“Okay, just stay still.” I patted his shoulder because it was the only part of him that didn’t look beat-up. “We’ll get you some help.”
“Call Diana, please. I need to see her.” Several things clicked into place: the sense he was hiding something when we first met, Vi’s photo of him going into the police station when Diana was there, Diana taking his hand and leading him into the Reading Room. Were they dating? I could hardly be mad at her for keeping this from me when I hadn’t told her about Mac all summer. But still.
Mac came back and sat with us and I told him what Lucan had said. Mac tried to get him to repeat it but Lucan had passed out.
Just when I thought Mac was going to try to drag Lucan to the car on his own and drive him to the hospital, we heard sirens in the distance.
The ambulance pulled past us and parked a short distance away. The fire trucks had also been dispatched and Mac went to send them on their way. Charla arrived and walked down the road to where the flares began so she could direct traffic around the accident. Friday night could be pretty busy along Singapore Highway.
I recognized one of the EMTs from over the summer when I had discovered a shooting victim. I quickly stuffed all of those memories in a small compartment, but not before I had begun to tremble with the flood of adrenaline.
I watched the ambulance workers do their triage. Once they pronounced Lucan stable and had an IV running into his arm, they dosed him up with pain meds and got ready to move him into the ambulance. Mac came back and pulled me away from the activity taking place on the shoulder.
“You don’t want to watch when they do this,” he said, with an experienced tone.
I looked away but still heard Lucan cry out in pain as they slid him onto the gurney.
Mac put his arm around me. “I should follow them to the hospital; it sounds like a hit-and-run, or worse, and I’ll need to file a report.”
I nodded, but couldn’t make myself speak yet.
“Want me to drop you off at home?” His voice was gentle, but I knew his mind was already working on the case.
“No, I want to go with you. I want to be sure he’s okay.”
“It could be a long night.”
“That’s all right. The evening isn’t going the way I planned anyway.”
Mac’s mouth tilted up in a half smile, which was quickly replaced with his cop face.
We followed the ambulance back up the highway toward Grand Rapids, which had the only trauma center in the area.
32
The EMTs rushed Lucan through the ambulance entrance. A burly male nurse stepped in front of us to stop us from following. He silently pointed to the small sitting area and closed the doors.
I turned and surveyed the room. Plastic chairs littered the area, which was anchored by two couches with vinyl seats. The colors had once been bright and festive but had dulled after all the time spent in this purgatory of waiting. Mac and I sat in two of the least wobbly chairs and stared at the television screen playing reruns of Full House.
No further word had emanated from the sealed doorway when Diana appeared about half an hour later. I’d called her from the road to tell her about Lucan. I hadn’t expected her to drop everything and arrive in the ER. This confirmed my suspicions.
Her orange hair stood out from her head in wild springs and she looked like she’d been crying again. I didn’t know how much more stress she could take.
“Clyde, Mac!” She approached us, breathless. “Have you heard anything?”
Mac shook his head, and I stood up to hug her.
“They haven’t come back out yet,” I said. “He was conscious at the scene, and asked me to call you.”
She blushed and deflected my pointed stare with a question. “You said he was hit while running?”
I nodded. “Based on what he was wearing, I assume that’s what he was doing.”
“But who would hit a runner and then keep on driving?” She searched both our faces. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Mac sighed. I glanced at him and he shrugged and nodded.
“Lucan said the car hit him and then backed over him.”
Diana drew in breath quickly and pulled her jacket more tightly around herself.
“We don’t have a confirmation on that yet,” Mac said. But his tired tone implied that he believed it.
“Who would do that?”
I shook my head. I motioned for Diana to sit.
Mac stood and started pacing. “I’m going to go see what I can find out.” He went down the hall to the nurses’ desk. I saw him straighten his back and square his shoulders as he approached the counter.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Diana said. She leaned forward and put her head in her hands.
I rubbed her shoulder. I was upset about Lucan, too, but obviously he and Diana had become closer than I thought.