Code 15 (34 page)

“C’mon, boy,” she told him. “We’re almost home.”

It was when Limerick failed to respond to a few tugs on his leash that Morgan realized his eyes were trained on the opposite side of the street. His feathered tail was tucked up and under his hind legs and he growled softly. Feeling the first twinge of apprehension, Morgan looked across the street.

About a hundred feet away, standing on the opposite sidewalk, she could make out the silhouette of a man staring directly at her. She couldn’t make out his facial features, but she could see he was wearing a bomber jacket and that his hands were shoved into the pockets. Her immediate fear was that the ape who had threatened her outside of the dry cleaners was following her. But after taking a hard look at his average physique, she dismissed the notion.

Morgan was just about to start back down the street when the man casually pulled his hands from his pockets and started down the sidewalk. Every cell of her body swelled with fear. Limerick stood his ground, but Morgan yanked on his leash and led him down the block. She was still a good five-minute walk to her building. She cursed herself for forgetting the pepper spray launcher she usually took with her on Limerick’s evening walks.

Picking up the pace and listening intently for approaching footsteps, Morgan passed one small duplex after another. She heard nothing. Wrapping her hand around Limerick’s leash, she prayed she would see another walker. But the small street remained empty. She was now only three blocks from her building, but they were long ones, and the knot of anxiety gripping the top of her stomach continued to tighten.

Finally, she saw the headlights of a car. She heaved a breath of relief, but as the two-seater rolled up to the stop sign, the driver signaled and turned. Just as the car disappeared down the small side street, Morgan heard the man’s footsteps. Flushed with panic, she knew he was only a few steps away. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of him diagonally crossing the street. Limerick stopped, but he didn’t bark. The man, who had his cell phone pressed against his ear, smiled, tossed a polite wave at Morgan, but never broke stride.

Feeling more foolish than relieved, Morgan waved and then watched as the man continued toward the beach. Knowing she was safe worked wonders to slow her rapid breathing. She took the last two blocks at a slower pace. Happy to see her building and Hank Dire, the security guard, standing out front, she started up the circular entranceway.

It was just at that moment, when Hank smiled at her, that she felt the first jolt of piercing pain in her lower abdomen. Unable to take another step, Morgan bent forward and crossed her arms across her belly, trying to contain the agonizing spasm. A few seconds passed and the pain began to subside. She opened her eyes. Spotting a wrought-iron bench a few feet away, she took a few shallow breaths and made her way over to it and sat down.

Still doubled over at the waist, Morgan began counting backward from fifty, hoping for the pain to completely stop. Before she was halfway to zero, she felt a warm, wet sensation along her inner thighs, realizing the worst and most dreaded fear of any pregnant woman. She now shared that terror and anguish she had seen so many times in the pregnant women she had cared for in the emergency room. She tried pulling her knees close to her chest, but the pain began mounting again. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her cell phone, and tapped in Ben’s number. He answered on the second ring.

“Ben, I need you to come get me. I’m outside of my building.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m having severe cramps and bleeding. I think I should go to the hospital.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. I’ll call Jenny to meet us in the ER.”

“Thanks,” she said softly.

She then waved at Hank, summoning him for assistance. He came over immediately.

“Are you okay, Doc?” he asked.

“Actually, I’m not feeling too well. Dr. Docherty’s on his way over to take me to the emergency room. Do you think you could take care of Limerick?”

Hank took the leash from Morgan but didn’t move from her side. “Of course,” he promised. “And if you’re not back by the time my shift’s over, I’ll take him out again.”

Morgan knew that if anybody loved dogs as much as she did, it was Hank.

“Thanks,” she told him.

Between the spasmodic waves of pain, she glanced toward the building’s circular entrance. She knew she was still bleeding. Frightened and unable to convince herself that everything would be okay, she spread her hands across her lower abdomen and gently pushed down.

Another few minutes passed. Finally, she saw Ben’s car approaching.

Hank carefully helped her to her feet.

