Ryan's Crossing (14 page)

“Got it.”

Ryan tested the car again before crawling in the back window, carefully moving toward the front seat. He pulled the man’s coat open and saw rapid movement in his chest. Okay. So you’re breathing, but it’s fast. What else is wrong with you?

“What’s the situation?” he heard from the road above.

“A paramedic went in the car after the driver who is unconscious,” said Ryan’s helper.

A moment later a fire fighter looked through the back window. “Sir? I’m with Gilbert Fire Station. What do you have?”

“Patient is unconscious with at least one broken leg and a fever,” said Ryan. “Several minor scrapes and a decent laceration on his head, but I’m concerned about a punctured lung.”

“Roger that.” The man turned away from the vehicle. “Let’s get this car secure and that door open!”

Ryan felt the first responders placing additional bracing to the car.

The fire fighter from Gilbert Station handed some items through the back window to Ryan. “Here’s a neck collar for the victim and a coat to protect you while we get this door opened.”

Ryan buckled the neck collar in place around the man and then held the fire coat around the man’s face, letting it fall down along the door to protect them both while the firefighters worked to open the door.

“We’re all set in here,” Ryan yelled behind him.

A second fireman responded to Ryan from the front passenger door. “We’re going to try to pry it open now.”

He heard the man at the back window communicating Ryan’s assessment to the waiting paramedic. In just a moment, the passenger side door was open. Ryan got out of the way while the first responders laid a backboard on the inside roof of the car, then helped support the unconscious man while the seatbelt was cut. The team laid him as gently as they could on the backboard before removing him from the vehicle.

Ryan climbed up the side of the ditch and surveyed the activity. One ambulance was preparing to pull away, while a fireman helped the woman and her baby into a second ambulance that waited for her husband. A wrecker stood by in the distance, ready to move close enough to begin hauling the mangled vehicles away.

“Name’s Donovan,” said the fireman Ryan had been talking to through the back window.

“Griffin,” said Ryan. He shook the man’s hand.

“Good work today. You assigned someplace around here?”

“I’m about to start working for Oregon Health and Science, assigned to the clinic in Crossing.”

Donovan nodded. “You’re welcome at Gilbert Station anytime. Feel free to seek some first aid at the truck.”

Ryan looked at his hands and saw several nicks and spots of blood. His pants had definitely seen better days. “Thanks. We’re not far from Crossing. I think I’ll just head there.”

Ryan strode over to Brittney. Pops had followed her to see the action firsthand.

“Impressive, young man.” Pops turned to look at Brittney. “You should hang onto this one, girl.”

Ryan grinned. “You guys wait here. I’ll go get the car. The wrecker should have the road cleared soon.”

Chapter 20

BRITTNEY WALKED INTO HER MOM’S
kitchen with Ryan and Pops bringing up the rear. “We’re here!”

“Oh, good!” said Faye, getting up from the table. “How is everyone?”

“Do you know how those involved in the accident are doing?” said Frank.

“The worst one was the guy stuck in the car,” said Ryan, going to the sink to wash his hands. “He had a broken leg, probably a concussion, and a punctured lung.”

“That woman had to be fine, the way she was carrying on,” said Pops, shaking his head at the memory.

“You should have seen her before Ryan got the baby out,” said Brittney.

“She was hysterical when I got on the scene,” Ryan agreed.

“Mom, are your first aid supplies in the bathroom? Ryan needs some attention.”

“Yes, in the medicine cabinet,” said Faye, approaching Ryan to see what he needed.

Brittney found some antiseptic wash and gauze pads. Going back to the kitchen, she looked at Ryan. “Come sit on a bar stool.” She went to work on his hands first, then examined the rips in his pants for scrapes, working through the cuts in the material.

“Happy now?” he said as she stood, a look of amusement on his face.

She put the lid back on the antiseptic. “Better. Although when you take those pants off, you should probably use some more of this.”

“Is anyone hungry?” said Faye.

“Yes,” said Ryan, sliding off the bar stool.

“Boy earned his meal today,” said Pops, taking a seat at the table, “crawling in and out of that car.”

“How bad was the accident?” said Frank.

