Everyone's Man – 14

"This is so not going to work," Colin muttered, looking down at himself.

 

Marc bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Maybe if we roll up the pant legs. At least the shirt's short sleeved."

 

"Just what are you two doing?" Tabby asked from the doorway before breaking into giggles. "If you trying to hide him in plain sight it's not working," she told them once she'd calmed down. "Give me a few minutes and I'll find you a set that actually fits, Mr. Wilcox."

 

As good as her word, she returned with a set that didn't make Colin look like a clown. She also brought a cap, telling him to tuck up his hair. When he did as she asked, she nodded. "Even your own mother wouldn't recognize you now."

 

"She would, actually, but she probably wouldn't care—" Marc and Tabby looked at each other, then across to Colin, who spoke quickly to stave off further questioning. "—even though she does love me. So now what?"

 

Tabby was the one who answered. "I think I'll take you on rounds with me. No one will question it as long as you stand outside the door and act like you belong."

 

Marc nodded in partial agreement. "It could work, but how will you explain having a new trainee to the powers-that-be?"

 

Tabby put her arm around Colin's shoulders. "Marc, meet the newest nursing temp, since we're shorthanded at the moment."

 

"Me, a temp?" Colin shook his head. "I know nothing…"

 

"Trust me, it will work. I'm in charge of them so when I say you are, you are," Tabby replied with a grin.

 

Colin shrugged, wincing as he did so. He tried to hide it from the others by heading quickly to the door. Marc frowned, casting a worried look at Tabby. She nodded, reading his concerns, as she followed Colin out of the room.

 

Once they were gone, Marc muttered to himself, "Now I have to find him a safe place to stay for the duration." The problem was he really had no idea how long that would be. He just knew he wasn't about to let Colin leave until he had faced the facts of his attack, and if at all possible, come to terms with it. Why he cared, he wasn't certain. It was probably the doctor in him. But he hadn't a clue how to make that all happen.