Page 91 of All I Need (Hearts of the South)
Bennett closed his eyes, his face taking on a greenish tinge.
“He’s gonna throw up,” Walker observed.
“Yep.” Troy Lee steered his partner toward the grass. Bennett bent double, hands on his knees, and retched. “It’s kinda normal for him after extreme stress.”
With a muttered curse, Bennett hunkered down, a hand over his eyes.
“Hey, we could take bets on who’s going to have the hardest time at home over this.” Walker adjusted his belt. “At this point, my money’s on Farr.”
Chapter Seventeen
“If you have any redness or swelling or if the pain gets worse, I want you to follow up with your primary physician. Also, the stitches need to come out in seven days. Your primary doctor can do that.” Savannah finished the gauze wrap and smiled at the young man hunched on the exam table. Performing the relatively complicated suturing had been a distraction from worrying about what was happening with Emmett. “If you don’t have a regular physician, come back here and ask for me. And you’ve got to keep that dressing clean and dry. Leave it on for at least twenty-four hours before you change it.”
She slid the stool back and rose to strip off her gloves. “Haley, make sure he gets a work release if he needs one when you do his discharge papers, please.”
“Sure thing.”
A quick sharp rap sounded at the door. Savannah nodded at the young man. “Any questions?”
“No, ma’am.” The cloud on his face didn’t clear.
“Okay.” She moved toward the door. “Remember to come back in if you need to.”
She opened the door to find Mackey, face set, in the hall. Foreboding shivered over her, worry crowding in full force, stealing her ability to breathe.
“Three of our sheriff’s office guys are on the way in.” Mackey pitched his voice low. “Emmett’s one of them, but they’re all walking wounded. The SO is bringing in the suspect as well. He’s complaining of chest pains.”
Suddenly, she could breathe again. No trauma run, so he was all right. She’d feel even better when she could see him for herself.
“Thank you.” She cast a look toward the nurse’s station. “Does Landra know?”
“Yeah, I just told her.” His face pale and unhappy, he motioned toward the staff room. “She’s getting herself together.”
The back door opened, and he was there, Walker at his side. She drank in his appearance—dirty, sweaty, his uniform shirt gone so he was clad in the brown uniform pants and a no-longer-white undershirt. Behind him, Troy Lee and Rob looked almost as bad, even though their uniforms remained intact. She frowned, her knees wanting to weaken. She drew herself up, gaze locked on Emmett’s.
“So who’s the worst?” Mackey jerked his chin at them.
Walker jerked his thumb in Emmett’s direction. “He can’t breathe.”
Savannah’s heart jolted, and she ran an assessing gaze over him. Emmett rolled his eyes. “I said ithurtto breathe, not that I couldn’t breathe.”
Eyes narrowed, Savannah reached out and lifted his shirt. His torso was clear, but massive contusions marred his back. Her own breath whooshed out. “God.”
Mackey peered at the bruises. “What the hell happened to you?”
“I took two bullets to the back.” Emmett darted a look at her. “Felt like a hammer hitting my vest.”
“I told him it was gonna hurt like a son of a bitch,” Troy Lee said, “but he says it doesn’t.”
“It’s starting to.” Emmett grimaced. Savannah clenched her fingers around the edges of his shirt. She couldn’t grab him and hold on here in the ER, as badly as she wanted to.
“What about you two?” Mackey gestured between Troy Lee and Rob.
Troy Lee shrugged. “Got my ankle, and we’re not sure about Rob’s wrist.”
Savannah met her brother-in-law’s irritable gaze. “The same wrist you broke last year?”
“Yeah.” His mouth tightened. “Came down on it when I dove behind the car.”
