“YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING me,” I said, staring wide-eyed into the garage.
“Nope.”
“When did you get this?”
“A little while after I took over the inn. I got sick of referring all my guests to the rentals on the island and thought it might be a way to make some extra money.”
“Or have some fun on the weekend,” I said, running a hand over the sleek black paint.
Jeeps in Ocracoke were like the shiny new toys at Christmas. Every kid wanted one. Sure, you didn’t need it, but if you got it, it was a total game changer. There were several rental places up and down the banks where tourists and locals alike could rent a Jeep.
But having one of your own, it was the ultimate grown-up toy.
I’d wanted one for as long as I could remember. Hell, even when I’d left North Carolina, I’d drool every time I saw a Jeep driving by on the busy streets of Chicago. There was just something ingrained in my DNA that made me want to jump in, rev that engine, and get those tires in the sand as quickly as possible.
“You look exactly like a kid in a candy store right now,” Molly said, dangling keys on the other side of the garage.
I laughed. “This is so much better. How could you keep this from me? I demand a refund.”
“I’ll let you drive,” she offered, taking one giant step closer.
“Deal.” I leaped forward and grabbed the set of keys from her hand.
She laughed as I lifted her off the ground and spun us around.
I felt weightless in this moment.
The shit with Macon?
Forgotten.
The unsettled future with Molly?
Unimportant.
Right now, I was entirely focused on this moment. Right here, right now.
For so long, I’d been so fixated on reaching some distant goal that I completely forgot how to live.
To appreciate the time I’d been given.
To live in the now.
We hopped in the Jeep, armed with enough provisions to supply a small army, thanks to Molly, and headed out toward the beach.
“I can’t remember the last time I sat out under the stars,” I said loudly, the wind flying around us, blowing our hair, as the town became smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror.
There were several spots in Ocracoke that allowed Jeeps. Picking our favorite one, I headed off-road and onto the sand. It was hard and compact from the constant use, but thankfully, the area was empty today.
Driving toward the beach, I hit the water, giving a little splash on the passenger side.
“Jake!” Molly screamed.
I laughed, loving the sound of her happy squeals.
Taking advantage of the long days, we drove for a while, in and out of the water, until I found a good spot to watch the sunset. It was nearly eight o’clock by the time we set up our picnic on the sand.
“We’re going to get invaded by ghost crabs when the sun sets,” Molly whined.
“Then, we’d better enjoy it while it lasts,” I instructed, not caring in the least if a million of those freakish white crabs joined us.
Today was perfect.
Molly had once again outdone herself in the area of food, pulling out some leftovers from a boxed dinner she’d made for the West Coast couple who were involved in Penis-Gate. They had booked a kayak lesson and hadn’t felt like coming home to shower, so feeling incredibly embarrassed, Molly had made them dinner to go.
Free of charge, of course.
“You should have charged them double,” I said. “That was a good picture.”
She nearly spit out her food. “I can’t believe you sent me that. When you said you needed to primp, I did not know it meant that.”
I laughed. “Well, I definitely wasn’t picking out lipstick shades or finding my best side. Because, let’s face it, every side is good.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“Only when I’m around you. Besides, sometimes, you need a little spontaneity in your day, especially when you’ve treated your third urinary infection. What is it with the elderly on this island, Molly? Is it something in the water?”
She giggled, and then a finger went up next to her face, like a lightbulb had suddenly gone off in her head. “That reminds me. Did Terri come by to see you? She wasn’t feeling well yesterday.”
I nodded, taking a bite of my sandwich. “Yeah, she did. She’s fine. Nothing serious.”
A noticeable sense of relief spread across her face. “Thank goodness. I was worried about her. Nothing ever seems to get that old broad down, but yesterday, she just seemed off.”
I wished I could tell her more, but doctor-patient confidentiality prevented me, even if it was Terri. It was nothing more than one of those urinary infections I’d mentioned. But she’d had several in the last year, so I’d ordered some lab work just to be safe. A round of antibiotics, and she’d be as good as new.
“She’ll be fine. Even the devil himself couldn’t take Terri down.”
