CHAPTER ONE #2
I go to the door, knock once, and go in.
I see Madison sitting in the chair in the room.
She’s a little quieter than the rest of her family but sweet and kind all the same.
We exchange pleasantries. “I’m sorry Mick isn’t here yet.
I know he’s on his way and should be here any minute.
” I look at my other chart and realize that the other patient is probably already here as well.
I stand up. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.
Hopefully, your husband will be here, and we can check on your little one.
” Madison gives me a big smile. “I appreciate it, Dr. Hargrave. I really do.” I give her a smile and leave the room, going to my next patient in the room down the hall.
I greet her, take some quick measurements, and let her know I’ll be back in a few minutes.
I look at my watch and realize if I don’t start Madison’s appointment, I’ll get behind, and my nurses will hate me for that on a Friday.
I go back to the exam room and open the door to a waiting Madison.
“I’m sorry, Madison, but I can’t wait to start.
I’ve got appointments back-to-back today.
” Madison gives me a small smile. “It’s fine.
We can get started. He really should be here any moment.
” I nod and point to the counter. “Set your stuff there, and I’ll help you up onto the exam table.
” Madison sets her stuff down and takes my hand so I can help her.
The door opens, and I assume it’s her husband coming in.
She turns around to greet him, and I can feel her go stiff.
I turn around to see a man who I’ve never seen before.
“Sir, I think you have the wrong room. If you—” I’m cut off by the man pulling out a gun and pointing it at us.
“No, I’ve come to the right room.” He looks over at Madison.
“You know, I’ve been searching for you for months.
Months . Seems you all took something of interest to me when you were up on the mountain.
I wasn’t too bothered that you rid the earth of that old man.
Saved me from eventually having to do it.
I want that box you took.” What in the hell is he talking about?
What in the hell is going on? Madison asks the stranger, “What box? I didn’t take anything from up there.
” He walks up to us and points the gun right in her face.
“You weren’t the only one up there. It took me months to figure out it had to be one of your people.
I only figured that shit out when I saw some of the people from up there workin’ for you and that club your family is a part of.
Club is a very loose word for what those weak fuckers in your family got going on.
Women being able to speak their minds and involving themselves in club business is bullshit. No real man would stand for that.”
Who the hell does this guy think he is, and how does he possibly think Madison or I can get him what he wants?
Madison speaks up again. “I don’t know what you want 'cause I don’t know anything about what you’re talking about.
I—” He puts the end of the gun on her nose.
How the hell can I help her get out of this-whatever the fuck this is?
The asshole speaks up again. “I want you to pass on a message. You tell those fuckers you call your family that I’ll be looking for them, and they better have that fucking box for me, or I’m gonna start a war.
A war you don’t fucking want and aren’t prepared for.
” He studies Madison for a second and his eyes widen as if he’s just realized something.
“Well, fuck. You’re the one the old bastard was going on about.
I think I just changed my mind. You tell them to drop that box off at the split off on the road up the mountain where there’s a wood box, or not only will I start a war, but I’m also gonna take you.
Your father, Joseph, promised me things, and I’m going to take them since you’re the reason he’s no longer here to fucking deliver.
” He taps her on her forehead with the gun and looks her up and down.
“I think my brothers would have fun with you… even if you are a little bigger than we usually go for.” Well that asshole has another thing coming if he—I’m brought back to now when he taps her on the side of the head with his gun.
“You’d be fucking lucky if we decided to keep you.
We have contacts in the flesh trade. Let’s just say you’d never be fucking found if I sold you to them.
You tell your people they’ve got twenty-four hours to get me that box and everything that was in it, or I’ll start collecting in very creative ways. ”
He turns, and I’m begging the universe to make him leave when Madison finds her voice at the worst opportune time.
“They ain’t gonna just roll over and do what you want.
They don’t have what you’re looking for.
” He moves so fast, turning back toward us, and hits Madison hard on the side of her head, sending her falling away from me.
I try to reach out to her to stop her fall, but the fucker kicks her and pushes her down.
I try to push him away, but he swings back, and I feel the gun smack the side of my face so hard I see stars.
I hear a crash, and the asshole tears out of the room.
At the same moment, I hear a guttural scream come from Madison.
“AHH!” I look over and see a pool of blood starting to surround her, and I know we have to hurry.
I scream out the open door for help. Darius and two other nurses come running.
Between looking at me and seeing Madison on the floor, Darius is fast to take action.
He starts yelling directions out and tells me he’s going to grab a gurney from another room.
I know she needs to understand what’s about to happen. “Madison, we’re getting a gurney and heading up to labor and delivery. Your baby’s gonna make her entrance into this world in the next few minutes. We can’t wait.”
I try to hide my fear and concern from her, but she looks me straight in the eyes.
“Mick. He—” I interrupt her as we start to hurry down the hall.
“He’ll be escorted up to you as soon as he gets here.
But, Madison, this is serious. We’ve gotta get your baby out now.
I’m worried, with that hit, fall, and the way you’re screaming combined with the amount of blood that I see, that you have a placental abruption.
If we don’t get her out as fast as possible, she’s gonna be deprived of oxygen. ”
Darius swoops in and grabs Madison as he continues to yell out instructions to the other nurses and has the receptionist calling upstairs for me. I add to his instructions, “Tell them to get type-specific blood up there ASAP and cancel the rest of my day now!”
Madison continues to scream as we get in the elevator and rush up to the labor and delivery floor.
I’m reading the monitor that one of the nurses managed to get on her in the rush.
Darius speaks to Madison. “Don’t worry, Mama, you’ve got the best doctor in the hospital, and she’s gonna do everything she can for you.
” The door opens, and he starts pushing the gurney down the hall so fast that I have to run to keep up.
The operating room is buzzing as we get inside.
Luckily, Dr. Ferro is there and already scrubbed and ready to go.
He looks up at me. “You get scrubbed, and I’ll get her prepped.
” I get over to the sink and start scrubbing as fast as I can.
Please let me get the baby out and let them both be okay.
Please. Please let them both come out of this healthy and whole.
Knowing I need to rely on my knowledge and my amazing staff, I’ve got this. She’s gonna be fine. Let’s get this taken care of now.
**********
That was the most challenging hour of my career…
no, my life. To say that I haven’t been that worried for one of my patients before is a massive understatement.
Watching Dr. Ferro use the defibrillators on her not once but twice will be seared into my memory.
That I had to make the decisions in there that I did hurts my heart, but I know it was the only way to ensure Madison would survive.
I finish sewing her up and ask the nurses to get her ready to go into post-op.
I follow Doctor Ferro out of the operating room.
We both stop to take off our gloves and masks.
He sighs and looks at me. “I hear there’s a room full of her family out there waiting for news.
Want me to go out there?” I shake my head.
“No. I know them, and she’s my patient. Hell, I have a few of that family as patients, and they need to hear it from me.
” He nods. It looks like he wants to say something more, but I’m not sure I can handle hearing anything right now.
I find my voice. “Thank you for your help today. I owe you one.” He gives me a smile.
“You don’t owe me anything. That’s what good coworkers do, Hargrave.
” He grins at me again. “Though if you agree to take my little Lexi for a night sometime, my wife would love you forever, and then I would owe you.” He knows just how to make things that are heavy, a little lighter, even for just a moment.
“Tell your wife we can work something out so you can have a date night here soon.” He nods at me and watches me turn to leave the room and head toward the waiting room.
I hear him quietly give me strength. “You’ve got this, Kimbra.
” I know as hard as this next bit is, it could’ve been so much worse, and that’s what I cling to.