Song of the Blackbird (Albatross Prison #1) (7 page)

She spied the stack of yellow gowns and gloves outside room four and donned both of them before entering the room. The four patients were in their respective beds, watching TV.
General Hospital,
of all things.
Grown men watching soap operas? She’d never believe it if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes.

“Aw, Doc,” the youngest patient said when she switched off the TV. “That was the best part. We’re about to find out who the father is.”

“Sorry. I need to talk to you. I’m Dr. Edwards.” Emma adjusted her gloves. “When did you start having diarrhea?”

It turned out their symptoms began two to three days ago. Some had abdominal pain and vomiting. Some hadn’t. They resided in different dorms but all had attended the same substance abuse program together. After examining them, Emma asked for stool samples whenever they went again. She flipped the TV back on, disposed of her gown and gloves, and walked out, relieved that at least the men’s symptoms weren’t too bad. Back at the nursing station, she washed her hands and wrote orders for stool cultures and strict contact isolation.

“Where’s Vincent?” she asked a middle-aged nurse sitting at the main desk.

“He’s left already. His shift’s from six to two.” The woman slurped down some won ton soup from a plastic bowl. “You must be the new doc. I’m Ms. Marcs.”

Emma’s stomach grumbled. The sizzling soup smelled heavenly. Her packed lunch lay in the cabinet in Urgent Care. She could get it and wolf it down in two minutes, but the grumbling escalated outside. She downed a cup of water from the dispenser instead and prayed for patience.

“Mr. Ransom?” she called out.

The heavily tattooed man stood up. “About time, too.”

He was almost twice her size, topping her by over a head. She ushered him into the office and closed the door. Goosebumps popped up on her arms. He looked aggressive. Tattoos littered not only his face but also his neck and ears.

“Have a seat,” she said, trying hard not to look at the curse word tattooed across his forehead. His hair was oily and slicked back with some slime, his arms huge, bulging with muscles. “I’m Dr. Edwards. I’m covering for Dr. Pan. You saw the nurse recently?” She tried to read his chart simultaneously to save time.

“I saw the fucking nurse. Not that she did shit for me.”

“Hey, tone it down with the language,” Emma said, feeling for her alarm. Thank goodness she’d remembered looping it around her belt this morning. The guy gave her the creeps with the way he was staring at her, like Hannibal Lector come to life.

“Or else what?” He stretched his lips, revealing uneven yellow teeth. “What are you gonna do? Give me a time-out?”

“What can I do for you today, Mr. Ransom?”

“Pan never gave me the low bunk.” He leaned over the desk and stared hard at her. “I need it.”

“Why do you need it?”

“Because my back hurts. Every day.” He cursed again. “Write it and I’ll be out of your way.”

“Do you have seizures?”

“No.”

“Did you have any surgeries recently? Are you visually impaired?” Emma recited the list she’d learned that morning.

“No. Do I look like I’m blind?” His face turned red. “Give me the fucking chrono.”

“Calm down.”
Jesus. He was as angry as hell.
Emma moved her index finger over the alarm button. His beady eyes took in her gesture, and he settled back in his chair. She breathed out a sigh of relief. “Don’t make me use it.”

“Alright.” He held up his hands. “Like I said, write the chrono and I’ll get out of your way.”

“Tell me about your back pain.”

“Nothing to tell. Just give me the chrono.” His face flushed red again as his hands clenched into fists.

“Calm down, Mr. Ransom. I can’t give you the chrono until I examine you first.”

“No. You’re not examining me.” He shoved his chair back. “Give me that chrono.”

“I can’t. You need a good reason to get one.”

Suddenly he lurched forward and grabbed her wrist. His meaty hand squeezed like a vise. Fire danced up her arm. Just like with the pit bull years earlier. She fumbled for the alarm with her other hand and pressed hard. A loud buzz rang out.

“You fucking bitch! I’ll show you a good reason.” Ransom flung her wrist away and lunged for her neck. Emma ducked. She tried to stab her pen into his neck, but it missed and bounced off him like a Ping-Pong ball.

