Jules hurried toward her friends, “What happened?”
“Her water broke while we were waiting to hear whether the game was going to be played or not,” Carly said. “I think the stress of what happened on the ice triggered it.”
“She started panting after you and Carly went down to be with Harley,” Margot said. “I made the mistake of taking her hand in mine. Boy does she have a grip on her.”
“Eli will be saying that about you in two months,” Simone said.
The ER’s sliding doors slid open again and Wyatt ran through still in his hockey uniform minus the skates and helmet, looking frantic until he spotted Colleen at the front desk. The nurse there directed them to an elevator that would take them to labor and delivery.
“But everyone else will have to stay here. Only mother and father can go,” she said.
Everyone said goodbye and wished the couple good luck before Wyatt pushed Colleen toward the elevator.
“How’s Harley?” Pepper asked.
“Not so good. They won’t tell her anything and they refuse to let her go back to be with Reilly,” Jules explained.
“Then he must be in bad shape,” Pepper said.
“I know, but I didn’t want to let on that’s what I suspected,” Jules said, and they all began to walk toward Harley. They took seats with her and then the ER sliding doors opened again and Don Juan, Jett, and Rookie came in. They’d at least took the time to change out of their hockey gear.
“Where’s Brand and Will?” Carly asked as they approached.
“Commander Burns wanted them to hang back to go over the incident on the ice, since they pushed Dugan away from the scuffle,” Don Juan said. “They’ll be along shortly.”
“And Dugan?” Harley asked.
“He’s giving his statement as well,” Rookie said.
“Do they know why he got into that fight with Reilly?” Harley asked, her voice wobbling with emotion.
“No. We have no idea what that was about,” Jett said. “But it’s been clear at all the practices they don’t get along.”
“But they never got into it before today?” Harley asked.
“Not that I saw,” Jett said.
“Neither did I,” Rookie added.
“Same,” Don Juan said. “But I’m sure Brand and Loverboy will let us know what they’ve learned when they get here. They were the first on the scene and they were talking to Dugan to get him to back away from Reilly after he fell on the ice.”
“My brother is an excellent skater, hockey player. He has been in scuffles on the ice before and not gone down,” Harley said. “What was different about today? Who was that third guy in the fight?”
“Clint Rogers,” Jett said. “He’s Dugan’s new partner. They just started working together this week or so we were told.”
Harley thought about that. Scottie hadn’t mentioned he’d been assigned a new partner. “What happened to his old one?”
Jett, Rookie, and Don Juan shrugged.
Then Don Juan snapped his fingers. “I remember now, Dugan said Chad Bellows got transferred to the 408 out of the blue last week.” He pulled a standalone chair over to join the group and sat down.
“Yea,” Rookie said. “I remember Clint saying how his partner was transferred to the 316 last week too, that is why the Commander put him with Dugan starting this week.”
Harley nodded, as this explained possibly why Scottie hadn’t mentioned this to her. And it wasn’t like it was important in the scheme of them dating. They tried to leave work behind when together and focus on each other. It was hard enoughto get together with their work schedules and keeping their relationship on the downlow. Add in the practice schedules until after the exhibition game and there was not much quality time for them.
A man in a white coat and scrubs pushed through the double doors leading from the triage rooms and went to the nurses’ station. Harley watched as he spoke to them, and one pointed in their direction. Harley drew in a long, silent breath as the man approached hoping it would steady her nerves, it didn’t help.
Unwilling to wait, Harley went to meet him. All conversation behind her stilled as she asked, “Do you have news of my brother? Reilly Flynn.”
