CHAPTER FIVE
"Well, that's a side of you I never wished to see." Jeremy's voice filled the room and a moment later he came around the bed so he was facing Lance.
Lance rolled his eyes since he couldn't speak to Jeremy with a nurse in the room.
If he started talking to ghosts, they'd send him for brain scans to make sure he wasn't suffering from some major head trauma.
Funny, since it had been head trauma that originally gave Lance the ability to see ghosts.
He was definitely not happy that Jeremy had floated into the room just as he was lying with his bare ass exposed and a nice nurse plucking glass fragments from the tender skin.
This was not how he wanted his co-workers to see him.
Despite being a ghost, Lance considered Jeremy a co-worker. The young man had decided upon his death to stick around the morgue and learn all he could about doing autopsies. He had a brilliant mind, and Lance had no doubt if Jeremy was still alive, he'd make a great medical examiner someday.
"Was at the morgue and they started bringing bodies in from the explosion. I remembered you saying you were going to Desorio's for dinner tonight, so I hurried over there. When I didn't find you there, I decided to check here. Is everyone okay?" Jeremy asked.
Lance couldn't talk to Jeremy. Still, he needed to let him know what was going on. "Has there been word about my husband? He's up in surgery." He figured saying husband might get him more information than just saying boyfriend. It also let Jeremy know that Angus was in surgery.
"I can check once we're done here. Surgery is backed up due to the number of injuries tonight. He may not even be in there yet," the nurse told him.
"He was already in there. It was serious. My mother-in-law is one who is waiting for surgery. The others that were with us are all okay." He stared at Jeremy as he spoke.
"I'll see what information I can get once we're done. We've still got a lot of glass to get out of your legs before we finish. How's your pain?" she asked.
"I can't feel anything you're doing, but my shoulder hurts, and my lower legs."
"I haven't numbed that low yet. You've got a pretty good laceration on one calve. I'm guessing that is what you're feeling. I can give you something stronger for your shoulder once we're ready to move you to a room upstairs," she informed him.
"Not staying. Going to surgery waiting room when done here. Don't need to stay overnight." Lance glanced back at the nurse. "I'm a doctor. I'll be fine."
"I will let you discuss that with our doctor here. My orders are to admit you. Don't stress on that right now. We still have a good half hour or more of work here to finish. You have glass everywhere."
"Had the large windows behind me at dinner." Lance sighed.
"I'm going to go see what is going on with Angus. I'll be back." Jeremy floated out of the room.
Lance had heard the same thing from Isaac, but he hadn't come back yet.
The longer he went without hearing what was going on, the more worried he got that the news was bad and that the others were just waiting to tell him.
He wanted to believe that he would know if Angus was really gone, but he wasn't sure he would.
After seeing his ghost, he didn't know what to think.
He wished Betty would show up so he could ask her what had happened. He didn't understand any of it.
"I dare say that's one of the cutest behinds I've ever seen." A soft female voice came from the doorway.
Lance was sure it was a ghost since the door was still closed, and he tried to turn to see who the voice was from. He thought he recognized it but couldn't place it. Did every ghost in the building have to come in while he was lying with his ass exposed for the world to see?
"You're not going to be sitting comfortably for a while. I could play connect the dots with all the lacerations you have." The ghost finally came around the side of the bed so Lance could see her.
He smiled at Eve. He'd met her while they'd been working on a murder that had taken place in the hospital.
She was an older woman who had been a nurse at the hospital for years.
After dying, she continued to hang around the hospital.
Today she appeared wearing a dark purple sweatshirt and sweatpants with bright yellow shoes.
"It's crazy out there." She jerked a thumb toward the emergency department.
"Can't recall ever seeing it so busy. Imagine my shock when I see that sweet ghost from the morgue and he tells me you're in here.
" She glanced down at the clipboard that had his information on it that was lying at the foot of the bed. "Dislocation. That has to hurt."
Lance closed his eyes, wishing he could talk.
"I hear your partner is in surgery. Jeremy promised to come back and let me know how he's doing.
