Chapter 6 Romance

Gabe glanced impatiently at the clock on the wall. Where was Larissa? It wasnt like her to take such a long break in the middle of her shift like this. Hed always been impressed by what a hard worker she was.

But he also knew just how upset she was at seeing the extent of Annies injuries. The burn from two nights ago had been weeping and was covered in dirt and grime from the highway. Annie had also sustained several broken bones, a head injury, and a potential ruptured spleen. It had been a long time since hed seen anyone so badly hurt. And knowing Larissa, she was likely blaming herself even though there was absolutely nothing she could have done to prevent what had happened.

Still, he couldnt help sending up a quick prayer for Annies recovery. And then shook his head in mild disbelief when he realized hed prayed more since attending church with Larissa than he had in the year his sister had hounded him to go.

Not that he planned on telling Kimberly that.

Julie came abruptly around the corner and barreled right into him. He steadied her with his hands on her shoulders. Whoa, take it easy.

Sorry, she said with a sigh, taking a step back. Its been so crazy busy. She frowned. Have you seen Larissa? One of her patients needs something for pain.

Ill find her, he promised. Just get her patient the pain meds for now, okay?

Okay. Julie disappeared, and he swung around to head back to the trauma bay.

He slowed to a stop when he heard a familiar voice.

Annies not here, Kurt. Why dont you put the gun down and have a seat so I can arrange for you to go and see her?

Kurt? Gun? Ice crawled down his spine, and he sprinted toward the nearest phone and punched in 911. Kurt Hinkle is armed with a gun and is in the trauma bay with Larissa, he said in a low, terse tone to Grace, the sheriffs department dispatcher. Hurry.

He hung up the phone, swung around, and quickly flagged down Debra, the charge nurse. Keep everyone out of the trauma bay, do you understand? he said as quietly as possible.

Whats going on?

Kurt Hinkle is in there with a gun, but the police are on their way. Keep everyone out and far away from this area, he repeated, moving toward the door.

You cant go in there, Debra protested, grabbing his arm.

Yes, I can. Just keep everyone out here, okay? He shook off her hand and edged toward the door leading to the trauma bay. He didnt want to barge in there in case he startled Kurt into shooting.

But he couldnt bear the thought of Larissa facing someone as unstable as Kurt alone, either.

Dear Lord, please give me strength.

He cracked the door open and peered inside. The ice on his spine turned glacier when he saw how close Kurt was to Larissa, just six feet away, with his gun leveled directly at the center of her chest. Larissa stared up at Kurt with wide, frightened eyes with nothing but a small metal bedside table between them.

There was no way he was waiting for the sheriffs deputies. He shoved open the door and stepped into the room. Put down the gun, Kurt.

The older man swung around to face him, the gun bobbing up and down in his hand. Stay out of this, doc. This is between her and me.

Put the gun away, he repeated, projecting a calmness he didnt feel. Dont make this worse than it already is.

Get outta here! Kurt shouted, his face turning red.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Larissa was edging farther away from Kurt, exactly the way hed hoped. The trauma bay was big and open; there werent any places to hide or much to use as a barrier against a gun.

Why are you threatening Larissa? he asked, striving for a conversational tone. She hasnt done anything to you.

Mentioning Larissa was a mistake as Kurt immediately swung back toward her. You should have stayed away from Annie, he accused. You shouldnt have filled her head with ideas of leaving me. Its your fault she got hurt. If she wouldnt have left, shed be fine right now.

Gabe couldnt believe Kurts twisted logic, but then again, he didnt understand why any man would physically abuse his wife, either. Kurt was so far beyond rational that Gabe didnt have a clue how to get through to him.

I was trying to help Annie, Larissa said with a note of defiance. Youre the one who keeps hurting her, not me.

Gabe silently urged Larissa to be quiet. There was no sense in making the guy mad.

What do you want, Kurt? Gabe asked, desperate to get the mans attention focused back on him instead of on Larissa. I cant help you if I dont know what you want.

I want you to get out of here, Kurt shouted. If you dont, Ill start shooting!

Gabe glanced helplessly at Larissa, trying to think of a way to stall. Kurt might be drunk, but considering his hunting background he didnt dare bank on the fact that Kurt might not hit his target. Especially considering Larissa was in close range.

