Page 22 of Tough Justice

“Atta girl.”

Amy raised her hand, pointing to where Thor sat twenty feet away on the grass. “Whose dog is that?”

“Mine.” Deck canted his head in Thor’s direction. “Thor.” The dog trotted over and sat. “Amy, meet Thor. Thor, shake.”

Thor lifted his paw in the air, holding it up until Amy reached out and shook it, revealing a slightly raised red welt near her armpit.

“He’s pretty,” Amy said.

“Amy?” Tori asked. “Were you stung by a bee or a wasp?” She touched her finger to the welt.

Amy pouted. “Uh-huh.”

“Have you been stung by one before?”

“Uh-huh. It hurt.”

“I know it did.” She looked up as an ambulance pulled to a stop. “They’ll make it feel better at the hospital. I promise.”

When the paramedics parked and pulled out a stretcher from the back of the ambulance, Deck carefully picked Amy up and laid her gently on the stretcher.

Tori quickly explained to the paramedics what had happened then unstrapped her BP cuff from Amy’s arm.

“Is my daddy coming with me?” Amy’s eyes teared up, sending a jolt of sympathy through Tori.

“Sorry, kiddo.” Deck squeezed Amy’s hand. “Your daddy and I need to have a little talk first. Where’s your mommy?” He glanced at his prisoner.

“I’ll give you her number,” the father said, breathing easier now that his daughter was conscious and talking. “We’re divorced. She lives two blocks away.”

Deck dialed the number the man gave him then quickly explained what had happened. “She’s on her way.”

Before putting Amy in the ambulance, the EMTs did a quick workup while Tori described the girl’s symptoms and the dosage of the EpiPen.

Less than two minutes later, another car came screeching to a stop on the opposite side of the road, and a young woman jumped out and rushed over. “My baby! My baby!” She stroked Amy’s cheek. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, Mommy.” Amy nodded then pointed to Deck, who stood on the sidewalk, talking into his phone again. “That nice man let me play with his dog. Can I have a dog?”

Tori couldn’t hold back her smile. Children’s priorities were entirely different from that of adults. Amy could have died, but the most important thing that happened to her today was meeting Thor and Deck.

The woman took in all the uniforms standing on the front lawn then glared at Amy’s father. “We will talk about this later.” She walked next to the stretcher as the EMTs rolled it to the ambulance then climbed inside to go with her daughter to the hospital.

Moments later, the ambulance drove slowly down the road.

Tori shook her head. Ironically, the man in handcuffs was dealing in drugs that killed people, but his quick actions had just saved his daughter’s life. This was why she’d become a doctor. She turned to find Deck scowling at her.

“You did good, Doc. I mean, Tori.” His scowl deepened. “Aside from leaving the truck against my orders.”

She pressed her lips together. “If I hadn’t, that little girl could have died.”

“Yeah, I know,” he relented, the irritation on his face easing. A bit, anyway. He pointed a finger at her. “But get back in the truck. We’re not done inside.”

Blood began simmering in her veins. She jabbed a finger right back at him. “Listen, you bossy, arrogant jerk. I am not a child.” Chastising her like she was, let alone in front of his colleagues, was beyond inappropriate.

Without waiting for a response, she collected her bag and got back into the SUV, slamming the door shut none-too-gently. She clenched her fists in her lap. “Ooh, that…that…man.”

That man began speaking to his prisoner. With the window still cracked, she could almost make out the conversation but not quite. Amy’s father nodded in her direction, and Deck turned to stare at her. They talked for a few more minutes before Deck put him in the backseat of one of the other vehicles.

With her anger mellowed enough that she could think straight without wanting to strangle Deck, she made a mental note to check up on Amy later and make sure the family stocked up on EpiPens. She also reluctantly acknowledged that Deck had been really good with the little girl, and shoot…she and Deck made a great team. When they weren’t at each other’s throats.