AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes.” Saoirse gave him the names of the doctors she’d seen in D.C. and New York.
“Do you consent to your doctors releasing your medical records to me as part of my investigation?”
Hot, furious words trembled across Saoirse’s tongue. She choked them back and shook her head. “No, I do not consent to the release of my medical records.”
“I can get a warrant.”
Saoirse looked down at her hands, gripping the arms of her chair. They were shaking like leaves in a tornado. She glanced up at the overhead light. Ringed with red.
“Warning,” she whispered, mouthing her seizure-word, which would have sent her family scrambling. But no one but the chief was there to hear her.
“What did you say? I should get a warrant?”
She shook her head.
“Answer me verbally, Miss Fay.”
As the prickles started at the back of her head, she forced herself off her chair and onto the floor.
“Miss Fay, what are you doing?”
But she couldn’t answer him. Couldn’t speak. Her jaw was locked. Her face pulled into a rictus. A spasm twisted her spine just before the sharp stink of ammonia filled the air. Hot copper flooded her mouth before her mind was sucked down into blackness.
Saoirse woketo a terrible smell and sharp voices.
“Get out of my way and let us take care of her or I will sue you and your department for abuse of power, Chief,” Master Derek growled.
“I’m ordering you to stand aside, Hawkins. I have a car on the way. She’ll receive medical treatment at the station if she needs it.”
“If she needs it?!” Derek roared. “I can smell that all the way down the hallway. She had a seizure. She needs immediate medical attention. My staff is more than qualified to treat her. Let us in there.”
“You refused to produce her employment records and she’s refused to consent to production of her medical records. I have reason to believe that she’s under the influence of narcotics. This is not a seizure or if it is, it’s the drugs. We’ll treat it at the station.”
“She has a medical alert bracelet. Check it,” Derek snapped. When the Chief didn’t say anything, Derek barked, “Arrest her right now or get off my property.”
Saoirse felt around her. Her vision was still blurry, but she could see the big, dark shape of Derek’s desk in front of her. Her fingers found the hard edge of the chair leg behind her. She felt up it until she found the seat. She grabbed the arm of the chair. It toppled onto its side with a crash that silenced the argument.
“Saoirse!” Derek said. “Stay down. I’m coming in. Don’t you move.”
“Hawkins, I won’t tell you again. You’re interfering with a police investigation.”
“Then you better arrest me too.” Derek’s voice came nearer. His big hand slid around the back of her neck. He eased her back down and helped her turn onto her side. Through the tearing ache of her strained muscles, she felt something warm mush between her leg and the floor.
Utterly humiliated, she put her hand over her face and began to cry.
“Beverly, hand me a blanket,” Derek said. Warmth wrapped around her, but it did nothing for the cold, swirling pit inside her.
“Saoirse, should I call an ambulance?” Nurse MacIntosh asked.
She shook her head.
“What do you need, Saoirse?” Derek asked.
For long moments, she couldn’t answer. She could only choke as the tears came fast and hot, making every breath burble in her throat. Finally, she swallowed, trying to clear her mouth. All she could taste was blood. Her tongue felt thick and huge, stiff and sore. She rubbed it against her hard palate and winced at the spike of sharp pain.
“Bit m’tongue,” she told Derek. “Wadder?”
“Water. Beverly, bring me a bottle of water, please?”
