Mountain Ambush

“Huh?”

“Never mind. My work is done here.” Without making eye contact, she turned and left the room.

He sat up, wanting to call her back and say something, express his thanks again.

Apologize for his rude behavior.

“She’s a weird duck,” Oscar said.

“Why do you say that?”

“Bossy one minute, friendly the next.”

Which actually sounded like Spence tonight thanks to the head injury.

“You ready for your MRI?” Oscar said.

“Yes.” Spence got out of bed and shifted his feet onto the floor. When Oscar reached out for the assist, Spence motioned him off. “I’m fine.”

Maddie was right. He kept repeating the words, but even Spence knew it wasn’t true. He sat in the wheelchair and Oscar adjusted the footrests.

The MRI was one more thing to check off the list. The radiologist wouldn’t see anything alarming and Spence would be released in the morning.

As Oscar wheeled him to the elevator, Spence closed his eyes, giving hospital staff the message that he wasn’t in the mood to talk. Unfortunately, Oscar couldn’t see Spence’s face.

“That was some fight you got into on the trail, huh?” Oscar said.

“It was.”

“Good thing you shot at the guy and scared him off.”

Spence was about to correct him, to say that Maddie had fired the weapon, but didn’t want to encourage further conversation. They successfully avoided hospital staff as Oscar wheeled him into the elevator.

Spence sighed with relief. Relief? He was usually outgoing, not the type of person to avoid social interaction.

The elevator doors closed. “Head hurts, huh?” Oscar asked.

“Yes.” Spence nodded and rubbed his temples.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why? It’s not your fault,” Spence snapped. “Sorry.”

Again, that was not like him. He chalked it up to the hammering in his skull that wouldn’t quit. It would make anyone cranky. Perhaps he should ask for a pain reliever to help him sleep tonight.

Then again, sleep would only bring more nightmares, and besides, they were careful not to overmedicate patients suffering from head trauma.

Spence focused on relaxing for the MRI. Being in that enclosed space wasn’t the most pleasant experience with the banging, knocking and buzzing sounds filling the tube.

When they got to imaging, Oscar handed Spence off to an MRI tech named Kurt. As Kurt helped him onto the table, Spence could tell the medication was taking effect. He felt relaxed, and even a little light-headed.

“Music choice?” Kurt asked, handing Spence headphones.

Spence stretched out on the table. “Classical.”

“Okay. I can hear you so if you have any concerns while the procedure—”

“I won’t,” Spence said. He wanted this done, over. He wanted to go home to his remote cabin.

As Spence lay still, arms by his sides, the tech slid the table into the tube. A moment later, classical music drifted through the headphones. He’d try to find a peaceful place in his mind, a calm place. He’d always found peace in Echo Mountain National Park surrounded by majestic evergreens, pine and cedar trees—a blanket of green spanning the mountain range.

Green like Maddie’s eyes.

That’s why she’d been able to calm him down, because her eyes reminded him of the one place he could find comfort.

The hammering sounds of the MRI scan started to interfere with the calming effect of the music. His thoughts drifted to this afternoon’s rescue, finding Gwen and the brutal attack. Should he have performed the complicated procedure on her considering his brain trauma? Of course. Gwen was okay now, breathing on her own, Maddie said as much.

Maddie, his defender. She’d saved his life.

The medication caused him to drift deeper...deeper.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when silence filled the tube. Were they done? Had Spence slept through the forty-five minute procedure?

Heavy metal music blasted through the headphones, sparking a migraine that clawed its way through his skull.

“Ah!” He ripped off the headphones and fought the nausea rolling through his stomach.

The table slid out of the tube.

He was surrounded by darkness.

“Kurt?” he said, his voice weak.

Spence rolled off the table and stumbled across the room. The door, he needed to find the door.

“Kurt!”

“He can’t help you,” a voice whispered.

Spence whipped around. “Who’s there?”

“It’s time to pay for your sins.”

THREE (#u4ac38662-c546-58cb-b7e2-12103666bcd9)

Maddie motored down the hall, checking email on her phone. She didn’t want to be cornered by female staff members for an update on Dr. Perfect Spencer, nor did she want to perpetuate the story that he’d fired off the warning shot to save Maddie. That bit of untruth had been spreading like the flu ever since they’d arrived at the hospital, but Chief Walsh asked Maddie not to discuss details of the case. So rather than correct the chatterboxes and tell them she had saved Dr. Dreamboat, Maddie had to play the helpless waif.

Anyone who knew Maddie knew she was a determined woman who did not need protecting. But it was too easy for people to assume Dr. Spencer had been the protector since he was the confident and commanding type.