A Love Like This (14 page)

Despite Ellie’s adamant posturing that
Harris was sleeping with a different woman every night, I knew in
my heart he wasn’t. Harris’s sorrow had turned to anger after
multiple attempts to convince Ellie to the contrary failed. Who
could blame the poor guy?

Finally on the tarmac in New York, I pulled
my phone out of my purse and checked it for message from Ryan. I
frowned at the blank screen. That was weird. He had to be really
mad if he hadn’t responded yet. We usually made up within
hours.

“Where you going, miss?” the driver asked as
he loaded my bags in the trunk of his cab. He had olive skin and a
heavy European accent, flashing me a pleasant smile when he held
the back door open. I gave him the address to our apartment and
climbed into the backseat. As we made our way through town, the
radio played as the concrete jungle that was Manhattan, now lit up
and glowing, passed by in a mirage of brilliant colors. I leaned my
head back on the seat and closed my burning eyes. I was exhausted,
even though my internal clock was three hours earlier than the
12:13 my watch showed.

“It’s nice they’re finally playing music.
The past hour’s been nothing but that incident at the other end of
town. What a shame kids have to go all crazy like that.” The old
man readjusted the Yankee’s baseball cap on his head as he shook
it. I barely noticed. I was watching a couple nuzzling each other
on the corner as we waited at a red light.

“Hmmm?” I smiled and looked at the man’s
face in the rearview mirror. “Don’t you have Sirius?”

“In this old hack?” He laughed. “Good thing
I don’t, too. Need to know what’s going on around here. I like
oldies and talk radio. This thing at St. Vincent’s tonight. Stupid
kids,” he huffed gruffly.

I quickly tuned in to what he was saying.
“What?” I asked anxiously. “What about St. Vincent’s?”

I dug the phone out of my purse and pushed
Ryan’s speed dial, holding the phone to my ear at the same time
waiting for the driver’s answer.

“Some gang thing. A shooting, and then a
fight in the Emergency Room. Several people were injured, I think a
few died, and several others injured, from what I hear. I hope they
get those bastards.”

My breath left my body. “Oh, my God!” I
blinked as my eyes started to sting. “When? When was it?” Panic
seized my chest. Ryan was working tonight and maybe that was why he
wasn’t answering his phone!

“Just tonight.”

“Oh, my God! Please take me there! I have to
get down there! Now!”

“It might not be safe, or the cops might not
let anyone in. According to the news, they’ve been deflecting
emergencies to other hospitals.”

“Please! I have to get down there!” I
reached up and urgently grabbed the back of his seat. “Please! My
husband is a first year resident and he was working tonight! I have
to go!” Two tears plopped onto my cheeks and I hastily brushed them
away and returned the unanswered phone to my purse. “Please!”

I was shaking so badly that when I tried to
find Gabriel and Elyse’s number, it fell completely from my hands
and landed with a thud on the floorboards. All I could think about
was getting in touch with someone that knew something. Since Ryan
wasn’t answering his phone, maybe his parents knew something. I
scrambled to pick it up as the driver made a U-turn at a light and
headed toward St. Vincent’s.

“The hospital was unaffected. It was only
the ER.”

“Ryan works in the ER! Please!”

“Okay. But, I doubt they’ll let us in.”

It seemed like years until Elyse picked up
the phone and the time it took the cab driver to navigate through
the Manhattan traffic was excruciating.

“Hello?”

“Oh, thank God! Elyse, have you heard from
Ryan tonight?”

“I haven’t spoken with him since Wednesday.
Why? What’s wrong, Julia?”

“I don’t know. Maybe nothing. Have you
watched the news? Maybe it’s not national news.” I was rambling and
my voice trembled. “There was some sort of gang warfare at the
hospital. I don’t know the details, I just got in from L.A. I’d
hoped you’d know if Ryan was safe.”

I could hear Ryan’s mother audibly gasp on
the other end of the phone. “Oh, no! Gabe! Turn on the news! We’ve
been out to dinner with friends all evening, so I haven’t heard
anything! What do you know?”

“Not much. I’m on my way to the hospital,
now.”

“Julia, is that wise? If it’s dangerous,
Ryan wouldn’t want you to go down there.”

