In that brief glimpse she saw that half the windows lining the wall were gone, presumably the result of a sniper positioned on the building across from them. Someone was moaning not far from her, but she couldn’t see who.
Suddenly, the room erupted with the arrival of black--vested men holding rifles, shouting directives that she couldn’t understand. She couldn’t find her voice. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. She could only stare into the pair of blue eyes boring down into hers.
Even as he was hauled off her and dragged away, she felt connected to those eyes, that face, that man.
Knox Callaghan had saved her life.
TEN
“ARE YOU SURE you don’t want to stay the night? You’ve been through quite an ordeal, Briar,” Dr. Walker said from where he reclined on his hospital bed. His wife sat beside him, holding his hand, the worry still etched in the gentle lines of her face.
Briar inhaled, the smell of antiseptic and industrial strength laundry detergent sharp in her nose, reminding her of the two semesters she completed her hospital rotations. Some -people hated hospitals, but they comforted her. They were where the broken were made whole again. Most of the time at least.
Given the beating Dr. Walker took, they wanted to keep him overnight for observation. Fortunately, nothing was broken, but he wasn’t a young man or particularly strong either. Josiah was lucky, too, resting comfortably in a room down the hall. She’d already paid him a visit after being released from the ER.
It was a miracle the three of them were alive.
Murphy, on the other hand, had been rushed into surgery and they had yet to hear word.
“I just really want to crawl into my own bed and sleep for like three days.” She’d endured the ER examination and answered all the questions from the prison personnel who immediately besieged them. It was almost midnight now, and today was officially the longest of her life. She just wanted to go home.
“Well, don’t think of coming in on Monday. Or Tuesday. Take the week even. Maybe you should see a therapist before returning—-”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine. Just need a little down time. Don’t worry about me.” From the concerned look in his eyes, she knew it was pointless. He was going to worry.
“Briar. You’ve been through a trauma.” Mrs. Walker covered her husband’s hand, wincing as she eyed Briar’s face. Briar knew she looked like a train wreck. The CT scan confirmed nothing was broken in her face, but it would be a while before the swelling went down and she no longer resembled a prizefighter fresh from a match. “Are you sure you don’t want us to call your parents?”
Briar hated being pitied and viewed as something broken. That’s why growing up she had let the world think her dad was the greatest guy. She worked hard all her life not to let anyone know that her home life was essentially an after--school special.
“Thank you, but no. I’ll be fine. Really. It could have been so much worse. I’m just grateful we’re all okay.”
Dr. Walker nodded and said the name that had been circling around in her mind all night. “Callaghan,” he marveled. “He saved us. He saved you from—-”
“I know,” she cut in. Not because she didn’t want to discuss Callaghan but because she didn’t want to give voice to what had almost happened to her. She actually did want to talk about Knox.
She wanted to make certain he wasn’t in any trouble. When he had been dragged from the HSU, there didn’t seem to be any distinction made between him and the other inmates. She had hammered that point exhaustively to prison officials when she was interrogated about the attack—-that Knox Callaghan was not only innocent but responsible for saving their lives.
“You spoke to the -people from the prison?” she asked.
“Have no fear, I was quite vocal regarding his heroics.”
She sighed with relief. She had given a full accounting as well, but she was hoping the doctor and presumably Josiah’s testimony added weight. The image of Callaghan being dragged away burned through her mind. She hated the idea that he could be stuck in segregation again . . . or punished in any other way.
“How are you getting home?” Mrs. Walker asked.
“I called my neighbor. She’s waiting out in the hall.” No way would she have called her sister. Hopefully, Laurel would never have to know what happened.
“You get lots of rest, dear.” Mrs. Walker gave her that pitying smile again.
“Thank you.” She turned back to her boss. “Take care of yourself, too, Dr. Walker.”
With another smile that made her face ache, she ducked out of the hospital room. Shelley waited in the corridor where she had left her.
“Sorry. That took longer than I thought. They practically wanted to admit me overnight.”
Shelley frowned, pushing off the wall as she eyed Briar’s face. “Are you sure you shouldn’t—-”
“Not you, too. I need a shower and my bed. That’s all.”
Shelley nodded, her dark eyes still bright with concern. “Have you eaten anything? Want me to stop and pick you up some food—-”
“No, I can eat something at home.” Not that she had much of an appetite anyway. “Thanks for coming to get me. Who’s watching the kids?”