Ruby Dawn Read online

  “He’ll be OK if there’s no infection. He’s a lucky guy, though. A centimeter either way and he would’ve bled out on the table.” Blaine smiled patiently at me and nodded back towards the recovery rooms. “You can see him now.”

  “Oh, thank you, Blaine.” I realized I hadn’t been breathing and took in a slow breath. I gazed past him to the swinging double doors. I followed Blaine past the familiar reception area and nodded at a few doctors I knew. My surgical rotation was last year, but I still assisted when we got slammed in the E.R.

  Tom’s bed was against the far wall. The glass doors separating the patient rooms hissed opened, and I walked into the room.

  “Page me if you need anything.” Blaine hung Tom’s chart on the wall and nodded to me.

  “Thank you again, Blaine.”

  “Don’t worry about your shift,” he said quietly and winked. “I’ll get Doyle to cover it. He owes me.”

  I smiled and nodded.

  He left.

  “I think that guy has the hots for you,” Tom said in a gruff whisper. A smile pulled his cracked lips.

  The sound of his voice sent my soul soaring. “He’s my boss, Tom.” I gave him an exasperated look. I put the back of my fingers to his cheek. He was hot.

  “Yeah, that always stops them.” Tom watched me and smirked.

  I folded my arms and tried to frown, but my heart leapt. I gave in to the smile.

  “Admit it; you’re happy to see me,” Tom said. His voice, scratchy from the intubation tube, cracked.

  I grabbed the little pink pitcher next to his bed and filled the matching cup with water. “Here, have a sip.” I said and sat on the bed next to him. Pulling my hair out of the pony tail, I massaged my sore scalp with my fingers. “How are you feeling?”

  Tom chuckled, but it turned into a wince. He sucked in a breath. “Like I got kicked in the side by a donkey.” The meds made him slur his words and it came out more like, kipped by a Donny.

  “Blaine said you’ll be fine in a day or two. They’re going to have you walk in a little bit.”

  “You saved my life. I owe you twice, now,” he mumbled. His eyes, the color of jade, were serious.

  I tried to shrug off his comment, but when he placed his hand over mine, my stomach fluttered. I stood abruptly. Clearing my throat, I wondered how, after all of these years, he could still do that to me. Especially considering how our relationship ended.

  “I-I’m sorry, Ruby. I didn’t mean to…” Tom’s expression turned uneasy, wary.

  “What? No, I uh, I have a friend coming and I have to go out and meet her.” I shrugged with exaggerated nonchalance.

  “Wait, don’t…don’t go yet. I want to tell...” he struggled to sit up and grimaced.

  “You need to stay in bed.” I put my hand on his chest to stop him.

  Moving took the wind out of him and he sank back in bed. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and fatigue etched wrinkles under his eyes. He pressed my hand to his chest with both of his and looked at me with knit brows.

  My heart leapt, nervous at being this close to him again. Angry, I tried to shake it off. I wasn’t that lost girl anymore. “I’m serious, Tom. Lay back down.” I tried to sound doctorly.

  His heart raced under my palm, and I glanced up at the monitors over his bed.

  “Later, then?” he croaked.

  “Here, take another sip.” I frowned and handed the cup back to him, avoiding his question.

  Outside the room, I heard Lilah’s voice boom. She could never quite find her inside voice.

  “Ruby?” He prompted. “You’ll come back?” Tom blinked slowly as he fought the exhaustion, but he still held my hand.

  “I promise to be back as soon as I can. Just rest for now, Tom, I’ll see you in the morning.” The look on his face sent ripples of regret through me. So much left unsaid.

  He relaxed, and I slipped my hand away, forcing a smile. The craziness and adrenaline of the night wearing away, I remembered all the sorrow that gorgeous face had caused me. I watched him for a few seconds, a lump in my throat, marveling that he was in front of me after all of these years. Tom was barely a man the last time I’d seen him, just filling out in the shoulders and full of fight. Ten years gone and here he was. He’d said he was a cop now. How was that possible given his past? “How did you end up on this side of the law, Tom? How did you pull that off?”

  Tom answered me with a steady snore. I took one last look and turned for the door.

