“Why wouldn’t I?” he snapped. “I’m not gay if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That wasn’t what I was asking at all. I have a number of male friends who are nurses and some of the best I know. My brothers and I are trained medics. It was just a question.”
“Geez, Morris, what’s up with you?” asked Jeannie.
“Nothing. Nothing is up with me. I wanted to go into nursing because the pay is good and I can find work anywhere.”
“You don’t want to help people? Specialize in something?” asked Robin, one of the students.
“Oh, I-I didn’t think of that. Yeah, I suppose I do.”
“Brother, that’s the strangest answer I’ve ever heard,” laughed Quinn. “Any nurse I know, their normal response to that question is that they want to help people, not make money.”
“Well, we’re all different,” he said taking the last bite of his po’boy. “I’m gonna head out. I’ll see you guys Friday.” Without another word he left the group and headed outside. Only Finn and Willa noticed that River slowly followed him.
“God, he gets more strange by the day,” said Weil. Another male nursing student, he found Morris to be abrupt and a bit on the creepy side. He rarely communicated with the others and never joined in with the study circles. He just seemed out of place.
“He’s definitely got a problem with you having a fiancé,” said Jeannie.
“Well, that’s too bad,” said Willa. “He has no say in who I date, become engaged to, or marry. I barely know him.”
“None of us really knows him,” said Weil. “He just sort of appeared one day claiming he was a transfer student. I’m not so sure.”
“He does fairly well on the exams,” said Jeannie. “Not the best but also not the worst.”
Quinn and Finn took the entire conversation in, letting it record to their comms so they could ask AJ or Hiro to double-check on him when they returned. Willa tapped Finn’s leg and stood from her seat.
“Thank you guys for inviting me. I’ll see you Friday,” she said with a smile.
“See ‘ya, Willa,” they called back, slowly dispersing as well.
“I’ll drive you back,” said Finn helping her into her car. He stepped around to the trunk where River was waiting for him and frowned. “Well?”
“Fucker is weird as shit,” he frowned. “Acted like I was getting something out of our car and he yelled at me. Asked if I was following him. I started to walk toward him to have a conversation and he jumped in his car and drove away. I sent the plate to Hiro.”
“Following him? What the fuck is this guy’s problem?” River shook his head and then looked up at Finn.
“I’m not sure but I know he has one.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Did you get it all?” asked Quinn walking into comms. Hiro stared at him with a strange expression. “Right. Of course, you got it all. What do we know about this guy?”
“He transferred to Tulane Nursing for the master’s program from the University of Arkansas.”
“Arkansas? He didn’t have a southern accent at all,” said Finn.
“His transcript says he was born in Conway, Arkansas, north of Little Rock. I’m still trying to find a driver’s license or something that will confirm his identification. I can’t find a photo from high school, which worries me a little.”
“He was seriously spooked by us being there, and pissed off,” said River.
“It was weird because it didn’t look like he was trying to make a move on Willa but then again, we were there. It was just odd behavior all the way around,” said Finn.
“Just give me some time and I’ll find something. Everyone has a photo somewhere. I’m trying to get into his social media accounts now but they’re locked up pretty tight. Again, very odd.”
“Thanks, Hiro,” said Finn. “I appreciate the extra effort.”
“When it’s one of ours, always,” he smiled.
