by Bella Juarez
“Why didn’t you call me when you brought her here?” Tammy demanded.
“You’re not Anna’s next of kin. I had you called because Anna asked me to call you,” Captain O’Malley said.
Captain O’Malley was staring at Tammy. It was the first time she’d seen him up close. Anna was right. He was dangerous. Damn, he was beautiful to the point of distraction! He looked at a woman as if he could strip her naked and fuck her silly with his eyes. She felt an unholy attraction to Captain O’Malley and refocused when Anna’s mother spoke to him. Thank goodness he turned away to look at Beatrice.
“I know the man who came to see me said she had a virus. What kind of virus? Is it gone? What will happen to her?” Mrs. Espinoza questioned.
“Frankly, that’s why she was quarantined. The doctors don’t know yet. But she’ll be fine,” Captain O’Malley said, taking Mrs. Espinoza’s hand.
“Are you taking care of her?” Anna’s mom asked.
“Yes. I’m doing everything in my power to make sure she has the best possible care,” Captain O’Malley answered.
Tammy watched in amazement as Anna’s mom melted under Captain O’Malley’s gaze. That damn panty dropper is charming the panties off a seventy-plus-year-old woman!
“Maybe I can shed some light on what happened. The good news is the virus isn’t really a virus. It’s a bacterial infection. It spread really fast throughout Anna’s system and took her down in a matter of hours. We’re not sure where it came from, but she’s responded very well to the antibiotics and she’s stable. Things, right now, are looking better. If she continues to improve, she’ll be moved to a floor room and then released from the hospital,” Senior Chief Richards said.
“When?” Tammy demanded. This guy was just as good looking as the captain. Shit! How did Anna concentrate all day?
“Ma’am?” Senior Chief Richards asked.
“When can we expect to see progress?” Tammy snapped.
“Anna’s made quite a bit of progress already. She’s stable,” Senior Chief Richards said.
“Mom?” Anna called weakly.
“Anna!” Mrs. Espinoza cried, turning around to face the bed.
Tammy likewise rushed to Anna’s bedside. The two women were on either side of Anna, talking with her.
“Mi hija, what happened?” Anna’s mother asked, stroking her cheek.
“I don’t know, Mom. One minute I was fine, the next I was here,” Anna said.
Anna looked at Tammy.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Anna said.
“Anna, you didn’t feel bad on Thursday?” Tammy questioned.
“I guess I kind of did, later in the afternoon,” Anna said, looking at Captain O’Malley.
Anna and her mother continued as Tammy stepped away from the bed. She walked to Captain O’Malley and smiled.
“Can I have a word with you, Captain?” Tammy asked
“Please call me Jack. This way…” Captain O’Malley said with a smile.
Tammy and Captain O’Malley stepped outside of Anna’s room. As soon as they were out of earshot she turned on him.
“What the hell is really going on here?” Tammy demanded.
“Ma’am?”
“You heard me. What the hell is really going on here?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s exactly like you were told.”
“Then why are you camped out here? I’m sure you have better things to do, Captain. And why is a Navy medic taking care of her? Is the staff here incapable?” Tammy questioned harshly.
Captain O’Malley smiled and looked Tammy directly in the eye. She wanted to melt under that penetrating green-eyed stare. Damn! Captain Jack isn’t a panty dropper. He’s a panty magnet! Focus!
“Anna has my undivided attention right now. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she’s healthy again,” Captain O’Malley said.
“I know she was with you in California recently. What happened? Where did she go? What was she exposed to?” Tammy questioned.
Captain O’Malley looked into Anna’s room and looked back to Tammy. She almost didn’t grasp the subtlety of what he was not saying.
“Bullshit! If this is what you’re implying it is, she would have told me!” Tammy snapped.
