“I’m not siding with anyone. I want the truth.” Jim was weak from his Parkinsons, but his eyes were focused and deadly serious. “You’re my son and I love you, but if you’re a part of this—”
“What if I am? Why am I the only one to see that Nick is a fucking fraud?”
“I guess it takes one to know one, eh, Eli,” I said. “Except you’re not a fraud. You’re a whiner.”
“Nick,” Jim’s sharp voice chastised me.
“Dr. Foster. I need a word.”
I turned to see Dick with his serious administrative face on.
“Don’t bother. I quit.” I strode past Jim and Dick, through the crowd of gawkers and surprised nurses. I made my way out the back exit to avoid whatever was still going on out front.
I should have quit long ago, I realized. Mia was right, I was too fucked up in the head to practice medicine. What had all that denial and pushing through accomplished? Mia got hurt. The weight of Ms. Mason’s death was crushing, but the guilt of knowing I was why Mia was hurt was unbearable. Yes, I put some blame on Eli, but those angry people were there because of me. I couldn’t do that anymore. I was done.
As I drove toward home, I worked to figure out what I’d do. If any of the mob was at my house, would I drive them over? Let them have me?
They weren’t there, so the next decision was where to go because I couldn’t stay there. I could go to San Diego to see my parents. Crap, I needed to take Jim to see the Bongos. Well, maybe Mia could do that when she got better.
Maybe I could just go to Mexico. It would be years before this lawsuit with the Mason family went to trial, and I didn’t need to be here in the meantime.
First, though, I thought as I walked through my front door, I needed a drink. I didn’t have to work so I could consume as much as I wanted. It had been a long time since I got drunk. Maybe I’d finally have a night without guilt, and anger, and fear, and dreams.
30
Mia
I woke in a private room with my father by my side, and Eli sulking in a corner. “Dad.”
“There’s my girl.” He looked twenty years older as he smiled at me. I felt bad for putting stress on him.
Wanting to reassure him, I said, “I’m okay.”
He smiled. “How do you know? You’ve been knocked out.”
“I’ll get the doctor,” Eli said, not looking at me.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked my dad when Eli left.
My father sighed. “It’s not important now.”
“I guess Nick isn’t here?”
My father’s head tilted to the side and I thought he might ask me about Nick, but the door opened and Dr. Anderson walked in. That told me I wasn’t the ER’s responsibility anymore.
“Ms. Parker, how are you feeling?”
“My head hurts,” I admitted.
“You fell and hit your head. You have some bruising too, but fortunately, no breaks or fractures. Still, we want to keep you for a day or two.”
“Two?”
“There was some swelling of the brain. We just want to monitor you and make sure that’s all healing.”
“You’ll be right as new,” my father said from the other side of the bed. He took my hand. The doctor checked me over and then left me alone with my dad. Eli hadn’t returned yet.
“So, what’s going on?” I asked.
“It’s not time for you to worry about that, honey. You need your rest.”
“Except I’m worried about not knowing what’s going on.”
My father sighed. “It’s a mess.”
“What is?” Did the group of people rush the hospital and get Nick? “Is it Nick? Is he okay?” I moved to get out of bed. I’d search every room in the hospital to find him if I had to.
“Nick is fine, honey. Lay down and I’ll tell you. But you have to promise to rest.”
I nodded. “Yes. Okay, just tell me what’s going on.”
“Nick quit.”
“What?”
“When we arrived after getting the call that you’d been hurt, Nick accosted Eli, blaming him.”
“I don’t understand?”
My father shook his head. “I’m not sure either. Something about the mob calling him a quack and blaming him for your mother’s death.”
“Eli does that,” I said as I remembered the crowd saying the same thing to me. I’d even wondered if Eli had something to do with this protest.
My father lowered his head, as I guess he knew it too.
“What happened then?”
“When someone from the hospital administration showed up, I guess Nick thought he was going to be fired because he said ‘don’t bother, I quit.’”
I closed my eyes, my heart hurting that Nick had to go through all this.
“Peggy seems to think he’s in love with you,” my father said. “Is that true?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“What about you? Do you love him?”
I pulled my dad’s hand to hold it over my heart. “I can’t. I’ll get fired.”
He frowned. “For loving someone?”
I nodded. “I’m considered hospital administration, and we’re not to fraternize with other staff.”
“Seems harsh in a small town where prospects are few as it is.”
I smiled at him. “You’re still worried about grandkids.”
His smile was so sweet. “I’d like one or two. Maybe three.”
The door opened the Eli came in. “How are you?”
I couldn’t read his expression very well. I think he was trying to be a good big brother, but he seemed agitated.
“I’m okay.” I wanted to go soft on him, except if Nick was right, Eli’s careless accusations had gotten me hurt.
“This isn’t my fault,” he said.
Nothing ever is, I thought but kept to myself.
“But if it is, I’m sorry. I never thought they’d get like that?”
“Did you send them?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. Mia I’d never.” Now he looked a bit desperate. “I just ran into Lyle and a few of his cronies at the bar the other night. They were talking about Ms. Mason’s death and … well, you know how I feel
