Chapter 21

Pacing between emergency vehicles and patients, Meredith was on sensory overload. The smell of smoke hung heavily in the air, making breathing more difficult. Sirens of approaching emergency vehicles screamed in the distance while doctors who were treating patients called back and forth to each other. Police and fire personnel rushed across the common area to deal with the mess inside.

She couldn’t stop shaking, no doubt reacting to being held at gunpoint, but afraid that she wouldn’t be able to warn Kostya in time. She kept dialing Will’s cell on her phone, but the call dropped over and over—more than likely due to cell towers overwhelmed with call traffic. She needed to get to a landline to warn Kostya, but as a doctor, she had to attend to the patients and get them to safety first.

Determined not to allow panic to rule her actions, she grabbed a stack of blankets and a medical kit as police ushered her out into the parking lot while they secured the scene. She distributed the blankets to several patients who were being herded back into the hospital through the cafeteria’s patio doors, away from the Emergency Department. Inside they would be warm, and they would be able to access medicines and equipment needed to treat the patients. It seemed like patient care was hectic but under control. Entering the cafeteria, she ducked behind the line into the closed kitchen area. The night-prep workers recognized her and showed her to a small office in back where there was a desk phone.

Meredith dialed Will’s number quickly. After three rings it went straight to his voicemail. Sighing with frustration, she left a message for him to call her as soon as possible.

Next, she called her home number hoping to find Kostya at home. Scott answered.

“Scott, oh thank God,” she said.

“Mer, it’s the middle of the night. What’s going on?”

“There’s been some excitement here at the hospital.”

She could hear him flipping on the television. “What the… A hostage situation? Mer…”

“Listen, I need to speak to Kostya. Do you know if he’s in his room?”

“Kostya? I don’t know.” Scott sounded annoyed. He paused, watching something on the television. “There was a fire in the ER? Aren’t you down there this week?”

“Scott, don’t get upset. I’m fine, but I need to speak to Kostya and cell service is down. Can you go check his room?”

“What the hell, Meredith? Your picture is on the damn news.” Meredith heard the squeak of the mattress as he sat up. She could imagine him putting his feet in the slippers that were always right by the side of his bed on the floor and standing up. “You were the hostage? Meredith. This is a publicity nightmare. I have to call the Senator.”

“Scott,” Meredith said firmly. “I need to find Kostya. Is he in the house?” Oh, and by the way, I’m fine, dear.

She heard him open the door to their room and then knock on the guest door, then push that door open. “He’s not here. Did he have anything to do with what happened over there?”

“If he comes back, tell him I need to talk to him.” She avoided the question.

“If I’m here,” he said. “I’ll be heading down to the office to deal with the media circus. This will look great since we’ve just gone on record saying crime rates are better in the District and people are safer than ever,” he said sarcastically and forced a laugh. “Everyone’s safer, except your family.”

“I’m sorry, Scott,” Meredith said without really understanding why she should be apologizing. She felt like she had been doing a lot of apologizing lately, and she didn’t like it.

“Whatever,” he said, and he hung up the phone. Meredith hung onto the phone for an extra second without hanging it up as a thought ran across her mind.

She never felt sorry with Kostya.

Not that she wouldn’t apologize if she had really offended him or stepped on his toe or something. But she never had to apologize for being who she was, for living her life, for making her choices.

She hung up the phone, put her head in her hands, and for the first time since he arrived, allowed herself to imagine what life would be like with Kostya. How would he react to what had happened tonight?

“Dr. St. Claire?” a timid voice said behind her.

“Yes?” She turned in the desk chair and saw one of the night bakers at the door.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but there’s some men here asking for you. I think one of them is your brother, but I don’t recognize the other.”

“Where are they?” Meredith shot out of the chair. The girl pointed toward the front. “Thank you so much.” She hurried toward the main doors.

In the main cafeteria, she found Kostya pacing and Will sitting with his head down. When she emerged, Kostya’s eyes locked on her, his face showing relief.

“Meri,” he called as he strode toward her. She threw herself into his arms, burying her head into his neck. He held her close and whispered in her ear. “I’ve been so worried. We couldn’t reach you.” He pulled back, bracing her shoulders with his hands. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you, dushen’ka?”

“No.” She rubbed her hands over his arms. “I’m ok, just shaken up. But—listen, Kostya, he was looking for you.”

“We know. TRUST pulled the camera footage.” He pulled her close again. “I won’t let you out of my sight until this is over.”

“That might make rounds interesting.” She laughed. Said as a joke, Meredith imagined his glowering figure behind her as she diagnosed and treated patients. But when she pulled her head back and looked at him, he was very serious. His eyes, darkened with concern, wrenched her insides. She drew him close again. “Thank you for coming for me.”

“I would have died if he had hurt you.” Kostya fingered the hair by her cheek and pushed it behind her ear.

“Mer, the police are going to need a statement, and there’s a ton of press out there.” Will came next to them. “I can escort you, but Kostya needs to stay out of the public eye for a while. It’s probably okay for him to be in the crowd here at the hospital, but it wouldn’t be good to have him hugging you or you giving a press conference holding his hand on CNN.” He nodded toward the two of them and lifted his eyebrows.

“Oh. Of course.” Meredith stepped back awkwardly from Kostya, but continued to hold him with her eyes. “Maybe we can say something to appease Daddy’s people. Scott seemed to think this was going to be a disaster for them.”

“That’s what he was worried about?” Will asked incredulously. “He didn’t wonder how you were, or run down here as fast as he could?” Meredith shook her head. She heard Will say something under his breath as he turned away, but she didn’t ask him to repeat it.

For the next several minutes, Meredith and Will navigated the press corps and the police’s questions, while Kostya stood watchfully off to the side. Meredith even made a beautiful statement about the safety of working in downtown D.C. at night, and assured everyone the attack was the product of a mentally ill patient, and it could have happened anywhere.

“The work of lawmakers like my father have made it possible for people like doctors, nurses, and emergency personnel to feel safe moving around the District at night. Although crime exists, as always, fear does not rule us as it did just a few years ago.”

There. That should make Scott happy.

She didn’t want to admit how little she cared.