“Point B,” he said. “Let’s stop at the Hummer for that wine.”
*
I sipped the remainder of my glass of wine, which Jim and I had willingly shared with Major Kopley. The table conversation had been lighthearted for the most part with just a touch of business.
“Major Hogan tells me you did wonders for his EOC and in a very short time, Allexa. I understand your AOC is Public Affairs, however no one seems to quite get a grasp on what your orders are,” Kopley casually commented.
I knew immediately he was fishing. “Major,” I chastised him, “if I told you I’d have to kill you.” I added a laugh to lighten the mood.
“Steve, you should have seen the way she handled that scumbag that hurt her,” Jim said, deftly changing the subject. “After I handed her service weapon back to her, she checked it over and without so much as a word put the barrel to the guy’s forehead and pulled the trigger. I was so proud of her.”Steve Kopley snapped his head around to me.
“Did you really?”
“It seemed like the thing to do at the time,” I affirmed. “He was to be executed anyway. I wanted to be the one to do it after what he did to me.”
“Remind me to never piss you off, Lieutenant,” Kopley laughed.
“I don’t give warnings, Major.” At that I stood. “Thank you for a delightful evening. It’s been a long and exhausting day and I’m done in. Good night.”
Jim caught up to me before I reached the door. “I’ll walk you back to the barracks.”
*
Outside my room we hesitated and I laughed nervously. “This feels awkward, doesn’t it? Things are changing faster than I thought they would.”
“I’m not complaining, Allex.” Jim brushed my cheek with his soft fingertips. The kiss started gently and quickly became more demanding. Had we not been standing in the hallway of the women’s barracks, the evening might have ended differently.
“Good night, Jim.” I slipped into my dorm room and closed the door. I leaned against the closed door, breathing heavily.
CHAPTER 20
JOURNAL ENTRY: May 12
We’ve been here at Sawyer for a week now. I’ve managed to rest and eat, gaining some of my strength back. Jim is still working on this mysterious correspondence although he says he should be finished sometime today if he can get a stable internet connection. I’m anxious to be on the road again. Even though they stayed frozen for the first four days, I’ve packed ice into the cooler daily to keep those gifted steaks fresh. Kora Goshen was most generous and I’m looking forward to us grilling dinner tonight.
~~~
“It’s really annoying, Allex. Every time I try to send my final report, something interferes with the transmission. It almost feels like someone is intercepting me,” Jim groaned in frustration as I sat across the desk from him.
“I wish we had Billy here to help,” I lamented. “Maybe we can! I’ve got Billy and Kim’s email addresses. Let me see if I can reach them.” I took Jim’s seat and started typing. Soon a small window popped up on my screen: an instant message from Billy.
IM: how’s it going, Lieutenant?
“I’m getting some needed rest, thanks. We’re having some trouble you might help with.” I typed in return.
IM: I’ll try. What’s the problem?
“The Colonel keeps getting interfered with when he tries to send a report. Is it possible he’s being remotely intercepted?”
IM: Sure, that would be easy. Any clues?
“This is Major Kopley’s computer. He’s been in touch with Major Hogan. BTW your loop has done wonders for my reputation”
IM: Great! And FYI, that loop has been accessed three times, twice from here, once from there. I’ve been monitoring it. BRB
Jim was watching over my shoulder all this time. “What’s BTW and BRB?
“BTW is computer shorthand for by the way, and BRB is be right back.”
IM: I just now disabled a couple of computers… lol … Try sending the report now.
I minimized the conversation with Billy and Jim sat back down. He pulled up his report and was able to send it right out.
“Thanks Billy that worked!”
IM: anytime my lady! TTFN
The instant message conversation disappeared.
Before Jim could ask I said, “That’s ta ta for now, a way of saying goodbye.”
“So,” Jim leaned back in the chair, “Hogan was tapping into my reports. I could have him court-martialed for that. And it’s possible Kopley was involved.”
