The Last Stand by Lorhainne Eckhart

Author:Lorhainne Eckhart [Eckhart, Lorhainne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781990590047
Publisher: Lorhainne Eckhart, INC.

Chapter 13

“Where did you find him, again?” asked Doctor Jon Leonard, who Billy Jo realized was the head of the ER.

“A crime scene,” Mark said. “Kept in a bunker, locked, and there were other children.”

She stood right beside him, her hand on the gurney where Jay was sitting in an old shirt. He really needed a bath.

The doctor pressed his stethoscope to Jay’s back and listened. “Take another breath for me, Jay,” he said, then looped the stethoscope around his neck. Betty stepped in and had to slide around Chris and Lisa, who just wouldn’t go away.

“Thanks, Betty,” Leonard said. “I want a full workup on Jay, and I want to get him a gown. How about this, folks? I know you’re all concerned, but it’s getting a little crowded in here. I assure you he’s fine…”

“Not happening,” Billy Jo cut in. “If you want to examine Jay, I’m not leaving.”

“The doctor’s right, Billy Jo,” Lisa said. “Since you’re not officially on call and I am, I’ll stay with him. I’ll find an emergency placement for him.” She already had her cell phone out. Something about this young woman was frustrating the shit out of Billy Jo.

She reached over and pressed a hand to Lisa’s phone. “Can I talk to you a second?

“Okay, folks, how about one of you stays?” Leonard interrupted.

Billy Jo glanced back to Jay, who was taking all of this in, his expression still spooked.

“And I’d like to have a word with you, Chief,” the doctor continued, “and whoever the social worker of record is.”

Billy Jo fisted her hands. “That’s me,” she said, as she had realized Lisa wasn’t going to let it go.

“I’ll stay,” Chris said.

Mark pressed his hand on her lower back and stepped out of the curtained-off area, leaving Chris and Nurse Betty. The doctor stopped just off to the side, close to the desk.

“Look,” he said. “Just a quick examination of the boy tells me he’s been malnourished, and what I’m seeing is evidence of abuse. He’s how old?”

Lisa had pulled her arms over her chest stubbornly. “Five, he said,” she replied. “Can you tell if he’s…you know, been abused in that way?”

Billy Jo had to roll her shoulders, because she suspected as much but didn’t want her head going there.

“With the evidence I’m seeing, it’s likely,” Leonard said. “I’m going to call for a psych to come down, as well. I normally don’t do this, but we could get him checked into the pediatric ward tonight until social services figures out what to do with him.”

“I’ll take him home tonight,” Billy Jo blurted out, then looked over to Mark. “Mark…”

He reached over and slid his hand over her back. “Yes, we’ll take him tonight.”

“No, hang on a second here,” Lisa said. “I’m in charge. We have many qualified families he can be placed with. With all due respect, Billy Jo, there’s a protocol that has to be followed, and I’m not signing off on a boy going home with you.” She was outright challenging her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.