SECRETS: Passion, Deceit, And Revenge (Beauty 0f Life Book 8)

by Laura Acton

  Jon called up. “Dano, you okay?”

  “Hell no! Do I look okay?” Dan ground out acerbically, irritated at his humiliating position but realizing he would not be able to untangle himself and keep the pressure on his wound.

  Ray and Nick arrived together. Dan’s answer shocked them all. He never said no. It was always I’m okay. Then they sighted the drips of blood falling into the light dusting of snow around the base of the pine tree.

  Nick glanced up. “Dan, talk to me. What happened?”

  “Aside from the fact I’m tangled, the rancorous raccoon bit and scratched the hell out of me. My arm is bleeding like a stuck pig. Gotta keep pressure, so I’m not getting down without help,” Dan said in a disgusted tone.

  Jon instructed, “Ray, Bram, go grab the rappelling gear.” The two took off running.

  “Tia, we need EMS,” Nick said.

  Overhearing the conversation, Tia anticipated their need. “On their way. ETA five minutes.”

  As Lexa began climbing, Loki picked up the sniper rifle and nudged the deceased raccoon. He noticed foam on its mouth. He peered at Jon and Boss. “I think this animal might be rabid.”

  “Aw crap,” Dan groaned. All he could envision were the needles which would come with the rabies shots.

  Lexa made it to where Dan dangled. Her concern increased taking in the tattered state of his clothing. “Hang tight we’ll untangle you and lower you down.” She pulled out a pressure dressing after ensuring she linked her legs securely around a thick limb. “Reach out your arm to me.”

  Dan released his hold and extended his arm towards Lexa. “With my luck the vicious creature is rabid.” He locked eyes with Lexa. His fear, clear for her to view.

  As she held his gaze, Lexa whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll help you through this.” She quickly wrapped the bandage around his forearm.

  Jon made his way up with the rappelling gear and harness for Dan. When he reached his sniper, he spied the ripped and shredded sleeves of his jacket, uniform shirt, and pants, all speckled with blood. He noted the bloody scratches on the back of Dan’s head too. “Christ, Dano, the raccoon went all out on you. Hang on while we rig this up.”

  Dan half chuckled because it was either laugh or scream in frustration. He remarked sarcastically, “Sure, I’ll hang here for a while and take in the scenery. Not like I can go anywhere else at the moment.”

  Lexa and Jon covered their smirks at Dan’s comment. Their teammate was none too happy, but they didn’t blame him one bit. They worked together to put the harness on Dan as he resumed holding firm pressure on his wound. Once he was in the new harness and they rigged the lines to sturdy branches, Jon cut the tangled one keeping Dan inverted.

  Taking a moment for the blood to rush out of his head, Dan caught Jon’s eye and stated firmly. “I officially hate raccoons now.”

  Unable to stop the short laugh which burst forth, Jon was relieved Dan had not been the one shot, and the situation was not as severe as it could’ve been. “They do appear to be almost as vicious as cats.”

  Jon’s comment caused a burst of laughter from Dan and the rest of the team. As they began to lower Dan, Bram acted as a belayer. Nick opened an emergency blanket, spreading it on the ground for Dan to sit on before trotting off to meet EMS and bring them here.

  Having retrieved one of their hazmat packs when he and Bram grabbed the other gear, Ray slipped on gloves and bagged the potentially diseased raccoon so it could be tested. He hoped Dan might be saved from getting several shots, but given the unprovoked and fierce attack, and the saliva foamed at the mouth, Ray predicted the assay would positively detect rabies … if there was enough brain matter left to test.

  Loki took hold of Dan’s uninjured arm to steady him as his feet touched the snowy patch of ground and held him while Bram unhooked the harness around Dan. The two of them moved Dan a couple of feet to the blanket laid out so the seat of his pants wouldn’t be soaked through by snow. Jon undid the rigging from the limbs, while Lexa climbed down.

  Kneeling next to Dan, her concern for him written plainly in her features, Lexa resumed holding pressure on his forearm as he leaned his head back and rested against the tree’s trunk.

  After several moments, Dan opened his eyes and glimpsed Lexa’s worried expression. “Thanks. I’m okay.”

