With the rough night we had, I figured the least I could do was make Kynlee breakfast. As emotional of a morning as it was, I completely understand her wanting to accomplish our task before heading to see her brother. If it was still rough, she may not want to do anything serious afterwards.
I'm in the shed now, deciding how I want to organize everything to leave the maximum amount of space possible for Kynlee and Kedron's belongings in here. If I move my stuff to the left, back corner, it should leave 2/3 of the shed for their stuff. I'll just leave the mowers and weed eater in the front left, and we should be good to go. I began to sort into two piles, the one to keep was getting stacked up in the corner and the one to get rid of was outside the door. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long. I heard movement behind me before I heard Kynlee ask, "where would you like me to start?"
"That stuff outside can go in the dumpster on the side of the shed. If you don't mind?" I looked at her briefly for an answer and got a weak smile.
"Not at all Wam. I'm here to help. Lord knows you've been helping me."
I returned to work, sorting and organizing. At about the half way mark, I turned to Kynlee and said, "isn't it amazing the amount of belongings we acquire over time?"
"Oh, for sure! You should have seen the amount of stuff we had to sort and get rid of after our parents died. Kedron and I had our hands full for sure. Our parents had collected stuff their whole lives. Our whole lives too." She gave me a sad looking smile.
"Oh Lee, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking when I said that." I felt remorse at unintentionally bringing up the painful memories of her parents again.
"No, please don't apologize. They were great people. I need to remember them Wam. Not every memory is painful. Some of the stuff we found was hilarious and yes, some made me sad, but it was a great trip down memory lane. Sorting through all the things my parents kept showed me just how much they loved us." I simply nodded and worked as we talked, and Kynlee continued to tell me about her parents.
"Mom had saved school pictures from the time we were in preschool through our senior pictures. There were drawings we made in grade school, pottery projects, homemade Mother's Day cards, and even some old spelling tests and report cards. It felt like she saved everything. She had a box with my name and one with Kedron's. It was quite the sight." She gave me a big toothy grin as she remembered.
"Sounds like it! I'm glad you are able to remember the happy memories Lee," I said as I continued to work. We were making some real progress and should be done by lunchtime. This'll be a good job done.
"So, Lee huh?" Kynlee asked.
"What?" I stopped and met her gaze with surprise.
"Lee... you've called me Lee three times. Is that my nickname now?" She asked with a smile.
"I did? I guess I did didn't I? If you don't like it..."
"No Wam. I didn't say I didn't like it. I've just never had anyone call me Lee before." She looked out across the yard, then turned back toward me with a thoughtful look. "I like it though, and it's unique to you, so I like it even more." Kynlee went back to loading the small dumpster and I became deep in thought.
"You know, my cat's name is Sammy and I sometimes call her Sam. So I think I just have a penchant for nicknames," I say as I shake my head to clear the thought and return to sorting.
"Can I see your cat sometime? I love animals," Kynlee says with a big smile and eyes shining bright as the sun breaks through the clouds.
"I usually leave her in Red Wing if I'm only gone a couple days. Anymore than that and I bring her with." I stack a few more boxes and discard some more junk. Surprisingly, Kynlee is keeping up well, and grabs the broom as I finish stacking the last two items. "You don't have to do that," I say as she begins to sweep everything toward the doorway.
"Just let me sweep quick before you move the mowers back in here. Besides, it benefits me if it's done today, so I don't have to do it tomorrow." She tipped her head to the side and gave me an exaggerated wink with her mouth open, that then broke out into a big smile.
I couldn't help but nod and shake my head. When she finished on the left, front, I moved the mowers in before explaining, "I'm gonna shower quick, put something more presentable on, then I'll whip up a quick lunch. Meet you back in the kitchen?"
"Sounds great," she exclaimed as she worked to finish sweeping and I headed in to my master bathroom.
I did a through but efficient job of washing up, pulled on dress pants, a polo shirt, black socks, and loafers before heading out to the kitchen. I grabbed all the supplies and started water with eggs to boil. I was dicing up fruits and vegetables as well as a few different sources of protein for our chef salads.
The eggs were done boiling and soaking in cold water as Kynlee returned with clean jeans, a blouse with a flower pattern that accentuated her full bust, sandals, and wet hair pulled back into a messy bun. "What can I help with Wam," she inquired with her hand on her hip.
"Would you mind peeling the eggs and slicing them please?"
