When the unit secretary paged me for a phone call, I assumed it was the lab calling with the results I was waiting on for one of my patients. So, I was caught off guard when Dice’s voice filled my ear.
“Hey, Presley. It’s Dice. Is Ariel with you by chance?” he asked urgently.
“No,” I said as my heart started to pound in my chest. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know the details, but she called Ink for help with a flat tire. That was about two hours ago. The police just called Phoenix saying they found his truck on the side of the road with another car, presumably Ariel’s,” he said and paused.
“What else?” I demanded.
“There was a lot of blood on the ground. I’m sorry, they just called, so I don’t know anything else, but if that was Ariel’s car, I expect the police will be contacting you any minute now. Jake’s been trying to call Ariel, and she’s not answering her phone either.”
I braced my hand against the counter to steady myself. It felt like the whole world was caving in around me, and I found it hard to breathe.
I’m not sure how much time had passed when I finally realized someone was calling my name. “Presley!” Jennifer demanded.
I blinked a few times, and her face came into focus. “I have to go,” I managed to say. “My daughter is missing.”
“I know,” she said sympathetically. “But I can’t let you leave?—”
“You have to!” I insisted. I didn’t care if they fired me. I didn’t care if I lost my nursing license. My daughter and my man were missing, and I was leaving to find them.
“That’s not what I meant,” she said calmly. “You’re in no state to drive. I spoke to your friend on the phone. He’s sending someone to pick you up. You can leave as soon as they get here.”
“He said the police might come to speak to me,” I said as tears ran down my cheeks. “I need to be out there looking for my baby. There’s nothing I can tell them that will help find her.”
“Clock out,” she said firmly.
“What?”
“Clock out. If you’re not on the clock, you’re not working, and that’s all I have to tell them.”
“Thank you,” I breathed and clocked out.
“Let’s go to the locker room. You can give me report on your patients while you get your stuff together.”
Inhaling deeply, I pulled myself together long enough to tell her about my patients. I was almost finished when Elizabeth walked into the locker room. “The police are here,” she said quietly. “They’re at the front desk asking for Presley.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Jennifer said and turned back to me. “We need to figure out who is coming to get you so we can have them pick you up out back by the dumpsters.”
Before I could respond, the door opened again and Tonya stepped inside. “There’s a woman at the front asking for the charge nurse. She’s very insistent and seems a little frantic.”
“I bet that’s my ride,” I said.
“Got it,” Jennifer said. “Elizabeth, talk to the police. Tell them Presley had a family emergency and isn’t working. Be careful not to say she isn’t here. Say she isn’t working. I’ll talk to the other lady and join you when I’m finished. Tonya, walk Presley to the back door.”
“Thank you,” I said again and quickly hugged Jennifer.
“You’re welcome. Go find your girl and let us know when you do.”
A few minutes later, a black SUV came to a stop beside the dumpsters. The window rolled down, revealing Ember behind the wheel. “You ready?”
“Yes!” I shouted and darted forward. “Thanks, Tonya,” I called over my shoulder.
“Keep us posted!”
“I will,” I promised as I hopped into Ember’s vehicle.
She stomped on the gas before I was fully seated, throwing me back in the seat. “Sorry,” she said.
