Loving Leisl (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Green Beret Book 2)

by Michele E. Gwynn

  Seeing his friend laugh brought a smile to Doc’s face. “If you ever tell anyone about that, I’ll end your suffering myself.”

  Harry patted Doc’s arm. “You said that about cradling my ball sac, too, and now everyone knows you did that. Empty threats, you dimpled bastard. You love me. I heard it myself.”

  “I hate you sometimes.” Doc moved to the leather chair. “Mind if I sit here with you awhile? She’s going to be in surgery for hours.”

  “Not at all. Nice having some family around.” Eastwood shifted on the bed and pressed a button raising up his head. “It’s okay if you fall asleep. I’ll probably doze off and on too. They got me set up with some good drugs here but they do make me sleepy.”

  Doc stretched out in the hospital recliner. “God, this thing isn’t very comfortable. Guess beggars can’t be choosers.” He leaned his head back. “Just like old times, Harry.”

  “Yeah, it is. So, you off the market now?” Eastwood’s voice grew soft as his sedatives wound though his bloodstream.

  Doc’s eyes drooped. “Pretty sure that’s what falling in love means. No more women lining up outside my door. Don’t care. This one’s special.”

  “I know. I’ve met her. She’s calm, mostly, which is great for your hyper butt, but a beehive of feisty when pissed off,” he chuckled. “I like her.”

  Doc smiled. “Me too.”

  “Forgot to tell you…” Eastwood mumbled. “Got a visit earlier. Some anal fucks from the State Department. Said something about patches…rehab…”

  Doc grunted. “You’ll need lots of rehab. That’s good.”

  The room grew quiet, occasionally interrupted by the beep of machines and soft snores.

  Chapter 15

  The ringing and vibration in his pocket barely penetrated the deep slumber that held Doc within its peaceful realm. He was dreaming of green fields surrounded by mountains. Wildflowers blooming and deer running free near a shallow stream. The deer approached a beautiful redhaired woman who fed them handfuls of grass. She blended into the scenery so well, he realized she was camouflaged somehow except for her bright red tresses and lovely face. There was a loud ringing across the mountains and the deer ran away. The ringing grew louder and the woman began to fade.

  Come back! he screamed. But she was gone.

  “Doc!” a deep voice barked.

  “What?” he jumped up.

  “Your phone’s ringing. Answer it already. Damn!” Eastwood grumbled, readjusting himself on the bed.

  “Sorry, man,” he said, pulling the cell phone out of his pocket. “Sergeant Major Gordon,” he answered.

  Eastwood watched Doc through hooded eyes. His teammate’s face showed both confusion and concern. Not unexpected since he was probably still trying to wake up properly.

  Doc ended the call.

  “Well?”

  He looked at Eastwood. “She’s out of surgery. They got her in post-op now. I can see her in an hour.”

  “So she pulled through? That’s good news, man.”

  “It is. I mean, we still won’t know the pathology results for a few days, but yeah, yeah,” he said, staring at the floor.

  “Take what you can get. She made it through a major surgery. That’s cause to celebrate.”

  Doc smiled. “I know, and I’m definitely grateful. Mind if I use your bathroom,” he asked, getting up.

  “I’m not using it so you may as well. I’ve got the old portable bedpan for now. Won’t see a real shitter for some time.”

  Doc eyed Eastwood. “I’ll be sure to get you a gift basket for that special occasion. You want one ply or two?”

  “Two, you fucker. My starfish is sensitive,” he chuckled.

  “Did you seriously just refer to your asshole as a starfish? Goddamn. There’s not enough soap to wash that image from my tired eyes.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Doc grumbled entering the bathroom in Eastwood’s room leaving his teammate laughing. He used the facility and took a few moments to scrub his face clean, wash the sleep from his eyes. There was both a tube of toothpaste and a bottle of mouthwash sitting on the shelf. Hospital brands. He cracked open the mouthwash and poured some onto his tongue, swishing it around. He figured it was the least he could do before presenting himself to Leisl. She deserved the best and at the moment, this was the best he could do until he made arrangements for a place to stay.

