Page 100 of Fighting For You

I sat down.

We watched. Neither of us talked. Wyatt had his phone in his hand, screen up, waiting for it to light up the same way I was waiting for mine.

Every minute Nora didn't call was another minute I couldn't breathe right.

CHAPTER 26

Home

NORA

The kid on the gurney was bleeding from below his ribs on the left side. I cut his shirt open and pressed gauze into the wound.

"Get me a line in and type-and-cross," Sullivan said behind me. He was already gloving up. "How long has he been down?"

"Dumped on the ramp two minutes ago," the tech said. "No handoff. No history. Nothing."

I leaned my weight into the gauze. The blood was soaking through faster than I could hold it. The kid's eyes were half open, his breathing shallow, his face gray.

"Nora."

I almost didn't hear it. His voice was barely there, half breath, half sound. But he said my name.

I looked at his face.

Jesse.

"Nora, I'm sorry." He was looking right at me. "I'm so sorry about Ian. I should have⁠—"

"Hush." I pressed harder. "Jesse, if you keep talking, you will bleed out on this gurney. Do you hear me?"

He closed his mouth. His eyes stayed on mine.

"Pressure's not holding," I said. "I need more hands in here."

Sullivan moved to my side. "Let me see it." He lifted the gauze, looked at the wound, and put it back. "He needs the OR. Get me two units on the rapid infuser and page surgery. Tell them we're coming up."

Sullivan took over pressure. "I've got him. Step back."

I lifted my hands. The blood was up to my wrists.

They had him through the doors and headed for the elevator before I finished peeling off my gloves. I went to the scrub sink and turned the water on.

Jesse's blood ran off my hands the same color Ian's had. I scrubbed until the water ran clear, and then I stood there for a second with my palms under the faucet, letting the cold push everything else down.

I went back to the floor.

The radio at the charge desk was live with LVMPD traffic when I walked past. Josie was listening with one hand on the phone.

"3-George-12, south parking structure. I have eyes on the east ramp."

"Copy, 3-George-12. 2-Adam-14, what's your position?"

"2-Adam-14, east entrance. Perimeter set."

"Copy. All units hold positions. We have one active shooter, parking lot, northwest corner. No visual on the suspect at this time."

A voice cut through that I was sure was Andy Walsh. "2-David-7, on scene. Moving to the west lot."