There was a comfortable silence between us as we ate and watched the waves billow in. The sun began to set behind us as the water grew dark. Pulling Molly into my arms, I felt more content and happier than I had in years.
“Why a heart surgeon?” Molly finally asked as we sat together, listening to the roar of the ocean waves. “Is it because of your mother?”
“Yes,” I answered honestly, maybe for the first time. “I’ve wanted to be a doctor ever since I could remember. That’s nothing new. Practically the entire town knew I wanted to take over the clinic when I got older. Of course, that’s because I went around and told anyone who would listen.”
“You were a very precocious kid.”
“I seem to remember an equally precocious little girl who’d bring her Easy-Bake Oven to church functions and serve cookies to all the old ladies to test out her culinary skills.”
“Hey!” she said, turning in my arms. “Those ladies said I made the best Easy-Bake Oven cookies they’d ever had!”
I laughed, loving her just a little bit more in that moment.
If that were even possible.
“But all that changed when my mom died. All the symptoms had been there, Mols. I saw her file.”
“You did? But how? You weren’t even eighteen.”
“I snuck a peek when no one was around. For months, she’d been complaining to my dad of fatigue, loss of appetite, and shortness of breath. He had checked her out and said it was nothing more than seasonal allergies or a touch of asthma.”
“Jake,” she said, her warm hand on mine.
“He should have known. She was his wife. He should have run every damn test there was. If you were sick, that’s what I would do. I wouldn’t rest until you were better.”
“But, sometimes, it is just allergies.”
“And, sometimes, it’s heart failure.”
“Is that what you tell your patients?” she asked, looking up at me with those deep blue eyes.
“No,” I answered. “The patients I receive are already past the diagnosis phase. I just fix them—from simple repairs to triple bypasses. But I make sure they’re alive. I don’t screw up.”
“Your father was human, Jake. Just like all of us. No doubt, he carried that mistake with him every day for his entire life.”
“Good,” I replied, feeling the levity of the day slightly wearing off.
“Come on,” she urged. “Let’s go snuggle in the Jeep before the crabs eat us alive.”
I nodded, seeing several of them along the shore. Their eerie white bodies that looked like skeletons were scuttling along the waterline in search of food. I remembered chasing them along this very same beach when I was young, my father running alongside me, laughing during a long day of fun.
Those were the days when he had still been a superhero in my eyes.
Still someone worth looking up to.
But, he had been just a man, and like most mortals, he’d been full of holes and regrets.
And irreversible mistakes.
I wasn’t sure what I hated more—the death of the superhero I’d once worshipped or the mistakes he’d made afterward.
We hopped into the back of the jeep, taking full advantage of the small space and the open rooftop. Molly shifted in my arms, finding a comfortable position as she turned her head skyward. Without the glow of city lights, dozens of stars could be seen from this beach. I’d forgotten how stunning it all was—the simplicity of living here. Stars, Jeep rides on the beach, home-cooked meals with the ones you loved.
Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.
I pulled Molly closer into my arms, feeling the warmth of her body against mine.
Cherishing it.
Savoring it.
We sat like this for a long time in peaceful silence, enjoying our little slice of heaven. There was no time limit for once. I didn’t have to rush off to be somewhere, nor did Molly. Her guests were taken care of. She’d done her prep for the morning.
Tonight was ours.
“Why did you wait so long to take over the inn?” I finally asked.
If we had all night, I wanted to get to know Molly now—as a woman, not just the girl I remembered. We owed that much to each other if we were going to make this work.
She didn’t turn; she kept her focus forward. “I tried,” she said, “as soon as you left, and I decided to stay. I think my parents held out hope that I’d change my mind and go to college.”
“Why didn’t you?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I could blame it on you, but ultimately, it was my decision. Even when it had been the two of us going together, I had felt scared. Scared to leave this place and go somewhere new. What if I hated it? What if I didn’t fit in? When you left, I guess all those fears just came rushing to the surface, and I panicked. I told my parents I didn’t need a degree to do what I’d been training to do since the day I was born. But they disagreed. They wanted me to travel, to grow up. So, our decade-long debate began. I spent years assisting them, slowly earning my keep while they kept hoping I’d go and spread my wings.”
