Well, Leah's Grandma was kinda scary with her review so I thought I'd better get something else up quick, lol. This one's kind of short but hopefully it'll keep the beasties at bay;-) Okay, back to typing...more to come...
The ambulance rolled into the bay just as Lori arrived at the bay door. Dispatch had called to inform them that a police officer had been shot and was en route. Not having any further information, Lori was expecting to see a battle for life when the ambulance doors opened. What she wasn't expecting was to see Jim Brass reclined against a gurney with his head raised, an oxygen mask in place. "Oxygen was a precaution," the EMT told her quickly. "He never lost consciousness but he has been a little out of it. He's lost a lot of blood but he's stable."
Lori's eyes widened as she looked from Jim to the EMT and then back to Jim. Frozen for a moment, all she could do was listen. "Patient is a 60 year old male," the EMT continued. "Gunshot to the left shoulder, no exit wound; he lost a lot of blood at the scene but …" he kept going but all Lori could do was watch the face of her…her what, she asked herself. They were just beginning to discover what they were together and now…
"Dr. Messing…. Dr. Messing?" the nurse prodded.
Snapping out of her trance, Lori nodded. "Right." She stepped back to let the EMT's wheel Jim in. Then she followed. "Jackie," she said to the nurse, "Dr. Howard just left for dinner. Get him back now."
"But…" Jackie started.
"Now Jackie! I'm too close…he's …he…."
Shooting Lori a confused and also somewhat understanding look, Jackie nodded. "Yeah…okay." And she peeled off to find a phone.
Lori followed the stretcher into the exam room. Once the EMTs had transferred him to a hospital gurney, they left. But Lori remained, watching him closely.
Jim had closed his eyes when they started moving him around, closing off some of the pain he hoped. It hadn't worked. His shoulder felt like it was on fire. Realizing that he was still now, he let his eyes flutter open. As they did they focused on Lori. He'd seen to look of shock on her face when she realized who was in the back of the bus. She was still wearing a look of absolute terror. Reaching up, he pulled the oxygen mask from his face. "Lori," he croaked.
The sound of his voice unnerved her but also propelled her into action. "Jim, you've been shot. We'll need to get some x-rays to see where the bullet is. You're probably going to need pain killers…"
He stopped her with his hand o her arm. Her eyes looked down at his bloody hand and then flashed back up, meeting his gaze. "I'll be okay," he told her softly. "It hurts like hell but I'll be okay."
Staring into his normally vibrant blue eyes, she saw two things: his eyes were taking on a gray tint and he was looking back at her with such intensity, such emotion… it frightened her.
Then he surprised her again. "I want… different doctor," he said weakly. Responding to her look of hurt and uncertainty he added, "Want you here…for me." His wink filled in the blanks for her. He knew she couldn't be his doctor and his…what? There it was again. What were they to each other? And then she remembered the day they had shared together, his warmth and tenderness, his caring. She couldn't be his doctor and his lover. He had said it wasn't a one time thing and he was saying it again. And he wanted her here as his lover more than he wanted her as a doctor. He needed her in a way she had never felt needed before. It was all so new to her and so vitally important.
""Lori?" a deep voice called from behind her.
Turning, she started to explain to Dr. Howard. "John, I need you to take this case. I can't…Jim and I are…" she trailed off, afraid to give voice to it, afraid Jim might deny it. She didn't understand why she was afraid of his reaction, except that giving voice to their relationship might jinx it.
John looked from her to the patient. "Okay, well then, let's see what I have to work with," he said as he hurried into action. "Jackie, get in here," he bellowed to the nurse in the hall.
Detective Mason and Officer Mitchell cornered Lucia Anderson two blocks away from the scene. Officer Copeland had quite accidentally stumbled on the weapon she had tossed aside in the chase. Mason called Nick Stokes who appeared to take possession of the weapon and also work the scene.
As Mitch and Mason walked the suspect past Jim's car back to PD, Nick glared at the woman. "You're going down for this lady," Nick grumbled at the smirking prisoner.
Back in the interrogation room, Mason tried to get the woman to talk but she wouldn't say anything beyond, "I want a lawyer." Finally one arrived and consulted with is client. As Mason leaned against the wall outside, he heard the attorney instruct his client as he walked away from her, "Not a word, you hear me? I'll call your family and arrange for bail funds. And I'll check on arraignment."
The attorney, Clift Ross, turned and came face to face with Mason. "Your client's not going anywhere," Mason baited the lawyer. "D.A. is all over this… a serial killer who shot a cop…senior officer at that… no way she'll see daylight this century."
"We'll see," Ross told the detective. "We'll see…"
