Wounded Souls E-Book

RJ Nolan

• Herausgeber: Ylva Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 439

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Love and healing collide in the halls of the hospital. Dr. Ashlee Logan's world changed forever on a snowy December night in Boston. She has spent the last two years on the road, trying to escape the memory of that fateful night. With only her Great Dane, Drake, as her companion, she has worked her way across country from the Atlantic to the Pacific, working as an ER physician along the way. While serving her country, former Navy doctor Dale Parker had her life shattered in a single moment on a hot, windswept desert roadside. Now, three years later, although her physical wounds have healed, Dale is forever changed by the experience. Struggling with her self-image, she has dedicated her second chance at life to helping other wounded veterans. LA Metropolitan Hospital brings the two women together. Drawn together as kindred spirits, neither wants to face the stirring of emotions the other woman invokes. Together can Dale and Logan move past the horrific events of their pasts, or are they forever destined to be…Wounded Souls?

Leseprobe

Sign up for our newsletter to hear

about new and upcoming releases.

www.ylva-publishing.com

OTHER STORIES IN THE L.A. METRO SERIES

The Wish

L.A. Metro

A Treat for Halloween Tricksters

Two Hearts—One Mind

In a Heartbeat

Wounded Souls

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would not be able to write a novel like this without the help of a wonderful group of people. But without my loyal readers, who have supported and encouraged me, it would all be for naught. So a big thank you to all my readers.

As always to ETJ. Your love and support keep me going every day.

To Pam. We made it through another book together. It just wouldn’t be the same without you. Your dedication and support are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

To my critique partner, Jae. Thank you for keeping me on track and for your encouragement and help along the way.

To Jennifer. Thank you for adding your expertise to the book and suggesting such great exercises.

CHAPTER 1

Logan gave one last longing glance at the crowded beach before turning away. After she had arrived in LA that morning, the lure of the sand and surf had been too tempting to ignore. Despite the wind and chilly weather, apparently a lot of people had decided to enjoy the ocean and the impending sunset. She retraced her steps along the trail, back across the point, toward the parking lot. When she’d spotted the tiny parking area earlier, she had hoped that translated into a fairly unpopulated beach. No such luck.

As she veered to the right, following the trail, she noticed a smaller, less used path that she had not seen on her way to the beach. There was a sign on the trail, but it was too far away to read. She smiled when she reached the sign. It simply said beach with an arrow pointing in the exact opposite direction she had taken before.

What the heck, it was worth a try. She slapped her thigh and called to her companion. “Come on, Drake.”

He glanced up from whatever smell had enticed him from her side. For a moment, he looked as if he was going to balk. A shake of his leash, which made the tags on his collar jangle, convinced him otherwise.

The trail narrowed and then ended at the top of a stairway. Logan looked down and hesitated. The stairway to the beach was narrow and steep. From what she could see, the beach below looked empty. She eyed the stairway again, which sported a handrail on each side. It was too tempting.

“Don’t worry, boy. We’ll take it slow and easy. Let’s go.”

Halfway down, she glanced back to see how he was faring with the steps. He grinned at her, his tongue lolling.

When they reached the bottom of the steps, her gaze swept the secluded cove. There was not a person in sight. Perfect. She settled onto the sand and leaned back against the cliff wall, letting the sound of the surf wash over her. She patted the sand next to her. The big dog settled down by her side. “Well, Drake, this is it. We made it all the way across country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific.” She stroked his head where it rested on her thigh and sighed. “I just wish I knew where we go from here.” There was one thing she was sure of: there was no going back to Boston.

The sun sank into the ocean, painting the sky with vivid hues of orange, red, and purple. As the sky darkened, her thoughts meandered through all of the places they had been in the last two years.

A sudden low growl from Drake made Logan jump.

A stranger was almost on top of them. The rapidly fading light and the sound of the incoming tide had shrouded the stranger’s approach.

Logan’s heart slammed against her ribcage like a trapped bird trying to escape.

Drake leaped to his feet and planted himself between the stranger and Logan.

The stranger skidded to a halt. She backpedaled, almost tripping in her haste to put some space between them.

Logan scrambled off the sand and grabbed the flashlight off her belt. Her thumb hovered over the button that would turn the ordinary looking flashlight into a stun gun.

“Sorry about that. Didn’t see you there.”

At the sound of the woman’s voice, the tension left Drake’s body, but he remained in place in front of her. It took a long moment before Logan made her thumb move off the stun gun’s button. She returned the flashlight to the holder on her belt. Blowing out a breath, she berated herself for letting her fears get the better of her. Her hand strayed to her chest.

“I rarely come across anyone here,” the woman said. “Most people prefer Point Dume Beach on the other side of the promontory. And not too many people want to take on those steps, even in the daylight. So this little cove is usually pretty deserted.”

Which was exactly why Logan had chosen it. “No problem.”

“Anyway, I’m sorry I startled you. I should’ve had my light on.” She pulled out a flashlight and turned it on.

Even with the added light, the only things it illuminated clearly were the woman’s gray sweatpants and red running shoes; her face remained shrouded in shadow.

Her solitude gone, Logan gave up on the beach. “Drake. Side.” The big dog immediately moved to her side and pressed his shoulder to her thigh. “Good boy.”

As soon as Drake moved, the woman took several steps backward, giving him a wide berth.

While the woman had given her a fright, she didn’t like to see anyone afraid. Logan hugged Drake’s head to her side for a moment. “Great Danes really are gentle giants. He won’t bother you.”