  Not cognizant of her actions, she caressed Dan’s hair, careful not to touch any of the scratch marks. “Scared me.” Her gaze softened meeting his eyes.

  “All of us,” Bram said as he began coiling the rope. Lexa’s demeanor seemed odd to him. Softer. Like she was with Loki, but something more. His attention returned to Jon as the tactical lead handed him the other line.

  Pulling her hand away, Lexa recognized her mistake and she bit her lower lip as she stood and back away. To hopefully cover for her earlier telling actions, wondering who on the team saw, she teased, “So much for your claim of not falling out of trees.”

  Oblivious to what transpired between his teammates, Loki beamed. “You owe us a drink after shift.”

  Though a little distance from the group, guiding the paramedics, Nick spied the interaction between Lexa and Dan. Coming to a halt near them, his intuition spiked as it did in the Grand Citadel Hotel, giving him the impression the two might share more than friendship. The air fairly sizzled around them, and the ordinarily stoic Dan appeared content to allow her touch and tenderness, an action he would likely rebuff had it come from anyone else.

  Still nothing Nick could define completely, but again he noted the way she comforted Dan and his response … almost familiar as if a bond had been formed between them. Will their potent connection cause them to cross the line? His gut zinged at the thought as a slow realization came to him. I have the feeling they have already. What the hell am I going to do? I don’t possess any tangible evidence. If say something and I’m wrong, I will destroy my family.

  Nick was pulled from his worries when Dan responded to the inquiry if he was alright to walk to the rig after the EMTs took basic vitals. “I can walk. Don’t need a gurney.”

  “You sure, Dano? This is the first time you admitted to not being okay. I think you should—” Jon stopped as Dan glared at him.

  “I was fucking upside down. I’m right side up now. I’ll walk.” Dan rose and marched off.

  Bram caught up to and strode beside Dan the entire way, ready to intercede if Dan wavered but not making the mistake of questioning his capability as Jon did. The rest followed after gathering the gear.

  With assistance from Bram, Dan climbed in the EMS truck. Having calmed down, unsure why Jon possessed the ability to rile him, Dan sat on the gurney and directed his question to Boss. “Does NRB need my gun?”

  Deciding to table his suspicions until later, Nick said, “Unsure. You discharged your weapon during a call, but I’ve never encountered a situation where it was used to kill a rapacious raccoon. Why don’t you hand it over?”

  Wanting to restore the team’s humor and deflect from how the impending emergency room visit caused his anxiety to grow, Dan unholstered his Glock, giving it and his statement to Nick. “If NRB asks, I exhausted all options, and the raging raccoon was at threat level red. They should rule my actions as a justified use of lethal force.”

  He elicited a chuckle from everyone including the medic who tried hard not to laugh. All were glad Dan joked about the situation, but they each understood he did so to cover his fear of the needles. Lexa peered at Boss, begging an answer to her silent question, should I go with him?

  Despite his unease over a possible relationship shift between the two moving into prohibited territory, Nick comprehended Lexa would be the right one to send with Dan. “Lexa, go with him. We’ll wrap up here before we join you at the hospital.”

  Lexa nodded and hopped up, taking a seat next to Dan. Ray set the bagged raccoon on the floor of the rig, and Bram closed the door, double-whacking the back to signal the driver.

  Jon blew out a breath he had been holding. “Damn. Most
likely Dan will be dealing with hypodermic needles. Thank goodness rabies shots are given in the shoulder muscle now and not the stomach. Dan would probably choose to die of rabies rather than subject himself to injections in his abdomen.”

  The guys eyeballed Jon at his odd comment.

  Nick ventured, “We are aware he doesn’t do well with needles but what brought out your remark?”

  Jon realized they were out of the room when Dan related the part of his torture where a man repeatedly stabbed his stomach with heated needles. His face expressed sadness. “You really don’t want to know.”

  Pivoting, Jon strode to one of the SUVs wishing he had not challenged Dan today. Another mark in my failure column. Another item to make up for too. When will I learn to keep my mouth shut with him?

  St. Michael’s Hospital – ER Waiting Room – 11:55 a.m.

