Operation: Healing Angel

by Margaret Kay

  “We’ll do that another day. I think I’ve put you through enough today,” she replied with a smile.

  “Thank you, Dr. Diana, So, I’ll see you at my office tomorrow around five. Please come in through the main entrance like you did on Tuesday.”

  “I’ll see you then,” she said with a smile. She slid the door open. “My mom will see you out.” She pointed up the hallway.

  “Vic, I know you have an appointment now, but can you walk me out to my car, please.”

  “Sure.” His gaze swept to Diana. “I’ll be right back.”

  Shepherd waited to speak until they were beside his SUV. “This is not going to work. I can’t come here two days a week. She was able to come with you Tuesday morning, early, before she came to this office. Do you think if I offer her premium pay, she’ll do that for me?”

  Vic shook his head no. “That was a special visit, Shepherd. Why isn’t this going to work?”

  “I just need someone else, Vic. Do you know the skill level and availability of any of her part-time therapists, maybe someone who can also do a massage?”

  “Shepherd, Dr. Diana is the best one to treat you. If anyone else was better, I would have recommended them. Make sure you go submerse yourself in hot water, as she suggested. She adjusted just about every joint in your body today. And drink a lot of water, like she advised. I’ll stay in touch and see how you’re doing.” He presented his hand. “I’ll miss you, Shepherd. Take care of yourself.”

  Vic had no idea how much he’d miss him. Shepherd shook his hand. “I know you’ll take good care of your father. Thank you for the incredible care you’ve given me over the years.”

  Vic leaned down and hugged him. He had tears in his eyes when he stood to his full height. “Thanks for taking care of my place. I’ll be in touch.”

  Shepherd watched him return to the office and the door close behind him. A wave of sadness washed through Shepherd as he raised the lift into the driver’s area of the car. He was startled by his own emotional response. He shifted to drive, realizing he felt achy all over.

  Before Vic settled in on the drop table, he faced Diana. “Shepherd wants me to recommend someone else, doesn’t think coming here two days a week is going to work for him,” Vic said.

  “What?” Diana demanded. “Where did that come from? He seemed fine when we discussed it and made his appointments for the next week.”

  “It’s just a change for him,” Vic said. “I’m not going to recommend anyone else. I know that you are the very best person to work with him. I think in a week or two he’ll get used to it.”

  Diana forced her thoughts to focus on Vic as she adjusted him. It was jarring to learn that Shepherd left her office without telling her what he’d told Vic. She wondered if it was anything that happened during his visit that made him feel that way. She certainly hoped not. And she was eager to find out if the adjustment had helped him at all. He’d been so far out of whack that it would take several more adjustments to correct the issues. Somehow, she had to convey to him that he needed to commit to this course for the next few months.

  Shepherd’s thoughts were preoccupied the remainder of the afternoon. He’d gotten word that Alpha and Delta Teams, along with the informant and his family, as well as Sister Bernice John were in the air, leaving Djibouti airspace. They’d be home in twenty-four hours. A knock brought his attention to his open office door. Lassiter strode through when they made eye contact. He closed the door behind himself.

  “Thank you for coming.”

  “Two appointment requests in one week,” Lassiter remarked as he took a seat facing him. “What’s going on, Sam?”

  “I’m trying to keep an open mind, Joe.” He paused and shook his head. “I’ve been very fortunate, privileged even, to have Vic come here and work with me since the injury. I feel like a real dick for saying this, but I just don’t like going to a physical therapy office. It was one large room with four other patients working with other therapists. My medical condition and treatment are my business, no one else’s.”

  “And if you were going to physical therapy at an Army hospital or the VA,” Lassiter began.

  Shepherd interrupted. “I know, it would be the same. I know that’s the norm. It’s just not for me.”

  Lassiter had to keep himself from chuckling out loud. “So, this doctor that Vic recommended isn’t worth it?”

  Shepherd rubbed his forehead. A headache was developing. “I don’t know. She’s good, has a well-rounded education in many disciplines, but she is just too damn busy. And I feel guilty that she’s going to be adding more to her demanding schedule to come to me three days a week after she’s already put in a full day.”

  “Vic was very flexible. Sounds like she will need to hold you to an appointment schedule.”

  “Yes. And, she personally isn’t even going to treat me at all appointments. She had someone else do my massage today, will most days, and is going to have an intern conduct some of the physical therapy sessions. I will go with her for now, but will need to find another Vic.”

