Blurred Lines by KD Williamson (2 page)

She nodded stiffly and started down the corridor. This scenario was her least favorite part of being a doctor. She hated not having answers for loved ones. She hated that the most she could do was imitate empathy. Most of all, she hated handing off patient care to another surgeon because of prior obligations. It prevented her from being able to offer assurances about the quality of care a patient would receive. Not that the other surgeons weren’t capable. They were all fine doctors. They just weren’t Nora Whitmore. And she may be a lot of things that weren’t desirable, but she was the best at her job. None of her peers could compete with her success rates.

As she moved quickly toward the elevator, she justified leaving the officer without the comfort he so clearly needed. Any time she spent consoling him was time taken away from saving lives. That wasn’t a sacrifice she would make.

“I fucking hate hospitals,” Sean whispered.

Despite his lowered volume, Nora overheard every word as the elevator doors slid shut.

CHAPTER 2

Kelli pushed through her grogginess, and bit by bit, she became more aware.

The first thing she felt was white-hot pain. It was a shitty way to wake up, but there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

Second, her nose felt weird. There was a tube forcing air into her nostrils. That moved things even higher on the weird scale, even though it made breathing easier. Some machine hissed in the background. Momentary anxiety grabbed hold of her, but the feeling passed quickly when she figured out that the tubes didn’t reach her throat.

Third, Kelli did her best to case the environment. She strained to hear over the noise of the hospital equipment, but finally, her mother’s and brother’s voices became clearer. She forced her heavy eyelids to open. The room came in to blurry focus, but she could see people moving around her. When she blinked again, Kelli saw a nurse walking out of the room. The effort to concentrate took just about everything she had. She could barely keep her eyes open. So, she didn’t fight it. This sucked
hard
. Fuck it. At least she could hear what was going on. That was better than nothing.

“She doesn’t even look like herself. I’ve never seen her like this.”

“I know it’s scary, Mom, but she’s here.”

“I know. You’re right.” Her mother sighed. “Why isn’t Antony here? He should be here.”

“I tried to call him, but his phone was disconnected,” Sean said.

“I don’t understand that boy. I’ll never understand him.” Carina sounded tired. More tired than Kelli could remember hearing before.

“I don’t either, Mom.” Sean sounded almost as weary as their mother.

A warm, soft hand stroked Kelli’s cheek. It felt good to be touched, especially by her mother. Kelli didn’t allow it often, but if this wasn’t a fucking exception, she didn’t know what was. She leaned into the caress and whispered, “Mom.”

Her mother sobbed loudly. “Kelli? Baby?”

Kelli swallowed thickly. Her throat felt like it was lined with glass, but she kept trying. “Mom?” She opened her eyes again and was determined to hang on. It was time for her second wind, whether it wanted to come or not.

“I’m here Kelli. Sean is too.” Her mother’s fingers tangled with her own.

“Hey, sis.” Sean grasped the other hand.

Kelli wanted to cry. Their words rushed over her and settled in deep. She felt clear enough to recognize she was missing something, but didn’t know what exactly. “Travis?” That’s when it hit her. Bone rattling panic. She tried to sit up but the instant jolt of pain cut through her. “Shit.”

“Whoa, Kelli. Calm down. You gotta calm down.”

She heard Sean’s words, but they didn’t matter. Kelli had one goal, and it didn’t involve calming down. No matter how crappy she felt, she needed to know about Travis. Sean tried to put his arms around her. She pushed them away. “Travis.” Her brother and mother peered at each other. Warning bells went off like a siren in her head. “Dammit, no.” Kelli managed to whisper. She was a goddamn lion. Lions roar. And all she could manage was a few words. Pathetic. Getting shot had made her pathetic.

“They had to take him back to surgery,” Carina said.

Back to surgery
. Yes, Travis was alive, but she was sure nothing good ever came from going
back
to surgery. Kelli couldn’t stop fear from creeping over her, no matter how much she wanted to beat the shit out of it. To make matters worse, she was stuck here. Too weak. Too broken to do anything to help. She couldn’t even go see him for herself. “Check on him. Please.”

