his neck until he could be taken to Radiology for films. He was, in short, a mess. She bit her lip, knowing that he was in serious, if not critical condition. She hoped that their rescue attempt today was going to pull him through and that he had the stamina to survive. The snap of a memory tried to intrude, but she pushed back the unwanted thoughts. Now was not the time to relive the traumatic deaths of her parents. Focusing on the patient right in front of her was her priority.
“Can you keep the suction in his mouth? I’m ready for the tube.” Keeping his gaze focused on the patient’s airway, he held out a hand to Piper.
“Yes, Doctor.” Piper gave him the needed item with one hand and kept the suction in place with the other. She stood beside Dr. Jenkins as he crouched over the patient’s head and slid the tube into place. The tension between her shoulders released. Once the airway was secure, the first hurdle was over.
“That was the smoothest intubation I’ve ever seen,” she said, and secured the tube into place, amazed that it had gone so well as they’d never worked together before.
“Thanks. I did consider a career in anesthesiology, but ER was more to my liking.”
“Well, you certainly are good at it. If I ever need intubation, can I call you?” she asked with a quick laugh.
Dr. Jenkins laughed, too. “Sure.”
She listened to the patient’s lungs. “Good breath sounds, tube sounds like it’s in place. His heart sounds are kind of muffled, though,” she said as she listened to the rest of the man’s chest. “Can you have a listen to be sure?”
Dr. Jenkins applied his stethoscope and listened, confirming her suspicions. “You’re right. He’s had blunt force chest trauma, so I’m sure we’re not out of the woods yet.” He glanced at the monitor and watched for a few seconds.
Piper wiped her forehead with her forearm when the procedure was over. “Where is everyone?”
“We had four traumas come in at once, so everyone’s tied up.”
“Wow. I didn’t think this ER was going to be as busy as my last assignment.” Now she understood why her company had offered such a hefty bonus for this job. She was going to be on her toes from the very start.
“We’re the closest hospital to a major freeway system, so we have all the trauma you could ever want. Today was an unfortunate tragedy.” His jaw clenched and he fell silent.
Though Piper didn’t know this man, she sensed he was disturbed by the events that had taken place today. Those who cared the most often seemed to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.
“Want to fill me in?” Offering to listen was one of the things she did best. Though she often couldn’t change things, listening helped. Stress was an everpresent issue for healthcare workers. Venting could help.
“Head-on crash. Damn drunk driver going the wrong way on the highway access.” He shook his head and reached for a suture kit.
“Oh, my.” The nerves that had been rumbling inside her now shot to every corner of her mind and heart. A few seconds passed before she had control of the emotions that wanted to go wild. Her parents had been killed by a drunk driver when she’d been twenty years old, her sister twelve. An incident that had turned her instantly into the main carer of her young sister. Each time she dealt with the situation again, she had to keep her emotional distance to get the job done. Some wounds never healed completely and this was one of them.
Looking down at the patient between them, she stroked his hair back from his face with a hand that trembled. “In those sorts of crashes, everyone suffers, don’t they?”
The cardiac alarm rang out, and Piper’s gaze flashed to the monitor. Her heart rate accelerated along with the patient’s. Something was going on that they hadn’t picked up on yet. “He’s having EKG changes.”
“Sixty-cc syringe with a cardiac needle—now.” Taylor moved out from the head of the stretcher to the patient’s left side. “No time for niceties, just get it ready.”
“Here.” Piper placed the syringe into his open hand. Urgency hummed through her, and she hoped that Taylor’s efforts could save the patient. Even in the right place at the right time with all of the best medical care available, people still didn’t make it.
Without a word, Taylor placed the tip of the needle between two ribs below the man’s left armpit and inserted it as far as it would go. Blood immediately flashed into the syringe and Taylor extracted excessive blood from the pericardial sac, which was causing pressure on the heart. This was why the heart sounds had been muffled.
“He’s bleeding into the pericardium. We really need to get him to the OR.”
“Are they expecting him?” The alarm continued to screech, and Piper reached up to silence it, the noise making her nerves jump more than they already were.
“Yes. We put them on alert when we got the call.”
Glancing at the monitor, Piper was pleased to see the lethal rhythm resolving. The patient wasn’t out of danger, but at least the immediate crisis was over. “Nice one, Doc.”
“He had a chest contusion, so it was expected. Let’s get this guy to the OR.” Dr. Jenkins removed his goggles and mask.
Piper paused for a brief second, then continued to pack the patient’s IV for transport. When she’d looked up at Taylor, a shock of electricity had shot through her. He was simply the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Even with a two-day growth of beard, the shape of his strong jaw was clearly visible. His full mouth curved up slightly as if he were reacting to some slight amusement. But it was his eyes that devastated her the most. Blue, crystal clear, and piercing, they were look-right-into-your-soul eyes.
She had to focus on the patient and not on the flutters that rolled in her stomach. She hadn’t reacted this way when his face had been covered, so why should she now? He had been just another doctor she’d worked with, right? But unmasked? Oh, he was absolutely gorgeous.
“Piper? Are you ready?” Taylor asked, and shrugged into his lab jacket.
“Yes, Doctor. Just finishing.” She clamped the transport monitor onto the rail of the stretcher.
“It’s Taylor, please.”
“Okay, thanks.” She smiled at him and swallowed down the bubble of attraction that wanted to surface. “Ready to go, but you’ll have to lead the way. I don’t know where the OR is.”
“Happy to.” Taylor grabbed a rail on the stretcher and assisted Piper to push the patient down the hall where an OR team waited to put him back together again. Taylor gave his verbal report to the surgeon, and Piper gave hers to the anesthesiologist.
After handing the patient off, Taylor was ready for a break. The new nurse had certainly had her trial by fire and survived, so he was sure she could use a break, too.
“Ready for a cup of coffee?” he asked, and led the way back to the ER and to the staff lounge.
“I should really check in with the charge nurse and let her know I’m here.”
They entered the staff lounge. Someone had brewed a fresh pot, as the bright fragrance of exotic
