Hearts Aligned

Chapter 3

Chris

As I drove to the hospital, my irritation of having to deal with Josh grew exponentially. Last Spring, Alex and I had been approached to see if we were willing to take on a couple of high school students who were enrolled in the work-study program at a local school. They were kids who took basic graduation courses in the morning and then had some hands-on experience in one of several real-world jobs. The first crew of three kids had done so well, we decided to continue this Fall.

But this time, one of the kids, Josh, came in with a real attitude. I could tell he was intelligent and was fast to catch on to anything to which he was exposed, but he always thought he knew more, could find a faster way to do things, and in general had a chip on his shoulder toward anyone of authority. I'd assigned him to Fred, the 'grandfather' of the group knowing he had a way of making people feel comfortable while maintaining his role of leadership. But even he hadn't gotten through to this kid. I'd pulled Josh into my office more than once to remind him that being here was a privilege which could easily be taken away if he didn't get his act together. Just two weeks ago I put him on probation and gave him his final warning. I saw some fear in his eyes, but he remained sullen and kept his arms crossed defiantly. Despite that, things seemed to get better. Until today. Today was a teacher workday, so we invited the kids to spend the entire day with us. Two out of three opted in, and surprisingly, Josh was one of them. Unfortunately, I wasn't surprised it was his name Fred brought up.

I wasn't a total jackass. I was concerned about Josh's condition, but once I ascertained that he wasn't badly hurt, I'd allowed the anger to creep in. He'd cost the company time and money, all because of his carelessness. I was a believer in second chances, but he'd used up his second already, and his third and even a fourth. I hated being the bad guy, but I steeled myself to let him know he wasn't going to get a good evaluation from me, and I'd be calling his supervising teacher to find something else for him to do.

So caught up in my anger, I almost missed the entrance to the hospital emergency room and had to hit the brakes hard, causing the car behind me to honk its horn as it swerved around me. I lifted my hand in apology only to have it replied with a middle finger.

Nice. And I was here to remind a kid about paying attention. Once parked, I took a few minutes to draw some deep breaths. Tempers were never helpful in this situation, and since I suspected I'd be dealing with Josh's, I needed to calm my own.

By the time I strode through the lobby door, I felt in control again. Almost. The second the antiseptic smell hit my nostrils, I felt sick. I hated hospitals. I'd identified my parents' bodies in one. I'd held my sister's hand as she lay unconscious after a terrible accident, then once again when I'd visited my friend Jen after she'd been viciously attacked. It had been all I could do to visit when my nieces had been born, but at least I hadn't had to pass through the emergency room then.

"Sir?" The nurse's voice brought me back to the present.

"I'm Chris Matthews. I'm here about Josh Daniels. I'm his work supervisor, and I have medical authority for him until his parents can be contacted." I showed her the signed forms that our secretary had shoved into my hands as I left. Thank goodness for Delia, or I'd have wasted my time in coming.

The nurse scanned the form, made a copy, and handed it back. "Right this way. His guardian hasn't been reached, yet." She directed me to come through a door and lead me to a small room. Pushing the door open, I saw Josh sitting up on the hospital bed holding an ice pack to the side of his face. He grimaced when he saw me, and I could feel the nervousness rolling off him.

Someone tall in a white medical coat swung toward me as I walked in.

"Chris? What are you doing here?"

"Tyler." I nodded in greeting at my other best friend whom I'd temporarily forgotten was an ER doc. "Josh is one of my interns. I'm responsible until someone from his family can get here." Tyler nodded and returned his attention to sewing up what looked like about a three-inch jagged cut on Josh's forearm.

"No need to call anyone else," Josh's sullen voice said. "I'll be fine. I can get home on my own."

Tyler glanced up at his patient. "You eighteen, yet?"

Josh started to nod but looked at Tyler's raised eyebrows, and his cockiness deflated. He shook his head.

"Then, for now, you're his responsibility until your parents get here," Tyler said.

"Ain't got no parents," Josh muttered. I flash of pain crossed his features, but whether it was from his injuries or his statement, I couldn't be sure. But it was enough to thaw my icy demeanor. No wonder the kid seemed so angry. No parents meant he was maybe in the foster system, and while I had no personal experience with it, the stories I'd heard were usually not great. I was curious to see who, if anyone, cared enough to meet him at the hospital. Josh's slumped shoulders did nothing to alleviate my concern.

Tyler's concerned expression matched mine, but he remained silent and finished his last stitch. "You're all set. I'm going to find a nurse who will finish putting some ointment and a bandage on this. I'll work on your paperwork." He squeezed Josh's shoulder. "Try to be more careful next time, okay?" Tyler nodded at me. "I'll see you later?"

I nodded, and Tyler left the room.

I'd come here prepared to tell him he didn't need to bother showing up tomorrow, but I sensed Josh was waiting for someone else to let him down. I shoved my hands in my pockets and blew out a breath. "Are you okay?"

He shrugged. "Guess so."

"Want to tell me what happened?"

Another shrug. "Tripped." He looked intently at a tile on the floor.

My fingers clenched in my pockets, but I managed to continue to speak patiently. "I remember being your age. Seems like overnight I grew several inches and my feet just couldn't manage the extra height. Got a little clumsy myself for awhile, but it all worked itself out. The important thing is you weren't injured worse than you are, but I'm sorry you got hurt at all."

A flicker of surprise flashed across his face, and his shoulders relaxed a little. "I—"

"Joshua?" A loud, feminine voice rang from the common area outside his room.

The young man startled as the door to his room swung open. He glanced up at the woman who flew to his side before quickly looking away, a mask of indifference falling into place by the time she reached him. A waft of soft jasmine reached my nose, and my mind immediately reacted to it, falling back to a time when I used to bury my nose into a supple neck or soft cleavage just to breathe in that scent.

She reached out to my intern, who flinched and jerked his head out of her hand, and I could see her body stiffen in reaction. One hand rested on her hip while the other reached back to smooth a ponytail of red hair. Her back was to me, and her curves were nearly hidden underneath the shapeless pink scrubs she was wearing, her hair was straighter than it used to be, but I was so familiar with that nervous movement I'd recognize it anywhere.

"Lissa?"