Lori Armstrong - No Mercy

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From my vantage point, I saw Jake gallop in on his horse Ace, the ambulance close on his horse’s hooves. The lights flashed red blue red blue in a blur, but the siren was silent. Two patrol cars finished up the motorcade. Jake’s mount shied and jerked hard to the left, instinctively fleeing from the dead horse and the scent of blood. He spurred in my direction.

The ambulance followed Jake. I pointed to my sister, lying on the ground. Rome and a guy I didn’t know jumped out. Hope didn’t stir as they checked her.

Jake dismounted and tied Ace to the cottonwood tree. He loped over and his gaze flicked me top to bottom. “You ain’t looking good. What’s wrong with your arm?”

“Dislocated my shoulder when I fell off the horse.”

His eyes went wide. “You rode out here?”

“Yeah. Long story.” I paused, returning my focus to the medical crew. “Sorry about Queenie. It happened so quick.”

“Might’ve been a heart attack. Not your fault.”

Our eyes met again. No recrimination in his, just concern.

“I’m not hurt as bad as Hope.”

“But bad enough.” Jake yelled, “Got another injury here that needs attention, Rome.”

“No. I’ll be fine. Just get Hope stabilized.”

“She is,” Rome said as he pushed to his feet. “Let me see you.”

“How is she?”

“Unconscious. The sooner we get her to Regional Hospital, the better. She isn’t in immediate danger so they aren’t sending the helicopter, especially in this weather.”

“What’ll happen once she gets there?”

“They’ll probably determine whether the break on her wrist requires surgery and reset her nose. We’ll have to wait and see on the prognosis for the baby.”

I’d forgotten about that. “So can we go right now?”

“Whoa. You aren’t going anywhere.” When he placed his hand on my biceps, my arm stung like he’d smacked me with a crowbar and it was difficult not to shriek with pain. “I’ll have to call for another ambulance for you.”

“What? Why can’t I ride with her?”

“Can’t have two injuries in the same cab. Against county policy.”

Another reminder of why I hated bureaucracy. “I am not going to sit here and wait for a fucking joyride while Hope is in surgery, Rome.”

“Calm down.”

“I am calm.”

“If there was any way around this-”

“There is. Fix me first.”

His startled gaze met mine. “Are you serious?”

A large figure was slogging across the field. Dawson. Through gritted teeth I said, “Yes. You’ve done this before, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then do it.”

“Dammit, Mercy, it doesn’t work like that. We need an ortho to reset it-”

“No. You do it. Now.” I shuffled closer. “I am going to the hospital with Hope in that ambulance. I don’t care if I have to ride into Rapid City on the damn roof one-handed.”

“You’re in shock.”

“Quit being a chickenshit. You aren’t going to make it worse.”

“Mercy, I don’t think-”

“Don’t fucking think,” I hissed. “Just do it.”

Resigned, Rome sighed and pointed to Jake’s hand. “Give her your glove so she’s got something to bite down on.”

Jake whisked off a thick glove and rolled it up lengthwise. “Open,” he said, and I unclenched my jaw. He worked it in my mouth across my tongue, stretching it until my teeth were covered in leather. “You sure about this, Mercy?”

I nodded.

“What do you need me to do?” Jake asked Rome.

“Brace yourself and hold on to her. No matter how tough she thinks she is, this is gonna hurt like a son of a bitch.”

No lie. I bore down, focusing on the rough texture of the glove against my tongue. The tangy taste of the sweat-stained leather and dirt burst in my mouth.

“Easy.” Rome placed his hand on my collarbone and I almost launched into orbit from the agony of that simple contact.

Jake became an immovable wall on my right side; my shoulder was jammed into the center of his chest. His left hand gripped my left hip. He wrapped my fingers around his right wrist and whispered, “Squeeze.”

I should’ve fallen back on my yoga training and deep uji breathing. Instead, I held my breath and my body rigid. Despite my claims, Rome couldn’t just pop it into place; he’d have to maneuver the bones back into proper position.

When Rome jiggled my arm back and forth, I squinched my eyes shut and swallowed the nausea. My breath stuttered in a muffled scream. Shit. That hurt.

“Easy. Almost got it.”

Liquid streamed down my face, couldn’t tell if it was tears or rain. I increased my grip on Jake’s wrist.

After a harsh jerk, something popped. It grated, bone grinding on bone, making my knees buckle from sheer blinding pain. The glove in my mouth couldn’t stifle my agonized howl. Saliva dribbled out the corners of my lips. Jake hauled me upright and held me steady while Rome finished the torture.

Rome twisted until everything snapped into place. I grunted, and the soggy glove dropped from my mouth. The burning sensation morphed into a constant throb. Rome gently lowered my arm as I buried my face into Jake’s neck, sagging against him.

I couldn’t catch my breath. I shook like a wet dog. I should’ve been mortified that I looked weak, but I hurt too bad to care.

Dawson said, “She okay? What happened?”

Rome said, “Dislocated her shoulder.”

“Shit.” Then, “Why isn’t she getting treatment down by the ambulance?”

“Because I just reset it for her.”

“Christ! Are you kidding me?”

Jake was stroking my hair and murmuring softly in Lakota.

“You aren’t supposed to-”

“I know,” Rome snapped. “She insisted.”

“What in the hell were you thinking, Mercy?” Dawson said.

I stepped back and gazed at Jake, mouthing thank you. “I’m thinking it’s time to get Hope to the hospital.” I didn’t look at Dawson until he blocked me in.

“Not so fast. You have to answer some questions first.”

“Later.”

“Now.”

I blinked the moisture from my eyes. “Then you’ll have to cuff me, Sheriff, nothing besides metal bracelets will keep me here. Nothing.” I lowered my voice. “But we both know I can take you in a ground fight, so don’t even try to stop me.”

“Don’t push me, Gunderson.”

“Don’t think I won’t shoot through you, just like I shot through Theo, to get to my sister, Dawson.”

Hard cop stare. “You admitting you shot him?”

My hard stare right back didn’t waver. “Yep.”

Rome and Jake crowded in around me. “Mercy isn’t going anywhere besides the hospital,” Rome said.

“Back off,” Dawson warned. “That’s a county ambulance you’re driving. Last I knew, you worked for me.”

“Last I knew, it was an elected position,” Rome retorted. “And if you want to keep the job as sheriff come election time, you’ll let her go right now.”

“You threatening me?”

“Just stating the facts. After what she’s been through in the last month, not to mention what she went through today, she doesn’t need this right now.”

Dawson’s gaze moved between the three of us. I gave him credit; his eyes didn’t linger on me. No one would suspect he’d rolled out of my bed yesterday morning.

“Fine. Answer this, Miz Gunderson: am I gonna run across any other bodies up here?”

“No.”

He pressed his nose to mine. “The second you’re cleared from the hospital, the second, I expect you in my office.”

“Rome,” the short guy shouted from beside Hope’s stretcher. “She’s ready. Let’s go.”