Blurred Lines by KD Williamson Read online

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  Table of Contents

  Dedications

  Acknowledgments

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  EXCERPT: Crossing Lines

  About KD Williamson

  Other Books from Ylva Publishing

  The Red Files

  Conflict of Interest

  Driving Me Mad

  All the Little Moments

  Coming from Ylva Publishing

  Crossing Lines

  Collide-O-Scope

  Books in the Series

  Cops and Docs

  Blurred Lines

  Crossing Lines

  (Book #2; Coming Spring 2016)

  Dedications

  To my Michelle—She stuck around all this time, so I must be a pretty okay person…weird but okay.

  To my mother and the rest of my family—I’ve always stuck out, but you fostered my idiosyncrasies.

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to thank the gang at Ylva Publishing for making my transition back into the world of writing almost seamless. Special thanks to Jove Belle who pushed and pushed…and pushed until I was ready to jump over the cliff and be better. Last, but certainly not least, big thanks to my friend and writing buddy, Maria Bennet. Without you kicking me in the ass, this story would have never been what it turned into.

  CHAPTER 1

  Kelli McCabe blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to see through the gray haze that filled her vision. There was a coppery taste in her mouth. Kelli swallowed and realized it was her own blood. She beat down panic and clung to consciousness with both hands. Her own special brand of stubbornness kept the darkness at bay. This wasn’t the first time that trait had served her well, and it sure as fuck wasn’t going to be the last. The sound of gunfire echoed in her ears, but the roar of her own heartbeat took precedence, blocking out everything else. It reminded her that those assholes had failed. She had to live. Pure and simple. It was the best sort of fuck you to send out to the universe and the gunmen who had shot her.

  Gradually, Kelli focused on the medical personnel. They were making too much goddamned noise so she didn’t really have a choice. Two EMTs prodded her at the same time, seemingly everywhere at once. They spoke to her and each other, but Kelli couldn’t understand a word. The one thing she knew for sure was this shit hurt. Pain twisted her insides, and she fought against it. Kelli smacked away the hands that poked at her. “Stop…no fucking touching.” She growled, impressed that she could speak through the crapload of pain.

  “She’s coming out of it,” one of the EMTs said.

  “What’s she saying?”

  “Uh, I think she’s cursing at us.” He paused. “Listen, we’re trying to help you,” he said slowly.

  “Then…stop poking…your fingers in me…shit,” Kelli countered even slower.

  “I know it hurts. You’ve been shot. We’re almost at the hospital.”

  Everything came back to her in a rush of jumbled images. The gray haze turned to blood-red anger, and it left her tired as hell.

  “Travis.” Kelli screamed his name, but all that came out was a raspy whisper.

  “What?” the EMT asked.

  “Travis,” she mumbled, a little louder than before.

  “I think she said Travis, but I’m not sure. She’s fading.”

  “Doesn’t matter. We’re here.”

  The doors to the ambulance opened with a loud creak, drowning out Kelli’s next attempt to speak. They moved her abruptly and jostled her, causing a burst of pain to jolt through her chest. She groaned. Bright light and a tangle of voices flooded her senses, and put her in overload. Kelli flinched. Everything already hurt, and all that other shit was just too much.

  “What do we have?”

  “White female. GSW to the chest and right thigh. Diminished breath sounds. BP is seventy over fifty-five and falling,” a familiar voice answered.

  She had to get them to listen. Kelli’s pain and desperation fueled her. “Travis!” She tried to sit up but was pushed back down.

  “Weak my ass! There is no way she should be awake. Let’s get her to trauma one.”

  An eternity later, Kelli was lifted and moved to a different bed. Pain slapped her in the face. She cried out, “Dammit.”

  “Miss? Can you tell me your name?”

  It was getting harder to breathe, but Kelli held on. The room began to swim, turning the person looking down at her into a blur. “Shit.”

  “Let’s try it again.”

  “Fuck…Kel-li.”

  “Okay, I’m Dr. Rader, Kelli. You’re at Seattle Memorial. We’re trying to take care of you. Is Travis your husband?”

  “Partner.”

  “I’m sure he’s being taken care of,” Dr. Rader said dismissively.

  It pissed her off all over again. “Fuck you. I need to know. Go check on him.”

  “Kelli, I need you to calm down. Let us do our job.”

  Kelli wanted to scream. Why wouldn’t these dumbasses listen to her? She was alive. She knew that because she hurt everywhere, but she had no idea what happened to Travis. “Fuck that. He wasn’t moving. Go fix him.”

  “Kel? Kelli?”

  Kelli turned toward the sound of her name. She blinked, bringing her brother into focus. She couldn’t remember ever feeling that relieved.

  “Sean…Travis…he…”

  Sean moved closer. She wanted to reach out to him. “Let them take care of you. I’ll find out what’s going on with him.”

  “Sir, you can’t be in here. Family—”

  “She’s my sister.” Sean cut him off.

  “Sorry. If you can calm her down…”

  Ignoring the others around her, Kelli concentrated on her brother. “They got him in the back, Sean. He…wasn’t moving. Please—”

  “I’ve got this. Mom’s on her way. I’m sure Bruce will be here soon too.”

