“But the chart?—”
“I said get out.”
I waited until his footsteps faded before turning back to check the patient’s vitals one last time.
Outside the room, my cell buzzed in my pocket. Normally, I wouldn’t reply to a group text right now. Not even with the men I considered brothers, but the wordsbrain injurycaught my eye.
SINNERS & SAINTS GROUP CHAT
Axel: Blake, I had a date last night with a woman who I’m pretty sure has a severe brain injury. Need your professional opinion.
Jace: Wait. Axel cares enough about a woman to send a text about her? Someone check the apocalypse schedule.
Ryker: [sends GIF of pigs flying]
Me: What are her symptoms?
Axel: Being attracted to you. Evidently saw you at some charity function and begged me to give her your number. The nerve.
Me: I swear to God, Axel, if you ever use a fake medical emergency to get my attention again, I’ll make sure your next hospital visit isn’t pretend.
Jace: If you do, make it look like an accident, Blake. I know a good lawyer.
Axel: Someone is so testy before breakfast. Can I give her your number or not?
Me: I don’t date. You know that. And even if I did, I’d never take sloppy seconds from you. Managed to live 35 years without an STD and don’t care to get one now.
Axel: She’s a model.
Me: Don’t care.
Axel: A lingerie model.
Jace: Leave him alone, Axel. Some of us have better things to do than collect STDs. Like saving failing businesses. Or in Blake’s case, saving lives.
Axel: *eye roll emoji*
Me: I’m literally in the ER. With actual emergencies.
Axel: Perfect. You’re already at work. Can diagnose her terrible taste in men. So, that’s a yes then?
Me: I DON’T DATE.
No matter how up front I tried to be with the women I’d casually dated through the years, they always seemed to want more, so I’d given it up.
Axel: Who said anything about dating? Take a page from my book. Never spend the night with the same woman twice.
Me: A page from your book should include an STD warning label. Now excuse me. I’m WORKING.
Ryker: Blake, poker night this week. Don’t even think about trying to reschedule again.
Jace: I need to win back last week’s losses.
Axel: The mighty Jace lost at cards. *laughing emoji* Now who needs a medical evaluation?
Jace: If you miss this week, Blake, I’m buying your hospital. Not just to rearrange your shifts so you can make poker night either. As a bonus, I can name the STD wing after Axel.
Me: I have actual dying people to attend to.
