Moonlight Over Manhattan(80)
Alcohol and driving. Two words that shouldn’t ever appear in the same sentence, Ethan thought as he watched Susan try and haul her emotions back inside. She kept up a stream of her usual black humor, but it was different from usual and Ethan knew why. He knew what most people didn’t. That her husband had been killed by a drunk driver. He knew that this case wasn’t just professional for her, it was personal.
He also knew it would take her a few days to get back to her normal self. In the meantime he’d help all he could.
“You’d hate living a normal life.”
“I don’t think so.” She looked tired and for once there was no sign of the humor or banter that characterized their relationship. “This place shows you the worst side of humans.”
“Maybe. Or maybe it shows you the truth about humans.”
“Jeez, Black, that’s depressing. You need someone to lighten your dark side. Go to the theatre. Do something happy. Speaking of which, how is Harriet?”
He decided a little teasing might be good for her. “Who?”
“Cut me some slack. If I can’t have my own sex life, I’m going to enjoy yours.”
“What makes you think I have a sex life?” He could already see that he’d pulled her away from that dark, dark place. Not completely, but at least she seemed to be clear of the edge.
“You smile more.”
“You’re thinking of someone else. There’s nothing to smile about here.”
“True, which makes it all the more appealing when you do smile.” She patted his hand. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”
“What am I doing?”
She sighed. “You’re being a good friend, that’s what. And I’m grateful for it. And relieved to know you’re human.”
“Who said I was human?” They’d get through it, Ethan thought. They’d find a way through this bad day the way they’d found their way through all the others.
The department was swarming with cops looking for answers.
Ethan wasn’t sure they’d find any other than the obvious.
The driver had a blood alcohol so far over the legal limit it was a wonder he’d focused enough to pick up his car keys and drive. But he had, and that answered the question of what they were all doing here. Why he’d thought consuming that level of alcohol was a good idea was a question that was beyond Ethan’s understanding.
He was about to suggest to Susan that they grab a quick coffee, when a man appeared in the doorway.
Ethan recognized him as the passenger of the car, and it seemed he was as drunk as his friend had been. It showed in his eyes. In the way he walked. There was a scrape on his cheek and his left hand was bandaged.
“Who’s in charge?” He slurred his words. “Are you the doctor?”
Ethan knew trouble when he saw it and he was looking at it now.
“I’m Doctor Black. Let me take you somewhere more private where we can talk.”
The man lifted his finger and pointed to Ethan, stabbing the air. “You killed Nick. You fucking killed my brother.”
“You’re upset. I understand that. We did everything that could humanly be done. Unfortunately Nick’s injuries were serious and life-threatening.” Ethan spoke calmly, trying to diffuse the situation, but reasoning and logic weren’t much use when a man had that much alcohol in his system.
The man’s gaze transferred to Susan and the anger in his face turned into something uglier.
“You’re the bitch who had her hands on him when he was brought in. I saw you.”
Susan opened her mouth to reply, but never got a chance.
It happened so quickly that afterward it was hard to recall the exact sequence of events. One minute they were talking and the next minute Ethan saw the quick flash of a blade as the guy pulled a knife. He moved fast, but so did Ethan. Without thinking he put himself in front of Susan and felt a flash of white heat and agony as the blade connected with his arm. With a neat move he hooked his leg behind the other man and dropped him to the ground. He went down hard, arms and legs flailing. The noise must have alerted security because moments later the room was crawling with cops and hospital security.
“Get a medical team in here,” one of the cops called and Ethan shook his head.
“It’s all right.” His voice sounded gruff. “It’s just a superficial wound.” And then he realized they weren’t looking at him, they were looking at Susan.
She’d collapsed to the ground and Ethan saw a red stain darkening and spreading across her scrubs.
“Jesus, no. Susan.” He was by her side in an instant, dimly aware that one of the nurses was tying something around his arm to stop the bleeding.
Susan’s eyes flickered open. “Trying to be a hero again. You’re bleeding.”
Nowhere near as much as she was.
He couldn’t work it out. Couldn’t work out how she was the one lying on the floor bleeding out. And then he realized the man must have somehow managed to get one last stab in before Ethan had floored him.
“The things you do to get attention.” His voice shook as he lifted her scrubs and saw the knife wound and the steady pump of blood. Mentally running through all the vital organs the man might have hit on his quest to take revenge for his brother’s death, Ethan barked out orders.