“Help!” she screamed. “Someone help!”

Chapter 8

A slew of bright stars flashed behind Emma’s eyes as Ransom slammed her against the wall. Her head exploded with pain. Suddenly a horde of officers rushed into the room. Someone yanked the brute off of her. Emma collapsed to the floor, dazed, her hand throbbing. She shut her eyes tight and put her head between her legs.

“Are you okay?” The gentlest of hands were prodding at her.

“Sam?” She groaned and forced her eyes open.

Chambers’s stark face frowned back at her. “Did he hurt you? Are you okay?” His formidable face radiated with tension yet his eyes had the most peculiar light in them. He was kneeling on the floor, his body almost touching her but not quite.

“I’m fine.” Emma shook her head, trying to chase away the roaring in her ears. At least half a dozen other officers were in the room but she didn’t see Ransom anywhere. “Where is he?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“He’s at the tank, on his way to the hole,” Chambers said.

“Hole?”

“Isolation over in Chino. We don’t have it here. Don’t worry. He’s in a holding cell right now and is never coming back.”

“Thanks.” Emma forced out a smile. She felt the strangest desire to throw herself into his arms and feel that warmth again. The blow must have affected her more than she thought. She rubbed her head. The fire started again in her arm. “Ow.”

“What is it?”

She stood and Chambers immediately extended his hand. “Careful. You shouldn’t move ’til the paramedics get here.”

“What? I don’t need an ambulance.” Emma plopped into the closest chair. Her wrist throbbed like crazy but all she needed was an X-ray, not the ER.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“What the hell is that?” Chambers asked.

Emma rubbed her temple with her good hand.
Yes, definitely a full-blown migraine.
Zigzag lines crisscrossed in front of her eyes.

“It’s the heater,” Ms. Marcs said from the doorway. “Are you okay, Dr. Edwards? You want us to wheel you to the Urgent Care? You can wait there. The ambulance should be here any minute.”

“I’m fine.” She winced as another clang burst out. “I have a migraine. And my wrist hurts.”

“Where?” Chambers gently prodded her wrist and asked her to wiggle her fingers. “They can get the X-ray in the ER.”

“I don’t need the ER,” she said again as another clanging sound erupted. The noise was going to kill her. She had to get out of here. Emma stood and took a tentative step. A wave of light-headedness slammed into her, almost knocking her over. Before she knew it, Chambers had swung her up in his arms like a sack of potatoes.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked, twisting in his arms. “I can walk. Put me down.”

Chambers only grunted and kept going. The other officers hurried after them as he carried her down the hall to the Urgent Care.

“Where the hell is that ambulance?” Chambers bellowed as he placed her gently on the gurney in the main treatment room.

“They said ETA is fifteen minutes.” Ms. Marcs wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Emma’s arm.

“I’m going to the tank.” Chambers shot a peremptory look at the nurse. “Don’t let her get out of that gurney.”

“Never saw him this worked up before.” Ms. Marcs shook her head as Chambers exited. She handed Emma an ice pack. “Ransom is going to get the beating of his life. Poor Mr. Chambers is probably going to get suspended.”

“What?” Emma’s heart slammed against her chest. “Suspended? Why?”

“He likes to take justice in his own hands.” Ms. Marcs clucked her tongue. “Last time he beat up an inmate, they gave him a warning. This time I’m sure it’s going to be worse.”

“Please call him back.”

“He’s not going to listen.”

“Well, he should.” Emma slid out of the gurney. She grabbed the railing as a wave of light-headedness hit her. “I’m not going to sit around and watch him get in trouble on my account. Where is he?”

“You can’t leave, Doc.” Ms. Marcs rushed to her side. “He’ll kill me if he sees you out there.”

“Then go find him.” Now her brain felt like it was on fire.
Why was she still hearing that clanging sound when it was back in the other room?
“Tell him I’m going to go look for him. Unless he comes back right now.”

