The Deputy's Lost and Found Read Free

female voice, Brady turned to see Andrea, a nurse who often worked the night shift in emergency.
    “Bridget is working tonight?” he asked.
    Brady’s sister was a medical doctor with a very busy practice. She wasn’t a hospital resident, but if any of herpatients needed hospitalization she treated them here at Sierra General. If he could find her, he might be able to talk her in to taking over Jane Doe’s case.
    The tall, blonde nurse nodded. “I saw her a few minutes ago. She had some sort of emergency with a patient on the third floor.”
    Brady turned to his partner. “Can you deal with admitting her on your own?”
    Hank shrugged. “Sure. Why?”
    At that moment a male nurse at the front desk called to Andrea and as she quickly excused herself, Brady told the deputy, “I’m going to look for my sister.”
    Hank’s brown brows pulled together to form a puzzled frown. “Bridget?” he asked blankly. “Why in heck do you need to see her right now? Your family having problems you haven’t told me about?”
    Brady had two brothers, three sisters, parents and a grandmother. And, except for one sister, they all lived in the same house on the Diamond D Ranch. Among that many relatives there were always problems arising, but thankfully usually minor ones.
    “No, Hank. No problems!” Trotting toward the elevator, Brady said over his shoulder, “And don’t run off to the coffee shop until I get back!”
     
    On the third floor, Brady stepped off the elevator and headed to the nearest nurse’s station. But before he reached the post, he spotted Bridget striding toward him.
    When the petite redhead reached his side, she looked at him with faint alarm. “Brady! What are you doing here? Nothing is wrong with the family, is it?”
    “Relax. As far as I know everyone is okay. I’m here on business.”
    Looping her arm through his, his sister pulled him to one side of the wide corridor so as not to clog the pathway. “Oh, I hope it’s not a domestic battery,” she said quickly. “I hate to hear about those victims, much less see them in the hospital.”
    Removing a gray Stetson from his head, Brady raked a hand through thick, tawny-colored waves. “Actually, I’m not sure what this woman is a victim of. Hank and I found her on a back mountain road a few miles from Picacho. The paramedics just brought her in a few minutes ago. She’s had sort of trauma to the head. And I was…hoping you’d take a look at her.”
    His sister frowned. “Isn’t one of the emergency doctors dealing with her?”
    Brady felt like an idiot. The hospital was full of competent doctors and no doubt Gray Eyes would get the best of care. That should be enough for any patient. So why was he trying to garner her more attention?
    “Yes. She’s…being treating now. But I thought—well, I’d just feel better if you’d stop in and look at her.”
    “Who is it?” Bridget quickly questioned. “A friend? Someone we know?”
    Shaking his head, he said, “Never seen her before. She doesn’t know who she is.”
    Bridget started to ask another question, but at that moment, a small group of people walking past them called greetings to his sister, momentarily distracting her from their conversation.
    “Sorry, Brady,” she said, once the medical personnel had moved on down the corridor and away from them. “You were saying—”
    “She’s blank, Brita. Not her name, where she was or why. Nothing. And no ID to tell us.”
    A thoughtful frown crossed his sister’s face. “A head injury, you say?”
    Brady nodded. “A bad gash near her temple.”
    Suddenly she patted his forearm in a placating way. “I think Dr. Richmond is on emergency call this evening. He’s certainly capable of taking care of this type of injury.”
    “I’m sure he is. But she’ll have to be handed over to the care of a permanent physician. And she doesn’t know anyone and—”
    Sensing his urgency, she released a sigh of surrender. “Okay, Brady, okay.