Patch woke in an operating room, for a moment so lost he was fourteen again, seeking out the nurse, the doctor to tell him just where the past year had gone. Maybe he had dreamed it all, and he’d walk down Main Street and see Misty Meyer on Chuck’s arm, his mother sleeping off a night shift. Another shot at making new mistakes, these ones lesser in every way.
Across from him windows opened to sparse treetops, the sky a clear lake, the vista peaked with the umbrella ribs of a thousand white flowers.
He saw a silver trolley, a computer, and above him a cluster of alien lights that blossomed from a steel stem. On the wall was a monitor and beside that a white desk with a man sitting behind it.
It took Patch another moment to remember, and then he sat up and sent the trolley clattering.
The man turned and raised a calming hand, looked into his eye like he knew him. “Your daughter is with Keeper Jen. I believe they’re feeding the meerkats at the moment. You fainted. Not the first person to faint at the zoo, so don’t even worry about it. It usually happens in the summer when the heat gets up. People don’t wear hats, don’t hydrate.”
“It was…the snakes. The smell of them or something.”
He had a kind face, though did not smile.
“Are you sick?”
Patch shook his head.
“Are you taking any medication?”
“No.”
“Maybe go see your doctor. Always best when these things happen.”
Patch stood, a slight pain in his head. “You’re not a doctor?”
“No. Not for humans anyway.” He smiled and handed Patch a bottle of water.
“I’ll have to clear you out in a moment, got a wolf with tuberculosis.”
Patch thanked him again, then turned, and that was when he saw the man’s name etched on the door.
Jimmy Walters.