  He came back into the room, prepared to tell Eastwood he’d be back later to check on him, but he was already asleep once again. Despite the fact he wouldn’t hear him, Doc whispered, “I’ll be back, Harry,” and left the room.

  It was 02:30 in the morning. Leisl’s surgery lasted six hours in all. Doc had slept through the entire ordeal and felt refreshed, all things considered. He found a snack bar on the first floor and procured a vending machine sandwich, chips, and a hot cup of coffee. It was a quick and quiet meal meant to refuel and pass the hour. Finally, he made his way to post-op. He was greeted by a male nurse who said, “You’re the fiancé, right?”

  “I am,” he lied. Doc didn’t like lying, but he figured this wasn’t really a lie, just a truth only he knew about so far. It was a gray area and he hoped both God and his mother would forgive him.

  The nurse led him through the double doors and pointed to the corner. “She’s there, sleeping. There’s a chair so you can sit with her. She’s in and out of it, but so far, doing fine. The doctor will be in to check on her and you can talk to him.”

  “Thank you,” said Doc. He approached the bay at the far corner and pulled back the curtain.

  Leisl lay propped up. The paleness of her cheeks matched the white of the gauze bandages wrapped around her head. A nasal cannula blew oxygen into her nose while she slept and dozens of monitors were hooked up to her petite frame. She looked fragile, but he knew how tough she was. Still, even knowing this, it hurt to see her this way. The girl who had no family, who was used to facing everything alone, had a story he still didn’t know. He wanted to know—all of it. Every detail. And he wanted to tell her about his family from his parents to his siblings to high school friends. He wanted to bring her to Colver, the small town outside of Colorado Springs where he grew up, and show her mountains, Main Street, and the drive-in that still served the best burgers and shakes anywhere where he first worked as a gangly, cocky teenage boy.

  He pulled up the chair and sat beside the bed. Reaching out, he took her hand in his.

  “Hey, beautiful, I’m here. Your Jason is here and you came through surgery just fine, like a champ,” he whispered, his thumbs caressing the back of her hand.

  Leisl’s eyelids fluttered but didn’t fully open. She sighed, “Jason…”

  Doc stood up. “Yeah, babe. I’m here. It’s me.”

  “Okay,” she whispered. “I’m alive?”

  He smiled. “Hell, yes, you’re alive.” Leaning over, he dropped a light kiss on her parted lips. “You feel that?” he asked. “There’s going to be a lot more of those in your future, Miss Craig.”

  Her lips twitched. “Good,” she said. “I like your kisses.”

  Doc’s heart skipped a beat and relief washed through him. “You do, huh? That’s good, because I sure like kissing you.”

  “Don’t leave, ‘kay?” she mumbled.

  “I won’t. I’m not going anywhere. You just rest. I got you.”

  The sedatives still flooding her bloodstream pulled her back under, but Doc smiled. Hearing her speak, even if she wouldn’t remember it later, eased the anxiety that gripped him from the moment she’d had her seizure.

  He sat back down, feeling lighter than he had in days. He’d just gotten comfortable when the curtain parted and the doctor entered.

  He extended his hand. “I’m Doctor Bannerman. I’m told you’re Sergeant Craig’s fiancé. I don’t have any such information. In fact, she said she didn’t have anyone here.” The doctor eyed him.

  Doc stood, shaking the man’s hand. “Sergeant Major Gordon, Green Beret, 10th Specia
l Forces Group, 1st Battalion,” he stated. “What Leisl told you is true. She’s an orphan, and I’m not officially her fiancé, but I’m here for her.”

  Doctor Bannerman gave Doc the once-over and then nodded. “Officially is an odd choice of word, son,” he said. “Who are you to her unofficially?”

  Doc cleared his throat. “We didn’t get a chance to establish any titles before she fell ill. We’ve only known each other a few days, actually.”