“They weren’t wrong,” I said. “Giving you the inn so young would have just chained you to this place. You needed the option to leave if you wanted.”
“But I never did,” she said softly.
“Did you ever want to?” I asked, rubbing my hands along her bare arms.
“It doesn’t matter. I had the choice, and I stayed here.”
“It’s not too late,” I reminded her.
A silence fell just then. Not a comfortable one like before. A tension, reminding me of the years we’d spent apart. The lives we’d led without one another.
There was still so much we didn’t know about each other. So much left to explore and talk through. But we had time, right? Time to figure it all out.
Starting with this moment. Right here, right now.
“I think we’ve done enough talking tonight,” I said, my hands dancing across her belly and drifting even lower.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
I’d spend forever getting to know this incredible woman Molly had become. I wanted to hear everything that had happened while I was away.
The good, the bad, and everything in between.
But there was more than one way to reunite myself with my long-lost love.
And, right now, I’d let our hands do all the storytelling while the ocean and stars set the perfect stage for the opening scene to our epic sequel.
After spending a night stuffed in the twin bed from my childhood, we’d decided the inn was a better choice for now—until we could figure out something better.
Something better.
The words made my stomach hurt because I knew it meant change. Until now, I’d been a visitor on this island, living like a vagabond from one place to the other.
I knew it would soon have to end. I couldn’t live in my dad’s office. Hell, I couldn’t keep calling it my dad’s office if I was planning on staying.
Was I planning on staying?
I knew I couldn’t leave without Molly.
Would Molly leave?
Maybe eventually, but not now.
Staring into the mirror of Molly’s vanity in her small bathroom, I took a big, soothing breath.
I was staying.
For how long, I wasn’t sure. A year, five years. Maybe longer.
I tried to imagine the future. Molly round with our child as we walked along the worn paths of the island, nestled between live oak trees, the bay in the distance. Years later, our children running ahead of us, laughing and playing, as we headed off to dinner at one of the local restaurants.
I found myself smiling.
Not a bad future. Not bad at all.
But could I find merit and worth in becoming a family doctor after everything I’d achieved? I was on my way to becoming chief of surgery in Chicago. Could I leave it all behind to give out antibiotics and flu vaccines?
My head swam as I got dressed that morning, thankful we’d stopped by my parents’ house to grab provisions. My head still swam with visions and nightmares whenever I entered the place, the memories still heavy on my chest, but it seemed to get easier with every attempt.
I knew I’d have to eventually do something with the place.
Watching it fall apart felt like an injustice to my mother’s memory.
Sliding into my shoes, I took one last look around the room. Last night was the first time I’d been in here since high school. Although she’d made some changes, it mostly felt the same. Her sister’s stuff was gone, which made it feel larger and less adolescent, but her old bed remained along with the antique dresser with the mirror that reminded me of something from the state fair.
So much of the girl I remembered still lived here. Was there room for me?
Stepping out into the hallway, I headed for the kitchen. Breakfast was in full swing with the guests all gathered around the table, drinking coffee and enjoying Molly’s home-cooked treats. It grew quiet when I entered.
Not knowing if I should have snuck out the back, I suddenly felt awkward. I didn’t know what the protocol was for sleeping over. I wasn’t a guest, but I was hungry.
“Good morning,” Molly said, not appearing out of step in the least. “Do you want coffee?”
“Uh, sure,” I said, noticing two sets of eyes following me more than most.
She gave me a warm smile, pulling out a mug before turning back around. “To go, or do you have time to eat?”
“I’ve got time,” I said, kind of bewildered by the whole thing.
So were some of the guests.
“I’m sorry. Where are my manners?” Molly said cheerfully. “This is my boyfriend, Jake Jameson,” she announced to the guests sitting around the table. “He’s the local doctor in town.”
A few heads bobbed up and down. Several others showed signs of relief, probably after wondering if Molly was serving coffee to her latest booty call. The couple who’d been eyeing me just smiled.
