Page 29 of A Diagnosis Dark & Deadly

Chapter15

“Why am I here?”Olivia asked, looking at the ER nurse with a quirked brow. “Someone called me because they said Owen Patrick ishere?”

“And what’s your name?” the nurse asked, dropping her blue eyes down to her clipboard. The ER was busy as it usually was in Boulder.

Olivia pressed her lips together. She did not want to be here. This was the last place she wanted to be. Did it make her a bad person where she didn’t care one way or the other what happened to Owen? Did that mean she was damned to hell if she didn’t care about another human life? Or was this an instance of her being dramatic? Of her overthinking?

“Olivia,” she said. “Olivia Goodson.”

“Oh, yes,” the nurse said. “Looks like a potential motorcycle accident. He was rushed into emergency surgery.” The nurse glanced up at her with a critical eye. “You work here, don’tyou?”

Olivia furrowed her brow, crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her weight. “Yeah,” shesaid.

“Olivia?” Shelby emerged, wearing violet scrubs, her straight black hair pulled into a tight bun. She glanced over at the confused ER nurse before rushing over. “I told them not to callyou.”

Olivia shrugged. “Well, they did,” she said flatly. The ER nurse left them, realizing Shelby had this covered. “What happened?”

“Motorcycle accident,” Shelby murmured. “I guess you were still on his emergency contact. He’s in surgery right now with brain swelling. Hadley is doing the surgery.”

“Hadley?” Olivia yelped. She glanced around and noticed she had been loud, too loud, and people were starting to give her odd looks. She turned back to Shelby, and this time, she made sure to keep her voice down. “Why the hell is Hadley in the ER with my ex-boyfriend?”

“He was the only surgeon they could reach,” Shelby said. “They tried everyone else, trustme.”

“He’s not even a surgeon,” Olivia pointedout.

“I mean, technically, he is,” Shelby replied. “He has the knowledge. He’s just a diagnostician. And since no one knows about you and him, no one thought it would be a conflict of interest.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Didn’t you wonder why he got the page to comein?”

Olivia shrugged. “I thought Carmen was being Carmen,” she said with a shrug.

Shelby glanced at her colleague, someone Olivia wasn’t familiar with before looking back at her friend. “Did Connie tell you the circumstances surrounding Owen’s arrival?”

Olivia furrowed her brow and shook her head. “All I know is that it’s a motorcycle accident,” she said. “That’s what she said. That’s what you said. I thought it was typical circs.”

Shelby shook her head. “Apparently, he was drunk,” she said in a voice just above a whisper. “I overheard the police talking to Owen and apparently he kept going on and on about you. They might interview you if they come back. But I guess that depends on whether or not he survives the surgery.”

Olivia made a face. "My name?" she asked. "What the hell was he saying my namefor?"

Shelby glanced around, almost as though she didn't want anyone to overhear. "When he came in, everyone could hear him ranting about you," she said. "He lost a lot of blood so everyone wrote him off as being crazy. No one was really taking what he said seriously. But I know better, Liv. And what he said was not right. He wanted to do wicked things to you. He wanted..." She pressed her lips together and shook her head. Olivia noticed how pale she went just remembering it. "When they called Hadley in, Owen was still conscious and still ranting. Hadley did not look pleased."

Olivia swallowed. Her arms were crossed over her chest tightly and her jaw was stiff. "I guess I should just wait, then?" Olivia asked. "Not because of Owen but for Hadley?"

Shelby shrugged. "It's your choice," she said. "If I get a chance, I'll let him know you'rehere."

Olivia nodded and took a seat in the waiting room. Luckily, she always had her Kindle with her and always bought books, even though she had plenty on the device to read. Now was as good as any so she quickly downloaded a book using the ER's free wifi and started toread.

* * *

To sayHadley was furious upon receiving the call from the hospital to perform an emergency surgery on his date with Olivia was an understatement. He had never been good at the whole dating thing. He didn't like it, didn't like spending all this time to try and get to know someone he wasn't sure he'd still care about in a few weeks. But Olivia was different.He cared about Olivia. There was no doubt about that. And he was actually enjoying himself with her on this date. He would never admit it out loud, of course, but he had been slightly worried about how this date was going to turn out. He knew he liked her professionally, he knew he liked her in the bedroom, but he wasn't sure if he could hang out with her without having sex or talking aboutwork.

But he liked her all around.

He especially liked the fact that despite the money she was making with this job, she didn't give a rat's ass about fancy food and sparkling wine. Instead, they got barbecue ribs at a rib place, ditched their reservations, and drank bottomless strawberry lemonade. It was one of the best nights of hislife.

Up until he got thatcall.

He didn't know why he was suddenly responsible for going to the ER for surgery. How many surgeons did the hospital staff have on call? This had be Carmen fucking with him again. He nearly called her after dropping Olivia off at her place, prepared to yell and curse and refuse, but her cell went straight to voicemail.

Damn hypocrite.