Okay, that was specific.
“What happened?” I ask.
“Isn’t it obvious?” the shorter one deadpans. “He’s been shot.”
Without visibly rolling my eyes, I yell, “Doctor Mitchell. Tanner. I need a gurney. Gunshot wound to the abdomen.”
Tanner, another nurse, runs over with a gurney and immediately helps maneuver the injured man onto it.
Dr. Mitchell and another nurse join him, and together they move the patient quickly into a trauma room. “Vanessa, get as much information as you can, then get in here,” Dr. Mitchell says.
I turn back to the two men and notice they’re both wearing black suits soaked in blood. There’s no way all of it belongs to one person.
“You heard the doctor. Tell me what happened.”
“We can’t do that,” the taller one responds firmly.
“Then can we start with his name?” I ask.
“His name is Alonso.”
“Alonso what?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“I need to know so we can make sure insurance and medical records are accurate.”
“I’m still not telling you, and you don’t worry about insurance.”
“I don’t care if you’re paying cash,” I say, a sharp edge creeping into my voice. “I still need a last name.”
The two men exchange a look. The taller one, clearly the one in charge, finally speaks. “It’s Antonelli.”
“Alright. Is he allergic to anything, or has he ever had a reaction to anything?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Any major surgeries or recent injuries?”
He hesitates before answering. “No.”
I don’t believe him, but I don’t have time to argue.
“Can I get your names so someone can call you when we have an update?”
“I’m Mateo, and he’s Gabe,” he says, pointing at the shorter guy.
“Okay. That’ll do for now. Someone will let you know when we have more information.”
I turn around to head into the trauma room.
Mateo grabs my arm and turns me back around. I look directly into his green eyes. He looks down at my badge that is clipped to my scrubs.
“Vanessa, you better save him. Or there’ll be hell to pay,” he says quietly.
Okay, not terrifying at all.
“We’ll do our best,” I say, forcing an innocent smile.