" She appeared to take a seat in the chair by his bed.
"This is just horrible. Desorio's was a steak house when I was alive.
I remember going there for dinner. Nice place.
I can't imagine what happened to cause all this damage. "
"Do they know what caused the explosion yet?" Lance asked the nurse working on him.
"I haven't heard. They said it took out several of the businesses in the area. We're lucky it happened at night and not during the day when the other places were open. Could have been a lot worse." She braced a hand on his hip as she continued to work.
"Explosion, well that explains the injuries I'm seeing around here." Eve shook her head. "This place is a madhouse tonight. How I wish I could still jump in and help."
Lance smiled.
"Damn shame we can't talk right now. I want to know where Bethany and Ray are."
"Home," Lance mouthed silently.
"Oh, they don't know about this yet?"
Lance shook his head slightly, hoping not to alert the nurse.
"Well, we must let them know. I'm going to go over there now and get them.
I can't believe nobody alerted them to this.
" She stood. "We'll be back. If I can't find you here, I'll check in surgery and see if anyone is around there who can lead me to you.
I wish there were more people who could see me.
" She came over and stood right in front of him.
"You stay strong. Angus will be out of surgery in no time. "
Lance wanted to tell her about seeing his ghost. Ask her what she thought it meant. He gave Eve a small smile instead.
She nodded and took off out the door.
"How much more?" Lance asked the nurse.
"I'm guessing another thirty minutes at least. I'm about finished in this area, but we have your legs still to do. Are you uncomfortable? Do you need a drink or for me to give you a minute to move a bit?"
"No, just get it done. I need to get upstairs to find out what's going on with Angus.
" Lance was ready to jump out of bed now and deal with the glass shards later.
He didn't care how bad they were. The only thing keeping him in place was the fact that he was sure surgery would take hours.
A wound like Angus had wasn't something simple to deal with.
He could get the glass out and probably still end up in the waiting room for hours.
He just wished someone would come back down and tell him what was going on.
Isaac and Jeremy could go into the operating room.
They could at least come back and let him know if Angus was still alive.
He tried hard not to think any negative thoughts, but it was impossible.
That neck wound had been so severe that he knew the chances of surviving it were slim.
Still, he couldn't give up hope that some miracle would happen and somehow Angus would pull through.
He couldn't go through life without him.
"Lance, can I come in?" Franks called from the doorway.
"Finally, how is he?" Lance didn't care if his ass was exposed to the world. He needed news.
"Shit, warn a man," Franks groaned. "I could have gone my whole life without seeing that." Franks hurried around the other side of the bed.
"Is he alive?" Lance's voice cracked with worry and emotion. He braced himself for bad news.
"We haven't heard anything. According to the person at the computer in the waiting room, surgery is still ongoing, so we're taking that as a good sign.
Jackson and Megan are up there now. I came down to check on you and see if I can find out any more information on what exactly happened.
They tried to call me in, but I refused to leave the hospital until Angus is out of surgery.
They can fire my ass if they want to." Franks pulled up a chair. "How are you holding up?"
"Barely keeping it together. I should be up there waiting for him." Lance sighed. "I need to know he's going to be okay."
"I wish I could tell you one way or the other, but I honestly don't have anything to report.
All I can say is if he's still in surgery, he's not dead.
From what Jackson told me about his wound, that's a miracle in itself.
Last I heard, the death toll was at three, but they expect it to increase as they think the explosion came from the kitchen area and that there are more bodies to be discovered.
The whole back section was on fire when crews arrived. "
"I smelled the smoke," Lance told him. "What about Lizzy and Martin?"
"Martin is about to be discharged. I'll wheel him upstairs when I head back up.
Lizzy is about to go into surgery, but they don't expect it to take very long.
She's more worried about Angus and Betty than anything else.
She keeps telling us that Betty wouldn't be gone for something like this and that something is wrong. "
Lance nodded. "I have to agree. Betty would be by Lizzy's side. Maybe she's with Angus." Then realizing what he said, he glanced back at the nurse, hoping she didn't catch what he said.