Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

" A re you going to tell me where Greg is yet?" Joe asked as she perused the vending machine selection the hospital provided for them.

"I might if you buy me a Coke," Eric said, filling in the narrative section on the run sheet.

"You drive a hard bargain," Joe said as she purchased a twenty-ounce bottle of Coke and placed it in front of him. "Okay, spill. What happened to our third rider?"

He opened the bottle and took a sip as Joe sat down on his lap and put her arm around him. His arm automatically went around her waist as he considered how to answer her.

"Did I mention that he went for a walk?" Eric asked, feeling his lips twitch from the memory.

"Yes, you said that," Joe agreed as she stole his soda and took a sip.

"Did I mention that I discovered the reason why he was acting so goddamn cocky?" Eric asked offhandedly as he took the soda back from her and took a sip.

"No," Joe said, pursing up her lips in thought. "I'm pretty sure I would have remembered that part."

"Do you remember USG Ambulance?" Eric asked, knowing that she already did.

"That ambulance company you interviewed with a few years ago?" Joe asked, shifting to get more comfortable on his leg.

"Well, it seems that he interviewed with them last week and had his uncle put in a good word for him. They called to let him know that he got the job," Eric said absently as he ran his eyes over her, appreciating the way her uniform fit her.

"I'm guessing that he got the call while I was talking to Beverly," Joe guessed, giving him a sexy little smile as she gently cupped his chin and forced his eyes up.

"Apparently, they only require him to third ride for two shifts before they put him on the schedule," Eric said, wondering if she'd be up to hunting down an empty supply closet and fulfilling another one of his fantasies.

"So, he just walked out?" Joe asked, frowning in confusion.

"More or less," Eric admitted with a mumble.

Her eyes narrowed on him. "What did you do?"

He blinked innocently. "I didn't do anything," he lied.

"Uh-huh," Joe said, obviously not believing him as she stood up and walked back over to the vending machine to pick out a snack.

"Did somebody at least call dispatch and let them know that he quit?" Joe asked as she selected a candy bar.

"He called Bill," Eric said, not mentioning that the little bastard demanded that they drive him back to the station. He calmed the little prick down by arranging a ride for him. One that took him to the middle of nowhere and forced the little prick to walk ten miles to the nearest gas station, but he decided it was best not to mention that or the fact that the guys may have decided to give Greg a farewell gift by making it easy for him to return his uniform. So, the asshole was probably walking along Madison Road at this very moment in his boxers and boots.

Joe really didn't need to know about that .

He finished his report and headed for the door, pausing long enough to give her a quick kiss and swipe the candy bar out of her hand. When she swatted him on the ass, he simply ignored her as he finished off her chocolate. Why did the food he stole from Joe always taste so much better? Eric wondered as he reached over and stole his soda back. He ignored her muttered promises to kick his ass and dropped his run sheet off at the nurse's station on his way to the ambulance bay.

"I'll clear us with dispatch since you're still enjoying my snack," Joe said, shooting him a look that promised all kinds of pain for his poor wallet.

If he weren't head over heels in love with this woman, he'd consider dropping her for her gold-digging ways. But he did love her, so he was probably going to have to suck it up and treat her to the dollar menu at McDonalds.

"Did you call 911?" Joe asked with a warm smile as she bent down so that she could talk to the incredibly adorable little boy.

"Yes," he mumbled with a nod.

"Is someone hurt?" Joe asked, looking around the front porch and yard for the reason they were called. Eric walked past her and looked through the window.

"Yes," the little boy, who couldn't be more than five, said, gesturing towards the backyard.

With a slight nod, Eric jumped over the porch railing and headed into the backyard.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Joe asked the little boy, deciding it was probably for the best to keep him here until Eric let her know what they were dealing with. If it was something this little boy shouldn't see, she was going to have to ask one of the neighbors watching them from the sidewalk to watch him.

"Roger hurt Toby really bad," the little boy said as his little chin wobbled.

"Where's your mommy and daddy, buddy?" she asked soothingly.

"They're out. I was s'posed to be with Uncle Charlie, but I didn't like leaving Roger and Toby by themselves, so I came back," he admitted, shifting nervously.

