“It’s okay,” I said. “You got them here.”
“I was the one who got them in an accident in the first place.”
I shook my head. “Do you want me to put you in touch with our aftercare team?”
“What does that mean?”
“A social worker, a mental health professional… whatever is going to make it easier for you to deal with all of this.”
He shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. “You know I have to get out of here as soon as possible.”
“I don’t have to report this,” I said. “It’s a car accident. I mean, you’ll probably get some insurance premium increase for it, but the police aren’t coming around for this.”
He grimaced. “How do you know that?”
“Because no one has called the police and no one is going to call the police,” I said. “Not for something like a car accident.”
He looked away from me. “The police are just one of my problems.”
I nodded. “How many problems do you have?”
“Enough that I don’t want to be around in a public area, easily accessible for anyone who might want to find me,” he said.
I hesitated before I cocked my head. “If your life is in danger, maybe I should call the police.”
“No,” he said. “It’s not that serious, and I promise I won’t keep showing up at your hospital.”
“Except to visit your friends.”
“They’re not really my friends,” he replied. “I think of them more as business associates.”
I nodded. “I’m not going to ask you anything else because it’s none of my business and I don’t want to get you in trouble,” I said. “Plus, it’s kind of late and I don’t know if I have the energy for this. I’m about to be done with my shift and I want to clock out without having to worry for your life.”
He laughed.
“What?”
“I just didn’t know ER doctors used terms like clocked out,” he replied. “I thought you’d use fancier terms, like…”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Getting off work.”
“I’ll try to use fancier terms for your benefit.”
He laughed. “What are you doing after this?”
“Sleeping,” I replied. “What do you think I do after I get off?”
“I don’t know. Go on hot dates.”
“I don’t do that early in the morning,” I replied. “There are hardly any hot dates that want to go out early in the morning. I try to only go out when I don’t have work that night.”
“So you do go on plenty of hot dates?”
“I fail to see how that is any of your business,” I replied. “I’m going to get ready to go home now.”
“What about breakfast?” he asked, his eyes shining.
I scoffed. “Excuse me?”
“I mean, you need to eat, right? And I’m going to check myself out of the hospital anyway,” he said. “So I’m going to go have breakfast at one of those twenty-four hour dinners and maybe have a mimosa—”
“You really shouldn’t be drinking while having antibiotics—”
“Or, you know, if anyone else, perhaps someone more sensible than me, is around, I might not end up getting any alcohol.”
“Are you blackmailing me into going out for breakfast with you?”
“Is it working?”
“I don’t think so.”
He groaned. “I’m going to keep talking your ear off until you say yes.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not how you win people over.”
“Pancakes are exactly how to win you over. Or have your taste buds changed too?”
I swallowed. “Okay, okay,” I said. “One breakfast. And that’s it, okay?”
“Okay,” he said. “That works. Do you want to go to Aunt Callie’s?”
“That place is still open?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Best pancakes in the state.”
I scoffed, shaking my head and then smiling. “Fine,” I said. “Fine. You get one breakfast.”
He smiled. “Great. One breakfast is all I need.”
“You can’t be my patient.”
“I’m not your patient,” he said. “You’re here as my friend, right?”
“Yes,” I said. “You’re right. I am.”
“Good. Then can I say how good you’re looking?”
I shook my head. “Don’t push your luck,” I replied. “I gotta go. See you in the parking lot?”
“Yes. Sounds good,” he said. “I’ll get dressed and see you there.”
“You’re not wearing the blue? It suits you.”
He laughed, throwing his head back. “Who is pushing their luck now?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
2019
It was early in the morning when I walked out of the hospital, and there was a light drizzle on my face as I made my way toward my car. I looked up to see that Jody was leaning against it, flashing me a smile, his leather jacket clinging to his muscles.
He was vaping again, a cloud of sweet-scented vapor in front of his face.
“You got out quickly,” I said.
“Right?” he asked. “I am as surprised as you are.”
“I doubt that,” I said. “I take it I’m driving.”
“I can show you the state of the car I was in last night, and we can take that risk, if you feel like that’s something you want to do. But there’s no need for us to do that.”
I laughed, throwing my head back. “You’re very funny,” I said. “Do you get paid for it?”
“Hell no,” he replied. “I never get paid for anything, really.”
“Sucks to be you.”
“Truly,” he replied, then his expression softened. “I do appreciate you deciding to go to breakfast with me.”
“You really didn’t leave me another choice.”
