Page 60 of Fighting For You

"Eligibility list went active July first. Your name's on it."

I didn't move.

"You passed the written. You passed the assessment. When a vacancy opens, you'll be in the pull." He leaned back. "That's the good news."

I waited for the rest.

"The bad news is that everything between now and that vacancy is a window for someone to give me a reason to take you off the list. And you and I have had enough conversations about your conduct on calls that I shouldn't need to spell out what I mean." He looked at me. "So I won't."

"Yes, sir."

"Don't make me regret putting you forward, Sullivan."

Nora and I had fallen into a routine since that night. On my shifts off, I drove her to CCMC in the morning and picked her up when she got out. Whatever was left of the evening was ours. If she had the next day off too, that was ours as well.

I pulled into the CCMC lot and saw the black Mercedes in the doctors' row.

Great.

I got out of the truck, locked it, and walked up to the ER entrance. Cliff Sullivan stepped out just as I got there.

"Knox."

"Dad."

"Are you injured? What are you doing here?"

"Picking up my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?"

The ER doors opened. Nora came out with her bag over her shoulder, already smiling when she saw me.

"Knox? You're here early." She reached for my hand. Her fingers laced through mine, and she turned and saw Cliff standing there.

My father looked at our hands, then back at me.

"Your mother's been asking about you. You haven't been taking her calls." He straightened his coat. "Please call her back when you find the time."

"I will."

"Good." He turned to Nora. "Avery."

"Dr. Sullivan."

He walked across the lot to the Mercedes. We watched him go.

"I've been meaning to ask." Nora looked up at me and squeezed my hand. "Why don't you ever talk about him?"

"It's complicated."

I kissed her before she could ask the next question.

"Let's go?" she said.

The crew was already at The Lantern when we walked in. They were packed around a table near the bar, loud enough that Selena had stopped pretending to mind. They were all leaned in, cheering, and Greene was in the middle of it with a plate in front of him and sweat on his forehead.

"I'm out!" Greene shoved the plate away and grabbed his water. He drained half of it in one go.