Page 105 of Free to Fall

The two EMTs exchange glances before lifting Bailey into the back of the bus. I climb in after and immediately resume listening to her heart and lungs.

“You’re going to be just fine, Buttercup,” I promise. Then I pull out my cell phone and make a call—a favor I never in my life thought I’d be asking for.

Within seconds, he grants it before saying, “Now, get off my phone, Gore. I have to let your ER know you have a patient coming in.”

An agonizing eighteen minutes later, we pull up to my ER. Just like Moser promised me, they were waiting. All of them.

All my team—from the attending to healthcare housekeeping services—each and every one of them are lined up and waiting.

Like a damn honor guard.

For me. For my girl.

The bus doors are pulled open and Anna—today’s day shift chief nurse—demands, “Give us the rundown, Gore.”

“Seven-year-old female was a victim of a home hostage situation.” I wait for the initial rumble to subside as I toss my purse to one of the med students loitering around. Let them figure out what to do with it. If they’re not smart enough to figure it out, then they shouldn’t be in my hospital. “Patient’s name is Bailey Payne. Patient is recovering from a hostage situation just under six months ago that occurred in this ER. Records are available in the hospital system.”

“Take her to trauma room two,” Anna orders.

I jog alongside the gurney, stroking Bailey’s precious face. Anna catches sight and challenges, “Gore, are you going to be able to run this?”

“No one touches my girl except for me,” I hiss. We align to the bed, and I grab the handle on the board before calling out, “And on my count, one, two, three.”

Like I never left, the choreography comes back to me. We lift Bailey from the EMT’s board to the hospital bed. Even as leads are being attached, I lean over and press a kiss to her cheek, “Don’t worry, Buttercup. Everything is going to be fine. I’ve got you.”

Then I hold out my arms to be gowned up. “Patient was clipped by the butt of a gun. She hit her head again after fainting during a hostage situation. I want to know where the fuck Moser is.”

One of the nurses snorts out loud. “Good luck getting the chief to come down, Gore. I get this is your first patient back but—”

Her words are cut off when the man himself strides through the door in scrubs like he’s one of us. The room goes static when he barks out, “What’s the read, Gore?”

I order my nursing staff, “I want a CBC type and cross match her blood despite what’s in her chart.” Then I inform Moser, “I don’t think we’re going to need blood, but I’m afraid after I order scans I might find a clot because of the way those assholes had me tie her up.”

The room gasps. Ignoring them, Moser agrees. “Get the scans. Expedite the wet read. Tell them I gave the order if anyone down in Radiology gives you a hard time. Rosenthal is her primary for her legs?”

I jerk up my chin since my voice is lost somewhere in the echoes of fear I’m beating back.

“I’ll get him to come down and consult after you get her imaging back. If you even suspect she’s throwing a clot, bring me in. I’d rather push meds than operate on a seven-year-old girl unless I absolutely have to. Do we have a plan, Gore?”

“Yes, sir.” The second he turns, I rap out additional orders for Bailey’s imaging.

No one is surprised when Bailey is immediately rushed from the room; we’re making the hospital grapevine burn. Not only is the chief resident of the ER back, but the chief of the hospital is consulting on her first case. I lag behind a brief moment, my mind still partially left back at my house in the nightmare we just lived through. Still, I hear Anna shout, “Gore! Let’s go!”

“Right.”

I shove my guilt to the side so I can take care of my first patient back in my ER—the most important one of my life.

Mingling with the rhythmic beeping of the medical equipment surrounding her, I struggle with guilt and responsibility of this being my fault.

I knew a stalker was out there, but I let my father assure me he had everything under control.

My emotions are as raw as the wounds I dressed on Bailey as I try to anticipate what’s going to happen, not just between me and Liam but to Bailey, who has already suffered so much in her brief life. I’ve already placed an emergency call into Alice, the weight of what happened lending credence as to why she needed to come to the ER. Now.

Regardless of whatever else she has going on.

She’s on her way.

I feel the barest pressure on my fingers, which are clenched around Bailey’s. My eyes fly open and meet hers. “Bailey?”

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