My phone rings from across the morgue, and seeing as though I’m in the process of closing up, I hand my tools to the intern beside me. “Have at it,” I tell her, knowing Dr. McKullan will keep an eye on her, though it’s not as though she can kill the guy twice.
Dashing across the chilled morgue, I find my phone on my desk, and seeing Knight’s name across the screen, I turn to Dr. McKullan. “I’ve gotta take this,” I tell him. “Ten minutes.”
He nods, and I quickly answer the call before I miss it. “Hey, two seconds,” I say, slipping out of the morgue and into the quiet hallway where my conversation can’t be overheard by the whole morgue staff. They’re already too nosy and have been asking me questions about this mysterious new boyfriend who happens to have the pull to assign sexy SWAT team members to watch my every move. Naturally, they’re curious.
“Hey,” I say, letting him know I’m good to talk.
“How’re you doing, doll?” he asks, his tone low. “I hope you’re not pushing yourself too hard.”
“I’m fine,” I tell him as a stupid smile pulls across my lips, loving that he’s checking in on me like this. “Just like I was fine the day before, and the day before that.”
“Had no problems? Nothing out of place?”
“No, everything is right in the world. I haven’t been rushed into emergency surgery just yet.”
“Good,” he murmurs. “How’s Anders doing? I haven’t heard from him in a while.”
A laugh bubbles up my throat, and just as I go to respond, Anders barrels out the door, his hand clasped over his mouth as he sprints past me, and as he runs, I realize he’s covered head to toe in a cadaver’s stomach contents.
“He’s, ahhh . . . having a day,” I tell Knight. “I think you’re going to have to tap him out. He can’t quite hack the morgue lifestyle.”
“What’s wrong?” he chuckles. “Does he have a queasy stomach?”
“More like an exploding stomach,” I laugh to myself. “He hasn’t said anything. I think he’s too proud or doesn’t want to give you a reason not to trust him with this, and while it’s more than entertaining, this level of continuous throwing up couldn’t be good for him.”
“Shit. Okay. I’ll let him off the hook, but not before somebody takes his place.”
“I don’t know if it’s really necessary during day shift. There are people everywhere. It’s like a zoo in here. Elias won’t be able to get to me here.”
“I don’t care. I’m not taking the risk. I don’t want you defenseless.”
I scoff. “I’m hardly defenseless. I can dangle from a pull-up bar, you know?”
Knight laughs. “That you can, doll.”
I grin and go to make some cheesy response when the door of the morgue opens and the whole team of interns, admin, and assistants swarm the hallway, chatting among themselves. “Oh hey, Dr. Madden,” one of the young interns says. “We’re heading up for lunch. Did you want to join us? Perhaps bring that bodyguard of yours along.”
I gape at the group of women in shock. Lunch? They get lunch breaks? Shit. Back when I was just starting out, lunch breaks didn’t exist. I used to eat on the go, always wanting to get to the next thing, always wanting to learn something more. I was a sponge, always needing more, and nothing has changed.
“I’m okay,” I tell them. “Go on without me. I’m going to catch up on some of my reports.”
“Awwww,” I hear Knight say in my ear as the group of women heads toward the elevator, leaving me to my conversation. “Are you making friends already? And on your first day. What a clever girl.”
“I want to smack you.”
“Keep that attitude for when you get home.”
A sly grin creeps across my face as I swipe my access card and listen for the soft beep. “Oh, you can’t handle this attitude,” I tell him, shoving my hip against the door to make my way back inside. “I better go. I need to have a chat with Dr. McKullan about his taste in music.”
“Alright, doll. Stay safe.”
“Right back at ya,” I say before ending the call and stepping back inside the morgue, the sound of Dr. McKullan’s classical playlist the only sound I hear.
I make my way over to my desk as I slip my phone into my pocket, wanting to take advantage of the peace and quiet to work on the report from this morning’s autopsies, when a strange gurgling sound has my back stiffening.
I turn around and find Dr. McKullan across the morgue, directly facing me, his face ghostly white as he stands abnormally still. “Are . . . Are you alright?” I ask, taking a hesitant step toward him when a strange redness begins soaking through the front of his lab coat.
“Ru—run.”
