She finally prompted, “Yes?”
“Does it cover me, too?” Hare asked. “Because if I make one more claim on mine, they’re gonna ask for the free steak knives back.”
Sara glanced at the front doors. To her surprise, Mason James was walking toward her holding the hand of a two- or three-year-old boy.
She told Hare, “I’ve got to go.”
“You always do.”
“Hare,” Sara said as Mason grew closer. She noticed for the first time that he walked with a pronounced limp.
“Yee-es?” Hare asked.
“Listen,” Sara began, knowing she would regret her words. “Thank you for covering for me.”
“I always have,” he said, chuckling as he hung up the phone.
Mason greeted her, a warm smile lighting up his face. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“It was just Hare,” she said, ending the call. “My cousin.” She started to stand, but he indicated she should stay seated.
“I know you’re tired,” he told her, swinging the little boy’s hand. “This is Ned.”
Sara smiled at the child, thinking he looked very much like his father. “How old are you, Ned?”
Ned held up two of his fingers, and Mason leaned down to peel up another one.
“Three,” Sara said. “You’re a big boy for three.”
“He’s a sleepy boy,” Mason said, ruffling his hair. “How’s your sister doing?”
“Better,” she told him, feeling for a split second like she might cry. Other than the few words she had said to Sara, Tessa was not talking to anyone. She had spent most of her time awake staring blankly at the wall.
Sara told Mason, “She’s still in a lot of pain, but her recovery looks good.”
“That’s great.”
Ned walked to Sara, holding out his arms. Children were often drawn to Sara, which came in handy considering that more times than not she was poking and prodding them. She tucked the cell phone into her back pocket and picked him up.
Mason commented, “He knows a beautiful woman when he sees one.”
She smiled, ignoring the compliment as she shifted Ned on her lap. “When did you get the limp?”
“Kid bite,” he told her, laughing at her reaction. “Doctors Without Borders.”
“Wow,” Sara said, impressed.
“We were vaccinating kids in Angola, if you can believe it. This little girl took a chunk out of my leg.” He knelt in front of her to tie Ned’s shoe. “Two days later they were talking about whether or not they were going to have to chop off my leg to stop the infection.” He got a wistful look in his eyes. “I always thought you’d end up doing something like that.”
“Chopping off your leg?” she asked, though she knew what he meant. “Rural areas are underserved,” she reminded him. “My patients depend on me.”