Breathe Again (2 page)

“Explains a lot. No scientific proof though,” he said.

Skylar dared to hope once more. She knew he would leave any day now. He said he would. He was going to re-enlist for another tour in Afghanistan. There was nothing she could say to stop him, and he wouldn’t even let her try.

Just then, a loud crash was heard from the resus room. Nick dived forward and pulled Skylar down, covering her with his body.

“Quiet.” His voice was a soft whisper above her ear.

She wriggled under his overwhelming weight. The more she fought to loosen his grip, the more he tightened his hold.

“Nick? I need to see what’s happening.”

It took him a moment to realize he was crushing her, another to realize he had overreacted.

Skylar looked up at the fleeting darkness in his gaze. She touched his shoulder, and he immediately brushed it away. “Nick?”

“Go.” His voice cracked.

Torn between the need to be there for him and duty, she sat up.

“I’m okay. I’ll be out in a sec,” he said.

He wasn’t okay, and they both knew it. She knew as well as he did he couldn’t go back to confront demons in a war if he couldn’t confront them now. She swallowed her silent curse. If she hadn’t pushed so hard, he wouldn’t be leaving.

Reluctant to leave him, she heard another bang, which forced her to the next room to see what was happening.

The room was full of teenagers who were dressed as if they had been to a vampire/Justin Bieber-themed Halloween party.

“What the hell is going on here?” Nick came to stand next to her. “You didn't need to hire a full cast to make your point about the moon.”

 “Oh, this is not me,” she said looking around at the chaotic scene, wondering where to start. Looks like a Twilight-themed party.” Skylar didn’t envy the cleaner who had to mop up the glitter dust that morning.

“Does anyone know why these youngsters are here?” Nick looked around for any adults that might have accompanied them.

A few of the boys started pushing each other. Teenage hormones coupled with an alcohol binge would result in chaos in the emergency department, leaving staff and patients in the middle of the mess. Full moon or not, that was the last thing Skye needed for the night.

“Call security,” she whispered to the student nurse standing next to her. Then she glimpsed Nick. Not only had he fully recovered from his lapse with her, but he was now in Marine mode. He screened the area, assessing the greatest risk. As he mobilized his team, he watched the exit and kept his gaze on the patients who were scattered among the teenagers. He was totally in command.

She tugged the corner of her lip into her mouth.
Damn.
The man was the eighth wonder when he needed to be.

While Skye’s attention was on Nick, he was watching the skinny kid with his arm around the scantily dressed girl. She focused on the boy. The kid was wired and antsy. His edgy look was complete with glassy, bloodshot eyes.

A possible threat
.

Not liking the attention Nick was giving the boy, she made her way to the skinny lad, hoping she could diffuse the situation with a little less testosterone than was needed.

She waved away the teenagers from the area, still unsure why they were in the emergency department. None of them looked injured or ill. This could all be a prank gone wrong.

“Is anyone hurt? Can we help one of you?” Skylar watched the teenagers for a reaction.

The sound of the ambulance siren could be heard in the distance, signaling another patient was on the way in. She didn’t have long to sort this out before they had to deal with the emergency on the way in. It was way past midnight, so thankfully it wasn’t their busiest time.

The skinny boy stepped forward. “She needs help. She feels sick. Stomachache. Has been like that for a while now.”

Skylar put her hand out and reached for the girl, Nick automatically walked up to Skye. “Come with me.”

“Uh-uh, she stays with me.” The boy watched them and shook his head.

“Okay, but we can’t help her with you holding on to her,” Skylar said.

The boy paused then took out a knife and stabbed it in the air in front of Skylar. “You,” he pointed to Skylar, “come here and check her out. No one else move.” He let go of the girl, and his gaze was now on Skylar.

Nick took a step forward.

The boy pointed the knife at him. “I wouldn't do that if I was you. You don’t need to be the hero today, man. You and that Marine Corps tat stay where you are, and no one gets hurt.”

Skylar felt her heart thud at his warning. Nick was barely keeping it together, and the fact that the boy recognized him as an ex-Marine because of his tattoo made her squirm with fear. What if they came here as part of a gang initiation? It was rumored that gang violence was on the increase, as was drug use and teenage pregnancy.

Nick’s gaze sought hers, his warning clear, but she couldn’t let it go. The room still had patients and staff. She could handle this.

She put her hands out and walked slowly to the boy. “What's your name? We're all here to help. Tell me what you want. Put that knife away.”

He gave Skylar a smile, smacking his lips. He lurched forward and pulled Skylar toward him with one arm, keeping the knife pointed in Nick’s direction with the other. “Where do you keep your morphine?” The boy tightened his grip on her and cocked his head, as his gaze roamed around the room.

“We don't keep it lying around.” Skylar could feel his skinny hands around her. She’d been taught defense classes but couldn’t remember a thing right now. What if she turned around and kneed him in the groin? Would that work or was it only in the movies?

“You think I don't know that? I know you keep it locked up.” He scratched his temple with the edge of the knife.

Skylar didn't feel fear. She felt numb. Nick was wound up so tight, she knew he’d jump to the rescue the first chance he had. She couldn’t have him do something stupid.

The boy’s breath stank of alcohol. Bile rose up her throat.

He pulled her closer. Put his arm under her breast and squeezed. She winced in pain. Nick took another step closer, but she shook her head.
Hang in there
. Her gaze pleaded with him. He was at war with himself.

