pushed him away a tiny piece of her heart broke off. She was losing herself, one shred at a time, and the pain of it was unrelenting. It was a wound that would not heal. Not ever. And, she’d never show it to him. Because once he saw the weakness, he’d find his way in.
Stretching out on the couch in the den, James stared up at the ceiling, wondering if her bed was above him. He imagined that it was, and that she was sleeping there. He loved the way she slept…on her side, cuddled into a little ball. He remembered their first night together when he’d stayed awake hours, just watching her. He’d been tempted to disturb her, just to see if she would cuddle into him, but he hadn’t. Second night, she’d cuddled into him, and he’d thought that was the way he wanted to spend every night for the rest of his life. “And we will, Fallon,” he promised himself. “But I’ve got to find a way to convince you that you want it as much as I do.”
Working on that solution was cut short by a phone call, though. It was Neil Ranard, informing him that every available medic in the White Elk Valley was being called out. The lodge on the Little Sister was on fire! Grease fire in the kitchen, spreading.
“Fallon!” James yelled, jumping up from the couch. “Medical emergency! Neil says he needs your help!”
She was down the stairs in a flash, blanket wrapped around her shoulders. “What?” she gasped.
“Fire. Lodge up on the Little Sister. He wants you in the ER, in charge of triage. Wants me in the ER, too.”
Surprisingly, she didn’t protest, didn’t even think about it. Instead, she dropped the blanket to the floor and headed back to the stairs. “Give me three minutes to get ready,” she called back over her shoulder on her way up. James could hear her footsteps pounding on the wooden floorboards upstairs. That was Fallon O’Gara preparing to do what she’d been put on this earth to do—be a nurse. It was a good sound to hear. Gave him hope for other things. Made him glad to know that Fallon wouldn’t turn away when she was needed.
It was a good sign, seeing how the woman he’d come to love so quickly didn’t turn away when she was needed. Except from him. Sadly, she’d found that easy to do.
Fifteen minutes after the initial callout, James and Fallon crashed through the emergency room doors together, shoulder to shoulder, and ran straight into a wall of volunteers and medical personnel alike. People Fallon knew, people who always responded when there was a need. People waiting for her instructions.
“How many doctors do we have?” she asked Emoline Putters, the night clerk in charge of the emergency desk.
“Two, so far. Dr. Galbraith and Dr. Ranard…Gabby.She’s on her way in as soon as Angela Blanchard gets there to look after Bryce. She’ll be on light duty, considering her condition. Walt Graham may be heading into town, too. And Henry Gunther.” A retired obstetrician and a semi-retired anesthesiologist.
“Dr. Eric Ramsey isn’t here?”
Emoline, a tight-faced woman with gray-and brown-streaked hair pulled into a knot at the nape of her neck, shook her head. “He went out with Dr. Neil Ranard. First time back on the rescue for him. Dr. McGinnis went out with him, too. I’ve been trying to locate Dr. Stafford to come in, but so far he isn’t answering his cellphone.”
Fallon spun to face James. “How much experience do you have with treating burns?” she asked. It was a difficult specialty, took stamina. In her opinion, burns were the worst of the worst to tend, and she never assigned anyone to burns unless they had the experience. Some of the doctors who passed through here wouldn’t treat burns unless absolutely forced to.
“I worked in the pediatric side of the burn unit back in Salt Lake City,” he said. “I’m not a burn specialist by a long shot, but I can do the initial assessments and stabilize them. Get them ready to transport to a burn unit.”
“Well,
Stretching out on the couch in the den, James stared up at the ceiling, wondering if her bed was above him. He imagined that it was, and that she was sleeping there. He loved the way she slept…on her side, cuddled into a little ball. He remembered their first night together when he’d stayed awake hours, just watching her. He’d been tempted to disturb her, just to see if she would cuddle into him, but he hadn’t. Second night, she’d cuddled into him, and he’d thought that was the way he wanted to spend every night for the rest of his life. “And we will, Fallon,” he promised himself. “But I’ve got to find a way to convince you that you want it as much as I do.”
Working on that solution was cut short by a phone call, though. It was Neil Ranard, informing him that every available medic in the White Elk Valley was being called out. The lodge on the Little Sister was on fire! Grease fire in the kitchen, spreading.
“Fallon!” James yelled, jumping up from the couch. “Medical emergency! Neil says he needs your help!”
She was down the stairs in a flash, blanket wrapped around her shoulders. “What?” she gasped.
“Fire. Lodge up on the Little Sister. He wants you in the ER, in charge of triage. Wants me in the ER, too.”
Surprisingly, she didn’t protest, didn’t even think about it. Instead, she dropped the blanket to the floor and headed back to the stairs. “Give me three minutes to get ready,” she called back over her shoulder on her way up. James could hear her footsteps pounding on the wooden floorboards upstairs. That was Fallon O’Gara preparing to do what she’d been put on this earth to do—be a nurse. It was a good sound to hear. Gave him hope for other things. Made him glad to know that Fallon wouldn’t turn away when she was needed.
It was a good sign, seeing how the woman he’d come to love so quickly didn’t turn away when she was needed. Except from him. Sadly, she’d found that easy to do.
Fifteen minutes after the initial callout, James and Fallon crashed through the emergency room doors together, shoulder to shoulder, and ran straight into a wall of volunteers and medical personnel alike. People Fallon knew, people who always responded when there was a need. People waiting for her instructions.
“How many doctors do we have?” she asked Emoline Putters, the night clerk in charge of the emergency desk.
“Two, so far. Dr. Galbraith and Dr. Ranard…Gabby.She’s on her way in as soon as Angela Blanchard gets there to look after Bryce. She’ll be on light duty, considering her condition. Walt Graham may be heading into town, too. And Henry Gunther.” A retired obstetrician and a semi-retired anesthesiologist.
“Dr. Eric Ramsey isn’t here?”
Emoline, a tight-faced woman with gray-and brown-streaked hair pulled into a knot at the nape of her neck, shook her head. “He went out with Dr. Neil Ranard. First time back on the rescue for him. Dr. McGinnis went out with him, too. I’ve been trying to locate Dr. Stafford to come in, but so far he isn’t answering his cellphone.”
Fallon spun to face James. “How much experience do you have with treating burns?” she asked. It was a difficult specialty, took stamina. In her opinion, burns were the worst of the worst to tend, and she never assigned anyone to burns unless they had the experience. Some of the doctors who passed through here wouldn’t treat burns unless absolutely forced to.
“I worked in the pediatric side of the burn unit back in Salt Lake City,” he said. “I’m not a burn specialist by a long shot, but I can do the initial assessments and stabilize them. Get them ready to transport to a burn unit.”
“Well,
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