“What’re you looking at?” he demanded. “Just leave me alone and let me breathe awhile. Can’t you people just help a guy feel better? Do you have to go sticking your nose where it don’t belong?”

Vivian knocked at the open doorway. “Dr. Sheldon, we have another ambulance arriving outside, and Med Records brought me you-know-who’s file.”

Grant placed his stethoscope around his neck. “Thanks, Viv. I’ll be right out.” He turned to the patient. “Gil, I’m going to—”

“Yeah, yeah. Take a hike, pal. I’ll be fine.” Gil waved his hand at Grant as he replaced the nebulizer and continued to inhale the soothing medication.

Grant gestured to Lauren. “Why don’t we go check on our other patient?”

She followed him out of the room, relieved by the sweet smell of the air in the hallway. He leaned close. “Call Sergeant Tony Dalton and tell him about our patient. It’s possible this could be a police matter. At any rate, Tony will want to have it checked out.”

“A police—”

“From the smell of things, that man’s been cooking methamphetamine. I’m guessing he got the recipe wrong and had a little accident. Notice his eyes?”

“You’re saying something exploded on him?”

“More likely he mixed the wrong things together and caught some caustic fumes.”

They reached the central desk, and he gestured toward the phone. “I want to look at Will’s chart. You go ahead and call Tony.”

“Do you want me to go back to the room and keep an eye on Gil after I call?”

“No. If this guy’s an addict between fixes, he’s likely to be paranoid. Notice how defensive he got with three of us in the room?”

“I’m not crazy about leaving Gina in the room alone with him,” Lauren said.

“Gina’s safe as long as she’s helping him feel better. We don’t want him to think he’s being threatened in any way. That’s when he could become dangerous.”

“Oh. Well. Then why don’t I just call the police?”

Grant smiled at her and winked. “Good idea.”

Excerpted from:
Necessary Measures (THE HEALING TOUCH, Book 2) by Hannah Alexander
Copyright © 2002, Hannah Alexander
ISBN 076422594
Published by Bethany House Publishers
Used by permission. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.

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