“Okay.” Patty blinked. “How can I help you?”
“Do you remember him at all, Max and his grandmother? She was in her nineties, very nice, and he’s a seventeen-year-old boy. He’s the one you saw on the news last night.”
“No way. He was here?” Patty’s eyes widened. “Do you know which room she was in? My patients are usually on this hallway. We’ve been shorthanded since Sheila went on maternity leave, so I keep close to the station because I cover the phones.”
“Dr. Brexler was the grandmother’s treating physician, but I know he’s gone for the day.” Eric remembered the other names of the people on the treatment team. “The resident was Sara Stone. Is she around?”
“She left for the day, too.”
“The nurse assigned was Caleb Martieki.”
“Caleb’s out sick today.”
“The social worker was Martha Girandole.”
“She’s on vacation. She’s due back on Monday.”
“Hmm,” Eric said, temporarily stumped. He felt the disapproving eyes of the other nurse on him. “I guess I can get their cell phones from you, but here’s my problem. When I look at the file, Dr. Brexler made notes that Max was depressed and needed a consult from psychiatry, but I never got a call for a consult. Do you know what happened?”
“No, I don’t. A consult on a visitor, not a patient? That would be kind of unusual.”
“Yes, it would. That’s why I think somebody would remember it or there would be a note in the file. Do you think anybody else on the floor would know?”
“I know,” the other nurse interjected, her tone chilly. She looked middle-aged, with her dark hair cut in a no-nonsense short style and a slim build, like a runner. Her employee ID lanyard read Nancy, and she folded her arms as she spoke. “They were in 308, on the other side. I don’t remember the boy, but I remember the grandmother.”
“Oh good.”
“I think there was a psych consult. I heard that someone came down from Wright. I thought it was for the grandmother, but it could’ve been for the grandson.”
“There was a psych consult?” Eric repeated, surprised. “Who came down?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t here. I remember the boy visited at night. I only saw him once, when I was on my way out.”
“But all my people know that they have to make a note in the file, regarding any consultation. Even if Max wasn’t technically the patient, it should’ve been in Virginia’s file.”
Nancy frowned. “Dr. Parrish, why are you asking us these questions? You’re not supposed to be in the hospital. We got an alert about you. We’re supposed to call security if we see you on campus.”
Patty recoiled. “Really?”
“Please, don’t, but this is important.” Eric turned to Patty. “Patty, do you have Dr. Brexler’s cell phone handy?”
“Well, uh, sure, it’s 610—”
“Patty, don’t tell him,” Nancy interrupted. “Dr. Parrish, you’re putting us in a terrible position. We shouldn’t even be talking to you, much less giving you patient information. I don’t feel comfortable with this. I’m going to call security.”
“No, please, don’t.” Eric edged away, as Nancy picked up the phone.
“Hello, Operator? Can you connect me to security?”
But Eric was already on the run, heading for Wright.
Chapter Fifty-eight
Eric ran down the hallway, burst into the stairwell, and climbed the stairs as fast as he could. He was running out of time. Security could predict where he was heading, especially if Julia from IT had called them, followed by Nancy. He had to get to the psych unit ahead of them. He didn’t know if he’d get another chance, and an urgency he couldn’t parse drove him. He didn’t understand what was going on, but he had a bad feeling.
He put two-and-two together, hurrying up the stairs. If a psych consult for Max had taken place but wasn’t in the file, then somebody could have accessed the file to delete the reference. Eric didn’t know why one of his people would hide the fact that they’d been consulted for Max, but he was going to find out. He reached the fourth-floor landing, and suddenly a fire alarm went off. The earsplitting siren reverberated in the concrete stairwell.
Eric’s brain defaulted into Chief mode, ticking off the procedures during a fire alarm, which affected the psych unit differently from other services. When a fire alarm went off, they were to listen to its location on the loudspeaker. If the alarm area was away from the psych unit, they did nothing except wait for an all-clear. Patients weren’t evacuated from the psych unit, even for a drill, because of their tenuous mental states or their dangerousness, unless the fire took place on the unit itself. An HGH fire team responded to every pulled fire alarm with extinguishers and called the fire department if there was an actual fire.
