Nightwatch

Internal Memo: Courage Bay Hospital E.R.

From: Dr. Guy Giroux To: E.R. personnel

After reviewing patient reports from Thursday night, I would like to commend all of you for your hard work and professional expertise during what’s now being billed as the Storm of the Century. Although I was unable to be here because of the storm, I have received nothing but praise and gratitude from the fire and police departments, as well as civilians, on the performance of Courage Bay Hospital’s emergency room staff.

As many of you know by now, one of the patients admitted was my stepdaughter. Heather was given excellent care by the admitting staff, and I know that all of you who dealt with her, especially Dr. Rachel Browne, worked tirelessly on her behalf.

I also want to thank you for the concern you’ve shown me during this time. Because of the extra work due to the storm, as well as my personal situation, schedules will be less flexible and some of you will be asked to cover extra shifts. I appreciate your willingness to do this, and suggest that anyone who finds the commitment onerous should address their concerns directly to me.

As I have always known, our E.R. staff is one of the best in the country.

JO LEIGH

Jo Leigh has written more than forty novels for Harlequin and Silhouette Books since 1994. A triple RITA® Award finalist, she has contributed to many series, most recently Harlequin Blaze.

Jo lives in Utah, where she’s hard at work on her next book. You can chat with her at her Web site, www.joleigh.com. And don’t forget to check out her daily blog!

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the next adventure in the Code Red series. I had a fascinating time with this book, diving deep into the world of medicine and emergency rooms, which was a blast! I talked to a lot of nurses, particularly the terrific Tammy Strickland and Myrna Temte, who made sure I wouldn’t make a fool of myself. Then I got to work with the other authors of the series, which made it too fun. As for the romance, well, let’s just say I was able to use some of my own experience to make it all come alive.

Let me know what you think. I promise I’ll get back to you!

www.joleigh.com

Best,

Jo

To Marsha. Thank you. Again.

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

THE MOMENT Dr. Rachel Browne stepped outside to the emergency bay, the wind and rain slapped her in the face. So hard, in fact, that she had to hold on to the door to keep her balance.

The ambulance had slogged through what was already being called the storm of the century by the media, taking almost fifty minutes for what should have been an eight-minute ride.

The EMTs pushed open the doors, and John Wilkins, one of the E.R. orderlies, ran up to help them pull out the gurney.

Rachel, inadequately dressed in her lab coat, waited just under the overhang, but even so, she was soaked by the time the patient got to her.

“Julie Bell,” the paramedic closest to her shouted over the wind. “Found on her bathroom floor, presumed overdose. No suicide note, but a lot of empty bottles.”

“Any narcotics?” Rachel asked as they hurried into Courage Bay Hospital.

“Not that we saw. She’s lethargic, but arousable. BP’s 110 over 65, pulse 80.”

“Julie,” Rachel said, trying to get a response. “Can you hear me?” She looked back at the paramedic. “How long?”

“Maybe an hour. A friend found her.”

“Where is she?”

“A tree fell on her car—she couldn’t get out.”

Rachel turned back to her patient as they hit trauma two. “Julie, what did you take? What kind of drugs?”

“I picked up everything I could find on the floor,” the paramedic said, handing the bag to John.

They moved her parallel to the E.R. bed, and Amy Sherwood, a first-year resident, and two nurses, Katya and Karen, spaced themselves to make the transfer.

“On three,” Rachel instructed, and they lifted the young woman with practiced ease.

“We’re out of here,” the paramedic said. “It’s a nightmare out there. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Noah building the ark. Man, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Rachel nodded at the man, then turned back to her patient, who’d roused enough to try to sit up.

“Leave me alone,” she said, her voice slurred and wet.

“Lie back, Julie. We’re going to help you, but you need to help us. What kind of drugs did you take?”

“Nothing, let me go.”

“CBC, chem panel, blood and urine tox screen,” Rachel instructed Katya. “We’re going to have to pump her stomach.”

“I’ll get a tube.”

“Wait.” Rachel raised her hand, stopping Katya. “What were the drugs?”

The nurse opened the bag the EMTs had left. “Diazepam, doxepin, amaryl, aspirin.”

“Pulse ox is 96 on 2 liters. I’ll run an EKG. It could be tricyclics.”