“That’s the couple who saw your dick pic,” Molly whispered in my ear as she handed me my coffee.
I coughed slightly, instantly regretting my decision to stay for breakfast.
“Why don’t you take that empty seat over there, Jake, by the Andersons? They’re from the West Coast.”
She grinned wickedly, knowing she was getting me back for yesterday when she’d dropped her phone in front of the couple. Now, I’d have to suffer through breakfast, sitting next to them.
“No problem,” I replied, giving her a wink, as I dropped down next to the wife.
She was easily in her late forties but attractive. They both looked active and fit, the kind of couple who worked hard and traveled a lot.
“Where on the West Coast? I went to school out there for my undergraduate work.”
“Oregon,” they answered in unison.
“Beautiful state,” I replied. “I’ve only been a few times, mostly coastal areas, but I loved the rugged beauty of it. Very different from here but equally stunning.”
They nodded in agreement, sparking a conversation about travel. We compared the places we’d been. We stuck mostly to beach locations since that seemed to be where their passion resided.
“Greece? No, I’d love to go though,” I replied to the latest question. “I’ve heard it’s amazing. Maybe I can get Molly to make the trip with me,” I said, giving her a quick smile.
It was then that I saw her hesitation. The fear she’d talked about.
I tried not to notice. I pretended not to see it.
But it was something I couldn’t unsee.
Was a life with Molly a jail sentence?
Was I condemning myself to this island indefinitely?
By the afternoon, my head was swimming.
Thankfully, it was Friday, and the office closed at noon. There was only one place I wanted to be. Hopping into my rental, I rolled down the windows as I left Ocracoke behind, heading for the ferry once more.
It was once again a beautiful, sunny day in North Carolina. Rain was forecasted for the evening, but for now, locals and tourists alike were soaking up the sun, riding bikes along the paths, flying kites, and doing everything and anything they could out in the waves.
It didn’t take long to get to the hospital.
The fact that I thought four hours wasn’t a long amount of time showed just how acclimated I’d become to the island lifestyle. Taking the first spot I could find, I took one last look at the clear blue sky and headed into the building, ready to greet my friend.
And make amends.
It was something I’d been avoiding for too long. I’d forced myself to believe none of this was my fault, that it was just some tragic comedy of errors that Dean and I had landed in during that ill-fated ferry ride together.
But the truth was, if I hadn’t talked him into it, Dean would still be whole.
He’d still be happy.
I signed in, grabbed my visitor badge, and did my best to blend in. Today was not about catching up with the colleagues I’d met during my brief period here.
I only wanted to see Dean.
Taking the elevator up to his floor, I felt trepidation.
Had he meant everything he said to Molly and me? Did we really have his blessing, or was that just something he’d said to ease our conscience?
Stepping out, I navigated down the hall with ease. I always felt at home in a hospital. The twists and turns of the halls reminded me of late-night triumphs and hard lessons learned.
It was a place like this where I’d found myself, where I’d discovered exactly how much I was capable of. And where I’d found a new home.
A quick knock to the door, and I heard his voice say, “Come in.”
The room was quiet, except for the hum of the air conditioner and the occasional nurse or visitor passing by. The room was fairly spacious and exactly as I remembered it. A small bathroom to the left, creating an alcove before the rest of the room. It initially blocked my view of him, and I wasn’t sure what to expect at first.
Would he be happy to see me? Angry?
Would he send me away?
“Jake!” he greeted me the moment he saw my face.
The anxiety I had felt lessened slightly as I stepped up to the bed and met him with a friendly handshake.
With a book in his left hand, and a wide smile spread across his face, he seemed to be in good spirits. It was a far cry from the silent doom and gloom I’d seen the last time I was here.
“You’re looking good, man,” I said, taking a seat in the chair next to him.
“Each day gets a little easier,” he said. “It’s a process.”
“Mind if I look?” I asked, pointing to his arm.
He shrugged, and I took a short walk to the right side of the bed.
“It’s healing up nicely. What’s the plan of attack?” I asked, bending down to look at the wrapped wound.
He’d lost his left arm, just above the elbow.
