Page 112 of The Wild Beneath

A second phone line rings somewhere at the back of the nursing station.

“Dr. MacLeod,” another nurse says. “It’s med surg on line three. Can you go check an ECG over there?”

“I just need a minute,” Annie says to everyone, to the walls, to the ceiling.

She escapes to the bathroom at the back of the department and locks the door behind her. She turns on the tap and waits for the hot water. The unscented soap foams between her fingers. When she’s done, she splashes her face.

In the mirror, a woman looks back—­one with exhausted and sunken eyes. Her skin is red and chafed—­is that hives?—­around the neckline of her scrubs. Annie doesn’t recognize her.

Chapter 45

“Your phone keeps buzzing,” Annie says.

They’re finally in the car on the way home from the hospital. Rain mixed with snow pelts the windshield like the sky can’t decide what it wants to do. The wipers push the slush away.

“Can you check it?” Evan asks. His cell phone lights up in the drink holder. Somehow, she can feel the buzzing through her seat.

Her thumb skimming the screen, it buzzes again, penetrating the bones of her arm. “Peter’s asking where you are. Harrison the same.”

Evan pauses.

“I forgot. They’re meeting up for drinks.”

Annie puts the phone back. “Drop me home and you go.”

“Maybe we go together?”

“I’m exhausted. It’ll be noisy.” Annie wants to crawl into bed and feel the relief of sleep. She zips her jacket as high as it goes.

“We haven’t seen each other.” He reaches over to squeeze her thigh. His left palm steers them through a slew of brake lights. “I miss you. I need to talk to you.”

“About what?”

His phone rings, a synthetic cricket chirp.

“Tell them I’ll call back in a minute.”

Annie picks up. “Hello?”

“Evan? It’s Hollingsworth.”

Annie pulls the phone from her ear and puts it on speaker. “Evan, are you there?” Ed Hollingsworth’s voice fills the car.

“From Hale’s?” Annie asks.

Evan’s knuckles whiten around the steering wheel. “Ed. I’ll call you back.” He reaches over, takes the phone, and presses the red button to hang up.

Annie’s mouth hangs open. “What was that?”

Evan goes quiet. He wipes dust from the dashboard, the top of the steering wheel. He takes a drink from his mug in the cupholder.

Annie stares at him. “Evan, answer me.”

“Let’s just get home, okay?”

“Why is Ed Hollingsworth calling you?”

“Please just wait,” he says. “We need to sit down.”