“What should I do?” Tom looked up at Cypress. “I want this to stop, I want it to be over, and I’m getting kinda scared.” A new stab of fear jolted his heart. “What if this is about the fluid? What if they come aftermenext?”
“Easy, easy. Let me think, okay?” Cypress paused to consider the question. “We should talk to Fox.”
“Ah, fuck—”
“He’s my friend, and I trust him,” Cypress insisted. “He’ll be fair, okay?”
“Even about the formaldehyde?” Tom could feel his anguish starting to stir up again. “I don’t want to lose my license—”
“We’re only gonna talk in hypotheticals, okay?” Cypress kissed him firmly. “That’s all.”
“Right now?” Tom grimaced.
“No. Right now, you’re gonna finish up whatever you need to, and then you’re coming home with me.”
“Wait, what?”
“Look, I failed to take care of you, and you’re still dropping. I don’t think you should be alone right now, and I think we still have a lot to talk about.” Cypress quirked a brow. “Like that eating peas shit you were rambling about?”
“Yeah, okay, right.” Tom tried to estimate how much longer he had to go in his head. “Maybe an hour of sewing? I can do the rest tomorrow.”
“Yeah, no. You’re also calling in sick tomorrow.”
“No way,” Tom huffed. “I can’t just call in.”
“Can’t someone else cover for you?” Cypress huffed back dramatically. “You need to rest, and we are gonna need to go talk to Fox, you know.”
Tom made a face. He hadn’t called out in years, and he knew he had plenty of sick time he could use. “Look, I’ve still gotta come in to finish Mr. Lundy, so like, what if I took a half-day?”
“Fine.” Cypress smirked. “Stubborn ass.”
Tom smiled.
“Go on. Do your fuckin’ thing. Pick up the little man-eater and come over as soon as you’re done.” Cypress reached out to hold Tom’s chin firmly. “Got it?”
“Yes, sir,” Tom said, his eyes fluttering at the stern way Cypress spoke. Maybe it wasn’t intentional but being ordered around like that was still hot.
“Good boy.” Cypress kissed him and gave him a big hug. “Mm, I’ll see you soon.”
“Thank you,” Tom said, hugging him back tight.
“I’m glad you called.” Cypress rubbed his back. “We’ll get this shit figured out. Can’t be dating a criminal, you know.”
“So you’ve said.” Tom smiled. “Does this mean…?”
“There you go, trying to run before you crawl again.”
“That’s not a no.”
“We still have a lot to talk about,” Cypress reminded him, but he was still smiling. “Okay?”
“Okay.” Tom decided he could live with that for now and waved as Cypress left. He let out a big sigh of relief and marched back to the prep room with a renewed sense of determination.
What he was going through was normal, and there wasn’t anything wrong with him.
Well, other than being fairly sure that his ex was a murderer.
Tom kept the memory of Cypress’s voice with him as he got back into his gear to finish sewing up Mr. Lundy’s scalp. Some of the damage ran down into Mr. Lundy’s forehead, and Tom switched to a smaller needle and dental floss to suture that area.
