X-ray Chapter 6, part 6

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"The call held us overtime by almost an hour and a half," Ian told Sara that night as they sat down to a belated dinner.

"What do they call you for?" Sara asked.

"Oh, that was the worst part. 'I can't walk,' she says we walk in. 'Well, how long has that been?' 'Three years.'" Ian paused suddenly. "By the way," he asked, "you don't have a twin sister, right?"

"What? No. Just Scott and Dan. Why?"

Ian shook his head and resumed his narrative, "'three years,' she says, 'three years.' And that's not the worst part, because I kid you not, looking out the window and across the street -- not even down the block but directly across the street is a big, glowing red and white sign: 'Gantry and Shipworkers Medical and Mental Health Center, Emergency.' Three years. She's never going to walk again..."

Across the table, Sara fork down. "Are you okay?" she asked.

The question broke Ian's train of thought. "What?" he asked.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ian said, slightly confused. He stood up and went to the refrigerator for beer, more to keep himself in countenance than because he wanted one. "Do you want?" he asked Sara, holding a bottle up. He popped the caps off and handed one to Sara as he sat down. "Where was I?" he asked.

"I asked if you're okay." Sara answered.

"No, before that."

"The woman who couldn’t walk?"

"Yes," said Ian, "yes," he said again as he truly picked up this thread. "So across the street is the ER, for three years. 'What happened to make you call today?' Marcus asks. 'Well,' she says, 'I figured it was probably time to get it looked at.' She's never going to walk again."

Sara considered Ian as he paused take a drink and then stab some green beans with his fork. "This was your last day before the weekend?" she asked.

"Uh, yes," he answered. "Five on, two off, five on, three off, and repeat," he said. Surely he had explained this before?

He felt a touch on his thigh and he looked down. Mynx stood there, her front paws stretched up to him, clearly wanting him to make room for her in his lap. He looked at her for a moment, then gave an inward sigh and complied with her request; eating with a cat in his lap would not be easy.

"Ian," Sara said, and hesitated. She had already asked if he was okay, and he had said 'yes.' "Ian," she said again.

"What?" asked Ian.

"Why are you so agitated?" Sara finally asked.

"I'm not agitated." Ian said, standing up and forcing Mynx to spring to the floor. "I'm just -- tired." He ran his hand through his hair. "Just tired," he said, pulling another bottle of beer from the refrigerator and opening it before he realized that he hadn't finished his first. "I'll be in the other room," he said, and disappeared into the living room with a bottle in each hand.

In the kitchen, Sara moved her chair back in the table to allow Mynx to climb up, and they sat there, woman and cat, in front of a half-eaten dinner, pondering the man who had just left.

[END CHAPTER]

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