The woman nodded, but her body language said she wasn’t convinced. “Have a good evening,” she said and with a wave continued down the beach.

“We better head back to the campground, boy. Probably going to be a long drive in traffic.” She glanced down the beach where the other woman had gone. She was already lost in the darkness. Logan turned in the opposite direction and headed back toward the stairs.

Her thought turned to tomorrow and having to meet the head of the ER department. She scowled. What made the woman think LA Metro’s ER was so special? No use worrying about it now. She’d find out soon enough.

CHAPTER 2

Dale rubbed her aching thigh. Every step she took caused pain to throb through her leg as she made her way down the corridor toward Jess McKenna’s office. It just figured that she had chosen last night to push herself by going to Pirate’s Cove before work. Even after three years, she still felt the need to prove to herself that she could do anything she used to.

The night in the ER had started out quietly but had turned chaotic when the fog had rolled in and covered a large swath of I-5, causing a multiple-vehicle pileup. It hadn’t helped any that the other ER doctor had once again been unable to see her share of patients. Dale knocked on Jess’s door and opened it when Jess called out admittance.

“What are you still doing here, Dale? After the kind of night you had, I thought you’d be out the door as soon as you could. Is there a problem with the turnover?”

“No. Everyone’s been taken care of. I need to talk to you about Gretchen…again.”

A frown marred Jess’s face before her usual all-business expression reappeared. She motioned toward the chair in front of her desk. “Have a seat.”

Dale sank into the offered chair. She reached out to rub her thigh and stopped herself just in time. “Look, I sympathize with what she’s going through. I know she can’t control when she has morning sickness, but it’s causing problems. We were overwhelmed last night with incoming from the pileup on I-5. Riley and Craig had already taken patients to the OR. It was an all-hands-on-deck kind of thing. We had a bilateral flail chest, and Gretchen bolted from the room in the middle of putting in a chest tube. I had to talk the resident, who took over for her, through the procedure while I got the guy intubated and inserted a chest tube on the patient’s other side.” Dale raked her fingers through her hair. “I know I said I’d take up as much slack as I could, but this has been going on for two months now. We need help on the night shift.”

“I understand, and I’m working on it.” Jess pulled over a file from the corner of her desk. “I don’t want a repeat of what happened with the last guy.”

Dale scowled as she remembered what a fiasco that had been. The guy had been an abrasive jerk who did as little work as he could manage in between alienating as many patients as possible. “I’m with you on that one. But what choice do you have but to take who the agency sends?”

“I’ve already talked to Dr. Tate. This time, I’m going to review the applicants’ past work history.” She tapped the file in front of her with one finger. “If they want the part-time position, they’ll have to work with me for a few days before I agree to the hire.”

Dale’s already abundant respect for Jess went up another notch. She knew Jess cared about the ER, but getting the new Chief of Staff to agree to going well beyond the normal procedure for hiring a physician for a limited-time position must have been a hard sell.

“Not to be too pushy or anything, but do you think you can get us some help by the end of the week?”

“I’ll see what I can do. I’ve got an applicant coming in this morning.”

“Great.” Dale grinned at the prospect of getting some much needed help. “Thanks.”

Jess shook her head. “Don’t thank me yet. I’m going to put this woman through her paces before I agree to the hire.” She held up her hand to stop Dale’s protest. “I know you need help, but it would be better to take a couple of extra days and be sure we’ve got someone really good than to have to go through this again in a week.”

Dale sighed. “You’re right. And thank you for understanding about the situation with Gretchen.”

Jess’s office door swung open, and her wife, Kim, stepped into the room. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t realize you were busy.” She started to back out the door.

“Wait,” Jess said as she rose from her chair, a glowing smile lighting her face. She glanced at Dale. “We all set here?”

“We’re good. Thanks again.” Dale smiled at Kim in passing. “Have a good day.” As she closed the door on the pair, she couldn’t help envying them. How wonderful it must be to not only have a wife but one that you worked with every day. She shook her head. Dream on.

Logan stopped outside the entrance to LA Metro’s ER. The dark, thick clouds that blotted out the sun matched her mood perfectly. “Time to go face the new boss,” she muttered with a scowl. Having to pass muster with the department head was not the usual procedure for locum tenens work. The company she worked for specialized in providing physicians to fill short-term positions all over the country. Normally, the hospital hired the company, and as long as the physician met the criteria for the hire, you got whoever the company sent.

Why couldn’t LA Metro be like every place else? She had been tempted to refuse, but there were no other offerings in the area, and she needed to work. If she wanted the job, she just had to suck it up. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”

She marched up to the ER front desk. The area was fronted with thick glass like the teller area of a bank. A small grill was inset into the glass, along with a slot for passing papers back and forth. She leaned in close to the glass. “I’m here to see Dr. McKenna.”

The clerk looked up from the computer screen. “Which one?”

What? Logan frowned. “The head of the ER, Dr. McKenna. I have a nine o’clock appointment with her.”

“Okay, I’ll let her know you’re here.” He picked up the phone. “Sorry, I didn’t get your name.”

“Dr. Logan. I’m from Barron’s Staffing.” She couldn’t make out what the clerk was saying on the phone through the thick glass.

He hung up the phone and leaned forward so she could hear him again. “Dr. McKenna will be right out.”

