar, they put the flour on the top shelf so I had to find someone to help me. Oh, who is this?”

“I’m Florence, Lee’s ex wife and you are?” This was Lee’s worst nightmare, he thought of all the possible ways they could get out of this situation.

“I’m Y/n-”

“Y/n has been helping me since I got hurt.”

“Oh alright, well it was good to see you Lee and nice to meet you Y/n.” She gave them a nod and went on her way.

Y/n was confused about what had occurred while she was a few aisles away, but did not pry for any information because Lee already seemed upset. They quietly finished their shopping and started their journey home. The faint sound of the radio was the only thing to break the deafening silence in the vehicle.

“I don’t mean to budge, but I didn’t know you had an ex wife.”

“Yeah, we were together for a long time. But it just didn’t work after a while.” He lied to her because he always felt embarrassed to tell people that his then wife had cheated on him.

“Oh okay.”

“Seeing her today just brought up some bad memories, and I’m sorry if that affected my mood towards you.”

“You’re okay Lee, you just seemed sad is all.”

“I’m alright Darlin’.” He moved his hand to her thigh and gave it a small squeeze. He decided to leave his hand there to test the waters.

Y/n felt a small blush creep onto her face along with the butterflies in her stomach. She then felt an unfamiliar warmth between her legs but chose to ignore it. The rest of the ride they remained in a peaceful silence. Once they arrived at Lee’s Y/n unloaded the car and let Lee put some things away. She would have rather let him rest but he insisted that he was fully capable of helping her. Y/n made them a small lunch and watched Lee attempt to wash dishes while leaning on his crutches. As determined as he was, Y/n finished washing the dishes. They retreated to the living room, Lee plopped onto the couch instead of his chair and laid down. All of the walking had taken his energy. Y/n went to sit on Lee’s chair when he stopped her.

“Darlin’, you are too far away. Come sit with me.”

Y/n walked over and sat at his feet but Lee wanted her to be closer.

“Will you lay with me Darlin’?”

“Are you sure Lee? I might be a little heavy for that, I don’t want to hurt your leg.”

Lee shook his head in frustration.

“I am absolutely sure that I want you to lay with me and you gotta stop saying that you are too big because you are not and never will be. Once I’m healed up I will show you, but for now you need to take my word for it.” He gave her a stern look, but it softened as she got closer to him. Y/n laid on Lee with her head on his chest. Lee wrapped one arm around her and rubbed her back with his hand. It did not take long for the both of them to drift off to sleep.

Lee woke up to a cool breeze that overcame him. Y/n was no longer on his chest but in the kitchen preparing dinner. Lee rubbed his eyes and went to find her. He walked in the kitchen to see Y/n cooking dinner and singing along to a small radio she had found in one of his cupboards. The words she sang were faint but he could hear her. He stood there a few minutes before the song ended and decided to make his presence known.

“You are a woman of endless talents, Darlin’.” He approached her and stood beside her as she chopped some vegetables.

“Thank you Lee, but I would have to disagree.” When she looked up to talk to him she could see many hairs out of place from his nap. His disheveled dew made her smile as she continued to chop.

“Why don’t you ever believe me? Is it so outrageous to think that you are just as amazing as I say you are?” Lee was somewhat frustrated that Y/n kept arguing with him about this.

“I’m just not used to someone being so nice to me, Lee. You are the first man in a long time to actually pay any mind to me.”

“Well from now on all you need is my attention, can’t have anyone try to steal you away from me.” Lee reached over and gave her a small peck on her shoulder and moved his way up her neck with more kisses. She scrunched up when he got to her neck where she was a little ticklish. He decided to leave her to cook as he went outside to sit on his front porch. Lee didn’t get to sit out there very often and planned to do it as much as he could while he was off work. It was supposed to be relaxing until the one person he didn’t want to see showed up in his driveway.

Florence.

