Holy Island Trilogy 02 - Nowhere Man by Sheila Quigley Page B

had no love for the sight of blood, hastily looked away as the man helped Mike to roll over.
    When he lifted Mike’s t-shirt, the paramedic said, ‘Oh. Nasty.’
    ‘What?’ Mike asked, trying to wriggle around to see, but Kristina grabbed his hand and, touching his face, said, ‘No, Mike, please-leave it to them.’
    Frowning, he asked, ‘How bad is it?’
    Smiler held his breath, waiting for the paramedic's answer, begging any God up there who would listen for Mike to be all right.
    ‘Actually,’ the young man said, with a smile, ‘it’s nowhere near as bad as it looks. The bullet's grazed along the side, and made a groove about seven inches long, but it's all surface. It’s the length of it that’s caused so much blood. You’re gonna be fine, mate, once we get you out of here and into the hospital.’
    ‘You always were a lucky bugger,’ Kristina grinned. ‘Did you see who did it, recognise anyone?’
    Gently looking into her eyes, Mike removed Kristina’s hand from his face. Registering the slight momentary hurt in her eyes, he looked quickly away. Kristina was a complication he certainly didn’t need at this time. To be close to him meant danger for everyone concerned.
    ‘No.’
    His tone had been deliberately harsh. He went on in the same manner, while Smiler frowned at him, ‘Neither did I recognise the car, or even see the friggin’ colour, before you ask. It all happened too damn fast, OK?’
    Turning to the paramedic, he said, ‘Lousy headache. Have you got anything for it?’
    ‘We’ll be at the hospital in three minutes, mate. They’ll sort you.’
    ‘I’m not going in.’
    The paramedic swung round to face Kristina and raised his eyebrows in an expression that said, Help me out here.
    Kristina stared at Mike for a moment before saying, ‘You have to go in to the hospital, Mike, you’ve had a nasty bang on your head. It needs looking at. Plus, that wound is still bleeding-you could end up with all sorts of infections if you leave it.’
    ‘I’ll live.’
    ‘You’re just being pig-headed now.’
    ‘She’s right,’ the paramedic nodded.
    ‘Yes, she is,’ Smiler added.
    Mike swung his head to Smiler and glowered at him. ‘Did I ask for your input? Go on get yourself back to London where you belong. You’re nothing but a friggin' nuisance, anyhow.’
    Smiler gasped, as Mike turned away from him.
    As the ambulance came to a stop, Mike jumped up and was at the door before any of them.
    Stepping in front of him, the paramedic said, as the doors were opening, ‘I really do think you need to get that wound looked at, and you need your head seeing to.’
    Katrina couldn’t help but smile. The paramedic, noticing this, realised what he’d said. ‘Oh… I didn’t mean it that way. Sorry.’ Looking away, he grinned to himself.
    ‘Just get me the forms to sign, will you? I’m outta here.’ Ignoring Kristina and Smiler, who both kept insisting that he stayed, he stepped down from the ambulance.
    Having arrived a couple of minutes earlier, Cox was standing at the bottom of the steps and had heard everything.
    ‘You will stay, Mike, and that’s an order!’ Immediately Cox regretted what he’d said. Orders were the wrong way to go with Mike. But he had to follow through. ‘It's in the rule book, Mike-if anything should happen when you’re on duty…  Anyhow, you know all this, don’t you?’
    Mike gritted his teeth. He knew that Cox was right, but he needed to get away now while the trail was still there. He looked down at his shoes, but he was seeing the car, the blue car with the number plate SHE 971.
    ‘OK. But once the check's over, I’m off.’
    Behind him, Smiler heaved a sigh of relief and Katrina put her hand on Mike’s arm. Shaking her hand off, with an impatient gesture, he strode into the hospital.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
    Watching Mike go, Smiler seized the opportunity to quickly visit Aunt May. As he rushed past the cafeteria, he remembered that he’d had nothing at