should have done this from day one and I’m not going to let it slide anymore. I don’t want to be responsible for your shoulder being permanently fucked up.”
He rolled his eyes. “I already told you, you aren’t responsible. Sorry to be such a burden.”
“Gus, please?” I gave him an earnest look, and I wasn’t sure if it was my eyes or my tone, but finally, he nodded.
“You have a doctor?” he said. “Someone you trust?”
“I do. But I’d be more comfortable if we called an orthopedist.”
“And you just happen to have an orthopedist on speed dial?” Gus arched an eyebrow.
“No, but I’ll call my doctor and see what he says. Please. That night in the cabin, you said you trusted me. Can you trust me on this?”
“Low blow.” He gave me a dirty look. “But fine. If it’ll make you happy.”
It wasn’t quite as simple to find somebody as I’d initially hoped. I had to call my doctor, who had a list of recommendations, but getting through to those offices on the weekend, and talking to the receptionists, and explaining that I needed a house call and yes I knew that was irregular but I was willing to pay a fuck-ton of money, took far longer than I would have liked.
Finally, I found a doctor who agreed that yes, she could come out that night, if I gave my address to her receptionist. After a couple of clicks and a brief snatch of hold music, the receptionist came back on the line to take my information.
“Amundsen?” he repeated when I gave him my last name.
“Yup.” I tried to keep my voice neutral.
“Can you spell that?”
An innocent question, but something in my stomach turned sour.
“A-M-U-N-D-S-E-N,” I said, working to keep my breath even.
Maybe he was just hard of hearing. Or truly wasn’t sure on the spelling. It wasn’t that common a last name.
But for the right group of people, that was the problem. That uncommon last name, coupled with my location, would set off sensors for some of my old fans.
“What did you say the address was again?” the receptionist asked.
I repeated it, feeling more uncomfortable by the second. I was probably overreacting, but God, I wanted off this call.
“So Dr. Thao can come at seven p.m.?” I asked.
The receptionist paused. “You know, I’m just looking at her schedule now, and I think she must have meant to say six p.m. Her last appointment of the day is at four forty-five, so there’s no reason she can’t be there by six. It’s tomorrow that she’s working late.”
“Oh. Well, okay. I guess I’ll see her at six, then.”
I was grateful to get off the phone.
It was late enough in the day that Daisy’s shift was over, so I called up to the gatehouse to let her replacement know to let the doctor in when she arrived. Then I went and joined Gus in the library. But I couldn’t sit still, and found myself walking back and forth between the windows and the fireplace the way Frog did when he was in a bad mood.
After my fifth or fiftieth circuit, I wasn’t sure which, Gus looked up with a grin. “I know I told you that you don’t have to run away whenever I’m in the room, but do you have to pace like that?”
“Oh. I—sorry. I’ll stop.” I sat down on the couch, then immediately popped back up. “I’m just on edge.”
“Why?” Gus frowned. “It’s not about—”
“Nothing to do with you,” I said quickly. “Just me stuff.”
It wasn’t just the doctor who had me worried. I’d gotten another text from Hadley today, asking how I was doing, which I still hadn’t responded to, because I didn’t know how to come anywhere close to answering honestly.
And I’d seen another spate of articles last night about that stupid Infinity Falls reunion, with more speculation about whether I’d participate. Not only that, I’d missed a call from my old agent this morning, which I’d put off returning, because I didn’t even want to know what it was about.
But I couldn’t explain any of that to Gus, just like I couldn’t explain that I was normally tense at this time of year as I braced for the crushing guilt over my ex-girlfriend’s death. So, I just started pacing again.
Finally, the doorbell rang. Doorbell probably wasn’t the right word for it, actually. It was more like a massive gong, or someone playing pipe organ. A deep, booming note reverberated through the whole house, which was why