want to indulge his ego and give in to his bullying, but I don’t have much choice. As I walk by Katie, I hold out my hand to her. She looks up at me with tears in eyes. Her anguished expression rips at my heart. I need her to trust me. I need her to realize I’m not going to abandon her to this dictator. But she has to meet me halfway.
And in that split second, she takes my hand.
I can’t help but smile. Too bad her father notices.
“Get your hands off her!” he yells, forcibly grabbing me by the elbow. This isn’t going to end well.
“C’mon, sir. We mean no disrespect,” Chuck says as he pries Katie’s father’s grip off my arm. “We’ll be going now.”
And before I can utter a word, Chuck drags me out of the room and into the hallway.
“I don’t know what you’re playing at, man, but almost coming to blows with the son of one of our patients? My uncle certainly isn’t going to like hearing about this,” Chuck remarks, heatedly. “So you better keep your head down and your mouth shut, and follow me out of this place. Or else your career as a paramedic is going to be over, before it even begins.”
“Are you threatening me?” I glare at him. “Because I have no problem speaking to your uncle about what went on here.”
“Oh, really? How you’ve been stalking a girl through confidential medical records that are the property of our company? Nearly having a physical altercation with the girl’s father next to her grandmother’s deathbed? Yeah, I wanna see you talk your way out of that,” he scoffs.
“I don’t need to talk my way out of anything. That’s what you do best, isn’t it?” I retort.
“I’ve had just about enough from you. Let’s settle this here and now,” Chuck says, as he pulls out his cell phone. “Let’s put my uncle on speaker, and see how he resolves things.”
“Wait…”
“Ah, so there is some truth to your alleged misconduct. I thought so.”
“If you wanna bring me up on charges in front of your uncle—fine. But this isn’t the time or the place, and you know it.”
“Then leave with me, and I’ll drop it…for now.”
I gaze back at the room. The door is closed, and Katie is still inside. There is no way I am getting back in there. I might as well go. There is nothing I can do as long as her father is here.
Just as I am about to turn away, the door opens and Jennifer steps out. She peers up and down the hall until she spots me.
“Oh thank God, I didn’t miss you,” she says, hurrying toward me. “I’m so sorry you didn’t get more of a chance to talk to Katie.” She leans in and grabs my hand, as if to shake it. “But I want to thank you for all that you’ve done for me and my family. We are extremely grateful for everything.”
At that moment, I feel her slip a piece of paper into my closed palm.
“C’mon, Adam. I said let’s go,” Chuck commands, holding the door open.
“I won’t let her down,” I whisper, giving Jennifer a meaningful glance before walking out the door.
Chapter Thirty-One
Katie
My heart is breaking and soaring at the same time. I’ve never experienced such conflicting emotions in such a short span of time. My life is unrecognizable. I don’t know how I’m supposed to fit into my old existence when nothing will ever be the same again.
Grandma is dead. The thing that I was dreading…happened. Suddenly. Ruthlessly. Completely. She is gone, and she is never coming back. I can’t wrap my mind around that thought. The finality of it frightens me.
Now, back at the house, the atmosphere doesn’t feel the same. Even though she wasn’t living here for some time, a new void is taking hold. There is an emptiness, a hollowness, that didn’t exist before. I can’t bear to enter her room, not yet. I need time to process what occurred. I don’t want my grief to get a firm hold. I have to fight these waves of sorrow. I can’t acknowledge them or I will sink with no lifeline in sight.
But wait, something
And in that split second, she takes my hand.
I can’t help but smile. Too bad her father notices.
“Get your hands off her!” he yells, forcibly grabbing me by the elbow. This isn’t going to end well.
“C’mon, sir. We mean no disrespect,” Chuck says as he pries Katie’s father’s grip off my arm. “We’ll be going now.”
And before I can utter a word, Chuck drags me out of the room and into the hallway.
“I don’t know what you’re playing at, man, but almost coming to blows with the son of one of our patients? My uncle certainly isn’t going to like hearing about this,” Chuck remarks, heatedly. “So you better keep your head down and your mouth shut, and follow me out of this place. Or else your career as a paramedic is going to be over, before it even begins.”
“Are you threatening me?” I glare at him. “Because I have no problem speaking to your uncle about what went on here.”
“Oh, really? How you’ve been stalking a girl through confidential medical records that are the property of our company? Nearly having a physical altercation with the girl’s father next to her grandmother’s deathbed? Yeah, I wanna see you talk your way out of that,” he scoffs.
“I don’t need to talk my way out of anything. That’s what you do best, isn’t it?” I retort.
“I’ve had just about enough from you. Let’s settle this here and now,” Chuck says, as he pulls out his cell phone. “Let’s put my uncle on speaker, and see how he resolves things.”
“Wait…”
“Ah, so there is some truth to your alleged misconduct. I thought so.”
“If you wanna bring me up on charges in front of your uncle—fine. But this isn’t the time or the place, and you know it.”
“Then leave with me, and I’ll drop it…for now.”
I gaze back at the room. The door is closed, and Katie is still inside. There is no way I am getting back in there. I might as well go. There is nothing I can do as long as her father is here.
Just as I am about to turn away, the door opens and Jennifer steps out. She peers up and down the hall until she spots me.
“Oh thank God, I didn’t miss you,” she says, hurrying toward me. “I’m so sorry you didn’t get more of a chance to talk to Katie.” She leans in and grabs my hand, as if to shake it. “But I want to thank you for all that you’ve done for me and my family. We are extremely grateful for everything.”
At that moment, I feel her slip a piece of paper into my closed palm.
“C’mon, Adam. I said let’s go,” Chuck commands, holding the door open.
“I won’t let her down,” I whisper, giving Jennifer a meaningful glance before walking out the door.
Chapter Thirty-One
Katie
My heart is breaking and soaring at the same time. I’ve never experienced such conflicting emotions in such a short span of time. My life is unrecognizable. I don’t know how I’m supposed to fit into my old existence when nothing will ever be the same again.
Grandma is dead. The thing that I was dreading…happened. Suddenly. Ruthlessly. Completely. She is gone, and she is never coming back. I can’t wrap my mind around that thought. The finality of it frightens me.
Now, back at the house, the atmosphere doesn’t feel the same. Even though she wasn’t living here for some time, a new void is taking hold. There is an emptiness, a hollowness, that didn’t exist before. I can’t bear to enter her room, not yet. I need time to process what occurred. I don’t want my grief to get a firm hold. I have to fight these waves of sorrow. I can’t acknowledge them or I will sink with no lifeline in sight.
But wait, something
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