Logan tapped her foot and barely resisted the urge to pace. She didn’t want to be standing around waiting to be grilled by some ER chief; she wanted…needed to be working. Her gaze scanned the patients that filled the waiting room. These were the people she should be helping.

The door next to the desk swung open, and a tall, dark-haired woman with striking blue eyes stepped out.

“Dr. Logan?” When Logan nodded, she held out her hand and offered a firm handshake. “I’m Dr. McKenna. If you’ll follow me, please.”

She trailed after Dr. McKenna as she led the way into the ER proper. The place was busy with nurses and doctors going about their business with very little chitchat. Just the type of place she liked.

CHAPTER 3

Dale had a spring in her step as she headed for the ER entrance. Jess had left her a message that the new locum tenens doctor would be starting work this evening. She stopped at the nurses’ station and motioned to Paul, the desk clerk.

“Hey, Dr. Parker. What’s up?”

“We’ve got a new doctor coming in tonight to give us a hand. Let me know when Dr. Logan gets here, please.” She turned to walk away.

“She’s already here.”

Dale glanced at her watch. Her shift didn’t start for half an hour. She turned back toward the nurses’ station. “Where is she?”

He jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the cubicles along the far wall. “Curtain three, I think.”

“She’s seeing a patient?”

“Yeah. She checked in and went right to work.”

“Thanks for letting me know.” Dale scanned the intake board, confirming that Dr. Logan was indeed in curtain three. Since the problems with Gretchen’s pregnancy had escalated, Dale had taken over responsibility for the night shift. This was her ER now. No one just waltzed in and started seeing patients without so much as a hello. After taking a moment to shed her jacket, she headed for the curtained cubicles with a determined stride. She paused outside the one containing Dr. Logan and her patient to take a calming breath.

Jess had vetted this doctor, so she must be fine. Dale grinned as she remembered her own time under Jess’s eagle eyes just over a year ago. She could laugh about it now. But at the time, it had been more nerve-racking than being under the scrutiny of the captain on her first overseas assignment. She doubted Jess had been any less vigilant about Dr. Logan. Still, she felt an obligation to oversee the new doctor until she was confident in her as well. Working nights was a special responsibility, as backup wasn’t as readily available as during the day shift.

Dale pulled back the curtain and peered inside. The woman’s back was to her as she spoke quietly with the man on the gurney. She couldn’t make out what was being said. There wasn’t much she could tell about her physically as a baggy, white lab coat masked her figure. Her straight dark blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swept her collar. She guessed that Dr. Logan’s height matched her own five foot seven. Before she could make her presence known, the woman turned and spotted her. She frowned and took several quick steps toward Dale.

“Can I help you?” Dr. Logan asked.

She found herself captured by a pair of topaz-brown eyes, made striking by the golden starbursts surrounding the dark irises. It took a moment for Dale to find her voice. She inclined her head toward the hallway. “Why don’t we step outside?”

Dr. Logan stepped out of the curtained area and across the hall, out of the patient’s earshot. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Is there a problem?”

Taking in Dr. Logan’s defensive posture, Dale needed to tread lightly. After all, the woman technically hadn’t done anything wrong. And she didn’t want them to get off on the wrong foot. Though she still planned on keeping an eye on her. “I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Dale Parker, the physician in charge of the night shift.” She held out her hand.

Dr. Logan took her hand in a firm grip. “Logan. Nice to meet you.”

She couldn’t help noticing that Logan hadn’t offered her own first name. Curious, she glanced at the hospital ID hanging from the collar of her lab coat, only to find it flipped over with the back side showing. Oh well.

“Was there something else? I’d like to get back to my patient.”

“No. I just wanted to welcome you to the night shift and tell you that if you need anything, just let me know.”

“Okay. If you’ll excuse me, then.”

Dale’s gaze remained on Logan until she reentered the cubicle and pulled the curtain shut behind her. She wasn’t sure what to think of the new arrival. While she wasn’t the most personable, it appeared that she was going to be a hard worker. And that was what was most important. As she walked away, she relived that moment when Logan’s vivid gaze had captured her own. Don’t go there, she sternly berated herself.

“Can I give you a hand?”

Logan jumped. Damn the woman. Glancing over her shoulder, she found Dr. Parker leaning against the doorframe of the treatment room. She turned to look at her more fully. Her muscular build was apparent beneath a long-sleeved T-shirt and scrubs. Shaggy brown hair framed Parker’s face, softening her otherwise strong features.

From their first meeting, something about Parker had struck her as tantalizing familiar. But that made no sense as they had never met before tonight. Parker’s red athletic shoes caught her eyes, and a memory rose unbidden of the woman at the beach yesterday evening. She snorted to herself. Out of all the millions of people in LA, what were the chances that the two of them would end up on the same beach? Even if they had, it didn’t lessen Logan’s exasperation with the fact that Parker had been dogging her all night.

Logan took a deep breath, making sure her irritation wouldn’t show. “I’ve got it under control.” She went back to suturing the patient who’d been on the losing end of a bar fight. Up until now, she’d been perfectly happy with only his snores to keep her company.

“I really don’t mind,” Dr. Parker said as she came to stand on the opposite side of the gurney. “It’s pretty quiet. I’ll help you finish up, and then we can grab a cup of coffee.” She smiled, tugged a raised stool close to the gurney, then reached for a pair of gloves. “We haven’t had a chance to get to know each other.”