  A small smiled tugged at the doctor’s lips. “And yet, here you are, all the way from Kuwait as well, I take it?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I see,” said Doctor Bannerman. “Well, Sergeant Major, she came through the procedure very well. We’ve sent the mass to pathology and I won’t have those results for at least eight days. In the meantime, we’ll get her back on her feet with some in-house rehab and once we know the results, we can plan from there.” The doctor closed the chart. Then, looking at Doc, added, “I don’t like to speculate, but the size and appearance of the tumor, to me, and to my experience, looked like early stages and the possibility of benign growth is good.”

  Doc blinked. “That would mean no radiation therapy, right?”

  “That’s correct. If the result is benign, officially,” he added, “there’s no need for her to go through radiation treatment. We did get it all out. The only other question is whether or not there will be any lasting damage to the vestibular nerve. We’ll begin checking her hearing in a couple of days.”

  Doc reached out, shaking the surgeon’s hand. “Thank you. Thanks for taking such good care of my girl.”

  Doctor Bannerman chuckled. “My pleasure, and you might want to let her in on that little secret of yours, son. It’s also my experience the girl won’t marry you if you don’t ask.” He left Doc staring after him.

  “Well, sweetheart, looks like everyone wants to throw their two-cents in about us before we’ve even figured it out,” he said, sitting down once again by her side. He lifted her fingers, threading them through his own. Leisl slept on. “Hell, I’m still trying to figure it all out, but I know one thing, I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you kick me out. Sure hope you won’t do that because I have a lot to tell you, like the first time I ever had a crush on a girl. She was a redhead,” he smiled. “Big surprise, huh? My best friend, Jeff, called me Charlie Brown throughout junior high because I had a thing for the little redhaired girl. Never got her, but seems like I’ve been looking for my redhaired girl ever since.” Doc spent the next hour telling Leisl bits and pieces of his life story.

  When a nurse returned hours later letting him know they’d be taking her back up to her room soon, Doc excused himself to find the gift shop. It was seven in the morning and the staff was in the middle of shift change. By the time Leisl was wheeled into her room, it was filled with flowers. Yellow daisies, pink orchids, red roses, and purple lilies.

  When Leisl opened her eyes, she was taken aback by the virtual garden surrounding her on every available surface in the room. Bright balloons floated above some of the bouquets and a stuffed teddy bear was tucked by her side looking up at her. Doc was there, beaming.

  “Where did all these flowers come from?” she asked.

  “Where do you think?” He looked around. “I didn’t know what kind you liked so, you know, just got them all.”

  A smile stretched across her lips. “You didn’t have to do that, Jason.”

  He watched her face as she took in all the colorful blooms. The surprise in her green eyes and the smile on her face told him he did the right thing. “I wanted to, Leisl.”

  She looked at him. “No one’s ever bought me flowers before.”

  Those words sent a sharp pain through his heart. “And no one else better. That’s my job,” he said, kissing her cheek.

  She raised a hand, touching his face. “You’re crazy, Jason.”

  “Crazy about you,” he said.

  “Are you really staying here?”

  “I am. Just need to make arrangements in a bit with billeting, see about getting a place near the hospital.”

  “I’ll need to do that too, after they discharge me. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do yet,” she said.

  “Don’t you worry yourself about that. I’ll take care of everything. You just concentrate on resting and healing. That’s your job, babe.”

  “But I don’t even have my things here,” she began.

  “I’ll have them sent over. You won’t need anything more than one of these sexy hospital gowns and non-skid socks for a few days anyhow. Plenty of time to take care of business.” He tugged at the army-green gown.

  “Sexy, you say?” she sniffed. “You have strange taste in fashion, Jason.” Leisl bit her lip. Her head hurt and she felt as weak as a kitten, but for the first time in her life, she felt happy. She couldn’t remember not having to worry about and handle every single detail of her life. Jason wasn’t having it, but was, instead, taking over her care while she was recovering. So this is what it feels like, she thought.

  “I actually prefer lacy things, but Outlaw won’t let me wear them under my uniform,” he joked.

  She laughed, then stopped, her hand moving up to touch her bandages. “Ow!”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, grabbing her hand. “Don’t touch that yet. Doctor’s orders. Here, I’ll call the nurse,” he said.

