by Paige Tyler
Lexi shook her head. “I’m afraid your ass-kicking adventure might have to be put on hold for a couple of days. Your leg is broken and is going to have to be set and put in a cast.”
Jessie looked like he would have complained, but Lexi hit him with a big smile, which ended the arguing before it started. Huh. Maybe she should have used that one on Dane.
As Trent strapped the gurney in and prepped Jessie to move, Lexi headed around to the front of the truck, taking Detective Maxwell’s card out of her wallet as she went.
Chapter Eleven
DANE TOOK A deep breath and blew it out slowly. He’d been standing outside Lexi’s door for the past five minutes trying to get the courage to ring the doorbell. Damn, he was pathetic.
He wanted to blame it on the last two sleepless nights he’d had, but in reality it was plain old fear. It wasn’t his fault. He hadn’t been able to talk to her Tuesday night after their fight because the call she’d gone on had kept her out until nearly two and when she’d gotten back, she’d made a beeline for the female sleeping quarters. He’d hoped to see her after their shift ended, but she’d already left by the time he’d come downstairs”.
He could have stopped by to see her yesterday—or even called her—but the truth was, he’d chickened out. He had to talk to her today or face her tomorrow at work without getting any of this mess straightened out. He definitely didn’t want to do that.
Telling himself to stop being such a damn coward, he rang the doorbell.
He hoped Melinda wasn’t the one who answered. That would be awkward. Hell, Lexi’s roommate probably already knew all the stupid stuff he’d said and probably would kick him in the balls for being an asshole to her friend.
When the door opened, he was relieved to see Lexi standing there. She had on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top, her silky, dark hair hanging down her back. Her blue eyes were guarded, like she wasn’t sure what he was going to say. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what he was going to say either. He only hoped it wasn’t something else stupid. That was a distinct possibility since he’d never been very good with words—unless you considered pissing off the most important people in his life to be a talent. In that case, he was a master of the English language.
He cleared his throat. “Can I come in so we can talk?”
She regarded him in silence for a moment then stepped back. “Yeah.”
He stepped inside and waited while she closed the door then followed her over to the couch. The TV was on with the sound down low. It looked like some kind of news special report.
“Did you see the news this morning?” Lexi asked, gesturing to the TV as she sat down on the sofa and tucked her feet under her.
Dane took a seat on the adjacent couch, careful to leave a little distance between them. “No. Something interesting on it?”
“The police caught those people who have been running the street racing events all over town,” she said. “Detective Maxwell was on a few minutes ago talking about the arrest. Apparently, it was nothing more than a big game of I-dare-you. Twenty car wrecks and multiple serious injuries over a four-day period for a silly game.”
Didn’t make a whole hell of a lot of sense, did it? “At least they caught the jackasses before someone died. That’s the important thing.” He glanced toward the bedrooms “Is Melinda here?”
Lexi shook her head. “No. She’s been working nearly back-to-back shifts at the hospital the past couple of days. She called this morning and said she was going to crash for a few hours in the nurse’s lounge then work another shift today.”
Damn, Melinda’s schedule sounded worse than a firefighter’s. He was glad they were alone in the apartment, though. It would make it easier to say what he had to say.
“I guess I should start with an apology,” he said quietly. “I was a complete ass, and what I said to you at the station was totally out of bounds.”
Dane didn’t know what he expected her to say, but all he got was a nod and an expectant look. He guessed that was her way of telling him to keep going.
“I never intended to imply that I didn’t think you could do your job,” he continued. “Or that you were foolish or reckless or anything else that you may have taken from my crappy choice of words.”
“Then what were you implying?” she asked simply.
He shrugged. “That’s it. I wasn’t implying anything. I wasn’t even thinking. I was reacting to seeing you climb out of the sunroof of that car as it hung there on the edge of the overpass. When I realized how close to being killed you’d come, my head shut down and everything that came out of my mouth was driven by pure fear.”
Lexi considered his words. “I can understand that, but if you had the chance to go back and do it all over again, would you do anything differently?”
It was his turn to ponder her words. “Knowing what I know now? Knowing how much I hurt and embarrassed you? Yeah, I’d do it all differently.”
Dane paused before continuing, wanting to make sure everything came out right this time. He was still as terrified as he’d been that night they’d argued at the station, but for a completely different reason. This time, he was worried he was going to say something that would drive Lexi away forever. He couldn’t live with himself if that happened.
“For one thing, I’d tell you that what I saw was the bravest, most selfless thing I’d ever witnessed. You were amazing,” he said. “And as soon as I finished, I would have pulled you into my arms and hugged you and told you that I’d never been so scared in my life. That in all the times I’d risked my life in a fire or some other rescue scenario, I never feared death like I did at that moment. Because you’re more important to me than anything, even my own life.”
Dane wanted to tell her he loved her right then, because he did. He come to that realization the other night on the overpass, but hadn’t admitted it to himself until this morning. As much as he wanted to pour his heart out to Lexi, saying those three all-important words while they were trying to work through an issue as great as this one would be too much like emotional blackmail.
