Fragments of Faith

nd tapped the syringe. She was a nur

she was working, and Mr. Tall, Dark, and ill was about to be pricked. "What are y

ne in your vein, would you?" He jerked his arm back. "

ath, pass out and die. Nothing to worry about." She said n

. The man leaned forward, winking at her with sultry eyes. He

offed, I don't think so. Chance of infection, septic s

and turned toward the curta

bigger they came, t

lar upper arms. He winced, the playful glint in his slanted eyes dimming a little. A chiseled jaw, straight nose

her to linger. Probably a player. Bet he flirts with all the nurses.She picked up the

in six weeks and after that, you will be at

es on her. "Guess I'll be se

cond needle deeper. "Depends on the rooster an

l meet coming up. Is my

. "No, but you might experience massive swelling

e observe you for forty-five minutes before letting you

e she just used, teasin

t fingers stroked the back of her ha

kar, by the information on his chart, was an smoking hot-six foot four inches, a hundred eighty two pounds, a triathlete, blood pressure one hundred five ove

mones as she pressd dow

. What did you do that for?" His de

me. Aminat handed him a tissue. "I'

ips, both of them have been childhood friends and devout Christians. Recently due to their bad luck in the love department they decided to ask Aminat's foster father for advice and what men really want. He introduced them to Islam and asked them to try the abstinence and dua exercise, w

asure of pain and torture been enough? My arm is tingling and buzzing. I might

in the disposal container and clo

n." He pulled aside the privacy curtain a

ade sure to take care of herself and strived to keep herself healthy, but she'd show him she was not

igned says Solace care is not responsible for you if you don't follow the p

'll be okay since I'm with you

lip spread, triggering fanta

at him. "Follow me if you want, but

o a puddle. He caught her eye and winked. Her face heating, she quickened her pace throug

oured out the contents of her purse

body jerked with spasms. She had to do something, so she took a deep breath and plastered her mouth over his. H

red. A light breath fanned from his nostrils and... What the? A velvety tongue swept her mouth with tantalizing grace, and the air

plause rang f

ved his

ot! I got i

s faking," a chil

on the ground holding his stomach. A gale of laughter erupted from his

r up. "Everything okay? Ma

own, Aminat gathered her belongings

e think she

l, but at the same ti

ble. Still, he was a patient, and she had better stick to the "

be hanging around and embarrassing her. She might have been easy pickings a couple of months ago, but after taking s

esirable for marriage. No

ked by the receptionist's desk. A col

the patients. "We're not supposed to

. Petite and beautiful, she had a string of suitors, although none of them were the marrying type. Her

up her charts when a comm

need some help her

found a young woman coughing and hunc

t stagger into the clinic and announc

n a nebulizer with a dose of albuterol. And if

pped the nebulizer mouthpiece over the woman's head. "Take a dee

eyes wide open, and her breathi

inat said. "Someone will check on you, but i

monitor the woman and went back to her wo

sted on her table. "G

et from the receptionist's desk a

s pissed, and you have to remove your flow

iece at school , and th

a." Aminat shoved the bo

long break. The security guard said you

r computer monitor and clicked the mouse to open her patient schedule. Ismail Abubakar's booming laughter echoed from the day b

Your first patient's here, a

t's stuttering heart. What if it was her evil ex, Rotk

d. "But you better tell

one who convinced Aminat and Chizzy to look into Islam as well as consider abstinence, she was also the younger sister to her foster father. Surprisingly the

she wouldn't have sex or factor in sex. Not that they had bodies worth compromising for. Not like an athlete's wi

nat said, leading the way

wheezed. "You're looking busy

file drawer. Charts scattered all over the floor, and Aminat fell over a secre

up. She was so frustrated, she put her forehead on the wall

e wobbled, and she was seriously

the patient's chair. The motherly-looking woman

cuff to Mrs. Julcit's arm. She pressed the button to s

angle. "Hold out for the one who's differen

he cuff. "Normal, a hundred twenty-five

th the kind woman, but cryi

here'll be someone who thinks

thing test and encouraged Mrs. Julcit while she took a deep bre

if she was special enough to warrant a man who'd care en

a skin test. She was extremely busy for the rest of the morning and used her break t

her, because with her bad mood, s

Annoyance hit her when she spied the scattered plant and flower fragments

the rolling shutters. A man's hand slipped under the corrugated metal right before it hit the countertop.

yelped, catching her

rubbed his upper arm. "My arm's swollen, a

ught to herself. She pushed the button to lower the shut

him, keeping her eyes averted. He wa

doors opened, and bright sunlight assaulted her. She fumbled in h

"Ever poke yourself

leasure." She put

twitched. "W

him, treated him like a pesky mosquito, he would get the hint and leave

er to the sid

body of a fashion model. Her eyes involuntarily settled on his too-ti

feel safer with my own nurse." He put

. And his pick-up

r lunch, so if you'll kindly return to the waiting room, or better yet,

u don't want to

d, he laughed at his ow

. "Where'd you learn those rubbish toasting

bent toward her face. Aminat held still, not backing away.

ite him first and

ry." He stepped back, leavin