I glance over, seeing Alex collecting the cans from the street and heading to the bike to repack the bags.
I gently pull the guy’s hand from his head, noting that it’s scraped but not bleeding. Good, one less thing to worry about.
I grab my phone, flicking my finger over the screen and turning on the flashlight. It’s not my normal penlight but it works. I use it to check his eyes, noting that his pupils respond as they should to the light.
It’s still so soon after the hit though, so he isn’t clear yet. But I’ll keep it in mind.
“What’s four plus ten?” I ask, turning the flashlight back off and sticking my phone back in my pocket.
“What?” His brow perks with confusion.
“What’s four plus ten?” I repeat the question.
“Fourteen,” he says though it sounds like a question in response.
“And what’s the third planet from the sun?”
“Earth?” he huffs, starting to sound irritated.
“Do you live with anyone? Girlfriend? Family? Roommate?”
“I have a roommate.”
“Good,” I say, looking up to see Alex has the guy’s bike propped up with the repacked bags tied to the handlebars. I turn my eyes back to the guy. “Go home, tell your roommate what happened-”
“Why?” he interrupts me. “So he can laugh at me?”
“No,” my eyes narrow slightly at his snark. “So he’ll look out for any changes in you that would indicate a concussion. You’re clear of one now but it just happened. Concussion symptoms don’t always start immediately.”
“Oh,” he digresses, the snark long gone. “Uh, okay. I will. What are you, a doctor or something?”
“Paramedic,” I say simply. “Off duty.”
I help him to his feet, making sure he’s steady, and he takes his bike from Alex with a murmured “thanks” before heading off.
“And quit biking like you’ve got a death wish,” Alex calls out after the guy.
“You do that often?” Alex asks casually as we watch the guy ride off, slipping around Mason at the other end of the street. The red head is now heading our way.
“Stumble upon injured civilians and tend to them on the sidewalk?” I glance up at Alex. “Comes with the territory.”
He watches me for a moment, something unreadable in his expression. “You didn’t hesitate.”
I shrug lightly. “It’s what I do. Something tells me you’re the same way with danger.”
His brows tip up momentarily. “You’ve got a point there.”
“I guess we’re both just bad at minding our own business.”
His gaze lingers on me like he knows that’s not the whole truth. “Other people’s businessismy business.”
He glances down the street again, and my eyes follow. Mason is closer, waving brightly now.
It strikes me just how different these two are: Mason shows exactly what he’s feeling and how intensely at everymoment while I need to almost decipher Alex’s emotions with a magnifying glass.
I glance back down the street, past Mason and down towards that old warehouse. It’s shadows seem darker today, like they’re just a little too deep, even in the daylight.
“This neighborhood…” I start, then huff out a quiet breath. “Sorry it’s not exactly the safest part of town. I got a great deal on the rent, but I’m pretty sure my neighbors are all either drug dealers or ghosts.” I gesture vaguely down the block. “That warehouse’s been empty since I moved in a few years ago.”
