His expression told her he didn’t appreciate her response. “Where are you going?”
Most of the administrative staff was already gone, but she still hesitated to discuss Virgil in the open, where someone might overhear. “To the infirmary.”
His eyes widened. “Why? Is everything okay?”
“There’s been a fight in Facility A.” She couldn’t prevent the accusation that crept into her voice. She’d tried to warn the warden that Virgil wouldn’t be safe at Pelican Bay; she’d tried to warn them all.
“How many were involved?”
“Five, from what I’ve been able to gather.”
He shook his head but his sympathy didn’t seem genuine. “How bad is it?”
“Don’t know. The C.O.s have it under control, but several men are injured. Simeon Bennett is one of them.”
She thought he might show some concern by going to the infirmary with her. Virgil didn’t even deserve to be in prison. He was risking his life to save his sister and her kids and bring down the Hells Fury. But Fischer didn’t care about that. No one did. “If it’s under control, there’s nothing you can do.”
“I just…I wanted to check on…them.”
“Give the doctor a chance to do his job. Anyway, this won’t take long. Do you mind?” She did mind, but she knew she had no choice. Curving her fingernails into her palms, she followed him to his office. “Yes, sir?” she said as soon as he closed the door.
“Rick Wallace called me today.”
“He did?”
“He did. He mentioned that he and his wife are splitting up.”
She didn’t care about Rick’s marriage. It was all she could do not to tap her foot. “He told me that, too. Unfortunate, isn’t it?”
“That depends on how you look at it.”
“Excuse me?”
“You don’t know that he’s interested in you?”
Oh, hell. Rick had already spoken to the warden? She’d said she wanted to wait until they were finished with Operation Inside to address any personal issues! “I had some idea, of course, but I told him it’ll never work, that the department would never allow it.”
“Actually, I’m not so sure about that. I’m in full support of it. You work too much. You’ve let your job become everything when there’s so much more. I think the two of you would make a perfect couple.”
She wondered if he’d give her his blessing to see Virgil instead, but she wasn’t about to ask. She wasn’t about to discuss Rick with him, either. “I doubt it’ll come to anything,” she said. “But thank you, anyway.”
“Don’t be too hasty to turn him down. That boy’s going places.”
And had probably asked Fischer to reassure her, which only irritated her more. As she’d told Rick, now was not the time to deal with this. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She glanced at her watch as a way to remind him that she was in a hurry. “Are we done?”
“For now.”
“I’d better get to the infirmary.” She started out, then quickly turned back. “Warden?”
“Yes?”
“If Simeon Bennett lives through this, can I have your permission to transfer him out of here?”
“That’s the CDC’s call, not mine.”
But Wallace would never agree. “We should take a stand.”
Fischer didn’t like the tone of her voice, and he let her know it by the tone of his. “I told you, that’s the CDC’s call,” he said. Then, strained though it was, he produced a smile. “Have a nice evening.”
Virgil didn’t look good. Eyes closed, he lay perfectly still while a nurse, who’d already removed his shirt, cleaned away the blood that covered so much of his torso. She was working too fast to be gentle, which bothered Peyton. But Virgil didn’t react to her pushing and probing.
Peyton hoped he wasn’t as badly hurt as it appeared from out in the hall. He’d been stabbed at least once—in the stomach. That was obvious from the blood that poured out. And he cradled his left hand close to his body as if it hurt.
At the sound of the door opening, the nurse turned toward her.
Cute, petite, dark-haired Belinda, a young mother of two, must’ve been expecting the doctor or someone else. When she saw Peyton she straightened in surprise. “Chief Deputy Warden. I, um… Is there something I can help you with?”
Virgil’s eyes opened and riveted on hers. Hardly able to keep from rushing over to him, she stood against the wall.
“Don’t stop,” she said. “I won’t get in the way.”
“We’re a bit short-staffed tonight,” the nurse explained as if she thought Peyton had come to observe how well she was handling the emergency. “But the doctor will be here as soon as he’s available.”
As soon as he’s available? Virgil had been stabbed. Why wasn’t the doctor here now? “Where is he?”
Belinda jerked her head toward the examination room next door. “With another inmate.”
“Who?”
“Weston Jager. And there are two more across the hall. They were all in the fight that caused this.”
“Are Weston’s injuries more life-threatening than what you have here?”
At the anger in her voice, the nurse blinked several times. “No…”
“Then why is the doctor with him?”
“He, um, he demanded to be first. And it was easier than putting up with his abuse,” she admitted sheepishly.
Peyton wasn’t willing to reward Weston’s sense of entitlement. “He can wait,” she snapped. “And so can his buddies. Get the doctor in here.”
The nurse hesitated. “You want this guy seen first?”
“His name’s Simeon Bennett, and that’s exactly what I want.” Peyton groped for an excuse to explain why she cared so much. “He’s the brother of a friend of mine.”
“Oh! You know him?” She seemed relieved to finally understand.
“Not personally,” Peyton hedged. “But I’ve promised my friend he’ll be okay while he’s in here. I feel responsible for keeping that promise. You understand.”
“Of course. I’ll tell Dr. Pendergast.”
After giving Virgil a piece of gauze to hold against the knife wound near his navel, the nurse left and Peyton allowed herself to move closer.