And if Logan had anything to say about it, that’s exactly how it would stay. She didn’t want to know anything about her coworkers or vice versa. “It’s not necessary. Really, I’ve—”

The sound of running feet drew their attention. Marco Martinez, one of the residents, grabbed the doorway as he slid to a stop. “Dr. Parker. Ambulance just pulled in. Motorcyclist versus a bus.” His eyes were wide. “It’s bad.”

Dr. Parker rose to her feet. “Marco, finish up here for Dr. Logan.” Her calm gaze met Logan’s. “Let’s go.”

Logan was right on Parker’s heels as she raced down the hall. They burst through the trauma bay doors together.

“Status,” Dr. Parker barked as she slipped into protective gear. “Someone call Dr. Connolly.”

Logan glanced at Dr. Parker and froze. Gone was the smiling, placid woman she’d been dodging all night. Her eyes had gone steely gray, her whole demeanor transformed. Here was a warrior poised for battle. Wow. She was a mesmerizing sight.

Shaking her head to force away the distracting vision, Logan focused on the scene in the trauma room. The resident hadn’t exaggerated; it was bad. The patient looked as if he had been dragged under the bus. She did a quick survey of his most apparent injuries: compound fractures of both tib/fibs, deep abrasions of the chest and abdomen, as well as a possible humerus fracture.

One of the nurses reeled off the patient’s stats, even as they worked to finish removing what was left of his clothes, draw blood, and attach him to various monitors.

Logan pulled down her face shield and moved to one side of the gurney. Parker took the other.

The pulse-ox monitor began to shrill.

“Logan, get him intubated.”

She moved to the head of the gurney and grabbed a 7.5mm endotracheal tube. Once she had the tube in place, she attached the Ambu bag. Giving the bag several squeezes, she listened on each side to confirm the tube’s position. A radiograph would have to wait.

Without being asked, she positioned herself opposite Parker and worked on stabilizing the injuries on her side of the patient. Even in the heat of the moment, Logan was aware of how well they worked together, without getting in each other’s way. It was as if they had done so a hundred times before.

The trauma bay door swung open, and a petite redhead blew into the room.

“Glad you could finally join us, Dr. Connolly,” Parker said.

What? Why was she ragging on the woman? From what she had seen of Parker tonight, it seemed out of character. It had been less than ten minutes since she had called for the doctor. She shot a look at Parker and caught her grinning behind her face shield. She was joking; it was a common ER coping strategy.

“Had to finish up my checkers game,” Dr. Connolly shot back. Her expression turned serious. “What have you got?”

Parker quickly summarized the patient’s injuries.

Logan stepped back as the woman, who, was apparently a trauma surgeon, took her place at the patient’s side. She felt a strange pang at losing that momentary connection she’d shared with Parker as they worked over the patient. What’s the matter with you? Angry with herself, she stripped off her bloody gloves and gown, then tossed them in the biohazard bin. All that mattered was work. And there were always more patients to take care of. Yet she couldn’t resist one last look over her shoulder at Parker as she headed out of the room.

CHAPTER 4

Logan parked in the space next to her motor home. As she got out of her vehicle, she caught sight of the front privacy curtain that normally covered the inside of the RV’s windshield. It had been knocked askew and partially pulled down.

Drake stared out at her from the passenger side window of the cab. When he saw her, he began to whine.

She looked into the side window of the driver’s compartment. What the heck…? The two captain’s chairs were turned to face the cabin of the motor home. Somehow, Drake had managed to wedge himself into the small space between the backs of the chairs and the dash. In all their time on the road, he’d never pulled a stunt like this before. The only way she could see to easily get him out was to open the passenger door.

Logan unlocked the door and swung it open. “What the hell do you think—?” Her words cut off when the stench hit her. She stepped up onto the running board and peered past Drake into the motor home.

He whined and ducked his head.

Ugh! Her aggravation with him instantly vanished. From the look of the mess, he’d had a major accident—probably more than one. He tended to get diarrhea when he got upset. “Oh, buddy. It’s okay. I’m not mad at you. It wasn’t your fault. Come on out of there.”

She opened the main door of the coach just long enough to grab his leash; then they headed for the pet area.

When they returned, Logan tethered Drake to the picnic table at their site. She opened the door and stood on the top step to survey the damage inside. His bed was a mess, as was the front of the couch and several cabinets. Talk about a shit storm—literally. An irrational urge to toss a match inside and close the door struck. It was so overwhelming, she didn’t know where to start.

“Excuse me.”

She turned, surprised that Drake hadn’t warned her of someone’s approach.

A petite, older woman, who she recognized as the park manager, stood several feet from Drake. They had met briefly when Logan checked in earlier in the week, but she didn’t remember her name. Logan never got to know anyone at the many RV parks where they had stayed. She was happy to remain anonymous like all the other transient people passing through.

“I need to speak with you,” the woman said, her stern expression making it clear it wasn’t a social visit.

Now what? Logan needed to get this mess cleaned up and get some sleep, not deal with more aggravation. She left the motor home door open in hope that it would air out and walked over to the woman. “Is there a problem?”

“Yes. I got several complains about your dog barking last night and this morning.”

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” I hope.

“I came by earlier this morning and you weren’t here.” Frowning, the woman looked her up and down. “One of the other residents said that you were gone all night. You really shouldn’t leave him unattended in your coach for such a long time.”

This was getting worse by the minute. She’d never had a problem leaving Drake in the motor home while she worked. “I wasn’t here because I work nights. Drake normally does fine and is very quiet.” Logan moved close to Drake and stroked his big head. “I’m sure he won’t cause any more problems.”

