New Species 02 Slade (2 page)

turned her back on him and focused on Sally. “Prep an

OR just in case since we don’t know what we’ll be

dealing with. Get everyone woken up. We’ll have to

cross and match his blood type and I want full panels.

We—”

“Don’t carry doggy blood,” Dennis interrupted.

Trisha whirled around and glowered at him. “I’m

working here. I’m a professional. Do you remember what

that is?”

His smile died. “Don’t speak to me that way. I’m

your boss.”

“You’re only one of them and I’ll go over your head

if you don’t back off me right now,” Trisha threatened.

“Either help or get out of my way. The life flight should

land in under a minute.” She spun on her heel, jogging

toward the outer door. She yelled instructions on her

way outside to scan the sky.

She heard the helicopter before she saw it. Noises

behind her assured that her team moved into place as the

doors whished open and she turned her head, throwing

her arm up as the helicopter lowered. The wind blown

up by the blades made her turn her head even more,

tucking it under her loose white coat sleeve to shield

most of her face. Her gaze fixed on Sally and the other

two medical personnel who had rolled a gurney outside

with them. She hoped she didn’t look as apprehensive as

the other three did. The helicopter touched down.

Only years of experience kept Trisha calm. She

barely glanced at the large, covered bundle being lifted

from the helicopter. She gave her full attention to the

attendant while he yelled out the patient’s vitals and

information. Trisha nodded, listening.

“What’s his name?”

“215.”

Trisha frowned at the life-flight medic. He nodded

vigorously. “It’s all we have. It is what they called him.”

“Thanks.” Trisha pivoted, hurrying after the gurney

being pushed inside. She flashed Cory a glance as she

stormed past him. “Get me more information on him.

Call the police handling that mess, whatever it takes, but

I need to know everything I can about this guy. The only

name they have for him is 215.” She yanked gloves out

her pocket and pulled them on.

“I’m on it,” Cory promised, grabbing up his phone.

Trisha loved working with him. He was a “can do”

kind of guy. He never bitched, never whined about a

thing, and did whatever she asked even if it wasn’t

technically his job. She knew he’d do what he could to

help. She rushed into the exam room and watched as her

team transferred the victim from the gurney onto an

exam bed. She moved to his head and her gloved hands

reached for his face.

“Let’s go,” Trisha ordered. She glanced at the body

being revealed as her team began removing his clothing.

The victim had dirt smeared on his face and body, some

of it dried clumps of mud, making it difficult to make

out his features.

“Look at this,” Sally muttered. “His clothes have

Velcro on the sides instead of seams.”

“Handy,” Pete grunted. “Help me roll him, Ally.

He’s a big son of a bitch.”

“Possible knife wound to the lower back,” Ally

noted. “Four inches at least.” She probed the wound with

her gloved hands. “It isn’t deep.”

“We have some burns on his right shoulder,” Pete

added. “Second degree, so not bad. I think someone

used Taser darts on him. There are small puncture

wounds centered in the affected areas. What kind of

weapon causes burns? I’ve never seen this before.”

Trisha had been feeling his head. “He’s got a lump

but no visible bleeding. Order a CT scan.” She released

him and gripped her mini flashlight. She gently opened

one eyelid, seeing he had beautiful blue eyes. She

flashed her light in each eye, checked responses. Her

relief was instant when his pupils reacted perfectly. She

touched his throat, feeling for anything off. No obvious

broken bones, no swelling, she mentally ticked off the

checklist inside her head. She focused on his mouth next

and pulled apart his lips. And gasped.

Her team froze, all focused on her. Trisha shook

herself from the stunned moment. She stared at the sharp

teeth inside the patient’s mouth. They resembled

vampire fangs. She carefully reached between his full

lips and spread his jaw farther apart to check inside his

mouth and get a look at his airway.

“Are those dog teeth?” Pete’s voice came out shaky.

“Gunshot wound to the left thigh,” Ally announced.

“Through and through.”

“Bleeding?” Trisha released the patient’s mouth.

“Manageable but he’s nicked an artery. The medics

pressure patched it. His blood pressure is stable at the

moment. The fluids they pushed in transit seem to have

helped.”

“Let’s move him to OR as soon as we’re done. Wrap

it up. It should be prepped and waiting for us.”

Trisha ignored the other staff who dashed in and out

of the exam room grabbing samples from the victim. She

had faith in her team and they worked well together.

Mercy Hospital had a reputation of only hiring the best

staff. They carefully rolled the patient onto his side and

searched every inch of his skin.

“Needle marks on his right ass cheek,” Sally noted.

“He isn’t a junky. He would have to be pretty flexible to

reach there and with those guns he has, men aren’t real

flexible.”

“He has a gun?” Trisha yanked her hands away from

the patient. “Where? Be careful.”

Sally laughed for the first time. “Not a real gun.

Guns, Trisha. Don’t you know that means big, buff

muscles? The guy is total beefcake. Didn’t you notice?”

Trisha shook her head, relieved the guy wasn’t

armed. “Let’s get him into the OR and check out that

thigh. It’s still bleeding.” She examined the gunshot

wound. She prodded the holes on each side where the

bullet had gone through.

“Let’s move, people,” Ally ordered.

Trisha headed for the door. “I’ll scrub up.”

