“Jack, I’m asking you to think about all this. To consider talking with Prudence, maybe…”
“No. I won’t. And you can’t either.”
There’s a knock on the door and the doctor invites Prue in.Thatdiscussion is over then.
“Good afternoon, Dr. Garret,” she says kindly.
He smiles politely. He knows he can’t go over the Medical secrecy.
PRUDENCE
“As I mentioned to your brother, his condition is getting worse. All the muscles, even with all the physical therapy, are weakening. The last ECG was concerning.”
I nod slowly, anxiety slowly creeping in.
“Jack said you would be leaving soon,” he continues. “I can’t stop you, but I would suggest against it.”
“I think our next stop will be… California. I’m getting tired of the rain, aren’t you?” Jack asks, turning his face to mine with a broad smile.
“I guess… But, maybe Dr. Garret’s right? Why not do some more tests for a few weeks? See how they go?”
He shakes his head. “We can do those tests from California.” He turns back to Dr. Garret whose face is tight and lips in a thin line. “Please send my file to… Los Angeles. I’ve never been there. What do you think, Prue?”
“Wait, are you sure about this? Jack, if you’re…”
“I’mfine,sunshine.” He rolls his eyes with a grin. “I could use some vitamin D. And what better place to find some, than LA?” He winks and leans towards me until he reaches my ear. “To be clear, I’m not talking about the sun. I mean dicks.”
My eyes widens and I slap his thigh softly as he erupts into laughter.The doctor is staring at him with a weird expression on his face.
“Alright. I’ll email you a list of doctors and therapists. Once you’ve made your choice, I’ll send your file.”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
I’ve managed to stay quiet the whole way back home. Now? Now, I need to understand. Why did he want to speak to the doctor alone? Why did the doctor look at him with that weird expression? Did they argue about something? Is Jack hiding something from me that the doctor does not approve of?
“Why such a sudden rush?” I ask, fumbling with the chips packet on my lap.
“I’m not rushing.” He rolls his eyes, but doesn’t look away from the TV. “I’m tired of this place. I need a change of scenery.”
“But why now?” I press. “Why Los Angeles? You always say that with your taste in house it’s not worth renting in L.A. How long do you want to stay there? I know you have money with your book sales, and I can find something to do there. Maybe go back to work with the police and do composite drawings again, but…”
“I’m a little tired of moving, to be honest. So I’m thinking more of buying a house than renting. I’ll make a few calls. I’ve… Found someone that I knew back in college. His parents own a few houses next to each other, maybe they could sell me one.”
I frown. “You’d seriously buy a house there? Without even seeing it first? These kinds of things take time, you can’t buy a house in a week and move there. Be realistic.”
“Of course not,” he sighs. “We’d go there, rent a house, by the time we find something we’ll settle down.”
It’s my turn to release a heavy sigh and he finally glances my way with an arched brow.
“You’re being irrational,” I deadpan.
“I’m not,” he snaps and I flinch slightly. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. You said you wanted a warmer place, and I agree. I am tired of moving around and I know that even if you never complain to me, you’d like to settle down somewhere eventually. Think about it, how about a nice waterfront house on the beach?”
“Are you listening to yourself?” I laugh hysterically. “Those houses cost millions! Especially in L.A! There are other warm states, why are you so set on Los Angeles?”
“I like California,” he shrugs, turning his gaze away.
“We’ve never even been there!” I nearly yell. “Not even to visit Nuri in San Francisco!”