Where were the sheriffs deputies? Shouldnt they have been here by now?

What was taking them so long?

Now! Kurt said, firing the gun for emphasis, the sound echoing through the trauma bay.

Get down, Gabe shouted to Larissa as he dropped to the floor. He rolled and then came up in a small crouch, ready for the next gunshot.

Larissa must have sensed what was about to happen, because when he glanced over, she was hunkered down in the corner of the room holding the small metal bedside table turned sideways so that the tray protected her chest. He didnt see any blood, so he hoped and prayed that meant she wasnt hit. Thankfully, she had some cover.

Kurtis Hinkle! Drop your gun and come out with your hands up!

Kurt spun around toward the doors leading in from the ambulance bay, where the sheriffs deputies were located. Gabe took advantage of Kurts momentary distraction to dive toward Larissa. She clutched at him, and he held her tight for a fraction of a second before he shoved her behind him.

Stay down, he whispered. A bullet could still go through him to get to her, so he used the metal bedside table as a shield while hoping for the best. He took heart in the fact that he could see a deputy standing just outside the door hed come through earlier.

The cops had Kurt and the trauma bay surrounded. But the danger was far from over.

Go away or Ill kill them both! Kurt shouted.

What do you want, Kurt? one of the deputies shouted. Do you want to see Annie?

Annies dead! Kurt screamed, his face mottled with anger.

Annies not dead, Gabe said and hoped he wasnt lying. Shes at a hospital in Madison. The deputies can arrange for you to see her.

Youre lying!

Gabe probably was lying since he doubted the deputies would take him anywhere near Annie. It was clear they believed Kurt was the one whod run Annie down. But they needed to get Kurt to surrender his gun before anyone got hurt.

Do you want to see your son, Tommy? the deputy asked from outside the ambulance bay doors.

Leave my son out of this! Kurt grew even more agitated, pacing back and forth in front of the ambulance bay doors. Stay away from him, do you hear me?

Gabe realized that Tommy was a lever they could use, and hopefully the deputies knew that, too. Because right now there wasnt much between him and Larissa and the madman with a gun.

And Kurt could easily shoot them both before the deputies would have a chance to stop him.

Larissa had prayed almost non-stop since Kurt had cornered her in the trauma bay. And the fact that Gabe was here, too, made her feel even worse.

She didnt doubt for a minute that Kurt had been driving the car that slammed into his wife. Annie had clearly been trying to get away from him. Hadnt Kurt admitted that much already?

This was her fault, Kurt was right about that. She should have spent more time with Annie the night shed come in for her broken wrist. She should have convinced Annie to get away from Kurt right then and there. She could have taken Annie to a safe house, at least for the night.

But she hadnt. And now she and Gabe were both in danger. Trapped in a corner where Kurt could easily kill them. The fact that Kurt hadnt shot either of them yet was nothing short of a miracle. Maybe his being intoxicated was actually working in their favor. He didnt seem to be thinking too clearly.

The door leading in from the trauma bay was slowly opening about an inch or so, and she realized one of the sheriffs deputies was standing there. From the angle of the door, he wouldnt have a good shot at Kurt, but just knowing the deputy was there helped steady her nerves.

Its not too late, Kurt. Put down your gun and come outside. We understand this is all just a big understanding. The voice outside sounded like Deputy Armbruster. Come out while you still can.

No! If you come in here, Ill kill them both!

The door from the main part of the ER opened even wider, and Larissa tensed as she saw Deputy Thomas kneeling there, wearing full SWAT gear. Despite the awkward position, he pointed his handgun at Kurt. She thought she was prepared for the sound of gunfire, but the blast made her jump.

Kurt screamed and swung around, shooting wildly before he went down hard.

The next few seconds passed in a blur, but suddenly the gunfire stopped and the nightmare was over.

I have him, Deputy Thomas said as he stood over Kurt, who was bleeding profusely onto the floor. Kurts gun was on the other side of the room far out of reach.

Get him up on a gurney, Gabe said. He shoved the metal tray aside and rose to his feet, pulling her up, too. Are you all right? he asked in a low tone, his warm, brown eyes gazing down at her.

I think so. Her hands were still trembling, so she clutched them together. Thank you for saving us, Lord!