“From things Billy told me before, Kopley might not have known. On the other hand…”
“It’s moot now, Allex. That last report was my retirement papers,” Jim sighed. “All of my adult life has been devoted to the Army and my country. It feels like something is missing now.” He stood and stretched.
His announcement had me shocked. “Why, Jim?”
“I’m tired, Allex. I joined the Army at eighteen, went to college, and moved up in the ranks. I’m fifty-five now; that’s thirty-seven years of my life devoted to Uncle Sam. I deserve my own time now, and I’m ready to stay put. My papers become effective one month from today. I say we get back on the road right after lunch.”
“That’s the best news yet!”
I was still bewildered over his decision to retire.
*
We didn’t get the sendoff we had leaving the Soo, though we did get fresh ice for the cooler and a thermos of coffee, plus a mail bag with letters destined for Marquette and Moose Creek.
“It should take us no more than two hours to get back to that house behind Walstroms,” I said, settling back in the seat. After all this time it was starting to feel comfortable. The afternoon was as cloudy and as bleak as the morning was. The high, thick clouds kept the sun from even making a bright spot in the all gray sky. The biggest bright spot was that we were once again traveling, and this time toward home.
“We left a great deal of supplies at that house to take home. I think we should look for a trailer of some kind,” Jim said.
“Good idea.
I know many of the gas stations around here were also Haul Your Own outlets. Maybe we can find something suitable that was left behind when everyone left.”
*
Half an hour later we came to a main intersection with a four-way stop. One corner was dominated by a now vacant gas station/party store.
“Let’s pull in here and drive around back,” I suggested. There were two of the distinctive dark green and light blue trailers, both missing tires.
“Well, there’s bound to be more,” Jim shrugged. “Let’s keep moving.”
Just past the silent ski hill with its chairlifts frozen in time was another business that rented moving trailers and this time we got lucky.
“That one is way too large,” he pointed to one near the front.
“This one over here might do us,” I said spotting a smaller unit, listing to one side. “Darn, it has a flat tire.”
“Tires we can change.” Jim opened the back doors to the covered unit and stepped inside. “The floor is solid, and it even has a moving dolly.” He stepped back out and looked around the yard. “I can switch tires from that trailer and we can be back on the road in twenty minutes.”
He jacked up the large trailer with the tools from the Humvee and removed two of the tires. I didn’t question him taking two; it’s always good to have a spare. Jim left the large, open trailer sitting on its empty axle. He rolled one tire and I rolled the other over to the smaller trailer. He loosened the lug nuts on the flat tire, jacked it up, and removed it quickly. As he was putting the good tire in place, a tremor hit and the jack slipped.
“AHHHH!” Jim screamed. The axle had fallen on his hand! I wrenched the jack out and pumped it up again, and then helped Jim pull his left hand free. There was so much blood it was hard to tell whether he had two or three smashed fingers. He sat with his back against the trailer and stifled a moan. I ran to the Hummer and backed
it as close to him as I could get.
“Let me wash it, Jim,” I said calmly, and I poured a bottle of drinking water over the wound. It immediately began gushing red again, but I had seen enough. I grabbed one of my t-shirts and wrapped it around his hand. “I’m going to take you back to the base. You need the medic.”
“The pain is making me dizzy, Allex, I don’t know if I can even stand.” He groaned again as he tried.
“Don’t try to move.” I went back to the Hummer and got my small med-kit. I found the vial of painkiller and filled the syringe. I swabbed his muscular shoulder and jabbed. “I gave you something for the pain and it should act fast. The moment the pain subsides, we have to move fast to get you into the Hummer. I can’t do it alone, you will have to help before the meds knock you out.”
“Knocked out sounds good,” he moaned. “Let’s do it.” I helped him stand and he leaned heavily on me for the few steps we needed to go. I closed the passenger door and slid behind the wheel, driving as fast as possible back to the base.