Faye started pulling out sandwich bread and lunch meats. Brittney joined her and began putting together sandwiches. Ryan took his place at the table.

“One car wasn’t too bad, just banged up and sitting in the middle of the road,” said Brittney.

“Other’n was upside down in the ditch,” said Pops. “Boy had to secure it before he could get in it.”

“Secure it?” said Faye, glancing over her shoulder. “How’d you do that?” She put a sandwich on a plate and handed it to Ryan.

“Thanks. You just put jacks in places where it doesn’t have any support,” said Ryan, setting the plate on his placemat. “Lots of onlookers, so a few pulled out their car jacks to help until Fire and Rescue arrived with theirs.”

“I had no idea being a paramedic could be dangerous,” said Faye, obviously impressed.

“It’s not always,” said Ryan dismissively.

“Want something to drink?” asked Faye.

“Water, please,” said Ryan.

“Me, too,” said Pops.

“Sure would be good to have someone like you down here in Crossing,” said Frank meaningfully before taking a bite of his sandwich.

Ryan didn’t say anything. He really wanted Brittney to know his decision before the rest of her family. Pops had surprised him into sharing his plan, but Ryan felt fairly certain the old man would keep that information to himself.

“John is moving down this weekend,” said Faye as she and Brittney passed out the drinks and took their seats at the table. “I believe Allie said that they are expecting him and Micah for dinner tonight.”

“Is that Dr. Williams?” said Ryan before sipping his water.

“Yes,” said Faye. “He hasn’t visited regularly in many years, but Micah is looking forward to him being here.”

“Been thinkin’ myself about moving down here,” said Pops casually.

“Dad?” said Frank, nearly losing his grip on his sandwich.

“You’re leaving Portland?” said Brittney.

“Think it’s time I was closer,” said Pops with a sideways glance toward Ryan. “Fresh air might do me good.”

“Well, that’s certainly something for us to think about,” said Faye.

Brittney pushed back from the table. “I’m going to go put my bag upstairs. Want me to take yours too, Pops?”

Before he could answer, she grabbed both and hurried to her room. Sitting on the bed, her mind spun. Father, I don’t know what to think. Almost everyone will be living here. I don’t see Logan moving back here, but he is on this side of Portland, not too far away. What do I do? Stay at Doernbecher? I don’t know if my heart can take another case like Gracie, but I know it will come. Those sweet children will penetrate my defenses, and I will become emotionally attached to them. And I will lose some. What should I do? So much is changing. Is it time for another change?

She thought of Ryan and how much her heart was getting tangled up in him. She looked forward to his e-mails, and a text in the middle of the day always brought a smile to her face. But he hasn’t said he’s moving. And what if he does take the job, but the hospital doesn’t assign him to Crossing? It would be nice to work with Dr. Williams. But if I move here and then Ryan ends up in Portland… And lest I forget, Ryan has yet to declare his undying love for me…

Brittney sighed and walked over to the dresser. She looked at her anxious reflection in the mirror. “I’m talking myself in circles. I need to have this conversation with Ryan, not myself.”

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and walked back downstairs.

“Brittney!”

Amber waited at the bottom of the stairs for Brittney to descend, and then she enveloped her in a hug.

“Hey, Amber! You’re back! How’s it going?”

“Better than I dreamed,” Amber gushed. “How about you? I was sorry to hear about Grace passing away.”

“Yeah, that was tough. But the kids I’m working with now look good. Joshua especially is responding very well to treatment. I think he’s going to be home in record time if he keeps progressing like he has been.”

“That’s great.”

The door to the mudroom opened, and Peter stepped inside with Ryan. “Look who I found wandering around outside,” said Peter to Amber.

Amber slipped back into the kitchen to give her brother a warm hug. Brittney followed but hung back slightly.

“Apparently he’s turning into quite the local hero,” said Peter.

“Doing what?” Amber asked.

“We ran into a bad car accident coming down this morning. Ryan managed the scene and began triage until fire and rescue got there,” Brittney explained with obvious pride for Ryan’s skills.

“Wow,” said Amber. “I’m impressed. Do Mom and Dad know yet?”

“I was just doing my job.” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. “Not a big deal.”

