there’d be things to adjust to.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll manage.”
“Rachel said for you to eat anything you find at
her place, but the pickings are slim.” He hesitated again, leaning away from
her like a sprinter preparing for a quick start.
He obviously wrestled with his need to get to his
patients and his sense of responsibility for her. Taking a couple of quick
steps away, he then turned around and faced her, somehow managing to trot
backward, like a baseball player during pre-game warm-ups. “I’ll make up for it
in the morning. Pick you up for breakfast at seven, then we’ll head back here
for a nice sweaty morning of grunting and groaning...” He let one of his rare
grins escape. “And I don’t mean that in the fun way.”
A tiny tingle slithered down her back. She really
had to stop reading flirtation into every little thing he said. “What could be
more fun than grunting and groaning through the clean-up of a devastated
library?”
“You might be surprised.” His eyebrows arched
upward.
“I’m usually happy to be surprised but not the way
I was tonight.” Even allowing for relocation jitters, this night had been too
weird even for her. “See you at seven,” she said, impressed with his backward
maneuverability. Maybe that was something they taught in medical school that
Library Science courses skipped.
“Hey, Chicago.” Jogging away from her, he turned his
head to look at her over his shoulder. “Welcome to Sunnyside.”
At two AM, Zach rolled his shoulders and poured
another cup of coffee from the machine in the doctor’s lounge. He needed just a
few minutes before he went back out there and faced all the people waiting to
talk to him. Would he ever get over this feeling of déjà vu whenever he was
called in about an automobile accident? Would those old memories just hang
around in his psyche no matter how old he got?
Driving to the hospital tonight, he’d been
gripping the steering wheel like a scared high school kid who was in over his
head and unable to keep his best friend from dying. He’d already been growing
up too fast when he’d had the wreck that took Tyler’s life, but that event sent
him on an accelerated trajectory to pick up the responsibilities and burdens of
those who needed his help. Even if their problems weren’t his fault, he owed it
to Ty to try his best to help anyone he could. And he’d made sure that his best
from that point on was very, very good.
Jimbo stuck his head in the door. “Heard you were
in here.”
“Just filling out some reports.”
“Yeah, I got some of my own to fill out but wanted
to see how you were doing.” The Sheriff poured a cup of coffee and slumped onto
the sorry excuse for a couch, propping his feet on the coffee table. “This kind
of crap never gets easier, does it?”
“No, but this one is no harder than any of the
others.”
“They’re all hard.” Wearily, Jimbo rubbed his eyes
with his fists. “Are these kids going to make it?”
“Joe and Tommy, yes. Probably. Less certain about
Jason.”
“It was Joe driving Tommy’s truck, and Jason, the
dumbass, didn’t have his seat belt on. I hope it scares the shit out of them.”
Having been in a similar situation at a similar
age, Zach knew that it would. “Hard way to learn a lesson.”
“Is there any other way?”
“Not around here. You know what it’s like. You
can’t tell teenagers anything. They
have to figure it out for themselves.”
Jimbo grunted. “Parents are outside when you have
time to talk to them.”
Standing, Zach stretched out the kinks in his
muscles. “Sorry you got called out tonight. I’d hoped you and Tina would get
some family time with Maisie.”
“It’s all right. When I left, she was sleeping
like a baby.”
Zach shook his head. “And you and Tina were
standing over the crib watching her.”
“Well, yeah. She’s such a miracle, we’re afraid
she’ll disappear if we close our eyes.”
“You’ll learn
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll manage.”
“Rachel said for you to eat anything you find at
her place, but the pickings are slim.” He hesitated again, leaning away from
her like a sprinter preparing for a quick start.
He obviously wrestled with his need to get to his
patients and his sense of responsibility for her. Taking a couple of quick
steps away, he then turned around and faced her, somehow managing to trot
backward, like a baseball player during pre-game warm-ups. “I’ll make up for it
in the morning. Pick you up for breakfast at seven, then we’ll head back here
for a nice sweaty morning of grunting and groaning...” He let one of his rare
grins escape. “And I don’t mean that in the fun way.”
A tiny tingle slithered down her back. She really
had to stop reading flirtation into every little thing he said. “What could be
more fun than grunting and groaning through the clean-up of a devastated
library?”
“You might be surprised.” His eyebrows arched
upward.
“I’m usually happy to be surprised but not the way
I was tonight.” Even allowing for relocation jitters, this night had been too
weird even for her. “See you at seven,” she said, impressed with his backward
maneuverability. Maybe that was something they taught in medical school that
Library Science courses skipped.
“Hey, Chicago.” Jogging away from her, he turned his
head to look at her over his shoulder. “Welcome to Sunnyside.”
At two AM, Zach rolled his shoulders and poured
another cup of coffee from the machine in the doctor’s lounge. He needed just a
few minutes before he went back out there and faced all the people waiting to
talk to him. Would he ever get over this feeling of déjà vu whenever he was
called in about an automobile accident? Would those old memories just hang
around in his psyche no matter how old he got?
Driving to the hospital tonight, he’d been
gripping the steering wheel like a scared high school kid who was in over his
head and unable to keep his best friend from dying. He’d already been growing
up too fast when he’d had the wreck that took Tyler’s life, but that event sent
him on an accelerated trajectory to pick up the responsibilities and burdens of
those who needed his help. Even if their problems weren’t his fault, he owed it
to Ty to try his best to help anyone he could. And he’d made sure that his best
from that point on was very, very good.
Jimbo stuck his head in the door. “Heard you were
in here.”
“Just filling out some reports.”
“Yeah, I got some of my own to fill out but wanted
to see how you were doing.” The Sheriff poured a cup of coffee and slumped onto
the sorry excuse for a couch, propping his feet on the coffee table. “This kind
of crap never gets easier, does it?”
“No, but this one is no harder than any of the
others.”
“They’re all hard.” Wearily, Jimbo rubbed his eyes
with his fists. “Are these kids going to make it?”
“Joe and Tommy, yes. Probably. Less certain about
Jason.”
“It was Joe driving Tommy’s truck, and Jason, the
dumbass, didn’t have his seat belt on. I hope it scares the shit out of them.”
Having been in a similar situation at a similar
age, Zach knew that it would. “Hard way to learn a lesson.”
“Is there any other way?”
“Not around here. You know what it’s like. You
can’t tell teenagers anything. They
have to figure it out for themselves.”
Jimbo grunted. “Parents are outside when you have
time to talk to them.”
Standing, Zach stretched out the kinks in his
muscles. “Sorry you got called out tonight. I’d hoped you and Tina would get
some family time with Maisie.”
“It’s all right. When I left, she was sleeping
like a baby.”
Zach shook his head. “And you and Tina were
standing over the crib watching her.”
“Well, yeah. She’s such a miracle, we’re afraid
she’ll disappear if we close our eyes.”
“You’ll learn
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