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Doc swallowed a flash of anger. This wasn’t the hospital’s fault. Yet he was deeply troubled by how Fiona was found. They hadn’t been followed from the rental property, so he knew the intruder must have discovered she’d been admitted.
Was it just that the bad guys had called all the hospitals in the area looking for her? Or had her name been flagged in the system? It seemed to him that only someone with money could do such a thing.
Her father? Maybe. The guy still hadn’t reported her missing from what he knew. Granted, his disposable phone didn’t have access to news stations. He hadn’t heard a news update since they’d left the emergency department. Fiona had kept her television off and since she looked exhausted and needed to sleep, he hadn’t pushed the issue of their needing to be up to date on the news.
It was hard to understand why Fiona’s father would hurt her. Yet he couldn’t deny the fact that Fiona had steadfastly refused to be taken to the hospital from the moment she’d collapsed on his doorstep. And those instincts of hers had been dead right.
Dead being the operative word.
Once the ruckus had settled down, and the security guard had come to take his and Fiona’s statements, he collapsed in the uncomfortable recliner. Scrubbing his hands over his face, he eyed the clock on the wall. He didn’t want to leave Fiona’s bedside, but he also needed a plan to get her out of the hospital the moment her antibiotics were infused. Granted, they’d also have to wait for a prescription for the oral meds she’d need to continue taking for at least a week if not ten days.
He wanted an exit strategy that did not include going out the main entrance.
As it was only four in the morning, he didn’t call Rex to ask about a floor plan. Instead, he waited until five thirty, knowing the last antibiotic dose was due at six. From the voices in the hallway, he knew the staff were preparing for the next shift to report for duty.
He lingered in the doorway until he noticed the security guard they’d spoken to earlier walk down the hall. “Mr. Martin?” Doc flagged him down. “I need a favor, if you can spare a few minutes.”
“No problem.” The guard had introduced himself as Terry Martin. “What do you need?”
“I noticed there was a side exit not far from the cafeteria.” Doc watched the guard’s expression closely. “I’d like to take Ms. Murphy out without anyone noticing.”
“Yes, there are several ways to get out of the building,” Martin agreed. “There’s one to the west that has some limited parking nearby. That’s the entrance patients use to come to get physical therapy.”
“Perfect. Where is that related to the cafeteria?” He tried to picture what little he’d seen of the building to gauge the location.”
Terry Martin drew a map on the wall with his finger. “Follow the signs for PT, you can’t miss it. Oh, and I checked our video footage, and I did see a man with a face mask jumping into a black car and driving away. No license plate though.”
“What was the make and model of the car?” Doc was sure the assailant was driving the same SUV he’d seen earlier that day and the night before when they’d fled his cabin. Maybe he hadn’t been paranoid after all.
“A Ford Explorer.” There was no hesitation in the security guard’s voice. “If not for the mud covering the plate, I’d have been able to get you a name.”
“You have access to DMV records?” That surprised him.
“Yes, we fought to get that access.” Terry shook his head in disgust. “You’d be surprised how many people abandon rental cars or old cars that no longer run in our parking structure.”
“I can imagine.” He glanced over his shoulder to where Fiona was resting. “Would you stay here for ten minutes while I check that exit?”
“No problem.” Terry took up a position with his arms crossed over his chest and his back against the wall on the other side of the doorway. “If you want to move your car, that’s fine too. I won’t leave unless it’s an emergency.”
“Thanks.” Doc decided that was a good plan. Taking advantage of the assistance, he used the same stairwell the masked man had taken to get down to the main level. It didn’t take long from there to leave the building.
Even if he had given chase, he doubted he’d have caught the guy. Not if his accomplice was waiting in the Explorer. That made him feel a little better as he strode toward the parking lot where he’d left the Malibu. The rain had stopped, but the pavement was still wet, and small puddles had formed in low spots. It wasn’t as difficult as he’d anticipated to find the entrance to the physical therapy department. There was only one open parking spot. He didn’t hesitate to take it, knowing he wouldn’t be using it for long.
Ten minutes later, he was back up on the fourth floor. Terry Martin was still standing outside the room. He smiled and offered his hand to the security guard. “Thanks again.”
“No problem.” Terry shook his hand, then added, “You’ll want to report this incident to the police.”
“I know.” Reporting the incident to law enforcement was the right thing to do, but right now, Doc was more interested in getting Fiona safely out of Lexington. Going to the police station would have to wait. “Have a good rest of your shift.”
Terry nodded and strolled off, continuing his rounds. Doc entered Fiona’s room in time to see the nurse hanging her antibiotic. From watching the midnight dose, he knew it would take roughly twenty minutes for the medication to infuse through her IV.
“If you can get us the prescription for the oral antibiotics, that would be great.” He knew from when his colleague Cam was recently hospitalized that medical staff didn’t always move quickly when it came to discharging patients.
“I’ll talk to the doctor,” the nurse said. He stifled a groan.
Another long hour later, they had the prescription in hand and the discharge paperwork signed and approved. Fiona insisted on walking down to the car. Since they had a long ride ahead, he didn’t argue.
“It stopped raining,” Fiona said as she walked beside him to the car. “I wonder if the track will have time to dry before the race.”
