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“Sure,” Iin overdrive as I realized how badly I’d fucked this up My plan had been to just watch Eli fro from the moment I’d dropped him off three days earlier The rental car had rab a couple of hours of sleep here and there while Eli was volunteering at the hospital Since I couldn’t have eyes on him in the hospital, I’d asked Hawke to make sure Eli didn’t walk unaccompanied to his car each day and while the other man hadn’t questioned my request, I hadn’t reed I hadn’t told Ronan or anyone for that one my vacation so that I could keep eyes on Eli since I didn’t want to have to explain my motives to anyone Hell, I didn’t want to have to explain theo to tell me how upset Eli had see back to Seattle, I hadn’t been able to stop ain

The tension in the air was stiff and aard and I was desperate to get Eli talking again And if I was lucky, s too

“Why the volunteering?”

Eli glanced atin the ICS unit at the hospital?”

“I was thinking about pursuing pediatric oncology as a specialty One of ested I ith the kids a little bit before deciding for sure Mentally and e, it’s one of the hardest specialties out there”

“So why pursue it?” I asked

Eli paused in what he was doing, but didn’t face , you know? They need as et I want to be one of those people”

I glanced at the Spiderman doll Eli had put down on the kitchen table

“That kid,” I said with a chuckle as I reached for the doll

I caught Eli watching me as I studied the doll “How do you know him? Matty and his family, I mean”

“Hawke and I work together,” I hedged

Eli turned to facewhat I did, he said, “Hawke said Matty er”

“It’s just a precaution Chances are the friends of the guys who tried to hurt hi all the bases”