“Tammy, may I call you Tammy?” Captain O’Malley asked, dropping his voice. Tammy was pissed and maybe even a little jealous as she glared in response. “I can promise you, Anna didn’t tell you everything about that TDY. We agreed not to talk. You’re not stupid. I’m sure you understand why neither one of us is saying anything right now. We can’t.”
“Did you do this to her?” Tammy demanded.
“No. I would never hurt her. And I’m doing everything in my power to make sure she gets the best treatment possible. You know as well as I do what that means.”
A captain in the United States Navy did indeed have a lot of power. Very few people would question anything Captain O’Malley did or said. A special operations captain had more authority and commanded more attention than the average captain or colonel would. Anna wasn’t only getting the best treatment. She was getting priority over everyone else. Tammy looked into Anna’s room and then to Captain O’Malley. He started to walk away. She grabbed his arm before he could get back into Anna’s room. He faced her.
“You better not be married!” Tammy snapped.
“Tammy, I’m not married and never have been. Trust me. Anna does,” Captain O’Malley whispered as he glanced at Anna’s mother.
“Obviously, you’ve done this before,” Tammy shot back.
Tammy could feel herself wavering as he looked at her.
“Actually, this is a first for me. I can’t help it. But she is working for me right now. This could get a little sticky for both of us. I know what I’m doing,” Captain O’Malley said.
“You better not be using her!” Tammy exclaimed quietly.
“Back off, Tammy. Anna’s a big girl. She knows what to do,” Captain O’Malley said.
They returned to Anna’s room. Tammy appraised her friend and watched Anna and Captain O’Malley interact with each other. She recalled his words. “I know what I’m doing.”
Sleazy son of a bitch!
There was more to this and if Anna were messing around with this guy, Anna would have said something. Tammy knew Anna and she wasn’t that easily led or fooled. She could be difficult and temperamental, but somehow she always managed to attract the most-eligible men around her. Even though Tammy had wanted this for Anna when she first saw Captain O’Malley, she wasn’t convinced. But, something had changed between them. Tammy had doubts and made a mental note she would try in earnest this time to find out more about this Navy captain.
* * * *
After Anna’s mother and friend left Jack decided to take a walk. Alex relaxed in the chair. Anna shifted in bed. She was uncomfortable and had a headache.
“Is there any way I can sit up?” Anna asked Alex.
“I guess so, angel. You think you’re okay to do that? Your blood pressure has been pretty wacky. I don’t want you to black out,” Alex said.
“My back is hurting. I want to readjust.”
“Tell you what, I’ll get you up and take a listen to your lungs. Make sure nothing’s going on there. Okay?” Alex coaxed.
“Okay.”
Alex worked his way around and got Anna into a semisitting position, taking her as slow as he could. Anna’s duty nurse walked in and assisted as well. They decided to get her into the straight-back chair that was next to the chair Jack usually occupied. Before long, she was sitting up. While she was up, Alex checked her wound and listened to her lungs to make sure pneumonia wasn’t setting in. He asked the nurse to get Anna a cup of ice chips.
“Wow! I just looked at this thing this morning. This is healing really good and fast. All the redness is gone. I was thinking they might need to do some cleanup work,” Alex said.
The nurse walked in with a cup and handed it to Anna.
/> “Here you are, Mrs. O’Malley,” the nurse said. Anna, who was relaxing in the chair, didn’t respond. “Mrs. O’Malley?”
Anna looked confused and then smiled.
“Silly me, I zoned out for a second. I’m sorry.” Anna laughed.
“Are you okay?” the nurse asked, sending a worried glance to Alex.
Anna nodded her head as she dug into the ice chips.
“I guess I just get a little spacy from the all the meds. I’m sorry,” Anna said.
“I’ll be here. I’ll call when she’s ready to get back in bed,” Alex said.
“Should we change the sheets?” the nurse asked.
“Good idea,” Alex said.
The nurse left and Alex tried to play off what had just happened. Anna wasn’t that spacy.
“Alex?” Anna asked.
