by R J Nolan
“Thanks, Dr. Parker. If everything is quiet, we’re going to draw names at midnight. If you get my name, I have a list.”
“I don’t think that’s allowed.”
“I won’t tell if you don’t.” Donna grinned.
“Out.” Laughing, Dale motioned toward the door. “We’ve got patients to see.”
Together they left the lounge.
CHAPTER 17
Dale found Logan once again ensconced at the nurses’ station with a medical journal. Since the holiday decorations had gone up two weeks ago, Logan had been avoiding the staff lounge as if it were the devil’s lair. The rest of the department was devoid of decorations, per hospital policy.
The closer it got to Christmas, the more somber Logan became. And in the last few days, dark circles had appeared under her eyes. She had become more distant than ever.
Worry nagged at Dale. She wished there was some way she could break through Logan’s self-imposed isolation.
“Dr. Parker,” Donna called out.
Dale stepped behind the counter of the nurses’ station.
“Everything is quiet. We’re going to open our Secret Santa gifts.” Donna glanced at her watch. “Everyone’s gathering in the lounge in ten minutes.”
Logan shoved back her chair and walked away.
Dale checked the intake board. “Okay. But make sure the patient check-in remains staffed, as well as the nurses’ station.”
“Sure thing.”
After checking to make sure all the patients were stable, Dale headed for the staff lounge. She kept an eye out for Logan but didn’t see her. Not that she expected her to step foot in the lounge while the gift giving was going on. Whatever she had against Christmas, it definitely seemed tied to the exchange of gifts.
Donna was already passing out gifts when Dale entered the lounge. She smiled and turned back to rummage under the tree. “Here you go.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Dale as she handed her a narrow, brightly wrapped box.
Oh great. How embarrassing was this going to be? It wasn’t uncommon to be presented with a gag gift. Dale kept her expression neutral and accepted the package. Conscious of everyone watching, she carefully lifted the tape from one end of the package.
“Don’t be a wimp. Tear it off,” Brent, one of the senior residents, said.
Laughter erupted.
Dale scowled at him, then ripped the paper, pulling it from the box in one motion. She glanced down at the row of individual boxes of hot chocolate mix and mentally breathed a sigh of relief as she held it up for everyone to see.
“How about a trade?” Molly asked.
“No trades,” Donna said before Dale could refuse.
Dale snacked on a cookie and watched her coworkers open gifts. But her mind was only half on what was going on. Logan’s increasing melancholy as Christmas drew nearer had her concerned. She had seen too many people suffering from depression during the holiday season and knew what devastating consequences that could have. She would do everything in her power to see that something like that didn’t befall Logan. They both had the day, or rather the night, off tomorrow. Maybe she could convince Logan to go out to eat and get her to talk about what was bothering her.
The door to the lounge swung open. “Multiple incoming from a MVA,” Nancy, the nurse who had volunteered to cover during the gift giving, said. “Wrong-way driver on the 110 hit another car head-on. First accident caused a major pileup behind it.” She shook her head. “It’s going to be a mess. I put in a call to Dr. Peterson. He’s on his way down.”
Dale pushed out of her chair. “Party’s over. Let’s hit it.”
Everyone abandoned their dessert and gifts, quickly exiting the lounge.
“Have you seen Dr. Logan?” Dale asked Nancy as she followed her out of the room.
“She was at the desk when the call came in. She’s waiting outside for the first ambulance.”
As they neared the nurses’ station, the sound of sirens pierced the night. Dale glanced at her watch. It was just after three a.m.
By the time she reached the ambulance bay, the paramedics already had the first patient unloaded. Logan was visually assessing her as they moved toward the door. One of the paramedics reeled off the patient’s history and stats. She approached the other side of the gurney and glanced down into the scared blue eyes of a young woman whose head and neck were immobilized. “We’re going to take good care of you.”
A second ambulance pulled into the bay.
“I’ve got this,” Logan said.
Dale nodded and moved away from the gurney. Another ambulance pulled up, waiting its turn to be unloaded. She motioned Brent, who was in the third year of his residency, toward the ambulance that had just arrived. “Take that one. Molly, you’re with me.” For now, she wanted to keep the less experienced first-year resident with her until she saw what they were up against.
Together, they approached the second ambulance as the EMTs unloaded the stretcher. The head of the gurney was raised, allowing the patient to sit up. The woman pulled against the strap across her chest. “I don’t need to be on a stretcher. I’m fine.” She tugged at the strap again. “Where’s my sister? Did they bring her here? I need to talk to her. Is she okay?”
“Ma’am, you need to let the doctors take a look at you,” the EMT said.
“No. You don’t understand. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t asked her to get my phone from the backseat because of a stupid text message.” She jerked frantically on the straps.
The EMT moved to restrain her.
“They took her away in another ambulance. I have to find my sister.” Her voice cracked with rising emotion.
“I’m sure your sister is in good hands.” Dale ran a quick visual assessment. The abrasions on her face were most likely the result of an airbag deploying. The woman’s shirt kept her from seeing any bruising from the seat belt. Most apparent was the fact that she was not using her left arm. “You’re not going to do her any good by hiding your own injuries. Let us take care of you.” She motioned toward Molly. “As soon as we finish examining you, Dr. Flaherty will check on your sister’s location and get an update on her status.”
