Dodge City, Kansas
Present day
Jessica Delaney sat in the waiting room outside the Operating Room, barely able to move, much less comprehend what had just happened to her brother. “How much longer?” she said to her parents. “He’s been in there for two hours.”
Jessica’s mother blew her nose, while her father sat in silence, squeezing his wife’s hand. “I’m sure they’re doing their best,” he said. “We’ll hear something soon.”
Jessica rose from her chair and walked to the edge of the waiting room to peer down the long hall at the surgery doors to the O.R. She thought of Gregory lying on the table under the lights, a team of masked surgeons working over him. What were his chances? Did anyone ever survive a bullet wound to the chest?
Feeling nauseous all of a sudden, she returned to her chair and sat down. She stared at a framed painting on the wall and wished this day had been different. Gregory didn’t deserve to be lying on that table. He was too young, and such a good person.
At least the gunman was behind bars. The convenience store clerk had noticed the out-of-state license plate just before he called 911.
An orderly in a white uniform walked by pushing a cart stacked with folded blue hospital gowns. Jessica watched him while he steered the cart onto the elevator. When the doors slid shut behind him, she thought of Liam, her fiancée.
Should she call him and tell him they were still waiting for news?
Jessica chewed on a thumbnail and recalled their conversation hours ago, when she’d called him at work....
“Liam, something terrible just happened. Can you come with me to Dodge?”
“When? Now? I’m in a meeting. I can’t just skip out.”
She fought to keep her voice steady. “Gregory’s been shot. He’s on his way to the hospital. I need to go right now, and I’d really like you to come with me.”
He was silent for a moment. “God, Jessica...is he going to be okay?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I need to go now—to be with Mom and Dad.”
“Of course. You should go.”
“Can’t you come?”
She heard him sigh heavily on the other end of the line. “It’s a really bad time, Jess. We’ve got clients coming in tonight. It could be a million-dollar deal. If I’m not there, it might cost me my job — and you don’t know what kind of day it’s been for me.” He began to tell her about the mountain of emails and texts he still had to get through.
Jessica covered her forehead with her hand. She didn’t want to hear the details. Not now.
She interrupted him. “Look, don’t worry about it. I’ll go alone.”
“Let me know how he’s doing. Call me later.”
“Sure.” She hung up without saying goodbye and drove from Topeka to Dodge alone….
The squeak of the surgery doors swinging open pulled Jessica from her thoughts. She stood up to look down the hall again and saw a doctor in O.R. greens walking toward them. His shirt was drenched in sweat. “Mom, Dad…someone’s coming.”
Her parents stood up.
The doctor, who looked to be in his mid-thirties, kept his eyes on Jessica as he walked the length of the hall. A terrible rush of anxiety exploded in her belly as he came to stand before them.
“Mr. and Mrs. Delaney,” he said, “I’m Doctor Jake Spencer.”
He shook her father’s hand, while Jessica put her arm around her mother.
“I’m sorry to tell you this,” the doctor said. “We did everything we could for Gregory, but I’m afraid he didn’t make it.”
Jessica stared blankly at the doctor, who kept his gaze fixed on hers. His eyes filled with empathy, while hers filled with tears.
Her parents said nothing for a moment, then her mother let out a sob. “Please, no.”
The doctor put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Delaney. The wound was deep. The bullet entered his chest and punctured a lung. It lodged in the wall of his aorta. We tried to stop the bleeding and put a graft in place, but it bled too heavily, and we couldn’t stop it. We did all we could do. I massaged his heart to pump it manually, but...I’m very sorry.”
Jessica’s mother leaned into her husband and buried her sobs in his chest. All Jessica could do was stare at the doctor while she listened to her mother’s weeping and the sound of her own blood rushing through her veins. She still couldn’t believe what the doctor was saying.
“Will you be all right?” he asked. His voice was caring. Almost shaky. His green eyes were compassionate and sincere. He reached out and touched her shoulder.
Jessica managed to nod.
“If you need anything or have any questions,” he continued, “you can contact me at any time.” He handed her his card.
“Thank you,” she replied.
He made a move to leave but turned back. He shook his head in frustration. “I’m sorry, Jessica. I did everything in my power to save him. I wish I could have done something to prevent it from happening.”
His expression was tight with strain, as he bowed his head and walked away.
Her grief swelled as she stared after the doctor, until the doors to surgery swung closed behind him. She choked back a sob and turned to embrace her parents.
It wasn’t until many hours later, after they left the hospital and went home to call their friends and relatives, that Jessica wondered how the doctor had known her name.
Chapter One