“I have to!” I almost screamed. “I’m sorry,”
my voice was softer now. “I just… I have to make sure he’s okay.
He’s not answering his phone!”

“Ryan never answers his phone at the
hospital, honey.”

“I know, but he should be home now. I tried
his pager, too. I’m…” my voice cracked and I brushed a stray tear
from my cheek. “Oh, God, I’m so scared!”

“Julia, no news is good news.” Elyse tried
to calm me down, but I could hear that her fear echoed my own. “I
won’t believe anything has happened to my son. Just calm down.”

I almost told her two people had been killed
but decided to wait until I knew more. “I’ll call you back when I
know more. I’m just getting to the hospital.”

There were flashing lights from half a dozen
police cars and four news vans at the Emergency entrance. The
parking lot wasn’t blocked off, though, and the lane for ambulances
delivering patients was clear. “I gotta go, Elyse. I love you.”

“You, too, sweetheart. Call us as soon as
you know something.”

“I will.” I hung up the phone and dug out
thirty dollars to give to the cabbie. “Thank you,” I said as I
rushed from the car.

“Miss! What about your bags?”

“I can’t worry about that now!”

“But…” he called after me as I rushed up to
the police officers standing at the entrance.

“Ma’am, are you in need of medical
attention?”

“No.” I was breathless, my chest tight as I
tried to move around the officers. One of them put his hand up and
the other grabbed my arm. “Please, I have to get in there.”

“This is a crime scene. We’re only letting
critical emergency patients through.”

“Please!” I knew the panic showed on my face
as I looked up into the officer’s face. “My husband works here! I
just need to know he’s safe!”

“I’m sorry. No can do. You have to leave,
ma’ am. We have to keep this area clear while the investigators do
their job.”

I stood there ringing my hands, unable or
unwilling to do as he asked. I looked away, trying to stem the
panic and thickening in my throat, but my eyes welled. When I
looked back, his burly face was a watery blur. “Please.” I reached
out and grabbed his arm frantically, my voice shaking. “Are you
married? Wouldn’t you want to know if your wife was safe?”

“I’d want her safe, and I’m sure your
husband wouldn’t want you in the middle of this. We can’t let you
in. We’re just flat feet. We don’t get to make these decisions. I’m
very sorry. You’ll have to leave.”

I could see behind him through the glass
doors. The waiting room was filled with more police milling around,
and one woman was screaming hysterically. Sobbing and falling to
her knees as one of the officers caught her. I closed my eyes.
Please, God.

“You let that woman in! Please! I have to
make sure he’s okay!” I was openly crying, clutching at his arm.
“I’m begging you.”

“She was already in there when it all went
down, ma’am.” The officer put his arm around me and physically
pulled me back toward the cab. The driver, leaning down and over to
look anxiously up through the window watched it all in silence. The
policeman opened the rear passenger door and pushed me inside.
“Take her home. This is no place for her.”

I felt helpless and angry, frustration
threatened to explode in my chest. “This is bullshit! Tell me he’s
okay and I’ll leave!” I screamed at the man as he closed the door
behind me. The cab driver rolled the electric window down and
regret crossed the features of the two officers. “Can’t you at
least do that?”

The one who wasn’t saying much finally
stepped forward. He was shorter with gray hair and gentle features,
sympathy written all over his face.

“What’s his name?” the second policeman
asked.

“Ryan Matthews. He’s a resident.” I put my
hand to cover my mouth as a sob rose up in my chest. My nose was
running. I was a snotty mess and I wiped at the tip of my nose with
the back of my hand and blinked up at him.

“Okay, I’ll go in and find out. We can’t let
you in, but I’ll have someone call you, okay?”

I nodded and dug in my purse for my business
card to quickly hand to the man. “Thank you. My cell number is on
my card.”

“Now, get out of here,” he said with a soft
smile and then turned and walked past the other officer. The glass
doors parted and he disappeared inside. The other officer waved to
the driver and the car started to move away from the entrance.

I closed my eyes, and wiped at my wet
cheeks. “Can you pull around to the front of the hospital,
please?”

I watched through the back window as the cab
pulled out of the driveway.

“He said to take you home. Aren’t you
going?”