The young woman adamantly shook her head. “You can’t make me stay here. Give me a paper to sign. I have to find my sister.”
While Dale understood the woman being upset, she didn’t have time to coddle her. It was time to provide a reality check. Dale reached down where the woman had her left arm cradled against her abdomen and lifted it slightly.
The woman yelped and flopped back against the gurney. She glared at Dale.
“Your injuries need to be treated. Dr. Flaherty is going to take care of you.” When the woman reluctantly nodded, she lowered her voice for Molly’s ears only. “Besides checking her for a head trauma, make sure you check her for a seat belt injury.”
Molly met Dale’s gaze, then her eyes darted to the patient on the gurney. “What if she decides to leave again and won’t let me treat her?”
Dale gave Molly a stern look. “Handle it! We’ve got a lot more injuries on the way.”
As if to punctuate Dale’s words, a new ambulance approached, sirens screaming.
“Now go.” She motioned for Molly to grab the stretcher.
Pushing away her irritation at the resident, Dale hustled over to the waiting ambulance. She could hear the patient’s screams before she reached the back of the ambulance.
The paramedics already had the gurney unloaded.
The first sight of the patient made Dale’s stomach roil. She ruthlessly shoved away the reaction. Do your damn job. Despite a dressing, one of the patient’s lower extremities was a bloody mess. The paramedic had applied a tourniquet just above the knee.
Dale grabbed the gurney. “Move it, people.” As a group, the paramedics and Dale raced for the trauma bay. She called for Crai
g Peterson as soon as they cleared the doors of the ER. She wondered if they would need to call in the backup trauma surgeon.
Dale stretched her aching back as she stepped out of the treatment room. With the arrival of the day shift an hour ago, they had made great progress in clearing out the patients from the multiple-car pileup. The sound of a child’s laughter drew her attention.
A dark-haired blur flew around the corner and plowed into her legs.
Dale grabbed the doorframe to keep them both upright.
The little girl wrapped her arms around Dale’s leg and giggled. “Hi.”
When she recognized the little girl, Dale grinned. Wonder how she got away? She had seen Erin only a few times, but she knew that Kim and Jess did not allow her to run amok in the ER. “Hello to you. Where’s your mommy?”
Jess came flying around the same corner and skidded to a halt. “Erin Marie McKenna. You know better than to run from Mama.” She hoisted Erin into her arms. “Sorry, Dale.”
“No problem. I wish I had that much energy.”
Erin squirmed in Jess’s arms. “No. Run more.”
She smiled at the pair. When she saw them together, it still amazed her that Jess was not Erin’s birth mother. With her dark hair and blue eyes, Erin looked like a miniature version of Jess.
“No more running, young lady. It’s time to go to day care.”
“No.” Erin tried to buck out of Jess’s arms. “See Mommy.”
Jess grimaced as she struggled with her daughter. “The terrible twos are not a myth.”
Dale bit her lip to keep from laughing. It was certainly unexpected to see the tough ER chief struggle with a recalcitrant two-year-old. Up until now, she would have bet that Jess was the disciplinarian in the family.
“Mommy!” Erin’s scream threatened to pierce Dale’s eardrums. “Mommy!”
Kim strode up and plucked Erin from Jess’s arms. “What’s with all the racket?” She arched an eyebrow at Jess. “Took a detour on the way to day care?”
Jess shot Erin a look as if to say, “Now we’re in trouble.”
Erin laid her head on Kim’s shoulder and snuggled against her, the picture of innocence. Her straight black hair contrasted sharply with her mother’s blond curls.
“Oh yeah. Leave me to take the blame,” Jess muttered. She glanced Dale’s way and flushed as if she had just realized she was still standing there. “We’ve got everything under control here, go ahead and sign out. I know you must be beat. If you see Logan, tell her too, please.”
“Thanks.” Dale yawned. She was definitely ready to hit the sack, but her empty stomach rumbled in complaint.
“Come on, you two. Mommy and Mama have to work.” Jess placed a kiss on Erin’s forehead. “And you are going to day care.”
Erin started to protest, but at a look from Kim she quieted.
“I bet Charlie is already playing with all the toys upstairs,” Kim said.
Erin lifted her head from Kim’s shoulder, and her little brow furrowed. “Go up.” She bounced in Kim’s arms. “Go up.”
With a nod in Dale’s direction, the threesome headed down the hall.
Watching the family interact had done a lot to lift the stress of the last few hours. She couldn’t help the bit of envy that tugged at her. How wonderful it must be to have a family like that.
Dale picked up the pace when she spotted Logan ahead of her in the parking lot. Unable to find her in the department, she had thought she was already gone. “Hey, Logan. Wait up.”
Logan slowed and waited for her to catch up.
They walked together to Logan’s SUV.
“You did a great job this morning.”
Logan shrugged and looked away. “Just doing my job.”
