His Innocent Queen

Chapter 2

Berkley's POV

"Berkley did you discharge room three?" Dr. Smith asked.

"Yes, about twenty minutes ago. I dressed their arm and sent them on their way."

"Great. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me on Saturday?"

"Thanks for asking but I have plans already."

"Maybe next time," he said walking off looking like a hurt puppy dog. He was a good-looking guy and someone I totally would have jumped at the chance to go on a date with. That was until I came to Cedar Hills. I thought coming here would be the best thing for me. I would finally have the chance at being a part of a family but that got torn to shreds when my father was killed before I even had a chance to meet him.

I did get to meet my half-brother and while he is a part of my life sometimes, I feel more like an annoyance to him than anything else. His wife, however, has become one of my closest friends and her friend Mila. The three of us have gotten really close. He has his brothers who aren't really his brothers. That's where my biggest problem comes from. Ace. God that man makes me weak in the knees. He's flirted with me a few times, but I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I've gone on a few dates, but I've only kissed one boy and that was back in high school. When I got to college I was focused on school and my mom's drinking had gotten out of control and once she died, I just wanted to focus on getting good grades and finishing school.

"Earth to Berkley," Sammy said waving her hand in front of me.

"Sorry, what's up?"

"Your phone has gone off about twenty times while you zoned out. Is everything OK?"

"Yes. Just tired I guess."

"Sure. So, I heard Dr. Smith ask you out and you politely turned him down."

"Yes. I felt bad but I already have plans that night."

"Who with?"

"Your nosey."

"Ya well I've seen your brother and his friends and please tell me that you have at least slept with one of them. It should be a rite of passage as the hot younger sister."

"First of all, not hot and not I haven't. I'm not really all that close with him. His wife is one of my best friends though. That is who I am going out with and Mila and that is who is blowing up my phone." I told her grabbing my phone and looking at all the costumes she had sent me. I told her I was busy all week and to just find me something and from the looks of what she is sending me she wants me to dress as a naughty nurse.

I want to but I just can't bring myself to do it. It isn't my style of things. I told her no and to find me something a little less revealing and pocketed my phone and went back to work. I was working nights but was about to switch to days. I hated the night shift but loved the ER.

The rest of my shift went by pretty painlessly. It was a slower night, and I didn't mind those. In fact, the rest of the week went that way and now it was Saturday and I had to go in and finish some charting that I needed to do and then I was off to Mila's.

I pulled into her house and let myself in. I could hear them in her room. They had the music blaring. I walked in and turned it down.

"I can see the party got started without me."

"Yes, your late, you need a shot to catch up and you need to take that damn braid out so we can get to curling your hair." Mila said.

"I don't drink but I'll take my braid out."

As soon as all three of us were ready Mila handed me my costume and I walked into the bathroom. I hadn't looked at it yet. I was nervous about what she had gotten me. I pulled it out of the black bag and regret instantly filled me. It was damn nurses costume that was about the sluttiest thing I've ever seen. It was short and the top didn't even have a button until it was halfway past my boobs. They were nice and filled it out but the girl on the picture were bursting out. I put it on to see how it looked and then found the stockings. They were thigh high white stockings.

"Mila there is no way I can wear this." I said as I came out of the bathroom.

"Oh yes you are. You are the sexiest nurse I've ever seen, and you are going to be asked to give CPR so much tonight."

"Or you're going to give them a heart attack." Ellie said laughing.

"Let's go ladies." Mila said.

We took a few pictures. According to Mila they were mandatory and then we all got into my car since I was the only one who hadn't had anything to drink yet. I parked out back, and we headed inside through the back doors.

"I have to go meet Tate up in his office. I will meet you guys at the club." Ellie said and turned to go to the elevators.

Mila and I went straight to the club. The party was already in full swing when we got there. Dominic and Reign were sitting at a table already drinking. Both of them roamed their eyes over my costume, before Dominic spoke up.

"Mila, you really need to go put on more clothes. Berkley you too."

"Knock it off Dom, come on let's go get drinks." Mila said grabbing my arm and pulling me to the bar. She got herself a couple of shots and I stuck with water and then she ordered something to take back to the table. We hadn't been back very long when Ellie and Tate showed up.

"Jesus Christ Berkley what the f**k do you have on?" Tate practically yelled at me.

