Sudden Response (EMS #1)(20)

"No, you didn't take your pills, Adam, and if you don't take them they're going to-"

"Stop," Joe said firmly, cutting off Donny's threat. She kept her eyes locked on Adam who now looked tensed and ready for an attack. "We're not going to do anything. We were simply asked to come here and see if you've taken your pills."

Adam snorted. "They don't send the police or an ambulance over pills."

"You're right. They shouldn't have called us over this," Eric said, no doubt giving Donny a pointed look.

"Why don't we go downstairs and sit down and talk this through?" Tyler offered.

Adam looked like he was considering it when Donny opened his mouth. "He's not allowed out of his room. He's on room restriction because of the pills," he pointed out.

"I took my pills!" Adam screeched, leaping from the bed to attack Tyler. It took Joe a few seconds to react. She honestly hadn't seen this coming. She'd been prepared to take him to the ground, but for an attack on Donny who couldn't seem to shut the hell up.

"Shit!" Eric snapped as he attempted to pull Adam away from Tyler, but the much smaller man wouldn't give up his hold. He swung, kicked, and bit Tyler while Eric struggled to pull him off.

Joe moved low and grabbed Adam's legs, hugging them close, ignoring the brutal kicks to her ribs and stomach. "Get him down!" she yelled, squeezing Adam's legs together before she dropped her weight to help bring him down, but only managed to anchor his legs against her.

"Oh my God, he's got a gun!" Donny screeched from the hallway.

Her eyes shot to the doorway in time to see Donny running down the hall, shoving patients and staff out of his way while he made a mad dash to safety. The rest of their audience wasn't too far behind.

"Someone call for backup!" Tyler demanded above her. She turned her head and felt her eyes widen as she watched both Tyler and Eric struggle to pull Adam's hands away from Tyler's holstered gun.

"Get out of here, Joe!" Eric yelled as he struggled to take Adam to the ground and away from the gun.

Joe would have rolled her eyes at his over protectiveness if they weren't busy at the moment.

"Let go!" Tyler groaned as he worked at tearing Adam's hands off his gun.

Somehow over the loud grunts and panting she heard the snap of Tyler's gun holster giving.

"Shit!"

"Run, Joe!" Eric yelled again, sending her a pleading look as he fought to keep Adam's fingers away from the trigger as he started to pull the gun away from the holster.

She couldn't run and leave him. At that moment she was more afraid of what would happen to Eric if she let go of Adam's legs and ran.

"Get the f**k out of here, Joe!" Eric bellowed.

Holding Adam's legs down was the only thing stopping him from kicking away and getting his hands on the gun sooner, but Joe knew it was only a matter of time before he managed to pull the trigger and shoot someone. He was out of control, acting feral, and the two large well trained men above her were having a hell of a time getting him under control. If they didn't do something soon he was going to get that gun clear and pull the trigger.

"Please, Joe, let go!" Eric pleaded, breaking her heart.

She knew he wanted her to run and save herself, but she couldn't do it. She wasn't on some bravery kick. No, she was absolutely terrified. She couldn't leave this room and leave him behind. Joe was scared out of her mind that if she left now she would never see him again and she couldn't risk that. She didn't know much, but she knew she couldn't live without Eric.

Taking a deep breath, she did what she had to do. She let go and in the next second she shoved to her feet, hard. Adam hadn't been prepared for her sudden movement and Joe used his surprise to break his hold on the gun with her head and shoulders, slightly cringing when her head slammed into the butt of the gun, but she didn't stop until she broke Adam's hold.

Then all hell broke loose.

As Tyler stumbled back, Adam turned his anger on her. With a feral screech he pulled back his fist and slammed it into the side of her face, knocking her back onto the ground.

Just as she prepared herself for another strike Adam released a cry of pain and was slammed down to the ground with his arms twisted behind his back. She absently wiped at the hot liquid dripping near her eye as she watched Eric place a knee in the middle of Adam's back, ignoring the smaller man's cry of pain he leaned in to whisper near his ear.

"If you ever touch her again I will f**king kill you," he said in a cold lethal tone that sent chills down her back. "You so much as look at her and I will kill you."

Adam squeezed his eyes shut so he wasn't looking at her. She might have laughed if she wasn't truly frightened. She'd never seen Eric like this before and was a little worried about what he might do.

"I got him," Tyler said, gesturing for Eric to move over. After a slight hesitation he moved off Adam, but held his arms back so he couldn't move. He looked over at her and frowned.

"Joe?"

"Huh?" she said in a daze. When had she closed her eyes? And when exactly had her head started to pound?

"Gets a couple of head injuries and she passes out," she heard Eric mumble. "Such a girl."

Chapter 10

"I want him written up!" the social worker demanded, again.