WHITEOUT: Above And Beyond (Beauty 0f Life Book 10)

by Laura Acton

  Dan peered at Loki and grinned. “I still can’t believe you wrote a damned manual.”

  Loki shrugged. “Wouldn’t be necessary if you took better care of yourself.”

  Scott chuckled.

  Dan gave Scott an evil eye. “Shut it. You have no room to talk Mr. Ski Pole through the thigh, and I can ski through a friggin’ blizzard.”

  “But at least there isn’t a manual written about me. I mean, who needs a whole handbook describing how to care for them? Oh, wait, … you do, Doppelganger,” Scott retorted with a laugh.

  Dan slowly shook his head as he rolled his eyes. His stomach growled, indicating his hunger.

  Loki caught Dan’s stomach growling, and an image popped into his head. A grin split Loki’s face as his eyes danced with merriment. “Dan’s special like a mogwai. All cute and cuddly, but we gotta follow specific guidelines, or else he’ll turn into a gremlin.”

  Scott snickered. “Does that mean we shouldn’t expose Mogwai here to bright light, water, or feed him after midnight?”

  Snorting, Loki nodded. “And no morphine. Mogwai is funny on morphine but scary too. Morphine, rabid raccoons, rooftops, and broomstick rifles are a bad combination.”

  Doc Landry smiled at Maisie and whispered to her, “There must be a story behind those words.”

  Maisie murmured back, “When all is settled, we’ll ask about it. Sounds interesting.”

  At the same time as the Craig’s were whispering to each other, Dan groaned. They looked up as Dan spoke.

  “Great! Just great! One more nickname to add to the list. Before long, people are gonna get the impression I suffer from multiple personalities,” Dan said in mock disgust.

  Everyone chuckled.

  Dan laid back and closed his eyes. Secretly he approved of the no morphine rule. Hallucinating rabid raccoons, plaid pythons, persnickety parrots, and purple people eaters was no fun. He also liked the not exposed to water part, especially if it were deep, open water. Drowning once was more than enough. But his fear of water would stay his secret. He did not want that documented in some manual.

  Jon’s Home – 7:35 p.m.

  After Jon hung up with Nick, he settled back on the couch, and Jennifer snuggled close to him again, enjoying a relaxing evening after Kent offered to supervise Joey in his bath tonight. She suspected they planned on having some sort of massive naval battle with all the bubbles and boats Joey dumped into the bathtub. “Why did Nick call?”

  “Well, it seems Loki and Dan are snowed in at a hospital. Scott called Lily, and she phoned Nick.”

  “What happened? Are they alright?” Jen’s concern ratcheted up until Jon snickered.

  “Yeah. Something about an aggressive snow bunny running Dan into a tree and a ski pole hit Scott in the leg.” Jon chuckled. “I’m going to have so much fun drilling them when they return. I have time to make plans.”

  “Hey, it isn’t their fault they’re snowbound.”

  “Isn’t it? They should’ve taken the storm into account and planned accordingly.”

  Jen snickered. “Un-huh. Tell me, oh high and mighty constable, when is the last time you checked the weather forecast for your vacation destination. If I recall correctly, and I do, you and Bram have had your share of bad weather on your annual no teacups or tiaras camping trips. Besides, a little extra time off will be beneficial for Dan. You were concerned about his leg … now he will be forced to rest and will be all healed by the time they come back.”

  Jon eyed Jen … then pulled her to him and softly chuckled. “I hate it when you’re the voice of reason. I’m still going to plan drills. They’ll need them to get back into shape after pigging out for days.”

  Pulling the warm blanket over both of them, Jen sighed. “Plan away. I’m sure they’ll be expecting nothing less from you.”

  “Hey, what’s that mean?”

  “Nothing.” Jen winked and giggled.

  “Are you saying I’m predictable?”

  “Well, when it comes to your team … maybe.” Jen peered up at Jon with playful mischief in her eyes. “Perhaps if you think they’ll be out of shape, you can challenge Dan to the obstacle course and win back your title. You know, all’s fair in love and war.”

  “My Queen, it appears if I want peace in the realm, I’m gonna have to kiss you.” Jon grinned as he leaned down to capture her mouth.

  “Mmmmm, my white knight, you fell for my strategy,” Jen murmured as their lips connected.

