Mackenzie pointed at her wound and explained the shooting, leaving out how she felt about it or if she’d been terrified, just shared matter-of-fact details.
Patterson looked between them. “The pair of you live dangerous lives.”
“Turns out I’m a detective, and Ms. Steele is a former detective.”
“Ah, these injuries make more sense then.” Patterson moved to Mackenzie’s side and examined the wound while the nurse finished adjusting the IV settings on the pump.
Mackenzie grimaced, and her whole body stiffened as she gripped the edge of the gurney with her good hand. She didn’t cry out as the doctor poked and prodded around the wound, but she clamped her lips together.
The nurse finished and gave a satisfactory smile before stepping back.
Patterson stopped poking Mackenzie’s arm and looked her square in the face. “You know I’m required to report a gunshot wound to the authorities.”
“I know,” Mackenzie said. “A deputy came out and took my statement so it won’t be a surprise to them.”
“Good. Good.” The young doctor’s shoulders relaxed. “Looks like you escaped with a minor injury when it could’ve been far worse.”
Thank God for that.
“I don’t want to downplay the injury, though,” Patterson said. “This wound is still serious and deserves to be treated carefully. Your greatest risk is infection. We’ll clean the wound with water, and then pack it with gauze and apply a bandage that you’ll need to change twice a day.”
Mackenzie gaped at him. “You aren’t going to stitch it up?”
Owen got her unease. That was a huge wound to be left open.
Patterson scrubbed a hand over his face. “We don’t like to close surface gunshot wounds. The bullet isn’t clean and it can leave bacteria in the wound. Suturing it traps the bacteria in place. If we leave the wound open, you can irrigate it twice a day with clean water to wash out any bacteria that might form. I’ll also prescribe a preventative antibiotic.”
Mackenzie frowned. “Sounds gross, but okay.”
Owen agreed. Sounded gross. But he wouldn’t comment and make things worse for her. She would need help changing that bandage, and gross or not, he would be right at her side taking care of it each time it needed changing.
The doctor performed a similar neurological exam to the one he’d done on Owen. Then he looked at her. “The nurse will clean and pack the wound for you, but I see nothing else to be concerned about. I’ll give you a prescription for pain medication, but please take it only if you need it.”
“I probably won’t even fill it, but we’ll see how it goes.”
The doctor gave a tight smile. “Any questions?”
Mackenzie shook her head. “I think it’s pretty straightforward, right?”
“Yes. Exactly.” His smile broadened. “It was nice to meet you, Ms. Steele.”
He offered his hand for a fist bump. She obliged him. He nodded at Owen and departed.
The nurse patted Mackenzie’s knee. “Let me grab the supplies I need, and I’ll be right back.”
She marched out of the room.
“She reminds me of the Energizer Bunny.” Owen worked hard to smile when he still wanted to punch that wall.
Mackenzie smiled. “That wasn’t so bad. Thank you for all your help.”
“Shoulda been me.”
“Shouldn’t have been either of us.” She didn’t look away. “You think this was Leach or Tovar?”
“Either one, I guess. Both are hunters. Looked like a large caliber slug in my truck door.”
“Rifle.”
