Mount Mercy

“The only way to save her kidneys is with a pyeloplasty. I’ve never done one before, it’s a job for a specialist renal surgeon. And with an adult I could do it keyhole, but Rebecca’s too small, I’d have to open her up. She’s already weak. She could die on the table.”

“And if you don’t do it?”

“She’ll live... but her kidneys will fail and once they’re gone, she’s on dialysis for the rest of her life.” Fresh tears welled up. “She’s a minor, she can’t make the decision. Her parents are meant to, but I can’t reach them!”

Oh shit.

Her voice fractured. “How the hell am I meant to decide? Do I risk killing her, to give her a shot at a normal life?”

I closed my eyes and pulled her to my chest, wrapping my arms around her and cradling her head against me. Her silent tears made warm blotches on the front of my scrubs. “You think I should do it?” she asked after a few moments.

That was my instinct. If it had been an adult then sure, roll the dice and to hell with the rules. But this was a kid. I thought of Rebecca hooked up to a dialysis machine once a week for the rest of her life, hoping she got lucky on the transplant list. But then I thought of her parents showing up and Beckett having to tell them their daughter was gone because of a decision she’d made. There were no easy answers. “I don’t know,” I said at last. I stroked her hair. “I know you’re an amazing surgeon. If anyone can pull it off, you can. And I know you care about her. You’re the closest thing that kid has to a mother, right now. You’ve got to go with your gut, do what you think’s right. I’ve got your back either way.”

Krista opened the door. When she saw us hugging, her face lit up. Her mouth opened for one of her smartass comments...and then she saw the expressions on our faces and bit it back. “You two should head home,” she said gently. “It’s still quiet.”

Beckett shook her head. “We can’t just leave you here.”

“Yes you can!” said Krista firmly. “You have to! Both of you are exhausted. Taylor and I can handle the graveyard shift, but we need you two fresh for tomorrow.”

She had a point. It could be days until the snow cleared and we had to sleep at some point. And now that she’d said it, I realized how utterly spent I was. A full day on my feet, followed by trekking up that hill in the snow, rescuing Sophie, carrying the stretcher, struggling back up the hill. We’d only dozed in my pickup and only for an hour or so. I was ready to drop. I looked at Beckett: she looked exhausted too.

Krista could see we were weakening. “If there’s an emergency, we’ll send someone to come get you.”

“My apartment’s just down the street,” I said without thinking. Then I realized how it sounded. Beckett blushed and, for once, I think I did, too.

“Go!” said Krista, grinning.

We went.

37

Amy

THE FIRST THING I noticed was that I was warm. Really warm, cozy in a way I’d never experienced before.

Firstly, I was sprawled face-down on a big, heated mattress that was the perfect blend of hard and soft. I sent my hands out on sleepy reconnaissance missions, feeling around until I’d confirmed that the mattress had shoulders and abs and was, in fact, Corrigan.

Secondly, I was under the best comforter I’d ever felt. It was soft enough to mold to our bodies and hug us but dense and thickly satisfying, its weight pressing me firmly into my pillow of Irish pec. I never, ever want to move. The only part of me that was cold was my nose, because that was above the comforter so that I could breathe. So I ducked my head and snuggled in tighter.

“Christ, woman! Your nose is like a feckin’ icicle!” Corrigan captured my head between his palms, kissed my forehead and then pressed one warm palm against the tip of my nose to thaw it.

“I really like your bed,” I said seriously.

He fingered the comforter appreciatively. “Well, you don’t want to mess around when it comes to duvets.”

I hadn’t considered that he might have the same need for coziness that I had. I’d thought of him sleeping on the floor with a sandpaper blanket. Every day, I was learning new things about him. “Duvet? That’s what you call this?” He nodded. “Teach me something else,” I said.

His face lit up and his voice dropped into a silver-edged growl. “I’ve got a few things I could teach you.”

We were both naked, I realized. And his cock was stiffening rapidly against my thigh. “Words!” I yelped. “Teach me words!”