“Well, I wanted to make you aware of the situation.” The woman crossed her arms over her chest. “If I get any more complaints, I’ll have to ask you to leave the park.”

Damn it. This was the closest park to LA Metro, and it was a twenty-two-mile drive from here to the hospital. She hated the thought of having to find a new park even farther away or face having to board Drake overnight every time she worked. He loved day care but hated staying in a kennel at night.

“I’m sure it was a one-time thing.” Logan ran her hand down Drake’s back. “Something he ate must have disagreed with him and he had a bad accident. That’s why he was barking last night. And to top it off, I got caught in traffic this morning coming back from work and was late getting here.”

The woman glanced at the motor home, then back at Logan. “Where do you work?”

Logan stiffened. She never told anyone anything about her life. Damn it. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to make an exception. It might be the only thing that kept her and Drake from getting evicted. “I’m temporarily covering the night shift in the ER at LA Metro for a doctor who is ill.”

“You’re a doctor?”

Logan made sure her irritation at the surprised tone didn’t show. “Yes.” When the woman continued to look at her expectantly, she forced herself to continue. “I provide coverage for physicians who need time off or when a hospital has a staff shortage.” She could see the woman reassessing her opinion of her.

For the first time since the woman had arrived, she smiled. “My grandson Danny wants to be a doctor.” She joined her next to Drake and held out her hand. “I’m Bernice, by the way, in case you don’t remember. You’re Ashlee—right?”

Logan flinched at the name. Ashlee had ceased to exist two years ago on a cold, snowy night in Boston. “I go by Logan.”

Bernice’s brow furrowed. “Okay. Logan.” She patted Drake. “So this big guy was sick?” Without waiting for an answer, she walked over to the motor home and looked in. “Oh. My!” She came back over and hugged Drake. “You poor thing. Do you have any Pepto-Bismol? I know when my husband and I had dogs, it always took care of their upset stomachs.”

“I’ve got some medication for him.” That was a lie, but Logan didn’t want to be beholden to anyone. She’d get him something after she took care of the mess.

“Will you be continuing to work nights?” Bernice asked.

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

What is this—twenty questions? Logan barely resisted scowling. Damn, this woman was nosy. But she was also the manager of the park, and it wouldn’t do to alienate her. Logan had paid for two weeks when she checked in. “Six weeks altogether.”

Bernice looked back and forth between her and Drake, then seemed to come to a decision. “If you’d like, I could let Drake out for a bathroom break at night before I go to bed, then again in the morning. I’m up early. That way he wouldn’t have to hold it so long.”

Drake pressed against her side before she could say no. When she looked down at him, guilt tugged at her. He looked pretty forlorn. And he wasn’t a young dog any more. Was it really fair to him to turn down help because she didn’t want to be obliged to anyone? You don’t deserve help. She refused to give in to the dark thoughts. This wasn’t about her; she had to do right by Drake.

Logan pushed down all the conflicting emotions and made herself meet Bernice’s gaze. “That’s very nice of you. If you’re sure, Drake and I would really appreciate it.”

Bernice smiled. “I’d be happy to.” She stroked Drake’s neck. “Are you sure you don’t want that Pepto-Bismol?”

Drake looked pretty miserable, so maybe his stomach was still bothering him. She’d come this far. “Ah… Yeah. I guess that might be a good idea after all. Thank you.”

“Hang in there, big guy.” Bernice gave Drake a pat. “I’ll be right back.”

Logan pulled a blanket from the back of her SUV and spread it on the ground for him. No sense in him having to stand while she was cleaning up, and she didn’t want him lying on the cement; it really took a toll on his elbows.

Pushing up her sleeves, she trudged over to the motor home. This was not going to be pleasant. Talk about the understatement of the year.

CHAPTER 5

Dale pushed open the door to the staff lounge and was surprised to see Logan sitting on the couch along the back wall with a cup of coffee in her hand. The woman rarely took a break, much less hung out in the staff lounge. Logan was something of a mystery. She was always unfailingly polite and one of the hardest-working physicians Dale had ever worked with, but—other than her first name, Ashlee—she didn’t know any more about her than when she’d started work three weeks ago. And she had only found that out by reading it off her ID badge. While Dale respected Logan’s privacy, she couldn’t help being curious about her. Something she’d seen in Logan’s eyes when she thought no one was watching struck a chord with Dale. It was the all-too-familiar haunted look lurking just beneath the surface of so many veterans’ gazes. Could Logan be a vet?

Not wanting to miss a chance to spend a few minutes with the enigmatic Logan, outside of working on a case, Dale passed on the cup of coffee she had come in for and went straight to the couch where Logan sat.

“Mind if I sit down?”

“Sure. All yours.” Logan popped up from the couch.

Dale shook her head and smiled, keeping her disappointment hidden. It was worth a try. She waved Logan back down. “Never mind. Don’t let me disturb you.” She paused for a moment, hoping Logan would invite her to sit after all.

She didn’t.

Not at all surprised, Dale offered a departing nod and headed for the coffee mess in the corner.

The lounge door swung open, and Donna, one of the nurses, stuck her head in. “New arrival. Three-year-old with GI distress. Martinez and Lane are busy with other patients.”

