Page 76 of Rookie Days

“Mmm, yes. That just rolled off my tongue.”

“Feel like taking it back?” Ellie challenged the way she had before.

“No.” Janet was firm. “I know we’ve only just met, but—"

“It feels like I’ve known you forever.” Ellie pulled her into her arms. ”Girlfriend. I love it.”

They hugged each other fiercely. Janet pulled back first.

“Come on,” she decided. “We need to take care of business now. The quicker we start, the quicker I’ll get to take you home with me.”

Needing to ground herself after this loaded exchange, Ellie went for humor.

“Is that an Italian thing?” she joked. “The urge to take your girlfriend home and tuck her into bed?”

Janet did not laugh.

“It’s a me thing,” she retorted instead, and flashed a teasing wink. “The urge to take my girlfriend home and put her to sleep with multiple orgasms. Lucky you, uh?”

Ellie was reduced to a goofy grin.

chapter 25

Back in the office, Ellie quickly outlined her theory in support of revenge killings in the murder of the two nurses.

“It’s a sad fact that we’re not always able to save everyone,” Janet confirmed. “Though in most cases, it is not due to medical or surgical error. From time to time, people are brought in to the ER who are simply too mangled to be put back together. Or they can be too sick and tired, at the end of a long life, to carry on.”

Going on a small tangent, Ellie was inclined to ask.

“As a surgeon, what do you think about death?”

Janet answered without hesitation.

“I don’t think it’s final. I have seen it up-close and personal too many times not to have a sense that life goes on when the body quits.”

“Me too,” Ellie agreed. “I don’t know how though.”

“Oh, yeah, don’t ask me how,” Janet chuckled. “Even with all the miracles that our modern technology allows us to perform in the medical field, there’s still a huge amount we don’t know about the human system.”

“Life is a mystery.”

“Totally. And death is also a part of it. Part of a much larger scheme which, at least for the time being, is too complex for our human minds to comprehend. Anyway, I digress.” Janet flashed a quick smile. “It’s true that people can be quick to throw blame onto doctors and nurses for an accidental death, in their grief. Though it usually takes the form of a lawsuit. Not violent rape and murder.”

“Yes, well. These are definitely unusual circumstances. I’ve been going through the files, checking every lawsuit that’s been leveled against this hospital for the past five years. Trying to find a link between the two victims, the accidental death of a patient they might have both worked on at some point, and also—” Ellie stopped when she noticed Janet’s expression change, and all the blood drain from her face. Literally.

“Oh my God,” she murmured.

“What’s wrong, Jan?”

“What you just said… A link. All of a sudden, it reminded me!” As she joined her on the couch from her standing position, Janet grabbed her hand and squeezed. Hard. “Three years ago, Ellie. I had a case just like this. A young girl, sixteen years old, ended up in the ER in a really bad state after being involved in a motorbike accident. She was riding on the back of a friend’s bike. No helmet.”

“Mmm.” Ellie winced in dismay.

“Yeah, big time. She arrested twice in the ambulance on the way over. She was still hanging in there, breathing on her own, when she got to me.” Biting on her lip, Janet met her gaze. “The girl was a fighter. Wouldn’t give up despite being so physically broken. I wasn’t going to drop the ball on her either.”

The look in her eyes was fierce and beautiful. Ellie nodded intently in return.

“I know how hard you fight for your patients. I witnessed it first-hand, remember?”

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