  I always do. Perhaps time to carry my fair maiden up to our chambers for an early night. Thoughts of his teammates and what drills he planned dissipated as Jon’s passion for his wife ignited and overrode all else.

  Eye of the Storm

  38

  November 24

  Hospital – Second Floor – 7:35 p.m.

  After preparing a room for Ethan, knowing Jeremy would be bringing him up soon, Vera sat at the nurses’ desk and slipped off her shoes to rub her aching feet. She loved being a nurse and taking care of patients, but the hours which came with the territory took a toll on her arches. Vera glanced up when her fellow nurse approached. She and Yasmin worked well together since both shared the same mindset, believing patients’ needs were their priority.

  “I’m so beat I could sleep for a week.” Yasmin sat in the chair next to her coworker and sighed.

  “Yeah, me too. My feet are killing me. Wanna do rock, paper, scissors for who goes down for the next round of meals and meds?”

  Chuckling, Yasmin shook her head. “I might as well go. You beat me every time. Besides, I want to take a gander at Loki again. He’s one handsome man.”

  Vera grinned. “Yes, he is. He’s an Italian stud mixed with sweet boyish charms and protectiveness. I shared with him Bartonella gives me the creeps, and Loki kept him from walking this way again. I was relieved.”

  “The Mountie sets my teeth on edge too. Something shifty in his eyes.”

  “They possessed a coldness to me like he didn’t care about anyone but himself.” Vera shivered as they reminded her of her ex-boyfriend.

  After shrugging, Yasmin stood. “Might be right, but he did bring in a carjacking victim. Perhaps he is exhausted like us. I’ll be back in a bit. Can you do me a favor and check in on room three? Dear Mrs. Culberson needs a little extra TLC. She’s missing her family a lot.”

  Vera nodded. “Sure thing. She’s the sweetest grandmother in the world. I wish they had been able to arrive before the storm.”

  “Me too. Back in a jiffy. I’ll bring coffee too.” Yasmin headed for the stairs.

  Hospital – ER Treatment Area – 7:35 p.m.

  As Landry reviewed the medical section of the Dantastic manual Loki provided, Minna started a new saline bag for Dan before placing a mask over his mouth and nose to deliver nitrous oxide. While turning the valve to begin the flow, Minna took a furtive glance at Jonas. When Ron approached, she said, “After Doc Landry numbs Dan’s leg, I need you to push Dan’s bed to the OR, and I’ll take the doc.”

  Nitrous stripping Dan of his inhibitions and his mind going wonky again, Dan grinned at Lexa through the mask. “Taking charge like always, Lexa.”

  Loki scrunched his face. “Um, buddy, she’s Minna. Lexa’s not here.”

  With somewhat glazed eyes, Dan’s words came out a little slurry. “Nu-uh. Auburn hair, ponytail, hazel eyes, short, and bossy. Lexa.”

  “Bossy, huh?” Minna’s lips turned up in amusement.

  “Yep, bossy, so bossy, always bossy.” Dan nodded.

  Scott and Loki snickered, both glad Lexa wasn’t here, but for different reasons. Loki believed Dan would surely earn a punch in the bicep. Scott was relieved when Dan dropped into a light sleep before his cousin revealed how much he still loved Lexa.

  Maisie whispered in Landry’s ear, “He’s sweet on this Lexa.”

  Landry swiveled his head to gaze at his wife. “How can you tell?”

  “It’s so obvious.” Recognizing Landry’s confusion, she added, “Something a woman wo
uld notice. Now you be gettin’ on with numbing the boy up. I don’t know what happened to this dear boy, but he was never afraid of needles before. He let you stitch him up after the skate sliced open his calf. Just laid there and made not a sound or a movement.”

  Landry nodded as he began to administer the local anesthetic. He recalled the long-ago day. He and Maisie took the afternoon off to go ice-skating at the pond. Dan and a bunch of local boys were playing a pickup game of hockey. They all appeared to be having so much fun. Four boys all went for the puck at once, and one of the boy’s skates lacerated Dan’s calf in the pile-up.

  After a brief howl, mixed with shouts about who got the puck, all the boys skated to their positions ready to resume the game. Wilson was the first to spot the blood trail, which led the eye to the subsequent puddle forming where Dan stood. Dan’s chaperone raced to the boy, yelling for him to sit.

