Chapter 20
TWENTY
HARMONY
When the world finally slowed down and her mind found a moment to relax, Harmony was sitting in a waiting room chair at Cole Medical Center.
This wasn’t her normal place.
She brought people to the ER.
She dropped them off.
She reset her gurney and she went back out on the road.
She didn’t camp out in a chair waiting for the surgeons to save a life.
“This isn’t where I’m supposed to be.”
“Hey.”
Harmony didn’t look up but she didn’t need to.
She knew the voice in her ear.
Sergeant Kate Turner was at her side. “Harmony? Are you okay?”
Harmony felt the words wash over her and a moment later he started speaking.
“Me? I’m fine. But that’s not the point, right?” She shook her head, her gaze was fixed on the floor in front of her feet. “I’m not hurt. He is.”
Harmony felt her hand touch her knee.
“He’d want me to check on you.”
“No,” Harmony shook her head. “That’s not supposed to happen, she insisted. It’s not!”
Kate gave her knee a squeeze. “No, it’s not. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Harmony could feel the rage flowing off of Kate and then she felt her tamp down on that energy
Harmony leaned closer to the police sergeant, not just to lean on her strength, but also to lend some to her as well.
Harmony heard the hydraulic hiss of the doors behind her and felt a cold blast of air. Pilar sat down beside her on the opposite side from Kate. Crois’ partner wrapped an arm around her while her husband headed to the nurses’ hub.
“Harmony,” Pilar gave her a squeeze, “Roan is going to check on the progress of the surgery, ‘kay?”
Harmony nodded.
She knew what was likely happening.
After she realized what had happened in the Ring, she’d gone into work mode.
She’d examined Crois and did her best to staunch the bleeding and keep him conscious.
Remembering the feel of his blood between her fingers and watching his face go slack when he lost consciousness, she shook from head to toe.
Pilar put her arms around her and Kate leaned in from the other side.
Suddenly, she was surrounded by warmth.
By… family.
Crois’ family.
Pilar’s phone rang.
The ring tone was music and Pilar picked up the phone as soon as she managed to free it from her pocket. “Hello? Mama?”
Harmony listened in, it was almost impossible not to with everyone pressed in so close.
“Yes, we’re at the hospital. Roan went to check on the progress of his surgery.”
Harmony was surprised that Pilar’s mother was so concerned about Crois, but they had been partners for a while so-
“Sure. Sure… she’s right here. Hold on.”
Harmony prepared herself to move out of the way so Pilar could give the phone to Kate.
They all worked together for the Center City Police Department.
It was probably expected.
It would likely be the same if something happened to her.
Well, at least she expected that her co-workers at House Twenty-Nine would worry about her if she was injured. Luckily, she’d never been in that situation.
“Here.”
Pilar pressed the phone into her hand.
“Crois’ mother wants to speak to you.”
“Crois’ mama?”
Since Crois called her Mama, it was kind of natural for her to do the same.
Pilar nodded and gave her a wobbly smile. “She wants to talk to you.”
Harmony felt her hands shake a little as she lifted the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
“Oh, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart.
The endearment nearly made her burst into tears.
“Mama?”
The name came out in a sob.
Then she apologized, struggling to hold in her emotions.
“I’m sorry… so sorry.”
The warm tone of the voice in her ear, coaxed her back to the moment.
“There’s nothing to apologize for, Harmony. You got him to the hospital.”
“I… I just don’t know if it was enough.”
“It’s enough for me, honey.”
The familiar endearment cut like a knife.
“Mama… I hope… I hope it is… I can’t lose him. I can’t lose him… I love him.”
Someone hugged her closer and Harmony heard a soft gasp through the phone.
“Oh, sweetheart. Have you told him?”
Harmony leaned heavily against Pilar. “No… Not yet… I was… I was trying to find the right time and now-”
“Don’t.” Pilar held her close. “Don’t say it. Don’t think it.”
Harmony could only breathe, a fight against the fear that was settled in her chest.
“My boy told me about you, Harmony. He told me how much he cares… and I’m not going to say the words he wants to say to you because I know…
” she drew in a breath, “I know he’s going to be fine and then he’s going to tell you himself.
So you hold onto that, Harmony, my sweet girl. You hold onto that thought.”
Okay… okay.
“Thanks, Mama.”
“Awww… that’s my girl.”
Her girl?
All at once, Harmony was inundated with warmth.
“Harmony?”
She looked up and saw that Roan Ashley had returned to the waiting room.
