In a Heartbeat Page 4

  “No. Of course not.” Dr. Connolly shook her head. “It was that short to start with.”

  “Oh. Sorry,” Kim said, a bit embarrassed at overreacting. “She must have had it cut while we were gone on our honeymoon.”

  Dr. Connolly smiled. “Congratulations. I’m sorry you had to come back to something like this.” She gazed down at Sam, her expression unreadable. “She is going to be okay,” she said, her voice filled with determination.

  “Excuse me.” A nurse stuck her head in the room. “Dr. Connolly, there’s a police detective here demanding to speak with you.”

  The doctor paled. It took her a moment to respond. “Thank you. I’ll be right there.”

  Kim looked at the nurse and then at Dr. Connolly. Why did the police want to talk to her? And why did that make her so nervous?

  Sam shifted and groaned.

  Kim forgot all about the doctor’s reaction.

  “Samantha, can you open your eyes?” Dr. Connolly asked.

  Sam’s eyes fluttered open for a moment, then closed.

  Dr. Connolly checked her over. “Everything looks fine. She’ll be in and out of consciousness tonight. It’s unlikely she’ll know you’re here…” Her voice trailed off, and a bright flush covered her cheeks. “Right. You’re both familiar with patients coming out of anesthesia. Feel free to stay as long as you’d like. I’ll let the nursing staff know they’re to let you stay. If you have any further questions, have the nurse message me.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ll come by and check Samantha again before I leave for the night.”

  “Thank you,” Jess said. “For everything,”

  “Yes. Thank you,” Kim said.

  When Dr. Connolly was gone, they returned to Sam’s bedside.

  Sam’s head moved back and forth on the pillow, and she whimpered.

  “Sam, can you hear me? Open your eyes.” Jess grasped her sister’s hand. “Can you squeeze my fingers?”

  Sam’s fingers slowly curled around hers.

  Jess grinned. “Come on, sis. Open your eyes.”

  A long groan was her immediate response, then slowly Sam’s eyes blinked open.

  “That’s it. Good,” Jess said.

  Sam had a hard time focusing; her eyes kept drifting shut. When she tried to lift her head, her face contorted in pain.

  “Easy. Don’t try to move.” Jess petted the unblemished side of Sam’s face. “Just take it easy.”

  Kim moved closer and wrapped her hands around Jess’s upper arm. Seeing Sam in such pain made her feel sick. “Hey, Sam, we’re right here for you.”

  Sam tried to speak, then winced before trying again. “It hurts.” Her eyes filled with tears.

  Empathetic tears flooded Kim’s and Jess’s eyes.

  “I know,” Jess said, her voice choked with emotion. “I know it does. You just try to rest.” She stroked Sam’s face until her eyes closed and her breathing evened out.

  Jess turned. “My God, Kim. What if we’d lost her?”

  Kim pulled her into her arms. “We didn’t lose her, and we’re not going to!”

  They clung to each other, their tears equal parts grief and relief. It was a catharsis, purging them of all the emotions they had kept pent up since receiving that fateful phone call.

  Chapter 7

  Denny slowed the car as they approached the physicians’ parking lot at Grandview. “You don’t need to do this. Let me take you back to my place. Maybe for once McBain is right. Take a couple of days off, and let this all die down.”

  “No. I told you.” Three times already. “I’m not handing off Officer McKenna’s care to anyone else.” Riley gripped the armrest. “I appreciate you letting me stay with you last night so I could avoid the reporters swarming my condo building, and you coming to the police station with me this morning to give my statement, but I’m not going to let McBain or a bunch of reporters keep me from doing my job.” You should’ve dealt with this on your own. Like always.

  “But—”

  “Denny, please, drop it.” She rubbed her tight neck muscles. “I’m going to work.” She blew out a breath. “Look, just take me back to your place. I’ll pick up my car and come back on my own.”

  Denny threw his hands up. “No. Fine. You win.” He pulled up to the security gate and shoved his key card into the slot. When the arm rose, he drove into the lot. As he pulled into a parking space, he shot her a glance. “What’s gotten into you? When did you become so contrary?”

