Page 24 of Puck Me

I race over to Chester’s place and knock urgently on the door.

Noah opens it a few seconds later, giving me a venomous glare that has me backing up a step. “Well? You’d better have a plan to fix this catastrophe.”

“I need to speak with him. Alone.”

“Like hell you do. Like I’ll leave you alone with him after what you did.”

“You called me here for a reason, Noah. Now, let me do my job.”

“Storm?” Chester’s weak voice comes from another room.

I sidestep Noah and hurry toward the sound of his voice. Chester is in his bedroom, propped up on some pillows in bed with a bucket next to him. He looks awful but brightens slightly at the sight of me. “You came.”

“Of course I did.” I take a seat in the chair next to his bed, reaching out and taking one of his hands in both of mine. “I care deeply for you, Chester. I’m sorry if I ever made you doubt that.”

I glance back to see Noah looming over me, his arms folded as he glowers at me, clearly ready to jump in if I say or do anything that he thinks will upset Chester even further.

“Noah, please, let me speak with him alone.”

“It’s okay, Noah. I’ll call you if I need you, okay?”

“Are you sure, Chester?”

“I’m sure.”

“Alright,” Noah sighs reluctantly. “I’ll go get a coffee at the place next door. I’ll be a minute away if you need me.”

“Thanks, Noah.”

Noah lets himself out, leaving Chester and me alone.

“Do you need anything?” I ask quietly.

Chester snorts. “You know what I need.”

“Tell me.”

“I need to not be here.”

My heart squeezes in pain. “I can’t do that for you, Chester.”

“Then you’re fucking useless. Why do you even care? You’ve given up on me.”

“No, I haven’t.” I squeeze his hand, desperately trying to figure out how I can make him understand. “How much do you remember of what I told you about why I had to terminate our doctor-patient relationship?”

“What does it matter? You’re giving up on me. That’s all that really matters.”

“No, it’s not. I am not giving up on you. In fact, I still want to help you. I just can’t do it as your doctor anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

I hesitate, but I think I’m well past waiting for the proper time at this point. “I was hoping to ask to see you. See you outside of a professional capacity. I was going to wait until it was more appropriate, given you are unwell and I have only just moved you to another doctor, but… Well, I just want you to know that I’m not giving up on you. I still want you in my life, Chester. I just don’t want you in my life as my patient. I want you personally. I want to see if maybe there could be something real between us. I know you feel it too.”

There’s a glimmer of something like hope in Chester’s eyes for a moment, but it’s quickly snuffed out. “Why would you want to be with someone like me? I’m pathetic.”

“No, you’re not. You’re ill, but that hardly makes you pathetic. I’m good at my job, Chester. I know how to separate the illness from the person. I have seen who you truly are, and I—I want to be with you.”

Chester doesn’t seem to know what to say to this. He stares at me, searching my face for any hint of a lie, but he finds none.

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