As they arrived in Lee’s driveway, he had become exhausted from the drive and constant repositioning in the car. Matt took his belongings into the house and returned to the car to follow Lee into the house. Lee would have loved nothing more than to go to his own bed, but walking up the stairs was not an option yet. He set up camp at his recliner. He had a small stand next to the recliner, and there Matt had set the TV remote, newspapers, candy, a few pens, the phone, and a few files from the station to prevent him from going stir-crazy. All the officers' wives had banned together and made small meals for Lee so he wouldn’t have to worry about cooking. Matt bid his goodbye to return to work and reiterated that if he needed anything to call. Lee thanked him and wished him a good day.

He knew the first thing he was going to do even before he got home. Before he could reach for the phone, his pain started to increase. As he looked at his watch, he realized he needed to take his meds again. Lee kept the prescription in his pocket so he wouldn’t forget it. But he didn’t have any water nearby and knew he couldn’t take them without any. He was able to stand up and started making his way to the kitchen. The texture of the carpet in the living room was drastically different from the hardwood floors in the kitchen, especially on crutches. He made two full hops into the kitchen before he got ahead of himself and slipped. He knew it would hurt, but the impact took his breath away and brought tears to his eyes. Lee sat himself up, but he knew there was no way he could get up by himself. He sat there for at least ten minutes until he could muster up the strength to drag himself back to his recliner. He propped his back against the foot of the chair and reached for the phone. He was not going to call Matt. He felt too embarrassed to call him for help. He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the small slip of paper he received earlier in the day. He was going to call her anyway, so he called Y/n.

He dialed her number and tried to prepare himself. It had rung three times before anyone had picked up.

“Hello”, A bubbly female voice said.

“Hi, is this Y/n?”

“Yes, it is. May I ask who I’m speaking to?”

“It’s Lee; I wanted to let you know that I got home.”

“That’s great Lee. How are you feeling so far?”

“Well that’s the thing Darlin’, I am currently on the floor right now, and I guess I need some help. I hate to pester you like this, but I don’t want any of the boys from the station to see me like this. If you can't, that's okay. I can figure something out. I don’t want to waste your-”

“Lee, what’s your address? I will be over as soon as I can.”

Lee gave her his address and thanked her for her kindness. He was quite nervous for Y/n to come to his house. To keep himself distracted he ate some of his candy and read through a newspaper. And in what felt like no time at all Lee heard a car pull into the driveway and the slam of a car door. Y/n had rushed her way into his house to find Lee sitting against his chair. She immediately crouched down next to him.

“Lee, are you okay?”

“Besides being in more pain than one can imagine, from this level I have realized that I need to clean more often.” He tried to joke in order to downplay the situation.

“You have been home for three hours and already causing trouble,” she chuckled. “How did you even get on the floor?’’

“Well, I was heading to the kitchen for some water when I fell on the floor in there and drugged myself in here to get to my phone, and my candy. Want one?” He offers her a small piece of candy.

Y/n shook her head and gave him a small smile. “Let’s get you off the ground.”

Y/n was much stronger than she appeared. She gave Lee a crutch to help push himself up as she put her arms underneath his in order to grip him and pull him up. Once she got him into the chair, she reclined it to lift his leg and got him a pillow to make it more comfortable.

“What can I get you?”

“I need water to take my meds, and I should probably eat too.”

She entered his kitchen and looked through his cupboards to find a cup. She gave him the water and watched him take his medication. She could only imagine how much pain he was in after his fall. He told her that there should be some food in the fridge if she wanted to throw something in the oven. Y/n threw in some mystery casserole and went back into the living room to talk with Lee.

“Lee, you need to be more careful. I don’t think it is safe for you to be alone at this point.”

“I will be more careful Darlin’, and I don’t have anyone to stay with me and help. No one should have to help me anyways.”

“Lee, stop it. If you don’t have anyone else to be here, then I will stay.”

“No, Darlin’ you can’t do that. You have to work.”

