Jack didn't stop or slow down, knowing full well the seriousness of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. When he was held up by traffic on the street, Warren caught up to him.

"How about I give you a lift," Warren said. "My ride's just around the corner."

"Fantastic," Jack responded.

"By the time you get your ass back down, I'll be sitting out here waiting on you," Warren said.

Jack waved acquiescence before sprinting across the street. He took the stairs in his apartment building by twos and started pulling off his clothes on the final flight. The rest of his basketball outfit came off as he traversed his apartment, anxious to get to the hospital before Laurie was taken up to the OR. He didn't like the idea of her having surgery, and he didn't like the idea of her being at the Manhattan General.

As he thundered down the stairs, Jack struggled into the same clothes he'd worn that day. True to his word, Warren was sitting in his black SUV when Jack emerged from his building. Jack jumped in and Warren took off with a screech.

"Is this surgery serious?" Warren asked.

"You'd better believe it," Jack answered. While he tied his tie, he chastised himself for reacting so emotionally to Laurie's mini-outburst that afternoon. What he should have done was just let her rant without getting his dander up, but he'd not been in control. He'd not been in control since she walked out of his apartment.

"How serious?" Warren asked.

"Let me put it this way; people have died from the problem she has."

"No shit!" Warren murmured as he pressed his foot down on the accelerator.

Jack grabbed the handhold above the passenger-side door to steady himself as Warren 's SUV surged forward to make the traffic light at the 97th Street traverse. A few minutes later, Warren had the Manhattan General in his sights.

"Where do you want to be dropped off?" Warren asked.

"Follow the signs for the emergency department," Jack said.

Warren ended up nosing in between two ambulances at the receiving dock, and Jack jumped out. "Thanks, man," Jack called.

"Let me hear how things go!" Warren shouted out his window.

Jack waved over his shoulder, then vaulted up onto the platform and ran inside. The waiting area was packed with people. Jack headed directly for the double doors that led into the emergency room proper, but he was barred by a beefy, red-faced, uniformed policeman. The man had been standing to the side, but stepped in front of the doors as Jack neared.

"You gotta sign in at the desk," the officer said, pointing over Jack's shoulder.

With a bit of effort, Jack got out his wallet and flipped it open. Attached was his formal medical-examiner badge. The policeman drew Jack's hand closer to examine it. "Sorry, doc," he said when he recognized what it was.

After glancing into a few of the cubicles and having no luck finding Laurie, Jack stopped one of the nurses, who was scurrying down the corridor with a clutch of blood-sample tubes in her hands. When Jack asked for Laurie by name, she squinted as if she were slightly myopic at a dry-erase board that Jack had not seen back near the entrance doors. "She's in the acute-care area," the woman said. She pointed into the depths of the complex. "Room 22."

Jack found her alone in the room, surrounded by all sorts of acute-care equipment. Behind her was a flat LCD screen with realtime tracings of her blood pressure and pulse. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were folded on her chest with her fingers intertwined. Except for her pallor, she looked the picture of contented repose. Behind her and hanging from an IV pole were a cluster of bottles and a plastic pouch of blood, which ran into her left arm.

A few steps brought Jack to Laurie's side. He put his hand on her forearm, reluctant to wake her from her peaceful slumber but afraid not to. "Laurie?" he called softly.

Laurie's heavily lidded eyes opened. She smiled when she saw Jack. "Thank goodness you're here."

"How do you feel?"

"Considering everything, I feel pretty good. Anesthesia came down and gave me some kind of preop. I'm about to go up to surgery. I was hoping you'd get here before I went in."

"Is it a ruptured ectopic pregnancy?"

"All indications point to it."

"I'm so sorry you're going through this."

"Aren't you a little relieved? I mean, be honest!"

"No, I'm not relieved. In fact, I'm worried. Can't we get you over to another hospital? What about your father's hospital?"

Laurie smiled with drug-induced serenity. She shook her head. "My doctor only has privileges here. I asked about going someplace else right off, but I'm afraid I'm stuck. She's pretty sure I'm still bleeding internally, so we don't have the benefit of a lot of time." Laurie detached her forearm from Jack and gripped his. "I know what you are thinking, but I'm okay with being here, and more so now that you've come. Although theoretically I'm at risk of being a victim of my series, I don't think it's that high. The odds are in my favor, especially with Najah away from the scene."

Jack nodded. He knew she was right statistically, but it was hardly consolation, particularly with the case against Najah so circumstantial. The fact was, he didn't like Laurie being there period, yet he resigned himself to there being little choice. She could exsanguinate during a transfer.

"I'm okay, really," Laurie added. "I like my doctor. I've great confidence in her. And I asked her what was going to happen to me tonight. She said that after the surgery, I'd go to the PACU."

"What the devil is the PACU?"

"Postanesthesia care unit."

"What happened to the recovery room?"

Laurie smiled and shrugged. "I don't know. Now it's called the PACU. Anyway, she told me that I'd probably stay in the PACU all night, and if I were to leave, she wants me in an acute-care unit because of how much blood I've lost. None of the cases in my series happened in intensive care, only on hospital floors. I feel safe until tomorrow, when I'm sure we can arrange for a transfer. My father can get me over to the University Hospital, and even if my doctor can't follow me over there, my old GYN would fill in, I'm certain."

Jack nodded. He still wasn't happy, but he could see her point. Besides, in terms of emergency surgery, the Manhattan General was right up there with the best.

"Are you as comfortable as I am?" Laurie asked.

"I guess so," he admitted.

"Good," Laurie said. "And remember, all this is in addition to the fact that the prime suspect is safely in custody."

"I'm not willing to rely on that," Jack said.

"Nor am I, if it were the only thing," Laurie said. "But it adds to my peace of mind."

"Good," Jack responded. "And your peace of mind is the most important. For me, I like the idea you'll be in the PACU. That's real security. The case against Najah is pure supposition."

"Without a doubt," Laurie agreed. "Which leads me to a suggestion. There's no reason for you to hang around here doing nothing while I'm up in surgery. Why don't you go back to the OCME and take a look at the material on my desk, particularly Roger's lists. You could even bring them back here. I've written down some of my ideas, but it would be good to get your take, especially if Najah turns out to be a dead end, pardon the pun."

"Sorry!" Jack asserted forcibly. "I ain't leaving here while you're in surgery. No way!"

"Okay, don't get huffy. It was just a suggestion."

"Thanks but no thanks," Jack reiterated.

There was a pause in the conversation. Jack glanced up at the LCD screen. He was mildly concerned that Laurie's blood pressure was low and her pulse was high, but he was pleased to see that they were staying steady.

"Jack," Laurie said, gripping his arm tighter. "I'm sorry I was so irritable this afternoon. It was wrong of me not to let you talk. I apologize."