I curled the corner of my mouth into a wry smile. As I was about to tell Zac to stop pretending sarcastically, Carmen rolled her eyes and spoke impatiently. "Zac, don't forget we have a group assignment next week. If you're not there, how am I supposed to finish it alone?"
Zac pondered for a while before finally relaxing his fists. He crouched carefully in front of my wheelchair. "Liz, I'm sorry. I have too much work. I can't personally go to see the patient but don't worry. Once the body is sent here, I'll find a way to treat you."
I looked into his eyes, but my eyes looked through him to the dark future. "Well, no hurry."
Carmen tapped the edge of the glass impatiently under the influence of alcohol. "How annoying! Talking about work on a day off! Are we still drinking or what?"
Zac gazed at me, his eyes full of sincerity. "Liz, let me take you home to rest."
I saw Carmen's lip print on his shirt collar as he leaned down. That flamboyant, fiery red had once been my favorite shade, but I hadn't worn lipstick since the incident. As if reacting instinctively, I pushed Zac and forcefully wheeled myself away.