  Lilah peered into the room as the door hissed open and she craned to see Tom, but I blocked her by stepping into her line of sight.

  “What is going on, Ruby? Is that your friend?” She said it like her eyebrows should be bobbing up and down.

  I rolled my eyes and closed the door behind me, motioning for her to sit in the plastic chairs. With me for four years, Lilah and I spent so much time together, we were close friends. Taller than me by a foot and blonde to my brunette, her contagious smile flashed across her wide lips. Her boisterous personality offset my more reserved disposition. I hooked a thumb back at Tom’s door. “Yeah, listen Lilah; he needs some rest, so I’m leaving.”

  “Are you going to tell me who this guy is?” Lilah craned her neck to peer in the window. I stepped in front of it. She smiled, clearly enjoying my nervousness. “You know I’ll find out.”

  Blowing bangs out of my eyes, I tried to hide the wave of sadness that welled up. I didn’t want to remember Tom and me, let alone explain it to Lilah.

  Movement down the hall caught my eye and I looked past Lilah to the sixteen-year-old boy who stood by the entrance to the floor. Dakota, Lilah’s son, stared with brooding eyes, hands in his pockets, and slumped shoulders like it was raining.

  “I see you brought company.” I intoned. I looked at my friend’s child and sighed inwardly.

  A young mother, Lilah got pregnant in her teens. Now at thirty-two, she was a single mother with a troubled son. Only four years older than me, she had the world on her shoulders.

  “He said he’d pay for the hole in my wall.” Lilah followed my gaze.

  Dakota, fresh out of rehab, had a temper like his father.

  I raised an eyebrow at her, but didn’t say anything.

  “He’s not a bad kid, Ruby,” Lilah said quietly. “I can’t turn him away. It’s not like he can go live with his father and his Twinkie.”

  Lilah had the habit of referring to her ex-husband’s girlfriends as snack food. Twinkie, Cream Puff, and my personal favorite, Ding-Dong.

  “Lilah, he might as well have ‘Using’ tattooed on his forehead. He smells like he just got back from Woodstock.” I stood and swung my jacket on.

  “I know that he’s having trouble, Ruby, but he drove me all over looking for you. He was worried.” She bit her lip.

  “I’m just worried about you, Lilah. With the kind of friends he brings around, I don’t want you to get…” I scrunched my nose, searching for the right word. “I don’t want you to get robbed or something.”

  I glanced at Dakota. He wore his blond hair in a long Mohawk, draped over his big brown eyes. He looked like a thug, except for the chubby cheeks and acne.

  I sighed.

  “He’s trying,” Lilah whispered. “You have to give him that. That’s more than his father ever did.”

  I smiled at her reassuringly. Lilah was sweet despite being hurt by many in her life.

  “I just don’t want you to be disappointed, Lilah. You were crushed by his behavior the last time he lived with you. Remember that he has an illness, and can relapse.”

  “He drove your old beater back to the clinic. He’s turning a new leaf.” She held up the keys to my car and I took them.

  I nodded to Dakota, dangled the keys in the air, and smiled a ‘thank you.’

  He nodded back.

  “See?” Lilah urged, putting her hand on my arm.

  “Yeah.” I conceded.

  The look of relief on Lilah’s face made my heart ache. Dakota was far fro
m the road to recovery in my opinion. I heard he ran with a couple of guys who were in a gang, but I didn’t know enough to tell Lilah. She was my best friend and I didn’t want to hurt my relationship with her over suspicions.

  “I’m sorry, Lilah. It’s just been a rough evening. I really do appreciate everything you and Dakota did.”

  “Don’t worry about the boxes. I can come in early to help you if you want.” She gave me a bear-hug and then looked at me, serious.

  I slapped a hand to my face. The boxes from the food pantry still needed to be packed. My clinic ran a program with the local women’s shelter. I was also due to give free flu shots tomorrow afternoon. Fatigue pulled at my limbs. I yawned, but shook my head. “Don’t come in early, Lilah. I’ll pack the boxes tonight; I’m headed back to the clinic, anyway.” I nodded in Dakota’s direction. “You guys take off.”

