Alex and his friends talked about how they were going to deal with Lincoln Ambrose, Alex's conniving grandfather. The old man was a force to be reckoned with, and Alex could think of only two people who could help: his parents.
Christopher and Louis nodded. They never knew Alex's parents.
Yvonne, on the other hand, was very familiar with the Ambroses. So, she could see this was a recipe for disaster. "Alex, you cannot do that." She wrung her hands and furrowed her brows. Her expression was not lost on Christopher or Louis, whose own faces now bore puzzled frowns.
While weighing the pros and cons, Alex rubbed his lip. "He's a dangerous man, Yvonne. I'm worried they may be the only ones who could handle him."
Yvonne resisted the urge to find Alex's phone and smash it into tiny pieces. "I know this is a tough decision, but there has to be another way." She had a bad feeling about bringing Alex's parents into this, and Yvonne wanted to make her stance known to Alex.
He tilted his head in a side-to-side rhythm. "I don't know. They have been able to reason with him in the past. What's so bad about my parents?"
Yvonne didn't even know where to begin. The list of their unfavorable traits was a long one. "Your mother is pushy and overbearing. She'll smother you and convince you to forgive your grandfather. Your father is a pushover. He'll let your mom do whatever she wants. They'll cloud your judgment, and you won't be able to make the right decision."
Louis turned to Yvonne. "I guess you didn't like them all that much."
She shrugged noncommittally. "It's just a bad idea to draw them into the drama with Lincoln Ambrose."
Christopher let out a breath. "Wow. Sounds like Alex's mom is a real piece of work, and I'm not even sure what to think about his dad. Maybe Yvonne's right, Alex."
Alex couldn't help but admit Yvonne brought up some good points. "Okay, but they're able to get through to Lincoln in a way I can't."
Yvonne knew that wasn't completely true. "Sure, they'll reason with him then let him go. Lincoln will get a slap on the wrist, at most. They'll want to smooth it all over, and we'll be back in the same place a few years from now. We need to put an actual stop to Lincoln."
As much as Alex wanted to disagree, he knew she was right. He shifted from one foot to the other as he weighed his options. It seemed to him that there were no good options. "Okay, sure, but then what's the answer? I go out to fight Lincoln?"
The last thing Yvonne wanted was an impromptu visit from Flora and Gideon Ambrose. However, Alex running off and getting captured by his grandfather was a close second. Yvonne knew she had no choice but to discourage Alex from taking on Lincoln by himself.
"No, absolutely not. You can't fight Lincoln on his turf. This isn't Riley we're talking about. Lincoln has the potential to outsmart you. It's better if we hunker down and lure him here. Who knows, you might even get another home renovation out of it."
Alex dragged a hand through his hair. Although he was uncertain, he thought Yvonne's solution was a smart one. "Okay, you're right. We'll stay here. That way, we'll have SCOT to protect us."
When Alex made his decision, Christopher smiled at Yvonne and patted her on the back. "That's a great idea. Smart thinking, Yvonne."
Sheepishly, Yvonne tucked a curl behind her ear. "Oh, uh, thank you, Christopher. That's very sweet."
Alex's pulse increased at the sight. Up until now, he hadn't realized how close together the two had been standing. His mouth turned down as he noticed Christopher's hand linger on the small of Yvonne's back.
He couldn't stand the sight. He cleared his throat. "Uh, I agree, Yvonne. You've always been good at, uh, planning. And, you look very beautiful today."
The untimely compliment did not fall on deaf ears. Yvonne shifted back and forth, uncomfortably. "Uh, thanks, I guess."
Then, Alex's phone rang, cutting through the awkward silence. He immediately answered it, hoping it would make everyone forget about his failed attempt at flirting. "Hello?" He glanced over to Christopher with a curious look in his eyes. "Uh, yes. Of course. He's right here."
Alex held the phone out toward Christopher, putting his hand over the speaker. "It's the Baltimore General Hospital. They're looking for Christopher."
Hesitantly, Christopher reached out for the phone. "The Baltimore General hospital."
Yvonne nodded in Christopher's direction. "Remember, I told you? You work there. You're the general manager."
Filled with apprehension, Christopher put the phone to his ear. "Uh, hello? This is Christopher."
Alex, Yvonne, and Louis all fixed their gaze on Christopher. He fidgeted as he listened to the person on the other end of the call.
"Uh, I'm not sure I'm the best person for that," Christopher eventually said. "What do you mean? Do you mean to tell me I'm the only one? Oh, gosh…"
Without thinking, Yvonne ripped the phone out of Christopher's hands. "He'll be there, and yes, I will tell him to answer his own phone. Thanks."
Yvonne hung up the call.