Alex moved beside Anna and began checking the lines. He leaned in very close. “Anna, you need to trust Jack. He’s trying to protect you.” He tapped one of the lines. She said nothing as she glanced up at him. “You probably need to call him by his name, not his rank. And be very careful what you talk about in here. Okay?”
Anna nodded and Alex continued with the instructions. “I’m sure he’ll tell you what he needs you to do. And do exactly what he tells you. Don’t deviate from the plan. Understood, angel?”
Anna nodded her head in understanding and Alex winked. Jack stepped back into the room.
“Hey you’re sitting up! You must be feeling a lot better,” Jack said.
“Yes, sir, Skipper. Mrs. O’Malley is doing just fine,” Alex said.
Jack looked to see Anna’s reaction.
“That’s right, Jack,” Anna answered.
“Good. I’m glad to hear it,” Jack said.
The nurse and Alex quickly changed the linens on Anna’s bed and decided she should get back in bed. She was given a little more pain medication and could feel her muscles relax almost instantly. She drifted off into a warm sleep. The last thing she remembered seeing before she closed her eyes was Jack.
* * * *
“The nurse came in and called her Mrs. O’Malley,” Alex said.
“What did she do?” Jack asked, nudging his head toward Anna.
“She played it off. I had a little chat with her and told her we needed to protect her and to do exactly what you ask of her. She seems to be okay with it.” Alex shrugged.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to her. Are you sure she’s okay with this?”
“Seemed to be.” Alex reached for his phone because it was vibrating. He looked at the phone. “It’s my contact at the CDC.”
Alex walked out of the room as he conversed with the party on the other end. Jack took his usual seat beside Anna’s bed and watched her sleep. She shifted slightly.
“Jack?” Anna called groggily.
“Yes, Anna. I’m right here.” Jack leaned forward.
“Hum?”
“You called me.”
“I did?” Anna opened her eyes.
Jack chuckled because Anna was so out of it she didn’t even know she’d spoken.
“I’m sorry? I did?” Anna asked.
“We need to talk. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about what I had done when I registered you here at the hospital,” Jack said.
“Did you have to do that?”
“Check, Anna,” Jack teased.
“Seriously, Jack?” Anna asked with a weak smile.
“I had to think fast. It was pretty tense when they brought you into the emergency room, and it was the only way I could think of to stay with you without a whole lot of questions,” Jack explained.
“I understand. Is it my move now?” Anna asked as she closed her eyes.
Jack laughed and leaned back into the big chair and watched Anna for a moment. She opened her eyes again.
“You know something? I’m really hungry and thirsty,” Anna said.
“Are you? That’s a good thing. Let me go find Alex and see if you can get something to eat.”
“Where did he go?”
“He should be back any minute now. He took a call from the CDC. They’re trying to identify your infection.”
“That bad, huh?” Anna asked, shifting again.
“No, that’s good. They wouldn’t have called if they hadn’t figured it out.”
Anna had a worried expression. Jack could tell she was scared but too proud to admit it.
“You look like you’re feeling a whole lot better,” Jack said.
“I do feel better, a lot better. I still have a lot of pain,” Anna answered.
“I know. It’ll get better in a couple of days.”
“Boss, can I talk with you a sec?” Alex called from the doorway.
Anna turned a worried expression to Jack. He smiled and patted her hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll be right back,” he reassured her.
Jack followed Alex out to the nurse’s station. He stood in front of the fax machine, waiting.
“What is it?” Jack asked.
“They’ve identified the bacteria. It is bacteria thankfully, but it has never responded to antibiotics until now. The CDC is very interested in her prognosis.”
“Will I understand this explanation, Alex?”
“I’ll try to make it simple,” Alex said with a grin.
A fax was coming out of the machine where they stood. Alex grabbed the paper and scanned the contents quickly.
“This is interesting…” Alex started.
“What?” Jack demanded.
“The stain they ran identified the bacteria as Bulgura neritina. It’s from Russia.”
