Page 4 of Doctor Neighbor

“Oh, sweetie, I wish we could. I have to stay in Birmingham tomorrow because I’ll be on call. But we will come back next summer, for sure.”

I need to find a replacement for this memory. I don’t want to associate a split skull and thick, red plasma oozing out of it with one of my favorite places to visit.

And as hard as I’m trying, I can't shake the image of Cole, either, walking away, covered in what was left of the poor guy. I wonder if she's okay, if she has someone to talk to about what she saw. That was traumatic, even for an ER General Surgeon.

TWO

Cole

3:41 pm

I sit on the bench, my hands still trembling. Maddie looks up at me with her big, curious eyes. How do I explain this to my four-year-old?

"Mommy, why'd we have to leave the rides?" Maddie's lower lip quivers.

I take a deep breath. "Something happened, sweetie. Someone got hurt."

"Like when I fell and scraped my knee?"

"Sort of, but a bit more serious." I brush a curl from her forehead. "The grown-ups needed space to help them, so we had to move away."

Maddie nods, her little brow furrowed in concentration. "Is that why you changed your shirt?"

I glance down at the park souvenir tee I bought to replace my stained one. "Yes, honey. I got a little messy. Remember when your hurt knee made your dress and my shorts all messy? Kinda like that."

"You always help people, Mommy. Like when you gave that old lady your umbrella." A tinge of guilt washes over me. I did nothing to help that poor man just now. My only goal was to distance myself from him and that scene and Buster Hankel as quickly as possible. I should have tried to see if I could do anything.

Still, I'm touched by her simple view of the world. "That's right. We always try to help when we can."

"Can we go back to the rides now?"

I shake my head. "Not today, sweetie. I think we've had enough excitement."

Maddie's face falls. "But we just got here!"

"I know, I'm sorry. How about we go get ice cream instead? You can pick any flavor you want."

Her eyes light up. "Even bubblegum?"

"Even bubblegum," I laugh, relieved to see her smile again.

As we stand to leave, I can't shake the image of that man dead on the cement or the shock of seeing Buster after all this time. I push those thoughts away, focusing on Maddie's excited chatter about ice cream flavors.

Park Place Condominiums

300 18th Street South, Unit 2005

8:21 pm

I pour another glass of wine and settle back into my chair on the balcony. The night air is cool against my skin, a welcome relief after the scorching day.

"God, Coles, that sounds awful," Star, my ride-or-die best friend, says, her eyes wide with concern. "I can't believe you had to see that."

I take a long sip, trying to steady my nerves. "It was... I don't even know how to describe it. One minute, everything was fine, and then..." I trail off, the image of the man's broken body flashing in my mind.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Star reaches out, squeezing my hand.

I shake my head. "I've been putting on a brave face all day for Maddie, but honestly? I'm not okay. I can't stop seeing it, Star. The way that man just... fell. The sound when he hit the ground." I shudder, downing the rest of my wine.

---