Page 9 of Doctor Neighbor

The health department building looms ahead. I take a deep breath, straightening my jacket and trying to calm my racing heart. This meeting could make or break Brewed Awakening. I can't afford to be distracted.

As I reach for the door handle, I steel myself—time to fight for my cafe's future.

THREE

Buster

UAB Hospital

1802 6th Ave S

12:10 pm

I spot Shep in the cafeteria and make my way over to his table, tray in hand. The usual spring in my step is missing today.

"Hey, man," I say, sliding into the seat across from him.

Shep looks up from his salad, brow furrowing. "You look like hell, Buster. Long morning?"

I nod, pushing my food around on the plate. "It's been a hell of a few days, actually. Did I tell you what I saw at Alabama Adventure on Saturday?”

"No. But I'm glad to know you're still enjoying the roller coasters on your days off. What happened?"

I lean in, lowering my voice. "Guy fell from a hundred and fifty feet up—massive cranial trauma. Occipital bone shattered on impact, temporal lobe exposed. A pool of blood and gray matter on the pavement."

Shep winces. "Jesus. Was he DOA?"

"Didn't even need to check for a pulse. Skull was split wide open, fixed, and dilated pupils. Catastrophic brain stem injury, no chance of survival."

"That's rough, man. You see it happen?"

I shake my head. "Heard the impact. I turned around, and there he was, sprawled out like a broken doll. I had my niece with me; thank God she didn't see it."

"Christ," Shep mutters. "How'd you handle it?"

"Went into doctor mode, I guess. Checked for other victims and talked to the first responders. But man, I can't shake the image. All that blood, the way his body was twisted..."

Shep nods, understanding in his eyes. "Trauma like that stays with you, even for seasoned docs like us. That's messed up. Do you know what happened?”

I sigh, pushing my untouched food aside. “I got a call from the authorities on Sunday."

Shep raises an eyebrow. "About the accident?"

"Yeah. Turns out, leaving my info with the first responders meant I had to declare a time of death officially. Detectives are involved."

"Detectives? For an accident?"

I lean in closer, lowering my voice. "That's the thing. It might not have been an accident. The guy was working on something at the top of the Rampage when he fell."

Shep's eyes widen. “Working on something? During park hours?"

"Apparently. But here's the kicker—they’re not sure if he fell or if someone pushed him."

"Pushed? You're kidding."

I shake my head. "Wish I was. They're doing a full investigation now. Asked me all sorts of questions about what I saw, if I noticed anyone or anything that looked suspicious around the scene."

"Did you?"

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