WHITEOUT: Above And Beyond (Beauty 0f Life Book 10)

by Laura Acton

  November 26

  Hospital – Café – 5:30 a.m.

  Fiona Pastore entered the hospital’s café, where the members of Alpha Team congregated to eat breakfast with Captain Tadman before preparing to leave. She disliked giving the news she must impart to them, especially Ray, who appeared quite close to Loki. She noted at least the weary man finished his meal. He needed adequate nourishment after giving so much blood. As Fiona approached the table, she sighed, knowing she would be putting a damper on everyone’s jovial mood.

  Focusing on her CO, Fiona said, “Captain, I must report a change in health and evac status for one of my patients. Constable Baldovino can’t be moved due the onset of a serious complication.”

  Everyone’s attention diverted to the doctor. Ray sat forward in his chair as his usual calmness deteriorated in seconds, replaced by worry lines. “What happened? He appeared fine, um, alright when I came down an hour ago.”

  Fiona turned to Loki’s best friend and kept her tone professional. “After you left, I did a thorough exam to ensure he is fit for travel. Unfortunately, my examination revealed shortness of breath, decreased urination, and petechiae on his abdomen near the wound site. This leads me to believe he’s developed DIC. A fairly common condition with traumatic injuries involving substantial blood loss and tissue damage.”

  “DIC?”

  “Sorry, an acronym for disseminated intravascular coagulation. A potentially life-threatening condition which prevents the body from controlling clotting and bleeding. With these symptoms, I must also rule out a possible embolus. I can’t authorize evac until I can diagnosis him correctly and begin appropriate treatment.”

  “Why can’t he be transported?” Nick inquired.

  Fiona peered at the sergeant, noting concern in his hazel eyes. “He may be experiencing two critical issues. One, with DIC, uncontrolled bleeding is a concern. Since we are out of blood products for Loki, we can’t chance he starts to bleed en route and not be able to transfuse him.”

  “You can take my blood. I’ll ride with him.” Ray visibly paled at the thought of Loki bleeding out … again.

  Offering Ray a compassionate smile, Fiona said, “I’m sorry, but you’ve given more than I should’ve allowed the first time, and your body hasn’t had enough time to recover. I did, however, contact the hospital close to the RCMP station, and they are packing a supply of O negative for the snowcat drivers to bring back with them.”

  “What is the other concern?” Jon’s jaw clenched, hating the helpless feeling which came with an enemy he couldn’t fight. With Loki’s own body being the subject, he had no way to deescalate the issue.

  “The other side of DIC is the body initially responded to the formation of thrombi by overproducing an agent to break down blood clots, which causes excessive bleeding. But if a clot still exists, dislodges, and ends up in his pulmonary system, heart, or brain stem, the loss of blood supply to those areas can be—”

  “Fatal,” Jon overrode the doctor.

  “Yes. So, until I can do an ultrasound, and acquire an ample supply of plasma, it’s too risky to transport Loki.” Fiona paused as she viewed the stricken faces. “Any additional questions?”

  Bram nodded. “When do you think Loki will be ready to travel?”

  “Hard to tell. Depends on what I find and how his body reacts to treatment. Two or three days at the earliest.”

  Jon’s sigh came out almost like a growl. The team must return to Toronto because they had shift tomorrow. He didn’t like leaving Loki here as much as Dan going to Ottawa. But he couldn’t do a damned thing about either.

  “Boss, I gotta stay here with Loki. I can’t leave. My brother needs me.” Ray turned pleading, worry-filled eyes on Nick.

  “Nick, we don’t need to be back on shift until tomorrow afternoon. One more day won’t hurt.” Jon fully supported Ray’s desire to stay.

  His eyes shifted to the café’s entrance as Captain Lundgren strode in with several of his Mounties. Nick made a decision, turning to Tadman, he said, “Instead of transporting us to the RCMP’s substation today, we could assist in the search for their fallen officer.”

  “I like the solution.” Jon turned his gaze on his best friend. “Bram?”

  “I’m game.” Although a grim task, Bram would help because Bruno’s family deserved for him to be found sooner rather than later.

  “Me too,” Lexa stated with mixed emotions. Part of her wished to remain with Dan and Loki, but finding Ramsey’s body was necessary.