  “No, no,” she patted his hand. “It hurts, but I’m okay, and they have me on the morphine pump. It goes off automatically.” The machine beeped. “See? It dispenses on a timer. I’m sorry. I’ll probably fall asleep again.”

  Doc sighed, relieved. “Don’t you worry about me. I’m a big boy. I’ll just take care of everything while you sleep, okay?” He kissed her lips, lingering a moment.

  “Bring back one of those later,” she said.

  Doc smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

  He watched her nod off to sleep once again, pleased that she was doing well and in good spirits. Rising, he headed out intent on checking on Eastwood before visiting the billeting office, but when he arrived at room 316, Harry was gone. His bed, his things, everything was gone.

  Doc rushed to the nurses’ station.

  “Sergeant Tyler, where is he?” he asked.

  A tired nurse in her mid-fifties regarded him. She had the countenance of a woman generally irritated with the world and was not the least bit pleased to be interrupted in the middle of her charting duties.

  “He’s discharged,” she said, and looked down once again at the chart on the desk in front of her.

  Doc rolled his eyes heavenward, inhaled, and tried again. “And where was he discharged to? A rehab facility here or back home to the states? What?”

  The woman’s eyes narrowed, and she raised an eyebrow as she looked at the demanding soldier. “Are you family?”

  “I’m his superior. He’s on my team.”

  “So you’re not family then. Well, then, Sergeant Major,” she eyed Doc’s sleeve, “I can’t tell you any more than that. You’ll have to contact his family.”

  Doc swore, banging his hand on the desk. He pulled out his cell and fired off a text to Outlaw. It would travel a relay through COM-SAD so he had no idea when Nate would actually receive it. Due to the nature of the team’s missions, calls were intercepted and held to prevent any of them from being picked up by the enemy. Messages were relayed when the team called in through SAT phones. It was all he could do for now. He made a mental note to call Eastwood’s mother later and find out where her son had been taken. Had to have been quite sudden or else Harry would’ve mentioned it earlier. He didn’t even leave a damned note.

  Chapter 16

  A month passed, one in which Leisl thrived. Eight days after surgery, Doctor Bannerman delivered the results of her pathology testing. The tumor was benign. She was expected to make a full recovery. She was thrilled when, after the swelling went down at her incision site, her hearing returned with no ringing. Each day she worked with a physical therapist to regain
her strength and coordination. Each day, Jason was by her side.

  Their afternoons were spent playing card games or going outside into the patient garden area, Leisl in a wheelchair for her safety, and Doc pushing her. At night, he stretched out beside her on her bed until she fell asleep. Sweet goodnight kisses became more passionate as she grew stronger and Doc often returned to his small apartment with a case of blue balls. He didn’t mind, however. He was happy with the way their relationship was progressing.

  In between the kisses and touches, they shared their stories. Learning of the tragic death of both her parents tore him up inside, but hearing her describe living in one foster home after another with so much emptiness killed him. He wanted to fill her with all the light, laughter, and love he had from his own family, so he told her all about them, about Colver, about his dad’s veterinary practice, and his mom’s restaurant. Told her about aunts, uncles, and cousins, and camping and fishing trips. He told her about his cabin on the lake near his parent’s home, the one he kept when he got the chance to come back and visit. His mom kept an eye on it while he was deployed, paying for the utilities and such through a trust he’d set up. She called it her home away from daddy, the place she tried out new recipes that often ended up on the menu at her restaurant. Doc didn’t mind. His kitchen was always stocked when he came home, usually with some special ‘Welcome Home’ dessert sitting on the counter or in the fridge. He did his best to add in as much detail as possible hoping it painted bright pictures in her mind’s eye.

  She told him about Rose and Oscar, and he was glad there’d been someone to care for her then, but she skimmed over the details of why she ran from that last home. He wanted to ask, but something told him she wasn’t ready to share.

  Two weeks in, her luggage arrived from Medical Base Camp 10, Kuwait. Angie sent her a letter letting her know she’d been feeding Pooch in her absence. He misses you, Leisl. Looks for you every single day.

  Doc noted the relief on her face when she told him, and also the sadness in her eyes. He hated seeing that.