  “Contrary?” Riley snorted. “Seriously…contrary? Does anyone still use that word?”

  He turned off the engine, then unfastened his seatbelt before responding. “Yes. I just did,” he said with a “so there” tone.

  “Besides you, smart aleck.” Riley undid her seatbelt. “Sounds like a word you’d see in…” She grinned. “Oh. You’re buying children’s books again.”

  Denny crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m—”

  “Don’t try to deny it.” She patted his arm. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Carol you’re nesting again.”

  “I am not nesting!” He huffed. “There’s nothing wrong with preparing for the arrival of my son. Or looking out for his future.”

  Riley struggled not to smirk at the outraged expression on his face. “Whatever you say, Denny. But according to Carol, if your boy came out of the womb able to read, he would still be eighteen by the time he read all the children’s books you’ve bought.”

  “Okay. Maybe I got a little carried away. But you should see this book. It’s really cute. This little boy wakes up and puts his clothes on inside out. And that’s just the start. He’s totally contrary.” Denny’s face lit up, and he gestured with his hands as he got into relating the story.

  Laughter bubbled up and helped to lift some of the lingering stress from the interview with the police detective. “Thank you. I needed that.”

  “Always glad to help a friend,” he said. “And I’m not nesting.”

  Riley grabbed his hand before he could poke her in the side. “Your secret is safe with me.” She gave his hand a firm squeeze before releasing it. “I’m so happy for you and Carol. I can’t wait to meet the little guy.” She reached for the door handle. “We should head inside.”

  “Wait a sec.”

  She turned back around.

  He arched an eyebrow. “Nice job of dodging my question.”

  Dang. Thought I’d pulled that one off. Riley blushed.

  “What’s gotten into you? And don’t act like you don’t know what I mean.”

  It was a valid question, but Riley wasn’t sure she was ready to talk about it. Typically, she did take the path of least resistance. Not anymore. Despite what had happened with Keith, she was determined to keep the vow she had made on her birthday.

  She met his gaze for a second, then looked away.

  “Come on. We’ve been friends for years.” He nudged her shoulder. “Talk to me.”

  Riley took a deep breath, mentally squaring her shoulders. “It’s not just about McBain. I’m tired of trying to please everyone, no matter what it costs me. I have to do what’s right for me.”

  Denny goggled at her. “I’ll be damned.” He grinned. “Good for you. It’s long overdue.”

  Air left her lungs in a rush. “Really?”

  “Are you kidding? I’ve been waiting since med school to hear you say that.”

  Riley smiled. “Thanks, Denny.”

  “Come on. Let’s get inside. You have people to piss off.”

  “Denny!” Riley said, trying to sound outraged. But she couldn’t help laughing.

  * * *

  The reassuring beep of the heart monitor was music to Riley’s ears as she paged through Samantha’s chart, going over her lab results and reading nursing notes. She’s going to be okay. More relieved than she cared to admit, she sighed and glanced down at Samantha, momentarily startled to see blue eyes gazing back at her.

  Riley set the chart down and moved to the head of the bed. “Good, you’re
awake. How are you feeling this morning?”

  Samantha blinked several times. “My head hurts,” she said, her voice a husky rasp.

  “You hit your head pretty hard. You’ve got a mild concussion. Between that and the anesthesia, it’s normal to have a headache. Just let the nurses know if it gets worse.” Riley checked the suture line above Samantha’s ear.

  Samantha’s brow furrowed, and she studied Riley intently. After a moment, her eyes widened. “I know you.” She grasped Riley’s arm in a surprisingly firm hold. “Did he hurt you?” She reared up off the pillow, then gasped. Her hand dropped from Riley’s arm and shot down to her own leg.

  “Easy. Take it easy.” Riley’s stomach churned as she stroked Samantha’s shoulder, trying to soothe her pain. While she always empathized with her patients’ pain, Samantha’s unexpectedly affected her. She’s suffering because of you.