  Landry recalled wanting to take the teen to the hospital due to the depth of the laceration, but Dan refused to go, insisting it didn’t hurt and declaring he wished to finish his game. To this day, Landry was not sure why Wilson supported Dan’s desire or how he talked him into stitching up the wound, right there at the lake with all the other boys standing around watching. That was the first time he doctored Dan but not the last.

  He treated Dan for mild hypothermia when he rescued a little girl who skated on to thin ice and fell in. The heroic teen ended up with a terrible case of bronchitis. That’s when Maisie first made Dan her famous chicken noodle soup. While ill, the boy spurned all foods except Maisie’s soup.

  Then there was the avalanche. How the youngen survived those winter trips, Landry never quite figured out. Dan tested his skills almost every time they visited. While treating him for bronchitis, he conclusively determined Dan hated being in a hospital, but the teenager never once shied away from needles. Landry wondered what happened to create a phobia so profound Dan now required a form of sedation. Then again, perhaps he didn’t want to know because whatever caused the fear must’ve been horrific.

  Landry needed to use bupivacaine since he anticipated the procedure would take longer than lidocaine would last and didn’t want to subject Dan to another round of nitrous and injections if possible. But he injected lidocaine first and waited a few minutes because bupivacaine tended to be more painful when administered. The double dose of anesthetic should ensure a repeat process wouldn’t be necessary later.

  Finishing the last injection, his eyes surveyed the wound again and realized he might need to modify his approach to anesthetic, depending on what he found once he started debriding the gash. “Minna, you can stop the nitrous, but bring it along in case I must to go to the bone. In that case, Dan will need more than a local.”

  Minna stopped the flow of the colorless, non-flammable gas before rechecking Dan’s vitals. She frowned. “Doc, his temperature’s risen again.”

  “Infection has the upper hand. Let’s get goin’. Got to move fast if I’m going to save his leg.” Landry lowered himself in the wheelchair.

  Loki stood by Scott’s bed as Ron rolled Dan’s bed out, and Minna followed pushing Doc Landry while Maisie brought up the rear. He didn’t like what he heard, which increased his worry for Dan, but his mind turned to their other problem. In a soft undertone, he said, “We’ll wait about ten minutes, so they’re all secure in the surgery room. Then I’ll find Barton and bring him in here under the pretense Jonas asked for him.”

  Scott nodded. “I’ll be ready. Take precautions. From what you told me, Noah has no regard for human life.”

  Considering Scott’s statement along with Noah’s actions thus far, Loki said, “True, the Bartons are vicious, but it takes a fair amount of intelligence to do what they’ve done. And I do believe Noah possesses a thin thread of empathy, given his concern for his brother, which may initially work to our advantage. I think Noah might realize killing anyone before Jonas is treated would put Jonas in jeopardy. But I won’t underestimate him because we are all expendable after Noah gets what he wants.”

  As Loki finished speaking, he patted Scott’s shoulder, recognizing concern in his eyes, which had nothing to do with the murderous bank robbers. “Dan will be alright.”

  “I hope so. If he loses a leg, I’m uncertain what will happen to him. Joining TRF saved his life. I’m not so sure he can handle everything he values being ripped away from him again.” Scott allowed the worry he concealed from Dan to flood out for a moment.

  His voice firm with conviction, Loki declared, “Not gonna happen. Dan is family. Even if he can’t be on Alpha Team, he is still family. We’ll help him like you and your cousins did when his lungs needed rehabbing.”

  “I like you, Loki.” Scott flashed Loki a wow smile.

  Grinning, Loki chuckled. “I have my moments. I’m going to restrain our sleeping victim before I go.”

  “Okay, I’ll cover you.” Scott shifted his gun to his hand.

  Loki smirked. “He’s asleep, unarmed, and injured. What do you think can happen?”

  Scott’s brows shot to the ceiling. “Did you really just say that? Jinx, much?”

  A nervous chuckle emitted from Loki as he retorted, “Superstitious?”

  “We are in the woods, and according to you, nothing good happens in them. And Dan’s a trouble magnet. Take your pick,” Scott shot back with a grimace.

