Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 9

James."
    The guy spun back around as he walked to the door. "What?"
    "It's James, Dr. Zimmerman, Mr. McCray is my father."
    He tried not to smirk as he watched the doctor blink a couple of times. The guy looked freaking hot when he was struck dumb. Maybe the trick was to keep his mouth busy so he couldn't say something snotty. James could think of a few things to keep that mouth busy. He strolled past the doctor, heading back inside to see if his student's ankle had been stabilized and to wait for her parents.
    When he got about a yard past the doctor, he heard a quiet, "Eli."
    It was James' turn to pause. Eli? Oh, his name. He turned back and smiled with a nod. "Eli." The doctor looked puzzled, but they walked back into the emergency department side by side. As they reached the main waiting area, James paused. "Hope your day improves, Eli."
    Eli just stared at him, and then sniffed, stuck his nose in the air and stalked off down the hallway. James couldn't help but chuckle. The guy had issues, but he was fun to look at it. If he unbent a smidgeon, he might be fun to hang around with.
    Not that James had any hope in hell of seeing him again. Well, he hoped not. Not at the ER anyway. All last year not a single student had needed to come to the ER with an injury. Hopefully Kara would be the only kid this year. They took all the precautions they could on the field trips, but tree roots and teenage girls giggling with their friends just didn't mix.
    Eli spent the rest of his shift frowning. Well, he usually did - he had permanent lines on his forehead that shouldn't have been on a thirty four year old man. But he wasn't frowning for the usual reasons. James McCray confused the hell out of him. He'd actually told the guy his name. What was up with that? He heard the guy laugh and practically spilled his guts. Well, in Eli's books telling the guy he'd had a shitty day was spilling his guts. Eli was the king of "Fine". How was your day? Fine. How are you? Fine. Any bad stuff happen at work? No, it was fine.
    The guy was cute, in that bouncy puppy way that people who didn't deal with the crud he saw every day were. They thought the world was wonderful and amazing and full of possibilities. Eli knew those possibilities were death, disease and desolation. Crap, he needed another cigarette already. He pushed thoughts of James aside and focused on the football player's dislocated shoulder in front of him. He wasn't going to see the guy again anyway. Except for the regulars - the homeless, drug addicts and chronically abused and ill - you didn't see people twice in an ER, and with his hours, he sure as hell didn't have the time to go out socially. He chalked it up to a weird coincidence and put it out of his mind. Mostly. He only thought about James periodically, like when someone had brown eyes, or similar hair, or the same build.
    ****
    A little over three weeks later, Eli was nearly finished with his overnight shift. Another hour and he could go home and crash. It had been pretty quiet for a Friday night, and Saturday morning was usually slow. Most people were still abed and keeping out of his hair. He picked up the next chart on the counter waiting for attention. Male, possible broken wrist, insurance... he gaped at the name on the chart. James McCray. James T. Kirk McCray. No way. One of the nurses had to be fucking with him.
    He grabbed the insurance form and looked at the print out. Those came straight from the insurance database and couldn't be altered. James T. Kirk McCray. It had to be another McCray. Age, twenty eight - that seemed about right.
    As he approached the curtain, Eli heard voices. He stopped and listened - it did sound like James. He peeked through the gap and saw the guy sitting on the bed, cradling his arm against his chest and talking to a woman who looked close to his age or maybe a bit older. Her hair was the same shade of brown pulled back in a ponytail and Dedrick was sitting on her lap. Shit. What were the odds?
    Eli took a deep breath and pulled back the curtain. "Well, Mr. McCray, we meet again. I'm starting to think you're stalking me."
    He watched curiously as James' eyes opened wide, and then a smile of delight spread across his face. "Eli." The guy looked genuinely pleased to see him, which threw Eli off his stride, but he kept going.
    "So what happened this time? Speedy cat? Tree root?"
    Abby snorted. "Would you believe stepladder?"
    James snarled at her. "It was that damn cat." When Abby