"I didn't pick it. You can blame Mila for this." I told him shrugging my shoulders.

"Come on girls, we're going to dance," Mila said coming up to the table. From the flushed look on her face, she had a few more shots in her.

We got out on the dance floor, and this was something that I hadn't really ever done but I just followed their lead and let the music lead my body. It didn't take long for Tate to come up and pull Ellie to him and dance with her. I kept dancing with Mila until some guy came up and started dancing with her. I was going to go sit down and check my phone. Not sure why, the only ones who text me are with me, but I had nothing else to do. That's when I realized I left my phone in my car.

"Hey, I forgot my phone in my car, I'm going to go grab it real fast," I told Ellie and Tate.

"Take someone with you. Grab the bouncer or something," Tate said and I just waived him off heading to my car.

I went out the back door and ran to my car. I couldn't find it right away and finally found it. It had fallen under the driver's seat. I unlocked it and no surprise, no notifications. I locked my car back up and headed inside but when I got to the door Ace was lying on the ground unconscious and bleeding from his head.

"Ace, are you OK?" I asked checking for a pulse. He had a strong one, so I grabbed my phone and called Ellie and placed my hand on his head.

"Hello," Ellie said answering the phone.

"Ellie, I need help. Ace is hurt out back. Hurry up," she yelled into the phone.

"Hand on tight. We will get you help," I told him even though he couldn't hear me. It didn't take them long to get out back.

"Someone needs to call 911," I yelled out.

"No, we need to take him upstairs and call Aiden." someone said. I wasn't sure who and really didn't care. They weren't going to argue with me right now.

"You can't move him. You don't know if he has a neck injury, and can I have a towel or a shirt? Something to help apply pressure."

"Berkley, he will be ok." Reign said and handed me his shirt.

"Hey guys, we have a bigger problem," Dominic said getting all of our attention. "Look at this," he continued to say and held out a card with a snowflake.

"Where the hell was that?" Tate asked.

"Would someone call an ambulance?" I yelled, getting mad that they weren't listening.

"No," all the guys yelled back at me.

Dominic ran inside for what I'm not sure, but everyone was starting to panic, and Ace was still out of it.

Tate pulled his phone out of his pocket and called someone but cursed when they didn't answer.

"We need to call an ambulance. Aiden didn't answer." Tate said. I watched Ellie grab her phone and I kept the pressure on his head.

I could hear them talking but wasn't paying any attention to what they were saying. I was too focused on Ace and watching his breathing and looking for signs that he was going to wake up. I finally heard the ambulance headed this way.

"What happened?" one of them asked as soon as they got to us.

"Not sure. Head trauma, unconscious. Not sure when it happened." I answered.

"Berkley, is that you?"

"Yes, now could you help my friend."

"I will ride with them in case he wakes up and meet you guys at the ER.”

The paramedics got Ace loaded and I sat in the back with him while they got an IV going and I checked his vitals and kept pressure on his head. It only took them about five minutes to get to the hospital and Dr. Smith was waiting at the ambulance bay for us. I explained what I had found and continued to hold pressure to his head while they worked. It wasn't much longer, and Reign came back here.

"What are they saying?" he asked, coming right up next to me.

"We need a CT scan, and we'll go from there. The fact that he is still unconscious isn't good. When I went out the back door he wasn't there. I ran to my car to get my phone. When I found it a few minutes later he was lying there. It was less than five minutes." I explained.

"Is he going to be, OK?" Reign yelled out at no one in particular.

"Sir we are working on your brother. You need to step back and let us work." Dr. Smith said and then barked out an order to get a stat CT and then handed me everything for a pressure dressing. I got busy getting that put on his head. When he started seizing and all hell broke loose. They got him rolled onto his side and started giving meds to stop it but then his heart stopped, and they started CPR and Reign started to freak out and yell. As much as I wanted to stay and help, I knew I had to get him out of here.

"Reign, let's go. We can't stay in here. We need to let them work," I told him pulling on his arm, but he wasn't budging.

"OUT NOW," Dr. Smith yelled and I could see the resolve on his face. I was able to pull him out of the room. I headed to the waiting room and as I got to the doors Reign finally gave in and headed my way. I stepped through the doors to everyone standing there waiting.

"Berkley what's wrong? What happened?" Ellie asked, grabbing my shoulders.

"Ace, he's," is all I said before Reign came out looking just as bad.