Page 82 of Three for a Girl

“You’re not my mother.” Chad snorted.

“No, but I’m your superior, and if you want to stay on this case, you’ll listen to me, and sit the fuck down.”

“Fuck the case.” He snapped, pointing at the ice cream tub.

He was more concerned over his own dying heart than Kerion’s dead on the desk.

“Fuck Kerion, fuck Ellen and fuck you.”

Ally’s mouth hung open. She released him, and he struggled away, reeling from what he’d just said, but the door beckoned to him, and he had to know. He slid his shoulder along the wall as he staggered to the door, knocking off the schedule and once there, he had trouble gripping the handle.

His hands had been infected with pins and needles.

“What’s gotten into you?” Ally asked.

He didn’t answer, and she huffed.

“I really think you should sit down, Detective Fuller.”

Fuck the detective, too.

Chad tightening his fingers around the handle, fighting against the fizzling sensation in his joints. He opened the door, stepping out into the corridor.

Val and Ally were hot on his heels, but he didn’t slow. He rushed away, following the signs to theatre. Carter stood washing his hands under one of the soap dispensers, and Chad broke out into a run.

Carter looked over at the sound of Chad’s slapping feet, out of time with his rampant heart. The whole affect made the sickness worse, his lungs struggled, each inhale and exhale scalding his insides.

Carter backed off, looking over Chad’s shoulder to Val and Ally shouting words Chad no longer recognized. The only words he wanted to hear were going to come through Carter’s quaking lips.

He gripped onto Carter’s scrubs. Carter found his wrists and tried to pry Chad away, but he didn’t let up. He tried to find words, but they were slow coming, and instead he just shook Carter.

The blue of Carter’s eyes were so intense, his pupils dissolving into them until they were nothing but pinpricks in the blue.

“How is he?” Chad managed.

“Who?”

“The man you were operating on.”

Carter glanced behind him, to what Chad assumed was the corridor that led to theatre. “He didn’t make it.”

“I have to see him.”

“That’s not appropriate at this time.”

Chad pushed him away, heading in the direction of the theatre. A hand clamped on his shoulder, tugging him back.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Let me take a look at you.”

“Get off.”

Chad growled, peeling Carter’s hand off his shoulder.

“Don’t make me arrest you.” Ally said, closing on him.

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