The debris from the explosion had torn through so clean, I’d known the moment I saw the injury, he’d lose it…if he didn’t lose his life first.
Seeing him sitting here, alive, smiling up at me, was nothing short of a miracle.
“I’ve been in therapy, of course. They’ve got to make sure I’m not going crazy.”
“And are you?”
He laughed, a familiar sound I’d grown up hearing. “Nah. Maybe at first. But the doc said that was normal. He said I was allowed to have a full-blown pity party for myself as long as it didn’t last too long.”
“And now?”
“Now, I’m dealing. That whole one-day-at-a-time thing. It’s kind of a mantra around here. Can’t run before you learn to walk. Can’t walk before you learn to crawl and all that other poetic bullshit. So, for now, I’m healing and figuring out how hoist myself out of this bed and into a wheelchair without falling on my ass. Once I accomplish that, I’ll move on to something else. Maybe, someday, I’ll find myself back in a fishing boat casting a net next to my brothers.”
“You will. Guaranteed.”
He seemed to agree, slowly nodding his head. The deep cuts from the accident that had once marred his face were now a light pink.
Nothing but memories now.
“So, what are you doing all the way up here? Surely, you didn’t make the trip just for me? I mean, I know I’m good-looking and all, but come on, you need to move on.”
I chuckled under my breath, glad to see his humor was still intact. Giving him a light shove in the shoulder, I replied, “Of course I drove all the way up here for you, asshole. Why else would I suffer through all that traffic?”
“Traffic?” He burst out in laughter. “You’ve been here too long already if you consider Virginia Beach traffic. Aren’t you living in Chicago these days?”
I looked away.
“Someone a little homesick?”
“It’s Molly,” I confessed, unable to look my friend in the eyes.
I’d wronged him in so many ways. I’d talked him onto a doomed ferry, taken his freedom, and forced him into a life he would never have had to face. Then, I had taken his girl.
“I’m not mad, Jake,” he said. “If anything, you should be upset with me.”
“What?” That got my attention. I turned to face him once again.
“I knew she was yours. Even after you left, it was always Jake and Molly. But I was lonely. She was lonely. We were best friends who thought we could be more, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew, if and when you came back, she’d go running back to you in an instant.”
“I’m sorry, Dean. I didn’t mean for it to happen like this—”
“Like what? It doesn’t matter, Jake. You’re back right where you’re supposed to be. Life is good.”
“But is it?” I demanded. “If I hadn’t come back, you’d be back home with your mom and brothers, managing rigs and talking shit with the crew, not stuck here in a hospital bed because your childhood best friend convinced you to take the last ferry home.”
Dean’s green eyes darkened. “Let’s get one thing straight, Jameson. I am not some poor pity project you get to use to beat yourself up. I made a choice that night to take that ferry home with you. Hell, I made lots of choices that day. I could have taken one of a dozen family boats to the mainland, but I was feeling lazy and didn’t want to think, so I took the ferry in. So, technically, we could blame this whole thing on me. Or what about the fact that I stopped to eat? I could have easily skipped it and picked up something at home. My fault again.”
He leaned in closer, his expression full of conviction. “So, don’t ever blame this shit on yourself again, got it? It happened. It sucked, but it’s what’s real, and the cards have been dealt. You’re not doing me any favors by taking the blame for this,” he said, pointing toward his arm, “or for Molly.”
I sat there, stunned silent. I’d expected a beatdown. I’d been prepared for yelling.
But not like this.
I didn’t know what to say.
“So, are we cool?” he finally asked after several moments of silence.
I simply nodded.
“Good. Now, go get me a pudding from the snack room. I’m starving.”
I laughed out loud, thankful for the clever tension break he’d created. I rose from the uncomfortable seat, stretching my back, and did as I had been told. Knowing Dean all too well, I grabbed several cups of pudding, a package of cookies, and a bottle of water.
By the time I returned, I discovered Dean was no longer alone. By his side was an attractive nurse checking his vitals and making small talk. She was tall and slender with short crimson hair and she had Dean’s full attention.
