KOSINSKI, APRIL’S best friend, found her sitting on the floor of the women’s restroom. April had hoped that she would have a few more moments of refuge before resuming her duties. Just another five minutes alone would have been great. Instead, she looked at Page, who had squatted down beside her and was checking the cut on her neck from Harley. “I told you that you needed to report him the last time he came here looking for drugs.”
April slapped her friend’s hand away. “It’s no big deal. I’m fine. Harley got arrested and can now get the help he needs.”
“But what if that guy hadn’t been around to save your butt? What if Harley had really hurt you this time?” Page took a seat on the floor next to her. “You give people too many chances. When are you going to start putting yourself first?”
“Don’t you think I’ve been sitting here asking myself the same thing?” She paused and asked Page, “Did you get a glance at my hero?”
Page waggled her eyebrows and waved her hand in front of her face. “Hot.”
“He’s also arrogant and too sure of himself.” April winced as she got to her feet and stretched. “What am I doing here, anyway?”
“Working your shift like you always do.”
April nodded. “Exactly. I told myself that when I defeated cancer, I would change. That I would go out there and do everything I’ve always wanted to.” She held her hands out to her sides. “And what have I done? I’m back to working extra shifts and sleeping in the on-call room instead of going home. And why? Because it’s more convenient to just stay here. I can’t keep doing this.”
“I’ve been telling you that for months.” Page rose to her feet and washed her hands in the sink. She tugged a few paper towels from the dispenser and dried her fingers. She crushed the towels into a ball and tossed them in the trash can. “So what are you going to do?”
April peered into the mirror and stared at her reflection. She ran a hand through her curly hair. Before breast cancer had taken away her hair, it had been thin, straight and whitish blond. Now that it had grown back, it was honey-colored, coarse and curly. Sometimes she looked at herself and wondered where the woman she’d once been had gone, not just physically, but emotionally, as well. She had been bold. Sassy. And unflappable. Now she worried about everything. Self-doubt tied her hands and kept her stationary, rather than taking action and doing something. She gave herself a nod. “It’s time.”
Page raised her eyebrows at this. “Time for what?”
April turned and looked her squarely in the eye. “It’s time to start living.”
She pushed herself away from the sink and left the bathroom. Page dogged her at her heels. “You’re talking about that second-chance list in your journal?”
“I’ve got my new body, so why not a new perspective?” She checked her cell phone and saw that she had four missed calls, two of them from her supervisor. She punched the number and glanced at Page. “Dinner later? Maybe call Sherri and see if she can leave Agent Hottie for the night and join us.”
Page patted her shoulder and went briskly along the hallway to return to her own job. April’s supervisor answered on the second ring. “Darryl, I’m fine. Just needed a few minutes.”
“Well, get your butt back on the floor. We’re swamped.”
She bit her lip and took a deep breath. “About that. It’s time we talked about the vacation time coming to me.”
* * *
ZACH FOLLOWED THE aide who pushed Antonio in the wheelchair from the cardiology department back to the emergency room. The aide left them in a different curtained area from before, and Zach took a seat in a metal folding chair next to the bed where Antonio was now. Checking his phone, Zach saw several texts, many of them from clients and one from his mom’s day nurse. She was asking him if he would be home at a reasonable hour, or should she arrange for an evening nurse to arrive before her shift was over. His fingers flew as he told her he’d call her once they left the hospital.
The curtain was drawn aside, and Dr. Sprader entered the cozy alcove. She looked different from before, though he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. She wore the same pastel blue scrubs with the bloodstain on the collar. Her messy curls hadn’t changed, and her face remained void of cosmetics. Not that she needed them. Her skin seemed to glow without any enhancement, and her blue eyes snapped with whatever thoughts danced in her head. She barely acknowledged him, before focusing on Antonio. “The results have come in, and I’ve consulted with Dr. Hall, a cardiologist on staff.” She took a seat on the edge of the bed. “You have mitral valve prolapse.”
Antonio clutched at his chest. Zach reached over and patted the boy’s hand. “Doc, am I dying?”
She shook her head. “Your heart valve is leaky, which causes a murmur. Things like stress or overexertion will aggravate the situation, giving you palpitations and chest pain.” She passed several business cards to Antonio. “Here are a few cardiologists in the area. Choose one to follow up with. You’re going to want a good one on your team, so I’d recommend Dr. Hall, but feel free to ask around for recommendations.” She shifted her attention to him, and Zach tried not to stare. “Questions?”
Was she single? He doubted it. Women like her with beauty and smarts tended to be unavailable. He cleared his throat. “So he can keep playing, then?”
“With monitoring, medication and some lifestyle changes, there’s no reason he can’t live with this until the off-season. But then I’d recommend surgery at that point.”
Antonio let out a loud “Yes!” He jumped off the bed and pulled her into a hug that nearly crushed her. “Thanks, Doc.”
Then he and Antonio knocked knuckles in an elaborate handshake that Antonio made him learn the moment after the kid signed the contract to work with him. “We really dodged a bullet on this one, Zach.”
Antonio turned back to the doctor. “So I can go?” he asked. When she nodded, he walked out with hands raised high in triumph.
Dr. Sprader handed him some business cards. “He needs to follow up with a cardiologist, and I get the impression you’re going to have to be the one to convince him. This isn’t a dire condition, but he needs regular checkups so that things like collapsing on the field won’t happen again.”
“Understood.” Zach shrugged back into his suit coat and put the cards in his inside pocket.
As he walked by her, she reached out and touched his coat sleeve. “About what happened with Harley earlier.”
He turned to face her. He’d been waiting for this. “There’s no need to thank me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I was going to tell you that it wasn’t necessary. That I had things under control before you jumped in.”
He pointed to her neck where the knife had cut her. “I can see that.”
“Harley is harmless. He wouldn’t have actually cut my throat.” She glared at him. “I don’t need a hero.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that, Dr. Sprader?”
“Perfectly.” She continued to stare at him and then
