“Got it.” Julian went to work.
Logan applied oxygen. Using a forehead thermometer, he said, “104.3” Efficiently, he started an IV.
When Logan’s phone rang, Troy took it off his belt and answered, “Bremen.”
“Troy, it’s Eric. Tell Logan the wound culture came back for a bacteria resistant to the Cefazolin he gave her this morning. Bring her in; we will be waiting.”
Sweat broke out across Troy’s brow.
* * *
Troy and Juliansat in Julian’s office. Ethan Miller, the surgeon medical director, had met them at the health center, and after examination of the wound, he took Gwen into the OR to get a better look.
“Damn, Jule. What the hell?” Troy shook his head.
“You heard Miller. She’s gonna be okay,” Julian said.
“It’s more than that.” Troy looked down. “Tango Team was assigned on the day I was transferred from the Denver hospital to the Chase rehabilitation facility nearby.” He disappeared into a memory.
Beep, beep, beep… The monitor pinged as it sat between his legs on the ambulance stretcher. Everything whirred around him in slow motion. “On, three,” Seth Brady, facility director for the Denver branch, called.
Wes Crockett and Ken Clarke lifted the stretcher inside. Gwen climbed up and pulled the doors closed; her hair, claimed by static and sunshine, made her fly. “Patient secure,” she reported over her comm.
He tried to focus on her. Any touch or movement hurt. It sounded like Wes was calling through a funnel as he directed Gwen’s team leader, “Slow roll.” The ambulance began to move.
Riding backwards made him spin as Gwen’s eyes glued themselves to the medical providers’ faces.Troy’s eyes were heavy from pain medication. When his hand swiped at his oxygen mask, Seth managed to pull it free as Ken got a bucket in front of him. Nauseated, he vomited with a pained cry.
He felt soft hands rub his arm. “Mr. Bremen, guess you drank too much with all those nurses for your goodbye party,” she told him.
His lips, still partially paralyzed from his jaw surgery, managed to turn up. “Thank you.”
“From that day forward, Tango Team was assigned to watch over me.” He clasped his hands. “My jaw and face…the pain was off the charts. The exercises, even opening my mouth an inch made me want to pass out. The therapists tried ice packs, pain meds, acupuncture, and nothing worked. One of the therapists was a bit more sadistic; she pushed.
“One day, Gwen had enough. She strides over, pulls the therapist away and wheels me out of the room. She made the staff get me settled and came back with ice pops. Day after day, she brought me more ice pops.” Troy rubbed his forehead.
“What are you going to do?” Julian leaned closer to his friend.
“What can I do, Jule? She deserves the world. I can’t fulfill a woman.” Troy stood up and walked toward the window as his phone rang. “Bremen.” He listened. “Who are you? What do you want from me?”
Julian circled his hand to keep the call going while he stepped out to call for an immediate trace.
Troy put the call on speaker. “Tell me what you want,” he demanded.
The voice spoke in a metallic tone, “She has a debt to pay. She didn’t follow orders.”
“What debt? What orders?” Troy sat on the corner of his desk.
“You’ll see.” The caller hung up.
Julian shrugged. “They’re working on it.”
Troy’s phone rang again. “Bremen… Yeah… On the way.” He stood. “That was Seton. She’s out of the OR.”
* * *
Troy openedthe door to find Gwen resting against a wedge of pillows. “Hi, I’m so sorry,” she sniffed.Stop saying “I’m sorry.”
He sat on the edge of the bed beside her. “Why are you sorry?”
