It's the day after surgery and you're wheelchair bound until the grafts heal. It's too soon to drive after an anesthetic and you're waiting for Jaycee to collect you when your cell phone rings. You notice the Chicago number and presume it's someone from county phoning to confirm that you will not be returning to the residency program.
"Ray Barnett!"
"Ray, its Neela, please don't hang up."
"N…Neela, Hi! I'm not going to hang up."
"Oh?"
"Its good to hear from you." And you mean it. You're sorry you've left it so long. You figure Greg must have told her he had spoken to you.
"Really?"
"Really. How are you?"
There's silence. Then you hear her clear her throat.
"N…not good." You hear a deep shuddering sigh and your stomach lurches.
"Neela, what's up?"
"Something awful has happened. I … I just thought you should know."
Your heart is in your throat. She's sobbing the other end of the phone.
"Neela…?"
"Greg's dead."
"W…what?! I just spoke to him yesterday. What happened?"
"An explosion, in an ambulance."
"Christ." For an instant, you wanted to know if he was in one piece but you shook off the thought.
"We thought at first he just had a broken jaw, but… but, we lost him."
"God Neela…" you can't say any more.
"I… I'm phoning from the surgeons lounge. I just wanted to tell you before I went home."
"When did it happen?"
"This morning."
"Are you alright, you weren't hurt?"
"No. I wasn't there. Abby has a broken wrist but nobody else you know was hurt. The ambulance had left the ambulance bay and was on the street."
"I don't know what to say. I just spoke to him yesterday. He seemed so happy."
"He just got appointed ER chief."
"He was appointed, God what a waste?"
"Look, I'd better go."
"Are you heading home?"
"Yes."
"I'll phone later to check how you are. Can you tell everybody I was asking for them?"
"OK Ray."
"Neela, thanks for phoning to let me know. We'll talk later."
God, what a shock?
Details of his phone conversation pop into your head and you remember him saying 'You never know what's round the corner.'
You knew only too well the brutal truth of that statement.