Page 8 of Fire Island
She’s . . . worried.
I rack my brain for what could be wrong. But apart from me being away from the lighthouse, I can’t grasp what could haveher looking like she’s passing a kidney stone every time she comes to visit.
“Bye, Irry,” I call out as she crosses the threshold.
She turns back and waves before disappearing.
“Right, well.” Monty slips into view. “I’ll take you back for your next evaluation.”
“Sure,” I say, following him back to my room.
He nods, holding the door open, and I walk in, feeling more like a child than a grown-ass man who kept himself alive for the past twenty years on a literal island.
Damn.
It’s as if I’m just waiting for the penny to drop. And I hate it.
My skin’s too tight.
A soft knock pops through the still silence of my room.
“Come in,” I offer without looking at the door.
Jamieson enters, tail appropriately between his legs. I see he’s been properly reprimanded by my little sister. Serves him right. So much for being a professional. I know I haven’t been the town’s favorite since Ava, but hell, he’s one of the few doctors we have. That ought to count for something.
He gestures for me to sit, so I sit on the side of the bed as he pulls the only chair in the room closer. “Right, so you’ve done really well on the physical assessments. We just have to check your mental capacity now.”
I give him a glower, and he shakes his head. “You two are peas in a pod. But, Callum, I can’t clear you to leave until I’ve assessed the impact of the concussion on your mental functioning.”
With a sigh, I say, “Go on then.”
“Okay, what year is it?”
“2022.”
Not missing a beat, he says, “Okay, next. Who is the president?”
“Joe.”
“How old are you?”
“Just turned forty.”
Jamieson looks up from the tablet, his face blank. “Right, and what’s the last thing you remember before the accident?”
“I . . .”
“Take your time.”
“The greenhouse. I finished the extension that houses the back end, for herbs and edible flowers.”
“That’s fine, thank you. Give me a minute.” He rises and leaves the room.
I wait as he moves to the nurse’s station. Surprise fills the nurse’s face as he speaks to her, and she grabs the phone receiver and turns to make a call.
Jamieson returns, shutting the door behind him, and sits back down. “We’ve called Iris back. There’s some things we need to confirm with her. If that’s okay with you?”
“Ah, sure. Is there something wrong?”
