The eye contact barely lasts a second before Eli drops his gaze back to his hands. Finn notices, and a brief frown hits his face before replacing it with a smile. He grabs Eli’s hand as Deck asks Eli,
“What do you do for a job? Lawyer, bartender, Doc, Nurse, Undertaker?”
Eli’s head snapped up. This time, he keeps eye contact with Deck a little longer, frowns, and then looks again at his hands. “Nurse.”
Deck nods, “Good.”
Eli looks at Deck, then at Finn, then back at Deck. “Why?” His confusion is written across every line of his body. It makes something protective rise in me again.
Deck grins and says proudly,
“Because, Eli, I’ve taken three bullets and survived two stabbings, and I like the idea of having someone on call.”
He grins at Finn, “And he can’t stitch for shit.”
I catch as Finn’s face goes tight and a small smile appears on Eli’s lips.
Finn stands. “Fuck you, Lumberjack.”
Deck grins, and Finn sighs loudly, crosses his arms, and scowls at Deck.
“That kinda sounds like a solid reason not to give up your day job,” Eli says quietly.
Deck throws his head back and laughs. Finn giggles with Eli, then looks at Deck, and then I watch as Finn’s expression softens.
What the fuck was that?
Deck looks at Eli. “Do you know how useful a nurse around here is?”
“I’d assume, reasonably useful?”
“You’re hired.”
Deck straightens, causing Eli to blink at him.
“I’m sorry, I’m what? And how the hell did you know I was a nurse?”
Deck shrugs, “No reason, just threw it out there. Who would have thought I would have such great instincts? And I know, Eli, you are a good one.” Then he turns and walks away, leaving Eli staring after him in disbelief.
Finn has Eli set up at the empty desk beside him. He gives him a few tasks, and throughout the morning I catch Eli completely absorbed in his work.
By midday, Finn had somehow convinced Eli to go to the Lunch Shack on the corner. I’d asked Eli to lunch, but he politely turned it down, and now he’s walking out with Finn. No idea how that happened.
Eli and Finn returned later and settled back at their desks. I head to the kitchen to grab coffee and take the long route through the office, definitely not trying to pass the - nope, not at all. As I approach, I overhear Finn,
“He does this. CJ. He adopts people.”
I stopped beside them. “I heard that.”
“Good, it’s accurate.”
I stare at him. “Finn.”
“Yeah?”
“Run.”
Finn grins. “What, like that’s a threat?”