  Ready to deliver Dan’s status, Lexa opened the door to the overcrowded waiting area and found all the guys except Bram standing in a corner. She walked over to them and inquired, “Where’s Bram?”

  Nick said, “Coffee run. He’ll be back in a few minutes. How is Dan?”

  “Resting. They cleaned all his wounds and used butterfly strips to close the deeper scratches. Luckily, no stitches required for the puncture wounds from the bite, but he’ll need to change the bandages daily.”

  “What about the rabies shots?” Jon asked.

  “That’s the reason I’m out here. Doctor Prick lives up to his name.”

  Loki chuckled. “Is that the doctor’s real name?”

  “Yeah. Anyway, Dan requested to be given nitrous so he wouldn’t be aware of the injections. He told the doctor that Heather used that when his hip was stitched up, and it worked well. Prick said it is a waste of resources and they are too busy to cater to him for three injections.”

  “Three?” Bram asked as he returned with five coffees.

  “Yes. With the number of scratches as well as the bite this is considered a high-risk situation and given the foaming of the mouth and aggressive nature of the raccoon, they are starting vaccinations today and will discontinue if the test comes back negative. He’ll receive the first rabies injection and a rabies immunoglobulin which will protect Dan against the virus while his body is developing antibodies. Though with the risk of infection he will be getting an injectable antibiotic and a prescription for an oral course as well.”

  “Did they give Dan the vaccinations yet?” Jon queried.

  “No. As I said, he’s resting. The only option given him to deal with his phobia was to take a sedative in tablet form. He won’t be back on shift even if Prick signed the consent to work form, which he denied because Dan will be too groggy. They’re going to give him about thirty minutes for the meds to take effect before giving him the shots. Dan gave me his keys and asked if someone can grab his civvies from his locker.”

  Jon shared a look with Nick. The entire team couldn’t hang around in the waiting room that long for a minor injury, they were still on duty. Jon offered, “I’ll stay, and drive him to his apartment afterward.”

  Against his better judgment, continuing to throw together two teammates who perhaps needed a chaperone, Nick said, “Lexa, stay with Dan until he receives the injections. Jon, you stay as well and take Dan home since he might need assistance climbing his stairs if his elevator is out, which seems to be par for the course. Loki, you grab Dan’s things, come back to deliver them, then both you and Lexa can return to HQ.”

  They all nodded, agreeing to the workable plan as Bram held out the coffee he brought for himself. “Dan might like one.”

  “Thanks, but caffeine will defeat the purpose of the sedative. I’d be happy to drink it.” Lexa smiled as Bram chuckled and handed over the cup. She passed Dan’s keys to Loki and headed back into the ER treatment area as everyone else started for the exit.

  TRF HQ – Men’s Locker Room – 12:20 p.m.

  Loki unlocked Dan’s locker. Easier with keys. Loki still ruminated on how this prank ricocheted and got him instead of Dan. How did Dan get the flour bomb out without setting it off?

  He reached to grab Dan’s go bag to pack his clothes, lifted, and spied a fine dusting of white on the bottom of the bag and locker. Loki grinned. So it did go off. But when? Dang, I wish I witnessed it. Though if it went off, then that means Dan got me back. His grin broadened. I’ve created a prankster.

  Another thought entered his head. Dan doesn’t lie, and he said he didn’t set the trap. As Loki packed Dan’s bag, he wondered who helped Dan. Perhaps Jon. No Jon wouldn’t. Maybe Bram? Ray? Nah, Ray wouldn’t do this to me. Well, yeah, he might. His mind landed on the most likely person, and he chuckled. Has to be Lexa. She and Dan are fast friends now. If Dan asked her, Lexa would help him pull off the prank … just like the uniform prank in January.

  Now the trick is how do I up the ante and get them back? He would have to think on this one. His smile grew. Having another prankster on the team would be fun, and he looked forward to the tit for tat trickery which would ensue.

  St. Michael’s Hospital – Pharmacy – 12:20 p.m.

  Short-handed and slammed with a higher-than-average number of scripts, the lead pharmacist relied on her intern more than she liked. But at some point, Song Hai needed to demonstrate trust in Renata to perform her job, and so far, she had no cause not to, only her own desire to ensure every order was correctly filled. “Renata, I need you to fill these three scripts while I handle the other ten,” Song directed as she handed off three prescriptions.

