Читать книгу A Soldier's Reunion - Cheryl Wyatt - Страница 12

“It’s broken for sure?” Mandy askd Dr. Riviera after she’d been taken to a room and her wrist X-rayed.

“Yes.”

A sinking feeling hit her gut. “Are soft tissues involved?”

Wheels on the med cart squeaked as he pushed it toward her. “Subsequent X-rays and an MRI will tell for sure. But judging by the pain, swelling and disfigured angle of the hand, I’m guessing yes.”

“Figured as much.” How would this affect her job? Could she safely carry out examinations with her left hand when she was right-handed? Her mind clicked through common procedures. Discouragement abounded.

A knock sounded at the door. “Bailey in here?” a male voice Mandy recognized as Dr. Callahan’s asked. “We have issues in nine and could use another pair of arms.”

“You’re in hot demand today.” Mandy smiled at Bailey, feeling compassion for the tired woman. All the wrung-out staff, really.

“Always. Excuse me.” Nurse Bailey scurried out.

Dr. Riviera suddenly looked weary as he moved into the light. Dark shadows circled his normally bright eyes, now bloodshot. Puffy bags of skin clung to them, making him look older.

Empathy filled her. “You’ve been here all night?”

He nodded and offered a tired smile. “I’ll get relief soon. I wanted to see your treatment through first.” He stifled a yawn.

“I understand.” She eyed the cart and moved to the edge of the table’s padded seat. Paper crinkled beneath her. “So what torture are you about to inflict, hmm?”

He chuckled. “First, I need to know how you’re getting home. If these bones aren’t aligned, we’ll need to reset the hand.”

Ouch. “I know.”

“Which means you also know I’ll have to heavily sedate or anesthetize you?”

She gritted her teeth and nodded.

He unwrapped her bandage. “Whoever splinted this did a fabulous job.”

Mandy licked her lips and stared at a spot on the wall.

“Be right back and we’ll get this fixed up after I snag someone to help me. Now that Callahan stole Bailey from me.”

It took longer than Mandy expected for the door to open. Dr. Riviera re-entered, armed with hot pink casting paraphernalia.

Bailey started Mandy’s IV, then left to answer a call light.

Wheels creaked as an anesthetist entered with a cart. “You’re not going to be able to walk home after we apply this.” He looked pointedly at Mandy’s wrist, the anesthesia cart and casting material. “Is there someone you can call?”

“I’d offer a ride but we have a mandatory stress debriefing,” Riviera said.

“I imagine patients need this bed, too.” Occupied gurneys crammed all hallways with curtained partitions around them. Guilt slammed her over having this private room.

“Other than you and Doc Callahan, the two hoodlums who recruited me to supposedly calm Refuge, I don’t know anyone awake at this hour.” She hated to wake Amelia.

“You know me,” Nolan said from the door.

Her head lifted.

He must have had a shower because he looked clean-shaven and wore civilian clothes. Trendy jeans hugged lean legs, revealing muscles she hadn’t noticed yesterday. His shirt caught her attention too. A pressed black button up with silvery-white pin stripes—her favorite colors. Coincidence? Or did he remember? Nolan never wore black in the summer.

She cleared her throat and eyed her supervisor.

Dr. Riviera watched them with amused interest.

“May I come in?” Nolan asked.

Mandy shifted. “Looks like you already are.”

Guilt prodded Mandy to squirm under his gently inquisitive eyes.

Vague recollections of him walking her to the lab and imaging departments last night seeped into her thoughts. Holding her as she’d tried not to yelp from pain as technicians straightened her hand to get a good image. He’d talked her through the procedure as a doula coached a woman through labor. Like he’d talked her through hundreds of problems growing up.

And, because meds had lowered her resistance, she’d let him.

“I’m not really up for visitors, Nolan.”

“How’s it going, Airman Briggs?” Ignoring her, Dr. Riviera walked to the door and extended his hand. “Nice job on the bridge. Got all the children off safely, I hear.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Nolan shook Riviera’s hand.

“Rumor has it you might be leaving soon?” Riviera said.

Mandy looked up. What? Leaving? What?

Nolan’s jaw tensed. “Maybe.”

“How soon?”

“In a few months unless plan D works.”

Plan D? If they’d gone through plans A, B and C, that wasn’t good, right? Why would he be leaving? She’d asked Cole about the PJs and he’d informed them the pararescue team was stationed in Refuge since it sat on the edge of Eagle Point Air Base.

“I hope it does. I hate to see you go,” Riviera said.

“Yeah. Me, too.” Nolan faced Mandy. He marched in like a warrior on a mission. “Look, we need to talk. Besides, you could use a distraction for when they treat those injuries.” He nodded at her wrist, elevated and wrapped in ice.

True. She did.

She eyed Dr. Riviera. His head lowered the way it did when he administered verbal pop quizzes to residents. “And I could use his help. Bailey bailed on me.”

She couldn’t very well make herself out to look like a hag in front of the head of her medical department, now could she?

Mandy gritted her teeth and nodded toward a chair near where the anesthetist readied equipment. “Come on in then, Nolan.” Get this over with and leave.

Since you’re so good at it.

“Thanks.” He didn’t take the chair. He took the spot right beside her and leaned against the exam table.

Dr. Riviera approached with a fresh hand splint. “Nurses are stretched beyond human limit. So I’m going to have Airman Briggs, who is essentially a paramedic, assist me. You okay with that, Dr. Manchester? It’ll be good training.”

For what, emotional torture?

What could she do except nod?

Dr. Riviera’s pager went off. He peered at it. “Be right back.” He slipped from the room. She could have sworn she saw the hint of a smile as he went out the door, too. The anesthesiologist followed.

Utter conspiracy.

Putrid doctors.

Nolan rested a hand on her elbow. She tried not to flinch. Hated that she could feel his breath against her neck and hair as he leaned over. “Look, I’m sorry about that. I just wanted a chance to talk. Didn’t know he was going to draft me into helping with your procedures. You okay with that?”

Mandy held his gaze as long as she could without being rattled. And knew she couldn’t be a ninny about this. She stood from the table and walked across the room. “I trust you, Nolan. At least medically. I saw what you did on that bridge.”

The amazing things.

Someone knocked. “Miss Manchester?”

“Yes?”

“Officer Stallings. I have something you might need.”

“Please come in.”

The striking officer stepped around the corner with a dashing grin and her purse.

“Oh! You found it. Thank you!”

He handed it over with a little nod of his head. Man, did he have dimples-to-die-for or what? Yet he paled in comparison to Nolan. At least in her estimation. “Best contact your insurance company about your car as soon as possible, ma’am.”

Sweet southern manners and a delightful drawl to boot. She took the purse. “I will. Thank you.”

“Bye, now.” He tipped his hat and turned to go. “Briggs.” The officer nodded at Nolan on his way out.

Nolan gave a stiff nod back. “Stallings.”

“That came out terse,” Mandy said after the officer left.

“What?”

She puffed out her chest and tilted her chin in exaggerated motions. Then lowered her voice to majorly male octaves. “‘Briggs.’ ‘Stallings.’”

Nolan’s eyes smiled. “You’re imagining things.” His arms crossed, causing a heap of muscles to strain against his shirt. It couldn’t hide the massive chest. Concrete arms. Flat stomach. Not an ounce of fat anywhere.

She swayed away before admiration at how hard he must have worked to get himself to this place of extreme physical fortitude could cart her away.

Fighting adoration, she sniffed. “He’s cute.” Though not as cute as you.

“Who? Stallings?” Nolan’s arms lowered to his sides. But his hands were fisted, she noticed.