Bella gasped. Sophia wrapped an arm around her friend.
“Greer was her backup. He called for assistance. Greer and Holt pulled her from the rubble and out of the building. Greer stabilized her neck. The EMTs took over transport and brought her here.”
Liam ran his hands through his hair and blew out a breath. A litany of scenarios flew through his mind, ranging from broken bones to death.
The memory of Sam smiling and waving goodbye to them as she walked into the station this morning. So young. So beautiful. His heart ached. He couldn’t imagine a world without her.
The automatic doors swung open, and all eyes turned to the nurse who walked out. She looked past them and called out a name that wasn’t Samantha Williams.
The group of men sighed in synchrony.
“This could be a while. We should probably stop crowding the door,” Lieutenant Fischer said, but he didn’t move. Instead, the other guys formed a line against the wall, out of the way.
Liam remained with Fischer.
What was taking so long? They should know something by now.
Lord, calm me.
He wanted the medical professionals to be cautious and take their time assessing Sam. If they were too hasty, they could miss something.
The automatic doors slid open. This time a doctor stepped out and looked to them. “For Williams?”
Liam and Fischer stepped closer to the doctor.
“I’m her supervisor, Lieutenant Fischer, and this is her boyfriend, Liam Roberts.”
“Deputy Marshal Liam Roberts.” Liam showed his badge. He didn’t like flashing his badge around and expecting special treatment. But if there ever was an occasion to do so, this would be it. “And this is her sister, Isabella Williams.”
“I see.” The doctor glanced at the badge, then at Bella. “I’m Dr. Yassan. Ms. Williams remains unconscious. CT scans of her head and torso were done to rule out life-threatening injuries. The are no cranial fractures, bleeding, or swelling to the brain. No broken bones in the neck or back. No spinal or organ damage.”
Liam took a deep breath.Thank You, Lord, that there’s no serious injury. I pray for ongoing healing of her body.
The doctor continued, “She does have a two-inch laceration to the back of her head. We’ve cleaned and stapled it. All of her vitals are stable. We’re going to admit her for observation and wait for her to regain consciousness for further evaluation.”
“How long will she be unconscious?” Lieutenant Fischer asked.
“Based on what I’ve been told about the mechanism of her injury, I suspect she has a concussion or other mild head injury. As far as regaining consciousness, I can’t give an estimate.Everyone’s body responds at its own pace. She could wake up in ten minutes, or it could be another hour. If she doesn’t regain consciousness in the next hour or two, we’ll order a CT scan.”
“When can we see her?” Liam asked.
“Since she’s stable and there’s evidence that familiar voices can enhance the healing process even when someone is merely unconscious, I’ll let one or two people back there. But keep it quiet and calm.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Lieutenant Fischer and Liam spoke at the same time.
Dr. Yassan waved her badge in front of the electronic pad on the wall and the doors opened. “Follow me.”
“I’ll be in in a minute. Let me talk to the guys.” Lieutenant Fischer gestured to the crew eagerly awaiting news.
Liam nodded, then followed the doctor down the hall, Bella and Sophia right behind him. “She’s still in an ER bay. We’ll get her moved once a room is ready.”
The doctor opened the door. “Bella, go on.” She let Bella go first.
“I’ll wait right here.” Sophia moved and stood to the side of the door.
Liam walked in with Bella.
Sam lay still with her eyes closed. Wires and tubes were everywhere. Her normally fit body looked so small and fragile. Liam swallowed the lump that had developed in his throat.
