Declan:

“Declan, you look like hell. What’s going on?”

Blake Thorpe was my roommate in medical school and is one of the few people I can count on to be brutally honest.

I pour myself a pint of beer from the pitcher on the table. If it were anyone else asking me the question, I’d lie and tell them nothing’s wrong, but Blake and I go back a long way, and even though we’re polar opposites, I value his judgment. “I’ve been having nightmares ever since I got back from the Congo,” I admit. “I’ve done rough stints before, but this time…” My voice trails off. “So many children.” I swallow hard. “No matter what I did, it wasn’t enough.”

That’s the problem. It’s never enough. There’s always a war going on somewhere. People always die in pain and agony, and sometimes, they’re just kids. Though I’ve been Stateside for two weeks, I can’t forget my patients.

Blake downs half his pint in one gulp, his expression concerned. “Declan, I love you as a brother, man, but you’ve got to stop. You’ve been going from epidemic to war zone. You’ve done six missions in the last three years. You were in the Congo, in Sierra Leone, Haiti, where else?”

“Everywhere.” I take a deep breath. “I can’t stop. I’ve applied for a job at the United Nations.” Blake starts shaking his head disapprovingly, but before he can say anything, I cut him off. “Lecture me later. Tell me what’s been going on with you.”

“Same old,” he replies with a shrug. “While you’re making the world a better place, I’m injecting Botox into Hollywood wannabes.”

I chuckle, my dark mood lifting somewhat. Hearing about Blake’s misadventures always has that effect. My buddy is a locum—the doctor that works in the place of the regular doctor when that doctor is on vacation. “You filled in for a plastic surgeon? Really? Why on earth?”

“I wanted somewhere warm to spend the winter,” he replies.

My lips lift up in an unwilling grin. That’s typical of Blake. He’s a brilliant physician, but he hates being tied down. He’s been bouncing from one temporary stint to another ever since residency, refusing to settle down in one place.

“Where’s next on the list?”

“For the moment, vacation,” he replies. “Thank heavens. I thought I’d enjoy the Hollywood job, but for six months, I didn’t see a pair of real tits. Not a single one.” His expression is disgruntled. “Fake tits only look good in porn.” He refills his pint and takes a sip before he continues. “I’m flying out tomorrow to Oregon to visit Aunt Elvira.”

Blake’s great-aunt is quite a character. She rarely talks about her youth, but I’ve pieced together enough to know it wasn’t entirely pleasant. It hasn’t affected her disposition though.  She’s funny and endlessly entertaining, and she dotes on Blake. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s getting older.” Blake has an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. “I’m staying for a month.”

The waitress comes up to us. She’s got dark hair, a great body, and a killer smile. “Can I get you another pitcher?” she asks.

Blake perks up. “You read my mind, Janie,” he says with a wink. “Have you met my friend Declan? He’s a doctor too.” He pats the seat next to him. “Sit down, honey. Let the two of us buy you a drink.”

Janie giggles. “I can’t,” she says reluctantly, “I just started my shift. If you guys stick around until I’m done though…” Her voice trails off suggestively, and she bends over to reach the pitcher, giving us a look at her ample cleavage. “I’m sure we could find something fun to do.”

Blake says something to her with a flirtatious smile. I watch him, feeling a little envious. Once upon a time, the two of us worked hard and partied harder. Now, my life has narrowed to the next mission. I can’t remember the last time I did something fun and impulsive.

When she’s gone, Blake turns to me. “Here’s an idea,” he says. “Why don’t you come with me to Goat?” Before I can reply, he continues in a rush. “I know it isn’t the most exciting destination, but you need a vacation badly, and I need someone to hang out with so I don’t go out of my mind with boredom.”

My first response is to decline. I can’t go to the middle-of-nowhere Oregon for a month. What if the UN calls? What if Doctors Without Borders needs volunteers for a mission?

Then I reconsider. Once I take the UN job, if they even offer it to me, it’ll be a long time before I can take any time off. This might be my last hurrah.

“Okay.” My lips lift up in a grin. “I’m in.”