"The canister...it just...exploded," the TV host explained as she led them through the set. "I don't know how it happened. Our on-set medics have been keeping pressure on the wound. He's right here."
"We'll take it from here," Hen announced to the medics as the three 118 paramedics approached the prone chef on the ground. Mariana kneeled down and let out a sympathetic hiss of pain at the sight of the metal canister top sticking out of his chest.
"Maurice, can you hear me?" Hen asked. "His breathing's very shallow and his pulse is dropping in real time."
"Superficial wounds to the head and face. I got blunt force trauma to the chest, possibly a few broken ribs," Chimney reported.
Mariana pulled her trauma shears out and started working on Maurice's top. The farther she cut and the more she exposed, the greater their concern.
"Cap," she called. Bobby crouched down next to them and grimaced.
"How deep is this shrapnel?"
"Can't say," Chimney said. "Difference between life and death this close to the heart is millimeters, not inches."
"Mercy Hospital, this is Captain Nash, 118. We have a patient with a penetrating chest wound. Have surgeons standing by." Bobby looked to his daughter but Mariana was already up and grabbing her bag.
"I can get him there in ten minutes if traffic gets out of my way," she stated.
"Then let's go."
It was a normal drive until Chimney shouted from the back. "You want to cut him open in a moving ambulance?"
"What the hell are you two talking about?!" she yelled back.
"Hen wants to do a thoracotomy!"
"Holy shit, Hen. Don't!"
"I could just widen the cut that's already there."
"That's a job for a surgeon, Hen. It's a job for a surgeon! And even if you're lucky enough to find it, what then? You're gonna cut off the circulation in his lower limbs?"
"Hen, I work in the busiest level one trauma center in LA and even I wouldn't try that!" Mariana barked out.
The back of the ambulance descended into chaos and Mariana grit her teeth, focusing on the road in front of her. Her foot never left the gas and she weaved her way through cars and trucks. They were five minutes out but it sounded like Hen was doing what she planned.
"Can't have one fucking day without someone doing crazy shit on the job," Mariana muttered to herself as she stopped the ambulance in the bay and climbed out to help get the guy out. Hen had her hand literally inside of him and Mariana shot her a murderous glare as they steadily moved the gurney onto the ground.
"As if you haven't done worse," Hen snarked.
"Oh, I have and I got yelled at for it so now it's my turn," Mariana hissed.
They wheeled the gurney into the bay where the nurses were sitting around and charting. Mariana pursed her lips, unamused by their lack of urgency.
"What the hell happened?" a nurse exclaimed as they passed him.
"He started crashing. Too much blood loss," Hen explained. "Did a thoracotomy to stabilize him."
"Are you kidding me? That's a surgeon's job."
"Yeah well it's a job she's done and done well at that," Mariana snapped. "Now are you going to shut up and tell us where he goes?"
"Hold on. Type and cross for six units. Page Dr. Royce," he ordered another nurse as he took over bagging for Chimney. "We got this, medic."
"No, I got it," Hen bit out. "I let go for half a second and he codes before we make it to the ER. I'm on this train till the end. Now which way?"
"That's my girl," Mariana said under her breath.
Chimney and Mariana turned to head back to the counter so they could chart their steps and give it to the nurses when Mariana heard another nurse scoff at Hen.
"Stupid bitch," the guy muttered.
Maybe it was the stress of the court case. Maybe she hadn't fully grown out of her old self entirely. One second she's standing next to Chimney at the counter and the next second she has the guy pushed up against the wall with a fire in her eyes.
"You wanna fucking repeat that?" she snarled. "Go ahead, say it again."
"What the hell? You just attacked me! You crazy bitch."
"Actually, she's going easy on you," Chimney drawled out. "Mari, stand down before Bobby gets a second call today from this place."
She complied with his order and stepped back to stand by him, her sharp glare never leaving the guy until he was out of the hall. Mari then turned her attention back to Chimney with an innocent expression on her face. He rolled his eyes and passed her the tablet to sign.
"Ready to go? Surgery will probably take a few hours," she sighed as she sent the chart to the nurse's station. They headed out to the ambulance bay and Chimney held his hands out for the keys. Mariana dramatically dropped the keys into his hands with an exaggerated whine before she headed for the passenger seat. She looked out at the parking lot and froze at the sight of a prisoner transport van on the other side of the ambulance bay.
Daniel turned his head in her direction and Mariana practically launched herself into the passenger seat, her chest heaving for air. Chimney looked at her in concern but she just shook her head, yanking her phone out of her pocket.
Her fingers shook as she tapped out a text to Leslie and she inhaled deeply as she waited for the reply. The phone buzzed almost instantly and she checked it with a bated breath.
From: Leslie
On it. I'll email it to you as soon as I get it.
/
"Hey, hi, what's up?" Mari said as she entered Buck's apartment, juggling a large pizza and a reusable bag full of drinks. "I have pizza from our favorite place, La Croix for me, and beer for you. I don't know what kind of beer you like so I asked Eddie and he told me what kind you guys drink so if it's bad, blame my lovely boyfriend."
"Uh, did we have plans tonight?" he asked. "Or are you and Eddie allergic to telling me that you're coming over?"
"Nope. Maddie texted me. She told me about Red. Eddie said I needed a night off from mom duty and that he would be able to cook dinner once in his life so I don't need to be home until ten because they'll be back from Abuela's by then. I love him so much and you would have thought by now that he would figure out that I know he and Chris go to Abuela's for dinner when I'm out."
"You and Maddie text about me."
"Yes and no. Usually it's about where we're meeting for brunch or shopping, but sometimes it's about you."
She set everything out on the counter as she spoke before turning and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Buck. I know you were close to him."
Buck hugged his adopted sister tightly, blinking back tears. Mariana pulled back and teasingly poked him in the arm. "C'mon, no crying tonight. We need to get ready for the Bachelor. The live texting isn't cutting it for me anymore. I feel like we haven't hung out in forever."
"You've been busy," he joked. She rolled her eyes and swatted his arm.
"I'm never too busy to make time for you."
One hour and a lot of screaming at the TV later, Mariana and Buck started to clean up his living room. He could see that something was off with her. Mariana was talking normally, but there was this underlying current of nervous, strained energy running through her. Her shoulders were tense and she couldn't sit still.
"So what's up with you?" he asked, leaning against the counter and watching her as she put the remaining La Croix in his fridge.
"You see me once every three days and we text daily. I think between Eddie and I, you get a minute by minute update on Christopher. What do you want to know, what positions Eddie likes?"
Buck choked on the beer he had just drank and he leaned over the sink to cough it out. "Please never even offer me that information. I don't want to think about my two best friends like that."
"Okay, we stand on opposite sides of the room and blow kisses to each other like two middle schoolers at a dance."
"No, I mean what's really up with you?"
She sighed and pressed her head against the cabinets. "I have to go to court in a few weeks."
"Please tell me it's not a speeding ticket."
"I wish," she snorted. "My uncle is trying to get out of prison. Valentina and I have to testify."
"You're kidding me. That's bullshit!"
"I know. We haven't even told Bobby and Athena yet. I've been handling it."
"Just tell me when and where the trial is and I'm there."
Mariana shook her head. "It's fine, Buck. Pepa is going to watch Christopher so Eddie can be there."
"Okay and I want to be there too. Just like with Maddie, I'm here to help. Always. You're my sister."
Mari offered him a sad smile and he held open his arms. The brunette stepped into his embrace and hugged her brother. "Thank you."
Her phone in her pocket buzzed with a new email but she ignored it. It could wait for now.