  His voice was soft. It soothed her.

  “Just do what they say. I got this,” he repeated.

  Kelli wanted to believe him. A crushing pain fluttered through her chest, making it even harder to breathe. Kelli gasped as everything went dim.

  * * *

  “What do we have?” Dr. Nora Whitmore asked as she entered.

  Dr. Rader stiffened visibly. “Dr. Whitmore, there was no need—”

  “What do we have?” Nora stared at Rader, demanding his cooperation. He remained still and silent as the rest of his team worked diligently. Nora lost her patience. “You can urinate all over your territory later if that’s what you need to do, Dr. Rader. For now, though, I don’t communicate telepathically so…” She paused for a few seconds to give herself a moment to calm down and assess the patient for herself. “GSW to the leg and chest.” She glanced at a nurse. “Breath sounds?”

  “Some, but they are wet and decreasing.”

  “Get her to surgery before she bleeds out,” Dr. Whitmore ordered. “I’m going to go check on our other gunshot victim.”

  Rader nodded as he helped to wheel Kelli from the room.

  Nora glanced at the remaining oc
cupant as she made her exit.

  He followed her. “I’m Kelli’s brother, Sean. I think you were talking about her partner, Gerald Travis Jr. Is he okay?”

  She walked briskly toward the next patient’s room. “I’m not sure who it is, but I’ll know more about his prognosis momentarily.”

  Sean nodded and stepped away as she entered another trauma room. She looked over her shoulder. Sean was still there, looking through the window. This was obviously his friend.

  The heart monitor beeped loudly in concert with the IV pump. The sounds centered Nora and brought her patient’s needs into focus. The cervical collar around his neck inhibited movement to prevent any additional injury. She had taught her residents well.

  “Dr. Simmons should be here momentarily. I’m here to help. Talk to me,” Nora said. The staff looked her way.

  “GSW, probably trauma to the spine, plus significant blood loss. Abdomen is rigid indicating an internal bleed. His extremities aren’t responding to stimulation, and his blood pressure is dropping.” Dr. Fuller, a third-year resident, responded immediately, and Nora was surprised that she was the resident to take lead. Dr. Fuller’s performance had been subpar recently, but Nora approved of her initiative.

  The electrocardiograph whined. The patient’s blood pressure bottomed out, and he went into ventricular fibrillation.

  “He’s coding.”

  “You know what to do.” Nora disliked giving unnecessary direction.

  Dr. Fuller placed the defibrillator pads on his chest.

  The door to the trauma room banged against the wall and the young police officer entered. “Gerry!”

  “Someone escort him out.” Nora maintained her focus. “Twenty joules.”

  “Charging.”

  The defibrillator bleeped in readiness.

  “Clear,” Nora said.

  Infused with electrical current, Gerald Travis arched upward.

  Nora stared at the monitor, mentally ordering it to respond. When it didn’t, she changed tactics. He was her patient. She refused to give up easily and was confident she could stabilize his vitals. “Push an amp of epi and bump it to forty joules.”

  Nora waited patiently for the defibrillator.

  “Clear.”

  The patient was shocked again, and seconds later, his heart returned to a normal sinus rhythm. Perfect. Now, she could focus on the other challenges his battered body faced.

  Nora peeled the defibrillator pads from the patient’s chest.

  “Vitals are stabilizing.” Dr. Fuller stated the obvious.

  The door burst open as Dr. Simmons entered. He bent over slightly as he tried to catch his breath. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Sorry.”

  Instead of responding to his apologies, Nora relayed information on Gerald Travis Jr.

  Dr. Simmons stood, nodded, and asked for forgiveness once more.

  “Get him to an OR.” Nora removed her gloves and stepped to the side.

  Last to leave, Nora walked out behind the gurney. Sean McCabe met her at the door. His police uniform was wrinkled, and he held his hat in a white knuckled grip. He watched as they wheeled his friend down the hall.

  “This is so messed up. It’s hard to see him like this. He’s usually smirking or saying something stupid.” Sean turned toward Nora. “Thank you for what you did in there.”

  Uncomfortable with being praised for doing her job, Nora nodded and chose her words carefully, intent on ending the interaction as soon as possible. “He’s sta—”

  “I know. I get it.” Sean nodded, looking dejected.

  “I’m sorry, officer. I know this is difficult.” Platitudes were easy. She had plenty of them on standby. Nora used them so she would appear to care while still remaining detached. She did her best to comfort the young man, but it was time to move on. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get to a previously scheduled surgery. Another surgeon will be operating on your friend. They’ll contact you as soon as they know more.”

  She nodded stiffly and started down the corridor. This scenario was her least favorite part of being a doctor. She hated not having answers for loved ones. She hated that the most she could do was imitate empathy. Most of all, she hated handing off patient care to another surgeon because of prior obligations. It prevented her from being able to offer assurances about the quality of care a patient would receive. Not that the other surgeons weren’t capable. They were all fine doctors. They just weren’t Nora Whitmore. And she may be a lot of things that weren’t desirable, but she was the best at her job. None of her peers could compete with her success rates.