Dale set down the coffee pot. “Okay. I’ll—”

“I’ve got it.” Logan was out the door before Dale could protest.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and moved over to the couch Logan had abandoned. Knowing many veterans suffered in silence, she needed to break through Logan’s overly polite reserve. She was determined to let her know that there were others who understood what she was going through and that she didn’t have to suffer alone.

Dale had just taken the last sip of her coffee when the door to the lounge again swung open.

With a scowl, Logan marched into the room, muttering under her breath. A large, multi-colored stain marred the front of her lab coat. When she spotted Dale on the couch, she flung her hands in the air. “What kind of parent feeds their kid with an upset stomach Froot Loops?”

This was the first emotional response of any kind that Dale had seen from Logan. She struggled not to laugh but couldn’t tame a grin. “Wouldn’t have been my first choice.”

Logan stomped over to her locker, popped the lock, and pulled the door open. She tugged off the soiled lab coat.

Dale’s gaze swept Logan’s back. It was the first time she’d seen her without the coat. The tucked-in knit shirt and belted cotton slacks she wore did nothing to disguise her lush curves. As her gaze dropped lower to Logan’s well-rounded backside, she bit her lip. Nice ass. When Logan turned, she quickly glanced away.

Logan stared at her for a moment as if she had felt the appraisal.

Dale blushed. She pretended to take a sip from her empty coffee cup to hide her embarrassment at almost getting caught ogling Logan’s ass. “Um…if you need it, I have an extra lab coat you could borrow.”

“Thanks. I’ve got one.” She turned around and rummaged in the locker. After donning the new lab coat, she emptied the pockets of the soiled jacket, then attached her ID badge to the collar of the clean one. As she turned back around, she grimaced. “Hopefully, his stomach is empty now. This is my last clean one. The campground only has two washers, and it’s hard to get an open one most days.”

Campground?

Logan’s eyes went wide as if she just realized what she had let slip. “I better get back to him.” She fled the room.

A myriad of questions whirled through Dale’s mind. First and foremost was, why would Logan be living at a campground? The sound of sirens pulled her from her thoughts. The mystery that was Logan would have to wait.

Dale rubbed her aching knee and tried to keep from limping as she headed back to the nurses’ station. An influx of teenagers involved in a gang altercation had kept her, Logan, and both residents hopping for the last several hours. She jerked her hand away from her leg when she spotted Logan standing by the counter watching her.

Their gazes met for a moment; then Logan turned and walked away.

When Dale reached the nurses’ station, she glanced up at the intake board and let out a big sigh. “Not sorry to see all of them go.” The gang members had been uniformly rude, crude, and exceedingly uncooperative.

“Yeah, all the gangbangers are gone.” Paul scowled. “But you should see the mess their homies left all over the waiting room. I called housekeeping.”

“Good. Thanks for staying on top of things. What have we got waiting?”

Paul glanced at the computer screen. “Five-year-old with lower leg pain after jumping off his bed.”

“Okay, I’ve got it.” After the gangbangers, a child would be a welcome change of pace.

Dale raked her hand through her hair. Damn it! What was supposed to be a straightforward lower leg injury had turned into something much more serious. The severity of the little boy’s injury didn’t match with the story the parents were telling. No way had he ended up with a spiral tibial fracture by jumping off a bed. Upon closer examination, the boy also had a number of bruises in various stages of healing. An old healed fibular fracture and old rib fractures, which the parents denied any knowledge of, were present on the skeletal survey.

Farther down the hall, the door to one of the treatment rooms flew open and banged against the wall with a resounding thud.

Mr. Granger, the young boy’s father, stormed out of the treatment room. He spun around and gripped the open door. “Get out of here. Right now.”

Connie, one of the county social workers, scurried out of the treatment room.

“And stay away from my son,” he yelled.

Dale sprinted toward the confrontation. The battering she’d taken earlier in the day was making itself felt with each jarring step. Sliding to a stop next to Connie, she bit back a grimace of pain. “What’s going on here?”

Mr. Granger scowled at her. “Keep that,” he stabbed his finger at Connie, “woman away from my son.” His face took on the shade of a cooked lobster as he turned a furious glare on Connie. “How dare you question my wife and me like that? We would never hurt Nathan.”

If Dale was going to have any chance of calming the parents, she needed to get Connie out of the line of fire. She put a gentle hand on her arm. “Connie, why don’t you go into the lounge? I’ll take it from here.”

Connie nodded and walked away without a word.

Dale stepped closer to the door, but was blocked from entering the small treatment room by Mr. Granger. Mrs. Granger was huddled next to the head of the gurney with her arms wrapped around Nathan.

“How could she even suggest we’re abusing our son?” Mr. Granger huffed.

“No one said anything about abuse.” At least she hoped Connie hadn’t. She was new on the job, and Dale didn’t know her. “As I told you, Nathan needs to be admitted,” she said, making her voice as soothing as possible. Although from the look on Mr. Granger’s face, nothing she said would make any difference. “His injury is serious.” While Dale knew the boy’s injuries didn’t require hospitalization, she hoped the parents would not. She was following standard procedure in suspected child abuse cases by admitting Nathan until the family situation could be evaluated. The ER was not the place to evaluate or manage these cases.

“You’re not doing anything with my son. I’m taking him out of here. I know how you people work! I’ve seen the news reports.” Mr. Granger stomped back into the treatment room.

“Need some help?” Logan asked.