“I have plenty of vacation days to use, and you need the help and helping is what I do. End of discussion Lee. I am helping you, and you can’t stop me.” Y/n stood in front of him with her hands on her hips knowing that he was not going to fight with her about it. “If I don’t stay I will just be worried sick about you. I always keep extra clothes in my car just in case, and I’m sure there is a store I can visit if I need anything, right?”

“Yes, Darlin’.” Lee nodded his head in awe. He never felt so important to someone before. Why did she want to help him so badly? Lee didn’t know why, and he wasn’t too bothered to find out. He felt bad about taking up her time but was extremely thankful to have time to spend with her. Lee was pulled out of his thoughts when Y/n brought him a plate of some kind of casserole. Neither were too sure as to what it exactly was, but it tasted good, and that’s all that mattered to Lee.

After they ate Y/n cleaned what little dishes there were and joined Lee in the living room to watch tv. She didn’t know how long it had been, but she started hearing small snores from Lee. She grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over him. Before she got settled in she retrieved a few items from her car, and changed into an old shirt and pajama pants. Y/n left a glass of water beside Lee in case he needed it throughout the night.

Y/n began to look around for more blankets but didn’t find any in plain sight as she did the first one. She noticed a door that was close to the front door and opened it hoping to find a closet with some blankets. She indeed found a few blankets, but she also found one of Lee’s sweatshirts. She hoped he didn’t mind and she threw it over her head to keep herself warm. To her surprise, it fit her well and smelled of his cologne. She noticed this smell when she first met him and couldn’t get enough of it. She covered herself up and got as comfortable as she could on the couch. She was excited to see where the next few days would take her.

Y/n went around to her other patients until her shift was over. Lee was still in surgery by the time she finished work. She was exhausted but made a promise and intended to keep it. She stayed in her uniform and sat in Lee’s room to wait. She didn’t realize that she had fallen asleep until she heard the commotion of the doctor and nurses bringing Lee into the room. She immediately stood up and went to the side of his bed. Her coworkers told her that the doctor would be in to talk to Lee in an hour, giving him some time to wake up. After she was left alone in the room, she gently shook his shoulder and called his name to wake him up. She got a grunt out of him as if he was a teenage boy refusing to wake up for his parents.

“Come on, Lee, you need to wake up so the doctor can talk to you.” He slowly woke up and opened his eyes. As he rubbed his eyes, he began to remember what was happening. He didn’t feel much pain because of all the medication flowing through him, but his face was soon plastered with a smile. He couldn’t have been happier to see Y/n standing in front of him. She was still in her uniform but looked more exhausted than she did before his surgery. She had no obligation to stay and wait for him. It made his heart swell to see her there. Maybe Matt was right; you never know what could happen.

“Darlin’, you have no idea how happy I am to see you.” His voice was a bit lower than usual, his throat was sore from having a breathing tube during the operation. He grabbed her hand and rubbed his thumb across the back of her fingers. Not too long after, the doctor entered the room.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Bodecker? I’m glad to see you’re awake.”

“I’m feeling good for now, Doc. How did it go?”

“You did well during the surgery. It took a little longer than expected, but it couldn’t have gone any better. Get some rest, and you can head home tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Doc, will do.” He gave Lee a pat on the shoulder and was out the door to see his next patient.

Y/n didn’t want to leave him alone, but after a twenty-four-hour shift, she needed to go home.

“Hey Lee, I hate to leave, but I have to go home. Would it be okay if I came to see you tomorrow morning before you leave?”

“Go home and get some sleep; I’ll be here. And I would love it if you came to see me.”

“Okay, I’ll be back in the morning. Get some sleep yourself, Sheriff.” She squeezed his hand before she grabbed her purse to leave. “Goodnight Lee.”

“Goodnight, Darlin’.”

