“We can figure this out later,” Will said, taking a step toward Nora. “No need to rush a thing like this.”

“Dr. Sterling is right,” she said cheerfully, and while he was grateful, the use of his title made everything feel about ten thousand times worse. “First order of business is getting ready for the hand surgery, then we can think about where Mr. Hajduk heads next.”

“First order of business is calling my woman!” Jonah practically shouted, obviously similarly relieved to get a break from this conversation. “Nora, I’m going to need that tablet so I can do a video call.” He looked to Will, his grin skewed by his still-swollen face. “Chicks dig scars, and all that.”

Dr. Terano laughed, and promised to come by again later, dipping her hands beneath the sanitizer dispenser and rubbing them together on her way out, washing her hands of this whole messy scene.

And then it was only the three of them, and the silence was deafening.

“Let’s review the facts.”

Will sighed and stared down at the pavement of the hospital parking lot, avoiding eye contact with Gerald Abraham, who loomed above him in his white coat and projected a profound energy of disapproval at the state of Will’s clothing and also possibly his emotions.

“Sure,” said Will, because if he’d been desperate enough to contact Gerald forty-five minutes ago when Nora had basically kicked him out of Jonah’s room, he was also desperate enough to do this Gerald’s way.

“You spent the night at the hospital with your girlfriend—”

“We ought to get the terminology right,” Will said, because there was something wrong with him, clearly. His Abraham mimicry was off the charts, though he had not used any emojis in his text message requesting a meeting. “I don’t know if she’s technically my girlfriend.”

“Fine.”

Will wondered if the man would take out his notebook and start recording this humiliation in shorthand.

“You spent the night at the hospital with the woman you’re involved with.”

Also doesn’t sound right, thought Will, but whatever. He nodded.

“She was there for her neighbor, who is also something like a . . . what would you say? Uncle?”

“Not uncle,” said Will, knee-jerk. “More like grandfather, maybe.”

“Fine,” Gerald repeated. “And the news is not positive for his return to his current home?”

Will swallowed, shifting on the bench that usually served as a pickup spot for a parking shuttle service. “Hard to say,” he lied.

“A metal rod in his femur and delicate hand surgery still to come? Eighty years old? Three flights of stairs?”

Jeez, all right. Gerald really went in for the facts. Pretty good thing he hadn’t been in the room for Dr. Terano’s visit.

“Correct. But I didn’t say that. I only—”

“You brought up the third floor.”