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“And me?” I asked.
“Same thing.” He shrugged. “You’ll find a different hospital for your clinical rotation. Easy.”
And to Caleb, it really was that easy. He was ready to drop everything and run away. All he cared about was having an easy life somewhere far away from my father.
“That’s not the way it works Caleb. I still have a month to go, I can’t just change assignments right now. Once I’m done, I’ll graduate and be able to take my boards. Until then, I’m stuck here.”
But even I knew, that was most likely not going to happen now. When Caleb’s physical therapy ended, it would be time for my treatments to begin. The doctors were still finalizing their plans: chemo and radiation, possible surgery. They didn’t yet know the best course of action, but they were determined to begin quickly. I didn’t have long before I would be stuck in that hospital, unable to go outside let alone leave town. My dreams of becoming a licensed therapist were going to be on hold until, or if, I recovered.
“You’re insane,” I said, laughing it off. “We aren’t seventeen anymore. We don’t have to run to be together.”
“But we can,” Caleb said, “if we want to.”
“I don’t,” I said, though that wasn’t entirely true. “I want to stay right here and be with you. Fuck my father. His opinion doesn’t mean shit, right?”
Caleb grinned and leaned across the table to kiss me. It was a light kiss, short and full of joy. When he pulled away, he was still grinning.
“It’s about damn time you said that,” he said, laughing lightly.
We finished our lunch and went back to my car. We climbed inside, and I pulled out of the parking lot, heading toward Caleb’s apartment.
“Oh, wait,” he said suddenly. “Can we go the other way? I need to swing by the pharmacy if you have time.”
“Sure,” I said, flicking my turn signal. “What do you need at the pharmacy?”
“My painkillers,” he said.
I froze. I knew for a fact his pain pills were supposed to last him a month, and he’d barely had his new bottle for a week.
“Didn’t you just get a refill?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “But I lost those.”
“Again?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
I pulled into the nearest parking lot and stopped the car. I didn’t want to be driving when we had this conversation. I could already feel anger boiling inside my chest.
“Don’t look at me that way,” Caleb said. “I just lost them, okay? There’s nothing to freak out about.”
“Are you kidding?” I scoffed. “You expect me to believe that you lost those pills again? This is bullshit, Caleb.”
“You can believe whatever the hell you want to believe,” he said firmly. “I’m not going to defend myself to you.”
“Yes, you will!” I shrieked. “Unless you want me to call Dr. McGee right now and tell him you’re abusing your prescription.”
“Calm the fuck down,” Caleb said, his eyes flashing dangerously. “I’m not abusing the damn pills!”
“Then, where the hell are they?” I screamed. “Don’t lie to me, Caleb. Don’t you dare lie to me. I’ve seen too many cases like this to be fooled. People don’t just lose their meds!”
“Right,” he said, laughing without humor. “Because everyone is perfect, just like you. No one makes mistakes. No one ever fucks up unless they’re high or stupid, right?”
“Don’t make this about me!” I said. “You’re the one who—”
“Who what?” he demanded. “Who fell three stories and shattered his leg? Yeah, I am! That was me. Not you. So you don’t get to decide when and how I need painkillers. Back the hell off and mind your own damn business!”
“It is my business!” I screamed. “I’m your physical therapist, Caleb! This is my job.”
“Really?” he asked, eyebrows raised. “Your job is to scream at me in your car? Your job is to take me out to lunch because I can’t drive myself? Your job is to fuck me in my bed almost every night this week and then leave like it meant nothing?”
