The bullet also appeared to have fragmented from the impact. Fortunately, the pieces had only caused a few minor cuts, but some were deep enough to require stitches. The young man tried to say something, but Holly couldn’t make out his words. “What was that?” She leaned closer, turning her ear to his mouth.
“Holly?” he whispered.
Startled that he knew her name, she looked at his face rather than his injuries. For a moment, memories returned her to the summers when she was sixteen and seventeen, and they hadworked together as youth camp counselors. Zack Jarvie. Her first kiss.
“I didn’t see it coming,” he mumbled, bringing her back to the present. “I’ve known Hank since I was a kid, and heshotme with a rifle.” Zack fumbled to lift his hand as though to touch her face. “Are you an angel? Am I dead?”
Holly clasped it and eased it to his side again. “No, Zack. You’re not dead, and you’ll be good as new in no time.” She glanced up at the doctor, pleading that she wasn’t lying.
“The important thing is your vest did its job.” Dr. Miller wore a pinched expression, his eyes troubled as he signaled for an orderly to take Zack to radiology.
As Holly realized the doctor would know the shooter too, she felt even sicker. Could she not get away from this kind of violence?
Another nurse had checked in. She and Holly were helping a few walk-ins who’d arrived from the council meeting when the second ambulance drove up. Dr. Miller signaled for Holly to join him again in treating the young woman with flaming orange curls that clashed horribly with the red splattered on her clothing and hands.
“Aw, Terk, no,” Dr. Miller said with a groan as he quickly examined her for injuries, besides the one on her forehead covered with a bandage. “Where did all the blood come from?”
Emotion threatened to overwhelm Holly at the pain in his voice. Her experience in Denver had nearly broken her, and she had treated no one she knew. She didn’t know this woman, so why did Holly feel like the grief on the edges of her heart would overwhelm her?
Because Dr. Miller did. Was she an empath or something, unable to separate herself from the surrounding pain?
The doctor carefully removed the bandage from the victim’s forehead and examined the wound. Holly had seen enoughgunshot damage to recognize it there. It looked like the bullet had merely grazed her skin near the hairline, though a scan would be needed to check for a skull fracture or intracranial bleeding.
“Well, we’ll keep radiology plenty busy tonight,” Dr. Miller said grimly.
Before Holly could respond, Kathy entered the ER, her normally olive complexion pale, her face pinched.
“Glad to see you back,” the doctor said, surprisingly matter-of-fact. “I hope that means we’ve seen all the injured.”
“One council member was DOA,” Kathy said, her voice tight. “The other ambulance is bringing another with a gunshot wound. Both are Newcomers. You need to check out the mayor. I think he had a heart attack.”
The intercom blared, “Code Blue. ER Exam Room 3. Code Blue.”
Kathy dashed away. Dr. Miller hurried after her but called over his shoulder, “Holly, see that Terk gets to radiology.”
Holly glanced down at the woman the doctor had called Terk, who lay with her eyes closed, her brows pinched. Holly checked outside the exam room and spotted an orderly returning with Zack.
“Is he finished with radiology?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Will he need surgery?”
“They said no. Just stitches.”
“Good. Return him to Room 2, but then I need you to take this patient to radiology.” Holly pointed to the door.
“Will do.”
Another doctor and a couple more nurses had arrived to help, so Holly went to the ER nurses’ station to see if anyone needed her attention first. She had finished reviewing the information when Dr. Miller spoke behind her.
“Holly, I’m ready for you in Room 2.”
She followed him. Zack lay on the bed with his eyes closed, but at the sound of the door opening, he turned his head toward them, his lids open a slit.
“How bad is it?” Zack asked.
“You have a couple of broken ribs and will need stitches. There are likely some contusions on organs, which isn’t uncommon, so we’ll keep you overnight for observation.”
