And she could tell he was.

“Sure,” she said, trying to draw on all that practiced charm she hoped she’d absorbed from watching him all this time. “We can talk when I get back.”

His hand squeezed against hers, a reflex more than an assent, or an encouragement. When he spoke, he sounded reluctant. “I can come up after—”

She shook her head, too desperate to leave, tears threatening. “Everyone’s around. Let’s wait.”

There was a long pause before he finally said, “Okay.”

She ignored the disappointment she felt. He was only doing what she’d suggested, after all. She thought about turning around, thought about giving him a kiss goodbye, some more settled encouragement about this not being over.

But she didn’t know if she could, not if he only wanted what they’d been doing so far.

So instead she squeezed his fingers back, not sure herself what she was trying to tell him with the gesture. She swallowed a lump of sadness and said, “I’ll see you.”

And when she walked away, he didn’t try to hold on.

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Well, this was a first.

Will walked with Dr. Abraham down the corridor from the workroom toward the exit, his bag over his shoulder and his helmet held at his side. Beside him, Abraham was talking—something about an orthopedic surgeon who couldn’t seem to distinguish between the urgency of a broken finger and a possible brain bleed. The case had happened hours ago—an early morning vehicle crash—but Abraham had been seething about it for the entire shift, coming back to it during any break in the action.

“He was trying to splint the finger,” said Abraham, shaking his head. “I’d say it’s against protocol, but I think you would agree, Dr. Sterling, that this is an understatement. In fact it is against common sense.”

“Yeah,” Will said, nodding, not bothering to mimic the formality. He didn’t have the energy for it, not today.

Not for almost a week.

It wasn’t, of course, a first to be walking these hospital corridors with Abraham, nor was it unusual for Will to be a mostly silent participant in Abraham’s airing of grievances. But it was a first to have very nearly planned for it, to have hung around the bay until he knew Abraham would basically kick him out. It was a first to be grateful for it, to be dreading the moment they got to the exit doors. Frankly, Will could’ve listened to Gerald Abraham talk all evening, so long as it gave him an excuse to stay here.

An excuse to avoid going home.

“Orthopedics,” Dr. Abraham was saying, “needs to review their practices. I plan to call the chief up there tomorrow.”

“Good idea,” Will said, even though he knew that guy, and it probably wasn’t a good idea. He had an ego as big as the entire state.