The Red Coat

5

This chapter is dedicated to @Makayla_The_Fangirl, my first reader and voter! I really appreciate it! I hope you are enjoying The Red Coat so far!

I sat on my desk.

I opened my computer and sighed at my 24 emails.

I clicked the emails and saw that I had work to do and stuff to read.

Then I got my first call.

"Dr. Champton," I said. Boy, that sounded cool.

"Hey, Dr. Champton." Said the voice on the phone. "A little kid broke his arm and needs surgery ASAP. We're in room 23 on the second floor."

I rushed to the elevator and pushed the number two.

I floated up, up, up...

I entered room 23. There was a kid on an IV. He was awake, but his left arm was blended weird.

And so I started surgery on the kid.

***

I was finally done at 10:00 pm. I was exhausted, and it was snowing.

I took the elevator down to my parking spot.

Miss Perrin was close to my parking spot, talking to the same lady as before.

"I walked here, Ren," said the lady, "and now it's snowing. I need a ride home."

"Where do you live?" Asked Renlie. Something from this scene seemed missing.

"Oh, just on the other side of town. I'm only an hour away."

"And you walked here?" I peeped. Not believing I had spoken up.

The lady gave a sharp glance to me. "Yes, I walked... from the grocery store near here. My sister gave me a ride there."

"I'll give you a ride!" Said Renlie. I couldn't believe this.

The lady smirked and climbed into the front seat of Renlie's humble car.

I was bright red. I shouldn't had said anything.

Renlie smiled at me. "It's ok, Dr. Champton. I just want people to be exceptionally happy. You're very nice to try and stand up for me."

I wanted to say something but I couldn't.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Dr. Champton!" Renlie hopped in her car.

I realized what was missing. Renlie didn't have a coat! She must have been freezing! She was shivering her guts out... and she's going across town!

I sighed and watched her humble ride drive away.

I hopped into my car.

I realized I wanted to know more about Renlie Perrin.

***

Should I call mom about this girl???? I had just met her...

I knew who to call, Callan.

He got married ONLY thirteen years ago, not like my dad. That was a whole different story.

I'm never FaceTiming anyone ever again, nice try.

"Hey, Riley!" Callan said. "How's Boston?"

"Weird!" I said. "I need to talk to you about something, Cal."

"What's up?"

I told him all about Renlie. I thought he would think I was weird, but I could tell he was thinking.

"Well..." he said, "you'd have to start by talking to her..."

I sighed. "I was afraid of that."

"Ha!" He said, "you talk to her, she likes to talk to you, you get comfortable with each other, you ask her out. It's as simple as that. If you don't like her after getting to know her a little more, don't ask her out. See?"

"Ok..." I said.

Someone else was calling me.

It was Sam.

"Thanks, Cal, I gotta let you go."

"Bye, Riley!"

I answered Sam's call.

"Hey, Riley!" He said. He invited me over for a late night Pizza.

At his house he immediately brought up the flowers in my yard.

"Did you plant them?" He asked.

"No, they were there when I came here." I said.

"They're cool." Said Sam, "do you have much experience with them?"

"I doubt they'll be alive much longer," I said darkly.

Sam laughed. "Renlie Perrin... do you remember her?" I almost scoffed. Remember her? "She's incredible at flowers. If you want to ask her about it." I sighed. "Why are you so shy, Riley?"

It was the first time I had noticed my shyness. I had spoken few words to Sam since I got here. I was much less shy in Wyoming... Sam was the only person I felt comfortable talking to here.

"I... I just... this is Boston."

"I get it," Sam chuckled. "I moved here from Iowa when I was fifteen. I was almost unable to make friends. It... it was hard..." his smile faded a little. Then he brightened up again. "Anyway, it seems like it's going well for you. You should explore downtown Boston sometime!"

"I will!"

***

Ouch. Being a full-time surgeon is a full-time job.

I had a surgery scheduled for tomorrow, X-Rays to do today, (about five of them,) and more surgeries later in the week.

I guess they really were short on Surgeons.

I headed up to my first X-Ray.

A little blond girl was sitting on the bed. Her arm was bent weird and she was whimpering.

She had a pretty red coat on and black leggings.

I took the X-Ray. It was just dislocated.

After I had popped it into place I was free for the rest of the day. The good thing about being an Orthopedic Surgeon is no calls are too last minute, so I took my phone with me and drove to downtown Boston.

After looking around, I found a place to eat. It was 32 degrees out. As I sat inside, I looked in my money book on my phone and counted my money.

Boy, I was short. I hadn't gotten my paycheck this week and with the move I was nearly broke.

Now I can't wait for next Saturday.

I got out of the shop and kept walking. It was snowing big snowflakes, but not hard. There was no wind. It would have been peaceful if I was not in Boston.

I walked absently past a boutique.

I happened to glance at the display window and my jaw dropped, not because exactly of what I saw, but because of my idea.

In the display window was a red coat.