The Curiosities Concerning Fate

∷ Chapter 10 ∷

PARKER WAINWRIGHT CLIMBED into his Sedan and tossed the folder onto the passenger seat next to him. He exhaled in veritable annoyance, the feeling increasing at the thought of the person who put him up to this in the first place. He couldn't begin to fathom what Sebastian must be thinking, asking for a favour like this seemingly out of nowhere.

Speak of the devil, his phone started ringing, a glance at the caller ID confirming it was Sebastian himself; no doubt calling to check on the favour he'd ask.

"Yes?" Parker said, keeping his manner brusque.

"How are things?" Sebastian asked, just as he'd predicted.

"The girl left a while ago. I'm pretty sure she's headed for Faith Hill."

Sebastian hummed in acknowledgement, trying his best to rein in his glee at the prospect of things going according to plan.

"And you gave her my card?"

"I did exactly what you told me to," Parker said, reaching for the folder and pulling out the letter of intent. "Are you seriously going through with this? You asked me to state Adine Griffith as the addressee, but she's not even the owner."

"It doesn't matter. I needed to get the message across and it's working."

"And the letter of intent? What do you want me to do with it?"

"Change the addressees," Sebastian instructed.

Frowning, he said, "Buying this establishment is a financial disaster and a very bad investment. I must advise against it."

"I don't recall asking for your opinion. I paid you to draft a letter of intent, which means I'm very serious about this. You should know by now I'm not the kind of person who enjoys joking around."

"I thought I was doing you a favour," Parker replied, feeling more than a little conflicted.

"I don't pay people to do me favours, Parker. You're my attorney, so the least you can do is act like one."

It was silent for a few seconds before Parker responded in a tight voice, "I'll be in touch once the new letter has been drafted."

The call ended with an abrupt click, leaving Sebastian partially annoyed as he listened to the incessant beeping.

"What's his problem?" he mumbled, just as a nurse burst through the door after a brief knock.

"A hiker was brought in—"

Sebastian was out of his chair in a second, moving past her as she hurried to catch up to him.

"He hit his head when he fell. Suspected concussion with possible signs of broken bones in both legs. He's unconscious and losing a lot of blood. Oxygen levels are down to sixty."

Sebastian pulled on a pair of latex gloves, pushing his way past the others to examine the bleeding cut at the back of the hiker's head. Without looking up, he said, "X-rays."

One of the attending interns reached for the remote next to the medical tray and adjusted the hanging monitor, the hiker's x-rays now displayed onscreen.

Turning to the nurse standing opposite him, Sebastian said, "Get me Dr Devon from Trauma. Bring him up to speed and tell him the patient is unconscious with a blunt force trauma to the back of the head."

"Right away," the nurse said.

Sebastian shifted his focus to the requested x-rays, surveying the results with a cursory glance. He gestured towards the hiker's legs and said to the intern, "It's a stable fracture. I need you to begin reduction and position the bones back in place."