Page 36 of Built Of Steel

Who was he kidding? He liked her in his sights all the time.

He found Lia in one of the exam rooms with Aisling. They were adding insulation between the studs and then covering them with soundproofing drywall. The building would benefit from the added insulation for warmth as well as giving the exam rooms more privacy. “Need an extra set of hands, ladies?”

Aisling grinned. “Extra hands are always welcome. Can you bring us another sheet of drywall?”

He saluted and moved back to the stack in the rear waiting room. As he lifted the sheet, he heard a crash and a cry from the exam room. Lia.

He dropped the drywall and ran into the room with others right on his heels. Lia knelt on the floor, holding her head with Aisling at her side. The window behind them had been smashed and a brick lay on the floor beside Lia.

Panic filled him and he dropped to his knees. “Lia? You okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing serious.”

Aisling's hands covered Lia’s where they rested on her head and they were covered in blood. “Someone get Mitch. Hurry.”

“I’m fine. Head wounds bleed a lot. I’m okay.” While Aisling’s voice had been panicky, Lia’s was calm and steady.

Feeling useless, Joe ran his hands up and down her back, over her arms, but he didn’t disturb where Aisling held her hands over the wound.

Behind him, he heard Nico assessing the situation and calling out to the others. “Someone threw a brick through the window and hit Lia. Let’s find him.”

Feet thumped on the hardwood as people raced to help. Then Mitch rushed in with his first aid kit. Joe shifted to give him room to work.

The paramedic’s manner was calm and efficient. An echo of Lia and a direct contrast to the fear rolling through him. Mitch snapped on gloves and his eyes scanned the room. When he saw the brick, his eyebrows shot up, but his voice remained calm. “Okay, Lia. You know the drill. Stay still while I poke around. I assume you got clonked on the head with the brick I see on the floor?”

“I guess so. I didn’t see it, just heard the crash. But I’m fine, it’s nothing major.” Her voice was soft but steady and helped Joe keep the panic inside.

Mitch patted Aisling’s hands and she moved them so he could see. Blood matted Lia’s hair and continued to flow. Fury and fear raced through Joe again.

Mitch didn’t flinch at the sight. “Gotta love the head wounds. Okay, you’ve got a bit of a gash here, Lia. Possibly long enough for a few stitches.”

Lia sighed. “I’m not going all the way to another town for a little gash.”

Joe squeezed her hand. “If you need stitches, you are. Can’t Mitch do them?”

Mitch cracked open an instant icepack and placed it on Lia’s head. She put her hand up to hold it in place, proving her reactions were okay.

Mitch turned to Joe. “I’m a paramedic, not a doctor. Lia, let’s get you over to the firehall when I can clean it up and get a better look. We can make a decision from there.”

Lia started to rise, but Joe was quicker. He stood and scooped her up in his arms. She was holding the icepack with one hand, but she poked him with the other. “I can walk, Joe. I’m really fine.”

“I’m not. Someone hurt you deliberately. Let’s go.”

The firehall was only a few buildings away, so they walked the distance, with several others walking along with them providing a circle of protection around Lia. No one said much and he knew everyone was on the lookout for someone who might try to hurt her again.

At the station, Mitch led the two of them straight to a small first aid room, while the others provided protection outside. Joe set Lia on the exam table and was finally able to look into her face. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand, but her face was pale and her eyes were wide. “I’m really okay, Joe. It surprised me more than anything. It’ll stop bleeding in a few minutes.”

Mitch gathered some equipment and smiled at Joe. “She’s not showing any signs of concussion, but I’ll take her vitals as well. We’ve got this. Okay, Lia, why don’t you lie down on your side and let me get a better look?”

Joe helped her ease to her side and then moved out of Mitch’s way. He stood by her hip and held her hand.

She wasn’t shaking anymore at least. Mitch’s calm manner had helped both of them settle a bit, but Joe was still angry. And scared.

Lia squeezed Joe’s hand. “I love the setup you’ve got here, Mitch.”

The firefighter grinned. “Thanks. With no doctors near here, it made sense to set up this room to do as much triage as I can before people have to travel for care.”

She grinned while Mitch started cleaning the area around the wound. “So I’m your competition. Maybe you were the one chucking the brick.”

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