Waking up, I felt like I had been steam rolled and the ones who were responsible for that were still in the fucking bed with me. I was surprised they didn’t sneak out in the middle of the night, but then again, they didn’t seem the type to sneak.

The younger of the two. His face seemed to be familiar to me, but I couldn’t figure out from where. I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to sneak out of my hotel room at four in the morning, but I had to.

Sitting up, I ran my hand through my hair and let out a groan. Reaching over the larger male, Kylian, I believe he said his name was. I grabbed my phone, and it started going off in my hand. I was supposed to have the next few days off, but that clearly would not be happening when the hospital was calling me this early.

“Dr Cabello speaking.”

“We had a severe trauma come in. We have stabilized the patient, and we could use the extra hands for the needed surgery. I know you’re on vacation----”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I said, before hanging up the phone and realizing I was being watched.

“So, you’re a doctor…” Kylian muttered, as he got out of the bed so that I could get out too.

“Trauma surgeon actually.” I replied, grabbing my bag that I had sitting on the floor and digging for my spare pair of black scrubs. The two of them were quicker at getting ready than I was and they left without so much as another word to me, and I was ok with that. I didn’t want to chitchat after they humbled my ass for several hours relentlessly. Making sure everything was packed into my duffle bag was easier said than

done in this situation.

Checking out at the desk, I went to the parking lot and unlocked my car. Tossing my bag into the back seat, I let out a yawn and gave a pleasant stretch. My true desire was to retreat back inside, disregard the call, and resume my slumber, but my conscience wouldn’t allow it, even though there was a possibility that the patient in need was affiliated with organized crime. Whether it pertains to gang activities or mafia operations.

Unfortunately, those traumas were increasing and getting worse, and it wasn’t like normal folks didn’t notice. We did. We just played dumb to the mafia and gang problems. It was far easier to ignore it than acknowledge the territory wars.

Grabbing a coffee from a chain shop drive through, I got on the highway and made my way back to Lake Haven’s public hospital, my primary place of work, though I was ‘lent’ to other small hospitals in worst-case scenarios.

Grabbing my coffee, I headed inside, and I was sure by the time I left the building again, I was going to be exhausted. Prepping for the emergency, I hit the locker room and grabbed hospital owned scrubs, and after a quick shower, I tugged them on and went where I was needed.

The next time I looked at my clean hands was a few hours later. The trauma victim had lived so far, but there was very little quality of life there. But that was up to his family to make the choice for him. I could only be honest with them about the severity of the situation. Looking at my hands again, I dropped them to my sides and went to get changed back into my own scrubs. I wanted to wait in my office for a few hours until I was sure the man was stable, or his family was here to see him.

I was craving another coffee, a pain patch for my back, and a small snack. Most of those I could find in the cafeteria, the pain patch, well, that was found in the public pharmacy and bookshop.

The cafeteria was packed, but I waited to get my coffee and a yogurt and granola bowl. I wanted something ‘better’ than this, but the breakfast foods at the hospital wouldn’t cut it. So, yogurt and granola it was. I could get a cheese bagel with a thick later of cream cheese when I was free.

“Dr Cabello, I thought you were off?” A nurse said and smiled at me as she grabbed her own coffee.

“I was, but duty called.” I laughed lightly and sipped my coffee.

“I’ll let you get back to work, then. Have a good day.” She said and left to go back to whatever she had been doing before she came for a coffee.

Not me though. I was on my way to the pharmacy and then my office. I was free until another trauma come in and they needed a hand. Buying some patches, I put three on my back when I got to my office and sat at my desk, sipping my coffee. I picked at the yogurt bowl, eating only the crunchy parts of the granola and the untainted yogurt. I wasn’t a picky eater; I just had a few food behaviours that I couldn’t break. Soggy food was one that I couldn’t excuse. Soggy cereal was alone, the bane of my existence.

I hated to waste the food, but I couldn’t get myself to eat it, so I trashed it. Relaxing back in my chair, I closed my eyes and thought about the men I had spent more than a few hours getting to know intimately.

The older of the two men, Kylian, he seemed like you might find him side by side with the Mafia around here, but I would not ask. I didn’t want to know that badly, and it wasn’t like we were ever going to slip between the sheets again.

I wondered if those two men were partners, and looking to spice up their relationship by including me. Part of me wanted that to be true. I was looking for excitement in my life.

But I wasn’t dumb enough to willingly get back into bed with those two, not when the harder I looked at the situation, the more it became clear they weren’t your average citizens. It was a damn shame, though; they played well together with me.

My pager pulled me out of my blissful remembrance of earlier and back to the present. The time and place I was going to have to tell a family their son, brother, and friend should be released to go free. Finishing my coffee in one large sip, I met the family just outside the door of the ICU room and took them to the closest sitting room to explain the state of things.

“So, you’re saying there is nothing we can do for him now, but let him go?” The younger of the two ladies asked.

“I’m saying you might want to think about the quality of life this young man with have laying in this bed being kept alive by all this technology. He will never breathe on his own or be alert. He is just a shell, and I know how terrible it must be to hear this.” I said carefully, and I watched the only man in the room nod, though it was cut off and sullen.

“We will make our choice and let you know. Please, just give us time to think about it.” The man said had he stood up, and both he and the older women left the room. The younger women just sat down in the empty chair and crossed her arms.

“He was never a bad kid. He got into some trouble, that’s for sure, but this? I couldn’t see him being involved in gang violence. This must be a mistake, it really does.” She said and looked into my eyes, and I wanted to tell her something. Sadly, I couldn’t do that. The only thing I could do was tell her the facts.

Her brother was critically injured and wouldn’t wake up. He was only alive because of the machines holding him up.

“I don’t have those answers for you, only the police force will. My fellow doctors and I have done what we can do. He is in the hands of the unknown now.” I said and left it at that. Taking another deep breath, I mentioned the onsite patient and family grief therapist. With those being my last words to her, I left the room and passed by the parents, who seemed to discuss their options at this stage.

I could feel a sense of relief and readiness to leave once the family had arrived and visited their son. With everything else taken care of, the only task remaining was to tell my boss that I would be leaving. All I had to do was poke my head in his office and say I was heading home. I swore I counted every step on the way there.

My boss was heading out as I got there. “On your way home?”

“Yes, the family was here and talked with me, and I gave them all the information. It’s out of my hands now. I did what I could.” I said,

“That’s all you can do, Dion. They are going to do what they want to, and there is little we can do at this point,” he said, and set his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t think about it too much, ok?”

“Yeah, I won’t. Anyway, I have a scheduled vacation to get back to.” I hummed.

“Take it easy. I’ll see you when you get back. If I need anything before then, I’ll be in touch,” he said, and went into his office.

I gathered my stuff from my office, and all but bolted out of the hospital. I did like my job, but at thirty-nine, I was exhausted. I didn’t have anyone at home, and I was estranged from my family for being gay, but it had been so long since then that it was mostly an afterthought.

Opening my car door, I paused and realized where I knew the younger man from.

It was from here at the hospital. He thought I might jump from the roof that day. I hadn’t thought about it, but I could understand how it would look like that to an outsider. I hoped he hadn’t picked me last night because of the hospital roof episode; I don’t think he really recognized me, or if he had, he didn’t mention it.