Twenty minutes later I pulled up to the gate and the guard stepped out. “ID please.”
“Open the damned gate! The colonel has been severely injured!” I shouted, my adrenaline raging. The young man looked inside the Hummer and saw the bloody wrappings. The gate lifted and I barely cleared it in my hurry.
I jumped the curb in front of the field hospital as two orderlies came out with a wheelchair. I was very glad to see them, as I wouldn’t have been capable of moving an inert Jim. They managed to get the unconscious colonel into the chair and I followed on their heels.
“I got a call from the gate. What happened, Lieutenant?” Captain Josh Marley asked, unwrapping the bloody shirt from Jim’s hand.
“He was changing a tire when that aftershock hit and the jack slipped. I rinsed it off with drinking water only. Two fingers look bad, Doc. I gave him a shot of Demerol,” and I told the medic how much. He nodded.
“You two,” Marley said to the orderlies, “get him on a gurney. STAT!” Marley turned to me. “You might want to wait out here, Lieutenant. It’s going to get messy.”
“I’m not leaving him, and don’t worry about me. I assisted my husband in several surgeries, including one on my own son after he was attacked by wolves,” I stated, following Marley into the surgical suite.
“Lieutenant, I don’t need an assistant, and I definitely don’t need another patient.”
“I’ll make you a deal, Captain,” I said. “I promise to stay out of your way and if I feel the least bit faint, I’ll leave.”
He eyed me and said nothing, then he handed me a mask and a pair of gloves.
I sat on a stool at the head of the gurney, wiping cool water on Jim’s slack face. Captain Marley irrigated the wounds again. “The ring finger is broken and can be set. The small finger is smashed, pulverized, and I’m going to have to amputate it.”
“I know he would want you to do whatever is necessary,” I replied. “You’ve got excellent surgical skills, Captain, and it’s obvious you have experience. Where have you served?”
“I did three tours in the sandbox, ma’am. I’ve patched up more young men that stepped on IEDs than I care to think about,” he answered without looking up. “Unfortunately, that included a lot of amputations.” He straightened and splinted the ring finger. “I don’t mean to sound too casual about this, Lieutenant, but the amputation will be quick and relatively simple. The bone is completely crushed and the tissue is totally separated.” He sliced the skin to have a flap to stitch over the nub and dropped the mangled digit in a metal bowl. In less than a half hour, the surgery was finished and Jim’s hand was wrapped in bandages.
“May I ask where your husband served, Lieutenant?” Marley asked casually as he scrubbed.
“My husband wasn’t military, Captain. He was an ER trauma doctor down in Saginaw. He died from the flu last year,” I added, knowing that would be the next question.
“Can I assume you will want to stay here, near Colonel Andrews?”
“Definitely,” I replied. “How long will you want to keep him?”
“He should be fine to leave tomorrow morning. I’m sure the colonel would disagree with me, but as I said, this wasn’t a bad injury.”
*
I sat beside a sleeping colonel, my adrenaline dump beginning. I got shaky, then very tired. I rested my head against his bed and dozed.
*
“Lieutenant? Allex?” I felt someone shaking my shoulder and opened my eyes.
“Major Kopley,” I acknowledged him and sat up straight, stretching the kinks out of my neck.
“I was notified that Jim had been injured. What happened?”
“He was changing a tire when the jack slipped. One broken finger and Capt. Marley had to amputate the pinky. He should be fine and we’ll leave again in the morning,” I answered.
“I think you should stay the rest of the week, give Jim time to recover,” Kopley said, taking command.
“It will be up to Jim, though I’m fairly certain he would want to get back on the road, Major.”
“Even if I make that an order?” Kopley pressed.
Some serious strategy was needed, and a serious lie.
“Major Kopley,” I said, standing to face him, “I know you have attempted to access my records, and you have found you don’t have a high enough clearance. I’m not at liberty to discuss my orders with you or anyone else, but I will tell you one thing you didn’t find in my file. Jim may outrank me, but you don’t! So don’t try to give me orders,” I said with all the anger I was feeling about our situation. I sat back down.