Lee was quick to fall back asleep. Y/n, on the other hand, tossed and turned in bed. She couldn’t stop worrying about Lee. Hoping that his nurse gave him enough meds so he could sleep well tonight and that his leg was positioned comfortably enough for him. After an hour of worrying, she drifted off to sleep and woke up at eight o’clock in the morning. She slept well thanks to her exhaustion from the day before. She took her time to get out of bed and make breakfast. She took longer in the shower just because she could. By the time she was dressed for the day and ready, it was almost ten o’clock, and she was ready to visit Lee. She had thought a lot about what he had said yesterday. She knew he would probably be stubborn and refuse anyone’s help and try to do it all himself. In his defense, he is a grown man, but he would need the support. She returned to the hospital in a flowy sundress instead of her usual uniform. She wasn’t sure why but wanted to look extra nice today. She felt she never got to dress up because she was always working. Walking into the building wearing something other than white felt foreign to Y/n, but that was not her main train of thought. She was excited to go see Lee. When she knocked on the door and entered, Lee greeted her with a large grin.

“Good morning, Darlin’.” He opened his arms with the intent to hug her. She obliged and gave him a small hug. She almost felt silly doing so, as she had only known him for three days. She pulled a chair closer to his bed and took a seat. They talked about how their nights went; she didn’t mention the thoughts that kept her awake.

The doctor had come in to give Lee his discharge paperwork and gave him some instructions in case he were to fall or if he got an infection. Lee tried to pay attention but couldn’t take his eyes or mind off Y/n. The sundress she wore seemed to fit her even better than her uniform. She had also let her hair down, and Lee could see its entire length. Even though he had only known her for three days, he was still mesmerized by her and knew that he had never felt this way about Florence. Dr. Bradshaw handed over the paperwork and wished Lee luck with his recovery. Y/n sat with Lee for another hour until Matt came to pick Lee up. He handed him a bag of clothes and stepped out to give him privacy.

“Darlin’, I know you're not workin’, but can you help this old man get dressed?”

“Of course, I will help you, Lee. I don’t have to be on the clock to be able to help you.”

Y/n removed the clothes from the bag and handed Lee his shirt, which he put on swiftly. She had taken off his hospital socks and put on a black pair for him. The only things left in the bag besides a pair of shoes were his shorts and underwear. Lee felt a wave of heat was over his face when he realized he needed help putting them on.

“I can call the other nurse here to help. You shouldn’t have to do this if you aren’t being paid for it.”

“Lee, it’s alright. I have seen plenty of nude people in my line of work. It'll be quick, okay?”

Lee still felt a tad embarrassed, but there was no use in calling for the other nurse, who he figured was busy anyways. He nodded in agreement and hoped that it would be a quick process. Y/n put his underwear and shorts on and slid them up to his knees to start. Lee blushed when he realized he had to move the blanket and gown. But he bit the bullet and did it. He refrained from making eye contact with her while she pulled his clothing up. Little did Lee know that Y/n had also become very red in the face. She wasn’t lying when she said she had seen plenty of nude people; however, Lee is a very gifted man. She was in quite a shock afterward but kept it to herself. She finished by helping him get his shoes on. Matt had come back in to gather up Lee’s belongings and took them to the vehicle.

Now it was time for Lee to get up. The other nurses helped him get up once earlier to go to the restroom, and the amount of pain that came with it took Lee’s breath away. Y/n lowered the bed and grabbed Lee his new crutches. He had never used crutches before, so it would be an interesting experience. She helped him into the sitting position with his legs over the edge of the bed. He steadied the crutches and braced himself for the pain that was about to overcome him. With one small grunt, Lee stood up and used the crutches to bear his weight onto. Lee was not a small man, and it made him a little weary of putting some much faith into these crutches to hold him up. Y/n stood behind him to ensure he wouldn’t fall too hard if he fell. He made his way through the halls and said his goodbyes and thank yous to the other nurses. They gave Y/n an odd look because they knew today was supposed to be her day off, so why was she here helping one of the patients? She didn’t pay any mind to them; she was focused on Lee and how well he was using the crutches. He wasn’t moving very fast, but he was still learning how to walk with them. By the time he got himself to the front of the building, Matt had pulled the car around and had the passenger seat ready for him. Lee plopped himself into the car and could relax, at least on the way home

“Lee, before you go, I want to give you this,” Y/n hands him a small slip of paper, “it’s my phone number in case you need anything. I have off for the next few days, so don’t hesitate to call if you need something.”

