Sentinel Event

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

The most important thing on deTarlo's mind as she craned her neck to see into the ambulance was publishing her study. Aidriel was semiconscious and looked like a dead body under the hurrying hands of the paramedics. They were hastily bandaging his leg so he'd make it to the hospital and were preparing a transfusion.

Dreamer was sitting on a stretcher several feet away, a blanket around her trembling shoulders, her hands holding an air mask to her face and sucking in the wonderful oxygen. She was trying to croak something to the EMT examining her bruised throat, but he kept shushing her.

"He's AB positive," she insisted. "Listen to me; I was there for some of his care."

The paramedic took it under advisement and called it to his fellows.

DeTarlo stepped away from the ambulance and strode over to the phlebotomist as yet a another police vehicle arrived. The psychologist had her precious clipboard tucked in her arm against her side, and was swinging Aidriel's dog tag deliberately with the other. When she and the additional people present had converged on Aidriel and Dreamer, she was sure that above all else, she got a hold of his tag. He'd made it through the hard part. She would hate for him to die now because of his DNR order when she desperately needed him to finish her report. She could already visualize the study being published, and the thrill gave her goose bumps.

"Are you alright?" the shrink asked Dreamer, her eyes on the activity around them. The phleb just nodded, keeping the mask over her face. The EMT had left her briefly, and she gingerly felt the nasty bruising on her neck. She glanced toward the open ambulance, but couldn't see Aidriel.

"He okay?" she asked huskily, motioning.

"He'll survive." DeTarlo smiled broadly and authentically. Dreamer mirrored her and pointed at the dog tag.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For taking that."

DeTarlo smirked again, claiming it was her pleasure, then wandering off to find Williams while the paramedic returned to load Dreamer into the ambulance.

Chester stood facing the empty baseball diamond, talking rapidly on his Bluetooth and poking around on his touchpad. He paused in his chatter to send his assistant off with a wave of his hand to talk to some local officials. St. Cross and Todd were speaking to the police who stood guard around the psychiatrist, though what about, she had no idea. The cops had witnessed everything they had. All of them continuously waved off the questions and pleas of the journalists, especially Williams, who was becoming agitated. The police photographer had finished taking pictures of the scene long after the media had, and someone was hosing the blood off the street. There was not a single Passer in sight.

Giving up on any interviews, most of the reporters and their crews dashed off to their vehicles, many of them talking on their cells, desperate to be the first to break the story. DeTarlo loved the circus; she was the ringmaster. No one could get to Aidriel except through her, and at the moment, she would not let anyone close to him. She had all the answers to the questions the law and media asked, and she said not a word more than she wanted.

The ambulance slammed its doors, its siren wailing as it sped off in the direction of the hospital in Waterloo. Williams finished a call and paused before making another.

"Chester, Ana." St. Cross got their attention and motioned them over to talk. The police took several reluctant paces away, but watched the psychiatrist closely, assuming correctly he couldn't go far. Williams and deTarlo took places as near to him as they could to keep the conversation private, ignoring Todd, who hovered nearby.