Hurricane

Chapter 6

The group lounged around Naveen's living room, basking in the dry warmth of the fire. Becca sat in Elijah's empty wheelchair, attempting to do some tricks to pass her time. Elijah was on the sofa, a comic draped over his lap as he desperately tried to convince Naveen to add more money to enhance the cafeteria's offerings, as "the food tastes like dried saltwater". Sienna was in the armchair, her body laying horizontally over the seat and her head hanging on the armrest looking through her phone. Ethan was alone on the loveseat just woefully sipping on his whiskey, and ignoring everyone as he continued to enjoy the book from earlier.

"I'm bored," Becca huffed.

Naveen's ears perked up, turning to his grandmentee. "How shall we pass the time?" he asked, delighted to change the subject from hospital budgetary needs.

"I'm up for anything," Sienna said in a bubbly voice.

"Anyone want to have a chess tournament?" Elijah suggested, eyeing the old wooden set that sat on a distant bookshelf.

"Excellent idea!" Naveen agreed, getting up excitedly to grab the chess game.

Ethan sat in a chair by the window with the most light, a book in hand and had not paid attention to his companions for the better part of the last few hours. When he felt the air in the room shift, he tore his eyes from the page to see everyone's change of position.

His eyes darted right to Becca slumped over and picking at her fingernails. In truth, Ethan hadn't been able to absorb the contents of the literature, his mind kept conjuring up all the things they could be doing to pass the time if they were alone. Plaguing his thoughts and core was the need to talk. But how could they escape with three sets of prying eyes?

"Would anyone like a glass of wine?" Ethan asked, swirling around the last drop of whiskey that was left in his glass.

An array of 'yes' and 'please' erupted from the group. Ethan did his best to shoot her a look, egging her to accompany him into the kitchen.

She was too lost in her own thoughts to notice the subtlety.

Across the room Naveen began setting up at the dining table as Elijah wheeled dutifully next to him. That's when Becca deviously crinkled her brows.

"Naveen, do you have a pack of cards?" she exclaimed, an idea ringing in her head.

The chief was too enthralled with setting up the imminent chess game to look over at her. He waved, "Check the drawers of the end and coffee tables, should be somewhere in here."

Pulling open all the draws and rifling through three of them until she got to the coffee table.

Ethan dawdled in the kitchen long enough to pour five large glasses of wine. When Becca's lovely cheer reached his ear, he was sure she chose not to meet him.

"Found one!" Becca waved the pack victoriously at Sienna, who had moved to sit on the floor across from her best friend. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" she wiggled her brows.

Carefully and quietly Ethan set two crystal glasses on the table next to the girls just as Sienna matched Becca's devious smile, "Oh yes!"

"Even number truths, odd numbers are dares." Becca recited the rules as she mindlessly shuffled the deck. "If you want to pass, you chug for 5 seconds."

"Deal." Sienna reached for the wine happily, "I'll go first."

Sienna draws a ten of diamonds.

"Truth."

Without a second of consideration Becca asked a question her entire group of friends have been debating since intern year. "Tell me about Danny - is he the one?"