Dale started; she hadn’t heard her walk up. She hesitated to accept the offer. Did Logan think she was incapable of handling the confrontation? Giving herself a mental shake, she thrust down the insecurity. She doesn’t know about you. None of Dale’s coworkers did; she had gone out of her way to make sure of that. She glanced at Logan. If there was one thing the military had taught her, it was that it was always a good idea to have someone watch your back.

“Just stand by for now.” If at all possible, Dale wanted to avoid calling in security. In these cases, their arrival often caused the situation to escalate. She glanced into the room, where Mr. Granger had taken up a protective stance next to his wife. She lowered her voice and leaned close to Logan. “But if need be, call security.” Dale pointed toward the house phone on the opposite wall. “I’m not letting them leave with the boy.”

“Got it,” Logan said. “I’ll get security if things go south.”

After taking a deep breath, Dale stepped just inside the doorway of the treatment room.

Mr. Granger puffed out his chest and moved closer to his wife. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Dale as if daring her to come closer.

She held out her hands in a placating gesture. “I’m sure we can all agree that the most important thing here is to get Nathan the care he needs.” She shifted position so she could meet Mrs. Granger’s gaze over her husband’s shoulder.

Mrs. Granger, with tears in her eyes, nodded. She placed her hand on her husband’s shoulder. “She’s right, Harold.”

He shrugged her hand away. “Fine, you treated him.” He motioned toward the protective splint on Nathan’s lower leg. “Now we’re leaving. We’ll take him to see his pediatrician tomorrow. He’ll take over his care and see that he gets whatever he needs.”

While not having much hope that Mr. Granger would be reasonable at this point, Dale tried again. “His injures need to be observed overnight. Sometimes in children, there are complications with a break as severe as Nathan’s. He needs to be admitted.”

“No! I know what you’re trying to do.” Mr. Granger turned his back on Dale. “We’re leaving.”

Logan quickly stepped into the room and stood close to Dale so that their shoulders brushed, effectively blocking the only exit. “Security is on the way.”

Dale threw her a grateful look. If they could keep them in the room, it would help contain the situation.

Mr. Granger swept his son from the gurney. As he spun around with Nathan in his arms, the little boy’s injured leg banged against the upright rail of the gurney.

Nathan cried out and began to sob. “Daddy, it hurts. It hurts.” He buried his face in his father’s shirt.

The color drained from Mr. Granger’s face. “Oh God.” He clutched his son to his chest. Mrs. Granger clung to his arm, tears streaking down her face. “Harold. Please.”

The sound of pounding feet announced the arrival of security. “What’s the problem here?” the black-clad guard demanded.

Mr. Granger tightened his arms around Nathan and took a step back.

Her eyes wide with fear, Mrs. Granger looked back and forth between Dale and the security guard. She sent Dale a pleading gaze. “Please, don’t let him take our son.”

“Okay, everyone, calm down.” Dale turned and faced the guard. “I’ve got this under control. Please wait at the nurses’ station.”

He eyed the Grangers. “You sure?”

“Positive.” As soon as the guard walked away, Dale approached Mr. Granger. “Please, let Dr. Logan recheck Nathan’s injury.” She motioned for Logan.

All his anger gone, he met her gaze. “I swear to you, I would never intentionally hurt my son. Let us take him home.”

While Dale knew some abusers were consummate liars, the anguish in his eyes seemed all too real. But at this point, she had no choice; by law she was required to inform child protective services and admit the boy. If she couldn’t convince the parents to agree to the admission, then her only other option was to get the police involved.

“Excuse me,” Logan spoke up. She focused on Mr. Granger. “I know that you don’t know me, but I can assure you, if Dr. Parker says Nathan needs to be admitted, then he really needs to be admitted. She’s one of our best doctors.”

His wife clutched his arm. “Please listen to her.”

Mr. Granger’s gaze bounced back and forth between Dale and Logan. “Okay.” He nodded, kissed his son’s forehead, and then slowly relinquished him to Logan.

“Mrs. Granger, why don’t you accompany Dr. Logan? I’ll go with your husband to see the clerk and take care of the admission paperwork.” Dale mentally breathed a sigh of relief when Logan left the room with Mrs. Granger in tow. She smiled to herself at the thought of what a good team they made.

Dale pushed open the door of the lounge. Logan was once again sitting on the couch with a coffee cup in her hand. Smiling to herself, she headed right for the couch and sat down on the opposite end from Logan without asking her this time.

For a moment, it looked as if Logan was going to leave, but then she sighed and sank back into the cushions.

“Thanks for the help with the Grangers,” Dale said. “You did a good job.”

“Didn’t do anything but stand there.”

Dale shook her head. “That’s not true. You’re the one who spoke up and told them, ‘Dr. Parker is one of our best doctors.’ That was just the reassurance they needed.”

Logan shrugged. “It’s the truth.”

“Thank you.” Dale beamed. For some reason, the praise meant a lot coming from Logan. “I’ve been impressed with your work as well.”

Flushing, Logan looked away. She wrapped both hands around her coffee mug. “Any more problems with Mr. Granger once you got to pediatrics?”

“No.” She sighed. “While I’m sure he knows the real reason for the admission, he seemed pretty resigned to it.” A yawn caught Dale unaware. She dropped her head back against the couch.

“Well, I better get back out there.” Logan started to rise, then frowned. She leaned closer to Dale. Reaching up, she touched her own jawline. “You’ve got a big bruise here.”

Shit. Dale ducked her head to hide the bruise.

Logan’s frown deepened. “And on your arm.”

She quickly tugged down the sleeve of her T-shirt. “It’s nothing.”