  “I still need the blood from the hospital for Loki,” Fiona interjected.

  “Believe I have a solution.” Tadman waved Lundgren over and explained the TRF’s offer to search and Dr. Pastore’s need, then said, “If we send one of your men to the substation, he can deliver the Bartons’ bodies to the morgue, and return with the additional supplies.”

  Ron, who finished his meal and overheard, offered, “Bruno was a friend to many, and I’d like to help. I can direct you to where I found the RCMP SUV. I’ll also swing by the lodge and pick up the avalanche poles. They can help us locate him under the snow. My ski patrol buddies will lend a hand too.”

  Leif Lundgren peered at all those willing to brave the severe weather to find Bruno. “Sounds like a plan. I greatly appreciate your assistance. Bruno Ramsey was not only one of my men, but also a valued friend.”

  As talk turned to logistics for the search parties, Ray and Lexa excused themselves to check on their friends and inform them they would be staying one more night.

  Hospital – Loki’s Room – 6:05 a.m.

  Ray waved to Lexa as she headed to Dan’s room, and he pushed open Loki’s door. He found Yasmin still sitting with Loki, as she promised when she sent him down for breakfast. “We won’t be leaving until tomorrow now.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. The rest of my team is going to help search for Ramsey.”

  Yasmin paled. “He was such a wonderful man. I’m going to miss him.” After a moment of silence, she said. “I assume Dr. Pastore told you about Loki’s condition?”

  “She did, but didn’t say when she would be doing the ultrasound.”

  “In a few hours. She must finish her rounds on the others first. I should go help.” Yasmin stood. “I’ll be back soon to check on you both. You did eat a proper breakfast, right?”

  Ray sat in the chair Yasmin vacated. “Yep. Eggs, ham, toast, and juice.”

  “Excellent. When Loki is downstairs for the tests, I want you to grab a bit of sleep. Staying awake all night isn’t a smart thing to do.”

  “Loki’s worth it.”

  “I agree, but your health is as important.”

  Ray chuckled. “Maybe I should change my name to Dan.”

  Yasmin furrowed her brows. “What?”

  “He tends to put everyone ahead of himself.” Ray sighed. “I fear he will never change and …” he trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.

  A soft smile came to Yasmin’s face. “Well, I can tell you he’s probably been self-sacrificing since he was a teen. I recently learned he is the one who saved me when I fell into a not so frozen pond. He jumped right in and kept me from drowning. We both ended up ill, and I never had a chance to thank him.”

  Ray’s brows raised. “Interesting.”

  “Well, I’ll be back later. I should stop by Dan’s room later and give him a long over-due thank you.”

  The room descended into silence, except for the steady beeps of the monitors. After twenty minutes, the reassuring sounds began to lull Ray to sleep, but he jerked when Loki said, “You’re still here?”

  “Another day, bro. How do you feel?”

  “With my fingers,” Loki quipped.

  Chuckling, Ray said, “Glad you haven’t lost your sense of humor. But truly, how are you doing?”

  “Floaty, no pain. Must be the good stuff.” Loki licked his dry lips.

  “Yep, only the best for you, brother.”

  “Water?”

  “
Still a no. You’re not quite out of the woods.”

  Loki groaned.

  Ray realized his choice of words. “Guess this means your dislike of areas with dense trees is still intact.”

  “Yeah, well, this trip hasn’t been stellar. How are Dan and Scott today?”

  “Not sure. Lexa is checking on Dan now, but according to Bram, his fever dropped last night. Scott’s responding well to the antibiotics, and although non-infectious, they’re keeping him quarantined as a protective measure.”

  “How come you’re here still? Weather?”

  “Did Dr. Pastore talk to you?”

  “No. Why?”

  “She needs to do some more tests.” Ray stood and moved to the bed. “Remember I told you we’re blood brothers?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, you bled a lot, and now there is a complication. Your doctor is worried you might start bleeding en route, and they don’t have any more O negative. I gave you everything I could, and no one else here is a match, but more blood is on the way.”

  Loki scrunched his eyes with worry. “You call my ma?”

  “Boss did early this morning. With the storm, she’s stuck in Montreal for several days, at least. He’ll call her again later and give her an update.”

