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Palmer offered Kent wine, but he never took a risk. He had to drive back to his place and was fine with water. After dinner, Palmer showed him her prescriptions. He made a note of them in his phone, and also added all her information, along with her physicians’ number in his contacts. He suggested they meet with Dr. Hughes because he wanted to make sure he had firsthand knowledge about Palmer’s condition. It was paramount that he’d be able to take care of her on the days she was with him.
At the station, he set Damian’s coffee down and went to their rig. He went over his personalized checklist and made sure the rig was fully stocked and ready for the day. Afterward, he checked the calendar and saw that he and Damian didn’t have any assigned duties for the day. This pleased him, even though they’d both help where needed. He grabbed Damian’s coffee and climbed the stairs to the third floor. He found his partner in the gym, finishing a workout.
“Thanks.” Damian took a quick drink. Kent eyed him oddly. He could never drink coffee after a workout. “You look happy.”
“I am. I have some irons in the fire that I’ll tell you about after I put in for some vacation time. See ya for breakfast.”
Kent made his way back downstairs and over to the employee notice board. He scanned it and saw one of the new hires looking for an apartment, someone looking for a dog walker, and a flyer about free kittens needing a good home. Kent reached for the slip he’d need to fill out for time off and then read the instruction sheet pinned to the board. He scanned it mostly and then did a double take when he came across the word “sabbatical.” Kent read and reread the rules for taking an extended period of time off and thought they could apply to him.
Instead of filling out the vacation slip, Kent went upstairs to the second floor, where his command was. He first knocked on Captain Greig’s door, but there was no answer. He then went to the deputy chief’s door.
“Come in,” Jacob Matthews barked. Kent entered and suddenly lost his nerve. Matthews was a force of a man. He’d been with the department for over thirty-five years and was in the running to make chief of the department when the current one retired. Matthews was a favorite among most of the medics, as well as the firefighters. Everyone thought he was a fair man.
“What can I do for you, Wagner?”
Kent cleared his throat and then looked down at the sheet in his hand. Was he making the right decision? He thought about Palmer and how she only had six months to live her life. If he took a sabbatical, they could do everything on her list and then some. He had some savings and could cash out his vacation time and sublet his apartment.
“Sir.” Kent stepped forward. “I’d like to request a sabbatical.”
“Oh? What’s the reason?”
“Well, after the other day, I realized I need to get away.” Kent inhaled and cleared his throat. He would be honest with his command. “And also, I have a friend who’s dying. She has a grade-four GBM, and I’d like to be there for her.”
Matthews looked defeated, as if he’d been to battle. “That’s unfortunate,” he said as he glanced at his desk. His brow furrowed, and then he motioned for Kent to sit down. “Are you aware of what it means to take care of someone with a GBM?”
“I am, sir. I’ve done a lot of research, and I plan to meet with her neurosurgeon soon. The thing is, I came in this morning to put in for time off because I want to help her with her bucket list, and to get away from the situation I’m in. I saw the option of a sabbatical on the form and thought it would be easier. Palmer—my friend—she doesn’t have anyone. I’m her person, and I’d really like to be there with her through all of this.”
“You’re one helluva guy, Wagner. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do, but I don’t. I just know I need to be there for her.”
Matthews nodded. “Fill out the request, give it to Greig, and make sure I get a copy. The sooner the better. I’m in a good mood today, but I may not be tomorrow. I’ll fast-track it through HR and give it my approval.”
Kent stood. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”
“Wagner?” Kent turned from the door. “Never hesitate to call me if you need something.”
“Thank you, again, sir.”
Kent went to one of the open conference rooms and filled out the form. He wrote as clearly as possible, read over his statement clause on why he needed the time off, and then made a copy for Matthews. He’d led Kent to believe they would approve his request, and now he had to plan. This wasn’t something he had discussed with Palmer, but he needed to. There he went, thinking before he even consulted her. The worst she could do was say no; then he’d stick to his vacation time and deal with whatever came his way. Kent was truthful when he told Matthews he wanted to be there for Palmer, and he fully intended to be. Kent was going to hold her hand until the end. He would be her someone from this point forward.
