I cut her off, standing up. “Thank you for the shoes. You didn’t have to say sorry for anything, though your note was funny.”
“Urgh. I ran out of paper, and I didn’t want to bug the nurses any more than I already was to put it in your locker,” she muttered.
“So, that’s how—” I paused when I saw her come through the glass hospital doors. Her blonde hair was done and she wore a straight skirt and light pink blouse. Since her shift was opposite mine, she was most likely arriving to start hers. I had waited around too long.
“What are you looking at?” Guinevere tried to turn around.
I grabbed her sides, holding her in front of me.
“What are you doing?”
“Do you have all of your stuff?”
“Yes, why—”
Taking her by the hand, I kept my head down, trying to make it out the doors before Hannah faced us.
I almost made it, too.
“She’s—” Guinevere stopped.
Damn it.
“Guinevere,” I said to her, hoping Hannah would just keep walking, but luck was never on my side.
She whipped her hair to the side as she faced us.
“Let’s go,” Guinevere replied, allowing me to take her outside again. We didn’t stop until we could only see the distant light of the hospital disappearing behind us as we entered the park. Neither of us said anything, and it took me a second to realize I was still holding her hand. I dropped it.
“Do you feel sixteen?” she whispered, looking up at the sky.
I thought about her question for a second. “Running probably was the least mature thing we could have done.”
“Screw being mature, it’s a pain in the ass anyway,” she muttered. “I forgot that was her hospital, too. You told me, I know, but I forgot. What if I see her?”
“Throw paint on her,” I joked.
She giggled. “That would probably make her feel better…she would think we're even or something. I guess it would be best to do what you’ve been doing—”
“Avoiding? Running? No, I’m tired of doing that.” I really was, but what I found odder was the fact that I was more worried about her making a scene than anything else. It would just be messy for my mother and the hospital.
As we walked silently, I felt like there was something between us. For the first time, I really thought of her as a friend.
“What is it now?” She moved in front of my face.
“What?”
“You have this weird look on your face.”
“Move. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Chapter Nine
A Cry For Help
Eli
Looking to my phone, I stared at the background, her painting of a small boy just standing in the rain, an umbrella broken at his feet.
What is she doing right now?
After thinking for a second, I texted her.
‘Con artist.’
‘I thought we were being civil!’
I grinned. ‘Sorry, force of habit.’
‘Yea sure, Dr. Asshole.’ … ‘Sorry, force of habit.’
‘Are you here?’ I hadn’t seen her that morning.
‘Waiting on supplies. Won’t be there til later. You still at the hospital?’
‘Getting off now. Drinks tonight?’
‘If you’re buying.’
‘Cheapskate.’
‘Think of it as a compliment that I trust your alcohol choices.’
“Sorry,” a nurse said as she bumped into me, the charts in her hands dropping to the ground.
“It’s fine. I wasn’t paying attention,” I replied, picking them up when I saw Molly’s chart.
“She lost most of her hair this morning,” the nurse said as I read through. “It’s been a tough day.”
“I’ll check on her before I go. Thanks.” I started walking down the hall.
However, when I got to her room, a few nurses and interns were lingering around along with Dr. Seo, who leaned against the nurse’s desk, looking down at his watch a few times before looking back into the room. I checked to make sure Molly was all right from the window and sure enough, she was siting up on the bed, her head covered with a bright blue scarf. She looked pale, but other than that she was fine.
“What’s going on?” I moved to Ian.
“TWM is having a huge board meeting at two o’clock today?” He answered like I should know what he was talking about.
“TWM? The computer software and robotics company? And their board meeting means what to you again?” Or anyone else for that matter.
He looked at me like I was an idiot. “TWM, otherwise known as Toby Wesley Mechanics, or the company your patient’s father is founder and CEO of? It’s a coup Eli. It’s been in all the papers. They are going to kick him out of the company he started in his brother’s living room while his daughter is fighting cancer. It’s the most fucked up thing I’ve heard in a while. Everyone is waiting to see if he’s going to go.”