Page 75 of The Callahan Effect

"We mean it, Jack."

***

Shortly after six o'clock, Dr. Caroline Juneau arrived with two residents and one of the ICU nurses.

She carried out a thorough neurological examination, checked Mason's pupils and reflexes, asked him a series of orientation questions, then carefully inspected the surgical dressing beneath the edge of the hospital gown before reviewing the overnight observations on the electronic chart.

"I'm happy with your progress," she said. "The concussion is behaving exactly as I'd expect, and your hip repair looks good. I'd like to keep you in the hospital for another couple of days, but I don't see any reason you can't leave intensive care this morning."

Richard let out a slow breath beside me.

"So he'll be moved upstairs?"

Dr. Juneau answered, "A private room has already been arranged."

Orderlies arrived a few minutes later with a transport bed while the nurse disconnected several monitors in preparation for the transfer.

As staff worked around Mason, Dr. Juneau caught my eye from where she stood off to the side.

"Jack."

I stepped closer.

She lowered her voice in an attempt to ensure no one else would hear.

"Have you given the thyroplasty we discussed any more thought? It's been months and Dr. Kershaw has been expecting you to make an appointment."

My body tensed and when I snapped my eyes to Mason, he gave me a strange look.

"Thyro...what?" Mason asked.

The question hung in the air but before I was forced to answer, one of the orderlies smiled apologetically.

"We're ready to move him."

The moment disappeared as the team transferred Mason carefully onto the transport bed.

I walked beside him all the way.

***

Less than twenty minutes after we'd settled Mason into his private room, a light knock sounded at the door.

I turned around to find Corey standing in the doorway, a backpack slung over one shoulder, exhaustion written across his face after traveling through the night from Florida.

For several long seconds he simply stared at Mason.

Then his eyes found mine and without a word, he stepped into the room.

Chapter Twelve

MASON

The silence that settled over the room after Corey stepped inside felt heavier than anything I'd experienced since waking up. I'd played our conversation over in my mind a hundred different ways over the previous weeks, yet none of them prepared me for seeing my oldest friend standing only a few feet away looking as though he'd aged years since we'd last spoken.

He looked exhausted.

The overnight flight he must have caught from Florida showed plainly in the dark circles beneath his eyes, the creases in the clothes he'd clearly slept in, and the backpack still hanging from one shoulder as though he'd come straight from the airport without stopping anywhere else. He didn't say anything immediately. Neither did I. We simply held each other's gaze across the room, each of us remembering the last conversation we'd shared and the painful silence that had followed.