Read Online Edge of the Heat (Westwood Harbor Corruption) by Lisa Ladew - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lisa Ladew
Ads: Link
scene. I didn't let myself feel anything then."
"So how did it make you feel when you got home - when you got a chance to think about it, or how does it make you feel now?" Dr. Morgan prodded.
"Terrified!" Emma whispered fiercely. "It's horrible to have to make decisions about who gets care first. It's scary to kno w that whether many people live or die could rest squarely on your shoulders."
The tears started coursing again. Dr. Morgan nodded at her and stood up. "Emma, I know it hurts, but you don't need me. The healing is in the feeling, and you are doing a great job. Please don't think I am heartless when I leave, but I need to root out those who aren't feeling anything." He patted her on the shoulder and went to the next group.
Craig watched him go, then scooted his chair next to Emma's and put his arms around he r. Emma felt completely enveloped in his manliness. He was so big and strong and his arms felt like the safest place to be in the world. He wasn't judging her. Something broke inside her and she started to sob, as quietly as she could. She wished the room was noisier. She hated the thought of people looking at her and watching her cry, but she couldn't help it. She had been strong, and now she needed to heal, like the doctor said.
Craig held her with one arm and smoothed her hair back with his other hand. H e murmured comforting words into her ear. They stayed that way until she was done. When she got every last tear out she scrubbed her eyes and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. Somehow, tissues appeared. "Thanks," she whispered, and laughed a little, trying to hide her awkward feelings.
She turned in her chair a little and scrubbed her face and blew her nose. She knew she looked frightful now. Good thing she had already decided Mr. Handsome Firefighter was off limits or she would be horrified.
She snuck a peek at his face and again, all she saw was compassion. That made her feel better.
"So your turn, what was your worst moment."
"The woman with the shrapnel in her thigh, did you see her?"
"Briefly - Jerry evac'ed her," Emma said.
"She looked just like my mom," Craig said almost too softly to hear.
"She looked just like my mom, and I ended up carrying her out of there and into the hospital."
"What? Why did you carry her?" Emma asked.
"Because she wouldn't get on the board, and she screamed holy hell an ytime anyone suggested it or tried to put it near her. Finally, Jerry told me to see if I could get her to do it. I thought 'she looks like my mom, so maybe if I treat her like my mom, I can get her to calm down.' So I sweet talked her. I told her that she was doing real good and that I knew it hurt like hell and we had to get her to the hospital so they could give her some painkillers. She wanted me to give her painkillers but we don't have any so I just kept talking to her real soft like I did to my mom at the end and finally she calmed down enough that she said she thought she could hop to the ambulance. No way I was going to let her hop, but when she climbed up and leaned on me I just picked her up. She was all bandaged but blood squirted out all over me anyway. I didn't care about the blood, but I could see her face go gray. I told her 'You just hang in there Linda and I'll get you to the hospital.' I carried her to the ambulance and put her down on the gurney and went to the hospital with her. She held my hand the whole way and cried when I told her I had to leave to go back to the scene."
Emma felt like crying all over again. Her heart hurt for this big, strong man who was really just a soft teddy bear inside. "What do you mean, how you talked to your mom at the end?"
Craig's lips pressed into a thin line. "My mom died of stomach cancer 3 year ago."
She grasped his hand, like he had grasped hers. "Oh Craig, I am so sorry."
"Thanks." Craig put his head down in his hands. He didn't move or make a sound. E mma put her other hand on his shoulder and laid her head over his.
"She had
"So how did it make you feel when you got home - when you got a chance to think about it, or how does it make you feel now?" Dr. Morgan prodded.
"Terrified!" Emma whispered fiercely. "It's horrible to have to make decisions about who gets care first. It's scary to kno w that whether many people live or die could rest squarely on your shoulders."
The tears started coursing again. Dr. Morgan nodded at her and stood up. "Emma, I know it hurts, but you don't need me. The healing is in the feeling, and you are doing a great job. Please don't think I am heartless when I leave, but I need to root out those who aren't feeling anything." He patted her on the shoulder and went to the next group.
Craig watched him go, then scooted his chair next to Emma's and put his arms around he r. Emma felt completely enveloped in his manliness. He was so big and strong and his arms felt like the safest place to be in the world. He wasn't judging her. Something broke inside her and she started to sob, as quietly as she could. She wished the room was noisier. She hated the thought of people looking at her and watching her cry, but she couldn't help it. She had been strong, and now she needed to heal, like the doctor said.
Craig held her with one arm and smoothed her hair back with his other hand. H e murmured comforting words into her ear. They stayed that way until she was done. When she got every last tear out she scrubbed her eyes and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. Somehow, tissues appeared. "Thanks," she whispered, and laughed a little, trying to hide her awkward feelings.
She turned in her chair a little and scrubbed her face and blew her nose. She knew she looked frightful now. Good thing she had already decided Mr. Handsome Firefighter was off limits or she would be horrified.
She snuck a peek at his face and again, all she saw was compassion. That made her feel better.
"So your turn, what was your worst moment."
"The woman with the shrapnel in her thigh, did you see her?"
"Briefly - Jerry evac'ed her," Emma said.
"She looked just like my mom," Craig said almost too softly to hear.
"She looked just like my mom, and I ended up carrying her out of there and into the hospital."
"What? Why did you carry her?" Emma asked.
"Because she wouldn't get on the board, and she screamed holy hell an ytime anyone suggested it or tried to put it near her. Finally, Jerry told me to see if I could get her to do it. I thought 'she looks like my mom, so maybe if I treat her like my mom, I can get her to calm down.' So I sweet talked her. I told her that she was doing real good and that I knew it hurt like hell and we had to get her to the hospital so they could give her some painkillers. She wanted me to give her painkillers but we don't have any so I just kept talking to her real soft like I did to my mom at the end and finally she calmed down enough that she said she thought she could hop to the ambulance. No way I was going to let her hop, but when she climbed up and leaned on me I just picked her up. She was all bandaged but blood squirted out all over me anyway. I didn't care about the blood, but I could see her face go gray. I told her 'You just hang in there Linda and I'll get you to the hospital.' I carried her to the ambulance and put her down on the gurney and went to the hospital with her. She held my hand the whole way and cried when I told her I had to leave to go back to the scene."
Emma felt like crying all over again. Her heart hurt for this big, strong man who was really just a soft teddy bear inside. "What do you mean, how you talked to your mom at the end?"
Craig's lips pressed into a thin line. "My mom died of stomach cancer 3 year ago."
She grasped his hand, like he had grasped hers. "Oh Craig, I am so sorry."
"Thanks." Craig put his head down in his hands. He didn't move or make a sound. E mma put her other hand on his shoulder and laid her head over his.
"She had
Similar Books
