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“So it all started with a staff member’s brother coming into the hospital today,” she began, her face turning sad. “Well, I’ve just started into my second year of residency at Kilgore Memorial.” She added in that tidbit. “So I’m still looked upon like a peon.”
Yao smiled. “Go on.”
“Anyway, I usually assist and do what almost-a-nurse does. My attending, Dr. Cromwell, had his brother come in.” Yao nodded at her to keep going. “Of course, Dr. Cromwell gets him straight back. Cromwell, seeing me, orders me to come help. Until his brother whispers something into Cromwell’s ear telling him what’s wrong.”
Yao leaned a hip against his desk while Frankie started to pace.
“Anyway, Cromwell asks me to leave. So I do. Go back to my other patients. I’m working on one in particular, which is right next to the same room that is next to Cromwell and his brother.” She pauses. “Long story short, I’m in there with this patient when I hear Cromwell’s brother, who I don’t have a name on, say that he was shot by someone. And per hospital regulations, all shootings, no matter who does it and how they got it, has to be reported to the police.” She winced. “And, during which, a hospital goes into lockdown. No patients in or out.”
Yao’s eyes were now clearly focused on Frankie, worried now.
“I couldn’t tell my supervisor, because that’s Cromwell,” she continued. “I couldn’t tell the ER supervisor because she’s Cromwell’s wife.” She stared at Yao intently. “I didn’t know who to tell. And by the time I realized I needed to say something, Cromwell’s brother is gone. And I thought, ‘okay. I won’t say anything.’ But then another shooting victim came in today an hour later, and Cromwell loses his shit. Everything goes into lockdown. The ER is in it for four hours. Police were called, as you know since you were there on the scene.”
I’d heard about the hospital lockdown.
I’d actually been at the scene of the shooting handling traffic control with Lock.
“Okay,” Yao said. “Anything else?”
Frankie shook her head.
“I really, really don’t want to lose my job,” she said. “I’m in my second year of residency. I can’t get into trouble for this. Cromwell’s a dick, and he’s pretty freakin’ big in the medical community. He owns two of the freestanding emergency rooms in town, and he’s head of the school board. Plus, I’ve already had a few problems with him this year, and I can’t add this to it.” She looked imploringly at Yao. “And this is the only hospital within two hundred miles that does this. I can’t leave… I just can’t.”
I felt like there was something more to this story than what she was saying, some big reason that she couldn’t leave, but before I could listen in on more of their conversation, my name was called.
Frankie’s head jerked up in surprise, her eyes searching the room.
“Yo, Malachi!”
It was only after Frankie’s head snapped up and turned in my direction that I realized that Malachi was supposed to be me.
Turning, I found Captain Morgan standing there, staring at me with an odd expression on his face.
“You okay?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Malachi is something that doesn’t catch my attention anymore,” I said. “It doesn’t seem like my name.”
Captain Morgan’s eyes went intense.
“I see,” he said. “How was your first day?”
I told him about the day, admitted that although there were things that I didn’t particularly like about the job, I hadn’t hated it either.
Which caused him to laugh.
“I like that you’re not shy in telling me your true feelings,” he admitted. “Anyway, I just wanted to check in before I left for the day… have a good one, okay? I’ll see you this weekend.”
Just as quickly as he’d arrived, he left.
Leaving me standing there watching his large, retreating form as he moved away.
I heard the hesitant steps in my direction and knew that my location was no longer secret.
I wasn’t surprised to turn and see her standing there.
“Malachi,” Frankie whispered.
My eyes flicked up to meet hers, and I inadvertently stepped out of the shadows.
“Oh,” she breathed. “Look at you.”
I felt something pinch in my stomach.
Stepping back into the shadows, I said, “How are you?”
Her face went completely blank.
“I’m okay,” she admitted.
She’d lied.
She wasn’t okay.
She didn’t sound okay.
She didn’t look okay.
She didn’t even look like there was a possibility of her ever being okay.
“Okay,” I said.
What could I say to that?
I didn’t have a reason to be so protective of her. According to Gabe and Ember, I was nothing more than a friend of the family.
A friend of Frankie’s.
Actually, not even that.
I’d been a friend of Luca’s. And Frankie had belonged to Luca, and not me.
Had I always been drawn to Frankie?
Because, if I had, I’d been a shitty friend.
“Malachi…”
I winced.
I hated that name.
Especially when it came from her lips.
