Carver got up, thinking hard. “Steadman might be finished; burn consults are fast. You need to get to HQ.”
“Let’s chance it.” Noah brushed himself off from the crumbs and stood back up. Clearly, Jacob Carver had a lot of growing to do before he assumed a more permanent position within CCFD. He’d always been a gamble for Noah. At worst, he would get killed. More likely, he’d end up a solid member of Rescue Alpha, and the best-case scenario…
They crept out and ran directly into Dr. Daniel Steadman in the main ER hallway.
“What are you doing here?” Steadman’s face could have shattered glass, and he turned to Noah with murder in his eyes. “You said he wouldn’t be here anymore!”
The charge nurse came running, but salvation came from an unexpected source.
“Daniel!” the smiling face of Kyra Yates appeared, dressed in her favorite Cleveland Browns jacket. “I hoped I’d see you! It’s been a while.”
“Kyra? Hey.” Steadman softened.
“Don’t mind Carver. He’s getting drilled on mass casualty protocols. Hopefully, some of it takes.” She inserted herself in front of Steadman, and Marianna shoved Carver around a corner, effectively removing him from view. “I have got to see another photo of Jenna.”
Steadman took out his cell phone and turned it on. He showed the face of a three-year-old girl. “There she is, my beauty.”
“She’s giant!” Kyra gushed. “I can’t believe how tiny she used to be.”
“Some days, I can’t believe it myself,” Steadman said and pocketed his phone.
Noah chose to remain silent. Kyra had his back.
“We’ll have to catch up sometime. You, me, Ryan, and Kayla,” Kyra said in the exact type of voice Noah would have used in the same situation. The type he used when he had to voice willingness to consider the amorphous ‘something, sometime’ to be polite.
“Absolutely. I have to meet my residents in other pods. More burns.”
“Don’t I know it. I brought them in,” Kyra said brightly and waited for Steadman to leave.
“Come back out. He’s gone. Thank you, Yates,” Noah said as Carver reappeared.
She dropped her bubbly demeanor, transforming into the no-nonsense professional she was. “Don’t mention it, sir.”
“Sorry about that.” Carver cocked his head in the direction of the other pods.
“It wasn’t for you. It was for the Chief.” Kyra said grumpily. Noah subtly shook his head, and she adjusted course. “I wasn’t fair. If I’ve learned anything since I joined the department, it’s that crappy calls happen. You did well at the nursing home, considering what you had to work with.”
Carver relaxed slightly, and Noah had an inspiration. He asked, “Nursing home scene cleared out?”
“Yes, sir. Should be the last batch now.”
“Good. Where is Medic 15?”
“Dropping off someone in Trauma 3. Their next stop is their firehouse, now that they returned my paramedic.”
“Could you accompany me to HQ and take over EMS management for now? I could use your help. Carver can go back with Medic 15,” Noah said.
“Keeps with the regular two-in, two-out protocol.” She glanced at Carver. “You have your assignment.”
Carver made a break for it, undoubtedly eager to avoid a confrontation with yet another person he had angered in the ER.
“Good.” They walked through the pod, waving to staff who recognized Kyra. The bustle of medical students, nurses, and residents swirled around them, the motion of an overflowing ER. They checked on Williams to see Navarro wheel him away, still asking for ‘Dre.’
Dr. Ryan Yates gave his wife a quick kiss on the hair, despite the setting. Noah felt a pang of almost jealousy. They made it seem so easy to balance his job and hers. It was likely because Noah and Kyra were cut from the same cloth. She was control and order, and, from what Noah knew of Ryan, he thrived on disorder.
Like Erin.
“Hey, kids!” Nurse Marianna passed them two disposable cups of coffee. “Get on the road and stop sending me more patients or I’m barricading the ER doors.”
