She wiped her face, affected by his words. That a cultured medical genius found her inspiring was beyond flattering. His gentle flirting reminded her of how charismatic he could be, when not telling her she was getting ready to die.
"I also regret you choosing Logan over me," he said, rising.
"You're a good man, Doc," she said with a watery smile.
"Wynn," he corrected her. "You've been more than a patient for months now." He held her gaze for a moment too long before looking away.
Their history was too personal for her to feel uncomfortable standing near-naked to a man who'd had a crush on her for a while. He'd cut her open and seen her from the inside out. There was nothing she kept from him. If anything, she felt lucky to have a doctor who saw her as more than a case.
"Okay, then, Wynn," she said. "I'm headed to the coast this weekend. Logan's taking off work early today, so we can have a long weekend at the beach. I've always wanted to stay in a beach house. If your girlfriend was going to dump you, wouldn't you rather it happen at a beach house?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"I'm joking."
"Are you?"
"I haven't decided yet," she admitted. "If I do, I'll call you for that dinner date when I get back."
"I'll await your call."
Always polite, always a gentleman. He'd never liked Logan, but he'd never say it directly. Something about his proper responses made her smile.
"There may be signs soon of deterioration, Deidre," he said with gravity.
"I know, Doc," she replied then recited. "Hallucinations, incurable pain, loss of muscular control, cognitive dysfunction. It'll be a slow, painful death."
For the first time in their history, a flicker of emotion crossed the features of her surgeon. He rubbed his jaw.
"Yes," he said at last. "It will be. For which I feel entirely responsible."
"Omigod, Doc," she said. "Don't get all emotional on me now. One of us has to keep the other calm, and it won't be me."
"Deidre, for what little this is worth, I apologize for not being good enough or smart enough or quick enough to prevent the inevitable."
"Ah, Wynn," she said, touched by his subtle emotion. "You have nothing to apologize for. You've been the one constant in my life since this mess started. I wouldn't trade you for anyone."
"Perhaps I'm the dead weight in this relationship."
"You can be so charming when you want to be." She smiled and reached out to squeeze his arm. Most of the times, conversation with Dr. Wynn was like talking to a robot. Today, he was human. "Remember: no apologies, no regrets. Got it?"