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“You shouldn’t be here,” I murmured. Even though the nurse had set the computer to filter out personal details, neither of us really should be looking at the redacted information.
“There’s not a goddamn thing on this earth that would stop me from being here right now.”
I shivered, tears suddenly pooling in my eyes.
“She’s going to be okay,” Decker said quietly and pulled me into his arms.
“She’s so young.” I breathed deep to keep myself steady. “If we hadn’t been going by…”If he hadn’t been with me…There was no way I would’ve gotten the door off by myself.
“But we were,” he rasped. “We were.”
I shuddered, and he pulled me tighter for a second before the image appeared on the screen. Instantly, I was in front of it, scanning over the details and then searching for Tanya.
I didn’t know where she was, and when they brought Gabby back up, the only one left to give the nurses instructions was me.
“Find an empty room. I need her on oxygen and IV fluids immediately, and I want dexamethasone prepped for injection.” Their heads bobbed, and they scrambled to get her into an empty room.
“Reese!”
I spun, my shoulders heaving. “Dr. Kay.”Thank God.“In here.” I guided him toward the room.
“What are you doing here?” he asked calmly, giving instructions to two PAs before we stepped through the door. “They told me about Gabby. I didn’t realize—”
“I brought her in.” I nodded to the bed. “We pulled her from a car about an hour ago. Vitals are stable. BP is a little high. She’s unconscious, so I had them get a CT scan. I don’t see any signs of bleeding, only swelling from the trauma. I have them getting her on oxygen, IV fluids, and steroids.”
He stared at me for a long second. A long grateful second before his mouth firmed, and he nodded. “Thank you.”
“Please tell me you have more people coming?” I asked quietly.
“Two docs are on their way, but with the storm, it’s taking them a little time.” His voice was calm right until the very end, when it cracked with concern.
Good thing time was something I could spare at the moment.“What can I do?”
He stared at me, gave me a tight smile, and then nodded. “Come with me.”
He led me out of the room, and as I passed by Decker in the hall, I slowed and said, “You don’t have to stay.”
His eyes glittered. “I know.” And then he went back to his position on the wall.
* * *
It was two hours later by the time I walked up to Decker, dirty, exhausted, and drained.
The other on-call doctors had arrived about an hour earlier, but everything was still in chaos. So much so that no one had even been able to call Gabby’s mom. So, I’d found her contact information. I’d stood next to her bed and told her mother what had happened—what condition Gabby was in and waited for her to get here. Seeing them—consoling them—it was the final drop out of my emotional well.
I had nothing left by the time I walked out of the room, pulled off the disposable gown, and made it to Decker. I didn’t say a word—didn’t have to. He took my hand and led me out to his truck and helped me into the passenger seat.
He got in the driver’s side, started the engine, and then stopped and looked at me. “You’re amazing.”
I laughed. It was all I had left. “I’m muddy and dirty and frazzled—”
“And stunning.” He took my hand and brought it to his lips.
I sighed and turned my head away, far too tired and vulnerable right now to put up barriers to his compliments. It was the kind of thing Mom—I gasped.
“Reese—”
“My mom. I never told her where I was—” I swore and searched for my phone. I’d left angry earlier and didn’t call or text. She was probably beside herself—