The lounge door swung open. Molly, one of the first-year residents, leaned into the room. “I’ve got a dislocated shoulder I can’t get back in. Marco is tied up with another patient. I need some help.”

Perfect timing. “I’ll give you a hand.” Dale pushed off the couch and made a quick retreat.

Logan went in search of Dr. Parker. You need to do this. She jammed her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. Despite her determination to keep her distance from any coworker, she felt strangely drawn to Parker. And no matter how many times she told herself it was none of her business, after seeing Parker limping earlier, then spotting the bruises on her face and arm, she couldn’t let it go. And there was the fact that Parker always wore a long-sleeved T-shirt under her clothes, no matter what she was wearing. Long sleeves were a classic tactic to hide repeated bruises. While it was possible the cause of those injures was something innocent, Logan wouldn’t ignore them. She had done that once before, and she wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

She pushed open the door to the lounge and let her gaze sweep the room. Parker was the only one inside. With determined steps, she approached the couch. “Mind if I sit down?”

Parker’s eyebrows arched. “Sure.”

Logan sat down. She fiddled with the edges of her jacket, straightened her ID badge, and then clasped her hands together in her lap.

“Everything okay?”

She jumped at the sound of Parker’s voice. It had been so long since she had allowed herself to be concerned about anyone, it was harder than she expected. “Umm… Actually, I wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

Brow furrowed, Parker tilted her head. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Logan cleared her throat. “Earlier I happened to notice you limping.”

Parker stiffened, a sudden tension emanating from her.

“Then I saw the big bruises on your jaw and arm earlier. You got called away before I could make sure you were really…okay.”

Parker rubbed the bruise on her face as if she could make it disappear. “I’m fine. I was playing basketball before work, and the game got a little rough.” Her gaze veered away from Logan’s. “You know how it goes.”

While the explanation was perfectly reasonable, Logan couldn’t help feeling that she was leaving something out. Stifling the urge to question her further, she rose from the couch. “Yeah. Okay…” She struggled with what else to say and at that point only wanted to escape. A touch on her sleeve made her start.

“Thank you for your concern.”

The warmth in Parker’s eyes brought a flush to Logan’s face. “You’re welcome.” She spun on her heel and bolted from the room.

Logan peered into the lounge. Parker was sitting on the couch with her face buried in her hands. Damn! So much for hoping she had already left. The strength of her earlier reaction to Parker’s brief touch and the warmth in her eyes had spooked her. She’d managed to avoid Parker for the rest of the night. There was no becoming interested in a coworker—ever. Concern for Parker nagged at her, but she forcefully pushed it aside. Ignore her. Get your stuff and get out of here.

She pushed the door open, then flinched when it squeaked. Keeping her gaze firmly on her feet, she walked over to the locker and opened it. She pulled her backpack out and slung it over her shoulder, grabbed the plastic bag with her soiled lab coat, quietly shut the locker, then turned, ready to make her escape. Despite her best intentions, her gaze was drawn to Parker, who chose that moment to lift her head.

“Well, I screwed that one up.” Blowing out a breath, Parker rubbed her hands over her face. “I shouldn’t have missed it.”

Don’t get involved. Walk away. The command was useless. Logan’s feet were already taking her toward Parker. She stopped next to the couch and looked down into Parker’s stress-lined face. “Missed what?”

Parker motioned to the empty spot on the couch.

Logan hesitated, then shucked her backpack off and sat as far away from Parker as the couch permitted.

“Remember the Grangers’ boy last night?”

“Yeah. The abuse case.”

“That’s just it.” Parker grimaced. “It wasn’t abuse. Something just bugged me about the case, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. When things quieted down, I went to peds and ran into Doug Pulley.” At Logan’s puzzled look, she added, “He’s a staff pediatrician. Anyway, I discussed the case with him. We went to see the boy, and he examined him.” Her shoulders slumped. “I missed the fact that the sclera of Nathan’s eyes were tinted blue and that he had a very triangular face. Add to that the bruises, the old fractures we found, and the severity of the injury with the history the parents gave and…” She looked questioningly at Logan.

Logan quickly ran through the differential diagnosis, thinking over several different possibilities. “Osteogenesis imperfecta.”

Parker sighed. “You got it. Doug ordered the genetic testing, but he’s confident that’s what we’re dealing with. And I missed it.” Parker raked her fingers through her hair. “Because of my screwup, social services got involved, and the parents were made to feel like criminals who were abusing their son.”

Not sure when she moved, Logan found herself right next to Parker on the couch. “I only got it because you laid it all out for me. Remember, I examined the boy too. And I didn’t notice his eyes either.” Usually reluctant to touch, Logan nevertheless laid her hand on Parker’s arm. “You did what you had to do.” She held Parker’s gaze, wanting her to be sure of her sincerity. “I would’ve done the same.”

“Thank you.” Parker laid her hand over Logan’s where it rested on her arm. “It means a lot that you would say that.”

As it had earlier, the warmth in Parker’s eyes made Logan’s heart pound. You have to get away from this woman. She pulled her hand out from under Parker’s and bolted from the couch. “Well, I’ve got to get going.” She fled the room without a backward glance.

As she made her way to her car, her thoughts whirled. Over the last two years, she’d had no trouble keeping her distance from coworkers. She didn’t know what was different about Parker. But she had no intention of hanging around to find out. Although she had only been here three weeks, it was time to contact Barron’s and find a new job.