security. Tell them we have a little girl that’s lost on the ground floor. She looks about seven or eight years old, wearing a pink dress and carrying a Tigger toy. Then call security at the gates. No one in or out with a girl matching that description until we find that child.”
Nick looked at her, stunned, and then nodded.
Skylar gave an exasperated sigh. “Dammit, don't just stand there. Let's go.”
*****
He wasn't sure what had gone wrong. He was right. No one could change their fate. That man would die. He told the truth.
As he moved from room to room, he found the empty rooms a further frustration. He closed the door to the linen room and continued down the corridor. He stood by what he said, had done nothing wrong. He stopped, and Skylar banged into him.
“What the—?” she uttered between clenched teeth.
“You're angry,” he said.
Her skin was glowing. It had to be because of all the running around they were doing looking for this little girl. The girl he had no part in losing.
“What is wrong with you? This child could be anywhere.” She was flustered.
“She's in a hospital with a team of security guards searching for her. If anything happens to her, she is in one of the best hospitals around.”
“Are you doing this on purpose?” she asked.
“Doing what?” He couldn’t understand her frustration.
Skylar blew one of the strands of hair that had fallen across her right eye. When it fell back over her eye, she pushed it behind her ear. “Are you frustrating me on purpose so I'll let you go? You can’t break news like that to a little girl.”
His gaze narrowed. Was this about her maybe? Did that patient remind her of her father and his illness? But she was so mad at him, it couldn’t be that. “Let me go? What are you talking about?”
She didn’t bother to answer his question. “We need to find this child. I can't believe you said that to her.”
“I told her the truth.” He met her gaze and refused to let it fall.
That bit of hair fell from behind her ear again, and he itched to put it behind her ear. His gaze went to the shell of her ear.
“It's how you told her. There is a way you tell someone they're never going to see their father ever again.”
He swallowed as his heart rate picked up. His gut told him this was about her father. “I wouldn't know.”
Her eyes flashed green fire. He could feel the heat fall off her. “What, were you raised by wolves?”
More or less . He avoided her gaze as he shifted uncomfortably. He’d made her mad again.
Where would a child go if she were upset? He didn't know. When his mother had kicked his dad out after he put his cigarette out on his arm, and then blamed Nick for his leaving, she’d taken a bottle of gin to bed. He had nowhere to run, so he’d stayed.
“Sometimes I have to wonder about you, Nick. You make me so mad.”
He knew that. “You shouldn't be getting this involved with your patients.”
The thunderous look in her eyes was enough to scare the devil himself. “I. Give. Up.”
He watched her walk away and realized she still had the sexiest walk. He loved watching her walk, but if she knew what he was up to, it wasn’t worth the trouble he’d be in.
He searched along the corridor and walkways, until a flash of pink in the distance caught his eye. Instinct told him he should go back and call Skylar. She had the tools to deal with this, but he didn't. Instead he found himself walking toward the pink fluff.
When he came closer, he paused. Alice was sitting in the corner of the room under a lily plant with her legs tucked under her. Nick walked to the vending machine in the room at the other end of the wall. He pulled a few dollars from his pocket and bought two chocolate bars from the machine. Without saying a word, he sat next to her.
He handed her a chocolate bar, opened one and started chewing.
He sat in silence for a little while, until she started to unwrap the bar.
Progress . He still
Nick looked at her, stunned, and then nodded.
Skylar gave an exasperated sigh. “Dammit, don't just stand there. Let's go.”
*****
He wasn't sure what had gone wrong. He was right. No one could change their fate. That man would die. He told the truth.
As he moved from room to room, he found the empty rooms a further frustration. He closed the door to the linen room and continued down the corridor. He stood by what he said, had done nothing wrong. He stopped, and Skylar banged into him.
“What the—?” she uttered between clenched teeth.
“You're angry,” he said.
Her skin was glowing. It had to be because of all the running around they were doing looking for this little girl. The girl he had no part in losing.
“What is wrong with you? This child could be anywhere.” She was flustered.
“She's in a hospital with a team of security guards searching for her. If anything happens to her, she is in one of the best hospitals around.”
“Are you doing this on purpose?” she asked.
“Doing what?” He couldn’t understand her frustration.
Skylar blew one of the strands of hair that had fallen across her right eye. When it fell back over her eye, she pushed it behind her ear. “Are you frustrating me on purpose so I'll let you go? You can’t break news like that to a little girl.”
His gaze narrowed. Was this about her maybe? Did that patient remind her of her father and his illness? But she was so mad at him, it couldn’t be that. “Let me go? What are you talking about?”
She didn’t bother to answer his question. “We need to find this child. I can't believe you said that to her.”
“I told her the truth.” He met her gaze and refused to let it fall.
That bit of hair fell from behind her ear again, and he itched to put it behind her ear. His gaze went to the shell of her ear.
“It's how you told her. There is a way you tell someone they're never going to see their father ever again.”
He swallowed as his heart rate picked up. His gut told him this was about her father. “I wouldn't know.”
Her eyes flashed green fire. He could feel the heat fall off her. “What, were you raised by wolves?”
More or less . He avoided her gaze as he shifted uncomfortably. He’d made her mad again.
Where would a child go if she were upset? He didn't know. When his mother had kicked his dad out after he put his cigarette out on his arm, and then blamed Nick for his leaving, she’d taken a bottle of gin to bed. He had nowhere to run, so he’d stayed.
“Sometimes I have to wonder about you, Nick. You make me so mad.”
He knew that. “You shouldn't be getting this involved with your patients.”
The thunderous look in her eyes was enough to scare the devil himself. “I. Give. Up.”
He watched her walk away and realized she still had the sexiest walk. He loved watching her walk, but if she knew what he was up to, it wasn’t worth the trouble he’d be in.
He searched along the corridor and walkways, until a flash of pink in the distance caught his eye. Instinct told him he should go back and call Skylar. She had the tools to deal with this, but he didn't. Instead he found himself walking toward the pink fluff.
When he came closer, he paused. Alice was sitting in the corner of the room under a lily plant with her legs tucked under her. Nick walked to the vending machine in the room at the other end of the wall. He pulled a few dollars from his pocket and bought two chocolate bars from the machine. Without saying a word, he sat next to her.
He handed her a chocolate bar, opened one and started chewing.
He sat in silence for a little while, until she started to unwrap the bar.
Progress . He still
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