“Alright, Darlin’, thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

“Have a safe trip, Lee. Hopefully, we'll talk soon.”

“Bye, Darlin’, I will call when I get settled.”

She waved as they drove away, and he did as well until she could no longer see his hand. She was sad to see him leave but happy that he could go home. Y/n hopped into her car and went home to catch up on some housework. She needed to distract herself, so she didn’t just wait by the phone for his call.

"How are you feeling Lee? Did you rest at all?"

"Not too bad. I think I might have slept for an hour, but nothing more than that."

"Well, let's get your x-ray done, and we can get you comfortable enough to sleep."

Lee gave her a small smile as she ensured the fluids she hung were secure before moving him. Y/n unlocked the brakes on the bed and began wheeling Lee down the hall to their destination. From there, they entered a relatively large room with a large machine in the middle of it. Y/n and the radiologist helped Lee slide onto the machine and quickly took the needed pictures. As Lee was settled back onto his bed, his pain worsened from all the movement. He didn't have to tell Y/n that he was in distress; his silence on the way back to his room told her that he wasn't feeling good. Once they were back in his room, Y/n prepared another dose of his pain medication and put it in his IV. Within ten to fifteen minutes, Lee was no longer in agony. She explained that they wouldn't have the results until the morning, so he had plenty of time to rest before seeing the doctor. 

"Are you sure you can't just stay here with me, darlin'?"

"As much as I'd love to Lee, I have other patients to see. But if you need me, just give me a shout. Try to get some rest, Lee. You need it."

And with that, Y/n walked out of his room with a small wave. He knew she couldn't stay with him, but it was worth a shot. With his new dose of pain meds, it did not take long for him to fall asleep. Lee woke up many hours later to see Y/n by his bedside checking his IV. 

"Good morning Lee; how are you feeling?"

"It could be worse, darlin'. I'm just a little nervous to talk to the doc."

"I'm sure what he says won't be too bad. He is only here to help you, Lee."

" I know; I never liked going to the doctors or being around them."

"Well, if I'm being honest with you, neither do I. '' She smiled at Lee as he gave her a very puzzled expression. "They tend to think that because I'm a nurse and a woman, I'm about as dumb as they can come." She says as she chuckles from how ridiculous it sounds out loud.

Lee didn't change his expression. He was confused as to why someone would think that Y/n is not intelligent and absolutely amazing at her job. He felt saddened that they were too blinded by their own egos to realize how much Y/n and the other nurses do. 

"Well, if they think that, darlin', they must not be very smart doctors. You seem to be a brilliant woman and have made my stay here better than I could have dreamed of." Lee was quite bothered that Y/n was not appreciated for something she is fantastic at doing. 

"Thank you, Lee; I'm glad to have helped as much as possible. I don't get too upset over it as much anymore. They will have their opinions of me, but as long as I do my job to the best of my ability, I'm happy." She gave him a small smile as she continued charting. " Lee, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, darlin', it's not like I'm going anywhere."

"Why have you been so sweet to me? I mean, you seem to be a very charismatic person, but you have given me more compliments in eight hours than I've gotten in years. I'm not saying that it makes me uncomfortable I'm just curious about-" Y/n realizes that she is rambling as Lee begins to chuckle. "-I'm going to stop talking now so you can actually answer my question." Y/n thought she had made a fool out of herself, but Lee felt quite the opposite. He found it cute that she was getting nervous and couldn't stop talking because of it.

"Darlin', I don't mind hearing you talk, and as for your question. I guess-" Lee was cut off as they heard a knock on the door and saw the doctor walk in.

