Marie Ferrarella - M.D. Most Wanted стр 3.

This morning, as Reese had run into the hospital, hed come through the electronic doors just in time to hear himself being paged.

And the rest, he mused, was history.

Mother and daughter stood up in unison the moment he walked into the waiting area. Mrs. Morales looked painfully drawn. There was more than a little fear in her dark eyes. Her daughter was trying to look more positive, but it was clear that both women were frightened of what he had to tell them.

Reese didnt believe in being dramatic or drawing the spotlight to himself, the way he knew some surgeons did. He put them out of their misery even before he reached them.

Hes going to be just fine, Mrs. Morales, Jennifer. He nodded at the younger woman. Jennifer quickly translated for her mother. But it wasnt necessary. The older woman understood what the look in her husbands doctors eyes meant.

She grasped his hand between both of hers. Hers were icy cold. The woman kissed the hand that had held the scalpel that had saved her husbands life before Reese had a chance to stop her.

Gracias, Ava Morales cried, her eyes filling with tears. Then haltingly she said, Thank you, thank you.

Embarrassed, but greatly pleased to be able to bring the two women good news, Reese gave Jennifer the laymans description of what had happened and paused after each sentence while she relayed the words to her mother. He ended by telling them that they would be able to see Mr. Morales in his room in about two hours, after he was brought up from the recovery room.

Maybe you and your mother can go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat in the meantime, he suggested. Its really not bad food, even for a hospital.

Jennifer nodded, her eyes shining with unspoken gratitude. Quickly she translated his words to her mother.

As he began to walk away, he heard the older woman say something to her daughter. He gathered from the intonation that it was a question.

Please, Dr. Bendenetti, wheres the chapel? My mother wants to say a prayer.

Hes out of

danger, Reese assured her. Of course, there was always a small chance that things might take a turn for the worse, but the odds were negligible, and he saw no reason to put the women through that kind of added torture.

The prayer is for you, Mrs. Morales told him halting. For thank-you.

Surprised, he looked at her. And then he smiled. The woman understood far more than he thought.

Reese nodded his approval. Cant ever have too many of those, he agreed. Standing beside Mrs. Morales, he pointed down the corridor. The chapels to the left of the front admitting desk. Just follow the arrows to the front. You cant miss it.

Thanking him again, the two women left.

And now, Reese thought as he walked out of the waiting room, it was time to tend to his own needs. His stomach was becoming almost aggressively audible. He was just grateful that it hadnt roared while he was talking to the Morales women.

He took a shortcut through the emergency area itself. As he passed the doors that faced the rear parking lot where all the ambulances pulled in, they flew open. Two paramedics he knew by sight came rushing in, pushing a gurney between them.

Instinct and conditioning had Reese taking the situation in before he was even aware that he had turned his head.

There was a woman on the gurney. The first thing he noticed was her long blond hair. It was fanned out about her like a golden blanket and gave almost a surreal quality to the turmoil surrounding her. She was young, well-dressed and conscious. And it was quite obvious that she was in a great deal of pain. There was blood everywhere.

So much for finding time for his stomach.

Reese fell into place beside the gurney. Exam room four is free, he pointed toward it, then asked, What happened? of the attendant closest to him.

The name stitched across his pocket said his name was Jaime Gordon. The dark-skinned youth had had two years on the job and was born for this kind of work. He rattled off statistics like a pro, giving Reese cause, effect and vitals.

Car versus pole. Pole won. Prettiest jag Ive ever seen. There was a wistful note in his voice as he flashed a quick, wide grin. If itd been mine, I would have treated it like a lady. With respect and a slow, gentle hand.

It was then that the woman on the gurney looked up at him. Reese caught himself thinking that he had never seen eyes quite that shade of green, a moment before the education hed worked so hard to attain kicked in again. He began seeing her as a physician would, not a man.

The woman was conscious and appeared to be lucid from the way she looked at him, but there was grave danger of internal bleeding. He needed to get her prepped and into X-ray as quickly as possible.

As he trotted alongside the gurney, he leaned in close to the woman so she could hear him above the noise. Do you know where you are?

London Merriweathers thoughts kept wanting to float away from her, to dissolve into the cottony region that hovered just a breath away, waiting to absorb her thoughts, her mind.