Read Online Edge of the Heat (Westwood Harbor Corruption) by Lisa Ladew - Free Book Online
Authors: Lisa Ladew
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the Chief had to say. Her mind was turning this information over and over again. All she could think of was what had happened. Had she seen or heard anything that could be evidence? Was there any wa y that she could help bring the perpetrator to justice?
Emma was not aware of Craig on her left, watching her intently. She had forgotten he existed for a few short minutes.
The Chief stopped talking and people got up and started milling around. Emma looked up, trying to figure out what was said - what they were doing now.
Craig touched her arm lightly. Tingles exploded from the spot and she jerked her head around to look at him. "Hey, want to be my partner?"
"Partner, what?"
"We are supposed to partner up and do some exercises now," he whispered so nobody would hear that she hadn't been listening.
She smiled gratefully. "Yes," she whispered back.
"Ok, let's take our chairs over into that corner."
They picked up their chairs and went to the corner. Emma felt shy, awkward. This seemed so intimate. Intimate. She would love to get intimate with this man. Her mind flashed to her vision. She felt almost sad that it had happened. Why couldn't Craig be the man from her vision? Or why couldn't she have had no vision and met Craig and been free to like him. Oh well, it would probably just end up like every other man she had tried to date after Norman. Horrible. No, she needed to stick with the plan, the vision - that's the man who would be her rock, her superman, and give her the life she desired so badly. Mom, dad, a white picket fence, two kids, one cat, and one dog. A family who ate dinner together every night. No one ever disappeared or died or ...
Dr. Morgan, the psychiatrist, interrupted her thoughts.
"Ok, everyone is going to share with their partner the worst thing they saw, and the hardest decision they had to make, and how that made them feel. Then switch and the other person shares the same thing."
"Do you want to go first?" Craig asked.
"Sure. Ok, well ..." Emma took a deep breath and thought hard. She knew this would be difficult, but she knew she needed to get it out too. "The worst thing I saw was the man who was sliced through the neck by the flying piece of metal. It was a clean slice but so deep. Almost to his spine. His friends were holding pressure on it when I got there, but when I saw the size of the puddle of blood around him, my mind signed his death warrant against my will. That was also the hardest decision I had to make. He was unconscious and his femoral pulse was barely there. The guy with the piece of metal sticking out of his chest was at least talking. And the woman who lost her feet? She was talking too. And by rights, I should have sent both of them on an ambulance first. Their chance of survival was greater, but time was still of the essence, you know?"
Here Emma started to cry softly, making no noise, but the tears ran down her face freely. She hated to cry in public, but she knew it had to come out. If it didn't, it would eat her alive. That's why they did this. So less rescue workers committed suicide or became alcoholics after incidents like this.
She looked at Craig. The compassion in his eyes was obvious. He gently took her hand in his. She thrilled at the touch, even under all her e motion. He nodded slightly, encouraging her to go on.
"But he wasn't dead! And I couldn't live with myself if he died while waiting for an ambulance, so he went first. Luckily we got another ambulance in swiftly and I found a firefighter to drive it to th e hospital so the two paramedics could both be in back and those other two could go together. They were both still talking, last I saw them."
She stopped and took a deep breath. Someone was standing behind her. It was Dr. Morgan. He pulled up a chair and a sked "Emma, how did that make you feel?"
Emma looked down at Craig's hand holding her hand and drew strength from his presence. She sucked in a breath and said "I don't know if I felt anything on
Emma was not aware of Craig on her left, watching her intently. She had forgotten he existed for a few short minutes.
The Chief stopped talking and people got up and started milling around. Emma looked up, trying to figure out what was said - what they were doing now.
Craig touched her arm lightly. Tingles exploded from the spot and she jerked her head around to look at him. "Hey, want to be my partner?"
"Partner, what?"
"We are supposed to partner up and do some exercises now," he whispered so nobody would hear that she hadn't been listening.
She smiled gratefully. "Yes," she whispered back.
"Ok, let's take our chairs over into that corner."
They picked up their chairs and went to the corner. Emma felt shy, awkward. This seemed so intimate. Intimate. She would love to get intimate with this man. Her mind flashed to her vision. She felt almost sad that it had happened. Why couldn't Craig be the man from her vision? Or why couldn't she have had no vision and met Craig and been free to like him. Oh well, it would probably just end up like every other man she had tried to date after Norman. Horrible. No, she needed to stick with the plan, the vision - that's the man who would be her rock, her superman, and give her the life she desired so badly. Mom, dad, a white picket fence, two kids, one cat, and one dog. A family who ate dinner together every night. No one ever disappeared or died or ...
Dr. Morgan, the psychiatrist, interrupted her thoughts.
"Ok, everyone is going to share with their partner the worst thing they saw, and the hardest decision they had to make, and how that made them feel. Then switch and the other person shares the same thing."
"Do you want to go first?" Craig asked.
"Sure. Ok, well ..." Emma took a deep breath and thought hard. She knew this would be difficult, but she knew she needed to get it out too. "The worst thing I saw was the man who was sliced through the neck by the flying piece of metal. It was a clean slice but so deep. Almost to his spine. His friends were holding pressure on it when I got there, but when I saw the size of the puddle of blood around him, my mind signed his death warrant against my will. That was also the hardest decision I had to make. He was unconscious and his femoral pulse was barely there. The guy with the piece of metal sticking out of his chest was at least talking. And the woman who lost her feet? She was talking too. And by rights, I should have sent both of them on an ambulance first. Their chance of survival was greater, but time was still of the essence, you know?"
Here Emma started to cry softly, making no noise, but the tears ran down her face freely. She hated to cry in public, but she knew it had to come out. If it didn't, it would eat her alive. That's why they did this. So less rescue workers committed suicide or became alcoholics after incidents like this.
She looked at Craig. The compassion in his eyes was obvious. He gently took her hand in his. She thrilled at the touch, even under all her e motion. He nodded slightly, encouraging her to go on.
"But he wasn't dead! And I couldn't live with myself if he died while waiting for an ambulance, so he went first. Luckily we got another ambulance in swiftly and I found a firefighter to drive it to th e hospital so the two paramedics could both be in back and those other two could go together. They were both still talking, last I saw them."
She stopped and took a deep breath. Someone was standing behind her. It was Dr. Morgan. He pulled up a chair and a sked "Emma, how did that make you feel?"
Emma looked down at Craig's hand holding her hand and drew strength from his presence. She sucked in a breath and said "I don't know if I felt anything on
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