"Good morning Mr. Bodecker; I'm Dr. Bradshaw. How are you feeling this morning?" He said as he walked over to shake Lee's hand.

"Good to meet you doc. I'm feeling pretty good, considering my circumstances. I have to give that credit to Y/n; she has been a big help." Lee made sure to mention her. She deserved to be acknowledged for her effort. 

"That's great. I looked at your x-rays, and I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that your knee appears to have had a mild dislocation but has found its way back into place. However, you have sustained a large fracture to your femur. If it were smaller, we would throw you in a cast and send you home, but it is quite large and will require a small procedure. With surgery, we will make an incision from your hip to approximately mid-thigh, and from there, we will place a bracket and some screws to ensure that the bone grows back together correctly. Do you have any questions?"

"How long will I be down for? I don't exactly have the liberty of taking a vacation from work."

"Well, after surgery, you can go home the next day, but you will be under restrictions for four to six weeks. You will be on crutches for two or so weeks depending on how your recovery goes. After the six-week mark, you can return to work, but you need to be cautious of what you are doing to prevent the fracture from moving farther down the femur. It is in your best interest to have someone help you recover because of these restrictions."

Lee was overwhelmed. He didn't have anyone to help him and had no idea what he would do for six weeks. Lee is his job; he never really had any hobbies outside of that. He didn't go out with his coworkers and hadn't been on a proper date since he and Florence were married. He didn't have much choice, and it angered him that he had little control over the situation. Y/n could see that Lee was stressed. She figured by his lack of visitors that he didn't have many people to help him through this.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice. When can we do it?"

" I have some time this afternoon. I will inform the OR, and Y/n here will help get you prepped. I will see you in a little while." The doctor gave Lee a small wave before walking out the door.

"Are you okay Lee?"

"Uh, yeah, I'll be alright. Just nervous and overwhelmed. I have never had surgery before, and I don't know how I will be able to recover. I..uh, I don't really have anyone to help me. I have some friends, but I don't want to ask too much of them. It's just not the news I wanted to hear."

"I'm sorry Lee; hopefully, you are able to work something out. And as for the surgery, I will be with you along the way. I won't say that it will be painless, but I will try to make it a little less miserable." She rubbed the back of his hand as she promised to be there with him.

"Thank you darlin', I really appreciate it." He grabbed her hand and gave it a slight squeeze. He didn't know why she was being so good to him. She did not have to devote so much time to just one patient, but she did. 

Y/n made sure he was comfortable and went to take care of other patients. Lee was left to rest before his operation. It only increased his anxiety of what was to come after it. He whipped his head towards the door when he heard a knock on the door.

"Hey Sheriff, how are you feeling today?" It was his right-hand man and deputy Matthew Wilson. He had a small vase of flowers with a card attached.

"I'm doing alright; who are these for?"

"Oh yeah, these are for you. They are from everyone at the station.” Matt sat the vase by the window. “What's the plan?"

"Well, in a few hours, they are going to take me for an operation to fix my leg. I will be off work for six weeks. I don't know how I will do it, but I don't have much of an option."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Lee. And listen, don't hesitate to call me or the wife if you need anything. Don't worry about work; we will be okay for a few weeks while you recover."

"Thank you Matt, it means a lot."

As Lee thanks the deputy, Y/n walks in with some towels and other supplies.

"Oh, I apologize for interrupting. Just wanted to bring this stuff in. We will have to clean you up before your procedure, but I will give you some time." She quickly placed the stuff down on a table and exited the room. And as she walked out, Lee couldn't help but stare with a grin on his face.

"You wanna tell me why you look like a little boy on Christmas Eve?"

"That's Y/n; she's my nurse. She's been a big help and has been so sweet to me. Plus, she's quite gorgeous." Lee had started to blush when he talked about her. 

"Are you going to ask her out?"

"No, I can't do that. I don't want to be one of those perverted patients that hit on their nurses. I don't think she'd want an old man like me anyways."

