Maddy's Floor (33 page)

Ten minutes later, showered and wrapped in a towel, she stood in front of her bedroom closet.

Drew, bare-chested with his shirt in his hand, walked over to her. He dropped a kiss on her temple. "Are you okay?" Warm, loving concern followed his gaze from her to the tossed room.

She smiled. "Yes. I'm more than okay, but I do have to get moving." Bending down, she collected the lingerie and one stocking on the floor at her feet, and dropped them in the hamper.

"I hope I didn't destroy those last night."

She turned with a silk stocking draped across her arm. "What, these?" She added the stocking to the rest of the items. "They are hardy. Besides," she said with a wicked grin, "I have more."

"Be still my beating heart."

She smirked. She placed one hand on either side of his face and kissed him, long, lovingly and with enough heat to send her pulse skyrocketing. Pulling back, she stared at his flushed skin and the glazed look in his eyes. "Now it's a good morning."

He shuddered and closed his eyes. "That was not fair."

Her laughter filled the room as she dressed quickly, heat still pulsing through her veins. "Tonight, I'll make it up to you."

"Oh, God."

Slipping into navy slacks, she asked, "Did you make coffee?"

"Couldn't find any to make," he replied. He shrugged into his shirt and started to do up the buttons, pausing to study the spot where the last one should have been.

"Do you have time to stop and pick up something on the way?" he said, tucking his shirt in.

She checked the clock and made a face. "No, I'll go straight in and make coffee at my office."

"Great, that gets you coffee. What about breakfast?"

With a cheeky grin, she ran to the kitchen, where she grabbed her purse and keys. She opened the breadbox. "Good thing I remembered these blueberry muffins from Nancy. You take two and I'll take two." She bagged them quickly and handed him his.

"I'm going to see my uncle, so I'll drive you there."

"Perfect, thanks."

At The Haven, he parked in 'visitor parking' and walked in together. While they waited for the elevator, Drew cocked an eyebrow at her. "No sign of the wild woman running up the stairs today?"

She laughed, stepping into the elevator in front of him. Thankfully, they were alone. She punched the buttons for her floor. "No. Wild woman was in full swing last night. She's going to rest up today." A smile played at the corner of her lips.

He eyed her intently. "Rest up for what?"

Just as the doors were about to open, she reached over, kissed him on the corner of the lips and whispered into his ear, "For tonight!"

And walked out of the elevator and into her world.

***

Dr. Lenning shifted slowly into a sitting position in his bed and looked around. He'd been in more than his fair share of hospitals, but he didn't recognize this room. Where was he?

A frown settled between his brows as he stared at the white curtains and standard issue sheets. He smoothed the material between his fingers and made a face. Maddy's floor had much nicer bedding, not to mention the surroundings. This was regular hospital issue.

"Hey, nice to see you awake." A strange nurse walked into his cubicle and pulled the curtains around his bed. She looked down at him, automatically reaching for the blood pressure cuff hanging on the side.

"How long have I been asleep?" he asked, settling back against his pillows. "What happened?"

"You had a heart attack. You're in the hospital side of The Haven." She gave him a bright professional smile that told him nothing. Typical.

"Where's Dr. Maddy?"

The nurse pursed her lips. "She's on her floor. I thought Dr. Cunningham was your physician?"

"I suppose he is." He turned away, staring at the rolling curtain at his side. So it was over. His one and only chance to save his life through Dr. Maddy was gone. The feelings of lost opportunity and sadness inside almost overwhelmed him. He was going to die soon. He'd played the last trump card and now he was out of options. Dr. Maddy hadn't wanted him there. He'd paid to get there in the first place and now, God – if there were a God – was punishing him. Whether it was because of his errant attraction or his attempt to hurt one of His angels, it no longer mattered. The hope of survival that had dangled in front of him these long months had been snatched away, leaving him bereft, lost and alone.

To his horror, tears heated the corners of his eyes. He squeezed them shut, not wanting the nurse to see. He was the doctor; he shouldn't ever be in this position. What was that saying?
Physician, heal thyself?
Well, he'd tried, and look where he was now.

He'd wagered everything on being saved by the one woman he'd tried to destroy – and he'd lost.

"How's the pain level?" A note of concern had entered the nurse's voice.

Shit. She was still there. "It's not too bad. I'm just tired."

"Then rest. You'll be feeling better in no time." With a motherly pat on his shoulder that made his skin crawl with disgust, she left. No nurse would have dared do that to him before.

He hadn't been a broken-down, useless man when he practiced medicine. He'd been a commander at the leading edge of technology. Now he was a lump for nurses to practice their skills with thermometers and blood pressure cuffs.

God, how the mighty had fallen.

Dr. Cunningham came around the still-closed curtains, his tablet in his hand. Adam waited while the doctor tapped away on his tablet. Times had certainly changed in the medical world. He loved technology, and didn't miss paper files or charts, either. Computers and tablets made a doctor's life so much easier.

"So, how's the patient this morning?" He peered over at Adam, his gaze assessing and clear.

"Waiting to die, like yesterday and the day before."

"Well, I don't know where you thought you were yesterday; however, out cold here in ICU is where I found you – not that you're going to stay here. You've stabilized and if this continues overnight, we'll make arrangements to transfer you back."

Back?
Adam opened his eyes and cleared his throat, almost afraid to ask the burning question. "Am I going back to Maddy's floor?"

"I believe so, although we are having some issues with the new wing, so that may take another day or two. If that's the case, we'll put you on a different floor until your room is ready."

Dr. Cunningham starting to write down something on the tablet while Adam watched.