With a slack jaw, Christopher stared at the woman. "What was that for?"
She grasped the sides of her head. "I don't know! I panicked!"
Alex's gaze flickered between the two. "What's going on?"
Christopher looked around the room as if he were searching for the words but couldn't find them. "The Baltimore General Hospital needs me to come in and perform brain surgery. Apparently, they've been trying to get a hold of me for days. There's a guy in there who is comatose. They said I'm the only person in all of Baltimore who is capable of executing the operation."
Alex's eyebrows shot up at the words "brain surgery." As he looked Christopher, concerned etched his face. The thought of Christopher wielding a scalpel and tinkering with someone's brain after Christopher's bout with amnesia alarmed him. Alex had one glaring question. "Do you remember anything about performing brain surgery?"
It was what everyone was wondering. The room began to spin around Christopher as his memory failed him. "Of course I don't!"
A wave of guilt flooded Yvonne. "Oh, no. This isn't good." Feeling like she couldn't get enough oxygen, she fanned her face, taking multiple breaths in rapid succession. "You have to call back and tell them no."
Louis wondered what would happen if Christopher didn't go. He knew firsthand that Christopher was not only one of the best doctors in Baltimore but in all of the United States. "He doesn't have a choice. He has to go, and he has to remember."
Christopher's eyes went wide with fear. He didn't like the sound of that. "I don't think I can." The palms of Christopher's hands grew clammy. He felt a knot of nerves form in the pit of his stomach.
Ever the pessimist, Louis shrugged. "If you don't go, the guy will die. So you either try and accidentally kill him or leave him to rot and suffer in the hospital. It's your choice."
Louis's words hung in the air like a lead balloon. Everyone stared at their feet. It was a perplexing predicament to be in. Everyone was afraid to tell Christopher what to do for fear of the outcome either way. Brain surgery was risky business as it was. Christopher's situation made it all that riskier.
After mulling it over, Yvonne spoke up. "I'll go with you, Christopher. Maybe some of the doctors will help jog your memory. Louis is right. We have to try. Who knows, maybe stitching up a brain will be just like sewing a button on a shirt."
Although Christopher was uncertain, he didn't feel as if he had much of a choice. "Okay, but if I don't remember anything when I get there, I'm not touching this guy."
Yvonne maintained strong eye contact with everyone in the room. "Okay, guys. I need to get a few things, and I'm going to grab Christopher's phone in case the hospital calls again. We'll drive into the city. Then, we'll save some lives." She faced Christopher. "Okay, you have scrubs in your bedroom. Go get changed."
The two left the living room, and after ten minutes, they returned with Yvonne wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses and Christopher wearing his scrubs. A surgical mask hung around Christopher's neck, and he held a medical bag in his hand.
Confidently, Yvonne put her hands on her hips. "Alright, Christopher. You ready?"
He shook his head. "Absolutely not."
With complete disregard for Christopher's apprehension, Yvonne trotted out the door. "Okay, well, we're going anyway. Stay safe, guys."
Christopher trudged behind Yvonne, following her out of the house.
While the two left, Alex and Louis stood in the door frame, watching them.
Alex suppressed the jealous urge to tell Yvonne to stay at the house and get away from Christopher. And, as he did, Louis noticed him watching the woman.
Sighing, Louis had put his arm around Alex's shoulder. "You need to stay away from her, Ambrose."
Brushing his friend's hand off him, Alex took a step back. "Excuse me?"
With his eyes closed, Louis ran his hand through his hair. He knew he was telling Alex something he didn't want to hear. "I know you're trying to get back with Yvonne. It's not good for you, man. It's not fair to her either. You chose Debbie. You screwed that up. Then, you decided to settle for Yvonne. You didn't work out before, and you're not going to work out now."
Silently, Alex pursed his lips. He didn't respond to Louis. He wouldn't. Since when did Louis become the teller of truths? He thought.
While Alex reconsidered his feelings for Yvonne, she and Christopher situated themselves in the car. Yvonne adjusted the driver's seat and the side mirrors.
She noticed that Christopher was sweating as he buckled up. "Did they tell you any specifics about the surgery?"
Nervously, Christopher bit his lips. "Not really, just that there is a guy no one else can operate on. They said something about brain trauma I didn't understand, and they told me the guy's name. I think it was Tom Sawyer, but it can't be it, right? Who would name their kid after the Mark Twain novel?"
Yvonne's hands dropped from the steering wheel. Her mouth fell open. "Tom Sawyer? Are you kidding me?"
Christopher chuckled. "Yeah, I know. I couldn't believe it either."
Shocked, Yvonne reached over and grabbed Christopher by the arm. "No, Christopher. Tom Sawyer is one of your best friends."