Strictly Business by Lisa Eugene

them the identification badge she’d fished out of her purse.
    “I’m his doctor and I want him to go to St. Vincent Hospital . It’s about the same distance. I’ll meet you there,” she said.
    The technician hesitated, but evidently deciding the priority was getting the patient to the hospital, scrambled into the back of the ambulance, yelling out new instructions to the driver.
    Wade released the long slow breath that had been trapped in his lungs. He raked his fingers through his already disheveled hair, causing the waves to flow unevenly.
    His head shot up as he remembered something and he quickly scanned the area where Ben’s broken body had lain. The folded note was peeking out from under his discarded blood soaked shirt. He struggled to subdue the tremor in his hand as he picked it up and attempted to unfold it. It was saturated with blood. Whatever was written on it was illegible. The only words he could make out were, ‘Be Careful’ and ‘Dr. Henley’.
    The conflicting emotions swirling through Wade were staggering. He pocketed the note and turned to the sound of the ambulance as it disappeared down the avenue with its siren screaming.
    “I want to know what the hell is going on.” Nina appeared before him, her jaw taut and her green eyes blazing with confusion and anger.
    He spied a uniform cop weaving his way through the crowd towards them and he grabbed Nina’s arm.
    “Let’s get out of here. Let’s go to the hospital.” When she didn’t budge he added, “I’ll explain everything later. I promise.”
     
     
    The waiting room on the second floor of St.Vincent’s hospital was quiet. It was only the loud ticking of a large wall clock that challenged the eerie silence. The florescent lights overhead obliterated shadows and bathed Nina’s skin as she searched for Wade.
    She’d just left him sitting in one of the chairs that formed a row of seats that bisected the room. She’d gone to the bathroom down the hall to rinse the blood that had crusted like a macabre tattoo on her hands and forearms. Her silk halter-top was speckled with blood and the knees of her capris were stained with patches of dirt. This was the least of her worries.
    She and Wade had taken a silent cab ride to the hospital. He’d been visibly distraught by the shooting of the man on the sidewalk , a man he obviously knew and cared for. He’d clasped her hand tightly during the cab ride, his gaze fixed on the road ahead, his brow creased and tense.
    She hadn’t prodded him then for information, instead her heart had ached along with his. The pain in his eyes was too intense and his anguish too raw. As a doctor she understood grief. She’d witnessed it many times. He needed to claw his way out of this initial shock, then he’d be ready to talk.
    She’d sensed it earlier. She’d sensed the change in him as they’d walked to the restaurant. She remembered him in stride beside her and the firm squeeze of his large hand, but she’d sensed that he’d been somewhere far away . A cold shiver vibrated through her as she relived the shooting. She could still hear the echoes of the blood-curdling screams around her. That poor man. Who was he? What was he doing there? What was his connection to Wade? Her heart bucked in her chest as another thought came to mind. Had that bullet been meant for Wade?
    Ben had been taken immediately to the operating room. Nina had spoken to the surgeon briefly who’d told her that the bullet had shattered two of Ben’s ribs and pierced the upper lobe of his right lung, causing it to collapse. The bullet had fortunately missed his major vessels , but had caused so much damage it was impossible to tell at this point if he’d recover. From the information Wade had given the doctors Ben was not in good health to begin with, which made his chances of survival even slimmer.
    She followed the far wall of the room that turned abruptly to form a secluded alcove. The sound of whispered voices floated to her