Too Tipsy 2

Hi all! Thanks for choosing my book for a read. Note that this is a sort of a stand alone series book from Too Tipsy but Too Tipsy 2 focuses on Avery Hutchinson while Too Tipsy 1 is all about Lena's story. It's been a couple years since I've written a new story. I'm still trying to figure some things out but I'm learning how to focus on building details. Please feel free to comment. :) Happy reading!

-----Chapter 1-----

"Attention, Wing A surgeon to the emergency tarmac," bellowed a deep voice from the overhead speaker in Brookings Hospital.

Well, time for my "she a runner, she a track star" moment. So much for getting off work on time tonight.

I finished up my final suture on my patient who had been impaled by a piece of glass in a car accident. I handed off the minor procedure and clean up to my nurses in the operating room (OR) with clear instructions. Hastily, I left the OR washing my hands as quickly as humanly possible before I sprinted down the hallway.

"Move, out of my way!" I yelled to the nearby nurses as I made my way towards the staircase to reach the helipad on the roof. I could feel the sweat drip down my neck as my breaths came out scattered and rampant.

Don't give up, haul your ass up there Avery.

One more set of stairs and I could help the patient. Panting hard, I slammed my badge on the security lock and nearly catapulted myself through the roof door. I could hear one of my nurses, Reina, huffing up the stairs with me. She knew the drill. If I go, she goes with me to aid the patient.

"Doctor, the patient has five bullet wounds and a deep cut along his shoulder blade," reported the medical escort official as she and her small team put the patient onto the stretcher on the helipad.

"Dispatch my medical team into the closest available OR," I said, still panting from my sprint. The medical official nodded and sent her command through the walkie. I ran over to the stretcher and could see the man's bullet wounds profusely bleeding out. The gash along his shoulder blade was gushing blood out too. I straddled the patient on the stretcher to put pressure on the bullet closest to his heart, as this bullet seemed to be the most troublesome one. Reina and the medical team pushed my patient and I into the roof top elevator while I kept pressure on the bullet wound.

It felt like a decade had passed inside of the elevator but it gave me a chance to inspect the man carefully for other injuries. Ink black hair, strong jawline, slate grey eyes that sparkled under the street lights and thick black eyebrows were the most accentuating features of his face.

He even had studs in his ears along with an eyebrow piercing that seemed to be missing the piercing itself. The buzz cut fade on the sides of his hair told me that he could be working for the military. A grunt of pain escaped him but he didn't say a word. I knew he was going to pass out soon enough. I was too busy making sure he didn't die on me. I kept my left knee on his lower abdominal area to stop the bleeding from that bullet and my hands were pressing down on his chest which was rock hard.

Too bad I couldn't enjoy the feeling.

"Don't die on me," I muttered quietly but this man's slate grey eyes locked on mine for a brief moment before they closed. He had passed out. Fuck!

Come on goddamnit! This old ass elevator was taking its sweet time.

"He's losing too much blood, we need to operate now," I said as the elevator door dinged open. Reina and the medical escort team pushed the patient and I out towards OR. Reina had called the rest of our team who met us in Wing A and helped push the stretcher into the OR. The medical escort team were relieved of their duties and on their way to the helipad again.

"Dr. Hutchinson, please wait. I cannot let you operate on him yet. The Naval lieutenant of this man's fleet has not authorized his operation in this part of the hospital," said the hospital's head of security, Officer Mac. His bald head shone under the blinding lights, I could feel his stress and see the sweat dripping down his head.

"Mac, get the hell out of my way. He's going to die if I don't dislodge the bullets. I don't care what the hell the lieutenant has to say. Just blame me and I will deal with the Navy later," I growl out. Reluctantly, Officer Mac moved aside and opened the OR door.

"One, two, three lift," I said as my nurses transferred the man's body to the operating table. Reina and my team had already prepared all of my operating tools for this surgery. I had a feeling this would take a while.

Reina hooked up the IV and monitored his pulse which was quickly dropping. "Reina, scissors and tweezers, now," I said, cutting a section of the man's black v-neck shirt down the middle. I was gritting my teeth hard as I worked on carefully removing the first bullet from the man's chest. Thankfully, there was no artery hit.