She made it to the hallway before she was brought to

a stop where Dr. Jose Roldio blocked her path. He

looked pale. “I have this one, Trisha. Thanks.” He

shoved past her.

Trisha stood there stunned for a few seconds that

Jose had just taken over her patient’s care without her

asking for a consult. She leaped out of the way quickly

though when her team wheeled the unconscious man

from the exam room. She stared at the patient’s face now

that she had time to think, her mind allowing

impressions to register. He had long, thick, brown hair

with blond streaks threaded through it. His eyes had

been unusually colored—dark blue with lighter blue

streaks swirling in the irises, making them really

beautiful. She tore her bloody gloves off and stormed to

a trashcan. It irritated her badly that she wasn’t the one

who’d operate on him.

Trisha found herself back inside the doctor’s lounge

six patients later. She sipped another iced coffee and

tried to cool down. Jose Roldio was one of the leading

trauma surgeons in the country and the patient was

important, newsworthy. It shouldn’t bother her so much

that he’d come running from wherever he’d been to take

over the man’s care but it did. Her shoulders slumped.

She always wanted to follow through with her patients.

The door behind her opened, drawing her attention.

She met the gaze of the devil himself as Dr. Roldio

walked in looking worn out. He nodded at her, moving

for the coffee machine. Trisha twisted in her chair to face

him.

“Did he make it?”

“Yeah. I had to repair an artery but that was the

worst of it. The bleeding wasn’t as bad as we thought.

The vet guy showed up but he was too afraid to touch

our patient. He just took up space inside my operating

room. You saw the patient’s abnormalities. That’s not

from plastic surgery. I checked while he was on my table.

They somehow made that guy. He’s got enough

anomalies that I’m convinced he’s not totally human. Can

you believe this shit? I mean, Jesus.”

“Were we able to match his blood?” That mystery

had bothered Trisha’s thoughts for hours.

“No. We gave him universal plasma and he didn’t

reject it. He’s stable now but I had to send him up to ICU,

considering we have no idea what we’re dealing with.

We got word from the division handling this nightmare

that some of these people are kind of dangerous. We had

to put guards outside his door for his protection and

ours. I guess there are news crews camping at reception

trying to sneak inside too.” Jose slumped into a chair as

he met Trisha’s gaze. “I didn’t mean to step on your toes.

I think you’re a great doctor but this one was over my

head. The big guys were afraid he’d die so they called

me in. The shit is going to hit the fan worldwide over

this.”

Trisha shrugged. “I understand.” She smiled. “It

made me mad at first but I calmed down. It’s your

specialty.”

“I left your name with security.” He smiled back. “I

figured I owed you and thought you might want to look

in on him. I know you always do that with your

patients.”

She sipped her drink. “Why would you have to leave

my name? My hospital badge will be enough to get me

into ICU to check on him.”

“The guy is a medical freak.” Jose sighed. “We’re

having a problem with everyone on staff wanting to

gawk at him. They are worried someone will take

pictures of him to sell to the media too. Someone spread

it around that he’s got vampire teeth.”

“Canine. There’s a difference.”

“Whatever. He’s a freak and the hospital is terrified

of breaking confidentiality. We’ve got a great rep for

protecting our patients. We’ve had to restrict access to

him but you are authorized to check on him.” The doctor

stood. “I have to get home to my wife. We were on our

way to dinner when they paged me and she didn’t take it

well. It’s her birthday.”

“Hit the gift shop to buy her chocolate on your way

out.” Trisha winked. “I’d forgive anything for a few

pounds of that.”

Jose laughed. “My wife isn’t so magnanimous. I

think I need to call a jeweler. Please check on him for me

so I can get some sleep. They’ll page me if needed.” He

saluted her as he left.

* * * * *

and it was time to head home. She thought about her soft

bed and she couldn’t wait to throw herself onto it. She

flashed her badge at the security officer.

“I’m Dr. Trisha Norbit. Dr. Jose Roldio asked me to

check in on a patient of his.”

The guard read his clipboard. “Go on in, Dr. Norbit.

You’re cleared.”

Trisha walked into the ICU and nodded at a nurse

monitoring from the station, someone Trisha had spoken

to a few times. She didn’t know many people who

worked the day shift and there had just been a shift

change. She glanced at the ICU board and knew which

room he’d been assigned immediately. The numbers 215

were written on the board. She turned, going to room

three.

Trisha eased the door open slowly. The man

sprawled on the bed had been cleaned up and his hair

washed. It flowed down over his shoulders and she

couldn’t help but notice the way it looked, as though

streaks of golden sand were running through lines of

wet, darker sand. He looked a lot different without dirt

and mud clumps smeared over him. He was handsome.

He had a very masculine, strong face with beautiful bone

structure.

She reached for his chart to study it. Her gaze lifted

to him again, her attention going to his bare, broad chest

where taped-on leads that connected him to the monitors

marred his skin. She gawked a little at his thick, toned

arms. Guns. She hadn’t heard that term before but he was

extremely muscular. Maybe he is a bodybuilder. Her gaze

lowered to his drug screen panel as she thumbed

through his chart. She looked for any known drugs that

bodybuilders used but he’d tested negative for them. He

was only positive for a well-known sedative.

Trisha returned his chart to the holder and walked