Toby.”
“Toby?”
“Yes, Doctor Tobias Darwin,” Toby said, sounding a bit miffed.
“I know who you are.” Hart grinned. “I just wasn’t expecting to hear from you.”
“Ah, well, I—Freddie gave me your number. I just wanted to make sure you were doing all right, and, I know it’s not regular procedure, but I wanted to see if you needed help with your bandages.”
“I was going to go to the pharmacy later,” Hart said, bemused.
“If it’s not too much of an imposition, I don’t have surgery scheduled for another two hours. I could redo your bandages for you.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Hart stared at the wooden floor under his bare feet. By all accounts it should be a little dusty at least, but the floor—the entire room—was as clean as the rest of the house. Maybe his dad had hired a housekeeper over the past couple of years. It’s not as if Hart would know.
“It’s difficult to wrap your own shoulder and wrist. It won’t take me long.”
“Okay.” Hart rubbed his eyes. They still felt a little gritty but not as bad as yesterday. “Sure, come on over.” He gave Toby the address.
“If you haven’t showered yet, remember to keep the water lukewarm. I should be there in half an hour.”
“I—all right. I’ll see you then.” Without waiting for an answer, Hart hung up. How exactly he felt about Toby coming into his dad’s home, Hart couldn’t figure out, but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about the burns.
When he turned to the bathroom mirror, about to start on the dressings, he noticed the gluey heart monitor stickers still clinging to his chest. Hart snorted and peeled the little circles away, wincing where they caught the dark hairs.
Removing the dressings from his chest turned out to be quite easy, but the one around his arm felt like it stuck quite deeply into the burn, so he left that one on. The skin on his side and shoulder didn’t exactly look pretty, but he’d expected worse, and if no one studied him too closely, the left side of his face could pass as mild sunburn.
Somehow he managed to wash without getting his left arm too wet, but by the time he finished brushing his teeth, he’d begun to feel a little lightheaded. He’d just put on his jeans, and was contemplating pulling a T-shirt on over the wet bandage, when the doorbell rang. He stumbled down the stairs, dripping water over his jeans and the books littering the steps.
Toby took one look at Hart’s face and pushed his way into the house, grabbing hold of Hart’s good arm. He had a neat white bag clutched in his other hand. “Next time before you shower, have something to eat and take a painkiller first.”
“You said you’d be here in half an hour. I didn’t want to leave you standing on the front step.”
“You needed half an hour in there? Do you shave your chest or something?” Toby’s eyes drifted down before he caught himself and quickly looked away again. “Sorry, I keep being inappropriate around you. Come on, show me your kitchen before you fall over.”
“I’m not about to fall over.” Hart showed Toby into the kitchen.
“No, I’m sure you always look this particular shade of green in the morning.”
Hart laughed, then winced and let Toby maneuver him onto a barstool by the island. “You always this pushy?”
The moment stilled. Outside, a single horned lark cried out once and then went silent too. Above the entryway to the living room, a clock gently ticked the seconds of the day away. A flash of intensity passed over Toby’s eyes, and Hart found himself dying to know what he would say. But it passed, as all these little moments between them seemed to do.
“Painkillers first,” Toby said. “Did you eat?”
Hart shook his head. “You beat me to it.”
“All right. You have to eat something with these pills, or they’ll burn a hole in your stomach wall. Where do you keep your plates and stuff?”
“I’ll get it.” Hart put a foot on the floor, but
“Toby?”
“Yes, Doctor Tobias Darwin,” Toby said, sounding a bit miffed.
“I know who you are.” Hart grinned. “I just wasn’t expecting to hear from you.”
“Ah, well, I—Freddie gave me your number. I just wanted to make sure you were doing all right, and, I know it’s not regular procedure, but I wanted to see if you needed help with your bandages.”
“I was going to go to the pharmacy later,” Hart said, bemused.
“If it’s not too much of an imposition, I don’t have surgery scheduled for another two hours. I could redo your bandages for you.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Hart stared at the wooden floor under his bare feet. By all accounts it should be a little dusty at least, but the floor—the entire room—was as clean as the rest of the house. Maybe his dad had hired a housekeeper over the past couple of years. It’s not as if Hart would know.
“It’s difficult to wrap your own shoulder and wrist. It won’t take me long.”
“Okay.” Hart rubbed his eyes. They still felt a little gritty but not as bad as yesterday. “Sure, come on over.” He gave Toby the address.
“If you haven’t showered yet, remember to keep the water lukewarm. I should be there in half an hour.”
“I—all right. I’ll see you then.” Without waiting for an answer, Hart hung up. How exactly he felt about Toby coming into his dad’s home, Hart couldn’t figure out, but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about the burns.
When he turned to the bathroom mirror, about to start on the dressings, he noticed the gluey heart monitor stickers still clinging to his chest. Hart snorted and peeled the little circles away, wincing where they caught the dark hairs.
Removing the dressings from his chest turned out to be quite easy, but the one around his arm felt like it stuck quite deeply into the burn, so he left that one on. The skin on his side and shoulder didn’t exactly look pretty, but he’d expected worse, and if no one studied him too closely, the left side of his face could pass as mild sunburn.
Somehow he managed to wash without getting his left arm too wet, but by the time he finished brushing his teeth, he’d begun to feel a little lightheaded. He’d just put on his jeans, and was contemplating pulling a T-shirt on over the wet bandage, when the doorbell rang. He stumbled down the stairs, dripping water over his jeans and the books littering the steps.
Toby took one look at Hart’s face and pushed his way into the house, grabbing hold of Hart’s good arm. He had a neat white bag clutched in his other hand. “Next time before you shower, have something to eat and take a painkiller first.”
“You said you’d be here in half an hour. I didn’t want to leave you standing on the front step.”
“You needed half an hour in there? Do you shave your chest or something?” Toby’s eyes drifted down before he caught himself and quickly looked away again. “Sorry, I keep being inappropriate around you. Come on, show me your kitchen before you fall over.”
“I’m not about to fall over.” Hart showed Toby into the kitchen.
“No, I’m sure you always look this particular shade of green in the morning.”
Hart laughed, then winced and let Toby maneuver him onto a barstool by the island. “You always this pushy?”
The moment stilled. Outside, a single horned lark cried out once and then went silent too. Above the entryway to the living room, a clock gently ticked the seconds of the day away. A flash of intensity passed over Toby’s eyes, and Hart found himself dying to know what he would say. But it passed, as all these little moments between them seemed to do.
“Painkillers first,” Toby said. “Did you eat?”
Hart shook his head. “You beat me to it.”
“All right. You have to eat something with these pills, or they’ll burn a hole in your stomach wall. Where do you keep your plates and stuff?”
“I’ll get it.” Hart put a foot on the floor, but
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