I should have known.
For as long as I could remember, every time my life was looking up, shit happened. Get accepted to baseball summer camp... parents die. Work all summer to buy my first car... a jackass comes out of nowhere and totals it. Getting ready to leave for Georgetown University... Frankie gives me the chicken pox. Get engaged and start my medical practice with my best friend... best friend fucks my fiancée on my desk. And now this shit with Josie.
I finally get the chance to have something wonderful, and her ex shows up, my ex decides to parade around town with a kid that ain’t mine, King orders me to babysit Carnage, and the wedding of the century is in a few weeks, but sure... I’ll try to prove to Josie that I love her.
“Seems to me you need a wingman.”
Looking up from the chair I was sitting in, I smiled.
“Seriously, Doc, I feel fine.”
“I understand that, Trip, but there are tests that need to be run. You’ve been in a coma for a while now. You sufferedmassive head trauma. I need to be sure everything works properly.”
“Well, that’s one test you will fail.” Lacey smirked, sitting next to her brother, listening.
The second Trip woke up and spoke, all my problems faded as I concentrated on my patient. It was easy for me to disengage myself from my personal life to take care of someone else.
Some say that’s what made me a good doctor.
I wasn’t so sure.
Yeah, I was good at what I did work wise; it was everything else I sucked at.
“When can I get out of here, Doc?” Trip asked. “I’m starving. I could really use a big fat juicy burger from Mel’s place. Lace, call Mel and tell him I’m hungry. I want the works.”
Lacey looked at me as I lightly shook my head and offered, “How about I call down to the cafeteria and see if they can rustle something up for you? Nothing solid. Maybe some chicken soup.”
“I’d rather starve,” Trip groaned, then looked around the room and asked, “Where is everyone? Thought they’d be here holding a candlelight vigil.”
“King is hosting guests at the clubhouse,” I informed as Lacey added, “I’ve called Banks. He said he’s on his way.”
“Hold the phone.” Trip frowned as I noted something in his chart. “Doc, you said I’ve been in a coma for a while.”
“That’s right,” I muttered, noting the time.
“How long is a while?”
Closing his chart, I placed it on the rolling table next to his bed before I pulled up a chair and sat down. “Trip, what is the last thing you remember?”
“We were heading home from New York. We’d just finished delivering Hell’s Breath to several clubs up and down the east coast. I remember riding the I-81 interstate and seeing the signfor Roanoke. I was happy because we were only a few hours from home. I wanted a shower and my bed. Then nothing. Why can’t I remember anything?”
“Because you were in a massive pile-up. A semi driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing a major accident. From my understanding, a car swerved trying to avoid the accident and hit you. Your bike hit the car, and you flew several feet before landing in the median. If it weren’t for Banks and Hawk’s quick thinking, you would have died.”
Lacey sniffed. “It was a really bad, Calvin. Several people died, including several kids who were on a field trip that day.”
“How long?” he asked.
“Because you were not wearing a helmet, you suffered a major brain trauma, and that’s not including your other injuries. You flatlined three times before Claudia and I could get you into surgery. We had to call in a neuro-specialist. Even then, you were touch and go for a while. You’ve had seven surgeries since your accident.”
“Not gonna ask again, Doc,” Trip whispered. “How long have I been out of it?”
“Ten months,” I admitted just as the door flew open and in walked Banks, along with his brother Aleksandr.
“HOLY SHIT!” Banks smiled. “You’re awake!”
Chapter Fourteen
Josie
