Squared Away (Out of Uniform 5)

“Right.” Mark’s voice was clipped. The more he talked, the more Mark’s confidence and training seemed to return, which was reassuring. Isaiah guessed that all the jokes he’d heard about doctors not being able to treat their family members without freaking out were true.

“Get Zoe,” Isaiah ordered, carrying Daphne to the kitchen where he made a pad out of paper towels and pressed it to the cut as Mark had directed.

Mark came in carrying Zoe and Liam both. “I turned off the grill.”

“Good. Do you want me to take her or should we all go?”

“All. I want everyone.” Daphne was full-on melting down, huge tears spilling down her face. “I want Nanny Tonya. I want Mommy.”

Oh hell. That was all they needed—a fresh explosion of grief.

“We’ll all come,” Isaiah decided, another fast decision.

“Okay,” Mark nodded, still pale but moving with the sort of authority Isaiah always associated with military guys. He put Liam in the high chair and set Zoe down before coming over to Isaiah and Daphne, checking the pad, muttering to himself about not having his kit again. Isaiah had no doubt that Mark in Wizard mode like this could carry all four of them on his back to the nearest ER if needed. Heck, he could probably do neater stitches than the doctor would.

“Let me grab the diaper bag. What else do we need?” Isaiah asked, thinking aloud while he kept pressure on Daphne’s leg. “Phone. Charger. Tablet for distracting the kids. ID.”

“I just saw the insurance card in my paper sorting earlier. I should grab that.” Mark headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. After he returned, he helped Isaiah tape on some gauze pads they found in the downstairs bathroom, making it easier to get Daphne into the car.

“Hospital here or should I go to Children’s?” Children’s was farther, but it might be better at stitching up kids than the small hospital on the island.

“Here.” Mark was turned around in the passenger seat, keeping pressure on Daphne’s leg while Isaiah drove. “Less driving the better. It’s not a head wound, thank God, so the scar’s less of an issue. The ER should be able to handle it.”

Isaiah found a parking space near the emergency doors pretty easily. “See, Daph? We got you here quick. They’ll get you all stitched up. And then you can have whatever you want as a treat after.”

“Ice cream?” she asked in a small voice.

“Yup. Any flavor.” He lifted her out, letting Mark carry the other two, Liam in the car seat and Zoe on his hip.

The scrubs-clad woman at the check-in desk looked like she’d already had a long Saturday, hair escaping a messy ponytail and a bored expression on her face. Isaiah explained about Daphne’s injury and Mark handed over the insurance card.

“Now are you the dad?” She spoke directly to Mark, like Isaiah wasn’t even there. “We usually only let parents go back. Not siblings and others.” She gestured at Isaiah and the other two kids.

“I need Uncle Ikey.” Daphne started up a fresh set of wails.

“Her parents are deceased,” Mark said, far calmer than Isaiah could have managed.

“And you have guardianship?”

“Not yet,” Isaiah said quickly. “It was recent and we’re still waiting on a hearing.” Damn it. He needed those guardianship papers like now.

“All right.” The woman sighed. “This is too complicated for me. I’m going to have a hospital social worker come around once you’re set in a triage room, see if we can get it straightened out. But for now, why don’t you pick one—”

“Both!” Daphne increased in volume.

“Okay, okay. Both. This way please.” She led them down a short call to a curtained cubicle. “You’re lucky we’re slow tonight. Doctor should be with you shortly, and I’ll get a call into our social worker too.”

That last bit sounded ominous. Isaiah didn’t need any interference in his family. This was exactly why he needed the guardianship set up ASAP and why he needed Mark on board with that plan. Nothing else mattered except keeping the kids safe.

Chapter Nine

Legs still feeling rubbery, Mark took the chair in the little cubicle, setting Liam’s car seat in front of him, while Isaiah sat on the exam table, Daphne on his lap. It was more than a little crowded, but if Daphne wanted them both there, then both of them she would have. He couldn’t believe she’d gotten hurt on his watch. He’d been sitting there, talking nonsense at Liam, soaking up the sun, and then bam! She’d fallen before he could even call out a warning. And he’d freaked.

Freezing like that had never once happened to him in the field, but somehow seeing that tiny body—that he was responsible for—hurt had been more than his nervous system could handle. Fuck. What if it had been an even more serious emergency? Precious seconds had passed before he’d remembered his training, assessed the situation. He’d let Isaiah down. Hell, he’d let himself down.