I nodded. “Bipolar … I think … just like our mother.” That was the first time I’d said the words out loud to someone outside of my family in … ever.
“Think?”
I shrugged, holding my hands out in anI don’t knowmanner. “She hasn’t been diagnosed with it officially. But the symptoms, the signs … they’ve all been there for some time. I grew up watching it happen. I know what’s going on even if no one else wants to admit it.”
“She refuses to get help?”
“No one has made her get help. My father ignores it and thinks it’ll all go away just like—” I cut myself off, feeling the anger and frustration rise in my belly. “I’m working on it.”
I folded one arm around my body while bringing the coffee cup to my lips for another sip, feeling completely exposed. I avoided Jacob’s gaze.
“I found this for you.”
I wrinkled my forehead as Jacob pulled out some folded papers from the pocket of his lab coat.
He unfolded the papers and handed them to me.
I took them in my free hand and read them over while continuing to sip my coffee.
My eyes rolled up to meet Jacob’s. “Requirements for getting into Williamsport University’s Nurse Anesthetist program?” It came out as a question, but it was obvious what I’d been reading.
“They have one of the best programs in the city and it can be tailored to your experience and education level. Also, this is one of the few programs that allows you to continue to work full-time and go to school part-time … if that’s what you want.”
My mood instantly shifted from one of gloom, when thinking of my sister, to one of pure happiness that he would’ve taken the time to read up, study, and print out this information for me.
One second I was just standing there, and the next, my arms were around his, pulling him into a tight hug. It felt even better when the warmth of his strong arms wrapped around my body tightly.
I started to pull back but caught Jacob’s face wince in pain.
“What happened?” I questioned. The minor movement he just performed shouldn’t have been painful. We embraced much more tightly than this the night before and I hadn’t spotted one ounce of pain in his face.
“Nothing.”
“Is this why you had to cancel your surgeries for the next few days?”
“They’re not canceled.”
“Rescheduled.”
He shook his head. “I was asked to consult on a patient in the ER. He was belligerent and kicked me in the ribs. No big deal.”
Stepping back, I glared at him. “That lie came out way too easily.”
“Gr—” He was cut off by the buzzing of the pager on his hip.
“I need to go anyway and prep a patient for surgery.” I abruptly moved around him and headed in the opposite direction down to the surgical floor to begin my work for the day. Stuffing the papers he gave me into the pocket of my scrubs, I pushed aside the fact that Jacob just blatantly lied to my face, after I revealed things about my past that I hadn’t shared with anyone else.
****
Jacob
She’s ignoring me.
I was reminded yet again as she swiftly passed me on her way to assist another doctor. We were both down in the ED, helping out due to the fact that there had been call outs. Today was supposed to be my day off, but when I couldn’t get Grace on the phone for the past two days, I chose to bring my ass down to the hospital where I knew she was working the night shift. That was when I was asked to stay and pitch in due to a number of car accidents as a result of stormy weather earlier in the day.
“Dr. Reynolds, can you take this one? He just needs stitches to the wound on his forehead.”
Without thinking, I snatched the X-rays from the head nurse of the ED and looked them over, evaluating whether her statement was correct or not. I quickly concluded that she was.