Pilar and Kate helped her stand up and Harmony held up the phone, telling the trauma doctor. “I have Crois’ mama on the phone.”
Roan held out his hand and she gave the phone over to him.
“The surgery is going well. They’re finishing up now and then they’ll move him into recovery.” He smiled at the assembled group. “The surgeons give you a lot of credit Harmony. What you did for him in the field made all the difference.”
Pilar turned her and pulled her into an embrace. “Did you hear that, Harmony?” Pilar drew in a shaking breath. “You saved him.”
If Pilar hadn’t been holding her, she would have folded and dropped to the floor in relief.
In Crois’ private hospital room, Harmony refused to leave his side.
She had no official reason to be there with him. They weren’t married, but no one questioned her presence. That had to be one of the odd perks of working for the first responder community in Center City.
There was a steady stream of visitors from both the fire house and the police precinct.
The later for a few reasons.
While Captain Catalano had not shown up to the room, there had been a few official representatives to he CCPD.
Kate had headed them off at the pass with a rather sunny representative from the Police Union.
A woman who gave off the energy of a Valkyrie.
Her name was Tess and she had a rather dim view of the circumstances of the… of Crois’ injury.
Even in her head, Harmony couldn’t bear to say the words.
As Harmony settled into the chair beside his hospital bed, she went over the conversation she’d just had with the Union Rep.
Tess had shown up with Kate, entering the room with a take out bag from Peggy Ann’s diner and a drink tray with some strong black coffee.
Kate had begun the discussion with her normal straight forward aplomb.
She’d even brought over a folder full of information on the arrest of Veronica and the Captain’s efforts to sweep it under the rug.
As Tess went over the file, her expression went from alarmed to downright frightening.
“This is ridiculous.”
Kate had nodded, leaning over the arm of her chair as she pointed out another note in the file. “There was the incident at Crois’ apartment which is why we believe that Veronica focused on Harmony.”
Wait. What?
That’s when Kate filled her in on what had happened after the shooting.
“There’s a veritable shit show in the media.” Kate shook her head. “The boxing match was covered by a number of news agencies so there was video aplenty of the… event.”
Harmony blinked back at her, she’d been so focused on Crois she hadn’t looked around the venue.
“The videos from onlookers were online before the news crews could cut the footage together. There was no hiding what had happened.”
Harmony’s teeth ground together. “Hiding is the last thing that should happen.”
Tess agreed. “I got a call from Kate last night and spent the evening looking at the footage. The Public Relations office has had a big black eye since it happened. With all of the information Kate’s given me, there won’t be a way to sweep this under the rug.”
Harmony looked at Kate. “Is this going to be bad for you?”
“Bad for me?” She scoffed. “Hardly. They’re going to have to explain this to the people of Center City.”
Tess leaned in. “Absolutely. Our first responders are what keep this city safe. Knowing that an officer was suppressed in his job, stalked by a perp, and then shot by her because her family, an Uncle who holds an administrative position in the Police Department was smoothing over her legal issues?
“That went over about as well as the cheap seats on the Titanic. I can guarantee that there were some pretty contentious closed door meetings going on at CCPD headquarters right now.”
Kate nodded. “I don’t know to what extend they’re going to admit fault-”
“Or not at all,” Tessa sighed.
“True. Very true.” Kate sighed. “But I can guarantee that we’re going to fight for Crois to have the best outcome here.”
Harmony felt like she’d been holding her breath. “What’s that?”
Before either woman could explain, Harmony felt a hand settle on hers.
“Having you, honey.”
She turned to look and saw Crois’ eyes open and looking at her.
“The best outcome for me, is you.”
Harmony ached for him and with him.
“You’re awake.”
She turned on her seat and reached across, covering his hand with hers. “I’m… I’m so damn happy to see you awake.”
He smiled. “Of course I’m awake.” Crois lifted his chin at Kate. “You were talking loud enough to wake the dead.”
Tess glared at him. “Bite your tongue, St. Cyr.”
Crois looked at her and Harmony saw the pleading look in his eyes along with the humor.
“Honey? Are you going to let that mean woman talk to me like that?”
Harmony put a finger up to her mouth and shushed him. “Be nice.”
Crois gave her hand a squeeze. “I’d rather be alone with you.”
“Oh jeez,” Tess grumbled. “I’m going to take my mean self outside and find the doctor. Maybe they can fix what’s wrong with your head.”
Kate stood up as well. “Good luck with that, Tess.” She leaned in and spoke to Harmony. “If he becomes too much, call me or Pilar and we’ll come smack him around for you.”