I Believe in You

Comrades in Arms

"Can I talk to you about something serious?" Nic asked sitting down across from me in the cafeteria.
"Of course you can. What's wrong?" I asked looking up from my phone.
"I have some concerns about Lily's treatment and I can't access her file. It doesn't seem to be saved on the hospital's servers." She said.
"No. It wouldn't be. Lane keeps her patient's files on the server at her clinic. She doesn't allow many of us access and as far as I know none of the nurses have access." I answered with a shrug.
"Could you get access?" She asked.
"I can when she's here at the hospital but I've never tried while she's at home." I answered sitting up.
"What are your concerns?"
"Her platelet count was low the last time I ran it before she was discharged the last time but Lane sent her home anyway. When I asked she told me that she'd ran it again and it was better but when I went to check I realized I couldn't access the records." She explained.
I contemplated this information for a moment. Seth and Brianna made it a point to get me my mom's file after she died which showed that there were inconsistencies in her treatments and it might have gotten them killed.
"I don't know if I can get access but I'll look into it, okay? Try not to draw Lane's attention." I said.
"I don't understand." She started.
"Let me look into it. Just try to keep your head down." I insisted not offering any explanation.
"You know something." She looked pointedly at me.
"No. I don't." I answered honestly standing up and walking away.
I ran my fingers through my hair as I walked through the hospital. Conrad walked passed me and grabbed my hand pulling me into an empty room kissing me.
"I feel like it's been so long since I've touched you." He breathed against my skin.
I gripped ahold of his shoulders as he pressed me against the door.
"We sleep in the same bed every night." I chuckled softly.
"That's true. It'd be kind of fun and adventurous to make love in the sleeping quarters." He smirked at me.
I shook my head playfully.
"I'd rather not get fired."
"We'd only get fired if we got caught." He muttered against my neck.
I had to admit I was incredibly turned on by the idea that we could get caught.
I pulled his face to mine so I could kiss him. I could feel the pressure of his body pressing against mine against the door. His tongue slid across my bottom lip as we kissed until I let him slide his tongue into my mouth.
I felt him move his hand to lock the door. Then his hand slid up my shirt to grip my breast. I sighed quietly into him as he fondled me kissing along my jaw down to my neck.
"This can't be a regular thing." I sighed giving in to him.
It wasn't that I didn't want to have sex with him and the rush of the rule breaking we were about to do was so intoxicating but if we were to do this regularly we were definitely going to get caught.
"Of course not." He breathed unbuttoning my pants and sliding his hand inside rubbing me on top of my panties.
I tossed my head back giving him access to the front of my throat.
It was beyond sexy to make love right there against the door able to hear the hustle and bustle of the hospital just beyond the door.
My phone vibrated as we got dressed after sex signaling me to return to reality.
"Hey. You're going to be at the "Doctor's Against Cancer" race tomorrow right?" He asked as I opened the door.
"I wouldn't miss it." I smiled at him.
Near the end of my shift after Dr. Hunter had already gone home I signed into the system and attempted to pull up Lily Kendall's file.
I was able to load her most recent intake and discharge paperwork. Nic was right. Her last recorded platelet count was one hundred and forty five thousand which was five thousand less than a low normal.
I glanced around the room before printing out the count. I stuck it in a manilla envelope and hid it among other old files no one looked through anymore.
The next morning Conrad  and I got up early so we could go out to the starting line.
"You're going to do great." I smiled and kissed him.
"I'll see you at the finish line." He smiled.
"I'll be there."
After the race started and Conrad took off I returned to the car to drive to the finish line to wait. I knew that Conrad was incredibly competitive. Yes, it was a charity bike race but Conrad would fight to win. That's just who he is.
The race itself lasted roughly three hours from the start until Conrad crossed the finish line first as expected. I stayed on the sidelines watching him talking to another racer. Taller, black hair, tanned skin.
I heard the gunshots before I saw what could only be described as chaos as a stampede of people fought to get away from the source of the shots.
It barely took a heartbeat for me to launch into action herding frightened people into a nearby restaurant. I caught sight of Conrad and his friend doing the same urging others into other buildings near the finish line.
"Do you work here?" I asked someone close to me.
He nodded clearly terrified.
"Find the keys and lock this door behind me. Then call 911" I instructed.
"Get all of the blinds closed and stay away from the windows and as much out of sight as possible. Understand?"
I received multiple nods in response before closing the door and sliding across the building to the corner so I could look around.
There had to be at least two dozen people lying in the street but I couldn't see anyone standing or holding any guns.
Cautiously I crouched down and moved to the downed body closest to me.
Suddenly, Conrad was beside me.
"Are you insane?" He asked grabbing my hand.
"Conrad. We're doctors. Do we not have a responsibility to these people?" I looked into his eyes.
"Of course we do. Okay. Divide and conquer. Stay low." He conceded moving to the next victim.
The body in front of me had a gunshot wound to the neck and no pulse. As much as I wanted to save everyone I knew if I focused on the ones who didn't have a pulse when I got to them then the ones who could actually be saved would parish too.
I moved to the next victim who had yet to be attended to.
She was coherent but clearly in shock with two gunshot wounds. One to her thigh and the other slightly higher in her hip.
I took off the short sleeved shirt I wore over my tank top and ripped a ribbon to tie around the thigh.
"Hun, what's your name?" I asked gently.
"Becca." She muttered finally looking at me.
"You're going to be okay, Becca. My name is Meghan. I'm a doctor. Place both of your hands right here and push as hard as you can. The ambulance is coming, okay?" I instructed calmly instructing her to put pressure on her hip wound.
I glanced over my shoulder to where the ambulance was.
Conrad and I arrived at Chastain behind the ambulances and continued to work on the victims ultimately able to save six of the twenty four victims.
"Meghan! Conrad!" My dad's voice came from the waiting room.
"Hey dad. We're okay. Did they catch him?" I asked.
He shook his head.
"He killed himself in his car in the parking lot after the massacre." He sighed.
"I want to really take care of these people, dad. Only six people survived out of twenty four. I don't want them to wish they hadn't."
"We'll take care of it." My dad said solemnly watching me carefully.
I looked down realizing for the first time that I was completely covered in blood.
"Oh, dad. None of it's mine." I sighed.
After talking to my dad Conrad and I went to the sleeping quarters and changed out of our blood soaked clothes into scrubs we would normally work in.
"Conrad." A man's voice called when we walked out of the room after disposing of our clothes.
"Ah. Jude Silva. This is my fiancee, Dr. Meghan Bishop. Meghan, this is Dr. Jude Silva. He's a trauma surgeon who served with me in Afghanistan." He made the introduction between us.
"It's a pleasure, Dr. Silva." I shook his hand.
"Go on and help him out, babe. I need to rest." I sighed.
"Are you okay?" He asked his voice thick with concern.
"I'm just tired. We got up at six and certainly weren't expecting to work twelve hours after the race." I answered with a small smile.
"Do you want me to take you home instead?"
"No. That's not necessary. I know you want to help. Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"I promise." He kissed me gently before running off with Jude.
I crawled into one of the beds and was asleep almost before my head hit the pillow.