His arms flexed at his sides. The rest of the people in the room were frozen. All eyes were on the skinny boy that held her hostage. The teenagers watched the boy with wide-eyed surprise. Skylar wasn’t sure they expected him to get this far.

The boy’s girlfriend stepped forward. “Lenny, you proved your point. You ain’t like those others. Can we go now? The cops will be here any minute. You done it, you proved your point.”

The kid held on tighter, his gaze taking in the girl who had screamed. “Shut up. I can’t think with you screamin’ like that. I said shut up. Let me think a minute.” He swung the knife around. “I’m in control, but I need to think.”

“Lenny, what do you want?” Skylar asked.

He laughed, weak and nervous. It was like a laugh from one of those cheap movies Skylar had seen. Those movies that had the girl go down in the basement, where she would definitely be killed. Skylar closed her eyes. This wasn’t a movie. She wasn’t the dumb blonde who went into the basement to be killed off.

He pulled her into him. The smell of beer made her nauseous. Then he let his tongue run across her cheek. She swallowed, disgusted by the smell. She opened her eyes and met Nick’s gaze. This time, he didn't stop when her gaze clearly said to. But he did when Lenny waved the knife closer to Skylar's throat. She could feel the blade on her skin. It was prickly, sharp. The room was getting hot, and it was getting hard to take in air.

Lenny turned to Nick “You can’t help yourself, can you? There ain’t no war here, man. This ain’t your turf.”

Skylar watched Nick’s jaw clamp shut as he held himself together. If Lenny wasn’t holding her at knifepoint, she’d feel sorry for him. Nick was a doctor, but the Marine Corps didn’t have doctors, so he was a soldier. He’d survived two tours as a Marine, and Lenny was a kid barely out of braces.

His grip tightened as he watched Nick.

Skye’s gaze flicked to the end of the room to where the teens stood. She needed to end this soon. “Does anyone know what he's taken?”

Lenny laughed. “Are you trying to help me, Florence Nightingale?”

Skylar could feel the cold steel against her flesh. His hand was tight around her chest. It made breathing hard. The reassuring glance she sent Nick’s way was waning. One wrong move from Lenny and he’d be at her side. “It doesn’t matter—soon the police will be here.”

He laughed. “What can they do? Nothing. They have never been able to do anything.”

So Lenny had issues. Nick was itching to bring him down.

The ambulance still hadn't arrived, so they had time before the police were called.

“Maybe they can help if you tell me what you need help with,” Skylar tried again.

“Quit talking. I know what you're trying to do. You're distracting me. You want me to be thinking about something else so I don't know what you're doing. I know. I ain't stupid.”

Nick moved closer. “Holding someone hostage in the emergency department is not stupid?”

“Nick.” Skylar couldn't control Nick or what he was saying, but she could try to salvage this situation.

Lenny’s hold was still tight, making it hard to breathe. “Lenny, you know that drugs will not get you out of this situation. I can get you help. I worked with many youth groups in the last few years.”

“You? I don’t think so.” He laughed.

“I know a lot more than you might think.” The mood across the room was getting tense. Security flanked them from both sides. Nick's gaze never left her. She knew he waited for his chance. If the kid let his guard down, even for a second, Nick would swoop in.

Lenny gave a sarcastic laugh, widened his stance as the knife scraped against her skin. “Look at you with your Barbie-straight hair, your army waiting to pounce on me.
Don’t
anyone mess with me.”

His grip tightened. Skylar coughed. Breathing was difficult.

“Loosen your grip. She. Can’t. Breathe.” Nick was struggling.

“How about you stay back?” Lenny pulled harder, not realizing that his actions would be the little thing that would set Nick off.

Skylar met his granite gaze. Lenny’s hold was too tight for her to shake her head or talk. Nothing would have made a difference. Nick was coming at Lenny like a machine. Skylar swallowed and closed her eyes as the grip around her throat tightened. When she opened them, nothing had changed except Lenny was looking around like a scared rat.

She pulled at the bony hand around her throat, but the more she pulled the tighter the hold got. The room spun, and everything played out in slow motion. Nick got closer, but the room darkened. The sounds around her lost volume. She pushed away from Lenny, pulled at his arm, but the grip was too strong. The more she tugged, the tighter the hold got, the darker the room got.

She blinked slowly, held Nick’s gaze, until darkness took over.

*****

Nick Delaney's heart stopped.

Then as though God himself had put his hand into his chest and squeezed out each beat with
every
step he took, a stuttered thud was all he could manage until he stood in front of the skinny kid with an unconscious Skylar in his arms.

“I killed her.” The boy panicked and dropped the knife. He fell to his knees with Skylar in his arms. “I ain’t killed no one before.”

Nick took Skylar from the scared boy, and held her close. The security guards swooped in and took Lenny away.

Nick looked down at Skylar who lay there so still. This couldn’t be real. Her skin was warm against his. He tried to think about the last words he said to her. The words he could never say to her were right there on the tip of his tongue. This couldn’t be real.

He was pushed aside from behind. “Nick, get out of the way.”

Someone took Skylar from him. He didn’t see who.

“Is she allergic to any drugs?” a familiar voice asked.

He looked up at the fifth-year resident and shook his head. No. She wasn’t.