Page 5 of Guess Again

Madison, Wisconsin Wednesday, May 28, 2025

ETHAN WORE BABY-BLUE SCRUBS AND SAT AT A COMPUTER BEHIND the nurses’ station—a large, square reception area that took up the middle of the emergency department.

He was one hour into his first overnight shift since returning from his cabin and the long weekend with Maddie.

He pulled up charts to check lab results and complete those of patients he had already discharged.

He worked through the list of names until he came to Christian Malone’s chart, the tech guru from California.

To prevent the man from driving home while under the influence of morphine, Ethan had failed to finish his chart before leaving for the holiday weekend.

He pulled up the chart now and added Christian’s previous history of kidney stones and lifestyle choices of drinking only caffeinated coffee throughout the day with no water intake.

“You left the DCI to be a doctor, but here you are chugging away on a computer at midnight just like the old days.”

Ethan didn’t have to look behind him to know who the voice belonged to.

He’d been Pete Kramer’s partner at the DCI for a decade before he decided to retire.

He smiled and slowly swiveled his chair around.

Pete was leaning with both elbows on the counter of the nurses’ station.

He wore his customary sport coat over a button down, no tie. It was all Ethan had ever seen the man wear.

“You look cute in scrubs.

Just like Dr.

McDreamy from ER.”

“I think that was Grey’s Anatomy, but thanks,”

Ethan said.

“I thought you stopped being a special agent so that you could treat patients and save the world.

But here you are playing solitaire on the computer.”

Ethan continued to smile.

No one could shovel shit better than Pete Kramer.

“And, I remember,”

Pete continued, “you also left because the hours were terrible.

But my recon tells me that you’re barely an hour into an overnight shift that’s surely going to screw up your melatonin output and circadian rhythm.

So I guess you make more money now, but you still got the short end of the stick.”

“I choose to work overnights because they buy me time after I work a straight week of them.”

“You’ve got some gray in your temples that you didn’t have when you and I were working together.”

“Ten years will do that.”

Ethan stood up and broadened his smile.

“What the hell are you doing here, Pete?”

“Can’t a man come see his old friend without ulterior motives?”

Ethan knew Pete Kramer was in his ER only for ulterior motives.

Once best of friends, their relationship had soured since Ethan abandoned their partnership to pursue a career in medicine.

“I just started my shift, Pete.

And we’ve got an ER full of patients.

Is this an emergency or can it wait until tomorrow?”

Ethan watched his old partner straighten up and take his elbows off the counter.

He took a few steps to his left, and Ethan noticed the profound limp Pete carried.

And now that he looked more closely, after the surprise of seeing his old friend after so many years had worn off, he noticed the ashen tone of Pete’s face.

Ethan slowly lifted his chin.

“Are you sick, Pete?”

“Worse than that, pal.

I’m dying, and I need a favor before they put me six feet under.”