"Alright, no need to get so wound up over it." The deputy threw his hands up in defense. "You never know what could happen. Well, I will get out of your hair and get back to work; call if you need anything. Will you need a ride home tomorrow?”

“Yeah, can you also bring some other clothes? Y/n had to cut my pants off of me.” He had said the last part a little quieter. “Thank you for everything. I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime Sheriff, good luck. Don’t give her too much of a hard time.” The deputy chuckled as he left. 

Y/n came back into his room a few minutes later. Lee was even more anxious than before. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. It could’ve been that he had never had surgery before or that after he left the hospital, he was basically on his own to recover. Even though friends had told him to call if he needed anything, he was not going to burden anyone if he could help.

“Lee, is it alright if I start getting you ready?”

“Yeah, darlin’, there’s no point in me stalling.”

“What’s going on in that head of yours? What happened to the macho tough sheriff act?”

“I think I’m just nervous about having surgery. I know it’s just a simple operation, but anything could happen. If I do make it out, I don’t know how I will get through recovery by myself. I mean, everyone says to reach out if I need something, but I don’t want to make my stupidity someone else’s problem. I can barely cook and clean as it is. What am I going to do for the next six weeks?” Lee stopped after feeling like he had let too much fly out of his mouth. He was never one to express his feelings. “I’m sorry, Y/n, I don’t know why I blurted all of that out.” Lee ran his calloused hands over his face in shame. He felt embarrassed that he had unloaded his issues onto her.

“Lee, it’s okay to be a little scared, but I can promise you that you will be okay. And when not if, when you come out of surgery, I will be here when you wake up. You are not a burden on anyone. If you need help, then you need help. No one expects you to do it alone. Let’s just take this one step at a time, okay?” Lee nodded in agreeance, “okay, let’s just get you cleaned up.”

Lee felt terrible for putting that stress on her but was thankful for her effort to help him relax. Lee still had some dirt on him from the previous evening and overall felt gross. Y/n filled up a basin with warm water and laid out soap, washcloths, a razor, toothpaste and a toothbrush for him for Lee to use on his bedside table. She got him a second smaller cup to rinse his mouth after brushing his teeth. She set towels at the end of the bed for the time being. She stood by and watched as he took a soapy rag to wash his face and neck. She untied his gown so he could wash his chest and arms. Lee felt quite exposed in front of Y/n but tried to remember that this was her job.

“Do you want some help doing your hair?”

“Sure, thank you.”

Y/n brought the bedside table closer to him so he could lean over it. She wrapped a towel around his shoulders to prevent a mess. After placing a small glob of shampoo in her hand, she ran it through his hair and used her fingertips to apply some pressure. Lee had never had someone wash his hair before, making him forget what was happening. He didn’t want it to become awkward, but Y/n’s touch was almost euphoric to him. Y/n took handfuls of the water to rinse his hair and used the towel around his shoulders to dry his neck. She gave him the towel to finish drying himself off. Now he just needed help with his lower half. Lee was not excited about this part by any means.

Y/n got the cloth soapy and handed it to him. She turned around in an effort to give him privacy. Lee quickly cleaned, dried, and covered himself. Lee told her that she was okay to turn around. He had a bright red blush across his cheeks. Y/n was closest to his non-injured leg and decided to start there. Lee could not clean his legs because the movement required would cause more pain than it was worth. Starting at his foot, she worked her way up his leg and quickly finished at his thigh to keep the awkward tension to a minimum. As she got to his injured leg, she took her time to be careful because anything too aggressive would hurt him. As she got to his knee, she let him clean his thigh so he could use the appropriate amount of pressure. She helped him dry off and covered him up. Lee then brushed his teeth and applied soap to his face in order to shave. Y/n told him that as much as he would hate it, she had to shave his thigh to keep the surgical field sterile. She let him apply the soap and quickly but gently cleared the hair from his thigh. 

“I feel like a brand new man, darlin’.”

