Part 36 (1/2)
The laceration on his cheek was long, but not too deep.
”Are you hurt anywhere else? What about your hand? Did you re-injure it?”
Joey stared down into his lap. His splint was wet and sandy but intact.
”It's okay. I didn't fall on it.” He turned anguished eyes to Nita.
”Can I see her? Can I please see her?”
”In a little while.” Nita straightened and her vision dimmed. For a * 252 *
Winds of Fortune second, she thought she might faint, and then she felt a steadying hand on her elbow.
”Hey,” Reese said gently. ”Nita, are you all right?”
”Yes. Yes, thanks.” Nita took in the white bandage wrapped around Reese's left hand. ”You'd better let me look at that.”
Reese followed her gaze, then shrugged. ”It's nothing much. A few burns.”
”She pulled Deo out from under the stuff that was on fi re,” Joey announced. ”She saved her.”
”Then I owe you thanks,” Nita said. ”More than I can say.”
”No you don't,” Reese said. She scanned the area, her gaze landing on the activity around the stretcher. ”How is she?”
”I don't know yet.” Nita couldn't think about what was happening behind her. She couldn't think about Deo lying so still, blood on her face. She couldn't. ”Is there anyone else injured?”
Reese shook her head. ”Just b.u.mps and bruises. Nothing major.”
”You need that hand looked at,” Nita repeated.
”I'll have Tory do it,” Reese said. ”I want to let her know I'm okay.”
”Yes. Yes, you should do that. Go fi nd her.”
”Nita, you okay?” Reese peered at her with concern.
”Yes. Fine. Go ahead. Tory needs to see you.”
Reese hesitated, then stepped away as Pia returned with a blanket and wrapped it around Joey's shoulders.
”Can you irrigate out that laceration on his cheek,” Nita asked, ”and steri-strip it closed. I don't think he'll need sutures.”
”Sure. I'll change that splint too.” Pia gripped Nita's arm. ”Why don't you go see what's happening with Deo. Maybe KT can give you an update now.”
”Thank you. I'll do that.”
Nita didn't recognize herself. She'd been in the midst of more medical emergencies than she could count. She'd taken care of the young and the old, victims of horrifying car crashes and brutal a.s.saults and senseless accidents. She'd handled it all, calmly, even remotely.
And now, she was terrifi ed. The very thought of Deo being hurt left her disoriented, as if she were cast out to sea, far from land with no idea which direction led to safety.
* 253 *
RADCLY fFE She had to get to her.
The chaos around Deo had settled down to a controlled fl urry of activity, and Nita was able to get close enough to see her. She wasn't awake, but her eyes moved restlessly beneath closed lids. A white sterile cloth with a hole in the middle covered her stomach, and just as Nita looked down, KT made a two-inch vertical incision below Deo's belly b.u.t.ton.
”Is she bleeding internally?” Nita felt an icy hand grip her heart.
”Don't know,” KT responded without looking away from what she was doing. ”Her blood pressure's been a little bit up and down, and I want to make sure nothing is going on inside. We can't rely on X-rays or CT, since we don't have any.” She tossed Nita a grin. ”So we'll have to do it the old-fas.h.i.+oned way and look.”
”What about her head?” Nita asked.
”She's got a good b.u.mp on her temple.”
As KT talked, she slid a clear plastic IV tube into Deo's abdomen through the incision she'd made, and Sally hooked up an IV bag to the other end. The clear fl uid ran into Deo's abdomen. Nita knew that in a few minutes, they would lower the IV bag and let the fl uid run out.
If it was clear, there was a good chance there was no internal injury. If Deo was bleeding inside, it would be pink or red. If that happened, Deo might very well die there, because as good as KT was, she couldn't operate in the middle of Town Hall.
”The scalp laceration's no big deal,” KT went on. ”Her pupils look fi ne. With luck, it's just a concussion. Refl exes are normal, so I think her neck's okay, too.”
”Thank G.o.d.”
”You want to a.s.sist here?” KT asked.
”I'll get Tory if you need help,” Nita said, her legs suddenly weak.
”I can't. I...she's...we're lovers.”
”h.e.l.l, Nita, why didn't you say something.” KT shook her head.
”I'm okay here. You should go sit down until I can fi ll you in the right way.”
”I'd rather stay.”
”Okay, then pull up a chair and hold her hand.”
”What?”
”Hold her hand. It will be good for her, and it'll be good for you.”
* 254 *
Winds of Fortune ”I might be needed if we have more injured.”
”If Tory needs you, she'll let you know.” KT deftly inserted a series of sutures closing the incision in Deo's abdomen. ”Right now, just be her lover.”