I continued driving and he replied in a cold voice, "I don't want you added to my casualty list."

He was silent for a moment, not a long moment, but long enough to give me hope that he would just drop it.

"Who else is on your list?"

"You're not here ... yet," I pointed out. The car was quiet and I knew he was waiting for an answer.

I sighed, "just patients." Do I remember the doctor? "People are dying on my duty, it's something you have to know to accept."

"Do you have already?" It has been accepted. I can tell he was laughing at me, not in...