A knowing smile spread across my face as I snuck in behind her. It did no good because she caught sight of me the second I sat down.
“You must be Jake!” she exclaimed, holding out her hand.
I took it, politely shaking it.
“I’m Cora, one of the nurses here. Dean’s told me so much about you. I feel like I already know you!”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, giving Dean a sideways glance. “Thanks for taking care of my friend here.”
“Of course.” She giggled. “He’s easy. Now, the old man down the hall? Don’t get me started!”
We all laughed.
I liked her. She was bubbly and sweet, and most of all, she made Dean smile. I took a backseat, letting her finish up what she was doing. I quietly observed the two of them, noticing how much Dean watched her while she wasn’t looking.
“So that’s your nurse, huh? She’s cute.” I said the moment she left, shutting the door behind her.
“I know,” he sighed. “But I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know I exist past that damn chart she brings in each day.”
“Well, it would be pretty unprofessional of her to fall for a patient, no matter how cute and adorable you might think you are.”
“I won’t be a patient forever.”
“No, you won’t, my friend. You get better and then bang your nurse. Solid plan.”
He shook his head, laughing. “It’s not like that. Well, not entirely.” He grinned. “I want her to meet my mom, and I want to take her out on one of the boats. I’d love to see how her fiery red hair blows in the breeze along the water. God, I really do have it bad. Is that what you feel like with Molly?”
I nodded. “That, and a healthy dose of trepidation, fear, and doubt.”
“Why?” he asked.
I sighed. “Molly and I have done this before, and look where it left us. Broken and alone. What if our second chance expired long ago? What if we’re trying too hard at something that is just doomed to fail? We’ve had twelve years apart. That’s a long time, Dean. We’ve established totally different lives in that time. Can we create one together?”
“Do you love her?” he asked.
“What? Of course I do. I never stopped.”
“Then, nothing else matters. You’ll figure it out. You always do. It might not be easy. In fact, it could be the hardest fucking thing you’ve ever done. But, if you truly love each other, you’ll work through it. You’ll find a way.”
“Like you and your Florence Nightingale?”
He chuckled under his breath. “Maybe. If you two can finally make it work, then I sure as hell can.”
I met his gaze. “I don’t know, Dean. Do you see me making a life in Ocracoke? Because Molly won’t leave. I know that much. I mentioned the idea of taking a vacation this morning, and she nearly had a panic attack right there in front of her guests.”
He nodded. “Aside from small trips up the ‘banks, she never leaves the island.”
“Why? I don’t understand.”
“I don’t think she does either.”
I let out a long sigh. “The hardest thing I’ve ever done, huh?”
He nodded, smiling.
“When did you become so damn wise?” I asked.
“Happens when you lose an appendage,” he replied with a shit-eating grin. “Like those people who lose their sense of smell, and their taste buds heighten. I lost an arm, so now, I’m wise like Buddha.”
I shook my head, laughing. “You’re an idiot.”
“A wise idiot.”
“Thanks for not dying out there on that ferry.”
“Anytime,” he said. “Thanks for saving my life.”
“Anytime, buddy. Anytime.”
I left Dean’s room in high spirits, like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. There was a reason Dean and I had always been friends. We had an uncanny ability to connect with each other, no matter the distance or time that separated us.
The fact that he shared my unique sense of humor didn’t hurt either.
Before leaving, I’d promised I’d check in on his mother. He’d said she was having a hard time with him being so far away. She visited whenever she could, but it was not nearly as much as she liked. She felt like she’d somehow abandoned him up there in that lonely hospital even though Dean assured her nightly that he was well taken care of. Hopefully it would get better when he moved down to Nags Head for in-patient therapy. Two hours was better than four and at least he’d be in the right state again.
With a little extra time on my hands, I decided to check in on those colleagues I’d been trying to avoid on my way in. Now that I’d succeeded in my first priority, there was no harm in saying a quick hello to everyone else.
Especially if I was going to in fact stay in Ocracoke. Establishing a relationship with the area hospitals would be essential for the small-town clinic and the patients I served. I hit the surgical floor first, chatting with a few doctors I’d teamed up with following the ferry explosion. Several asked how the investigation was going. I sadly had no answers.