  A sigh escaped Loki.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m worried about Dan.”

  “Why?” Loki’s ability to think of others always impressed Ray.

  “This ski trip is the first real vacation he’s had in like ten years. He went to the police academy, to the force, to boot camp, and had a few little trips with Brody. But since he joined Special Forces and TRF, he’s never had a fun holiday. Sure, he had time off, but always because of an injury. Rehab is no fun.

  “Wish this time could’ve been different. Reckless snow bunnies, witless moose, inopportune blizzard, and damned Bartons ruined everything. And the cherry on top, Dan’s gonna think this is his fault, and it isn’t. Just dumb luck.” Loki exhaled slowly, having used most of his energy to express himself.

  Ray nodded. “Perhaps you might want to think differently.”

  “How?”

  “Well, you are a man of faith, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “God needed you, Dan, and Scott to be here to put a stop to the evil Bartons. What I mean is, you’re all are going to be fine … okay … and they’re dead. Noah and Jonas can’t murder anyone else. If they made it here on their own and you all hadn’t been here, several wonderful people would likely be dead. And as for Dan, whether he was in Toronto or here, the infection would’ve worsened since the initial antibiotics didn’t work.”

  Loki considered Ray’s words and a smile formed.

  “What ya thinking now?”

  “Next time I go on vacation with Dan, I’m checking the weather, bringing a satellite phone, and rescheduling if he is the slightest bit injured or sick. Oh, and it is gonna be someplace like a beach.” Loki’s grin grew. “Beautiful beach, bikini-clad babes, and brews.”

  Ray chuckled. “Perhaps we include him in our week in Jamaica before my wedding?”

  “Sounds fantastic.” Loki closed his eyes. “Gonna rest now … you nap too, you look like Count Dracula on a day pass.”

  Lowering himself to the chair, Ray snickered. “I’m a reverse vampire … gave blood, didn’t take it.” His remark fell on deaf ears as Loki had already slipped back to sleep.

  Hospital – Dan’s Room – 6:05 a.m.

  Dan fiddled with his call button, debating if he should ring for his nurse or wait until she came in on her rounds. His stomach rumbled, telling him it wanted food, so he decided to buzz Stacy. His thumb hovered over the nurse icon as his door opened. His auburn-haired beauty appeared in the entry and distracted him completely. He flashed a WOW smile. “Morning, Lexa.”

  “Well, you’re chipper.” Lexa breezed in, Dan’s grin drawing her to him.

  “Pain meds are doing their job.” Dan’s stomach chose to growl loudly.

  Lexa chuckled and quipped, “Oh, boy. We’ve been here before. Sounds hungry. Better feed it.”

  “Would if I could,” Dan replied, recalling the two times this happened before with Lexa. “Not sure if they’ll let me yet.” Dan relaxed on his pillow. He would begin enacting his new plan … Mission: Best Friends. His first step, moving things in the direction of how they behaved with each other before they started dating. He had his recovery time to plot out his course for the next stages … but friends first.

  Reaching for the button, Lexa pressed it for Dan. “No sense in waiting. You’re hungry now, so let’s ask.”

  “Glad you popped in before you leave. Will the guys be up too?”

  “Change of plans.” Lexa considered whether to reveal why. Realizing she would want to be informed if the roles were reversed, she kept her explanation simple. “Loki’s not stable enough for transport yet. The doctor’s running tests and waiting for blood to be delivered before allowing him to travel. Ray wanted to stay since we’re not on shift until tomorrow afternoon. Boss agreed, and we’re going to help with the recovery of Officer Ramsey.”

  Dan’s smile faded. “I hope you find him.”

  “Me too. Ron, the ski patrolman from the lodge, is going to retrieve some avalanche searching equipment and his teammates to assist.” Lexa halted, as Dr. Pastore entered.

  Fiona perused Dan’s chart, and when she finished, she peered at her patient, noting him to be more lucid this time. “Morning, Constable Broderick. When we met the first time, you weren’t too clearheaded.” She extended her left hand across his bed since his right arm rested in a sling. “I’m Dr. Fiona Pastore, and I’ve been treating you for the past two days.”

