Page 41 of Dark ’N’ Deadly

“Miss McTavish.” When Dr. Pierce stopped in front of her, she stood, wringing her hands. The doctor frowned, and her heart sank. One look at the tightness of Eric’s jaw confirmed there was bad news coming. “Your brother’s condition is quite serious. He has a ruptured appendix and needs immediate surgery. It’s bad, but I think we caught it in time. We’re prepping him now.”

“Oh, no.” The waiting room wavered before her eyes. Eric’s arm came around her shoulders as he eased her onto the chair and sat beside her again. “He’s all I have,” she whispered. “I can’t lose him. He can’t die. He can’t.”

Eric gave her shoulders a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “The doctors here are the best in the state. I’ll stay here with you. I promise.”

“Miss McTavish?” the nurse standing next to Dr. Pierce said. A clipboard appeared in front of her face, and she automatically took it. “You must be Jesse’s sister. The resemblance is obvious.” She smiled. “We need you to fill out a few forms. The main thing we need is your brother’s medical history, especially any allergic reactions to medications. And, of course, his insurance information.”

“Do you know his medical history?” Eric asked, his voice low and soothing.

“No.” She looked up at him, feeling utterly helpless. “I-I don’t think he has any allergies.”

“What about insurance?” the nurse prodded.

The question had her looking away, because that question, she could answer, unequivocally.

Their stepfather didn’t believe in medical insurance. When they were children, their needs had been taken care of in-house, and on the rare occasion someone needed to see a doctor, their stepfather paid in cash. Always. Because insurance companies wanted information, and he didn’t believe in providing anyone with more information than absolutely necessary. He always said it was another government ploy to track a person’s location and levy more taxes on them.

Insurance cost money, and neither she nor Jesse had insurance or money. They had no way of paying for Jesse’s surgery. Will they deny him surgery if I can’t pay for it? They wouldn’t do that. Would they? Somehow, she’d find a way to get the money, even if she had to sell her car. Her old Camry wasn’t worth much. A few hundred dollars perhaps, and surgery plus aftercare and antibiotics would more than break her meager bank.

It will obliterate it.

“I’m sorry.” She looked desperately from the nurse to the doctor, then back to the nurse. The clipboard shook in her unsteady hands. “I—neither of us—has insurance.”

“Let’s worry about that later. You can send a check when you’re ready,” the nurse suggested in a sympathetic tone, although from the look on her face, the woman knew she and Jesse were broke.

“I can’t—” Fresh tears dropped onto the clipboard, leaving damp blotches on the paper.

“I’ll take care of it.” Eric took the clipboard from her hands, then began filling out the credit card portion of the form. When she opened her mouth to object, he stopped her, resting a hand over hers and looking at her in a way that made her heart melt. “I’ve got this.”

Knowing there was no other way, she gave in and nodded. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back.” Someday.

Barely able to focus, she filled out the rest of the forms, entering as much personal information about Jesse as possible, which wasn’t much. His date of birth, and for his address, she put down the same church her brother had previously provided to Eric. It was bogus, in that Jesse had never actually lived there. Sooner or later, Eric would figure that out. For now, he didn’t question it.

She put herself down as his only next of kin. That much was true. Their stepfather hadn’t legally adopted either of them, so she really was Jesse’s only living relative.

Eric took the form to the desk, then came back and held out his hand. “Would you like to see him before they take him upstairs to surgery? They’ve given him something for the pain, but he’s still conscious.”

Nodding emphatically, she placed her hand in his and grabbed her bag. His big hand engulfed hers, and she held on tightly. He was a lifeline she was unaccustomed to, and for the first time since leaving Alabama, she allowed someone else to help her.

As they rounded the curtain of the ER cubicle, the first thing that struck her was the paleness of Jesse’s complexion. With their red hair and green eyes, she and her brother had naturally pale skin, but this was paler than pale. His cheeks were pasty white.

“Tessie,” he whispered, lifting an unsteady hand to her, which she clasped.

“I’ll wait outside for you.” Eric released her hand, resting it briefly on Jesse’s shoulder. “I’ll see you when you wake up.”

When he turned to leave, Jesse let go of her hand, reaching out to grab Eric’s wrist. “No. Stay. Please,” he added, then dropped his hand and shut his eyes, as if the effort had sapped every ounce of his remaining strength. His eyes flickered. “Take care of her.”

As if knowing exactly what her brother needed to hear, Eric clasped Jesse’s hand. “You got it.”

Something passed between Eric and her brother. An unspoken understanding.

“Can you bring Tiger for a visit tomorrow?” Jesse whispered hopefully.

Eric gave her brother a grim smile. “I’ll make it happen.”

“The operating room is ready,” Dr. Pierce said as he joined them. “If things go well—and we have no reason to believe they won’t—you can go home in a couple of days, perhaps even tomorrow evening. After that, you’ll need to take it easy for two to four weeks, then you’ll be as good as new.”

An orderly tugged the curtain aside, then lifted the bed rails to their upright position and began wheeling Jesse into the hall to the elevators. As they followed, she glanced at Eric’s profile. His jaw was clenched, and a muscle in his cheek flexed, and she understood why.