“No one really knows anything,” I replied to one of the nurses.
“Is that normal? For it to take so long?” she asked as others gathered around the nurses’ station.
“I don’t know honestly. The sheriff’s station has been pretty tight-lipped with any information they give out to victims and their families. I don’t know if that means something more is going on or if they simply don’t know at this point.” I shrugged.
We moved on to another topic. I asked about several of the patients I’d worked with. All had now moved on, either to other hospitals or rehab facilities or back home to be with their families. It was good to hear they were moving forward with their lives.
“So, you’re staying?” Dr. Fisher asked, joining our small group.
I was glad to see his familiar face.
I nodded. “I think so,” I said.
He shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t think I could do it, man. Living here has been an adjustment, and I live five minutes from a Target.”
Laughing, I replied, “It’s not for everyone; I’ll give you that. But I grew up in Ocracoke. It’s an easy lifestyle to adjust back into.”
“Well, we wish you the best,” he said. “And, hey, I guess that means we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”
“It does. Take care of my patients when you get them, will you?”
“Sure thing. And you know, you’ll always have a home here if you get the itch to be in the OR again.”
I nodded. “Thanks. I might just take you up on that.”
I said my good-byes, still slightly shocked with myself that I’d actually committed to staying. Out loud.
I knew what it meant.
It meant a lifetime of staying in one place.
Never moving.
Never changing.
But it also meant a lifetime with Molly, and if I had to choose one or the other, I’d choose her.
This time, I’d make the right choice and choose her.
Making my way toward the elevators, I headed back down to the main floor. It was packed. Several patients were being transported, and there were a few visitors and staff. I stood in the back, staring at the floor numbers like everyone else.
I had one more stop.
As everyone filed out from one floor to the next, I made my way to the ER, wanting to see a few people before I left. Again, it was a multipurpose visit. I’d worked with many staff members after the explosion, both as a patient when they’d cleaned up my wounds and as a doctor.
Also, with the limited resources on the island, this was where my patients would usually end up when a major event occurred. I needed these people to know I appreciated and trusted everything they did.
Being a visitor to the hospital, I didn’t have the clearance I had several weeks ago. Headed to the check-in desk to flash my credentials and get access to the back of the emergency room, I instead ran into a familiar face.
I didn’t know his name, but he was a Coker for sure. He was a patient of my father’s and owned a local restaurant.
The moment his eyes landed on mine, he jumped up, a feat nearly impossible for his old frame, and came running toward me. “Dr. Jameson, thank goodness.”
“Hey,” I said, feeling horrible because I couldn’t remember his name. “Everything okay?”
“It’s Terri,” he said.
My eyes went wide as I looked past him. There, in the back of the waiting room, was my next-door neighbor. The woman who’d helped raise me, who’d been more of a grandma than my own relatives. As she was slumped against the chair, her eyes were closed, and she was clutching her abdomen.
“What’s wrong? Why didn’t anyone call me?” I said, grabbing his arms too tightly before running toward Terri.
“I did. We did,” he answered. “I came to visit her late this morning and found her like this. I called the clinic, but you were already closed. I called the inn, thinking you might be there. Molly’s been trying to get ahold of you ever since. I didn’t know I’d find you here.”
“You tried to call me?” I asked, kneeling beside Terri.
My hands went to my pants pockets, checking for my phone. It wasn’t there.
“I fucked up,” I said under my breath, my eyes squeezing shut.
A few weeks ago, I had known where my phone was every second of the day. It had been my lifeline to the hospital. They needed me, and I was ready. I’d been here a few weeks, and I’d somehow managed to leave my phone in the car for hours without even noticing.
And, now, Terri was in the ER because of me.
“Terri,” I said, reaching for her hand.
Her eyes opened and found mine. “Hey, Doc.” She smiled weakly.
“We’re going to get you fixed up, okay? Just give me a minute to get you back there.”
She nodded.
I stood, my hands closed into tight fists, as I swore under my breath.
I’d seriously fucked up.