Read Online Acoustic Shadows by Patrick Kendrick - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Patrick Kendrick
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sleeve,’ he said.
Erica looked down, again, as if surprised, and could see the stain had spread.
‘Oh, damn. Must be from the gunshot patient. I was changing her dressing. Melissa will have a tizzy fit if I don’t get that out. Thanks for telling me.’
The doctor smiled again, turned, and sped off toward his rounds.
Erica had to sit down for a moment or she would have fainted. She put her head between her legs and breathed slowly. She rolled up the sleeve and wrapped some gauze around the IV site.
When she stood up this time, she made a beeline into the hall and hung a left. She found the elevators and pushed the button. As she waited, she looked back down the corridor. The cop that had been flirting with the nurse was walking back to Erica’s room, the nurse accompanying him. The nurse was with him. Erica’s heart began to race again. She looked at the elevator light above the door that indicated which floor the car was coming from. Three more floors to go.
The cop and the nurse entered her room. She was screwed. Within thirty seconds, both emerged. She heard the nurse say, ‘I can’t imagine where she could’ve gone with her injuries, or why she would’ve removed her IV. It doesn’t make sense. I’ll look to the left, you go to the right. I’ll notify my supervisor, too.’ They weren’t panicky yet, but it was clear they wanted to find her and get her back where she belonged. The cop started in Erica’s direction. She held her breath.
Ding
. The elevator finally arrived at her floor. The doors stayed shut for what seemed an eternity. She wanted to dig her nails into the crack between them and pry them apart. When they finally opened with a sucking sound, Erica darted inside. Then, the doors took forever to close. As they finally began to inch toward each other, she saw the cop walk past, looking both ways, but not into the elevator.
Once in the lobby, Erica practically ran out of the hospital and into the parking lot. She walked away into the darkness, feeling safer with every step, but her side began to throb with pain. She leaned against a car and tried to catch her breath. Looking into her purse, she took out the stolen clothes, kicked off her Nikes and began to pull the jeans on. As she was doing so, she noticed a lump in one of the hip pockets and stuck her fingers in to investigate. Car keys. With a remote door lock. She finished sliding into the pants, then discarded the lab coat, and pulled on the T-shirt. The jeans were huge in the waist, the shirt baggy, but they would do for now. She squeezed her shoes back on without untying the laces. She noticed dots of her own blood on them and was grateful the inquisitive doctor had not noticed in the supply room.
She moved into the middle of the parking lot and pressed the red button on the remote, the one with the picture of a horn. A piercing
HONK
from behind momentarily scared the crap out of her. She turned to see which car’s lights flashed.
‘No way,’ she whispered aloud. It was a squatty, black, Chevy Camaro SS. The SS stood for Super Sport. That meant it was fast. Erica smiled and got into the car.
SEVEN
Thiery gathered officers from the various departments that had responded to the scene and questioned their involvement. Answers ranged from, ‘we arrived and responded as a tactical SWAT unit’, from the Calusa County Sheriff’s Office, to, ‘by the time we got here, it was all over and we just helped with traffic’, from the Lake Wales Police Department. They all met in the offices of the parish hall at the church as parents and teachers from the school began to filter out and make their way home. It would serve as a temporary command post until a mobile unit was brought in.
There were numerous departments involved, plus the school board sent their internal police. Thiery delegated assignments to each department, based on their involvement, and dismissed those representatives from departments with little to no involvement. He
Erica looked down, again, as if surprised, and could see the stain had spread.
‘Oh, damn. Must be from the gunshot patient. I was changing her dressing. Melissa will have a tizzy fit if I don’t get that out. Thanks for telling me.’
The doctor smiled again, turned, and sped off toward his rounds.
Erica had to sit down for a moment or she would have fainted. She put her head between her legs and breathed slowly. She rolled up the sleeve and wrapped some gauze around the IV site.
When she stood up this time, she made a beeline into the hall and hung a left. She found the elevators and pushed the button. As she waited, she looked back down the corridor. The cop that had been flirting with the nurse was walking back to Erica’s room, the nurse accompanying him. The nurse was with him. Erica’s heart began to race again. She looked at the elevator light above the door that indicated which floor the car was coming from. Three more floors to go.
The cop and the nurse entered her room. She was screwed. Within thirty seconds, both emerged. She heard the nurse say, ‘I can’t imagine where she could’ve gone with her injuries, or why she would’ve removed her IV. It doesn’t make sense. I’ll look to the left, you go to the right. I’ll notify my supervisor, too.’ They weren’t panicky yet, but it was clear they wanted to find her and get her back where she belonged. The cop started in Erica’s direction. She held her breath.
Ding
. The elevator finally arrived at her floor. The doors stayed shut for what seemed an eternity. She wanted to dig her nails into the crack between them and pry them apart. When they finally opened with a sucking sound, Erica darted inside. Then, the doors took forever to close. As they finally began to inch toward each other, she saw the cop walk past, looking both ways, but not into the elevator.
Once in the lobby, Erica practically ran out of the hospital and into the parking lot. She walked away into the darkness, feeling safer with every step, but her side began to throb with pain. She leaned against a car and tried to catch her breath. Looking into her purse, she took out the stolen clothes, kicked off her Nikes and began to pull the jeans on. As she was doing so, she noticed a lump in one of the hip pockets and stuck her fingers in to investigate. Car keys. With a remote door lock. She finished sliding into the pants, then discarded the lab coat, and pulled on the T-shirt. The jeans were huge in the waist, the shirt baggy, but they would do for now. She squeezed her shoes back on without untying the laces. She noticed dots of her own blood on them and was grateful the inquisitive doctor had not noticed in the supply room.
She moved into the middle of the parking lot and pressed the red button on the remote, the one with the picture of a horn. A piercing
HONK
from behind momentarily scared the crap out of her. She turned to see which car’s lights flashed.
‘No way,’ she whispered aloud. It was a squatty, black, Chevy Camaro SS. The SS stood for Super Sport. That meant it was fast. Erica smiled and got into the car.
SEVEN
Thiery gathered officers from the various departments that had responded to the scene and questioned their involvement. Answers ranged from, ‘we arrived and responded as a tactical SWAT unit’, from the Calusa County Sheriff’s Office, to, ‘by the time we got here, it was all over and we just helped with traffic’, from the Lake Wales Police Department. They all met in the offices of the parish hall at the church as parents and teachers from the school began to filter out and make their way home. It would serve as a temporary command post until a mobile unit was brought in.
There were numerous departments involved, plus the school board sent their internal police. Thiery delegated assignments to each department, based on their involvement, and dismissed those representatives from departments with little to no involvement. He
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