“I’m okay, I just tore the sutures.”
He waved one of the attendants over. “She needs to go to the hospital quick.”
“Hey Tammy,” said one of the EMTs recognizing her. His partner went down to check on Richard who was laying belly down outside the van and not moving.
“She’s bleeding. She has two cracked ribs, maybe more from the seatbelt.” He gave her a look of disapproval.
Tammy now knew for certain that he knew she wasn’t all that truthful.
The man set a bag beside her. “Hi.” He greeted her again.
Tammy smiled. “Hi Stan.” She knew he was trying to keep her calm by talking to her.
Several police cars pulled up then, including Duncan’s. Right behind them was one of Sulphur Springs fire trucks, they had two, and a fire and rescue. Well, everyone was here now.
“Stay with her.” Lance demanded. He stood up and walked over to Duncan.
“Wouldn’t want to leave and piss him off,” Stan teased, while pulling up her shirt and looking at the wound. He clucked his tongue. “You are an accident waiting to happen.” He put a blood pressure cuff on her and checked the rest of her vital signs.
“It’s superficial.”
“I think I’ll make that call. Why’d you faint?”
“I didn’t.”
“I saw you sway Tammy—syncope.”
She sighed. “My ribs are killing me. I’m in pain. I didn’t want Lance to know.”
“Uh-huh. From the look you got, I suspect he does anyway.” He reached into his bag and drew out a package and opened it. He then retrieved a vial. “I’m putting in a line and giving you a shot of Demerol before we move you. You’ve lost some blood, and your pulse is through the roof.”
“I’m going to need it for the tongue lashing from Lance anyway. I wasn’t honest.”
He turned and looked over his shoulder at Lance. “Is that the fiancé I’ve heard about?”
She nodded and smiled. Only in a small town would rumor spread so quick. The staff at the hospital knew when she ended up in there last week, especially with Lance hovering around. Now the whole town probably knew.
“Nice catch.”
She laughed and winced. Stan clucked his tongue again while he put the IV in and gave her a push of Demerol through it. “Just enough to take the edge off.”
Oh, that worked. He grinned from ear to ear seeing the drug take effect. Her features started to relax.
“Come on Tammy, you should have a c-spine on but since you’ve been up walking around, I think we’ll just get you back to the hospital.” He helped her stand and led her to the ambulance. He made her sit on the stretcher and lay down. Lance appeared at the rear doors still holding the torn shirt over his eye. “Duncan told me I have to get stitches.”
“What about Richard?” She expected him to be angry asking, but instead he looked sympathetic.
He got in the ambulance and sat on the bench alongside Stan who was hooking up the IV to a bag of saline. “I’m sorry Tam. I know you had faith in the man, but he didn’t make it.”
“What?” Oh why was she crying? He tried to kill her.
Lance leaned in and held her. “It’s unfortunate, and I know you want to grieve for him, so you go ahead,” he murmured in her ear.
“Mr. Hartley, you might as well ride along,” Stan said. “Rob and I have to take Tammy in because she dehisced.”
“She what?”
“Stanley!” She really didn’t want him to know. He would give her hell for not letting him know.