  “Touché. I’ll be careful.” Loki breathed deep and prayed all would go well as he attempted to take the Bartons into custody.

  Hospital – Café – 7:35 p.m.

  Noah finished his snacks and decided to check on his brother. The doctor should be finished with the brat by now, and he would ensure Jonas would be next regardless of who Dr. Craig deemed a priority. If he could, he would mow everyone down and be done with it, but he had two problems.

  One, the Mountie’s Smith & Wesson had a fifteen-round magazine, and six were gone, leaving him only nine bullets. Two, exterminating anyone would blow his cover and might cause the doctors to be careless with Jonas. He needed to be smart and maintain control over his desire to wipe them off the face of this earth … at least until Jonas was ready to leave. Noah stood, leaving his mess on the table for someone else to clean up.

  Hospital – Recovery Room – 7:38 p.m.

  Frustration mounted since Ron left as Vanessa tried and failed several times to reach Vera or Yasmin via the internal intercom at the nurses’ desk. When the extension was finally answered, relief washed away the exasperation but not her worry.

  “Vera here. What do you need?”

  Urgency filled Vanessa’s tone, “Vera, you and Yasmin need to lock all the patients’ doors. Situate yourselves with the most critical patients and barricade the entry. If you have to … group a few in the same room.”

  “You’re scaring me, Vanessa. Why?” Vera slipped her shoes on and rose.

  Vanessa anxiously twisted her long hair on her index finger. “No time to explain everything, but we have a possible Code Silver. Officer Bartonella is not a Mountie. We think he is a dangerous criminal. Ron went to tell Loki since he is a TRF constable. We are going to let him handle this, but we must take precautions. So please do what I asked, and swiftly.”

  Having her suspicions about the creepy cop confirmed, Vera’s anxiety skyrocketed. “Yasmin just went down to get meds and food.”

  Taking a deep breath, Vanessa said, “Do what you can by yourself. I’ll find Yasmin and bring her here with me. Call the recovery room and give Jeremy the details as who is in which room and which room you end up in.”

  “Will do. You be careful too. We need you here.” After hanging up, Vera raced off to lock doors of those who could remain alone before moving the three patients who required the most attention into one room.

  Vanessa hung up and looked at Jeremy. “You stay here with the Trimbles. Yasmin will most likely be in the pharmacy or café. I’ll check the cafeteria first. If Doc Landry needs help with Dan, tell him I’ll be right back. Lock the door behind me and only open it for the
doc.”

  “Okay.” Jeremy nervously followed Vanessa to the door and flipped the lock after she left. He turned around and tried to project self-assurance to Ethan’s parents. “Everything’s gonna be fine.”

  Ian Trimble patted the frightened young orderly on the shoulder and spoke with certitude to help allay Jeremy’s and his wife’s fears, “Yes, we will. From what you and Vanessa explained, Loki will handle things.”

  Hospital – Surgery – 7:40 p.m.

  Ron moved Dan’s gurney next to the operating table, and Minna locked it in place. The two of them transferred Dan, and as they positioned him, both were glad Dan remained oblivious because his leg would probably hurt as they moved him around. When finished, Minna requested, “Ron, would you please take the gurney outside, then come back in? I need you to gown up and stay here in case Doc Landry needs a pair of strong arms.”

  Landry snorted. “I may be old, my girl, but I can still stand.”

  Patting her husband’s back, Maisie used a conciliatory tone as she said, “You’ve been on your feet for several hours, dear. Your knees are not what they used to be. For Dan’s sake, don’t fuss.”

  Landry hated to admit he might need assistance standing, but would never be too proud to refuse help if required. His patient would always be more important than his pride. Grumbling under his breath, Landry allowed Maisie to roll him into the scrub room, which was separated from the operating room by a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. Given his limited resources when he built the hospital, this configuration, though odd, worked well.

  Minna finished washing her hands, gloved up, and moved to the sterile supply room located in the back corner of the surgery along the same wall as the enclosed scrub sinks. She selected a new packet of sterilized surgical instruments and draping before exiting through the archway. Minna glanced at Ron and smiled behind her mask, perceiving a different side of him today. They had been friends for years, but after his divorce, Ron seemed to be a player, certainly not the type of guy she wanted. But now, for the first time, she wondered if someday they might become more than just friends.