Carrion (The Bren Watts Diaries #1)

Chapter 4

DAY TWO: April 10th, Saturday

I woke up three hours after Dr. Ryan Krasinsky arrived at Columbia University's New York-Presbyterian Hospital, only thirty blocks away from the hotel I stayed in. I knew it was after three hours because as I turned on the TV in my hotel room, station after station talked nonstop about a handsome boy-next-door American boy that contracted Ebola in Mozambique and was battling for his life in ICU.

Bombarding my Twitter, Facebook, and all my social media were the countless slews of thoughts and prayers for this handsome young doctor. I admit I found him attractive when I saw his picture for the first time, and the time after that (which was pretty much every couple of minutes on the news), with his short-cropped blonde hair and piercing blue eyes...he looked like Ryan Reynolds.

I had the room to myself, which meant the bathroom, too. I could take the showers that I wanted and abuse how much hotel shampoo and soap I get to use, and I even stole a couple to bring home. I called my mother, letting her know I was okay, and then went downstairs to the hotel's cafe, where they served continental breakfast.

Mr. Ramirez and the others were already there eating and quietly whispering to themselves as classical music soothed from the speakers. I took some eggs and bacon from the buffet table and sat down a little farther away from the main group. That was when I sensed something was wrong. They held grim looks, and frankly, Natalie's easily readable expression gave it away.

I turned to them. "Is something wrong?"

Mr. Ramirez frowned. "I'm afraid we won't be able to go to the university, Mr. Watts."

I paled. "Not go? What do you mean?"

"Don't you read the news?" Aria scoffed. She pointed at the TV. It was about the news of that doctor again. I narrowed my eyes at the others, not knowing what they meant. Aria rolled her eyes. "Quarantined, idiot. The university canceled all incoming orientations--which meant us--for public safety."

Ignoring her, I turned to Mr. Ramirez. "What happens to us?"

"Our flight back isn't until tomorrow, so I think we are stuck in the city for the meantime."

"I meant visiting the campus?"

"Oh. Well, the email talked about a thirty percent discount for your next campus visit next month."

"Next month!" I gaped. The cost of one round-trip flight to New York was at least four hundred dollars. It would only take a hundred dollars out of that with the discount and then add another cost for a two-night stay in a decent hotel room in the city, and everything would accumulate. My parents weren't going to like this. It was more money slipping down the drain, they'd say, and I agreed.

I ate my breakfast in silence, pissed that I came to the city for nothing. Mr. Ramirez tried to spin it into something positive, hoping to cheer us up by bringing us to a Broadway show and then let us free roam Times Square. We could even visit the Statue of Liberty. I'd rather see the campus I'll be spending the next four years with than visit tourist traps.

The others already decided to grab some cheap tickets to The Lion King later that afternoon, so I had to tag along. It cheered them up at least, and Natalie and Aria went back to talking about shopping in Times Square, and Logan and Carson discussed baseball, which just started its new season last week.

I shuffled back to the buffet table for more bacon and orange juice. When I tried to grab the tongs for the bacon, another boy decided to go for it as well, and I awkwardly retracted my hand, throwing a heap of apologies for touching the other boy. When you're gay, accidentally touching another man's hand felt like a bolt of electricity went past you, like a gay instinct to take it back.