So he said the next best thing.
“Lexi, I know I screwed up and said some pretty crappy stuff the other night, but I can’t stand the idea of walking away from what we have. I need you to know that I’m willing to keep working on this. I hope you’re willing to let me.”
Tears filled her eyes, and for a moment he feared she was going to tell him it was too late. That she’d already decided to move on.
“I want to believe you,” she said softly. “But how are you going to handle it the next time I have to do something you think is too dangerous? I don’t get put into life and death situations as often as you do as a firefighter, but it will happen at some point.”
He swallowed hard. “I’ll never get comfortable with the idea of seeing you in danger, but I’ve accepted it’s something I’ll have to deal with. I know it’s part of a package deal, like my being a firefighter is for you. I need you to promise that you’ll always remember there’s someone who needs you to come home every day.”
Lexi gazed at him for a long time, tears running down her face. It took everything in Dane not to close the distance between them, wrap his arms around her, and kiss them away.
Please don’t let it be too little, too late.
But then she got up and came over to sit beside him. A moment later, she leaned in to kiss him, and if her lips were a little wet with tears, he wasn’t going to complain.
“I promise,” she said when she pulled away, her voice barely above a whisper as she looked him straight in the eye. “But you have to make the same promise as well. Because you’re very important to me, and I don’t want to think about what life would be like without you in it.”
Dane smiled, relief flooding through him. “I promise.”
Lexi kissed him again then rested her forehead against his with a groan. “I want to spend the rest of the day kissing you like this, but I told the patient Trent and I dropped off at th
e hospital the other night that I’d stop by and see him. Do you want come with me then afterward we can come back here and hang out?”
“Actually, I promised Jax and Skye I’d stop by and help set up some stuff for the wedding tomorrow,” he said. “But I’d love to hang out after that. If you’re sure it’s okay?”
Her lips curved into a smile. “It’s definitely okay. I know we’re both probably still a little gun shy over everything that was said, but I want us to get back to where we were before. Spending our day off together is a good start.”
They agreed to meet back at her place at four then Dane walked her to her car. Before she got in, Lexi pulled him down for a long, slow kiss. “I’m glad we worked stuff out. It’s only been a day since we saw each other, but I really missed you.”
Dane knew exactly what she meant.
* * * * *
Lexi was still smiling as she walked into the hospital. Despite her conversation with Trent, she’d avoided Dane at the station the other night then left as soon as her shift was over. She’d almost called him a dozen times since, but they needed to talk about things face to face. After tossing and turning for the past two nights, she’d gotten up that morning intending to go over to Dane’s place since he obviously wasn’t going to make the first move. But then he’d shown up at her door.
She’d wanted to drag him into her apartment and kiss him until they were both out of breath, but she’d restrained herself. The wait had been worth it. The things Dane said to her today had made her cry for a completely different reason than they had the other night. His words had made her heart do somersaults in her chest.
Lexi didn’t care that she and Dane had only been dating a little while. She was in love with him, plain and simple. Like Skye had said, who someone fell for or how fast didn’t have to follow any rules.
Stepping off the elevator, Lexi made her way to the nurse’s station. The blond woman handling the desk looked up from her computer as she approached. Lexi explained that she was a paramedic with DF&R then asked if the nurse knew which rooms Debra Wallace and Jessie Strickland were in. She’d only promised Jessie she’d visit, but since she was there, she wanted to check on Debra, too.
The nurse tapped on her keyboard, then stared at the computer screen. After a moment, she shook her head. “I don’t see room numbers for either patient.”
Lexi frowned. “Were they released already?”
The nurse typed something else into the computer. “It doesn’t show that they were released.” More typing. “That’s odd.”
“What’s odd?”
“The records don’t say anything about their status at all. A few notes about insurance and what their injuries were, then nothing.”
Lexi took her cell phone from her purse and dialed Melinda, She hated bothering her friend, but she couldn’t shake the funny feeling building up in her stomach. It was silly, but after what had happened to Wayne last week, she had to know.
“Hey Melinda,” she said when her friend answered. “I’m at the nurse’s station on the fifth floor. Can you come up here for a minute?”
“Yeah. I’ll be right there.”
Melinda looked like crap when she stepped off the elevator. No shock there. With the exception of a few catnaps here and there, her friend had been working for the better part of the past forty-eight hours.
“You look terrible,” Lexi said.
“Nice to see you, too,” Melinda responded with none of her usual spark. “There’s a flu bug going around and half the nurses are down with it. Everyone who can walk is pulling multiple shifts. What dragged you down here on your day off?”
“I came to see the two patients Trent and I treated Tuesday night—the woman from the car on the overpass and the homeless veteran the street racers hit.”
Melinda stared at her like she had no idea what Lexi was talking about then her eyes widened. “That was Tuesday night? I’d completely lost all track of what day of the week it was.”
“Can you help me figure out where they are?” Lexi asked. “I assume they were released, but I’ll like to get addresses so I can go see them and make sure they’re doing okay. I’m especially worried about Jessie. I’m not sure that guy has a place to go.”