"Does Uncle Charlie know where you are?" Joe asked, guessing it wouldn't be very long before the man in question showed up.

The little boy shook his head stubbornly. "No, he doesn't want me to play with Roger. He thinks Roger is bad."

"What's your name?" Joe asked, absently noting the name Henderson on the mailbox.

"Caleb."

"Okay, Caleb. I need to call my dispatcher and have him call your uncle. Do you know your uncle's phone number?"

He nodded.

"What is it?'

"It has a five in it," Caleb said with a firm nod.

Okay...

"Do you know where your uncle lives?"

"Uh-huh," Caleb said, wiping his nose on the back of his arm.

"Can you tell me?" Joe asked as she pulled her cell phone out and started to scroll down until she found dispatch's phone number.

"That way," Caleb said, gesturing to his left.

Biting back a sigh, she dialed dispatch.

"Dispatch."

"Hey, Hank, it's Joe. Um, I have a Caleb Henderson at that call you sent us on. Has anyone called looking for him?" Joe asked, wondering what was taking Eric so long. He should have at least given her a heads-up by now.

She heard him sigh in relief. "We have police and fire scouring the town looking for him. Is the call his home address?"

"Yes."

"There should be a police unit there soon. Is the boy hurt?"

"Doesn't appear to be. He called for his friends. Eric's checking now. I should-"

" Holy shit !" Eric suddenly shouted, startling the hell out of her. Seconds later, he came running back around the front of the house. He paused in his mad dash only long enough to throw Caleb over his shoulder and grab her hand.

"Joe? What the hell is going on?" Hank demanded, sounding nervous, which was good because that meant that she wasn't the only one.

"Is that dispatch?" Eric asked as he ushered her and Caleb into the back of the ambulance.

"Yes."

Eric didn't say anything else to her as he grabbed the phone from her. "Hank? Call animal control," Joe heard him say as he paced frantically in front of the ambulance.

"I think Roger is going to be in trouble," Caleb mumbled sadly as a sneaking suspicion crawled up her spine.

"Caleb, who is Roger?"

"He hurt Toby," Caleb mumbled sadly.

"Is Toby a dog?" Eric asked, still pacing as he kept an eye on the house.

Caleb nodded. "He's big."

"That's what I figured," Eric said, sighing heavily as he stepped away from the ambulance so that he could speak to dispatch in private.

Wondering what the hell was going on, Joe climbed out of the ambulance and motioned for Caleb to stay where he was and walked towards the back of the house and-

Why was that really thick yellow and white hose moving? Joe wondered.

More importantly, why was it coming towards her? Joe wondered as she registered Eric's hand on her arm as he yanked her back and pulled her into a run.

She swallowed hard as they ran towards the ambulance. "Was that a snake ?" Joe asked, unable to hide the disgust in her tone. She hated snakes, absolutely hated them, which was probably why Eric didn't tell her what they were dealing with because he knew she'd freak out.

"From that looks of it, a twenty-foot python and if I had to guess, that large lump is probably Toby," Eric said, giving her a gentle push to get her to climb back into the ambulance.

"I see," Joe mumbled hollowly as she reached out and pulled one of the back doors shut.

"You want to stay in here until it's captured?" Eric asked, moving to shut the other door for her.

She gave him a "duh" look that had him wincing as he shut the other door. Joe wasted no time in locking them. Then, she scrambled over Caleb so that she could lock the side doors as well.

"I don't think Roger will hurt you," Caleb said.

"And why's that?" Joe absently asked as she kept watch through the side window. She swore if she saw anything yellow or white moving towards the ambulance that she was driving off and never looking back.

"Cause I don't think he can fit you and Toby in his tummy," Caleb explained, probably thinking that he was helping.

He wasn't.

Eric was sleeping with her for the next week and that's all there was to it. They'd be using the same drill they used when she found that large, black spider crawling across her kitchen floor at two in the morning last year. She wouldn't be leaving the safety of her bed until he double-checked everything and even then, she probably wouldn't leave the safety of her bed unless she had no other choice.