“Don’t you worry about Limerick, Dr. Connolly. I’ll take good care of him until you get home.”

She managed a faint smile. “I know you will, Hank.”

Ben pulled up and jumped out of the car. With Hank’s help, he assisted Morgan into the front seat.

“How are you doing?” he asked.

“About the same. Were you able to reach Jenny?”

“She said she’d meet us in the emergency room.”

Her eyes already starting to swell with tears, Morgan struggling to get each word out, she said, “I . . . I can’t lose this baby, Ben. With everything that’s going on, I don’t think I’d be able to get through it.”

“You’re not going to lose the baby,” he assured her, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Let’s get to the hospital. We can talk on the way.”

Hank waited until Ben had pulled away before walking Limerick back toward the building’s entrance. Preoccupied with the setter, he never noticed the man across the street step out of his car.

Clutching a key in his hand, Kevin stared at the building. Feeling more desperate than he could ever remember, he prayed Morgan hadn’t changed the lock.

It took Kevin three cigarettes to gather the courage to cross the street.

By the time he reached the front entrance, Hank had gone back inside and taken up his customary position behind the granite-topped information desk. Limerick, at home in his new surroundings, curled up at Hank’s feet and went to sleep.

Displaying the biggest smile he could manufacture, Kevin strolled across the lobby.

“How’s it going?” he asked Hank without slowing his pace.

“Can I help you?” he asked Kevin as if he’d never seen him before. Hank’s military background had a predictable way of sneaking out when he was confronted with a potentially contentious situation.

Kevin stopped. “I was just heading upstairs,” he said with a light shrug.

“Is Dr. Connolly expecting you?”

He chuckled and crossed his arms. “It’s my apartment too, Hank. Just because we’re separated doesn’t mean I can’t use the place.”

“Go ahead,” he said, pointing to the elevator.

“You’re a good guy, Hank, but you might want to think about losing the attitude.” When he reached the elevator, he cast a glance back at Hank before inserting his coded card. He waited for the red light to turn green and the doors to open, but it didn’t happen. Having a pretty good idea why, he reinserted the card anyway. The result was the same. He slipped the card back into his pocket and walked back to the information desk.

“My key doesn’t seem to work.”

“The system’s fine. It was just checked yesterday. I guess somebody changed the code.”

“In that case, would you mind calling my wife and telling her I’m here?”

“I’m sorry. I have a written directive from Dr. Connolly not to do that.”

Red-faced, Kevin took a few steps forward and raised his finger. Hank responded by standing up. With a frosty stare, he crossed his arms.

“Asshole,” Kevin said, taking a step backward before starting for the exit.

“Yes, sir,” Hank responded.

Hank waited a few seconds before coming out from behind the desk and walking over to the front door. Looking across the circular entranceway, he watched Kevin climb into his car and screech away from the curb. If he didn’t know better, he would have guessed he was fleeing an armed robbery.

Hank had never liked Kevin, and the opportunity to watch him become unglued brought a self-satisfied smile to his face.

Are you still having cramps?” Leslie Cardenas, one of the obstetrical nurses, asked Morgan as she helped her out of the wheelchair and then up on to the examination table.

“The last one was about five minutes ago, but it wasn’t as bad as the first. I think they may be going away.”

She slipped a blood pressure cuff on Morgan’s arm. “What about the bleeding?”

“I think it’s almost stopped. Have you heard from Dr. Silverman?”

“I’m right here,” Jenny said, walking through the door pushing a portable ultrasound machine in front of her. Leaving the machine at the foot of the bed, Jenny walked over and gave Morgan’s hand a quick squeeze. She then began her abdominal examination. “How are you feeling?”

“A little scared. I’ve seen a lot of women lose their babies this way.”

“Try to relax. Tell me what happened.”

“The whole thing was so stupid,” Morgan said with a note of embarrassment. “I was walking my dog. I had just started heading home when I saw a man on the other side of the street. I thought . . . I thought he was following me and I . . . I guess I panicked.”

“That would terrify any woman. What happened after you saw him?” Jenny asked.

