Page 1 of Rival Hearts

1

RILEY

Dr. Riley Parker rushed over. “What the hell happened?”

“I–I don’t know,” said Leah. “I left for a few seconds and when I came back, blood was gushing out of his arms.”

Leah was young and had only been at Phoenix Ridge Hospital for a few months. Riley knew the newcomer wasn’t used to how bold she was, but Riley wasn’t going to dial it down when a patient was on the line.

Riley pursed her lips and grabbed the patient’s chart from next to his bed. “You seriously left a patient on suicide watch alone?”

Leah trembled. “He was asleep. I didn’t think?—”

“You’re damn right you didn’t think. But it’s a good thing you paged me,” Riley said, looking at the chart again. “Call Hudson and tell her that this psych patient just became a trauma patient.”

“Yes, doctor.” Leah scurried out of Riley’s way to do as she said.

Riley lifted the rails on the hospital bed, her muscular and tattooed arms rippling as she prepared to move her new patient. She wheeled him to the elevators to take him to the Emergency Room on the first floor.

When she got to the Emergency Room, she took the patient to one of the trauma bays and was preparing to inspect the injury when all of a sudden, there was shouting and the sound of multiple boots hitting the floor.

Riley could hear the distant wail of an ambulance. As soon as she opened the curtain of the trauma bay, she witnessed pure and unadulterated chaos.

A small group of police officers and firefighters were rushing through the Emergency Room, holding a gurney while nurses trailed beside them. Dr. Carroll, one of the Emergency doctors, caught Riley’s eye.

“Doctor Parker!” Dr. Carroll shouted. “We need you out here. It’s a bad case.”

“I’m with a patient,” Riley shouted back; she couldn’t ethically leave her current patient even if another one needed her just as badly.

“Trade me.” Dr. Carroll hurried over.“What’s the case?”

“Psych patient attempted suicide,” Riley said, and Dr. Carroll looked into the bay, at the man with his arms covered in gauze.

“I got it,” Dr. Carroll said. “This is a waste of your talents, and as much as I want to help out there, I don’t think the patient will live if you’re not there.”

“Okay.” Riley flashed Dr. Carroll a small smile before she rushed past the curtains to join the commotion. She followed the gurney to the trauma bay and met them behind the curtains.

“What’s going on?” Riley asked as soon as she entered.

She hadn’t been able to get a good look at the patient while nurses were wheeling her the gurney in—the patient had been surrounded by too many people and moving too fast. However, once Riley entered the patient’s room, she found herself at the foot of the gurney, completely able to see what was wrong. And what she saw horrified her.

The patient was young, likely between ten and twelve years old, and she had something sharp and metal lodged into her chest. Riley noticed that she was conscious. She appeared alert and in pain. Tears streaked down her face.

“What is that?” Riley pointed at the pink metal bar protruding from the girl’s chest.

One of the firefighter paramedics in uniform stepped forward, a tall woman with short dark hair. Riley couldn’t miss the effortless elegance in the way she moved, her body lithe in her navy blue jumpsuit. Her dark brown eyes were fierce as they met Riley’s gaze. “She was in a bike accident. The handlebar was missing the protective rubber and somehow managed to impale her. We cut off the rest of the bike and rushed here. She has a few other injuries, but that is the most prevalent.”

Riley nodded. “Where are her parents?”

“Her foster parents had to stay behind to watch their other kids, but her foster dad said he’d be here soon,” the paramedic said.

Riley’s face hardened in determination as she looked at the girl. A foster kid, huh? Riley knew what that was like. And as much as it sucked to hear that neither of the girl’s foster parents was there to support her, Riley would make sure to support her and get her out of this life-threatening injury thriving.

Riley looked at one of the ER nurses. “Prep an OR,” she said, “and get ready for surgery.”

“Surgery?” the paramedic asked “Don’t we need to stabilize her first?”

“Not with that injury,” Riley said. “The longer we wait, the worse her chances get.”

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