  “It’s after midnight, Ruby. Are you sure?” Lilah checked her watch

  “I want to be there for those families. They’re counting on me. Go on, I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

  “OK,” She wiggled her eyebrows up and down. “You’ll tell me all about your mystery guy tomorrow, right?” Lilah smiled and her dimples made me smile back, despite my weariness.

  “Sure, Lilah, I’ll give you all the juicy details.”

  “Really?” She looked at me surprised.

  “No.”

  “Didn’t think so.” She rolled her eyes and laughed.

  I hugged her goodbye and even waved at the brooding Dakota. I watched them leave and then glanced through the window at Tom’s prone figure. Nervousness rumbled through my stomach. I had so many questions, so many reasons to stay by his side tonight. On the other hand, the urge to run away was just as strong. Where have you been, Tom?

  The sweet faces of the clinic kids flashed behind my eyes. I needed to get moving on those boxes. Blowing out a breath, I headed out the door of the hospital before realizing I didn’t have my car. Lilah said Dakota drove it back to the clinic for me. I only had the keys.

  I rubbed my face with both hands and groaned, irritated. I didn’t want to sleep in the hospital again. Off in the corner of the lobby I saw Officer Farrell. Stopping mid-stride I bit my lip, ambivalent. He’d waited for me.

  “Hey, Ruby. You all set to go?” He waved me over.

  “Hey, Officer Farrell, aren’t you off the clock?” Pulling a smile, I hitched my purse up and walked over to where he and a paramedic were chatting by the coffee machine.

  “Aw, Ruby, I asked you to call me Ben,” he said, with an answering smile. “And yeah, I got off an hour ago. Thought you might need a ride, so…” His voice trailed off and I got the sense he had something he wanted to say.

  “Is everything OK?”

  “It’s just that going into the alley like that, alone, it was really dangerous, Ruby. You should have called me or at least 911 before you went in there.” He frowned, his perfectly gelled hair shining in the hospital fluorescents.

  “I know. It just happened so fast.” I shrugged.

  “These risks you take…” Ben looked at me with concern. “You know, you can do good without being reckless.”

  I smiled. This was not the first time he’d said that. Ben was, in fact, a great guy. He smiled readily and was sweeter than a boy scout. Ben and I danced around each other on a regular basis, flirting here and there, but whenever he tried to ask me out, I found a way to end the conversation or interrupt him. I had no idea why I never let things get further.

  “Well, I would appreciate a ride,” I said, sidestepping his comment. “I don’t have my car.”

  “OK, Ruby. I’ve said my piece.” Ben regarded me for a few seconds.

  “And I appreciate it, Ben, really,” I said, and put my hand on his arm. “I’ll be more careful.”

  “Promise?” His gaze flitted to my hand, and then back to my face.

  “Promise.” I nodded and gave him my best smile.

  “OK.” He grinned and put his hand over mine, then released it. We made our way to the door and Ben motioned towards the elevators. “How’s your friend, anyway?”

  “He’ll be OK.” I thought of Tom and all the heartache welled up again. My stomach flopped.

  Nodding, Ben waited for more, but I just shrugged.

  “Where to?” He offered me his arm.

  “The clinic.”

  “The clinic it is, Ms. Ruby.”

  Tilting my head, I looked up at his kind face. Maybe I should stop hiding from something more with Ben.

  4

  Dresden Heights Detention Center

  Thirteen Years Ago

  Shell shocked and grieving, I sat in the lobby of the emergency placement facility and watched the heat shimmy up from the asphalt like invisible flames. It was almost fall, and hotter than it should be. Southern California weather was quirky this time of year, and I’d had to leave my home in less than fifteen minutes. I didn’t have a chance to grab the right things. The social worker that came to get me stood by the door and tapped her foot while I ran around my room in tears, throwing things into an old bag. I doubt they’d let me go to my foster mother’s funeral. I felt the tears starting again and blinked them back.

  Outside, an officer drove up and parked. He helped a teenage boy out of the back of his squad car and walked him to the door. Heat rushed in from outside and brought with it the smell of old oil, dirt, and exhaust fumes. I scrunched my nose and stared at the boy.