“Just stay in that gurney.” Ms. Marcs helped her lie back on the stretcher. “I can’t promise anything.” The nurse clucked her tongue again before heading out.

The ice pack felt cool and refreshing against the soreness in her wrist.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Emma winced and closed her eyes, wishing she’d asked for a Motrin.
Oh, God.
She hoped Chambers wasn’t going to lose his job because of her.

“Em, are you okay?”

Emma opened her eyes.

Sam stood next to her, his eyes lit with concern. “What did that bastard do to you?”

“It’s just my wrist. I’m fine.”

“You don’t deserve this.” He darted a glance at the doorway and squeezed her arm. “Find another job, Em. You shouldn’t be here.”

“It’s only a sprain.”

“Listen.” He shot another look to the entranceway. “I gotta go. My shift ended already. Custody will kill me if they find me here. Promise me, Em. Go home and don’t come back. I’ll write, I promise.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“What the hell is going on in here?” Chambers loomed in the doorway, his fulminating glare directed straight at her brother.

“I called him to get me another ice pack,” Emma said hastily. “Thanks, Morris. You can go now.” She tried to reassure her brother with a smile.

“Yes, Doc.” Sam bent his head and scurried out of the room.

Poor boy.
She hoped he wasn’t going to get in trouble over this.

“You’re okay?” Chambers asked, his breath a little short, as if he’d run all the way here.

“Of course. Why?” Emma forced out a smile.

“She said you passed out, that she couldn’t wake you up.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Emma swallowed. The guy looked like he was about to explode. “Please don’t get mad at Ms. Marcs. I told her to get you. You didn’t do anything to Ransom yet, did you?”

“No. I was about to but that damned nurse came in, swearing that you were unconscious.” Chambers’s scowl deepened. “Now the guy’s on his way to the hole, with his nose and face still in place. Damn it. He almost killed you.”

“So he’ll be punished. He’s going to the hole, right?” Emma licked her lips. So much raw rage emanated from the man. “Ms. Marcs said you may get suspended if you do anything to him.”

“That damned nurse should keep her mouth shut.”

“Excuse me. The ambulance is here,” Ms. Marcs said in a small voice. She flicked a nervous glance the warden’s way and stayed clear out of his path. Luckily he didn’t seem to pay her any attention, his eyes fixed on the EMTs entering the room.

It turned out to be the same crew who had transported Mr. Barkley earlier, Robertson and Garcia.

“Hey, Doc. You hurt?” Garcia asked, his friendly face filled with concern.

“Only my wrist.” She held up her right hand. “How’s Mr. Barkley? Is he okay?”

“Abdominal infection, like you called it. He’s in ICU, but doing okay, last we heard.”

“ICU? Why? Is he on pressors?”
The poor man.
Pressors didn’t bode well.

“Not sure if his blood pressure needed the pressors. But probably. It was really low when we left him.”

“I don’t know who the hell Barkley is and I don’t want to know,” Chambers said. “Stop wasting time and take her to the hospital.”

“I only need an X-ray,” Emma insisted. “Is there an urgent care walk-in clinic close by? Too bad I can’t order my own X-ray here.”

“She got slammed against the wall.” Chambers stepped closer and gave her his usual scowl. “She’s been complaining of a headache and can barely walk.”

“I have a migraine. I don’t need the hospital.”

“Let’s do a quick exam, shall we?” Robertson shined a light in her eyes and asked her a few simple questions. “She looks all right to me,” he pronounced.

Chambers emitted a low, disapproving growl.

“Can you stand up and walk?” Garcia asked hastily.

“Sure.” Emma sat up slowly, knowing she’d better pull this off.
Good, the pain had subsided a lot.
Her head no longer felt like a pressure cooker. A few more steps and then she’d be home free. She took a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other. A wave of nausea swept over her. She grabbed the closest object, which happened to be Chambers’s arm. He steadied her with his hands, and the next thing she knew, she was retching all over his pristine suit.

