He gave her a smile, then said to Ashton, "I'm starving. When do they serve food around here?"
Tessa climbed off the bed, her cheeks blushing beautifully.
Ashton cast her a conceited smirk. "Never knew you had it in you to break the rules, Tessa."
She glowered at him and headed for the bathroom.
"My breakfast?" Hunter asked Ashton, before he ripped off the I.V. and wiped the smirk off his face.
"Food's on its way."
"I want sausage, bacon, and a mess of scrambled eggs. Biscuits, too. And three pints of milk."
"I'm not sure what they ordered for you last night," Ashton said.
"Tessa told me you were a real prankster in school. I'm starving. I need solid food to build up my strength. Go get me--"
Rourke poked his head in the door, his eyes blurry, his hair mussed up, dark whiskers covering his chin, not the look of a reporter on his way to work. "You could have woken me, Ashton."
"You needed your sleep."
"I'll get your breakfast," Rourke said to Hunter, and he headed down the hall.
"Wait up, Rourke! I've got to see this." Ashton rushed after him.
Tessa stepped out of the bathroom. "I'm taking a hot shower. Don't let anyone in the bathroom."
"I'll join you."
"Ha! You can't get those bandages wet."
"We could manage." He started to climb out of bed.
"Don't you dare or I'll call a nurse." Tessa ducked back into the bathroom, shut the door, and started the water.
Hell, wet bandages wouldn't bother him. He was about to remove the I.V. when Rourke and Ashton walked back in the room, each carrying a covered dish.
"Ashton said you wanted both sausages and bacon. They came with one or the other. So we had to procure a couple of dishes to accommodate you." Rourke glanced at the bathroom and sniffed. He smiled and then frowned. "Surprised you're not in there with her."
"I would have been if the two of you hadn't returned with the food."
"You shouldn't get those bandages wet anyway," Ashton said.
Rourke gave him a get-real look. "You think that would have stopped Hunter?"
"Probably not." Ashton uncovered the dish of eggs and sausage. "Two poor patients will be without breakfast."
"The kitchen staff can make them more," Rourke said. "Come on, Ashton. Let's go to the cafeteria."
"What about Tessa?"
"She probably won't leave Hunter's side." Rourke gave him a pointed look.
Enough with the innuendos. Hunter knew she was becoming way too attached to him. But what could he do about it? He had to stay with her until he got rid of the gray threat and helped free her brother. Of course, his human side said to cool it with her. His wolf instincts told him she was the one for him. But those were deeper, more primal needs. They didn't take in account the horror she would most likely feel if he changed her. She could hate him. Probably would. She was close to her brother. How could she not tell him what had happened to her? Why she had to become a wolf for a jaunt in the woods sometimes during the moon's appearance, how she aged so slowly? Yet, if she were changed, she couldn't tell a human soul.
The shower shut off and Rourke grabbed Ashton's arm. "Let's get something to eat before anyone catches us in here with the stolen food and blames us for it."
Ashton laughed. "Hell, I thought you were as straight-laced as Tessa."
The two hurried back down the hall.
Tessa came out of the bathroom, wearing a towel on her head.
"Come," Hunter said, patting the bed. "Share breakfast with me."
"How'd you get two breakfasts?"
"Courtesy of Rourke and Ashton."
"Oh, brother." She peered down the hall. "Here come the food trays. Now you're in for it."
"It's your show." He grinned at her.
"Oh, great, so I have to explain this? The two Stooges left me with the evidence? I should leave you alone here to explain it yourself."
"I'm the innocent patient. I couldn't have left the bed." He shook his I.V.
She whipped the towel off her head, tossed it on the bathroom floor, and then stepped into the hall. "Here, I'll take Mr. Grey's breakfast for him."
Hunter smiled with satisfaction. If the circumstances had been different, they would all have made pretty decent pack members.
Tessa closed the door and carried the tray in to Hunter. He sniffed the air. "Do you like pancakes?"
"Sure."
"Why don't you eat them then."
She opened the lid. "How did you know?"
"Excellent sense of smell. Did the doctor talk to you about my condition last night?"
"Yes, he said it might take months of therapy to recover the full use of your shoulder."
"Won't take that long. What did he say about my release?"
"You just got here."
"I'm ready to leave."
She poured syrup on her pancakes. "You're not going anywhere, Hunter. You were in terrible shape when we brought you in. Even the doctor said so."
"All I need is you to take care of me. I'll heal ten times faster. Fever's all gone even."
She looked up from her pancakes and frowned. "Your face is still flushed."
"Nearly all gone then. I was thinking we ought to go to Rourke's place until I'm healed."
"He's got a studio apartment. No bedroom, couch makes into a bed. Kind of cramped."
"Oh. What about Ashton's place?"
Tessa licked the syrup off her lips and laughed. "He lives with his dad. Big house, but somehow I don't believe he'd appreciate it if we moved in with him."
"Still lives at home?" Hunter shook his head. "He does need to join the Navy."
"He's never held a job long enough that he could afford to live on his own."
"I wish I could remember where I live. That would solve the problem." Footsteps sounded down the hall headed in their direction. "Someone's coming. Probably the nurse."
Tessa flew into action. He hadn't planned on hiding the evidence, but Tessa took his empty dishes and stuffed them in the clothes cabinet. She sat back down on the chair, her face crimson.
"Good morning, Mr. Grey. I'm here to take your vital signs," the nurse said, smiling broadly at him, her long, dark curls bouncing as she walked with a spring to her step.
"I'm ready to leave."
She gave a breathy little laugh. "We try to get patients out of the hospital as quickly as we can, but--"
"Good. I'm ready. Just sign the papers."
"I'm sure you'll be here a couple of more days at least."
Hunter wasn't waiting that long. Not with the lupus garou nurse itching to destroy his relationship with Tessa and the rest of the grays still a real problem.
"The fever's come down quite a bit. The doctor will be here after a while to check on you. Do you need anything?"
"Just the release papers."
She chuckled. "We need more male patients like you. Just push the button if you need me." She wiggled her butt a little too much as she left the room.
"You can't leave until the doctor says so. Enjoy all the pampering. You deserve it," Tessa said.
Hunter was surprised she wouldn't be upset with the way the nurses were making fools of themselves over him. "Food's not as good as yours."
"Yeah, but you get three times as many dishes here." She motioned to the leftover pancakes.
Ashton and Rourke returned looking well fed. Rourke sniffed the air. "When did you get pancakes?"
Ashton laughed.
"Yeah, very funny, guys. I had to hide the other dishes," Tessa said.
Hunter pointed to the clothes cabinet. "I'm ready to go. I was trying to come up with a safe place to stay, but..."
"Snow's melting off the roadway," Rourke said. "Temperature rose to forty-five degrees."