Sean nodded. Kelli didn’t have to push hard because he was just as worried. Travis was family. She tracked Sean as he made his way out of the room and down the hall. After Sean left, Kelli felt her mother watching her. She turned her head slightly and met her gaze. Carina was upset and her distress was big enough to fill the whole room. It made it even harder for Kelli to breathe.

Kelli didn’t look away. Her mom’s eyes were filled with worry and relief.

“You can’t leave me.” Carina gripped Kelli’s hand.

The weight of the words crashed down on Kelli’s shoulders. Cheating death was a promise she wouldn’t always keep—not in her line of work. She sure as hell was going to try. It was strange to be face to face with her own mortality. The possibility of dying brought up all kinds of emotions that she didn’t want to name. Instead, Kelli pushed the feelings away.

“I’m fine, Mom. Not going anywhere.” Her words were a lie, but it was a one of the good ones. The kind that made her mother smile.

It seemed like hours had passed in just a few minutes, and her body started to protest once more. Kelli’s eyelids fluttered as the feeling of weightlessness took over.

“It’s okay. Don’t fight it. We’ll be here when you wake up.”

The words washed over her and provided her a sense of safety as she drifted back into sleep.

* * *

Nora studied her patient’s peritoneum. There was enough blood filling it to be life threatening no matter how many units were transfused into him. With steady hands and a discerning eye, she searched. This is what she lived for—following clues and solving mysteries.

“Suction.”

Dr. Sanford vacuumed out the fluid, but she didn’t thank him. She didn’t want to be thanked for doing her job, why would he? The music of Branford Marsalis surrounded her, swelling to a crescendo.

This part excited her the most. It was a combination of pure logic, science, and instinct. This man was dying. There was always a reason behind it, information to be collected, collated, and quantified, and
this
was where Nora excelled. She was the one who put all the pieces together. If she had been present for the first surgery, there would have been no need for a second. The sloppy work of the previous surgeon and his team continued to annoy her even though she had already discussed the incident with Dr. Simmons. Incompetence. She didn’t tolerate it in herself and found it unforgiveable in others. Unfortunately, Nora couldn’t be everywhere at once.

“Suction.”

Her team was quiet because they knew she preferred it that way. She disliked forced niceties and idle conversation under normal circumstances and even more so in her operating room. She worked with professionals who were very capable, and that created the level of trust needed to save lives.

Nora studied his spleen closely and saw only mild inflammation. She scanned his liver just as carefully. “Suct—there it is.”

Dr. Sanford cleansed the area.

“Clamp.” With quick, sure fingers, and the added help of other precise tools, Nora closed the tear. Well done. Dr. Sanford siphoned out the remaining blood and irrigated the surgical site. Nora examined the area for several seconds but knew she’d done the repair properly.

“Dr. Sanford?” Nora said.

His gaze met hers. He had been a quick, quiet resident who learned to anticipate her moves without instruction. “Yes ma’am?”

“You may close.” Without another word, she left the operating room. When she reached the prep area, Nora began her post-surgery ritual. She removed her gloves and surgical cap. Then, she loosened her habitual ponytail and let her hair hang freely. As she washed her hands, she watched Dr. Sanford engage the others. She heard laughter as the tension that held them in check just a few moments ago seemed to dissipate. For a second, Nora experienced a pang of longing in her chest. The feeling passed just as quickly as it came. Nora dried her hands and moved toward the exit.

The intercom buzzed as she walked by. “Dr. Whitmore? I’m sorry to bother you, but your surgical nurse told me you were done.”

Nora pressed the button. “Yes?”

“There is a Sean McCabe who’s demanding a report on Mr. Travis’s condition.”

“I’ll be there momentarily.” Sometimes people needed the truth delivered bluntly, no matter how uncomfortable it was. Sean McCabe struck her as one of those people. And Nora didn’t know any other way to say what needed to be said. She wasn’t one to pull her punches.

When Nora entered the waiting area, his back was to her. “Mr. McCabe?”

Sean spun around. A shock of sandy-brown hair fell over his forehead, and his features were stricken and drawn. It didn’t distract from his boyish good looks. “H-how is he? You don’t have to sugarcoat anything. I can take it.”

