Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
Gail’s patience was running out, and her nerves were beyond frayed.
There had been another gunshot down the hall not long ago.
At least there were no screams. It sounded like the bullet had struck something, not someone, at least. But why was it taking the cops so long to come in here and rescue them?
As time continued to pass, her hope was draining away.
Not so much for her welfare, but her sweet baby girl.
Would she get the surgery she needed? Gail wasn’t under any illusions they’d hold the heart for her daughter beyond tonight.
Phoebe looked so small lying on the bed.
It was like she was shrinking before Gail’s eyes.
The heart monitor showed a slightly erratic rhythm, but it was familiar.
That still did little to settle Gail’s nerves.
And Nurse Torres had retreated inward after talking to the feds.
Maybe even before that, she had been on edge.
Currently, she was tucked into the corner of the room, next to a window, with her phone in her hand. Since she received that text a while ago, she was often cradling the device.
“Hey, are you all right over there?”
The nurse sniffled and pushed her phone into the pocket of her pants. “Yeah, fine.” She resorted to hugging herself, telling Gail she was lying.
“We will get out of this alive.” The words spilled from Gail’s lips. The confidence surprised her, considering how despondent she felt.
“You can’t know that. While we’re talking, someone just down the hall may be fighting to stay alive.”
There were likely many in the hospital struggling at this moment, but Gail sensed Torres’s immediate concern was for the victim of that morning’s shooting. “It’s understandable you’re worried about your colleagues.”
Nurse Torres looked at Gail with wide, wet eyes.
The pain in them told Gail there must be more to this. “You can talk to me.”
Tears spilled down Torres’s cheeks at the invitation, and she put a hand over her stomach.
It was a move that Gail remembered doing too many times to count when she was expecting Phoebe. “You’re pregnant.”
Torres bit her bottom lip and nodded.
It didn’t take long to figure out how that connected with someone in the nurse break room. “It’s the father, isn’t it? He’s a nurse and out there? That’s why you’re so worried?”
“He’s an attending, but yes, he’s who I’m worried about. He was in the break room with me moments before the lockdown.”
“He could have been gone before the gunman got there.”
Fresh tears fell down the nurse’s cheeks.
“What’s his name?” Talking about him might help calm her down. After she’d saved Phoebe’s life, it was the least she could do.
“Jordon. He’s my soulmate.” The nurse slipped her hand into her pants pocket, and Gail saw she wrapped her hand around her phone. The text must have been from him.
“How far along are you?”
“Five weeks.” She offered a weak smile.
“Congratulations.” Gail grinned, relishing the little escape into good news.
“Thanks. It was such a shock, unexpected.”
Gail looked at Phoebe, recalling when she first realized she was pregnant.
It had taken a morning of hugging a toilet.
“It’s the most exciting adventure you’ll ever have.
” And Gail had started off meaning that, but as she took in her daughter, she felt a jab in her chest. That adventure was clouded by her sweet girl’s defective heart.
Still, she wouldn’t change anything or go back.
If only she could save Phoebe the pain, though. “How did Jordon take the news?”
“Like an idiot.” Torres laughed, but more tears fell and had her palming her cheeks. “That’s why he was in the break room, to apologize. I think we’ll be just fine. We were going to talk more after our shifts ended.”
Gail tried to muster a smile, but her story couldn’t have been further from that.
She’d done everything to set a romantic scene.
She’d made her boyfriend’s favorite meal and broken the news.
He’d gotten defensive, blamed the pregnancy on her, accusing her she’d done it on purpose to trap him.
He’d left right after that, and she never saw him again.
Torres continued. “He was only there because of me. I should have eased him into the news, or something. Then he wouldn’t have been in that break room.”
“You never could have expected a gunman.”
“But what if he’s seriously hurt? What then? What will I do?”
“As you know, Phoebe’s had a weak heart from birth. I’ve spent many hours spiraling out with worry. And as hard as it was to do this, at some point I had to accept that I was doing all I could for her. The rest is in God’s hands.”
“I’m an atheist.”
“Though I’m sure you believe in something. Ah, science?” When Torres nodded, Gail continued. “Isn’t the study of science all about facts?”
“Yes.”
“But you don’t have all the facts to base any reaction on.” Gail sure hoped she was helping ease Torres’s nerves.
“I guess, but I just couldn’t handle it if he was shot… killed.” Another batch of tears splashed on her cheeks. Again, she quickly swiped them away as if she were ashamed to show emotion. “Especially now.”
Gail assumed she was referring to the baby until Torres pulled out her phone. When she didn’t say anything, Gail spoke again. “I’m sure Jordon wasn’t alone in that break room. Assuming he or someone else was injured, they could help that person.”
“If the gunman allowed that. But this is all my fault. And while I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, a gunshot needs urgent medical attention.” Torres looked at her phone and more tears fell.
“What is it, Nurse Torres?”
“Maria. Just call me Maria.”
“Maria,” Gail said, trying on the name.
“It’s a text from Jordon.”
Gail brightened at that. “Then he’s okay.”
She shook her head. “I can’t know that. The text came through once the hospital system and cell phones came back online. He likely sent the message before the shooting.” Maria held the phone for Gail to read the message.
Marry me?
It was short and sweet, and Gail would guess Jordon was crunched for time.
The proposition had Gail’s stomach souring.
It could be a sincere proposal or one that was rushed out of fear for the future.
He wanted to make sure that Maria knew he loved her and the baby in case he died.
But Gail forced a smile. “Well, that’s good, right? ”
“I don’t think it is. Jordon loves me, but he told me before that he wants to wait until he’s chief of neurology.”
“He could have changed his mind. Things have changed. He’s going to be a father… And it’s possible this situation has him thinking nothing can be taken for granted.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. He’d need to be scared to send this message, which tells me he was in danger when he sent this. What if he is hurt?” Maria trembled, and Gail hugged her.
Their moment was interrupted by a loud banging on the door, followed by, “Open up!”
Maria hurried to the door and peeked through the slats of the blinds on the door. “It’s the man with the gun.”
Cold dread creeped down Gail’s spine, and panic swarmed her vision with pinpricks of white. “Maybe if we ignore him, he’ll go away.”
He banged again. “Open up, or I will start shooting.”
Gail glanced at her daughter, and rounded the bed, placing herself between the door and her daughter.
“Stop! You don’t need to do this. Just leave her alone!” a man yelled out, and Maria threw the door open.
“Jordon?”
Maria was yanked into the hall. Gail couldn’t see a lot from her vantage point, but a handsome young doctor was on the heels of the gunman.
“I told you to leave her alone!” the doctor cried out, just as he dashed toward the gunman’s back.
The man spun, and the doctor grabbed for his gun. There was a struggle, and the gun went off.
Gail threw herself over her daughter. She was too terrified to scream, hardly able to breathe, let alone able to leave Phoebe’s side to see the aftermath.