FULL CIRCLE
Chapter 27
Miles slowly opened his eyes to find the bright light shining in them. He reached up a hand to push it away and felt his hand easily grabbed and held still. "Pupils equal and reactive. Come on,
Miles. Time to wake up," Stephen's voice was saying.
"What...what happened?" Miles asked as he struggled to sit up.
"Someone hit you pretty hard. How are you feeling?" Stephen asked in return.
"Like...my head is...killing me," Miles replied. He gingerly touched the back of his head and then stared at the blood on his fingertips. "This doesn't look good."
"Miles, I want to get you to the hospital so you can get checked out. Make sure you have nothing more serious than a concussion," Stephen said, giving him a "Don't argue, just do it" look.
"What about my patients?" the younger doctor asked.
Stephen and Frank exchanged quick glances, debating on whether or not to tell him the truth. The truth won out and Stephen said quietly, "Miles, it's all over. Your patients are dead. Whoever
knocked you out apparently killed them." Miles nodded, accepting the news.
"Did you see who did it?" Frank asked.
Miles closed his eyes as he tried to concentrate. "Dark suits...one had a gun...I'm sorry but that's all I can remember," he said slowly.
"That's good enough. Those guys are probably long gone anyway."
"Miles, do you think you'll be okay in the car or do you want me to call an ambulance?" Stephen asked.
"No ambulance," Miles said adamantly. To prove his point, he got unsteadily to his feet where he stood in danger of toppling over.
Frank sighed and put a steadying arm around Miles' shoulder. "Easy does it, kid." Miles nodded and let Frank help him as they made it down the stairs.
"You drive," Stephen told Frank as soon as they got out to the car and tossed him the keys. "I'm going to ride in the back with Miles."
"All right," Frank said, holding the car door open while Stephen got Miles settled in the backseat and fastening his seatbelt beforegetting in beside him.
"Doing all right?" Stephen asked, looking at the younger man's pale features.
"Yeah," Miles replied, pressing a hand against his aching head.
It didn't take long for the motion of the car and his headache to combine to make Miles feel dizzy and nauseated. He was hoping that they'd make it to the hospital before he actually was sick. But each passing moment made that less and less likely. Suddenly he leaned forward to say, "Stop the car. Now!"
Stephen reached to flip on the overhead light and take a good look at Miles. Taking note of the beads of perspiration on the younger man's face and his obvious distress, he said, "Frank, stop the car."
Frank, having learned from bitter experience, as every parent does, the usual outcome when such words are not immediately heeded, quicklypulled into an empty parking lot. "What's going on?"
"I think he's about to be sick," Stephen replied. As he spoke, he was unfastening Miles' seatbelt and reaching across to open the door. Miles just slid out of the car and managed to stagger a few feet away before falling to his hands and knees as he lost the battle with the nausea.
Stephen stayed by the car to give the younger man some privacy while he pulled out his phone and called Natalie.
She grabbed her phone the minute it rang. "Dr. Durant."
"Frank and I are bringing Miles to the ER to get checked out. Someone hit him hard on the back of his head."
"How is he?" she asked, concern in her voice.
"Well, he was unconscious when we found him but he's awake and alert. Says he has a killer headache. We just pulled off the road before he puked in the car. But don't let him know I told you that. I think he's embarrassed enough as it is," Stephen said.
"I won't say a word," Natalie promised.
"I'll talk to you when we get there," Stephen said and hung up his phone.
When it felt like his stomach was going to stay where it belonged for awhile, Miles cautiously got to his feet. Although the nausea had abated, he still felt dizzy. Going to the hospital wasn't such a bad
idea; at least there he could lie down.
"You okay, Miles?" Stephen asked when he saw the younger doctor straighten up.
"Yeah," Miles replied, his voice a little shaky. He managed to get back to the car and sit on the edge of the seat, feet on the ground while he rested his head in his hands. "Sorry about all this."
"Look at it this way, it could have been a lot worse," Frank said.
Miles looked up at him, the misery he felt clearly reflected in his eyes. "Don't remind me," he said tiredly.
"Think you'll be al right until we get to the hospital?" Stephen asked.
"I think so," Miles replied, getting himself situated in the backseat.