Two Months Later.
I stepped into the airport at Mobile, and never had I once felt happier. I was finally home; New York was just a rest stop into reality. I saw Lavon standing near my bags; he must've picked them up already.
I could feel my smile grow as I ran as fast as my heels would let me, jumping into his arms. My best friend. "How many bags did you want?" He asked as he put me down.
"A girl can never have too many shoes." I simply stated. Now looking at my four packed to the brim bags I realised most of it could've gone to charity or something.
"No bags or ten thousand bags, Lavon Hayes is happy to have his best friend home again," He stood there for a bit, like he was waiting.
"What are you waiting for? I've got patients to see!" I said overly excited.
"What about Joel?" Lavon asked.
Damn it! I had been so busy these past two months that I had rarely spoken with Lavon only to tell him about my flight details and of course I didn't mention anything to Lavon about Joel. "Long story short, it's just me. Sorry to disappoint!" I exclaimed whilst throwing my arms up.
"Lavon Hayes wants to hear every single detail, it's a half hour ride back to Bluebell" I sighed, this story was going to be told so many times over the next couple of days.
Fifteen minutes into the trip and I still couldn't pluck up the courage to tell Lavon what had happened.
"So I'm guessing Joel found out about you and Wade?" He questioned.
I looked out the window of the navigator; it was scary how well he knew me. "Yeah, I caved in two weeks after I got back, it was wrong of me to keep it from him that long but deep down I thought I was doing the right thing, I really wanted to make it work, he was perfect for me,"
"On paper…" Lavon replied.
"Huh?"
"He ticked your list of wants and needs in a guy, he was from the same world as you, he had the same morals, he was predictable,"
"Hey!" I scolded.
"It's true Big Z! You like the sort of guys that know what their next step is, you want to know you can be looked after," He had a point I had to admit. "However, whether you want to admit it or not, he isn't reality perfect, reality perfect is the complete opposite."
I didn't know what to say he had hit the nail right on the head. "Lavon, I can't be with Wade, he hurt me," I said in a whisper.
"HA! I knew it!" Lavon said overly loud. "I knew you still loved him"
Once again I had ratted myself out but no matter how much I wanted to be with Wade, I just couldn't. "Lavon, please you know that's not true," I tried to deny it.
"No there is no fooling Lavon Hayes!"
"But we can't have anything real because we are both messed up!"
"And how ya'll messed up?"
"We fight, then make up, then fight and fight a bit more and then we make up, but wait there's another fight and that leads him to cheating on me!" I said, and once again I felt like crying. What was happening to me, lately I was an emotional rollercoaster.
"Look Zoe, Lavon Hayes isn't saying jump back into the relationship with him, but maybe take it slow, you know a few dates and see where it takes you, wipe the palette clean,"
It had been a couple of days since I came back to Bluebell and everything was running smoothly, well if I meant smoothly by avoiding Wade then yes everything was running as smooth as possible. I didn't know if Lavon had talked to Wade and told him to leave me alone whilst I settled back into the carriage house.
But now was the time to talk to him, I couldn't put it off any longer, plus I had a craving for some the Rammer Jammer's special fried chicken. Wait hold that thought since when did I ever like fried chicken?
I spotted him cleaning glasses behind the bar. "I like all the touches you've made to the place." I commented whilst taking a seat at the bar.
He looked around the place. "I was wondering when I was going to see you again, you know to play me again," He said spitefully.
I nodded, I probably deserved it. "Look Wade, I am genuinely sorry about that, it caught me off guard, I was in a relationship with another man. But that is the past." I paused; suddenly I didn't feel too well. "I thought that I could go to New York for the summer and forget about you because you hurt me so much, and when I found Joel that made me realise that there were guys out there that could give me a lot more than you could. Although as I got to know Joel more, I couldn't just be with him without comparing him to you, it was horrible and I thought if I slept with you I would be to be able to get you out of my system but that wasn't the case." I looked up at him. He wore a shocked expression.
"So what I came here to say was that there is no denying I like you Wade, but I just can't let myself be put into a position of hurt again or to hurt you again. Therefore I wanted to know if you'd like to take things slow, you know a few dates see what happens..."
His face softened upon my request. "I suppose we could see what happens," he smirked at me. I could feel my stomach flutter; again my life was starting to get back on track.
"I'll see you later!" I called after him.
I was coming back to the carriage house, when I heard a muffled sound coming from the direction of the gate house. I knew it wasn't Wade because I had just left him. As I got closer I noticed crazy Earl writhing on the floor in obvious pain.
"Earl?" I screamed as I dropped my bag next him. He was clutching his chest tightly. "Talk to me, what's happening?" I asked him slowly and loudly.
"My chest hurts!" He exclaimed.
"Okay, I'm going to help you Earl, I promise!" I tried to res-assure him. I swiped my phone from my back pocket and dialled for an ambulance. I couldn't believe my luck.
I walked through the ER doors of Mobile Hospital, stethoscope firmly against Earl's chest. This was probably the most surreal moment of my life. A couple of the Nurses approached me. "Suspected heart failure possibly due to drinking, his showing symptoms of Cardiomyopathy."
I pointed to one of the nurses. "I need you to organise a chest x-ray, ECG and a Cardiac catheterization, I will also need blood tests determine the amount of alcohol in his system in case surgery is needed."
"Dr Reynolds, what's the suspected prognosis?" I was asked.
"Dr Zoe Hart, and I suspect Cardiomyopathy, he is known for his fondness of alcohol but I wouldn't rule out heart attack."
"Thankyou for your efforts Dr Hart, I can take it from here." He said politely, ushering me out of the makeshift room.
"But I'm doing a general cardio fellowship, I can assist!" I proclaimed.
"You don't start till next week, you don't have privileges as of yet, so if you would could you please step out of the room," he said a little more firm this time.
I sighed and slumped into the waiting room.
Next:
- Zoe feels terrible she can't assist Earl
-Zoe struggles with a problem of her own
