Chapter 76

As the stretcher raced through the doors to the hospital, they were met with the doctors and nurses of the trauma team ready to take over Mac's care. Her personal belongings were handed off to a young intern who began the search for past medical history as well as her emergency contact person was, even as the treatment of her injury began.

The intern was glad to find out that Mac was active military. The card in her wallet gave her identification number which made calling up her medical history on the computer so much easier, even if she was from out of state. After making sure that information was placed at her doctor's disposal, the intern next placed a call to Virginia to Colonel Sarah Mackenzie's emergency contact.

Looking at the name on the card as he dialed, he muttered, "Must be nice to have such high powered friends!"

When the call was answered, he asked, "Admiral AJ Chegwidden?"

AJ had been all set to plant a new rose bed on the side of his house when his cell phone rang. With a sigh he figured he could always do it tomorrow. He should be used to calls like this by now. However, he usually didn't have to correct the pronunciation of his name.

The voice on the other end of the phone identified himself as Dr. Barton from Boston Memorial hospital and went on to say that they had Colonel Sarah Mackenzie there. "You are listed as her emergency contact, Sir and we will need your verbal authorization to take her into surgery. We can fax you the written paperwork that we need if you can give me a number where to send it."

AJ automatically authorized the surgery, and gave his fax number. As a military man he was trained to take care of business first and deal with personal issues later. When that was taken care of, AJ started grilling the young doctor as to what had happened.

Knowing that ringing voice of authority well, he answered, "All I know is that she has been stabbed in the chest. It didn't look good when they wheeled her by me, but I heard the doctor ordering extra blood and X-rays before they were taking her to surgery. They wouldn't have done that if they thought she didn't have a chance."

"Thank you, Doctor. I will get those papers back to you as soon as I get them and could you please keep me updated on her condition?" AJ was very glad that Bud had helped him set up a printer, scanner, fax machine in the den last summer, so he didn't have the long drive to the office to return the medical forms.

Even though it wasn't his place to do so, young Dr. Barton had been treated with respect on the call by an Admiral, so he agreed to report Mac's condition to him.

Frustration at being so far away and unable to do any more for Mac from this distance, AJ decided to see if he might be able to get more information from someone who could actually go to the hospital. He placed a call to his ex-fiancée's niece, Jordan Cavanaugh-Hoyt.

He was shocked when the call was answered, "Hello, this is Officer Sheppard, Boston Police. Who is this and why are you are calling this number, please?"

Aware that the military, hospital staff, and police were only allowed to give information to family members, AJ easily told a white lie as he wondered, 'what the hell was going on in Boston?!' "I am calling from McLean, Virginia and was trying to reach my niece Jordan Cavanaugh-Hoyt. This is Admiral AJ Chegwidden the Judge Advocate General of the US Navy. What has happened that you are there?"

"I am sorry to tell you this, Sir, but your niece had been shot. The paramedics just took her to the hospital."

AJ closed his eyes in pain, even though Jordan was not really his niece, he still felt as if she were. "I see," he said, "What about her husband and baby? Are they alright?"

"It seems as if her child was kidnapped and her husband, Detective Hoyt is in pursuit of the perpetrator."

"Thank you, Officer," AJ growled as his brain screamed 'PALMER!' He ended the call and in the next second he was calling the airport. He was going to Boston!

To be continued…