Right. I get it. I guess.
I fall asleep again.
Nine
Tabitha
Class ends at eleven. That’s it for the day, but after today, we’ll have lectures in the morning and labs in the afternoons. Five days a week for all of August. Then the fall semester will begin.
A lot of work, but I have enough in loans to cover my rent without finding a temp job.
God, the loans…
I’m going to be knee-deep in debt by the time I actually get to cut into a real patient.
“Lunch?”
I turn to see Eli.
“Yeah. Sure.” I grab my phone. “Hmm. I have a missed call. I don’t recognize the number, but they left a voicemail.”
I tap the icon to listen to the message, holding the phone up to my ear. It’s a woman’s voice.
“Tabitha, it’s Marjorie Simpson. Could you give me a call, please?”
A shiver of unease runs through me. Why is Henry’s mother calling me? She sounded…concerned. Not all bubbly and happy like she usually is.
“Hey, are you okay?” Eli’s concerned gaze brings me back to reality.
I try to clear the sudden fog of worry. “It’s Angie’s mom. That’s who called me.”
“What’s she calling you for?” His eyes widen. “You don’t think something happened to Angie or Jason, do you?”
“I don’t know.” I bite my lip. “She didn’t say. But she didn’t sound normal.”
“I think you should call her back,” Eli says.
“Yeah,” I reply, trying to keep my voice steady. “Yeah, I should.”
I quickly dial the number Marjorie left, my heart pounding in my chest as the line begins to ring. After a couple of rings, she answers.
“Tabitha, dear. Thank you for calling back so quickly.”
Her voice is different from the one I remember. It’s strained, as if she’s forcing herself to keep calm. Anxiety knots in my stomach.
“Of course, Mrs. Simpson. Is everything okay?” She told me over the weekend to call her Marj, but it doesn’t seem right at this moment.
She takes a deep breath, and for a minute, there’s only silence on the other end of the line. Then, “It’s Henry. He… He had an accident.”
My heart stops.
The world spins around me. Henry? An accident? Everything blurs.
Finally, I find my voice. “What? What happened?”
“He was checking the construction on his place yesterday morning, and a beam fell on him. It was pure providence that he survived. His dog, Zach, was with him, and he ran over to our house. We knew something was wrong. Henry had to have emergency surgery, but he’s awake now.” Her voice breaks.
I hear pain in her words. I can almost see the worry on her pretty face.