"Pulse is dropping, need to stabilize now!" warned one of the nurses. I sighed in short lived relief as I pulled out the first bullet and began sewing the stitches.

One down, four more bullets to go. He's losing too much blood, he needs a transfusion.

"Reina, start the pain meds and antibiotics. He's still out cold," I said as I worked on removing the second bullet on his right arm near his bullet. Luckily, it was a flesh wound so I was able to take it out without fear of damaging an artery.

"Nurses, take over the final stitches on this arm," I said as I shuffled over to his right thigh. His dark green cargos were covered in blood.

"Reina, scissors and then tweezers," I said. She handed them to me and I cut a circular hole to create better access to the bullet wound. The blood continued to stream out but not as rapidly as the chest wound had. Reina placed the tweezers in my hand and I took a deep breath as I began to dig out the bullet. I could feel the bullet capsule swishing around which almost caused me to gag but I swallowed it. Finally, I felt my tweezer clench down on the bullet and I slowly removed it from his leg.

Thank god he's not awake for this. I can't even imagine the pain.

I pushed the needle into the affected area and started stitching the wound shut. I made contact with my other nurse and he took over the process so I could deal with the other two bullets.

"Two more left, let's push through!" I said to boost the morale. I knew everyone was tired, we were way past our shift time. Reina handed me scissors as I moved to the left side of the man's body. The fourth bullet was also a flesh wound through the man's left tricep and seemed to have no bullet present. At least it went through clean. I disinfected the wound and did the stitches myself.

"Wipe down the blood on his left arm and disinfect the gash on his right shoulder so I can sew it shut," I said to my team as I changed my gloves to treat his final bullet wound near his lower abs on the left side of his body. Last one, you got this Avery.

"Reina, scissors and then tweezers," I said to cut down another part of the man's black shirt. Once I finished, I took the tweezers and went to town on the bullet. It was easy to remove but my hands were coated in blood.

Well, I don't mind being up close and personal with a man as hot as this one. Stop it, get your mind out of the gutter Avery. Focus!

I started on the stitches when I noticed how ripped this man actually was. His eight-pack abs were clearly visible with the lower abs forming a v-shape. Man, he must work out every day to be built this well. I took a quick glance at the man’s face and saw his olive complexion was pale but he looked gorgeous under the white lights of the OR.

"Wound cleaned, ready for stitches," said one of my nurses. Reina passed me a clean pair of gloves and disinfected tools to tend to the gash on his shoulder. It seemed like somebody took some sharp edged object and shoved it from his collarbone down to his shoulder. That's going to leave a jagged scar.

Reina passed me a threaded needle which I used to start sewing shut the uneven cut. I couldn't stop wondering what happened to this man. I had never treated a high profile patient but I knew that if the US Navy was involved, I was going to have to face the heat of the lieutenant that called the hospital after this surgery was done.

"Team, the stitches are done. His pulse has stabilized and all of the bleeding is under control but he lost at least a pint of blood. Reina, see if you can find out his blood type from other medical records and then check our blood bank for the blood type. The rest of you are free to go. Great work team!" I said as I pulled off my gloves and left the OR. The team followed suit and cleansed themselves quickly.

"Are you Doctor Avery Hutchinson?" asked a gravelly voice. I turned and made eye contact with a man who was dressed in his full Naval uniform with all his medals.

Uh oh, he sounds pissed. Stay calm and don’t give him an inch.

"I'm Lieutenant Morris. You and your team disobeyed my orders. We need to talk," he stated, leaving no room for debate.

His blonde hair was mixed with some grey but his brown eyes held a cold glint in them. Officer Mac stood behind him, with an apologetic look in his eyes.

Fuck me, I guess I won't be going home to my shower tonight.

Before I could respond, I heard Reina's voice say, "Avery, there's no records of his blood type." My emotionless face carefully conveyed my discontent as I raised an black eyebrow to Lieutenant Morris.

