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"Well, you will have to keep the cast on for a month or two. And that's that." River told the twenty-year-old Deric Richards who had successfully snapped his femur into two in a motorbike accident.
Amateurs. Can't even handle some alcohol.
"Can I start riding after that?" He asked.
"Yeah sure." River said.
"As soon as you get a new ride that is. I heard yours died on site."
River cleared her throat and gave her chirpy overly-optimistic intern Valerie Pierce a side eye though internally, she really couldn't agree with her more.
"My condolences." Valerie finished while River rolled her eyes.
She checked his charts and talked with his guardian and was on her way out when the door opened from the other side, and she came face to face with him.
"River?"
River forced a smile on to her face, straining her facial muscles against the scowl they wanted to form and replied, "Long time no see, Eric."
"You are a doctor now?" He chuckled, as if it was the funniest joke of the century.
Adjusting his helmet under his arm, he invited her back but she declined. "Maybe another time. I have to do my rounds."
She quickly walked out followed by Valerie who quickly fell into pace with her.
"Who's Mr. Ink dermis?" She asked.
The doctor turned to her, a smirk on her face. "A douchebag I used to date." Not any douchebag; this douchebag was her first everything.
"Ahhh.." She said, dragging it. "I figured as much."
She pulled her strawberry blonde ponytail up and pointed at the back of her neck. "See that, that's my pipe."
River scrunched up her face.
"Valerie, I think you should go back to middle school if you don't know where your wind and food pipe is."
"No no Doc, pipe - P.I.P.E - It means Perv Induced Piloerection."
"Wow." River rolled her eyes. All her interns were idiots. Or weird. Or both.
'Am I the only one who thinks maturity is a sham? Everyone is immature once you get to know them. Or is it just me?'
"I know right." She said. "I am pretty proud of myself for that." She patted her own back causing River's brow to perk up yet again.
But then she was glad that she was here with her now. Unlike the usual set of idiotic interns, she was cursed with, Valerie wasn't particularly scared or nervous around River or the patients. It didn't hurt that she got everything right too. And she was very friendly and sweet. But, she was very talkative!
Rounds weren't boring anymore. Surgeries weren't tense anymore. Lunches weren't lonely anymore. She was a bit annoying at times but it was fine.
It was like River got her younger self back.
"You know him, don't you?" River asked her after a while.
"Which runaway in NYC doesn't?" She spat out and looked her senior in the eyes. "Did he ever hurt you?"
"He spent five years in jail for that. You?"
"He wasn't directly involved. Michael Jahn-"
"The Hammer." River chuckled. She was not going to forget that character in this lifetime.
"He is in jail now."
River smiled at her. "Good job."
And that's how the past is dealt with.
When Sebastian and she were caught up in their shit a decade ago, they never thought they could get out of their clutches. But now look at them, living their best lives.
River's watch beeped.
[OR02, female, 12, rib fracture, punctured lungs, vitals unstable]
"Duty calls." She said and they hurried off but her 'PIPE' had picked up and she knew that some son of a bitch was watching her. And she really didn't want to know why.
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"She will be moved to the room by tomorrow morning and if everything turn out fine, can leave the hospital in a week." River told the parents and walked away.
She had missed rounds. And it was already six in the evening. So much for that.
She took off the surgical cap, mask and gloves and put on her coat over the scrubs and normal shoes.
Her phone had twelve missed calls and twice as many texts from her mom's number.
'My baby monkeys.'
She sighed, opting to video call them as she walked towards her cabin.
"Hey River?"
Yet again, PIPE-d.
'Great. Valerie is rubbing off on me.'
But wait, was this just a coincidence or did him turning up again had something to do with Susan's new case?
River cautiously turned around, aware of the eyes on her wondering how she knew a heavily tattooed shady hunk. As much as she hated the judging looks, she was glad that they were there because all of a sudden, she was less creeped out and more paranoid about Eric.
She didn't want any trouble. She wanted to stay low and invisible.
Because no matter what a brave front she put forward, the fact remained that she was still as scared of such a situation as she was back then.
In fact, now she was even more scared because she had two midgets to take care of and protect. She didn't want to make any mistake that would put their lives in danger and that was the only reason she had talked patiently with him earlier.
"Where are you off to?" He grinned, showing off his crooked teeth with that one gap that she had personally given him.
"Just going into my cabin to make a call and then grab my purse so that I can get some coffee before I resume my rounds."
"I will wait here. Let's go to the cafeteria together."
She nodded and walked in. What was the whacko plotting?
She quickly fished out her phone and video-called her monkeys.
"Hii Mommy!!" They sang in unison.
"Hey my sweethearts, what's up?" River asked, plastering a huge grin on her face.
"We are helping Grandma make Choco fudge cake!" Kiara squealed.
"Wow, Mommy will be back in like two hours and we can have that!" She said.
"Don't worry Mommy, we will keep some aside in case you got late and past our bedtime." Lucas said, whipping the cream.
River was lucky; her children were angels.
"Thanks honey. But Mommy will try to be there on time."
They said their good-byes and hung up, River completely forgetting to ask the children why they had called her in the first place.
She opened her drawer and pocketed her wallet and made her way out. To a catch-up she could not avoid.
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"And why would I believe you?" River laughed more, choking on her coffee.
"Because it's the truth. I swear on Lily and my son Luke." He pinched his throat like a child.
"Okay, I believe you. But why are you telling me all this?" She asked, tossing the last piece of her croissant into her mouth and patting the crumbs off.
"I feel that you will need my help soon, given whom your mother is messing with these days."
He had her full attention now and he knew it, but for once in my life, River did not see any sort of evil glint or threat in his eyes. He almost looked worried.
"I know what my child means to me, River, and I think that after all that you did, I am willing to help because one, you were the first to ever dare to oppose me and I respect that and second, five years in jail did more good than harm. Flushed out all the fakes from my life. And I am grateful." He said sincerely. "If it wasn't for you, I will still be a trafficker. But thanks to you, I am a tattoo artist."
She raised her eyebrows. Wow. Okay.
"Call me if you need me. Anytime. Any place. I still have my men, more loyal than ever." And with that, his chair scraped backward and he got up, placing his card on the table.
And I felt it again. The feeling of being watched. If it wasn't him, then who was it?
And now she knew also knew that the threat was real, and that her mother wasn't just being paranoid.
"Sit back down. I have one more question."
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