Drawing The Line Read Online Free

are. What can you give us?”
    Dr. Fisher’ s brow tugged downward, and he reached across the desk to rifle through a stack of electronic tablets with a methodical clack, pulling two of them from the pile. “Mr. Worth sustained a stab wound to the upper left chest. Paramedics were able to stabilize him somewhat, but the injury resulted in a pneumothorax en route. He’s in surgery to repair the damage right now.”
    Shit. A collapsed lung was bad news even on a good case. “What’s the prognosis?”
    “You’ll have to check with the surgeon. A lot depends on what they find once they get in there , so it’s hard to say. But it’s likely he’ll be up there for a while.”
    Noah shook his head, the same seriousness on his face that Jason felt churning through his gut. “What about Ms. Gallagher?”
    Dr. Fisher’s expression eased up, but just a little. “Head injury from blunt force trauma, resulting in a concussion. She’s stable and resting in one of the curtain areas.”
    “Was she hit with an object? Some kind of weapon?” Jason asked, and the thought of it sent a hard shot of anger through his chest. While Serenity didn’t seem weak by any stretch, the idea of some punk cracking her across the head made him twitchy as hell. 
    Thankfully, Dr. Fisher shook his head to the negative. “Hard to tell. The injury is to the back of the head, so it’s possible. But we see results like this from injuries caused by falls, too. So it’s just as likely she was pushed and hit her head on the way down.”
    “But she’s okay to make a full statement?”
    “She’s been cleared of other injuries and should be able to talk briefly, yes. I’d like to keep her a little while longer for observation, but if all goes well, she should be released fairly soon. We’ve contacted family for both of them.” Dr. Fisher stood, tucking both charts beneath the arm of his rumpled white doctor’s coat. “Ms. Gallagher might be a little groggy or disoriented from the injuries. She got damned lucky. Head injuries like that are usually a lot worse, but overall, she’s fine to make a statement. Right this way, detectives.”
    They moved down the corridor in a unit, their various footsteps sending soft echoes over the gray and white l inoleum. Dr. Fisher directed Jason to a room toward the back of the emergency department before offering to take Noah upstairs to surgery, and they parted ways with a pair of tight, reciprocal nods.
    Jason eyed the geometric pattern on the tightly-drawn curtain blocking his view into the room, cueing up his most relaxed expression. With a deep breath, he rapped his knuckles over the glass door, just hard enough to feel the impact across the back of his hand and make sure his presence was clear before he pushed it open.
    “Ms. Gallagher? Jason Morgan, Brentsville PD.”
    A sharp intake of breath so unded off from behind the fabric, followed by a feminine voice curling around a decidedly un feminine swear. Jason froze to his spot, but the loud crash that capped off the exchange had him whipping back the curtain in one swift yank.
    “Serenity?” His pulse clattered through his veins, individual images registering in rapid-fire succession. The creased white sheets framing the empty hospital bed, the overturned rolling stand and attached blood pressure monitor sprawled out across the narrow expanse of linoleum like a downed oak tree.
    And Serenity Gallaghe r, looking both utterly stunned and utterly irritated as she stood in front of him in nothing but her bra and underwear.
    “Oh!” she chirped, her gasp of surprise colliding with Jason’s words.
    “Whoa! I’m sorry.” He jumped back and averted his eyes, but the image of pale blue lace and smooth, creamy skin burned a path all the way through him and refused to dissipate. “Are you hurt?” That equipment had come down pretty hard. Undressed or not, she might need help.
    Holy hell. She was very. Very. Undressed.
    “Most people wait for a come in