"It appears that we do need to have a conversation. We should start with what the patient's blood type is considering there is no Steve Lee in any medical database that matches my patient's profile. I can't do a blood transfusion to save your officer if I don't know his blood type genius," I stated, matching the malice I could feel emanating off of Lieutenant Morris. My body was tense, unsure of how he would respond. His eyes tightened, as he took in my tone.

"Fine, follow me," he replied curtly. He pointed inside of the OR where the man, allegedly Steve Lee, was lying unconscious.

I nodded at Reina and Officer Mac to calm their nerves but it did nothing to ease my worries.

Who was Steve Lee? Was he someone who needed protecting from Lieutenant Morris or was he a covert operative who was a threat to society? Or was he just an officer who was part of a mission that went wrong?

"How do you know Officer Lee? And how dare you operate despite my order to hold off?" accused Lieutenant Morris. What the hell? I had never met the man in my life.

I silently fumed but raised my gaze to meet Lieutenant Morris' dead, grey eyes. "You act like you know everything so why don't you answer your own damn question on why a doctor would operate on a man with five fucking bullet holes. Why don't you tell me, you dim witted bumble fuck? And while you're at it, tell me the patient's blood type goddamnit." I glared at him and crossed my arms.

His eyes darkened in rage. Well, he's about to explode pretty soon and I am the target.

"I could have Officer Lee court martialled and you arrested for refusing to cooperate with an ongoing investigation so I suggest you watch your tone Dr. Hutchinson. His blood type is AB-negative but you will not be performing any medical procedures until you address my concerns," said Lieutenant Morris.

His eyes betrayed nothing except his rage but his forehead showed his age. Clearly, the man had served in the Navy for a while and aged like fine wine. He was well built and seemed to be in his late 30s...maybe 37 years old if I had to guess. Too bad his words held the bite of an untamed alligator.

I pulled out my phone to send Reina a quick text about the blood type to check the hospital blood bank for the transfusion.

I sighed but decided to level with him. "Listen Lt. Morris, I am a doctor and as a doctor, it is my duty to serve my patients first. Bureaucratic nonsense comes second. I'd like to hope that someone at your post would understand the meaning of serving others first," I bit out. The frown stayed on my lips but I didn't allow myself to waiver.

Lt. Morris' glower deepened but he interjected before I could continue my rant. He couldn't exactly argue with my statement.

"I ask again, what is your connection to Officer Lee? Why did he ask to be sent to this particular hospital instead of a standard military base? You are the only surgeon on duty for Wing A tonight," he stated plainly.

"Look, I don't understand what your implying but I hold no ties to Officer Lee. If you'll move out of my way so I can treat the patient, you'd be more likely to ask him yourself once he's conscious. He's lost a lot of blood mister. Lastly, I'd like you to remember that this is a hospital, not a military base. I don't answer to you but I can cooperate with your investigation AFTER I treat the patient fully," I replied with a light tone to calm the tension in the room.

I glanced over at Officer Lee who was still unconscious and in need to be moved to a more comfortable room for a blood transfusion.

I could hear the lieutenant quietly release a breath and silently did a victory lap in my head.

"I agree to your conditions but understand that this deal is binding. Failure to cooperate will lead to your arrest. Furthermore, you must move Officer Lee to a secure, single room in the hospital. One of my other officers will keep guard outside of the room," stated Lt. Morris. I kept looking into his soulless eyes for hints as to what he thought I knew about Officer Lee but I found nothing.

Fineeeee, I will cooperate for now. If anything seems fishy, I'll be looking out for my patient's wellbeing first. To hell with Lieutenant Morris. Chauvinistic douchebag.

I gave a sharp nod and picked up my walkie to phone the on call medical escort team to move my patient to a secure facility. These seemed to pacify the Lieutenant but suddenly, the doors of the OR opened and a panicked Reina entered.

"Avery, there are no AB-negative blood bags left!" shouted an out of breath Reina. Her hands were on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

The blood pressure machine started to erratically beep. Officer Lee's blood pressure was dropping and his pulse was too high. The transfusion was unavoidable.

"Fuck! Use mine," I said, conviction coating my words.