Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Calvin

I 'm standing at the nurse's station, on my third coffee of the night, trying desperately to keep awake as I read my last patient's test results. One of the other ER attending physicians taps me on the shoulder. "You look like you fought a bear and lost."

"Thanks, doc."

My colleague takes the pen light from his lab coat pocket and flashes it in my eyes.

I shove his hand away. "I'm needed here."

"Not in this condition."

I jog in place, making him chuckle. "I'm fine."

"Listen, I can hold down the fort. Come back after a few hours of shut eye."

I'm about to argue when a loud yawn escapes my mouth.

"Touché," he says.

"Fine," I mumble. "I'll be back in the morning." I glance at the giant clock on the wall. It's already morning.

I grab my coat and he escorts me to the exit. "How was the trip to Tanzania?"

"Incredible."

"Word has it you were very affected by what you saw there."

Hospitals spread information like a virulent virus.

"Yep."

We pause just inside the electric doors.

"When does he arrive?" he asks.

"I'm still working on it."

"Hope you know what you're doing, bro," he says, before offering a fist bump which I return. If I had more time for a social life, he'd be in my friend group. For now there's only room for one friend. Hopefully, she's still fast asleep.

I walk outside into the bracing cold and hurry to my car, whispering to myself. "So do I."

Two miles and thirty minutes later, I park on the street outside my building, my doctor tags displayed on the dash. I drag myself into the lobby, tiptoeing past the dozing doorman. I quietly go to the storage room and grab my suitcase, careful not to wake the man, fully aware anyone could be absconding with my luggage while the man dreamt, peacefully.

Upstairs, I shower, down two ibuprofens, move my guitar off the bed and get under the covers, grabbing my phone. I tap open the photo I adore and enlarge it. A little boy with deep dimples in his ebony cheeks is grinning from ear to ear, a soccer ball on the ground between him and me.

I can hear his giggles all the way across the world. My heart bursts. I simply cannot believe it. If all goes well, before too long, I'm going to be a daddy.