“Oh, my God.” Her face felt like a furnace. “I’m so sorry.” She tried to wipe the slime away, which unfortunately only made it smear even more. Her cursed stomach chose that moment to heave again.

“Here.” Someone shoved a kidney basin her way and luckily Chambers’s suit was spared another attack.

“Sit down,” Chambers said in a flat voice. “You’re going to fall.”

And Emma was sure he wouldn’t catch her this time. Not if he dared risk another slime attack. She lay down and closed her eyes, eternally glad she didn’t have to look at him. At least the nausea subsided a little bit.

“Can somebody please just take me home?” she asked, not caring that her voice came out in a whine. “Maybe Dr. Brown? I need to sleep it off. I’ll take the X-ray tomorrow.”

“Brown left early today. His kid’s sick,” Chambers said. “Pack her up, gentlemen. You know she needs to go.”

“Uh, Doc.” Garcia’s voice sounded close to her right ear. “I’m afraid your boss is right. Better be safe than sorry.”

“Alright. Fine.” Emma kept her eyes closed. There was no point arguing. Chambers was never going to leave her alone until she complied, and God knew he probably wanted to go home to change as soon as possible. That was the least she could do for him.

“Something wrong with your eyes?” Chambers’s voice sounded only a foot away.

The stench of vomit was overwhelming. She turned her face away and held her breath.
Dear God, could this day get any worse?

“The light hurts.” It was partially true but the main reason was looming right next to her. “Please go away. You stink.”
Damn. Had she just said that out loud?
Emma groaned in mortification.

The stench receded, but she was definitely not going to open her eyes. Chambers probably thought she was a major catastrophe. A major
rude
catastrophe
.

She felt the paramedics lift her onto another stretcher. They strapped her down with some belts and began rolling her out of the room. They halted near the exit to say something to the guards. Emma didn’t smell any more vomit. Probably safe to open her eyes now.
Drat
. Chambers’s silver eyes stared right back at her. He’d shed his jacket and was in a blue long-sleeved dress shirt.

“Why are you still here?” Emma squeaked out, knowing her face was probably as red as a lobster.

“Close your eyes. The lights are pretty bright out here.”

“You okay, Doc?” Ms. Marcs stood on the other side of the gurney. She gave the warden a wary glance. “All the patients are asking about you. Wishing you the best.”

“The patients?” Emma couldn’t help but smile.
At least she wasn’t a complete disaster.
“Who are we talking about?”

“Well, all the guys in room four, and even grumpy hernia man. And Mr. Nash too.”

“Mr. Nash.” She reached out a hand. “Is his heater fixed? It was freezing in there this morning.”

“Afraid not.” The nurse shook his head. “Maintenance takes forever sometimes.”

“But it’s so cold in there. I don’t think the blankets will be enough.” Emma tried to get up but the belts were too tight. “Can you move him to a warmer room?”

“All the rooms with heaters are full.”

“He can’t be in that room.” Emma chafed against the belts. “Give me the list of patients. Maybe I can discharge someone so you can transfer him.”

“Stop moving.” Chambers stilled her hands with his big paw. He seemed remarkably unfazed for a man she’d thrown up all over on. “You’re not discharging anyone. We’re going to the hospital, remember?”

“But he’ll freeze in that room. And I’m feeling better already. A few more minutes isn’t going to hurt.”

“Smith,” Chambers bellowed. His familiar minion magically appeared. “Call Maintenance and tell them I want Nash’s heater fixed. Today. And tell them to get rid of that infernal clanging sound, too.”

“Yes, sir.” The man dashed off, eager to do his duty.

“Ready to go?” The EMTs pushed the gurney outside, where a medium-sized ambulance greeted them.
Odd.
She thought it was evening already as so much had happened, but the sun was still bright.

“What’s the matter? Does the sun hurt your eyes?”

“No. I mean, only a little bit.” Emma hated how one lie spiraled into the next. “Sorry about your suit. You don’t have to go with me. I’ll be fine.”