Melinda walked around the desk and checked the computer database, but she didn’t learn anything more than the other nurse. “With so many people out, housekeeping stuff like putting information into the database isn’t taking priority right now. Let me see if I can find the hardcopy files.”
Her friend disappeared into a big room behind the nurse’s station then came back a few minutes later, two files in her hand and a glum look on her face.
Lexi’s stomach plummeted. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry, Lexi, but neither patient made it,” Melinda said gently.
She shook her head. “That can’t be right. They’d only had minor injuries—a broken leg and lacerations. There’s no way they could have died from those.”
Melinda set the files down on the desk and opened each of them. “According to the doctor’s notes, Jessie Strickland died of an aneurysm brought on by overuse of methamphetamine. Debra Wallace had a congenital heart defect that led to a heart attack.”
Lexi glanced at the files. Sure enough, that’s what they said. “That can’t be right. I hooked Debra up to a cardiac monitor and ran an EKG before the other team of paramedics brought her in, and she had no arrhythmia of any kind. Jessie didn’t show a single symptom associated with an aneurysm or meth use.”
Melinda’s eyes were sad. “Honey, I know what you did to save those two, but they still didn’t make it. Sometimes, that happens.”
Lexi stood there, emotions warring inside her. Sorrow, depression, confusion, and anger all fighting to see which one would come out on top. Finally, anger won out.
“Who was the ER doctor who treated them? I want him—or her—to look me in the face and tell me how Jessie and Debra died.”
Her friend hesitated for a moment then sighed and flipped through the files until she found the name Lexi was looking for. “It was the same doctor in both cases—Dr. Harold Patton.”
Lexi frowned. “Wasn’t he the same doctor on duty the night Wayne Moore died?”
“Yes,” Melinda said. “But that’s not shocking. Patton works more shifts than I do. He’s here practically every night.”
Melinda might not think it was strange, but it seemed damn suspicious to Lexi. “Is he here now? I want to talk to him.”
It was obviously from the look on Melinda’s face she thought that was a bad idea, but her friend finally nodded. “You can probably find him in the doctor’s lounge on the second floor, trying to grab a nap.”
“Thanks.”
Melinda opened her mouth to say something, but Lexi didn’t hang around to listen. Instead, she hurried to the elevator. She was going to find Patton and get some answers as to how two perfect healthy people had died so suddenly.
By the time she got to the doctor’s lounge, however, some of her fire had dissipated as she realized she had no idea exactly what she was going to say to the man. She pushed open the door anyway, hoping something would come to mind.
The room was dark and, for a moment, she thought it was empty. Then she saw the man sitting on the couch staring at the wall on the far side of the room.
“Dr. Patton?”
“What do you want?” he demanded, not looking at her. “I told the nurses I didn’t want to be bothered unless there was an emergency.”
She walked into the room and turned on the light.
Patton held up one hand, shielding his eyes from the sudden brightness. “Shit. What’d you do that for?”
Lexi ignored the question. “Dr. Patton, my name is Lexi Fletcher. I’m a paramedic with DF&R. I brought in two patients Tuesday night, and now they’re both dead. I was hoping you could tell me what happened.”
He leaned his head back on the couch and rested his forearm across his eyes. “Their hearts stopped beati
ng, I assume. That’s the way death usually occurs.”
A shiver went through her at his words. She shook it off and stepped closer. “I looked at Debra Wallace’s EKG myself before I brought her in, and there was no arrhythmia like her record suggests.”
She would have explained that Jessie Strickland showed no signs of drug use, or impending aneurysm, but a low, sarcastic laugh cut her off.
“That’s funny,” Patton sneered. “A paramedic telling me I can’t read a heart trace.”
“I was pre-med in college—”
“Fucking goody for you.” He jumped to his feet so fast, she took a startled step back. “Why don’t you come back and talk to me again after you finish med school and your residency? Then, maybe I’ll give a shit about what you have to say.”
Lexi would have told Patton what he could do with his arrogant attitude, but she was too shocked by what she saw in his eyes. They were dilated as far as she’d ever seen, almost as large as his entire iris. His dark-blond hair was soaked with sweat and his face was pale as a ghost.
Either it was speed, or maybe some kind of opiate like oxycodone. Either way, Dr. Patton was high as a freaking kite. She couldn’t believe none of the hospital staff had noticed.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more important things to do than talk to you.”
She watched in shock as he stormed from the room. Crap. The hospital had a drug addict working in their ER, one who had almost certainly let two people—three, if Wayne was also a victim—die due to negligence. But how did she prove it?
* * * * *
“What’s he’s saying?” Lexi whispered to Dane, who was listening intently on his cell phone to Detective Maxwell.
They were alone in the station’s dayroom, so there was no chance of them being overheard. Dane gave her a nod.
“Hold on, Logan. I’m putting you on speaker so Lexi can hear.”
He thumbed the speaker button on his iPhone then held it so they could both listen. They’d been waiting all day for the DPD detective to call, and Dane knew Lexi was as eager as he was to hear what the cop had to say.