  “Let me take a look at your leg.” She pulled the covers back, lifted Samantha’s gown, and inspected the bandage. When she found no seepage, she gently peeled the dressing back. The two incision sites were red and indurated, but there was no sign of infection. She put the dressing back in place, then checked her popliteal and pedal pulses before covering Samantha back up. “I know you’re in a lot of pain, but the incisions look good.”

  Samantha tried to lift her hands, but one was encumbered by an IV. She pressed her free hand to her temple and winced. “Can’t think good. Head hurts.” She shifted on the bed, emitting a soft cry.

  “I’m sorry.” Before Riley could stop herself, she reached out and stroked the side of Samantha’s face. When she realized what she was doing, she shoved her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. “You’ve been badly hurt. You need to rest. Give your body time to heal.” After checking the chart, she adjusted the IV infuser to give Samantha a dose of Demerol. “Sleep now. We can talk about everything when you’re feeling better.”

  “Okay,” Samantha murmured, her gaze already losing focus.

  Even after she was sure Samantha was asleep, Riley remained at her bedside. She gazed down to find their hands clasped together. When had that happened? She pulled her hand away.

  The sudden prickling of her senses made her look up.

  A dark-haired woman stood in the doorway, watching her. “Is this Officer McKenna’s room?”

  “Yes. Can I help you?”

  “I’m here to see Samantha McKenna,” the woman said as she strode into the room without glancing at the bed or any of the equipment surrounding it.

  Her manner immediately put Riley on alert. The woman’s demeanor was not that of someone coming to see a loved one in the intensive care unit. Was she a reporter trying to sneak in? Riley hurried around the bed to intercept the woman before she could reach Samantha’s bedside.

  “I’m—” Riley caught herself before she gave her name. “I’m her physician. Are you a family member?”

  “Lieutenant Weise, Internal Affairs. I’m here to speak to Officer McKenna.” She sidestepped Riley.

  Almost as bad as a reporter. Riley moved into the lieutenant’s path. “She’s sleeping.”

  Weise frowned. “When will she be awake?”

  Riley herded her toward the door. “Not for several hours, at least. But even if she was awake, she’s in no condition to be questioned. It would be detrimental to her recovery at this juncture.”

  Weise stopped just short of the doorway, her gaze fixed on Riley’s ID badge. “Connolly,” she muttered and stared at Riley for a moment before fishing her phone out of her suit coat pocket. A quick check on the phone made her frown. “You’re Connolly? Riley Connolly?”

  “Yes. I’m Dr. Connolly.”

  Weise’s gaze went to Samantha; then she looked down her nose at Riley. “And you’re taking care of Officer McKenna.”

  Oh great. Here we go. “Yes.”

  Weise’s expression hardened. “Did you operate on her too?”

  Riley bristled at the woman’s tone. “Yes. I did.”

  “I see.” She nodded as if having already made up her mind about Riley. “I see. Well, then I will need to speak to you as well.” She gave Riley a stern look. “I have quite a few questions for you, Doctor.”

  “I gave a detailed statement this morning to the detective running the case, a Detective Shultz.”

  “I have questions of my own that you need to answer,” Weise said, stepping close, crowding Riley.

  The impulse rose up in Riley to do what she always did: meekly bow her head and go along. No! Riley stiffened her spine and met Weise’s gaze head on. “I’ve cooperated and provided a full statement. Get what you need from Detective Shultz. I don’t have anything else to say.” She pointed to the door. “Please leave.”

  “I still need to speak to Officer McKenna. I’ll just wait here until she wakes up.”

  “Officer McKenna is not up to speaking to anyone. You’ll have to wait until she recovers enough to be transferred to the surgical progressive care unit.”

  Weise’s chin jutted out. She brushed aside the jacket of her pantsuit and touched the gold shield clipped to her waistband. “This says I talk to her when I say.”

  Riley’s hackles rose at the thought of this woman subjecting Samantha to a grilling like the one she had received that morning. “Officer McKenna is sedated. As her physician, I’m informing you that she is not physically or mentally able to answer questions at this time.” She motioned toward the door. “Please leave. I won’t have my patient disturbed.” When Weise didn’t move, Riley added, “Do I need to call security?”

