Page 57 of Forced Proximity
DRU
I should’ve never taken the ER shift.
If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been in the ER when a Truth Teller had come in, his face a mask of shock.
As it should be when the man was missing a leg and an arm.
“Motorcycle wreck,” the paramedic called out as we rushed to the ER trauma room. “We found his leg. That’s on the bus and we’ll grab it for you in a second, but hand’s missing.”
More was said, but I got into a groove, taking vitals, running fluids, and generally trying to help keep the man alive despite his body trying to tell him it was time to go.
At first, I didn’t notice that the big man was a Truth Teller.
I’d only noticed that he was huge, wearing all leather, and wasn’t doing too good.
But then he caught my hand, and I forced myself to look at the man’s face and not all of his injuries.
That’s when my heart literally leaped out of my body.
Because I’d recognized this man.
He and his wife had let me borrow a change of clothes and gotten me a cookie last night.
My entire being just…froze.
For a solid two seconds, when his green eyes met mine, I couldn’t look away.
“Jesus, Dru, move.”
I did, but made sure to do it in a way that I didn’t lose the man’s grip on my arm.
“Knight,” I breathed as I moved closer. “What happened?”
He opened his mouth, tried to speak, but couldn’t.
I leaned forward and moved some of the blood-crusted hair out of his eyes so I could see into them more clearly.
He opened his mouth, and the tiniest of words came out of his lips. “My wife.”
Fuck.
“Was she with you?” I asked, voice laced with panic.
He nodded.
“I’ll go check right now, okay?”
He didn’t let me go at first, eyes still trained on me.
“I’m going to die.”
I was already shaking my head. “Don’t think like that.”
“I’m going to die.” He smiled. “Been on enough tours to Iraq and Afghanistan to know what a fatal injury is. I have not one but two.”
I didn’t disagree with him.
“I need you to deliver a message.” He coughed, his lungs sounding like they were seconds away from a death rattle.
