The corners of his mouth turned up.
“Exactly.”
ELEVEN
“When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? Did it become something else?”
~ Kristin Cashore
WYATT
“Good job, Dr. Callahan.” A few of them patted me on the shoulder as they exited the scrub room. I glanced at the old man they were now taking to recovery.
“It’s a pleasure to have you here, Dr. Callahan,” Chief Shen said as she washed her wrinkled hands next to me. I already knew what she was going to ask.
“It’s only for a little bit, but I’m glad I could help.” I smiled politely.
“Your whole family is here, Dr. Callahan. I’m surprised you chose Boston over Chicago.”
“I needed a change of scenery,” I said, drying my hands, and pulled off the scrub cap.
“If you’d—”
“I’m happy in Boston for now, thanks.” Leaving before she and every other doctor in the hospital tried to recruit me to work with them, I followed the yellow hearts toward the older part of the hospital until I got to the stairs. I knew they only waited for me because they hoped more money would flow into the hospital. I was the ATM doctor, didn’t matter how good I was. People still looked at me, expecting me to just hand hundreds of thousands to their grant research or build a damn new wing of the hospital for them.
Stepping out into the cold, familiar alley, I inhaled the cold air, reaching into my pocket to grab the pack of cigarettes. Lighting one, I didn’t smoke it but left it on the stairs next to me…the mere scent of it reminding me of the many times I’d caught my father hiding in this very same alley for a smoke break. I’d lost count how many hospital visits we’d had to endure. But I always remembered coming out here to sit with him.
“You’d think I was insane too, right, Pop?” I asked softly. I stared at the sky, the fading scar of smoke in the distance still evident. “Can’t say I mind, though…I have peace.”
Every time I came to this godforsaken city I felt as though my lungs were collapsing. It never ended. We’d get revenge, someone else sought revenge against our revenge, and over and over and over again until mothers were burying their children and vice versa. The circle of viciousness lived on from generation to generation. I just wanted it to end. And so I took myself out of it. I had to.
“Did you hear the Callahans got themselves some fancy suite?” Some idiot laughed right under the staircase. “Yea, they’re all here. Half the damn Irish in the city are here.”
Rolling my eyes, I stood up, moving to the door.
“Exactly. Ain’t nobody at their fucking mansion.”
I paused, looking up at the sky. Really, God? Why? Whatever. It wasn’t likely they’d make it past the security anyway.
“Fuck the security. Well, fuck, you don’t have to piss on my idea like that. Damn.” He spat to the side of him and laughed. “Now you’re talking! I’m sure we could hit up some of the houses…I’m looking through some of the dead’s shit. I already got myself some nice watches.”
Releasing the door handle and turning, I walked down the stairs, praying he’d hear me and at the very least run.
“Na, I got a few crucifixes and wedding rings but nothing much yet. I asked—” When his dark eyes met mine I stared at the man wearing blue scrubs. He hung up quickly. “What the fuck you looking at?”
I didn’t reply. My gaze dropped to the watch on his wrist.
He looked at it. “A gift.”
This disgusting shit.
“I got work to do,” he said, turning around and trying to open the door to leave. Grabbing him by his shaggy hair, I pulled him back and slammed him against the brick wall right beside the door.
“The dead give gifts now?” I asked, not waiting for him to reply before I bashed his skull into the red wall over and over until it caved in, until blood splattered onto my face, until his body was dead weight, until I fucking felt better. Then I let him fall.
Bending down over him, I grabbed his phone, which was locked, but thank God for technology. Lifting his hand, I placed his thumb on the reader. Unlocked, I redialed the last number he’d called.
“Mark? How dare you hang up me, you bitch!” a female yelled so loudly I had to pull the phone from my ear. I almost regretted killing the dipshit. I was sure this woman gave him hell as it was.