Page 12 of Sampled

He turned around and blinked once. “Vandy?”

“Mom gave me dal bhat and told me to drive you to their house.” She bent down and hefted the metal tiffin, a combination of a bucket, a cooler, and a mess kit in one.

“I can drive myself to my apartment just fine,” Raj said. “She still pretending she doesn’t know me while I’m here?”

“Yes, followed by full mother hen when you’re out.”

“I know. You’re the third person she’s sent to try to drive me back home post-call. I’m fine.”

“She’ll ask.” They started toward the parking garage. Raj had lost some weight since she’d seen him last. He seemed older and almost taller than he had in the winter when she’s been home for a visit.

“Then lie to her and say I had a slow call night and I got plenty of sleep.”

Vandy stopped. Had those words just come out of her perfect brother’s mouth? They hadn’t seen each other much since he’d chosen to go to the University of Pennsylvania after high school. “You want me to lie?”

“Make something up.” He continued walking. “It shouldn’t be that difficult for you.”

“What does that mean?”

“You know how Mom texts constantly? She told me you’re staying at Anna’s.”

“So?”

Raj pushed the edge of her T-shirt down to her collarbone. “Did Anna give you those hickeys?”

She pulled her shirt back up. “Hey!”

“You shouldn’t have bent down. You think I can’t tell someone’s banging my sister?”

“Raj! People can hear you.”

“It’s a hospital. If you aren’t bleeding to death, no one cares.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You want me to keep my mouth shut?”

“Yes! I’m not banging anyone.”

“Sure you aren’t. Patients lie to med students constantly. You aren’t even in the top ten. I’ll make a trade. I won’t out you to Mom or Dad, and you tell them I slept fine on my slow call night. Tell them I said Mom’s cooking was delicious.”

“You don’t want it?”

“I am capable of microwaving my own from the two freezers worth she gave me. If you keep the tiffin, she won’t have an excuse to force me to stop by their house to drop it off.”

“I had no idea.”

“It’s called living your life.” Raj grinned. “White guy, isn’t it?”

Vandy rolled her eyes. “I’m not telling.”

He did a celebratory dance. “Another one bites the dust. Welcome to the club, little sis.”

“What! You’re with someone?”

“Not right now. The only White girl I spend time with is my teammate Nora, and she’s way more likely to murder me than sleep with me.” He flashed her a picture of three medical students on his phone—Raj, a White woman, and an African American man.

“Isn’t a team usually four people?”

“Yeah, but Clint never showed up. His parents forced him to go to medical school, so he keeps finding ways to not finish. Don’t tell Mom. She’ll worry I’m violating the 80-hour work week. His call nights get covered, so I only sleep here once every four nights instead of once every three.”

“Is that why there’s no girl?”

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