“I just finished a three-hour session rolling with the black belts. Tapped out two guys who fight amateur circuit. I’m starving. Where’s the night staff? We pay enough for this place, they should have a damn buffet waiting. ” “Your father was resting, Mr.
Gibson. ” Dougal said quietly from the corner. Crofton stopped. He pivoted slowly, as if just realizing someone else was in the room. He looked Dougal up and down, his eyes lingering on the faded scrubs, the unassuming posture, the slight graying at Dougal’s temples. Crofton’s upper lip curled into a sneer.
“Who the hell are you? ” Crofton asked. “Where’s the little blonde girl? Chloe? ” “Chloe is on meal break. ” Dougal replied, his voice remaining level, pitched at a frequency designed not to escalate. “I’m Dougal. I’m the primary on this floor tonight. ” “Well, Dougal. ” Crofton said, stepping closer, intentionally invading Dougal’s personal space.
It was a classic intimidation tactic taught in high schools and bar rooms across the world. “My dad needs better care than sleeping in the dark, and I need a coffee, black. Go get it. ” Dougal remained seated. He met Crofton’s gaze. There was no defiance in Dougal’s eyes, no anger, just a terrifying, bottomless calm.
It was the look of a man who had stared through the optical sight of a sniper rifle for 72 hours straight. “There’s a coffee machine at the nurses’ station down the hall. ” Dougal said reasonably. “Help yourself. I need to monitor your father’s vitals. ” Crofton’s face flushed. The veins in his neck popped.
He was entirely unaccustomed to the word no, especially from someone he viewed as the hired help. He leaned in, planting his hands on his hips, spreading his feet into a fighting stance. “Listen to me, you glorified bedpan cleaner,” Crofton said, his breath hot and smelling of artificial cherry energy drink. “Do you know who my father is? Do you know who I am?
I can have your job with one phone call. I can have you blacklisted from every hospital in this state. ” From the bed, Raphael coughed weakly. “Leave him be, Crofton. He’s doing his job, something you know nothing about. ” The words hit Crofton like a physical blow. The anger that had been directed at Dougal suddenly fractured, revealing the deep jagged fissures of a toxic father-son relationship.
