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"Doctor Stremmel," heanswered.
"Hey," I replied, stretching the word out as I made peace with this decision. I had to remind myself that he was the top trauma surgeon on the West Coast, and we were lucky to have him and his piss-pleasant attitude. "It's NickAcevedo."
"The wonders of caller ID notified me of this before I answered," he replied. "What can I do for you, DoctorAcevedo?"
"You're holding down the Emergency Department, right? How's the board tonight? Busy? What's goingon?"
"Yes, empty, slow, and not much. In that order," hereplied.
"I'm heading in with my sister-in-law, Shannon. She's thirty-seven weeks and in active labor with contractions about fifty secondsapart."
"The one from—from last night? The one thatI—"
"Yes," I interrupted. "Who's the OB attendingtonight?"
He groaned as if I'd punched him in the gut. "Zellers but she just scrubbed in with preterm twins," he said. "She has four residents. Two of them are handling unremarkable deliveries. Two of them can't tell an elbow from an asshole. I wouldn't let those two give me a flushot."
"Do me a favor and don't page those two," I said. "Who else ison?"
"Me and Northcutt," Stremmel said, "but he's in the OR, setting a broken hip. Icy sidewalks are a real problem out here,huh?"
"You're right about that," Imurmured.
"Ten minutes," the Commodorecalled.
I glanced up as the city skyline came into view. "Did you hearthat?"
He murmured in agreement and I heard him ask someone nearby to prepare a room for delivery and call an obstetrics resident. "We'll be ready. I'll meet you outside," Stremmel said. "Hold up. Is her husband going to killme?"
I studied Will for a second, his eyes trained on Shannon while she strangled the shit out of his hands. "It's anyone's guess but I'd suggest you proceed with an abundance ofcaution."
"Got it," hereplied.
I ended the call and met Judy's gaze over Shannon's head. Her lips were folded in a tight line, and it was obvious that she knew we were running out oftime.
"You're doing great, Shannon," Isaid.
"I don't need a gold star right now, Nick," she replied. "I'm having a baby on Christmas, my husband has a fully armed battalion at thehospital—"
"If Shaw ever answers his damn phone," Willmuttered.
"—and I didn't get any pie," Shannon said. "I wanted somepie."
"I'll save you plenty of pie," the Commodore called. "We'll restart our late night diapers and dessertsroutine."
"I know how you are about pie," she replied. "I don't know that you have it in you to resisttemptation."
He laughed as he merged onto Leverett Circle, weaving through traffic as if he was playingGrand Theft Auto. "For you, my dear, I can be good," he said. "I won't touch the cranberry apple or the chocolatecream."
We pulled into the ambulance bay, the tires screeching as we came to a stop. Stremmel waited on the curb, his hands shoved into the pockets of his lab coat and his shoulders hunched against the blowingsnow.
Will burst from the vehicle and opened my door, shoving me out of the way as he reached for Shannon. "I'm sorry about everything I said, Peanut. I didn't mean any ofit."
"Don't start lying to me now," she said, her arms around his neck and her face pressed to hischest.
He scooped her up and held her close, whispering into her hair as he marched ahead. Then he spottedStremmel.
"Not this fucking guy," Will said with agroan.
