Finding Grace: The Guardian Chronicles Book One

Chapter 1. Help*

Chapter 1. Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

It was just after eleven p.m. when Dr. Evan Whitman came out of the restroom, preparing for the next eight hours of her night shift. It was the only chance she had for a break. There was no denying the craziest things happened on full moon nights. A small grin graced her lips as she thought how superstitious healthcare workers could be, even with all the scientific knowledge they had . She shook excess water off her hands and smoothed back a stray wisp of her dark auburn hair, then glanced up automatically as the sliding doors in the ambulance bay opened. Instinctively, an adrenaline rush spurred her into action as her eyes fell on a man hurrying into the emergency entrance carrying a child.

She ran toward him and the small body wrapped in a dark coat. As she ran, she called for a gurney, certain whoever was wrapped up would need rapid attention. When she neared the dark haired man, something in his eyes made her falter slightly. They sparked menacingly as she made eye contact, seeming to see into her soul. Outwardly, she did not miss a step though, as she pushed through the momentary hesitation to focus on his burden.

As a nurse pushed a gurney in front of the man, Evan reached to lay the body out gently. The man reluctantly let go of the child, keeping one hand on him as Evan pulled back the coat. Her initial impression was a confusing mass of bloody rags covering the boy's thin body. She brushed the man's hand aside, but inhaled sharply as her hand touched the cold hard hand on the boy's forehead. It was February in the Midwest, with temperatures often below zero, and she worried he might have frost bite. She made a mental note to check on him later.

"What happened? Are you the boy's father? Can you tell me what happened!" Evan demanded of the man, trying to make eye contact. She assumed his silence was the beginning stage of shock. "Sir, do you know what happened? If you know what happened you need to tell me so I can help your son!"

She heard a mumbled reply, "I'm not...I...I don't know what happened."

Evan tried again to make eye contact, leaning toward the man's face to get his attention. Instead of asking her intended question, she just stared. His face was pale as parchment, and his piercing eyes had turned obsidian.

He took a quick step back and ducked away from her as Evan leaned closer to him. His longish black hair partially obscured his eyes and face now, allowing her to pull away from his mesmerizing gaze, and begin pushing the gurney toward the trauma room. Something unsettled her and she did not want to be near him a moment longer. His presence clouded her mind, and she needed to be sharp now. Despite that fact, she needed some answers so she closed her eyes, stopped when she was a few feet away, then turned and asked aloud, "Are you this boy's father? I need to to know for the consent for treatment."

"No, I'm not his father," he murmured in a low voice.

"Are you hurt? Were you in an accident together?" she asked, again trying to be sure she wasn't missing something that could account for the boy's injuries and the man's paleness.

"I'm fine...I just found him like this," he replied impatiently.

"Well, wait here, so I can ask you a few questions once he is stabilized and make sure you're okay," Evan commanded.

He nodded and faded into the waiting room. In the few seconds it had taken for this exchange to take place, the trauma team had assembled, and whisked the gurney through the trauma unit doors. Evan turned and ran after them, ready to give her undivided attention to the boy.

The team surrounded the gurney, and Evan supervised as the resident surveyed the boy for signs of life. Electrodes were placed across his chest for monitoring his heart rate; nurses cut off the remaining shreds of clothing to see the full extent of his injuries; and some tried to start an intravenous line.