The loudspeaker blared, “Code Red, Wright Wing. Code Red, Wright Wing.”
Eric felt his heart seize at the words. They meant there was a fire on the psych unit. He raced up the stairs, mentally rehearsing the procedure, which he’d been through only one time. In the event of a fire on his unit, it would be all hands on deck, every staff member utilized to evacuate patients and minimize upset to them. The staff would release any restrained patients from their beds and put them in soft restraints that held their arms around their waists. A staff member would be assigned to accompany any patient in soft restraints and make sure he didn’t harm himself or anybody else during the evacuation. Eric prayed the only patient under restraint was Perino.
The loudspeaker kept blaring, “Code Red, Wright Wing. Code Red, Wright Wing.”
Eric reached the fifth floor, flew through the door, and tried to see what was going on at the unit, but employees from other services congested the hallway, talking excitedly. The air smelled like something burning. A silty blackness was beginning to filter through the air. The ceiling sprinklers would probably turn on any minute. The HGH fire team would arrive with extinguishers.
“Everybody!” Eric forced his way through the crowd. “Please get back to your work area! You need to make room for the fire team!”
“Hey, it’s Dr. Parrish!” somebody called back, and the crowd burst into chatter. “We saw you at the mall last night!” “Dr. Parrish!” “We’re here to help!” “Tell us what to do!” “Can we help, Dr. Parrish?”
“I know you’re trying to help, but please get back! This is too dangerous, get back!”
Eric felt relieved to see nurses and patients from his unit, looking dazed and wet, already evacuated into the hallway, off to the side. He acknowledged them with a quick nod, then threaded his way to the door. Inside the psych unit, smoke clouded the air with blackish haze. Ceiling sprinklers in the entrance hall had switched on, spraying water.
“Amaka!” Eric called, as she was coming out of the airlock, escorting an anxious Mrs. Jelik through the exterior door. Tina was on their heels with Mr. Jacobs, an aging depressive who looked dazed and frightened.
“Eric, thank God!” Amaka cried, her nerves under shaky control. “We didn’t wait for the alarm. Sam ordered everybody to evacuate. I don’t know where Jack is. David’s trying to put out the fire, it’s in the kitchen. God knows how it started.”
“Okay, just keep going, get everybody out of the unit.” Eric helped Amaka and Mrs. Jelik into the hallway, then Tina and Mr. Jacobs. “Brief me. You’re evacuating patients from the north side?”
“Yes, we’re almost finished.”
“Great job.” Eric knew that most of the unit’s patients were on the north hallway, while the south contained conference rooms, the offices, the kitchen, and the smoking patio, with one patient room reserved for belligerent or dangerous patients like Perino. “What about Perino? Is Sam getting him into soft restraints?”
“Yes, I think so, but I was on the north side, so I don’t know for sure.”
“Nobody else is in restraints, right? Nobody new came in while I was away, did they?”
“No.”
“Okay, go. S
ee you later!” Eric hurried into the unit. Cold water poured from the ceiling like rain. The staff hustled remaining patients to the exit, their hair and clothes drenched, some rolling IV bags. “Great job, everybody! Who’s left inside?”
“This is the last of ’em!” one of the nurses called back, smiling gamely despite her dripping hair. “Everybody’s out but Perino!”
Eric hurried into the south hallway, asking another nurse, “Where’s Sam and Perino?”
“Perino’s room!” she answered, coughing.
“What about David and Jack?”
“David’s in the kitchen, putting out the fire!” shouted another nurse behind her, escorting Leah Barry, The Ghost. “I don’t know where Jack is!”
Eric darted down the south hallway. Smoke billowed from the kitchen on the left side of the hall, filling the corridor in front of his office. Orange flames raged from the microwave and trash, but Jack and David were nowhere in sight. Eric’s office door was open, which was odd, and he looked inside. He could barely see anything for the water raining on the thickening smoke. He thought he heard a strange gurgling noise near his desk.