Major Kopley looked both stunned and chastised. “Yes, Ma’am.” He turned to leave, then turned back. “Lieutenant, Colonel Andrews is my friend and I wish only the best for him. I would be honored if you would join me for dinner in the officers’ mess at eighteen hundred hours. You still need to eat.”
“Thank you, Major, however, I’m having two trays sent down here. I wouldn’t think of leaving Jim alone at a time like this,” I replied, softening my stance.
*
“Allex?” Jim called out.
“I’m right here, Jim,” I answered, moving so he could see me.
“You’re so pretty,” he said, closing his eyes again.
“That’s because you’re on some good drugs right now,” I laughed.
“Pretty and brave… smart. So strong. I think I fell in… with you…at… wedding. Not a sham,” he slurred and dozed off again in a drug induced haze.
Wow, that was a revelation I didn’t need.
He struggled to open his eyes again. “What happened? Where are we?”
“That trailer slipped off the jack during the tremor and smashed your fingers. We’re in the infirmary at Sawyer.” I laid my hand on his cheek. “You’ve got one broken finger, and … your pinky finger had to be amputated.”
His eyes flew open and he lifted his hand. “No wonder it hurts.” He drifted away again.
A half hour later, our two dinner trays were delivered: Chicken noodle soup with crackers for the patient and chicken breast on rice for me. The adrenaline rush had left me hungry, and I ate quickly so I could be done before Jim woke.
*
His eyes were clearer and not so drug-fogged when he awakened again. He took a deep breath and yawned.
“I smell food,” he said without the least trace of slur to his voice.
“Chicken noodle soup and crackers is all Capt. Marley will let you have. Tomorrow night, though, it’s just you and me, a steak, and a bottle of wine.” It was good to see him alert. I cranked the bed up to a sitting position and helped Jim have his meager dinner. Then I gave him the Darvocet Marley had left him and Jim went right back out.
April 27
I laid down on the one of the other beds in the infirmary after taking off my boots last night. Someone draped a blanket over me at some point and I drowsily relished the softness that covered me.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,
” Jim said. He was already sitting up and eating breakfast.
“Hey, you, how do you feel?” I asked, sliding out of the bed to stand by him.
“I’ve had better mornings,” he chuckled around a bite of toast. “My hand hurts like hell. Marley said I was lucky. I’ve managed my entire life without losing a body part, and now this.” He held up his bandaged hand, scooping eggs with his other one.
“It could have been much worse, Jim. I’m just glad we were still so close to the base.” I shuddered at the thought of this happening further away. What would I have done?
“That’s what Marley said too, Allex. Your quick thinking resulted in the loss of one finger instead of my whole hand.” He looked at me and smiled. “Thank you. I can deal with a missing finger.” He took a sip of coffee and noticed me staring at it. “There’s a tray over there for you.”
“Scoot over, Colonel,” I said, climbing onto his bed with my food tray. We chatted and ate until Capt. Marley came in.
“Major Kopley was quite adamant that you could leave if you wanted unless I felt that would be detrimental to your wellbeing, Colonel Andrews. I can see that you are recovering rapidly.” Apparently the major had an about face after my mega lie. “Your uniform was laundered by Smitty and will be here shortly, sir. Once you’re dressed and fitted with a sling, you’re free to go.”
*
“Do I really need this sling?” Jim griped.
“Yes you do,” I answered before Marley had the chance. “Your hand needs the support and the elevation. If you left it down by your side it would start throbbing in no time. Buck-up, Colonel, it’s only for a few days.” Marley handed me a small bag with extra gauze for changing the bandages, some antibiotic cream, and a small bottle of pain pills that Jim would need later.
The Journal: Raging Tide: (The Journal Book 4) Page 16