  “Please call me Dan.” He grasped her hand and shook it before letting his hand drop to the mattress, surprised how the little movement fatigued him and amped up his pain. Studying the doctor’s face, he wondered if she might be a relation to Boss, but didn’t find any similarities. Dan’s mind went to the only other Pastore he knew, and she didn’t possess any features of Jasper either. She seemed familiar in a way, but couldn’t place where they met.

  “Alright then, Dan.” Noting his puzzled mien, Fiona supplied the answer to the query she believed to be running through his mind. “Major Jasper Pastore is my father-in-law. I married his son about six months ago. We haven’t met, but my maiden name is Brewster. People tell me I look a lot like my mother, Kate.” Fiona waited for him to process her bombshell.

  Dumbfounded by the revelation, Dan’s mouth gaped open for a moment as he processed the news. Nurse Kate’s child became Jasper’s daughter-in-law. The world is indeed small. “You’re Captain Brewster’s daughter?”

  Fiona smiled and nodded. “Yes, and Mom still has the bamboo plant you gave her. Said you were one of her most amazing patients and your teammates some of the best men she ever met. My mom was saddened to learn of Brody’s death. She went to his funeral and the service for your other buddy, Master Corporal Preston.”

  Lexa’s eyes moved between Dan and the doctor with surprise and winced at the mention of Brody and Ripsaw. She worried in Dan’s current state, dredging up painful memories might cause him more nightmares.

  Realizing she might’ve become too personal in her effort to build rapport and reduce Dan’s anxiety with doctors and hospitals, Fiona returned to the matters at hand. “Jasper speaks highly of you and explicitly told me not to sugar-coat what I tell you. May I speak freely in front of your teammate?”

  “Yeah, Lexa’s my best friend.” Dan gave Lexa a lopsided grin, and she smiled back, which warmed his heart.

  Fiona glanced from one to another, getting a vibe there might be something more than friendship between the two. She refocused her attention on Dan. “Okay. Your fever is down but is still hanging on, which is to be expected with the aggressive infection your body is fighting. Any nausea or sensitivity to light today?”

  “No.”

  “What about your headache? How would you descri
be the pain?”

  “Dull throb.” Hoping to avoid twenty questions and curious if she was privy to all his fears, shields, and deflections, Dan hedged by supplying additional details, “Same for my shoulder. My leg is about a level three, but the pain is manageable.”

  “Uh-huh. The major said to add at least two levels to whatever you tell me.” Fiona winked as she eyed Dan. “Want to try that again?”

  Glancing at Lexa, Dan received a stern expression. He sighed, aware he wouldn’t be getting away with anything with both Lexa and Dr. Pastore. “Okay, five, but I don’t want a higher dose. I want to be more alert, and it is manageable.” Desiring to change the subject, he asked, “Can I eat yet?”

  “I’m afraid not. We need to do a procedure. You will need antibiotic treatment for several weeks—”

  Dan interrupted, “I can take pills.”

  “Not with the one you require. It only comes in intravenous form. I plan to place a peripherally inserted central catheter in your right arm. The PICC will allow you to go about your normal daily activities, and receive your medication without starting an IV each time.”

  “Doesn’t putting in a PICC involve a needle?” Lexa kept her eyes on Fiona, though she wanted to glance at Dan when his hand clasped hers and squeezed. She sensed his anxiety at the mere mention of needles.

  Dan dropped his gaze, still gripping Lexa since she helped steady him.

  “Yes, which is why Dan can’t eat.” Fiona turned back to Dan. “I’m aware of your phobia. My father-in-law didn’t go into details but stressed it is wholly justified. We’ll use nitrous to relax you into a semi-aware state, and drape you so you’ll never glimpse the needle.”

  “Okay,” Dan mumbled, embarrassed by his fear.

  “Hey. I’ll stay with you as I did for the rabies shots. We got this.” Lexa squeezed Dan’s hand.

  “Don’t you need to go with the search party?”

  Lexa laid her free hand on his left bicep. “Family comes first. Boss will agree to me remaining here. Ray is staying to be with Loki. I’ll always be here for you.” She redirected her attention to Pastore. “When will you be doing the procedure? He’s starving, so the sooner, the better.”