He ducked inside to see what it was, but the sight was so shocking and horrific it took a moment to register. Kristine was lying on the rug, her throat cut open, grotesquely. She was still alive, her gaze moving sightlessly around the room. Blood geysered from the gash on her neck, soaking her chest and shoulders. Blood bubbled from her mouth. Water poured onto her face and body. Her hands lay at her sides.
Eric rushed to Kristine and knelt at her side. Instinctively he covered her wound with his left hand, trying to stop the flow of blood, while he got his phone with his right hand, and pressed Redial to call Laurie directly. “Laurie!” he said, as soon he heard a click. “Get up to my unit! I got a kid with her throat cut.”
“Oh my God! Cover the wound with your hand! We’re on our way!”
“Hurry!” Eric hung up the phone, tossed it aside, and used both hands to cover Kristine’s neck wound, leaning over her. Her warm lifeblood filled his palms. He could feel her pulse, only faintly. Eric didn’t know how this had happened or who had done it. He was reeling, stunned. It had to be Perino.
“Eric…?” Kristine whispered faintly.
“Yes, it’s Eric. Hang in there. Help is on the way.” Eric could feel air rushing through her windpipe and her blood bubbling against his palm.
“I’m sorry … what I did to you…”
“It’s okay, Kristine, it’s okay.” Eric knew she meant the harassment claim, but that didn’t matter anymore. Her lifeblood leaked through his very fingers. He could feel her breath wetly against his palm, with every syllable she spoke.
“He’s … evil…”
“Who’s evil? Who did this? Perino?” Eric leaned close to her mouth to hear her answer.
But in the next moment, he felt a stunning blow to the back of his head. Pain arced through his skull.
And the world went black.
Chapter Fifty-nine
Eric woke up on his back, being dragged quickly by his feet, sliding along the wet floor of the hallway. He struggled to think, foggy from the head blow. Smoke billowed everywhere. Water poured on his face. He coughed and sputtered. He couldn’t stay conscious long enough to see who was dragging him. It had to be Perino. Oddly, his head didn’t hurt.
Eric didn’t know where Sam, David, or Jack were. Kristine would bleed to death. He didn’t know what was going on. Somebody was dragging him away, fast. He couldn’t remain conscious. He felt snowed under, as if he’d been drugged. If it was a drug, he’d been injected with it. Perino couldn’t do that.
Eric felt a bolt of terror. It had to be one of his own people. He tried to fight back, save himself. Tried to struggle, get up, or run away, but he couldn’t. He was too weak. He heard the HGH fire team shouting at the other end of the hall. The floor vibrated with their footsteps. They wouldn’t see him this far, past the smoke. They’d stop at the kitchen and put out the fire.
Eric was dragged past Perino’s room and heard him sobbing, “Please, untie me. Untie me, I can’t breathe.”
Suddenly, Perino’s door closed. The man dragging Eric called out, “All clear back here! Everybody’s evacuated back here!”
Eric felt shocked, despite the drug haze. The voice was Sam’s. Eric struggled to put the pieces together. Sam was the one who had hit him. Sam was the one who had killed Kristine. Sam was dragging him out to the patio. Sam was going to kill him.
Eric felt a whoosh of warm fresh air. The patio door opened as he was pulled outside. He felt sun on his face. Warm wind whirled around him. The patio was a concrete balcony, surrounded by a wall, four feet high.
Eric tried to twist away but couldn’t. He opened his eyes but couldn’t stay conscious. His back scraped against the rough concrete as he was dragged to the wall. His brain struggled to function.
Sam had killed Kristine in his office. Sam was framing him for her murder, the motive would have been revenge for the harassment claim. Sam was taking him to the wall. Sam was going to throw him off the building. Sam was going to make it look like he’d committed suicide. The HGH fire team wouldn’t see them until it was too late.
“Sam … why?” Eric could barely speak. Terror crept over him. He tried to save himself but couldn’t control his limbs. His head bumped against the wall.
“I’m sick of being your bitch. I want to be Chief and I don’t want to wait. I want the Pharmacy Review Board. I want a house on Myrtle Beach.”
“No…” Eric felt himself hoisted bodily upward under his arms. He tried to defend himself but could only flail.