“No. I can’t leave until I know. Just take
me around to the front and drop me off, please. I’ll pay you. Can
you take my bags to my apartment?” I gave him the address and a
hundred dollar bill as I got out of the car and ran into the front
entrance as fast as my feet would carry me. I knew my way around
the hospital and hurried through the halls toward the back of the
hospital where the Emergency Room was located. As I got closer,
there were policemen, more staff and several men in suits were
wandering around. The doors were off the hinges and leaning up
against the wall, plaster and debris littered the floor. Two armed
guards put up their hands to stop me. One was a huge black man, and
the other a younger and much smaller white man, both in hospital
security uniforms. I inhaled, ready to fight my way in.

“Sorry.” The big officer crossed his arms in
front of him and shook his head. “No one gets in.”

My head fell back and I gasped as I looked
at the ceiling. My eyes felt swollen and I knew my face was red and
pinched. “I have get in there. Please.” Determination laced my
voice.

He shook his head again and his partner
spoke up. “You got someone in there?” he asked.

“Yes. My husband is a resident. He was
working tonight. I just need to know he’s okay.”

Dark eyes scanned my face and he
frowned.

“Please?”

“What’s his name?”

“Ryan Matthews.”

“Oh, Ryan. He’s a good dude. Julia, right?”
I nodded quickly, a tiny ray of hope beginning to flicker. “He’s
not one of the casualties, but he was injured. We’ll take you
in.”

Ryan was alive. I was relieved, but still
panicked because I didn’t know how badly he was hurt. I wanted to
bolt through the doors, and once we got into the ER, I glanced
around quickly, my eyes desperately seeking those of my husband. I
recognized some of the nurses and Caleb, whose scrubs and lab coat
were covered in blood. He looked up from the clipboard he was
holding, acknowledgment filling his expression. He nodded at the
guards. “I’ve got this. Julia, come with me.”

The officers remained where they were as I
walked beside the other doctor. “Just please tell me he’s
okay.”

“He’s okay. He has a pretty nasty slice on
his shoulder and he’ll be sore, but he’s going to be fine. They’re
stitching him up.”

At that moment, we came to an open doorway
and I saw Ryan, shirtless, with an older woman in a white lab coat,
sewing up his shoulder. He was hunched over with his back to me.
All I could see was the blood. His arm was stained red with it, and
his pants were saturated, his scrub shirt and lab coat were sitting
on the table next to him, all covered in large bloody splotches.
They looked like they’d been used to mop up a murder scene.

“Ryan?” I called softly. His head snapped
around instantly and his eyes met mine. Relief flooded through me.
I was so grateful for the light in those beautiful blue eyes. He
held out his good arm and I rushed to his side, and he wound it
tightly around my waist. I buried my face in the crook of his neck
and clung to him, trying hard not to let the torrent of tears break
free. He smelled like Ryan, but the scent of his cologne and skin
was masked by the salty rank of blood.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were
still in L.A.”

“Oh, my God!” I said, unable to answer.

“This isn’t all my blood, baby,” he soothed.
My hand moved to his face and I kissed his jaw and cheek. “I’m
fine. Really, Jules, I’m okay,” Ryan soothed. His eyes softened at
the fear in my own. When the nurse asked me to wait in the chair
against the wall, Ryan shook his head in refusal, so she continued
working as Ryan held me with his good arm. It felt so good to be
held closely to him, his warm breath reassuring me he was still
alive, rushing over my face and neck. “I’m so glad to see you.” His
arm tightened and his lips found my temple. “You’re all I thought
about. I was so worried I’d never see you again.”

I clutched around him harder, as the dam
burst and I closed my eyes. “Don’t ever say that to me. Ever!”

“I’m okay, babe. You’re stuck with me.”

“Can you go home tonight, or will you have
to be admitted?”

“Pfft! For this little scratch,” he joked,
trying to make me feel better. I knew it was much worse than he was
letting on. It looked deep and would leave an angry scar on his
perfect skin.

“Let’s go home when you’re done. You can
tell me what happened, but I want to get out of here and I need to
call your parents.”

He rolled his eyes. “You called my
parents?”

“You wouldn’t answer my texts!” I exclaimed,
thankful for the amused look on his face.