“Which might have saved one man’s life. Not sure I can boast so much from my job.” Peter clapped Ryan on the shoulder.

“So what’s the plan for tonight?” said Ryan, changing the subject.

“No emergencies,” said Amber decisively.

“I could go for that!” said Brittney. She wrapped her arm around Amber. They strolled into the living room and sat on the couch, leaving Peter and Ryan behind to discuss the repairs to the Mustang from the accident in McWilliam.

“So what’s really going on?” Amber shifted so she was facing Brittney.

“What do you mean?”

“Your mind is on something.”

Brittney laid back and put her head on the back of the couch. She focused on the snowy mountain peaks outside the windows. “Well, one thing is Stephanie Malone.”

“Why is she bugging you?”

“I’m not sure. She irritated me a few weeks back. It was right after Gracie. Ryan and I were going up to see Josh. He got to the front entrance before me, and when I walked in, I saw her fawning all over him.”

“I’m not sure I would have handled that well,” said Amber, clearly remembering her own experiences with Stephanie.

“I didn’t. I never liked her, even before you came along! I sauntered over and gave her the impression that Ryan and I were together. And then I rubbed your marriage in her face.”

Amber pulled both legs up, wrapping her arms around them. “Oh! I would have paid to see that!”

“Yeah, well apparently since then, she’s been snooping around, asking questions about me at work.”

“What kind of questions?”

“The kind that make it seem like she’s trying to get me into trouble.”

“Can she do that?”

“Well, it would probably be hard. She is on the board in her father’s place, but normally for a nurse to get called before the board you have to be having doctor issues. I don’t think my supervisor would give her two minutes, but the HR department? I don’t know.” Brittney sighed deeply and put her hair behind an ear.

“So what else is going on?”

Brittney took a deep breath. She and Amber had talked many hours about all kinds of things, but Amber had usually been the one opening her heart. Not Brittney. “Some friends at worked thought I’d be moving down here soon,” Brittney finally admitted.

Amber’s eyes lit up. “Why would they think that?”

Brittney grabbed the pillow on the couch beside her and hugged it tight. She looked at Amber and watched Amber’s eyes look toward the people still having a conversation in the kitchen.

“Ryan?” said Amber quietly. “Do they think he’s going to take the job in Crossing, and so they expect you to move down here with him?”

Brittney closed her eyes for a moment, unsure of how much of her heart she really wanted to expose to Ryan’s sister.

Amber laid a hand on Brittney’s arm. “Do you like Ryan?”

She looked at Amber. “As a friend? Yes,” she hedged.

“You know what I meant,” Amber said with a hint of impatience and a poke in the arm.

“As more than a friend?” Brittney shrugged self-consciously.“I don’t know.”

“How long have you not known?”

Brittney looked at Amber and answered slowly. “Since about the wedding. I think. Maybe.” Brittney sighed and laid her head on the back of the couch. “I’m doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“It seems like every time I start thinking about life with him, or the possibility of life with him, I start talking in three and four-word sentences. It’s like I can’t put a coherent thought together.”

“Sounds like you get flustered thinking about it.” Amber grinned knowingly.

“Maybe so.” Brittney glanced at her face. “What are you grinning about?”

“We could be double-related soon!”

“Now you’re jumping way ahead.”

“Jumping ahead of what?” said Peter, ambling into the room with Ryan behind him.

Brittney and Amber looked at each other. “Nothing!” they said together, breaking out in giggles.

Chapter 21

A LITTLE BEFORE DINNER, RYAN
pulled Brittney off the couch. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go for a walk.”

They stopped in the kitchen long enough to let Faye know they’d be back soon before grabbing coats from the mudroom and heading out. Brittney picked a well-worn path through the trees that led to the river.

“So, I wanted you to know before it comes out at dinner tonight that I’ve made a decision.”

Brittney walked quietly beside him, seemingly focusing on the trail.

“I turned down the job in McWilliam.”

Brittney stopped in the path and looked at him. “Oh,” she finally said, releasing her breath. “I’m not sure I expected that.”

“Well, in the short-term, the money would have been better, and the experience would have looked great on my resume.” Ryan grabbed her hand and turned her so they could continue down the path.