"Sure, no problem," she says as she sets to work on the task.
"I hope chef salads are okay? I saw you eat greens before, so I figured 'build your own' chef salads were a pretty safe bet. That way we both get however much and what we want." I looked up rather nervous, but unsure why. If she didn't want a salad, there was plenty here she could make a sandwich, a wrap, or any number of things.
"I love salads, so it's perfect!"
"Lee, if there is ever something you don't like, please speak up and we won't have it again. Deal?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as I waited for her response.
Kynlee laughed at my expression but nodded and said, "deal. I'll cook sometimes too though, so the same goes for you Doctor."
I so loved this back and forth banter between us. Kynlee seemed to comprehend that Kedron's condition was still critical, but his regaining consciousness seemed to have eased something deep in her soul. She was more apt to smile, joke, and dare I say flirt? No, she wasn't flirting with me, just being friendly and helpful. I tried not to think about it, because my libido didn't seem to care, but I would have been just as close in age to Kynlee's parents as I am to her. Unfortunately that thought doesn't damper the attraction in the least. If anything, the fact it felt forbidden, almost strengthened my want, my need to be near her. Instead of the impromptu kiss we had a week ago showing me we were incompatible, it showed me there is a definite chemistry between us. For some reason the chemistry surprised me. I personally think Kynlee is more mature than most other women her age simply because of everything she has been forced to contend with.
We made our chef salads and carried them into the dining room to the table. I grabbed a bottle of water, but Kynlee surprised me when she grabbed a glass of milk. Milk was something I kept on hand for cooking, but I didn't usually drink it. Of course I ate other forms of dairy to get my calcium, but I was not fond of the taste of plain milk. When finished eating, we both rinsed our plates and placed them in the dishwasher without a word. Lee then helped me cover the ingredients and put them away before preparing to visit Kedron.
All the boxes by the dumpster and recycling shed outside the hospital were proof that dietary had received a huge shipment and we would have all the boxes we could fit in the back of the SUV. At least broken down, they would fit better. Taping boxes was much cheaper and easier that buying or finding whole boxes. We filled the SUV before parking.
It was early afternoon as we pulled into the parking garage. We hadn't discussed it, it just seemed natural for us both to get in the SUV to go to the hospital. As I shut off the ignition, I asked, "is there a certain time you want to be at your apartment tomorrow?"
"I'm thinking by 8am? Is that doable for you Wam?"
I nodded as I got out and walked around to open her door like a gentleman. In true Kynlee fashion, she jumped down from the passenger's seat before I could get there. After pushing 'lock' on the key fob, I put my hands in my pockets to fight the urge to either put my hand on Lee's lower back, or grab her hand. This was a place of work for goodness sake. PDA (public displays of affection), were not acceptable from professionals that worked within the system. To top it off, Dr. Adams already seemed to think something inappropriate was going on. Hopefully my threat of reporting her disparaging remarks would settle her down. If not, I just may have to follow through on my threat. I did not expect anyone to be perfect, but interactions with patients, families, and colleagues needed to be respectful and caring. Providers should never be negative, hateful, or jealous. I would not allow Dr. Adams to put more stress on an already taxing situation for the Knutson twins. Our job was to help, not make it more difficult.
"Just so you are aware, I have a couple teenage boys from the reservation meeting us at the apartment tomorrow to carry the heavy items out of your apartment and then help stack them in the shed at the cabin. They'll have a covered trailer and a pick up truck," I explained as nonchalantly as possible.
"You didn't have to do that Wam. We don't have that much stuff. I cannot really afford to pay them either," Kynlee said sheepishly while looking at the elevator floor.
"Hey, it's no problem. They owe me a favor, so it's all good. You don't need to pay them. I have to head back to Red Wing when we are finished at your apartment, so I wanted to make sure you had help after I left, to move everything to the shed or house as you choose."
"Well thank you Wam. It will definitely make things easier for me. You and your generosity never cease to amaze me," Lee said with a small smile aimed in my direction. What I wouldn't do to see more of those smiles.
I was not expecting the yelling I heard when we neared Kedron's room. Yes, it was a very good idea to do the work before we came. As we stepped into the room, Kynlee wasted no time stepping up to Kedron's bedside, meeting his eyes and asking, "what seems to be the problem?" Lee was all business, and she looked magnificent as she stood there, staring down her brother.