Page 14 of Dark Obsession

“Yeah.” He widened his eyes, hoping to pull off a more comic expression than how he really felt about seeing Demmy that close to being taken away from him. Again.

“God, how much longer are we going to be finding zombies in random places?” she asked.

“Good question. Did the city’s emergency response team ever get a final count of disturbed graves from the cemetery?”

“Oh. I’m not sure. That would probably be a better question for Lucia.”

Cody made a face and waved a hand. “Never mind.”

She laughed, and for a moment she seemed like the Zenona he remembered from before the werewolves and vampires and other horrors. A gentle ache opened inside him like a fresh wound. He missed the carefree woman Zenona had once been. The confident and caring woman who was quick to laugh, the sound bright and almost musical.

“The two of you are getting along better,” she said, “don’t give me that.”

“I know, it’s true. But sometimes that’s because we avoid each other as much as possible.”

A woman outside the curtain said, “Knock, knock.”

“Yes, Brynn?” Zenona said.

A nurse stuck her head through the curtain, flashing an apologetic smile at Cody. “Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Baldwin, but your next follow-up is here.”

“Thank you. I’ll be right there.”

The nurse nodded once to Cody before leaving, and the curtain whispered back into place.

Zenona shrugged. “Duty calls.”

“Lots of follow-ups, huh?”

“Just somebody who came into the ED who I wanted to see again to check on progress.” She took his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “It’s good to see you, Cody. Despite the injuries, you seem to be doing well. I’m glad.”

“Yeah, you too.”

She pulled back the curtain and he followed her out of the space. “I mean it, Doc. You look really good. Not that you don’t always look amazing, which is not how women should be judged, or, um, observed, or anything like that. But you do look good.”

Zenona laughed softly and shook her head. “I know what you mean, you big goof. And thank you. I have good days and bad days, but there are more good ones now than bad.”

“I’m happy to hear that.”

She stopped outside another curtained area. Reaching up to give his shoulder a squeeze, she said, “Take care of yourself. And give my best to Demetrius, please.”

“You take care as well. Remember, you can call us if you need to talk.”

Another quick smile, though this one was fainter and more fleeting than the others. “I know. Thank you.”

She pulled back the curtain and stepped inside, greeting a woman by name. Cody caught a glimpse of the woman through the door as it slowly closed. Long, straight dark hair hanging limp around a washed out face and dark circles under her eyes. Talk about the living dead.

He put his mask back on for the walk to the exit, moving quickly past the coughers and sneezers still waiting. Once he hit the main hallway, he peeled it off, snapped both ear straps—hopefully saving some bird or otter’s life later—and dropped it in a trash can. Maybe Demmy would already be home when he arrived. They’d talked about dinner at Antonio’s last night, so Cody thought he might be able to talk him into splurging a bit.

The thought got him walking a bit faster as he grinned.