Page 10 of Lightning Strikes

I hum and sit back down on the couch. “Watching movies. Just ate some pizza, what about you?”

I hear Maximus barking in the background and chuckle under my breath. He’s a hyper boy. “I was going to take Max on a walk, can we stop by?”

“Sure.” We hang up and I look down and see I’m in decent clothes. Well, decent enough for Mac. Just a pair of silk shorts and a tank top. I pad into my kitchen to make a pot of coffee so that I’m not falling asleep while Mac and Max are here, sipping it slowly as I wait for them to arrive. I look around the space and smile at all of the new furniture and décor. It definitely feels more like mine, and not a shrine to my parents. Or Adam’s memories clouding my mind.

Now that I just work weekends, I should think about getting a cat. A dog would make a great companion, but I should work my way up since they require so much love and attention… And I’m not sure I’m ready for such a massive responsibility.

I hear Mac and Max getting closer to my home, I open the door as I wait for them to jog up, leaning against the doorway with my arms crossed over my chest.

“I know, bud. But we’re going to Ang’s house, so you need to do a big potty break for me. I can’t have you pissin’ in her house.” I snort to myself and whistle to them, laughing out loud when Max slips out of his collar and jumps up into my arms. My goodness he’s getting so big.

“Hey, boy. Let’s get you guys inside.” I rub his head and pull lightly on one of his ears.

Mac races up the steps with a wide smile on his lips, leaning down to kiss my forehead. He shuts the door behind us as we make our way inside. Damn he looks good. His hair is slicked back, still wet from a recent shower. His tight jeans are leaving nothing to the imagination, and neither is his black t-shirt that is showing off all of his cut muscles underneath.

“Hey.” He whispers and I smirk at him and say it back. I lead them into the living room to get situated as I admire my friend, how he cradles the pup to his chest and kisses him in between his ears. He’s going to be an amazing father someday. He’s always been loving, caring, and attentive, which is half of the reason that I’ve always loved him.

I talk about work, and he avoids talking about anything at the Prescott PD. He mentioned a few months ago that they were hiring, and his chief chose him to have a rookie partner to show them the ropes. I’ve tried to mention it a few times tonight but he changes the subject. We spend a few hours catching up, and I frown internally with the distance in between us… both physically and emotionally.

He eventually stands with a sleeping Max in his arms, grimacing at me. At least he’s never been confused or questioned Max’s rapid healing…

“I should be heading home. Thanks for letting us crash your night.” I press my lips together, nodding as I lead them to the door. He kisses my cheek on his way out, stalking through the forest to his cabin. Maybe he’s already met someone but doesn’t want to throw it in my face after everything with Adam… Then why would he flirt with me a few weeks ago? Joking about how good we were and to call him when I was in the mood.

Man that was fast, I guess. He’s a catch though, so if someone snatched him up, I understand.

I clean up our mess from having a few drinks and wash the dishes before I head off to bed. I have work tomorrow and Sunday, so I might as well get some sleep since weekends typically are our busier days lately. Not sure if that’s because my clients know that I moved to weekends, or if the universe is just laughing in my face.

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I step through the clinic doors and smile at a chipper looking Miguel sitting at the reception desk as he sips from a cup of coffee.

“Morning, Dr. Miller. No reports from overnight.” I nod to him and cross the space so that I’m close to the desk. He actually looks great for having been up all night. Maybe because it’s now the weekend.

“Great! Hope you have a great weekend.” Since Miguel and Randy only work weekdays, I work the full forty-eight hours until Monday morning. Melissa offered to take over one of the nights, but I waved her off. She works too much already and she’s too damn beautiful to not be going out and having a nice time. Plus she sends me daily emails with reports and notes for every damn patient that they see. Eventually I’m just going to have her set me up with a laptop that I can use to read through patient notes at home without being hacked.

I get settled at my desk as I go over my calendar and appointments, scooting around my office on my chair to make myself another cup of coffee. This damn weather and all of the work stress is still exhausting me, I guess. I have back-to-back appointments today, and tomorrow is full of spay and neutering appointments, so I need to stay awake, no naps for me today… I need to get a good night’s sleep tonight so that I don’t fall asleep during surgeries.

The influx of new residents in our town is great for business, but holy cows, we never really get a break.

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“Hello? Anyone here?” I hear an elderly woman call out from the lobby and I frown as I check my watch.

“Yes, ma’am! One moment.” I rush out to the lobby and groan internally when I see a cardboard box at her feet and she sends me a sad smile. She barely looks strong enough on her own two feet, I hope someone helped her carry the box inside.

“I found this box of kittens behind the dumpster at the diner down the road… I called the non-emergency line for the police department but they told me to just drop them off at a vet…” I bite my lip and nod as I lean down, opening up the top and hold back a growl.

Five tiny newborn kittens that are still covered in afterbirth are cuddled around each other for warmth. They’re shaking, crying out for their mother, and are probably starving. I lift the box into my arms and blink down at the elderly woman… not sure what to say. “Thank you for bringing them in. If you would like any updates about them or are interested in fostering or adopting, please leave your name and number on the counter. I need to rush them back into the hospital and lock down the doors for a few hours.” She nods, slowly waddling up to the reception desk. She finds a notebook and begins to scrawl down her information.

“I wouldn’t mind adopting one when they’re ready, I just don’t have the nimble hands to bottle feed anymore.” She waves, pressing her thin lips together as she stares longingly at the box… before she steps through the door to make her leave. She seems sweet, I’m glad she took the time out of her night to bring the kittens to me instead of leaving them there. I set the box down so that I can lock the doors and put up a sign that there’s an emergency and to call the emergency line if someone needs help.

At least I’m finished with all of my appointments for today. Fucking hell, these poor babies.

I cautiously stalk back to the surgical room, focusing on laying out some towels before I place them all together on the surgical bed and begin cleaning them all up. Four of them are crying out, searching for food, but one is lethargic. I scan all of them, and aside from hunger and dehydration, the four strong ones are pretty healthy. The last has some issues with its eyes and ears, so that could be why it’s not searching for food… Her eyes won’t open for a bit, anyway, but I think she’s blind and deaf.

They’re all black, and I can’t tell if they’re going to be short or long-haired. I bet they’ll all have the prettiest eyes.

I spend the next several minutes healing them before I move them to a clean recovery room so that I can give them their first feeds as I think about what I’m going to do. They’ll need to be bottle fed every few hours around the clock and there’s no way I can do that this weekend while working and sleeping during the long shifts.

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