  “No problem.” Renata took the printout sent via their electronic system and her eyes widened upon reading the patient’s name. Her stomach tied in knots as she bit her lip. Can I do what Diego wants?

  “Move it, girl. We don’t have time to dally,” Song admonished as Renata stared at the papers. She let out a frustrated sigh as one cause popped to mind. Ever since Renata found out she is pregnant, she is more scatterbrained.

  Renata stuck her tongue out at her boss’ back. Song could be a witch, and Renata hated when she called her girl. Diego would never treat me like Song does. The thought made her decision. He will be pleased with me. She swiftly donned fresh gloves and obtained the three prescribed pre-filled syringes.

  After printing patient labels for each script, indicating patient name, ID number, and dosage, Renata tagged all three medications, the vaccine, the rabies immunoglobulin, and the aqueous Penicillin G Procaine. However, only two contained what the label indicated.

  Making an imperceptible mark on the third syringe to notate the fluid level of the contents, she retrieved two vials from her station, one empty and the other containing morphine. Obtaining both earlier from the narcotics section when filling a script for an oncology patient, and conveniently never returned, she cautiously ejected the antibiotic into the empty one and refilled the syringe with the opiate when Song’s back was turned.

  Later she would hide her handiwork by disposing of the now-filled glass vial in the biomedical waste container and cover-up the use of the morphine in the narcotic’s log. She placed all in a padded transport case and took it to Song for approval before sealing the container, applying the patient sticker as a tamper-proof seal and sending it to the ER via the pneumatic tube delivery system.

  “Song, I need to use the restroom.” Renata placed her hand on her abdomen, indicating she might be sick and received a disgruntled grunt of acknowledgment. Once in the bathroom, Renata called her husband. “You won’t guess what I did today. I hope it pleases you.” She related the details.

  Pitbull grinned. “Well, my lovely wife, your efforts deserve special treatment tonight. You choose anywhere you want to go for dinner.”

  Renata beamed. Mean, old Song might make my days miserable, but Diego makes my nights wonderful.

  Strange Reactions

  64

  March 15

  St. Michael’s Hospital – ER Room – 12:35 p.m.

  For the last thirty-five minutes, Lexa enjoyed holding Dan’s hand and gen
tly brushing through his hair to help relax him. She smiled when his head lolled to the side as the meds made him quite groggy. Lexa whispered again, “I’m staying right here. When this is all done, Jon will drive you home.”

  Dan opened his eyes, and Lexa came in slightly unfocused before he hung his head, letting his guard down with her, partially the result of the sedative effects. “I’m pathetic. I need to be drugged for a damned shot. I can only imagine how the guys are laughing at me.”

  Lexa wanted to slap him for making such an asinine comment but instead caressed his face and lifted his chin. She waited until Dan made eye contact again. “No one is laughing. They are all concerned. You are not pathetic. We all have phobias. You have a valid reason for your difficulty with needles.”

  When Dan lowered his eyes without commenting Lexa challenged, “Do you think Loki is pathetic because he fears spiders and the woods?”

  Dan glanced up. “No. Lots of people don’t like spiders.”

  “True and the same is true for needles. Although most people’s fears are irrational, you have a basis for yours. So, I never want you to say that again. We will find a way to help you through this. Perhaps Heather can recommend a doctor who will administer nitrous for any follow-up you may need. I hope you don’t, but if you do, I’ll be here for you.”

  His pride assuaged a bit by her words Dan changed the subject. “I need to apologize to Jon. I’m not sure why but …”

  “He and you butt heads. Jon’s a protector like you, but he goes about it differently. He offered to stay which makes me think he believes he owes you an apology.”

  Dr. Prick returned with a nurse neither Dan or Lexa had met before. In fact, most of the ER staff present today they didn’t know, which was quite a feat given the repeat business they provided St. Michael’s.

  The pinch-faced doctor picked up one syringe from the tray. “Two of these will go in the shoulder and one in the buttocks.”

  Spying the needle, Dan slammed his eyes shut, and his grip on Lexa’s hand increased. His breath came in short pants.