LITMIR.BIZ

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quickly retrieved a first-aid kit from her bathroom vanity. She used scissors to cut off Jack’s sweatshirt, then she examined his wounds closely.

      A purplish line bored its way from near the centre of Jack’s back up across his rib cage, where it disappeared. A small puncture hole in the back of his arm looked black, but the flesh had closed in around the wound and there was little bleeding. Natasha gently raised his arm to expose an exit hole on the opposite side that was still oozing blood.

      “It looks like you were only shot once. I think the bullet reflected off the left side of your rib cage before travelling up through the biceps on your arm. I take it you were bent over at the time or in a prone position?”

      “I tried to make as small a target as possible, while running like hell.”

      “There’s another injury, exposing part of your left shoulder blade. You were slashed with a knife.”

      “That happened first. I didn’t really feel it much then, but I do now.”

      “So it’s not too serious? He’s going to be okay?” asked Danny, sounding hopeful.

      “Have you been coughing up or spitting up blood?” she asked, ignoring Danny.

      “No, but it hurts like hell to talk. Even breathing causes pain.”

      “You should be x-rayed. I’m sure you’ve got some fractured ribs. The humerus, too, but it’s your ribs I’m concerned with. A fractured rib could puncture your lung. The slice across your shoulder blade is going to require quite a few stitches. How long has it been since it happened?”

      “About half an hour,” replied Danny. “It was a policeman who did this?” asked Natasha, as she cleaned the wounds in preparation for the dressings.

      “Not exactly,” replied Jack. “I set up a couple of City narcs to think I was an informant. Three bikers tried to kill me, thinking I was an informant. They don’t know I’m a cop. Someone is leaking information. Could be one of the narcs, or maybe a secretary in their office. They were also dealing with our Homicide Unit, so it could be someone out of our building.”

      “You should be taken in and x-rayed.”

      “No. The guys who did this belong to a big organization. They’ll have every hospital and clinic covered. Even if they don’t finish the job, we’d never find out who’s behind the leak. If you will just patch me up, I’ll be on my way.”

      “I have to report all gunshot wounds to the police.”

      “Now you decide to talk to the police!” said Danny angrily.

      “You didn’t let me finish, Danny. You’re a policeman, so consider yourself informed. I won’t inform anyone else, providing Jack stays here where I can keep an eye on him for a few days. If his condition worsens, I will call an ambulance,” she said firmly.

      “I can’t do that to you. I’m sure I’ll be fine once I —”

      “You’re not going anywhere until I say so! I’ll sleep on the sofa and you’ll use my room. I’m going to start you on antibiotics. Have you had a tetanus shot within the last ten years?”

      “Uh, no, I guess I haven’t.”

      “I’ll go to the clinic and pick up what I need. Danny, I want you to hold this compress tight to his back until I return.”

      “These people are really dangerous,” said Jack. “We can’t trust anyone. I probably shouldn’t even be here. I think I should leave as soon as —”

      “You’ll leave when I tell you to! Tomorrow is my day off. We’ll see how you are then.”

      “I think you should listen to her,” said Danny. “It’s not safe for you to go home like this.”

      Jack moved slightly, and the pain caused him to clench his teeth. “Perhaps you’re right. I don’t feel like travelling very far tonight. Sorry, Natasha. I’m sure that being a doctor on your day off wasn’t what you had in mind. Be careful. We don’t know who we can trust.”

      “You said they were bikers?”

      “Satans Wrath.”

      Natasha arrived at her clinic twenty minutes later. She walked past a car in the parking lot parked near the front entrance. Two men were inside. The driver was drumming the steering wheel with a nervous energy. Natasha noticed the numerous rings across their fingers. Oh, shit!

      She found a plastic bag in her office left over from buying a new pair of shoes. She filled it with what she needed, but her mind was still on the two men outside. She took a scalpel and held it in her jacket pocket as she walked to the car. She needn’t have worried. The two men paid her little attention and continued to stare at the front door of the clinic. She drove away from the clinic and breathed a sigh of relief when the other car remained where it was.

      It was three o’clock in the morning when Natasha ushered Danny out the door.

      “Don’t worry about him. I’m sure he’ll be fine,” whispered Natasha. “I gave him some medication to ease the pain and help him sleep. Say hello to Susan.”

      Danny nodded solemnly and said, “I’ll drop back around noon to see how he’s doing. And Natasha … thank you!”

      It was noon when Jack woke up to the aroma of fresh coffee. He groaned as he eased over to the edge of the bed and put his feet on the floor.

      “How’s my star patient this morning?”

      Natasha stood in the doorway. She was backlit by a beam of sunlight.

      “I hurt!”

      “Pain is a common consequence of being shot and stabbed. Does this happen often?”

      “No, I just thought it would make a good excuse to see you again.”

      “Next time try phoning and inviting me out. It’s easier.”

      “Thanks for the suggestion.” Jack saw a clock in the bedroom and said, “Hey, it’s late! I can’t believe I slept this long. Especially with this sling on my arm.”

      “The medication helped you sleep. You needed to.”

      “Well, at least I’m not spitting up blood, so my lungs must be okay. If I can borrow your phone, I’ll have Danny drop by and pick me up.”

      “You’re not out of the woods yet, buster! Infection could still set in, or a fractured rib or bone fragments could still cause serious problems.”

      “Well, I’ll take it easy and I’m sure I’ll be —”

      “First thing I want you to do is get in the tub and I’ll give you a sponge bath. Then we’ll take a look and change those dressings again. Your sweatshirt has had it, but I’ll wash the rest of your clothes while you’re soaking in the bath.”

      “That’s not necessary. I’ll phone Danny and then —”

      “Just do it and quit giving me a hard time!”

      “Some bedside manner you have! Are you this rude with all your patients?”

      “Only those patients who think they know more than the doctor.”

      Jack eased the sling off his left arm but gripped his right shoulder with his fingers as he stepped into the warm bath. Moments later, Natasha entered and used a sponge to gently wash his back. Jack hunched forward in the water, hoping not to embarrass himself, or if he did, to make sure that Natasha didn’t notice.

      “Sit up straight, I’ll wash your front,” she said.

      “No! That part I can do myself!”

      Natasha seemed amused. “An undercover cop who’s bashful. Interesting. Okay, soak in here for a while and I’ll wash your clothes.”

      Jack

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