Nora almost smiled. “The bullet caused swelling in his spinal column. As I hope you were informed earlier by his previous surgeon, true damage, if any, can’t be assessed until the swelling subsides.” She waited for him to acknowledge her, and he nodded. Nora continued, “Apparently, there was also damage to his liver, which I just repaired with no further complications.” Since Mr. Travis was incapacitated and he had no other family present, Nora deemed it necessary to pass along pertinent information regarding his prognosis.

Sean’s eyes widened. “That wasn’t caught the first time?”

“No, it was not. Compared to the other internal damage, it was a small tear but still dangerous.” Nora offered no further explanation. She knew to be cautious in a potential lawsuit situation.

He wiped a hand over his face. “God. So all the talk about possible paralysis was true?”

“Unfortunately, yes it is.”

Sean sighed. “I knew it, but I was hoping—”

“I understand.” Nora nodded, and in a way, she did. “Will there be anything else, Mr. McCabe?”

“Sean. Call me Sean. I kind of feel like we’re old friends after all this.” His smile was soft, crooked. His expression was sincere.

Nora cringed internally. She refused to engage in that level of familiarity. “While I understand your reasoning, I don’t think that would be appropriate.”

He deflated a bit, and his shoulders slumped.

“I can understand that. I’m a cop. We all have procedures. Professional boundaries.”

The conversation had gone on long enough to make her uneasy. It was time to go. “Is there anything else—”

“Can you just come take a look at my sister? I know she’s alive and all, but I just want to make sure—”

“Dr. Rader hasn’t been in yet?”

“Not this morning, no.”

The man was exasperating but well liked at Seattle Memorial and not just by the female staff. Nora couldn’t figure out why. “Yes, I can do that.”

Nora followed him even though she knew the way. As she entered the room, a petite, dark-haired woman stood to greet her. She looked to be in her mid fifties. “Good morning, doctor.”

Nora nodded. “Whitmore. It’s Dr. Whitmore. I’m the attending.”

Though the woman looked confused, she continued to smile. “Carina McCabe.”

In reply, Nora picked up Kelli McCabe’s chart. She flipped through the pages and glanced at the woman in question. Kelli was sleeping soundly. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Her mouth was open, and her features were pinched like she smelled something sour. It probably had more to do with discomfort caused by her injuries. Kelli’s short auburn hair stuck up at odd angles but still fanned out on the stark white pillow, highlighting a slight paleness to her olive-toned skin which was similar to her mother’s.

“She looks so weak right now. That’s just not her.”

“She suffered significant injuries and blood loss, but her pallor and strength will return with time,” Nora said.

“That’s not what she means. Kelli is a badass. Wait ’til she feels better. I guarantee she’s going to be the worst patient you ever had.”

Nora glanced from Sean to Carina, then she peered at Kelli and evaluated her carefully. The woman was tall, stocky yet covered in a lean layer of muscle. Her face was aesthetically pleasing, but she appeared to be nothing more than an average woman. There was nothing special about her. Nora looked at Sean skeptically.

“Trust me,” he said.

Nora moved toward the head of the bed to check the surgical sites. She started with the most severe. Kelli’s eyelashes flickered, and she groaned. “Fuck.”

Well.
That
was unexpected. Nora was taken aback by the language. Kelli’s voice was deep and gravely, which somehow made the utterance more powerful.

Sean laughed suddenly, startling Nora. She turned to see mother and son smiling and holding hands.

So, it was obviously common for her to start every interaction with cursing.
“Ms. McCabe? Can you hear me?”

“What?” Kelli mumbled.

“Can you hear me?” Nora asked once more.

“Yes, fuck. What do you want?”

She cursed twice in a matter of minutes. Nora definitely sensed a pattern. “I’m Dr. Whitmore. I’m going to check your surgical sites for signs of infection. This may be uncomfortable.”

Kelli opened her eyes completely. The telltale post-surgery haze cleared gradually until Kelli stared back at her with sharply focused green eyes.

“Okay.” Kelli rumbled. “Travis, my partner—”

“He’s in recovery. He has a significant spinal injury.”

“Fuck.”

That made three. Nora sighed internally. “Yes. When the inflammation recedes, we will know more.”

“Okay.”

Kelli’s green eyes darkened, and Nora was captivated by the intensity of her stare. She felt odd. Unnerved by the scrutiny, Nora continued with Kelli’s examination. When she glanced up again, Kelli’s eyes were thankfully closed.