Intensive Care by Andersen Jessica

Author:Andersen, Jessica [Andersen, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Suspense
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-03-07T00:37:34+00:00

WHEN RIPLEY REACHED the patients’ wing, the hall outside Janice’s room was crowded with people, most of whom had no business in R-ONC other than nosiness. Ripley snapped, “I want this area cleared of nonessential personnel right now,” and helped a few stragglers along with pointed references to their department heads and the need for heavier workloads if they had spare time to gawk.

She was good at covering her insecurities with a snarl.

That left her with Whistler, Tansy, the two nurses who had been on duty when the patient died, and Belle, who Ripley hardly classified as “essential personnel.”

“Mrs. Cooper was one of yours, wasn’t she, Belle?” The volunteer tended to pick a few favorite patients, like Milo, for special attention. Ripley figured the older woman was lonely, and she tried not to draw too many parallels between Belle and a R-ONC who slept beside her patients’ beds.

“She was a lovely woman, Dr. Davis.” Belle’s fingers fluttered to her throat. “So strong in her faith, and so happy that her daughter was coming to visit with the new baby. She was so happy. So peaceful.”

Ripley thought back to the glow in the new grandmother’s eyes when she’d passed baby pictures around just the previous day. Now she was dead. Ripley bowed her head and murmured, “Thank you, Belle. You can keep going with your duties now.”

Dismissed, Belle left with one last glance at the closed door and the distinctive black-rayed symbol slashing across it.

Radioactive.

“What’s the situation?” The gruff voice came from just behind Ripley, and she forced herself not to react when her heart gave a glad leap in her chest.

“Cage.” She acknowledged him with a nod and felt her face heat when one of his dark eyebrows lifted in a silent, private “hello.”

A quick indrawn breath from her other side alerted Ripley that the exchange had not gone unnoticed, and she shot Tansy an apologetic glance that said, we’ll talk about it later.

Much later. After she and Cage had figured out exactly what it was and what they were going to do about it.

Whistler answered his new boss, “White female, sixty years old, undergoing implant radiation treatment for breast cancer. The patient had a cardiac incident around nine this morning and was unable to be resuscitated. No medical history of heart problems, no known complications.”

Ripley glanced at Whistler. His presentation was as good as any rotating student. She wondered where he’d gone to med school and how he’d ended up a lowly rad tech.

Whether he resented it. Why he’d been at the hospital over the weekend. Twice.

She sucked in a breath and Whistler looked over at her. Their eyes locked, and something hard and mean shifted in his. She took a step back.

“Same sort of contamination?” Cage asked.

Whistler nodded and his eyes went neutral. He turned his back on Ripley and her heart thundered. Had she imagined the moment? She couldn’t be sure. The tech answered, “Yep. Blood rather than surface. This time, though, there are nukes in the IV line and on the injection port.

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