“I’m glad you are feeling better.” She giggled

She sat with him and talked about anything she could to distract him. They spoke of where they each grew up and their common interests. As she checked her watch, she knew that the doctor would be coming in soon to take Lee to surgery. She didn’t know why, but she felt nervous as well. She knew Lee would be fine, but she truly cared about what was happening to him. 

Taglist:

"Alright, sir, the other nurse will be in shortly to help you get changed and get an IV started."

He thanks the nurse and lays back in an attempt to relax. He hopes this is not too serious and that he can return to work as soon as possible. He lifted his head as he heard a knock on the door.

"Good evening Mr. Bodecker, I'm y/n, and I'll be your nurse tonight."

"Evening, um, you can call me Lee. Mr. Bodecker is too formal," he said, somewhat stumbling over his words. She wasn't like the other nurse. Her presence relaxed him and made him feel warm.

"Okay, Lee, can we get you changed into a gown?"

"Um yeah, that's fine." Lee unbuttons his white uniform shirt, which now looks to be a brown color from the tumble he took just a few hours prior. He then removed his undershirt. He was quick to throw it to the side and put on the gown to cover his top half. He usually was okay with how he looked. He was never too in tune with how he appeared to others. As he covers himself, he watches y/n grab a pair of scissors. At first, he was a little confused until he realized that his pants were the only things he needed to remove.

"Do you have to cut them off?"

"With your injury, it will be too painful to remove them normally."

Lee sighed in defeat but knew he didn't have a choice. "Alright, go ahead." Y/n cut up the right leg, careful not to cut off his undergarments. She carefully pulled the material out from underneath him and pulled the pants down normally on his left leg. She covered him with a blanket to keep him from getting cold.

"I have to do an assessment before I do anything else. So can you tell me how you sustained this injury, Lee?

"Uh, well, we were chasing a suspect, and I wasn't paying attention and fell into a little hole in the ground. I heard a pop and felt a hell of a lot of pain. With all this weight on me, I guess a fall like that would hurt."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Lee. How would you rate your pain right now?"

"Right now, it's about a seven."

As y/n went through the rest of her assessment, Lee couldn't help but admire her figure in her sterile white nurse's uniform. The white material hugged her curves in just the right way; the uniform was very modest yet almost scandalous at the same time. Lee hadn't felt this flustered since he was flirting for the first time in high school. And he didn't think he could ever be more thankful for some idiot running from the police. Lee brought himself back down to earth when y/n asked to examine his leg.

"Lee, is it okay if I take a look?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Y/n lifted the cover over Lee's right leg. She also lifted his gown to get a good look at his hip. He had very noticeable bruising on the outside of his thigh that went up above his hip and apparent swelling of his knee. She could see him scrunching his face in pain as she palpated his leg and around the bruised area.

"How are you feeling?"

"Well, my leg feels like I've been run over, but I have a pretty girl like you taking care of me, so it's conflicting." Lee chuckled

Y/n blushed as she isn't accustomed to patients being so sweet while in so much pain.

"That's very sweet of you, Lee. Thank you."

Knowing that he made y/n blush made Lee feel a lot better. He didn't know where his confidence came from to say something like that to her.

"Alright, let's get you an IV for some pain meds, and we'll get an x-ray done."

After covering Lee back up, y/n grabbed the supplies to start an IV. As she ties a tourniquet onto his arm and looks for a good place for the IV. Lee watches her movements but becomes tense as she begins to clean his skin with some alcohol.

"This won't hurt too bad, will it, sweetheart?"

"Only if you act like a baby about it."

"For your information, I am a very tough sheriff; a little needle isn't going to bother- ow son of a bitch!"

"So what were you saying about being a 'tough sheriff.'" She replied as she placed an adhesive patch over the IV to protect it.

"A little warning would have been nice sweetheart."

"I'm going to give you something to help with the pain." She injects medication into the IV. "How are you feeling Lee?"

"Darlin’, I feel almost like a brand new man."