Run and get Julie to come and help me with Kurt, he said, moving away. He needs medical attention. You can cover the patients on the teams until weve finished.

She could barely wrap her mind around the fact that Gabe was going to help fix Kurts gunshot wound. But then she realized they simply couldnt let him die, no matter how much he might have deserved it. So if Gabe could do it, so could she. Ill help you.

You dont need this, get Julie, Gabe repeated, heading over to where the sheriffs deputies were handcuffing Kurt Hinkle to a gurney. There was so much blood that she knew there wasnt time to waste.

She went over and grabbed IV supplies, knowing that theyd need access in order to give badly needed blood and fluids. The rest of the ER staff poured in to assist once the deputies had given the all clear. Soon she and Julie were working as a team, pumping four units of O-neg blood in at a time through a rapid infuser.

Call the trauma surgeon on call, Gabe ordered. He stared down with obvious concern at the open wound on Kurts lower abdomen where Deputy Thomass bullet had penetrated deeply into his flesh. I cant stop the bleeding, and he needs to get to the OR stat!

A nicked artery certainly explained the massive blood loss. Larissa didnt allow herself to think about anything that happened before, focusing solely on saving Kurts life. Even though she knew hed end up in jail if they managed to succeed.

She heard Julie making the call to the surgeon. Dr. Rausch is on his way in. Gabe grimaced and began packing the wound. I hope he gets here in time. Do you need a suture tray? Larissa asked after she finished hanging four more units of blood. Kurts vitals were low but stable, at least for now.

Gabe gave her a grim nod. Ill try my best to patch him up at least until he can get to the OR.

She pulled a sterile vascular tray off the shelf on the back wall and quickly opened it up as Gabe pulled on a new set of sterile gloves. The vascular tray wasnt really equipped for a large-vascular injury, but it was better than nothing.

Larissa handed Gabe instruments and lap sponges as he worked to stem the bleeding enough to see what he was doing. He placed a few sutures, and the blood gushing out slowed to a trickle. He put more sutures in and then stepped back. Thats all I can do for now.

Fifteen minutes later, Dr. Rausch strode in and took command of the situation. Within moments, she and the transporter wheeled Kurt over to the OR. Deputy Armbruster followed alongside, unwilling to let his prisoner out of sight.

Im afraid you cant go in there, she warned, putting a hand on the deputys arm. She wasnt sterile, either, and neither one of them would be allowed any farther. Youll have to stay out here if you really want to wait.

You can be sure Ill wait for him, Deputy Armbruster muttered. Although, frankly, its a waste of time patching him up since hell be spending the rest of his life in jail.

She didnt have an answer for that and was ashamed to admit shed had the same thought earlier. But the source of the injuries didnt matter; as health care professionals, they were obligated to save lives to the best of their ability. Even Kurts. Theres a coffee machine over there. Help yourself, she murmured.

Thanks. Ill have to take your statement later, okay? Ill hang around after my shift is over, she promised. Tell the doc Ill need to talk to him, too.

She nodded to indicate shed pass the message. Take care. She turned and made her way back to the ER. She felt bad that Julie and Debra had been covering her patients all this time. But when she glanced up at the clock, she stared for a moment, unable to believe that only an hour had passed since Kurt had trapped her in the trauma bay.

The rest of her shift passed by in a blur. After she gave report to the oncoming nurse, she headed outside, surprised to see the bright sun. The rain from the night before had passed, giving way to a new day.

As much as she wanted to go home, she knew the police still wanted to talk to her and to Gabe.

Just then, Gabe joined her outside. Wordlessly, he crossed over and pulled her into his embrace. She leaned against him, relieved and glad to be alive.

Ive never been so afraid in my whole life, he murmured in her ear. Im thankful you werent hurt.

Me, too, she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. I mean, I was terrified he was going to shoot you.

Deputy Thomas saved the day.

She couldnt argue that one.

The parking lot began filling with cars, members of the hospital leadership team and the public relations department arriving to take charge of the situation. As they streamed past, she felt distinctly self-conscious and tried to pull away, knowing Gabe wouldnt want to be seen hugging her like this in public.

But he refused to let her go. His arms tightened around her, and when she glanced up at him questioningly, he simply smiled, lowered his head, and kissed her in full view of anyone who cared to watch.

And she reveled in the sweetness of his kiss.