Page 9 of A Whisper of Cinders

“It didn’t make me ugly now did it, Maily?”

I don’t know how to answer that so I roll my eyes and continue cleaning up, earning me a soft laugh that does funny things to my insides.

I just finished registering everything about Noah’s incident when he walks outside of the examination room, cold pack in hand.

“Thank you for your kind services. You…brightened up my day when I needed it most.”

My cheeks burn instantly. For a second, I can’t think of a single coherent thing to say. “Glad to be of service,” I manage. “Oh, your shirt is stained. There are clean ones in the cupboard, if you want to change.”

“Appreciate it,” he says, glancing down like he’s only now realising the state he’s in. His shirt looks worse than he does.

He steps over to the supply cabinet, pulls the door open, and grabs a fresh shirt from the stack. Then, without a second thought, he peels the ruined one off.

I don’t mean to look. I really don’t.

But I do.

And for a moment, I forget how my lungs work.

His chest and stomach are marked here and there with old scars, but otherwise he’s lean, strong. No one here looks like that. We’re all worn down, tired. As if we lived a thousand lives.

Not him. Not even close.

I quickly turn back towards my paperwork, pretending I’m very busy writing, but my thoughts are racing. Men don’t normally undress in front of me, I shouldn’t be this impressed. But I am.

“I’ll be sure to come back,” he says behind me, tugging the clean shirt over his head, “If anything…starts bleeding again.” I hear the grin in his voice. When I turn, he’s already heading for the door. “See you later,” he adds with a wink.

I give him a small wave, paired with what I hope is a composed, professional smile. But the moment he exits the infirmary, I melt into the nearest chair.

Where in the world did that come from?

That was flirting…right? It had to be. I mean, he’s always been polite, sure, but he’s never tried to…get close or talk to me.

Strange.

Very strange.

I definitely need to ask Ami about this.

A door opening breaks my line of thought, and Doctor Herbert exits the examination room. Being so busy today almost made me forget what happened this morning.

“Can I see her?”

“Of course, come in.”

I walk past Doctor Herbert and take in Leanne. If I didn't know any better, I would say she was sleeping. A heavy feeling settles in my bones. Yesterday she was full of life, and now… “She looks…peaceful.”

The Doctor stands on the other side of the table, looking down at her. “Fortunately, I don’t see many deaths here, but it is part of my job as a doctor.”

“What will you do with her now?”

“Her family will be contacted, they can choose if they want to see her one last time so they can bring her to her final resting place.”

I sometimes forget I am one of the few here who doesn’t have a family that cares for her. Her parents have now lost a daughter far too soon and will have to live with that loss probably for many years.

Doctor Herbert squeezes my shoulder and I look away from the tiny body in front of me. “I’m sorry, little dove. Unfortunately, this is how life works sometimes.”

She turns back to Leanne and covers her face, whispering a prayer too silent for me to hear. I turn as the ear deafening siren sounds, telling me my shift has ended and the next one is about to begin.