I'd barely gotten the words "no, thanks" out of my mouth when the half-shut hospital door creaked open softly.
The "stubborn mule who'd sat frozen on the bench outside all night", as the nurse had called him, stood awkwardly in the doorway, clutching a stainless steel thermos bucket. His tall, broad frame filled the door frame like a silent, solid iron tower.
Taking the hint, the nurse backed out with her tray and pulled the door shut gently behind her, leaving the two of us alone in the room.
Zack didn't come closer right away. He glanced down at his gray jacket, dotted with a few specks of dew, and frowned. He peeled the jacket off in one smooth motion and tossed it onto the sofa across the room.
Then he stepped into the en-suite bathroom, scrubbed his hands three times with hand soa
