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“Fine,” the man griped. “If none of you will say it, I will. This hospital is not a trauma center. We don’t have the funding, the capability, or the manpower to care for patients who are dying. Rosewood Memorial Hospital is not running a hospice.”
“You motherfucker.” I lunged, my fingers itching to strangle the bastard, before George grabbed me, stopping me from kicking his ass.
“You don’t think my brother will live?”
Everyone stopped as Lacey stood off to the side, tears running down her cheeks, her face pale, and I took notice of all the weight she lost. I was right to be worried. She was wasting away right before my eyes.
“Lacey,” I whispered.
“Just tell me, Lidi. Tell me the truth. Will Calvin wake up?”
Walking over to my friend, I said, “I don’t know, sweetie, but I’m not giving up on him. Trip is a strong man. You know your brother. He likes to keep everyone on edge. We just need to give him time.”
“I agree,” Dr. Robinette added. “Your brother has an uphill battle, but it’s nothing he’s not used to, from what I hear.”
“Mr. Caldwell, I think you’re done here,” Martha Steiner firmly said. “Pack your shit and get the hell out of my hospital.”
“You can’t fire me!” Bill shouted. “I’m just saying what everyone is thinking. Who are you going to get to run this place?”
“That is none of your concern. You’re fired. Now leave before I have security escort you from the premises.”
“Fine!” Bill yelled furiously, throwing his arms in the air. “You want to lie to everyone, be my guest. But don’t come crying to me when this place crumbles to the ground.”
It was late when I pulled up to the clubhouse. Parking my car, I got out and walked around the front to help Lacey out. Poor girl was dead on her feet. While she wasn’t happy when I insisted she come home with me, she only relented when Dr. Robinette assured her that Trip would not be alone tonight.
“Lidi, why did you bring me here?”
“Because you need your family around you right now. Trip’s family. Like it or not, Lacey, you are family and family sticks together.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” King said, walking out of the shadows. “How are you holding up, Lacey?”
“Not good, King.”
“Then you came to the right place,” he reassured, picking up our friend, cradling her close. “Everyone is out back. Let’s go get you something to eat.”
Following King into the clubhouse, we came to a stop when my brother yelled, “You think I give a shit what anyone thinks, Sugar? ‘Cause I don’t.”
“It’s not that simple, Eugene,” my friend shouted back angrily.
“What’s going on?” I asked, moving around King to face the warring duo, but neither acknowledged me as Gunner and Scribe walked in from the kitchen.
“Then explain it to me, because I don’t see a fucking problem here.”
Whatever was going on was seriously upsetting Sugar. I knew my friend. There was only so much she would take before she let her mouth fly. While I knew Eugene liked to push Sugar’s buttons, I worried my brother was about to push too far.
“Eugene, back off,” I warned.
“Just forget about it, Eugene. You go back to your life and I’ll go back to mine.”
“No!”
“What do you mean, no? This isn’t your decision, Eugene.”
“Then make me understand. Tell me why it won’t work.”
“You really want to know why?”
“Yes!”