“Russia?” Jack exclaimed.
“It’s a kind of flesh-eating bacteria and once it’s in the tissue it attacks the walls of the veins and arteries. If the host doesn’t die from organ failure because of the high fever, it dies from bleeding to death. Usually within twenty-four hours. It is a miracle she didn’t die,” Alex said grimly.
“When did you put her on the antibiotics?” Jack asked.
“Let’s see, it happened about 1730 on Thursday, right? She was in surgery by seven o’clock. That would have helped because they cleaned out the wound and removed some of the infected tissue. It was almost seventeen or eighteen hours later that we started her on the medication,” Alex stated as he looked directly at Jack.
Suddenly alarms were sounding and a nurse rushed past.
“Code Blue! Room four!” the nurse called as she ran toward a room.
Jack felt his heart stop. It was Anna’s room. Alex pushed the paper he held to Jack and rushed into Anna’s room. Jack wasn’t far behind. When he entered the room, he saw Anna sitting up on the edge of the bed trying to stand.
“What the hell are you doing?” Alex demanded.
“I want to get up. I want to know what’s going on,” Anna snapped.
“It was one of the leads,” the nurse said, relieved.
Jack hadn’t realized he’d stopped breathing. It hit him when he finally did take a breath to unleash his fury on Anna.
“Jesus Christ, Anna! We thought you were dead! Get your ass back in that bed! Now!” Jack roared.
Anna’s eyes flashed. “Who the hell do you think you are? I’m not doing a damn thing until you tell me what’s going on!”
Jack and Anna locked stares.
“Mrs. O’Malley…I had every intention of coming in here and telling you what was happening. We were waiting for a fax,” Alex said calmly.
Neither Jack nor Anna looked at Alex as they continued their silent battle of wills and the tension in the room grew almost tangible. The nurse who had originally come into the room quietly slunk out. Alex cleared his throat.
“Would you like me to explain?” Alex asked.
“Please explain it to her and then sedate her so she doesn’t move again!” Jack said through clenched teeth as he and Anna continued staring at one another.
“Don’t you dare!” Anna countered, not backing down.
“Mom, Dad, please
. It really makes us kids nervous when you fight,” Alex said.
Jack was the first to look away as he turned around to Alex and shoved the paper he’d held into Alex’s chest.
“Talk to her! Because I can’t right now,” Jack said as he left the room.
Alex helped Anna settle back into bed in a reclined position. He attached the lead that had fallen off during her attempt to get out of bed.
“It’s good to know you’re feeling better. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone do that to your husband,” Alex teased as he helped Anna into bed.
“What?” Anna asked sharply.
“Make him back down.” Alex smiled.
“Yeah, well, he’s got a few things to learn about me,” Anna said, narrowing her eyes.
Alex chuckled. “I think we all do, angel,” he said with a grin.
“Well? What’s going on?” Anna demanded.
“You do have a bacterial infection that’s identifiable. That’s the good news,” Alex said.
“There’s bad news?”
“Actually, there’s better news. There was no known antibiotic for it until now. It’s the one we have you on.”
“So I’ll be okay?” Anna asked tentatively.
“Looks like it, angel.”
Anna visibly relaxed into her bed.
“Alex, I’m very thirsty and a little hungry. Can you please do something for me?” Anna asked.
“It won’t be anything but liquids right now, angel, and very sparingly. But I’ll call your doctor and see if he’ll change the orders. He might not do it until tomorrow morning when he does his rounds.”
“Thank you.”
Anna looked at the doorway and looked down at her hands. Alex took her hand.
“Don’t worry, angel. He’ll be back,” Alex said.
“He shouldn’t have yelled at me like that,” Anna said quietly.
“You should’ve seen him in action when they brought you here. You scared him just now. I’ve never seen Rock do this much for any woman. He really cares about you, angel. I can tell by the way he holds you when you two are asleep,” Alex said softly.