  Weise spun on her heel and stomped down the hall.

  As soon as she was out of sight, Riley slumped against the doorframe.

  “Dr. Connolly, is everything okay?”

  Riley jumped.

  “Sorry,” Alicia, one of the SICU nurses, said. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “That’s okay.” Riley smiled at her. “Is Officer McKenna your patient today?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you see the woman who was just here, the brunette wearing the gray pantsuit?” Riley asked.

  Alicia’s brow furrowed. “The one that just blew down the hall?”

  “That’s her. Make sure she doesn’t bother Officer McKenna. She’s a police officer, not a family member. She’s not to go into her room.”

  “No problem, Dr. Connolly. I’ll let the other nurses know.”

  “Thanks.” Riley turned to walk away.

  “Oh, wait. I almost forgot,” Alicia said. “Dr. McKenna left a message for you. She wanted to speak to you as soon as you came in. She seemed pretty adamant.”

  Oh no. They’ve already seen the news reports. “Thanks for letting me know.” She forced herself to smile at the nurse and not let any of her trepidation about the coming encounter show.

  * * *

  As Riley approached the SICU waiting room, her nerves started to get the better of her. She should have told Samantha’s family right away, before they heard it on TV, but she hadn’t wanted to add to their stress. And if she was honest with herself, she had not wanted to face their reaction.

  Two uniformed police officers looked over at her from their spot near the television.

  Riley winced when she recognized her own face on the screen, with the word “update” underneath her picture. Why can’t they leave us alone? She nodded in the officers’ direction, then scanned the room for Dr. McKenna.

  She and Dr. Donovan sat slumped on opposite ends of the couch in the far corner, both still wearing the clothes from the previous day.

  “Good morning,” Riley said as she approached. “I got your message that you wanted to speak to me.”

  Dr. McKenna rose, as did Dr. Donovan. The friendly smiles of yesterday were absent. Neither one spoke for several long, uncomfortable moments.

  Riley squirmed under their scrutiny.

  Dr. McKenna glanced over at the television, where Riley’s picture was still plastered, then back at her. “Why didn’t you tell us that you w
ere the doctor Sam saved?”

  This was the moment Riley had been dreading. She couldn’t bring herself to look at either of them. “I’m sorry. I had no idea he would ever do anything like that. I kept thinking he’d get tired of me and move on. I’m so sorry Samantha got hurt.”

  “What! You knew the man that shot Sam?” Dr. McKenna shouted.

  Riley’s head jerked up.

  Dr. McKenna glared down at her.

  She chanced a glance at Dr. Donovan and was met with a wide-eyed stare. They didn’t know? She looked back at the television. But I thought… It didn’t matter. Blowing out a breath, she forced herself to meet their gazes. “Could we sit down and talk about this, please?”

  “There is nothing to talk about,” Dr. McKenna said. “All I want from you is to hear exactly how you got my sister shot.” Her eyes blazed with anger.

  “I’m sorry,” Riley stammered. “I—”

  “Jess, I know it’s a shock…for me, too, but it’s not like Dr. Connolly could control something like that.” Dr. Donovan put her hand on her spouse’s back.

  Dr. McKenna glanced at her, then back at Riley. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m waiting.”

  As succinctly as possible, Riley explained the circumstances that had led up to the shooting. “I’m so sorry that Samantha got hurt. She saved my life, and I’ll never forget that.”

  Dr. McKenna’s rigid posture did not ease one bit. “I want another physician assigned to Sam’s care.”

  Riley and Dr. Donovan gasped simultaneously.

  “I’ll contact Sam’s primary care physician immediately,” Dr. McKenna said. “She’ll take over her post-op care.”

  “But I—”

  “Jess. Wait,” Dr. Donovan said.

  Dr. McKenna’s hand slashed out in negation. “It’s not open to discussion. You saved her life.” Her jaw clenched, and she seemed to have to force the words out. “Thank you. But I don’t want you caring for her. You’ve done more than enough already.”