It felt as if she were back at square one with Logan lately. Dale pushed down her frustration, determined to keep trying. As Casey often told her, she was nothing if not exceedingly stubborn. “Fine. Then congratulations, you’re damn good at your job.” It came out a little sharper than she intended.
Logan glanced her way, looking a bit taken aback. “Thanks.”
Dale raked her hands through her hair. “Listen, I’m beat, and I know you must be too, but I’m starving. Why don’t we—”
“I’m not hun—” Logan’s stomach growled loudly. She scowled down at her traitorous belly.
“As I was saying. Why don’t we grab a bite to eat? I know this place that makes the best omelets.”
Logan hesitated. The voice of Scooby Doo emanated from Logan’s backpack. Her eyes widened. “Excuse me. I have to take this.” She pulled the phone out and thumbed the screen. “This is Logan.”
Dale bit back a grin. Logan was so serious most of the time that she never figured her as the type to have a cartoon character ringtone.
“What! When?”
She sobered at Logan’s alarmed tone of voice.
“Where is he now?” Logan listened for a minute, then her knees buckled, and she grabbed for the side mirror of the SUV.
What the hell was going on? Dale rushed to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist. Her worry ratcheted up another notch when Logan didn’t immediately step away from the support. She could feel Logan trembling.
“I understand.” Logan’s voice sounded hollow. “I want everything possible done for him. I don’t care what it costs. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She disconnected the call. Her hands were shaking so badly, she fumbled with her phone as she tried to put it away.
Dale managed to grab the phone as it slipped from Logan’s grasp. Knowing she might be rebuked, she took the chance anyway. She draped an arm across Logan’s shoulders and pulled her close.
Logan slumped against her. Tremors rippled through her body. “I can’t lose him.” Her voice was filled with anguish.
Lose who? Logan had never made mention of anyone else. She wrapped her arms around Logan and stroked her hand soothingly up and down her back. “What happened?”
Logan lifted her head from Dale’s shoulder. Her eyes sparkled with tears. “Drake bloated.” She pulled out of Dale’s embrace. “I have to go.”
Dale worked to decipher the cryptic explanation. She assumed Drake was a dog. Was the dog what she had caught a glimpse of in Logan’s RV? Although she didn’t know a lot about dogs, she had heard of bloat. She wasn’t familiar with many details of the condition, other than it could be deadly. When she was in college, a friend’s German Shepard had died after bloating.
Logan tugged her key fob from her pocket and promptly dropped it. She scooped the key up and hit a button.
The SUVs alarm blared.
“Damn it.” Logan struggled to get it shut off, her shaking hands making her clumsy.
Dale plucked the key from her hand and shut off the alarm. She had never seen Logan like this. She remained calm and rock steady during the most intense traumas. Then again, this was personal. “Let me drive. You’re shaking like a leaf.” She hid her surprise when Logan nodded. “Come on. My Jeep is right over there.”
“We have to hurry,” Logan said.
“I promise. I’ll get you there as fast as possible.”
CHAPTER 18
Dale glanced at Logan for probably the twentieth time since they had left LA Metro. After giving her the location of the emergency hospital, Logan had not said a word. She had her arms wrapped around her middle and her gaze remained firmly locked outside the windshield, as if by concentration alone she could will them there faster. For rush hour, traffic had been fairly light, but Dale had still cursed every brake light and slow-moving car. The forty-five minutes it had taken them to reach the hospital had seemed interminable.
Her stomach clenched as she pulled into the parking lot of the animal hospital. Please let him be okay. Logan had been so down lately, Dale feared what it would do to her if the dog died.
Logan
bolted from the Jeep the moment it came to a stop. She didn’t even take her backpack with her.
Dale got out, opened the back door, and retrieved the backpack before hurrying after Logan. As she stepped into the lobby, Logan’s raised voice drifted over to her.
“What the hell happened, Mark?” Logan, her fists clenched at her side, was right in the face of a heavyset man.
She rushed to her side and wrapped her hand around Logan’s clenched fist. “Take it easy.”
Logan glared at Dale for a moment. Then the fire in her eyes died, and like a marionette deprived of its strings, she slumped onto a nearby bench. She scrubbed her hands over her face. “I’m sorry, Mark. I know it’s not your fault.” Her hand rubbed repeatedly over a spot above her breast. “Have you heard anything about how Drake’s doing?”
Mark sat down next to her. Dale took up position on her other side. She wondered what the connection between Logan and this man was, but now wasn’t the time to ask questions.
“Last I heard, they were going to start an IV and take X-rays to see if there was any torsion. If not, they were going to tube him to decompress his stomach.” He knifed his fingers through his hair. “I swear to you. As soon as my staff alerted me that there was a problem with Drake, I checked him over and got him here right away.”
Dale was once again left to puzzle out the details for herself. Mark must be the owner of a kennel where Logan kept her dog.
“I know you did. I’m sorry about how I acted. I’m just so—” She roughly shook her head. “I appreciate everything you did for Drake. You must need to get back to work.”
Mark stood. “Yeah. I do.” He gazed down at Logan, then tentatively patted her shoulder. “Let me know how he’s doing when you can.”
“Sure. Thanks again.”