  Hands cuffed behind him, he twined his fingers together and picked at his cuticles.

  Melba, the receptionist, caught sight of him and her lips scrunched into a pucker. She smoothed her graying brown hair back into her banana clip.

  “Hey, Toast,” the boy teased her.

  She glared at him over her half glasses, and then pulled her face into a winning smile for the cop.

  “Hey, Melba, got your repeat customer,” the cop said and winked.

  She giggled a bit while she pulled a form out of a drawer below the counter. She held her pen poised over the paper and glowered at the boy.

  “What did he do this time?”

  “Tom ran away from his foster home, again. I found him hanging out at the beach swiping stuff from the vendors. Good thing I just happened to be out there.”

  “During your second lunch break of the day, no doubt.” A smirk played across the boy’s face.

  The officer yanked on the boy’s arm. The boy’s whole body rocked off balance and he nearly fell over.

  I winced, grinding my jaw against my protest. Why did the cop have to be so mean?

  “Careful there, Sport, you might fall.” The cop sneered down his nose at the boy.

  Melba cleared her throat, pushed her glassed up on her nose, and started writing.

  I shifted in the plastic seat and watched the boy. He was muscular but lean, like he played basketball. Almost six feet, he looked older than my fifteen years. He must have felt me staring because he looked over at me through a ragged wave of dark brown hair.

  His eyes, the color of pale green beach glass, sent my heart roaring. He held my gaze. Clutching the tattered messenger’s bag tighter, I stared back, flushed.

  “I said, do you have your foster home’s number?” Melba’s voice pulled his attention back to the counter.

  “They don’t want me back.” He shook his head.

  “Now, there’s a surprise.” The cop snorted.

  The kid, Tom, glanced at me and I saw the heat of shame dance across his face.

  “Well, fortunately for him, we have a bed in the boy’s dorm. It just opened up this morning,” Melba said.

  “See that,” the cop muttered to Tom. “It’s your lucky day.”

  “Ruby Dawn?” An intake guard on the other side of the reception counter motioned for me and called my name.

  “Yes. I’m Ruby.” I turned to the guard.

  “OK, then.”

  “Let’s get you set up.” The guard waved his hand in a come-here motion, a look of impatienc
e on his face.

  I looked back at Tom, my eyes resting on the cuffs around his wrists, and a fresh wave of panic rolled through my chest.

  “I think there’s some kind of mistake. I don’t think I belong here.”

  “I’ve never heard that before, Sweetheart.” The guard chuckled.

  I looked at Tom, then Melba with confusion.

  “But this place looks like a jail.” My voice trembled, full of fear.

  “Honey,” Melba interjected, “it’s also an emergency placement facility for teens. You have no family, and there are no openings in the county for a teen with special medical needs, right now.”

  “But I…I haven’t done anything wrong.” My eyes flicked around the room. I could feel it closing in on me, crushing the air from my lungs.

  “Just follow me. You’ll be all right.” The guard sighed heavily and softened his expression.

  “Go on. Your social worker will get you a placement soon.” I looked at Melba, who nodded towards the guard.

  I followed him through the locked gate that separated Dresden Heights from the free world.

  I could feel Tom’s gaze following me as the gate buzzed shut and locked. “I’m sure this will all be cleared up in the morning.” His voice, just starting to change, cracked when he spoke.

  “Yeah, me too.” I answered.

  I spent three years in that facility.

  ****

  I fell off the futon with a thud and startled awake. Feeling dumb, I moaned, sat up, and rubbed my eyes. I’d dozed off in the office at the free clinic. My watch said three-thirty in the morning. Groaning, I got to up to stretch.

  I looked at the boxes on the tables and sighed. They were only halfway packed. Over thirty single mothers would drop by tomorrow to pick them up and get their flu shots. I shook my head. When I started the clinic so soon out of medical school, my colleagues thought I was insane. Situated in the worst part of San Diego, it served the transients, homeless families, and runaways that lived in the city. A yearly grant from the hospital kept me from drowning, but I had to give up my apartment to keep the clinic open last year.