  “Did she have any new techniques that may improve your physical state?”

  Shepherd was hesitant to mention that he’d had several new sensations in feeling the two times Dr. Diana had treated him. “I’m not sure.”

  The expression on Lassiter’s face called him out without a word said.

  “Okay, yes, I think so. Joe, either I’m losing my mind, or I actually felt her hands on the back of my thighs the other day. And today, I swear, for a few minutes after she did an adjustment on my hips, the numbness and pins and needles sensations down both legs were gone.”

  “Shep, are you sure?” Joe asked, sitting up more straight in his chair.

  “Joe,” he said, caressing over the back of his right hand with his left palm. “Just like I can feel this, I know I felt her hands on the back of my thighs and I haven’t felt anything there since I was shot.”

  “Did you tell her?”

  Shepherd glanced away, a disturbed look on his face. “I was too shocked, and I thought I might be imagining it. She’s an attractive woman, and I wasn’t sure if it was wishful thinking that I could feel her touch. But the more I consider it, I don’t think that was the case. I felt something, Joe.”

  “I don’t understand why you would think it was wishful thinking,” Joe said.

  “Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m attracted to her.”

  A grin spread over Lassiter’s face. “I’ll be damned, Sam Shepherd is human.”

  Shepherd was not amused. “She is my doctor. I’m not some hormonal sixteen-year-old kid who lets his dick rule his actions.”

  Joe laughed out loud. “I can’t wait to meet this doctor.”

  Shepherd already regretted telling Joe any of this. He brought the discussion back to what was bothering him. “Since I was shot, my treatment has been on my schedule, on my terms. Vic has been flexible, coming early when I’ve needed him, waiting while I handled mission emergencies. Joe, how am I going to conduct business on someone else’s treatment schedule?”

  “Shep, you’re going to need to step away more. We’ve talked about this before. You’re going to need to delegate real authority to a few others around you, let them make decisions and handle emergencies. Cooper, Jackson, and Garcia are more than capable.”

  Shepherd rubbed his forehead again, which was now throbbing. “Cooper doesn’t want that position. He still wants to be in the field fifty percent of the time, or more.”

  “And he can be if you give a few others real authority. You’ve hired the best, Shepherd, let them do the jobs they are capable of.”

  Shepherd held his hands up in a surrendering gesture. “I’ll think about it, Joe. It’s getting late. Go home and see your wife.”

  Lassiter had just been dismissed. He also knew they only scratched the surface of what was bothering Shepherd. He was a hard man to treat. “And tell the doctor about the sensations you’ve had. She needs to know she’s on the right track.” He
stood.

  Shepherd nodded. “Thanks, Joe.”

  After Joe left, Angel came in. “I’m getting ready to head out. Do you need anything before I go?”

  He fixed his eyes on her. He’d told her earlier that her mother was flying home with the team. He could see the excitement was still in her eyes. “No, go ahead and take off. I imagine you have some things at home to do to prepare for your mother’s visit.”

  A big smile spread on her face. “I can’t even tell you how excited I am. I still can’t believe she is coming to stay with us. I’m not sure what Jackson or the rest of the team said to convince her, but I am so grateful for whatever it was.”

  “Well, she’ll be here in just about twenty-four hours. This is the last mission I will send Jackson on until after the baby comes,” he said, garnering him an even bigger smile from Angel. “I’m going to need him here at HQ. I’m planning to go to Walter Reed with Doc in the next few weeks. I’m not sure when he got an appointment for me, but he was working on that prior to this mission. The rest of Alpha Team will provide support here while I’m gone.”

  “I hope they can do something for you. I’m sorry you have been in so much pain.”

  He saw a dark expression cross her face. He knew that she still wrongly felt responsible for him getting shot. “Any word on when that lift, and the convertible desk will be in? I do feel best when I’m not sitting. That should help.”

  “They should both be in the beginning of next week. We’ll get it set up as soon as they are in. Ryan will help me.”

  Shepherd nodded. “Good, thank you.” He nodded to the door. “Take off and enjoy your night.”

  “Thanks, Shepherd, you too.”

  After Angel left, he sat in silence staring at the open doorway for several long minutes. He considered what Joe had said. He knew that his team was capable. For the short-term to accommodate his set appointment times, he would have to put some of the day-to-day operations on them. They’d ran things well after he’d been shot. He couldn’t believe that had been nearly five years ago. That realization still floored him.

