The In Death Collection Books 21-25 - J. D. Robb [238]
“Should we get uniforms for his room? For when they finish in there?”
“Yeah.” Think positive, Eve decided. He’d be moved to a room, and not the morgue.
Alone, she watched, made herself watch. And wondered what the girl she’d been—lying in a room so much like the one beyond the glass—had to do with what was happening now.
One of the med team rushed out. Eve grabbed her arm. “What’s his status?”
“Holding. The doctor will give you more information. Family members need to stay in Waiting.”
“I’m not family.” Eve reached for her badge. “Your patient is a material witness in a homicide. I need to know if he’s going to make it.”
“It looks good. He’s lucky. If getting hit by a cab a couple days before Christmas counts as luck. Got some broken bones, contusions, lacerations. Some internal bleeding we’ve stopped. He’s stabilized, but the head trauma’s the main concern. You’re going to need to talk to the attending.”
“His wife’s in Waiting, with my partner. She needs to be updated.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ve got a material witness on that table in there. I’m at the door.”
Irritation flashed over the nurse’s face, then she brushed a hand through the air. “Okay, okay. I’ll take care of it.”
Eve stood by. She heard the rush and confusion of the ER behind her, the beeps and the pages, the clop of feet with somewhere urgent to go.
At some point someone began to call out “Merry Christmas!” in slurred, drunken tones, laughing and singing as he was carted off. There was weeping, wailing, as a woman was hurried down the hall on a gurney. An orderly streamed by with a bucket that smelled of vomit.
Someone tapped her shoulder, and she turned, only to have homemade brew and poor dental hygiene waft into her face. The man responsible wore a filthy Santa suit with a white beard hanging off one ear.
“Merry Christmas! Want a present? Got a present for you right here!”
He grabbed his crotch, and flipped out his penis. At some more sober yet equally crazed time, he’d painted it up like a candy cane.
Eve studied the red and white stripes.
“Gee, that looks delicious, but I don’t have anything for you. Wait, yes, I do.”
His wide grin faded when she held up her badge.
“Aw, c’mon.”
“The reason I don’t haul you in for lewd and lascivious behavior, for indecent exposure—though, hey, nice paint job—and for possibly having the foulest breath on or off planet, is I’m busy. If I decide I’m not busy enough, you’re going to be spending Christmas in the tank. So blow.”
“Aw, c’mon.”
“And put that thing away before you scare some kid.”
“Santa, there you are.” The nurse who’d come out earlier rolled her eyes at Eve, then got a good grip on Santa’s arm. “Let’s go over here.”
“Want a present? I got a present for you right here.”
“Yeah, yeah. That’s all I want for Christmas.”
Eve turned back as the doors opened. She grabbed the closest pair of scrubs.
“What’s his status?”
“You the wife?”
“No, I’m the cop.”
“Cab versus man, cab usually wins. But he’s stable.” The doctor veed his fingers, slid them up his nose to rub the inside corners of his eyes. “Broken arm, fractured hip, bruised kidney. Head trauma’s the worst of it. But barring complications, he should do. He got off lucky.”
“Need to talk to him.”
“He’s loaded up. We’ve got him stabilized. Going to send him up for some tests. Couple hours, maybe, things go right, he’ll be able to hold a conversation.” Curiosity washed over the fatigue in his eyes. “Don’t I know you? The cop, right? I’ve worked my magic on you before.”
“Dallas. Probably.”
“Yeah, Dallas. You get around. Look, I need to talk to the wife.”
“Fine. I’m going to put a man on him. I don’t want anyone talking to him but me until I clear it.”
“What’s the deal?”
“Material witness. I’m Homicide.”
“Oh, yeah. Yeah! Icove case. Crazy bastards. Well, your material witness should live to sing. I’m that good.”
She shifted, watching as they