Getting back to "Normal" | Rhekker

Chapter 62- Message

Connor woke early that morning, his arm reaching out to the right side of the mattress as he lay on his side. Connor pushed up from the mattress, he briefly glanced back to the empty side before forcing himself out of bed.

He made himself an extra strong latte that he drank on the way to work, rubbing his eyes as he passed the streets of Chicago. He went into the hospital, putting his things into his locker before taking his first case.

Connors phone buzzed in his pocket as he stood at the nurses station.

Unknown
James; Minor, but not minor. I would say one thing, but you would say different. Good luck moving (•\\\)>

Connor knitted his brows as he read the text over and over again. He stared at the number, unable to regosinse it from memory. He excused himself and took himself outside to ring the number, pacing around outside the ED entrance.

"The number you are trying to reach is no longer in service"

Connor was even more confused by the message.

To: Unknown

❗️Not Delivered
You
Sorry, I think you have the wrong number

He shook his head and put his phone away, headed back into the hospital. He ran a hand through his hair and stepped up to nurses station.
"Got anything for me, Maggie?" He asked, running a hand over his beard.
"Yeah, this" she pulled a coffee cup from under her desk.
"Drink it and then take T2. People want doctors who look like they've slept in the three weeks"
"Thanks for that Mags" Connor smiled, taking the cup and headed over to T2.

"Hello, Miss..." Connor looked up, catching sight of her long blonde hair, brown eyes and bright smile.
"Pritchett" she said.
"Pardon?"
"Miss Amanda Pritchett, and you are?" She smiled awkwardly.
"I'm Dr. Rhodes, my apologies, I thought you were an old friend of mine" Connor say down on the stool, forcing himself not to stare.
"And what brought you in today?" He asked, flicking through her chart.
"I've been having some chest pains, they've been pretty persistent, I figured I should come in"
"Always the best thing to do for chest pains" Connor agreed, "first thing they teach you in Med school"
"I'm just going to take a listen to your heart and then we'll go from there" Connor told her, taking out his stethoscope.
Connor focused on his work and listened closely to her heart.
"Okey Mrs Pritchett, I would like to take a closer look at your heart just to rule a few things out"  Connor put his stethoscope back into his pocket.
"Should I be worried?" She asked, adjusting her blouse.
"No, I just want to get a better idea of what's going on" he assured her.
"Ah, thank you doctor" Amanda gave him a wide smile.

Connor excused himself and left the bay, moving to the nurses station.
"Hey man" Will came up to him.
"How's your patient in T2?"
"Uh, yeah she's fine" Connor typed up his notes.
"You think you could take a look at mine in T7. I want a second opinion"
"Yeah, no problem" he agreed and moved to turn away.
"Wait Will" Connor caught his arm.
"You the way police can track phones?" He said in a lowered tone.
"Yeah?"
"Can they do that with out of service numbers?" Connor asked.
"Yeah, I think so? I'll have to ask Jay"
"Why do you ask?" Will gave him a strange look.
"I've just been getting some weird calls, that's all. What'd to know where they were coming from" he explained.
"Okey, I get that. If you give him a call, maybe by him a beer I'm sure he'll be happy to do it"
"Yeah, thanks. Now tell me about this patient in T7" Connor smiled getting back to work, the text message lingering in the back of his head.

*

Connor came back to the apartment after his shift, feeling better then he had one previous days. He put some clean dishes away and started on a dinner form himself of pasta and meatballs. Connor ate alone at his diner table while looking out into the Chicago night. The dryer in his utility room flashed to let him know it was done. Connor took out the warm laundry and folded it before bringing into his room. It was all his clothes, any of Ava's remaining dirty clothes had been filtered out weeks ago. Connor went to hang up a pair of jeans in their shared wardrobe only to find he was a hanger short. He placed the jeans on the bed and went across the hall to the guest room to borrow some from there.