Free Deadrise by Steven R. Gardner Page B

spoken to them entered the bus.
"Once they remove him, you have to take your vehicle back down the hill."
"But how will we know his condition?" Matt asked.
"You can return in the morning." The guard had said this a thousand times. Would say it a thousand more.
    "Can't one of us at least stay with him? To let him know what is going on when he wakes up?" The guard looked as if he was going to say no.
    "Please?" Susan sounded so pleading, gave him her most pouting look.
    "Just stay out of the way." The guard said, smiling at her.
    Men. It works every time.
    Two men came aboard the bus, carrying a field stretcher, followed by the Doctor.
    "Quickly." the Doctor said. He turned to Matt. "If you would care to return here tomorrow, I'm sure someone will help you locate your friend."
    "The guard said I could stay with him." Susan said quickly. Matt cast her a sharp glance but remained silent.
    "Did he?" the Doctor said, looking at the guard. The guard just stared back, unblinking. "Very well." The Doctor exited the bus. The two men set Zack on the stretcher and lifted, carefully maneuvering him off the bus.
"Are you sure you are up to this?" Matt asked Susan.
Susan didn't answer for a few moments, but finally she nodded.
"Yes." she said. "I'm sure."
"Be careful sis." David said, hugging her tight.
"Don't worry little brother. Remember who my boyfriend was. I can take care of myself."
    "Here, take this." Matt held Franks .357 in his hand. "Its loaded, and here's an extra box of shells." she put both the pistol and box of shells in her purse. You be right here six AM tomorrow morning." She nodded agreement.
"Watch you ass." Matt said.
"That's your job." she said, flashing him a smile and hurried off the bus.
"Here we go again." Matt said, closing the doors, and starting the engine…

 
    Chapter 7
     
     
Friday, June 22 2001
University Of Utah Hospital
Salt Lake City UT
7:35 AM
     
     
    Susan looked around for the stretcher-bearers, and was surprised to see they were already fifty feet ahead of her, disappearing into the throng of people that buzzed about madly. She ran to catch up, holding her purse tightly to her body. On both sides of her lay wounded people. Broken legs, arms, and lacerated scalps, gunshot wounds, all being treated right there in the parking lot. Someone screamed in pain as a broken limb was set. She turned away as a nurse began stitching a young woman's head closed. She passed between two parked army trucks, right behind the stretcher bearing Zack. They emerged into a new area, where everyone here was laying on a table. She could see that every one of them was seriously wounded. Most, like Zack, had been shot. There were four doctors here, moving from patient to patient. They wore white masks, and were covered in blood, fresh and dried. The stretcher-bearers lay Zack on the ground near a table, then bent and lifted him quickly to the table. Without another word, they gathered up their stretcher and were off. Susan looked around for a Doctor. The one who had seen Zack aboard the van was there, talking to one of the free surgeons and pointing towards her. They parted and the surgeon approached.
    "Dr. Miller said this man was to be operated on immediately." Susan stepped aside and let the doctor take a look at Zack’s wounds.
    "The arm can wait." the Doctor said. "But we have to get that bullet out of his side and stop that bleeding." He turned and waved to a nurse, who hurried over. "I'll need some help here. Get me a tray over here and prepare a penicillin injection." he paused and looked at Susan. "Is your friend allergic to penicillin?" he asked.
    "I don't know." she said. He shook his head, dismissing the question, and reached into his robe and pulled out a pair of latex gloves.
    "You're just going to operate right here?" she asked, appalled.
    "The hospital facilities are being used for the most serious cases… Don't get me wrong. Your friend's wound is serious, but his lung is only nicked. Once I remove the