Read Online Jurassic Dead by David Sakmyster, Rick Chesler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Sakmyster, Rick Chesler
Ads: Link
more than his fair share of various impact injuries. “Doesn't he need splints and a stretcher to move him?”
Veronica looked confused. One of the crew gave Alex an angry stare. “This the kid who should be in fuckin’ jail? Why the hell should we listen to you?”
“He's right, though,” another said. A murmur of agreement could be heard in the huddle of men surrounding their fallen colleague.
“Okay,” Veronica said, somehow mustering an air of authority behind the word, “who can get me the splints and a stretcher?”
The victim continued to moan in agony on the deck.
“Doctor, don't you have splints in the infirmary? You didn't bring them? I thought they messaged you a crush injury notice?”
Veronica gave the man a stern look. “I wasn't coming from the infirmary. I thought perhaps there might be a trauma station closer by than the infirmary.”
“Ask the patient if he cares,” somebody said, pointing to the man writing in pain, clutching his ruined knee.
Another man quickly waved him down. “Not now, man. He needs her help.”
Veronica stood up from the victim and threw her hands up. “You—” she pointed at Alex— “Can you come to the infirmary with me to get the stretcher?”
“Sure.”
“Let's go, and you gentlemen , keep that tourniquet tight.”
They watched her leave, many shaking their heads.
“I don't know where the infirmary is,” Alex said, realizing he was leading Veronica.
“This way,” she said, breezing past him. They passed by the staircase they'd used earlier, remaining on the main deck. After what seemed to Alex like a long walk, they made a right turn through a door into a small structure. A door on the right had a large red cross painted on it. Veronica pushed it open and they walked into the ship's infirmary.
The room was packed with shelves, drawers and cabinets full of medical supplies and equipment. Alex spotted a pair of stretchers hanging from a rack against a wall and quickly picked one of them up. He hefted the stretcher, ready to start moving, but when he looked over at Veronica, she was looking around, not moving.
“What's up?” he inquired.
“Just looking for the splints...” Her gaze shifted around the room.
Alex gave her a look and rolled his eyes. “You sure it only took you eight years for your degree?” He quickly scanned the labels on the cabinets, searching for recognizable groupings. “First aid in that one there,” he said, pointing to a cabinet with his free hand. “Splints got to be near the bandages.”
Veronica went to the cabinet and opened it. He saw her arm reach out and then withdraw from the cabinet clutching a bag of splints. She tucked them under an arm, ready to go.
“This is it, now for the stretcher.” She moved toward the exit.
Alex remained standing. “Hold on.”
She looked at him expectantly, her hand on the door handle. Alex looked her directly in the eyes. He lowered his voice.
“You're not an M.D., are you?”
Her mouth dropped open and hung there for a moment, as though she was going to say something, but then she closed it without having spoken.
Alex thought of the real doctors he'd been treated by as well as known personally, as friends of his family. The air about her just wasn't right. He shook his head, not even saying anything. He didn't need to.
She let go of the door, then moved in closer, staring him down. “You don’t want to press this issue. You're just some troublemaker kid, the son of the paleontologist who just got fired. Yes, I overheard all that, so you’ll forgive me if I don’t take too kindly to your inquisition here.”
Alex raised his eyebrows. “If you knew half as much about treating injuries as you do about what's going on with DeKirk's personnel, you would have been fine with your…disguise, or whatever game you’re playing here.”
“Listen, you little—”
“No, you listen!” His tone came out sharper than he'd expected, and he was surprised to see her
Veronica looked confused. One of the crew gave Alex an angry stare. “This the kid who should be in fuckin’ jail? Why the hell should we listen to you?”
“He's right, though,” another said. A murmur of agreement could be heard in the huddle of men surrounding their fallen colleague.
“Okay,” Veronica said, somehow mustering an air of authority behind the word, “who can get me the splints and a stretcher?”
The victim continued to moan in agony on the deck.
“Doctor, don't you have splints in the infirmary? You didn't bring them? I thought they messaged you a crush injury notice?”
Veronica gave the man a stern look. “I wasn't coming from the infirmary. I thought perhaps there might be a trauma station closer by than the infirmary.”
“Ask the patient if he cares,” somebody said, pointing to the man writing in pain, clutching his ruined knee.
Another man quickly waved him down. “Not now, man. He needs her help.”
Veronica stood up from the victim and threw her hands up. “You—” she pointed at Alex— “Can you come to the infirmary with me to get the stretcher?”
“Sure.”
“Let's go, and you gentlemen , keep that tourniquet tight.”
They watched her leave, many shaking their heads.
“I don't know where the infirmary is,” Alex said, realizing he was leading Veronica.
“This way,” she said, breezing past him. They passed by the staircase they'd used earlier, remaining on the main deck. After what seemed to Alex like a long walk, they made a right turn through a door into a small structure. A door on the right had a large red cross painted on it. Veronica pushed it open and they walked into the ship's infirmary.
The room was packed with shelves, drawers and cabinets full of medical supplies and equipment. Alex spotted a pair of stretchers hanging from a rack against a wall and quickly picked one of them up. He hefted the stretcher, ready to start moving, but when he looked over at Veronica, she was looking around, not moving.
“What's up?” he inquired.
“Just looking for the splints...” Her gaze shifted around the room.
Alex gave her a look and rolled his eyes. “You sure it only took you eight years for your degree?” He quickly scanned the labels on the cabinets, searching for recognizable groupings. “First aid in that one there,” he said, pointing to a cabinet with his free hand. “Splints got to be near the bandages.”
Veronica went to the cabinet and opened it. He saw her arm reach out and then withdraw from the cabinet clutching a bag of splints. She tucked them under an arm, ready to go.
“This is it, now for the stretcher.” She moved toward the exit.
Alex remained standing. “Hold on.”
She looked at him expectantly, her hand on the door handle. Alex looked her directly in the eyes. He lowered his voice.
“You're not an M.D., are you?”
Her mouth dropped open and hung there for a moment, as though she was going to say something, but then she closed it without having spoken.
Alex thought of the real doctors he'd been treated by as well as known personally, as friends of his family. The air about her just wasn't right. He shook his head, not even saying anything. He didn't need to.
She let go of the door, then moved in closer, staring him down. “You don’t want to press this issue. You're just some troublemaker kid, the son of the paleontologist who just got fired. Yes, I overheard all that, so you’ll forgive me if I don’t take too kindly to your inquisition here.”
Alex raised his eyebrows. “If you knew half as much about treating injuries as you do about what's going on with DeKirk's personnel, you would have been fine with your…disguise, or whatever game you’re playing here.”
“Listen, you little—”
“No, you listen!” His tone came out sharper than he'd expected, and he was surprised to see her
Similar Books
