Kate peered at the ER tech from under her umbrella, raising her voice over the insistent drumming of rain on the ambulance bay overhang. She saw him nod confirmation. Until yesterday, Kate wouldn’t have believed such a thing was possible. But the downpour hadn’t quit except for a few hours around dawn. Last evening’s budget meeting had been canceled, and Kate lost count of how many times she’d been awakened in the night. By thunder, howling wind, and incredible flashes of lightning so bright she could see them through her closed eyelids. She glanced up at the sky—at least it was standard-issue rain, not muddy sludge. A handful of gathered staff hoisted a rainbow of umbrellas and awaited the Code 3 ambulance arrival. Kate caught sight of Dana Connor, saw her adjust her umbrella to avoid eye contact. Kate turned back to the tech. “This homeless woman was swept away by rushing water?” Sirens wailed as the ambulance pulled in behind the hospital. “From a group camping under a bridge,”