  As she moved quickly toward the elevator, she justified leaving the officer without the comfort he so clearly needed. Any time she spent consoling him was time taken away from saving lives. That wasn’t a sacrifice she would make.

  “I fucking hate hospitals,” Sean whispered.

  Despite his lowered volume, Nora overheard every word as the elevator doors slid shut.

  CHAPTER 2

  Kelli pushed through her grogginess, and bit by bit, she became more aware.

  The first thing she felt was white-hot pain. It was a shitty way to wake up, but there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

  Second, her nose felt weird. There was a tube forcing air into her nostrils. That moved things even higher on the weird scale, even though it made breathing easier. Some machine hissed in the background. Momentary anxiety grabbed hold of her, but the feeling passed quickly when she figured out that the tubes didn’t reach her throat.

  Third, Kelli did her best to case the environment. She strained to hear over the noise of the hospital equipment, but finally, her mother’s and brother’s voices became clearer. She forced her heavy eyelids to open. The room came in to blurry focus, but she could see people moving around her. When she blinked again, Kelli saw a nurse walking out of the room. The effort to concentrate took just about everything she had. She could barely keep her eyes open. So, she didn’t fight it. This sucked hard. Fuck it. At least she could hear what was going on. That was better than nothing.

  “She doesn’t even look like herself. I’ve never seen her like this.”

  “I know it’s scary, Mom, but she’s here.”

  “I know. You’re right.” Her mother sighed. “Why isn’t Antony here? He should be here.”

  “I tried to call him, but his phone was disconnected,” Sean said.

  “I don’t understand that boy. I’ll never understand him.” Carina sounded tired. More tired than Kelli could remember hearing before.

  “I don’t either, Mom.” Sean sounded almost as weary as their mother.

  A warm, soft hand stroked Kelli’s cheek. It felt good to be touched, especially by her mother. Kelli didn’t allow it often, but if this wasn’t a fucking exception, she didn’t know what was. She leaned into the caress and whispered, “Mom.”

  Her mother sobbed loudly. “Kelli? Baby?”

  Kelli swallowed thickly. Her throat felt like it was lined with glass, but she kept trying. “Mom?” She opened her eyes again and was determined to hang on. It was time for her second wind, whether it wanted to come or not.

  “I’m here Kelli. Sean is too.” Her mother’s fingers tangled with her own.

  “Hey, sis.” Sean grasped the other hand.

  Kelli wanted to cry. Their words rushed over her and settled in deep. She felt clear enough to recognize she was missing something, but didn’t know what exactly. “Travis?” That’s when it hit her. Bone rattling panic. She tried to sit up but the instant jolt of pain cut through her. “Shit.”

  “Whoa, Kelli. Calm down. You gotta calm down.”

  She heard Sean’s words, but they didn’t matter. Kelli had one goal, and it didn’t involve calming down. No matter how crappy she felt, she needed to know about Travis. Sean tried to put his arms around her. She pushed them away. “Travis.” Her brother and mother peered at each other. Warning bells went off like a siren in her head. “Dammit, no.” Kelli managed to whisper. She was a godd
amn lion. Lions roar. And all she could manage was a few words. Pathetic. Getting shot had made her pathetic.

  “They had to take him back to surgery,” Carina said.

  Back to surgery. Yes, Travis was alive, but she was sure nothing good ever came from going back to surgery. Kelli couldn’t stop fear from creeping over her, no matter how much she wanted to beat the shit out of it. To make matters worse, she was stuck here. Too weak. Too broken to do anything to help. She couldn’t even go see him for herself. “Check on him. Please.”

  Sean nodded. Kelli didn’t have to push hard because he was just as worried. Travis was family. She tracked Sean as he made his way out of the room and down the hall. After Sean left, Kelli felt her mother watching her. She turned her head slightly and met her gaze. Carina was upset and her distress was big enough to fill the whole room. It made it even harder for Kelli to breathe.

  Kelli didn’t look away. Her mom’s eyes were filled with worry and relief.

  “You can’t leave me.” Carina gripped Kelli’s hand.

  The weight of the words crashed down on Kelli’s shoulders. Cheating death was a promise she wouldn’t always keep—not in her line of work. She sure as hell was going to try. It was strange to be face to face with her own mortality. The possibility of dying brought up all kinds of emotions that she didn’t want to name. Instead, Kelli pushed the feelings away.

  “I’m fine, Mom. Not going anywhere.” Her words were a lie, but it was a one of the good ones. The kind that made her mother smile.

  It seemed like hours had passed in just a few minutes, and her body started to protest once more. Kelli’s eyelids fluttered as the feeling of weightlessness took over.

  “It’s okay. Don’t fight it. We’ll be here when you wake up.”

  The words washed over her and provided her a sense of safety as she drifted back into sleep.

  * * *

  Nora studied her patient’s peritoneum. There was enough blood filling it to be life threatening no matter how many units were transfused into him. With steady hands and a discerning eye, she searched. This is what she lived for—following clues and solving mysteries.