Page 1 of Consequences
Waiting never gets easier. With my entire medical team out on the call without me, it might be the worst type of waiting there is. At least in the field I am doing something. But, it made sense to have them go and assess the injuries—to get a clear view of what is going on—so Dr. Ranlen and I could be better prepared. Especially since there are more medical assistants than there are doctors. It’s not like I can pull anyone away from the clinic, not when we’ve already gotten calls about soldiers needing medical attention.
Still, my heart, my best friend, and the two people who shaped me into the man I am today, are out there, and waiting for them is the hardest thing I’ll ever have to do.
Dr. Ranlen and I prep the medical room. The almost overabundance of equipment and supplies I’ve collected over the last year will hopefully be enough for any eventuality. I’d hateto owe Murry another favor, or be forced to send people to the hospital. Even with her pull at the hospital, I can’t let Dr. Ranlen bear the entire burden of making sure our people are safe. That is our job, and we will do it together. Or fucking die trying.
The ambulances come in at the same time. The phone barely rings with Leandro’s call before we’re both sprinting out of the medical room toward the front door. How Dr. Ranlen can run in those heels is beyond me, but she keeps up better than a few of my assistants.
I’ve never seen something whip around the drive faster than the first ambulance through the gate. Without killing myself, I run down the steps, and prepare myself for when the back doors open. Briefly, I scan the inside, finding a pale and absolutely devastated Allesandro Martelli in the back, who's bleeding and bruised, while the person on the stretcher is being worked on by Soren and Donovan.
I don’t hesitate to climb into the back of the ambulance. “What’s the situation?” I bark, almost unnecessarily, as I can hear their attempts to revive their patient, who I can now see is Emilio Martelli.Shit.
“Yes,” Soren hisses under his breath, as the monitor hooked up to Emilio stops its wail, and instead, shows a steady, if not weak, beating of his heart.
Jumping back out of the ambulance, I assist them in getting the stretcher out, then call out to my counterpart. “Here, Sarah! I think your Boss would appreciate your touch more than mine.”
She jumps into action, and we pass each other as we switch ambulances. The second stretcher is already on the ground, and when I see it’s Ten, my stomach swoops. For a brief moment,the doctor I am ceases to exist, and I’m just a man, watching one of my best friends bleeding out in front of me, while desperately needing my Daddy.
That moment doesn’t last though, not when Cristian jumps out of the back of the ambulance. I give him a quick visual assessment and scowl when I see the state he's in: torn shirt, bandaged hand and throat, paler and thinner than he should be. “You should have let someone help you.”
“I’m fine,” he insists, even as he sways on his feet.
“Sure you are,” I snap. Trusting the guards to get the dumbass into the house, I follow Rose and Kail as they head into the house with Tennant.
Helping them up the ramp, I am utterly grateful—for once—for Leandro and his need for such things. It makes it so much easier to navigate getting the stretchers into the house than having to lift and carry the damn things.
In the medical room, it’s almost too crowded with both tables taken up by patients, my entire main staff, Dr. Ranlen, and the Bosses.The renovation and expansion can’t come soon enough.
“Two of you check on the Bosses; make sure they’re not going to keel over anytime soon,” I order. “Split yourselves up and assist where you can.”
I don’t look up as I bark out commands, too busy tearing Tennant’s clothes off to pay any attention to who helps me with the task. There’s so much fucking blood on him, at first, it’s hard to tell where he was hit, but then I see it. The entrance wound is at a bad fucking angle, as if he wasn’t the target. Which, knowing Ten, and his job description, that probably was the case.
A pair of gloves is dangled in my face as I examine the entry wound, and I give a quick word of thanks as I take them. “Find me an exit wound,” I order, turning to the sink.
The gloves get tossed as they’re bloody now from my hands, but the reminder was appreciated, albeit unnecessary. I would have gotten there, eventually.
“We should take them to the hospital,” Dr. Ranlen says. “There are surgeons available who?—”
“No,” I cut her off. “With all due respect, Sarah, I don’t trust those fuckers as far as I can throw them. Able to pull strings or not, unless it is something we absolutely cannot handle, it gets done here. You’ve seen my setup. I can back up my words, it’s not just arrogance.”
I don a pair of gloves. “Do what you must, but I am going to save my Family.” With that, I head back to Tennant.
“No exit wound,” Donovan says when I slide up to the bed.
Fucking hell,of course not.
“How’s the Boss?”
“Rough, but in fair enough shape,” Soren replies. “He’s been injured, but someone patched him up. Stitches aren’t as impressive as yours, and the wounds haven’t been cleaned recently, but he’ll live.”
“Good. He better keep it that way until I get five minutes to breathe.” In demonstration, I take a calm, steadying breath as I meet Donovan and Soren’s eyes. “Ready?”
“Sedatives should be in effect,” Soren says. “I’ll monitor vitals and be a blood runner. Donovan will assist you.”
“Then let’s do this.”
I’ve never been a particularly skilled surgeon, and Jayden is going to bitch about my lack of finesse, but it gets the job done. No one has died on my table, and that’s all that matters. Besides, that’s why we have Donovan now. Not that it matters for a simple bullet extraction.
I’ve extracted many bullets out of almost every single member of the Amato main Family by now, but it never gets any easier on my heart. Still, I’ve learned to turn my emotions offand focus on the job at hand. This isn’t the first, nor will it be the last time I have to pull out a bullet from someone I care about. At least by now it’s become muscle memory. Simple. Easy.
