CHAPTER SIX HUNDRED and THIRTY-FIVE

(part one)

“Promise?” Jeraine asked.

Nodding, Jacob poured another bowl of Cap’n Crunch. Jeraine shot a scowl at Jacob and jogged out of the building. He drove to Denver Heath and found Tanesha standing outside the Emergency Department.

“Sorry,” Jeraine said, as she got in the vehicle. “I was talking to Jacob.”

Tanesha leaned over to kiss him.

“Eating Cap’n Crunch,” Tanesha said with a grin.

Jeraine smiled.

“I was just waiting a minute or so,” Tanesha said. “Did you. . .?”

Jeraine gestured to the travel mug. She grinned and took a drink of her tea.

“How was tonight?” Jeraine asked.

“Hard,” Tanesha said. “But. . .”

Tanesha sighed.

“I’m doing okay,” Tanesha said with a nod. “Me, Chad, Fin — we’re getting great clinical experience but most of the people in our class are at home sitting on their hands.”

Tanesha paused as she took another drink.

“It’s criminal to me,” Tanesha said. “Doctors and hospitals need help. We show up on time and ask what we can do. We get to work doing what needs to be done. It’s not glamorous but I think we help. It’s good experience too.”

Tanesha shook her head.

“I guess, that’s really because of John Drayson,” Tanesha said, correcting herself. “I shouldn’t be so petty.”

“You’re making a good point,” Jeraine said. “But really — you asked John if you could help and he told you who to contact.”

“I asked John because I know him,” Tanesha said.

“Could you have gone through school?” Jeraine asked.

“I don’t know,” Tanesha said. “Chad said that he talked to someone in our class who said that if he didn’t get course credit, he wasn’t interested. Course credit.”

Tanesha snorted.

“People are dying from a once in a lifetime pandemic,” Tanesha said. “And all he cared about was being the best in his class.”

Jeraine glanced at her sideways. She smiled at him.

“I sound more annoyed than I am,” Tanesha said. “Thanks for coming to get me.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Jeraine said.

“Jabari?” Tanesha asked.

“He’s with Maggie and Mack,” Jeraine said.

“Sleep over at Honey’s ,” Tanesha said.

Jeraine nodded.

“Listen,” Jeraine said. “Jake and I were talking before I left to come get you. You know how I’ve been upset about the Las Vegas thing?”

“You feel cursed,” Tanesha said. “I understand. It’s been really hard. You were so excited when you got the first one and then crushed when that jerk only signed you to a contract to make sure you didn’t perform.”

“Round number one,” Jeraine said. “We were so close this time.”

“You could still do it,” Tanesha said.

“Yeah, and kill everyone,” Jeraine said. “Annoy my wife.”

“There’s that, too,” Tanesha said.

“Jake was saying. . .” Jeraine turned off of Colfax into the new car lot. He pressed the keys to open the gate. “. . . that we should be more flexible.

He waited until the gate closed to move the car.

“Why are you. . .?” Tanesha asked.

Denver Cereal continues tomorrow...