He was afraid to hope, afraid to believe. Desperation and fear warred together. In that moment, he saw the scales of justice as they balanced or didn't balance, regarding his life. He'd been a good doctor, a loyal partner, a fair man. Only he'd been hell on wheels to his colleagues. He'd been toughest on Dr. Maddy.

If he was clearing his chest, then he needed to come clean and tell Maddy the truth. Why he'd done what he done and how he'd changed. He needed to apologize, to ask her forgiveness and ask for her help. He'd been given a second chance and he'd do his damnedest to make the most of it.

Reaching out a shaky hand, he motioned to Dr. Cunningham just as a one of the many nurses came in to speak with him. Adam waited until they were finished. Dr. Cunningham walking closer. "What can I do for you, Adam?"

"Please tell Dr. Maddy that I need to speak with her. I have something I need to tell her. Something urgent."

The nurse bustled around getting the blood pressure cuff ready. Adam shooed her away. He might die today and that would be a shame. Maddy needed to hear what he had to say. "Just a minute – this is important."

She snagged the cuff around his arm regardless and pumped it up. Adam ignored her like she ignored him.

Dr. Cunningham raised his eyebrow. "Sure, no problem. I'll call her down in a minute."

Adam relaxed. Just another few minutes and she'd come to him. "Thank you. Just another moment, then I can tell her," he whispered to himself.

Then he could bare his soul.

And find his salvation.

***

Maddy leaned back in her high-backed office chair and sighed blissfully. At least her wonderful night had given her the energy to tackle anything. Good thing, as her day had been full of minor emergencies and it was only half over. Stefan had checked in to say both Doris and John had peacefully slept the night away in their own beds.

She'd heard nothing from Drew or John all morning, and Nancy had delivered a message that Dr. Lenning wanted to speak with her
now
. Nancy hadn't said it quite that way, but Maddy had gotten the gist of it.

Checking her watch, she considered when to fit in five more minutes. Blowing out a gust of breath, she decided there was no time like the present. Besides, going for a walk would help clear her head.

Maddy stood, straightened her tunic and ran down the stairs. She needed the exercise, only one floor was hardly worth the trouble. Still, the joy she felt at the endorphins rushing through her system told her just how bad her stress levels had been lately.

At the double doors, she put on her polished face, walked into the second-floor ward that led to the attached hospital unit. At the front desk, she asked for directions to Dr. Lenning's location. She frowned as she followed the corridor to a ward. She'd expected him to have a private room, not that there was any guarantee one was available. The hospital was as busy and as overcrowded as the rest of The Haven. Chances are Dr. Lenning was lucky to have any bed.

The ward was busy with nurses and visitors. The privacy curtains were pulled closed around Dr. Lenning's bed.

Standing at the outside edge, she called out, "Dr. Lenning, may I come in?"

No answer. Maddy frowned. Perhaps he'd gone back to sleep. She walked toward his bed, catching a glimpse of the window around the corner. At least he'd be able to see outside. Wards were notorious for lack of privacy and freshness.

There was still no sound. A nurse walked toward her, pushing a medication cart and holding a medication cup in the other. Maddy stepped forward to open the curtain for her. The nurse said, "Thanks, Dr. Maddy. We don't get to see you here—" Complete horror washed over her face and she screamed.

Maddy jumped forward. Dr. Lenning lay on his back, blood pouring from a knife stuck high on his chest.

"Shit."

***

Drew pulled into the parking lot of The Haven. After everything that had happened, he sure as hell hadn't seen this one coming. Maddy had been calm when he'd answered the call and damn near hysterical by the end. His stomach knotted. If she'd been minutes earlier, she might have been the one impaled with a fucking blade.

His hands sweated at the thought. Showing his badge, he swept through the front doors. It was easy to follow the chaos to the group of uniforms clustered outside one room. Noting the detective off to one side, he held up his own badge and motioned toward Maddy. At the detective's nod, Drew walked toward her.

Maddy sat in the hallway on a straight-backed chair, looking like a wilted celery stalk. Her face, pale, shocked. Her eyes round and glistening. His heart went out to her. "Hey, how are you holding up?"

"I've been better." Her smile wobbled. He pulled her into his arms for a comforting hug. He wasn't sure who needed the hug the most. His heart was still pounding, even though he saw she was safe.

"I'm taking you upstairs, then I have to speak with the detectives." He squeezed her gently, ending with a lingering kiss. "I don't want whoever did this to wonder if you'd had an opportunity to speak with Dr. Lenning before he went unconscious."

She shivered. "Nice thought."

Nancy waited for them at the nurses' center. "Maddy, is it true what they're saying? That Dr. Lenning was attacked?"

"Yes, he's in surgery right now. Nancy, who called you to pass on the message?"

"My friend Susie. I've known her for a while. She said Dr. Lenning had asked his doctor to send for you, but she figured he'd be too busy so she contacted me." Nancy shrugged. "She was trying to save the doctor another task and Dr. Lenning had said it was urgent."

"She didn't know what this was about?" Drew stepped in.

With a quick shake of her head, Nancy said, "She didn't say and I didn't ask."

"I'll check with her." Drew smiled, placing a hand in the small of Maddy's back and nudging her toward her office. "Maddy is going to be in her office for a while, keeping a low profile while the police try to sort out this mess."

"Good. I'm glad they're here. The floor's on lockdown, so we'll be fine up here."

Drew nodded. "Then let me out and I'll go see what I can find."

Nancy walked him to the stairwell and unlocked it.

"Make sure you lock up tight," he said.

"We will. You won't be able to get back in without someone's help. And with this mess going on, you'll only be able to go out on the first floor."

The door shut and was locked as he watched. The alarm was reset before he turned to go down the steps to what waited for him there.