𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 ━━ 𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝

sixty one | wife

"My patient's stalking your patient."

"He was a waiter for decades, Alex. He's just being hospitable. And we're his busboys."

Alex and I step into the nurses' station to sign off on the two patients' paperwork.

"Dude gave me fifty bucks to put him next to her." He replies in a matter-of-fact tone. "He's got the hots for her."

"And she's got the hots for her husband, who happens to be in surgery."

"You're just saying that 'cause you're married."

Alex digs into his coat pocket and pulls out the bill the waiter had given him.

"Fifty bucks says he makes a move. You in or out?" He cocks a brow.

"Oh, I am absolutely in. And being married doesn't mean shit." I shake his hand.

"Mrs. Shepherd?"

I look back to see April, standing behind us with a clipboard hugged to her chest. Ever since Derek was placed as interim chief, he'd hired her back.

". . .what did you just call me?"

"M-Mrs. Shepherd."

My brows furrow lightly. "Um, I'm not Mrs. Shepherd. I'm Dr. Phoenix. You know that, don't you, Kepner?"

"Right. Right." She awkwardly nods her head. "Um, Chief Shepherd wanted me to ask you about the trustees' breakfast in the morning. Will you be going with him to the breakfast or meeting him there?"

"I'm actually not sure if I'm going at all."

"What? No, you have to. You're his wife."

"I. . .have to go see my patient now."

Tugging on Alex's sleeve, I pull him away from the redhead and down the hallway. He lets out a belly laugh at the awkward confrontation, and I try not to let my anger take over.

"Do you think she needs an extra blanket? She gets chilled easily."

"She must be one hell of a tipper."

"Sorry?"

"Well, I can see why she comes in every week. I bet you take better care of her than her own husband." Alex steers the conversation towards the topic of our bet.

The aging man looks towards the woman's bed. "When she first started coming in, before they met, we had a little game. She would try anything we served. She was adventurous. . .fearless."

Alex hums lightly.

"When she'd gone through the menu, I challenged the chefs to come up with something new. It became. . .she became my favorite part of the week."

I listen to their conversation, mostly his words.

"Then one night, she came in with him. She felt like this was a safe space for a first date."

His eyes close for a moment.

"That ring on her finger? The night he proposed to her. . .I placed it in the crème brûlée for her to find. I watched her say yes from the kitchen window."

Mr. Flores compares her time in the restaurant before she was married to after she was married. How their marriage has fallen apart before his very eyes.

While he continues to speak, Mrs. Banks opens her eyes in the opposite direction so only I could see that she's awake.

Outside in the main waiting area, Alex forfeits his fifty-dollar bill.