Page 6 of Prince of Carnage
"Teddy, what? No, you need to take him to an ER immediately," I insist, my heart pounding in my ears as I imagine the worst-case scenarios unfolding.
"Sorry, Doctor Lady," he says, the familiar lightheartedness in his voice gone, replaced by cold determination. "No can do in our line of work."
"Fine," I grit out, suppressing the urge to scream at the insanity of it all. "What's his current level of consciousness? Is he responding to you?"
"No, he's out cold," Teddy says, and I can practically feel the weight of his worry through the phone.
"Can you tell me if there are any other injuries, besides the gunshot wound?" I ask, hoping against hope that it's the only thing we need to deal with.
"Nothing else," Teddy confirms, his voice tight with concern. "Just the gunshot wound. Left shoulder."
"Teddy, this is very important." I clench my jaw, trying to keep my voice steady. "You need to continue to apply pressure so that he doesn't lose too much blood. How long until you're at the mansion?"
"Five minutes," he replies.
"Alright, I'll meet you there," I say.
I run back inside, bursting through the ER doors, lungs heaving as I sprint for the supply closet. My hands shake with adrenaline as I grab the heavy crash kit. Sam's shrill voice cuts through the din of the ER.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demands, rushing towards me.
I clench my jaw, biting back a growl. I don't have time for her petty power plays right now.
"Responding to an emergency," I snap. "I suggest you mind your own business."
Her eyes narrow to slits. I know she'll run to the administrators about this, but I can't worry about that now.
I race out, kit thudding against my thighs, and throw myself into the driver's seat. The engine roars to life and I peel out of the parking lot. My pulse hammers in my ears. I haven't slept in 36 hours but the adrenaline coursing through me keeps me laser focused.
I just pray I can get there in time.
Chapter Four
The engine's barely off before I'm flinging open the car door and sprinting toward the mansion. Teddy's Mustang is parked like a bat out of hell, practically kissing the front door. The keys are still in the ignition and his door hangs wide open; he's never been one for subtlety.
"Damn it, Teddy," I mutter under my breath. I wish he hadn't moved his brother. With a gunshot wound, the less you move someone, the better. But Teddy's all heart and no brain sometimes. Following the trail of blood on the marble floor, I find them just inside the foyer.
Teddy's kneeling beside a man I don't recognize, desperately pressing his own torn shirt against the guy's wound. His eyes hold a worry I've only ever seen once before – when he thought he'd lost Raven, his high school sweetheart, forever.
"Teddy, who is this?" I ask, breathless from my mad dash.
He looks up as if he's just noticed me. "Oh, this is my brother, Constantino."
I freeze. "Wait, Constantino? The one who killed Charlie in cold blood?"
Memories of Primo's trial come flooding back. Isabella, my sister, was ecstatic she'd won the case, but things went south real fast. I wasn't at the courthouse, but I heard about the bloodbath. Constantino opening fire, Charlie dead on the ground. A chill runs down my spine.
"Why is he here, Teddy?" I think of the solemn oath I took as a doctor. "Do no harm" doesn't mean I have to save a murderer.
Teddy looks at me and there's something desperate in his eyes, something I can't ignore. He's always been the joker, the one who could laugh through the darkness. Now, that light has vanished, replaced by fear and worry.
I know he can sense my apprehension. "Please," he says, desperation creeping into his voice. "It's not what everyone thinks. He came back here to help me. Please help him."
I'm still frozen in place, torn between wanting to help Teddy and not wanting to resuscitate a known-murderer.
Constantino stirs on the floor, chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. "If the bitch doesn't want to help me, don't force her," he says to Teddy, voice weak but defiant. "I'm not afraid to die." He passes out again, leaving me fuming.
"Real nice to call the person that's supposed to be saving your life a bitch," I snap, glaring at his mostly-unconscious form. But Teddy's begging is hard to resist, and I know how much he cares about his family.