Page 28 of Elanie & the Empath
“Chan!” Sunny and Tig shouted in unison while Rax bared his teeth.
“It’s fine,” I said, even though it wasn’t. But a scene was perilously close to being made on my behalf, and at the moment, that felt even more dangerous than being questioned by corporate. “When are they expecting me?”
Sunny grasped my hand. “Are you sure, darling?”
Smiling tightly, I said, “I have nothing to hide.” A week ago, this would have been a true statement. Now I couldn’t help but wonder if this would be my last morning meeting, my last day working with my crew. My final moments of freedom.
“Thank you, Elanie.” Chan exhaled in relief while a grim acceptance settled over me. “Your appointment is tomorrow at 0900.”
Keeping my hands in my lap so nobody would see the way they trembled, I said, “I’ll be there.”
11.SEM
“Ouch, Doc.”Mr. Lagerta winced, in my office again as predicted. “You using a full fist back there?”
I eased my grip. “Sorry.”
“Something you want to talk about? You seem”—he grunted when I shoved his vertebra back into place again—“tense.”
I was tense. Ever since watching Elanie leave karaoke with Blake last night, I’d been possessed by a highly inappropriate tension. The kind of tension that occasionally shifted into awhat’s-he-got-that-I-don’ttype whining. But not before bottoming out in a chasm ofyou-cannot-be-her-doctor-anymore-you-idiotself-recrimination.
“I’m fine, Mr. Lagerta,” I lied through my teeth. I was not fine. I was a mess. A mess who’d spent most of the day figuring out how to tell Elanie I couldn’t treat her anymore without sounding like a total creep. “Your back, on the other hand?—”
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Doing an uncanny impersonation of me, he said, “One more slipped disc,and I’ll be in a hoverchair. Do you ever get tired of being all high and mighty all the time?”
I snorted while walking my gel-covered hands to my sink. “Of course not. I’m a doctor. The only reason we go to med school is for the moral authority.”
Mr. Lagerta’s hearty laughter filled my office. “I gotta admit. I’m going to miss you, Doc.”
After drying my hands, I turned around and leaned on the counter. “Believe it or not, I’ll miss you too.” The truth of the statement shocked me a little. Evidently, I was entering the phase of my career where I made ill-advised connections with my patients. “You’re heading back to Blurvos tomorrow, right?”
Arching back, stretching his spine-goo junction, he said, “Yep. Back to the old ball and chain.”
I did a double take. “The what?”
“Ball and chain. You know, the wifey.”
“You’re married?” I blurted out, sampling the air around him for any trace of guilt or remorse and coming back empty. “But you’ve been so…activeon the ship.”
His goo belly jiggled with laughter. “Don’t go all inside out, Doc. Blurvans tend to have open relationships. My wife and I certainly do. While I’m here on theIgnisar, she is in Delphi with her friends for the Magicians in the Buff festival.”
Holding up a hand, I said, “It’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have said a word.” Where had my professionalism gone? Where was my healthy detachment? Both had vanished like spindrift the day Elanie walked into my office.
“You’re kinda uptight.” Mr. Lagerta snorted. “It’s cute.”
Someone knocked on my door.
“Should I put my shirt back on?” he asked.
“That,” I said, “is up to you.” Just like everything else hedid on this ship, just like everythinganyoneelse did, even dating people who were wrong for them, it was none of my business.
Another knock. Louder this time.
“One moment,” I called out.
Mr. Lagerta was my final appointment, but it wouldn’t be a day ending inYwithout an emergency walk-in right at the wire.
Pulling the curtain closed to let Mr. Lagerta get dressed with a level of privacy he probably didn’t care about, I straightened my shirt, ran a hand through my hair, and slid my door open.