“That’s the morphine. They’ll find it on your tox scan. The Physician Impairment Committee won’t be surprised.” Eric heard Sam grunt with effort as he tried to lift him up. “I set you up from the beginning. I’ve known Max since the grandmother’s hospitalization, when Brexler called me. I worked Max to bring his grandmother into the ED. I knew you’d get called on the consult and take the bait. You always were a soft touch, especially for kids.”
“No … please.” Eric grasped at the wall’s edge but his fingers wouldn’t close. Still, he couldn’t give up. He thought of Hannah. She needed him. He loved her, above all else. He couldn’t die.
“I’ve been working Max all along. I knew he’d tell you about Renée. I knew he’d break when the grandmother died.” Sam shoved Eric onto the ledge, so the top of his body flopped over the wall. “He drunk dialed me after he called you that night. I met him and slipped him Rohypnol. He played right into my hands. He would never kill Renée. He doesn’t have the balls. I killed Renée, to ruin you.”
Eric faced down, in horror. The sidewalk was five stories from here. People were walking back and forth to the hospital. Eric felt Sam’s hands grip his shoulders. Sam was about to throw him off the wall. Eric tried to grab on to him but missed. He would fall to his death.
“Good-bye, Eric.”
Chapter Sixty
Suddenly, Eric felt Sam release his shoulders and heard Perino raging on the patio.
“Dr. Ward, stop!” Perino bellowed. “You have to stop! No, stop!”
Eric turned to see what was going on, but almost fell off the wall. He tried to hug it with useless arms as he watched Perino come running onto the patio, trailing his broken restraints.
“Dr. Ward!” Perino charged at Sam, grimacing in fury, his beefy arms outstretched. “You have to be stopped! This is over, here and now!”
“No, don’t! Don’t!” Sam raised his hands.
“You’re evil, Dr. Ward!” Perino lunged at Sam, grabbed him by the shoulders, wrenched him off his feet, and sent him crashing into the small metal table and chairs where he landed on his back like a broken doll.
Eric watched the explosive violence in horror, his emotions in turmoil. He still couldn’t believe that Sam had been trying to kill him. Still he didn’t want Perino to murder Sam before his very eyes, but he was powerless to interfere, stop Perino, or even move his
limbs.
“You’re a bad doctor! You gave me those pills! I feel worse after them, not better!” Perino went after Sam, who scrambled, terrified, to his feet, his head bloodied and his blue eyes wide with fright.
“Don, no!” Sam picked up the metal chair and brandished it at Perino, keeping the raging man at a distance. “Don, don’t blame me, blame Dr. Parrish! Dr. Parrish made me give you those pills! He told me to do it! Go get him! That’s why I was trying to kill him! For you!”
“I don’t believe you! You’re a liar!” Perino grabbed the leg of the chair that Sam was holding and whipped it hard, wrenching it from Sam’s grasp and throwing it aside. “You lie all the time!”
“No, don’t…” Eric watched, terrified, as Sam leaned backwards over the wall. He summoned all of his energy to fight the druggy cloud in his brain and hang onto the wall.
“Don, I’m sorry!” Sam put up his hands, panicking. He kept backing up, edging toward the wall, desperate to save his own life. “I won’t do it anymore, I promise! No more pills! I swear!”
“I don’t believe you!” Perino cocked his fist and was about to punch Sam, when there was a shout at the door.
“Everybody, freeze!” shouted a security guard, drawing his weapon. “Freeze right there!” Two other security guards rushed onto the patio behind him. Smoke wafted through the open door.
“Don’t shoot!” Perino raised his hands, but Sam wobbled backwards, caught dangerously off-balance.
“No! No!” Sam cried out in abject fear, but in the next awful moment, he began to topple over the wall and over the side of the building, his hands grasping and clawing at thin air.
“Dr. Ward!” Perino lunged to grab Sam before he fell, but it was too late.
“No!” Eric felt agonized tears spring to his eyes as Sam tumbled over the side of the building, screaming all the way down.
Then Eric squeezed his eyes shut.
He couldn’t bear to see any more.