“Nothing. It turned out to be nothing. When I got home a few minutes later, the cramps and bleeding started.”

Ben coughed a couple of times and then in a quiet voice said, “I’ll . . . I’ll just wait outside.”

“Why don’t you go home?” Morgan suggested. “I’ll be fine. I’ll call you later.”

“If Jenny says it’s okay for you to go home, how were you planning on getting there?” he asked.

“I’ll . . . I’ll call a cab.”

Ben nodded once. “Like I said, I’ll be right outside.”

Jenny waited for the door to close and then pulled ultrasound machine closer. “You really didn’t think he was going to leave. He looks more worried than you.”

“He’s been a good friend.”

“Blood pressure and pulse are fine,” Leslie announced.

“Great,” Jenny said, helping Morgan slide her shirt up. She then applied a generous amount of ultrasound jelly across Morgan’s lower abdomen. “Start an IV of normal saline and send off some blood for a CBC and a type and screen.”

“Type and screen? Do you really think I’ll need a blood transfusion?” Morgan asked.

“I just want to be on the safe side,” Jenny assured her.

Jenny lightly placed the ultrasound probe on Morgan’s abdomen. Morgan averted her eyes from the monitor, concentrating instead on slowing her breathing and trying not to allow her terror of losing the baby get the better of her. She watched Jenny carefully, studying each expression on her face as she changed the angle and orientation of the probe.

After the fifteen-minute examination was over, Jenny looked up with a comforting smile and said, “The baby looks fine.”

Overcome with relief and fighting back the urge to cry, Morgan thanked her. When Jenny had completed the rest of her examination and checked all of Morgan’s blood tests, she pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.

“All of your lab tests look fine and the bleeding has stopped. How are the cramps?”

“Completely gone.”

“Good.”

“I’m sorry I dragged you in here,” she told Jenny. “You’ve been great.”

“If you really want to thank me, you’ll go home and put your feet up for a couple of days.” Jenny winked and pointed to the door. “I think I know somebody who wouldn’t mind babysitting. Think about it. It might be fun.”

Morgan smiled for the first time. “I told you, Jenny. Ben’s just a good friend.”

“I’d say he’s a good friend who just happens to be in love with you. Is the relationship serious or not?”

“Ya know, Jenny, sometimes I think you’ve fallen out of the pages of a romance novel.”

“I don’t mind being known as a hopeless romantic . . . and I’m very happy for you and Ben, but you’re in your second trimester. You have to take better care of yourself, and that includes keeping your stress level down.”

“My stress level is no different than anybody else’s.”

“You’re talking to me, Morgan. I’m not totally oblivious to what’s been going on in your life. It’s no secret what you’re going through with the hospital and the medical board.”

“I’ll be fine, Jenny. I just need a little time to figure this thing out.”

“Can’t you put things on the back burner until the baby’s born?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury.”

“As a friend, do you mind if I ask why?”

“The board of medicine has their own agenda, and it doesn’t include any consideration for the fact that I happen to be pregnant. These people go fishing with dynamite. If I don’t defend myself, I could wind up losing everything.”

There was a knock at the door. Jenny walked over and slid the glass door open. Ben poked his head in.

“Leslie said you guys were about finished in here.”

Jenny motioned him the rest of the way in.

“Morgan’s fine. But I’ve told her it’s important for her to take it easy for the next couple of days. I volunteered you to babysit.”

Ben walked over and helped Morgan off of the exam table.

After what seemed to be an uncomfortable silence, she said, “I’ll try to take it easy.”

Jenny gave her a hug. “Call my cell phone if you have any more cramps or bleeding. My twin sisters are in town this week. They’re both in heavy-duty therapy. Have dinner with us. I don’t know if I can get through the evening alone.”

“As intriguing as that sounds, I’ll have to get back to you,” Morgan answered.

As she was heading for the door, Jenny tapped Ben’s shoulder a couple of times. “Keep an eye on her for me. She really needs to slow down a little and take it easy.”