Healing Her Heart

lyattheclockonthewal

halongbreakinthemiddle

essedbywhataha

wupsetshewasatseein

twonightsagohadbeenw

hway.Anniehadalsosusta

ialrupturedspleen.Itha

AndknowingLarissa,shew

olutelynothingshecoul

appe

endingupaquickprayerf

ddisbeliefwhenhereali

issathanhehadintheyear

o

nnedontellin

dthecornerandbarreledr

nhershoulders.“W

igh,takingastepback.“

enLarissa?Oneofherpat

in

ised.“Justgetherpati

ay

red,andheswungaround

a

opwhenheheard

.Whydon’tyouputthegu

foryoutogo

ownhisspine,andhespr

1.“KurtHinkleisarme

”hesaidinalow,terseto

tdispatch

ungaround,andquickl

ryoneoutofthetraumab

ietlyasp

kleisintherewithagun,butt

romthisarea,”herepeate

re,”Debraprotest

eryoneouthere,okay?”

adingtothetraumabay.

estartledKur

thoughtofLarissafaci

lone,

leasegivem

nandpeeredinside.Th

oseKurtwastoLarissa,j

hecenterofherchest.La

thnothingbutasmallmet

h

itingforthesheriff’s

dintotheroom.“Pu

undtofacehim,thegun

this,doc.Thisis

eated,projectingacalm

rsethanita

Kurtshouted,his

e,henoticedLarissawa

e’dhoped.Thetraumab

hideormuchtouseasa

Larissa?”heasked,stri

sn’tdoneany

amistakeasKurtimmedi

ayedawayfromAnnie,”h

deasofleavingme.It’syo

left,she’dbe

Kurt’stwistedlogic,

ldphysicallyabusehiswi

abedidn’thaveaclueh

e,”Larissasaidwithano

pshurting

ssatobequiet.Therewas

a

”Gabeasked,desperate

fonLarissa.“Ican’thelpyo

here,”Kurtshouted.“

oti

yatLarissa,tryingtot

deringhishuntingbackg

hithistarget.Especially

ser

sdeputies?Shouldn’tt

akingthe

thegunforemphasis,the

uma

toLarissaashedroppedt

llcrouch,readyfo

sedwhatwasabouttoh

nkereddowninthecorne

urnedsidewayssothatthet

ohehopedandprayedth

y,shehads

pyourgunandcomeou

thedoorsleadinginfro

relocated.Gabetookadva

dLarissa.Sheclutchedat

ondbeforeheshov

d.Abulletcouldstillgo

detableasashieldwhile

ouldseeadeputystandin

roughe

etraumabaysurrounde

mov

killthemboth!

”oneofthedeputiessho

ni

tscreamed,hisface

saidandhopedhewasn’tl

putiescanarrang

’rel

gsincehedoubtedthed

wascleartheybelieved

togetKurttosurrenderhis

son,Tommy?”thedeput

ncebay

!”Kurtgrewevenmoreag

ulancebaydoors.“Stay

e

mywasalevertheycoul

Becauserightnowtherew

dthemadma

hootthembothbeforet

etost

____

tnon-stopsinceKurthad

Gabewashere,too,ma

utethatKurthadbeendri

learlybeentryingtoget

thatmuch

wasrightaboutthat.Sh

she’dcomeinforherbrok

wayfromKurtrightthen

afehouse,atlea

wsheandGabewerebot

silykillthem.Thefactth

rtofamiracle.Maybehi

rfavor.Hedidn’tseemto

thetraumabaywasslowl

thesheriff’sdeputieswa

ldn’thaveagoodshotat

rehelpedstea

.Putdownyourgunandco

rstanding.”Thevoiceou

Comeoutwhile

einhere,I’ll

rtoftheERopenedevenw

neelingthere,wearingf

tedhishandgunatKurt.Sh

unfire,buttheb

around,shootingwildl

edinablur,butsuddenly

marew

omassaidashestoodov

.Kurt’sgunwasontheoth

ac

Gabesaid.Heshovedthe

p,too.“Areyouallright

eyesgazing

restilltrembling,sosh

forsavin

meandhelpmewithKurt

on.Youcancoverthepatie

ish

rmindaroundthefactth

Butthensherealizedthey

hthavedeservedit.Soi

’llhel

tJulie,”Gaberepeated

andcuffingKurtHinkleto

newtherewasn’

dIVsupplies,knowingt

bloodandfluids.Therest

adgiventheallclear.Soo

unitsofO-negbloodin

fu

ononcall,”Gabeorder

openwoundonKurt’slo

ateddeeplyintohisflesh.

stogettot

yexplainedthemassiveb

utanythingthathappened

thoughsheknewhe’dendu

cc

ecalltothesurgeon.“Dr

packingthewound.“Iho

y?”Larissaaskedafter

t’svitalswerelowbuts

himupatleastuntilheShepulledasterilevascu

edonanewsetofsterile

alarge-vascularinjury,b

trumentsandlapsponge

hathewasdoing.Heplac

toatrickle.Heputmores

t’sallIca

.Rauschstrodeinandtook

hetransporterwheeledK

ngside,unwillingtolet

nthere,”shewarned,put

either,andneitheroneo

etostayouthereifyo

forhim,”DeputyArmbrus

mepatchinghimupsincehe

feinj

erforthatandwasasha

hesourceoftheinjuriesdi

bligatedtosavelivestoth

emachineoverthere.Hel

etotakeyourstat

aftermyshiftiso

’llneedtotal

he’dpassthemessage.“

eER.Shefeltbadthat

lthistime.Butwhensheg

letobelievethatonlyan

dherinthe

edbyinablur.Aftersheg

e,surprisedtoseethebr

dpassed,givin

ohome,sheknewthepoli

ndto

outside.Wordlessly,hec

anedagainsthim,relie

idinmywholelife,”hem

youweren

oicemuffledbyhisshirt

ngtosh

” “DeputyThoma

n’targue

lingwithcars,memberso

nsdepartmentarrivingtot

eltdistinctlyself-consc

wanttobeseenhugging

rgo.Hisarmstightene

ingly,hesimplysmiled,l

wofanyonewho

dinthesweetn