  His thoughts went to Dr. Diana. He would tell her that he had more feeling for a short time after the adjustment. Joe was right about that, too. Knowing it may impact how she treated him. From how she’d described the benefits of chiropractic care, she’d said that nerves could be pinched by misalignments in the body. Was it a pinched nerve causing the numbness? Could it really be that simple to get rid of it? He honestly would prefer no sensation from the paralysis to the pain, pins and needles, and numbness he was experiencing.

  When he again looked at the time on his computer, he was surprised to see it was eighteen hundred. He shut his computer down and dialed Ops. Smith was on and answered on the second ring. “Ops, what can I do for you, Shepherd.”

  “I have another name for you to run a security check on,” he said. “Lexi Park is a massage therapist who works at Dr. Palmer’s practice. She and another massage therapist will come here to treat me. Start with her. I’ll get you the other name, when I can. Sorry for the short notice, but she is due over lunch tomorrow. See what you can get by then.”

  “Roger that,” Smith said. “I’ll get you whatever I have by eleven hundred tomorrow.”

  “Thank you. I’m heading to my residence now.”

  “It should be quiet overnight,” Smith said. Then he chuckled. “I shouldn’t say that and jinx it.”

  Shepherd chuckled as well. “If Yvette was there, she’d kick your ass for saying it. If you need me, call me.”

  “Will do.”

  The elevator door opened in front of him and he rolled in. He had submerged in a hot jacuzzi tub after his appointment with Dr. Diana as recommended, but he felt achy all over again. He would have dinner and then do so again, skipping his regular second workout. He’d hit it harder the following day to make up for slacking today. He had some website news articles bookmarked that he wanted to read. He planned an enjoyable early night, propped up in bed reading.

  Once in his kitchen, he also decided to have a rare glass of wine. Things were quiet tonight. Angel kept his kitchen fully stocked. The three bottles of wine had been in the rack for nearly six months, untouched. He was making himself fish this evening, so he selected the bottle of white. He brought up Sirius XM Radio and selected his favorite classical channel. A half hour later, he sat at his table, with a second glass of wine in front of him and he ate the halibut fillet with jasmine rice and green beans.

  After a lengthy soak in the jacuzzi tub in the locker room down in the gym, he settled into bed with his tablet. He read for over two hours and got through half of his bookmarked articles. Just as he expected every member of his team to stay abreast of cutting-edge technologies and military equipment including weapons, current political events and hotspots around the globe, domestic issues, and military tactics, he practiced what he preached. He shared content with the team and encouraged them to share what they found as well.

  Diana sat in the middle of her queen-sized bed in her cozy soft green bedroom. She owned a small house in a nice, family neighborhood. Her Chinese medicine books sat in a pile. She had to read a few chapters before class tomorrow yet, but she was flipping through her books on the nervous system and the spine. She had three different ones open, scattered around her. If only Colonel Shepherd had felt any sort of change when she’d adjusted him, anything at all would confirm that he truly wasn’t paralyzed. She knew she was hoping against hope that she could help him to walk again, but she knew that once the cord was cut, if it didn’t regenerate within a few short months bringing feeling back, it never would. Not with today’s technologies, anyway.

  She was still bothered that he had told Vic that he needed to find someone else to treat him but hadn’t said anything to her. She’d thought they’d gotten off on a good foot. She got creative with her schedule and even carefully selected other staff members to work with him to fit his daily needs in. Certainly, he realized fitting in a patient for over two hours every day was not an easy feat to pull off. She would talk with him about it when she went to him the following evening.

  Foxtrot

  Alpha and Delta Teams were delayed getting back to HQ due to a ground hold in Maryland caused by lightning. Shepherd got notified that they entered the parking garage at sixteen forty-five hours. Dr. Diana was due in as early as fifteen minutes. The first day and already there was a potential conflict. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that the debrief on this mission could wait an hour, or until the next morning. Had Cooper not been on the mission, he could have conducted the debrief. Lassiter was right that he had to start delegating to others. He didn’t have to personally conduct all meetings, even though he preferred to.

  A text chimed on his phone. It was Angel. Dr. Palmer was in the outer office. “Shit,” he cursed aloud at the timing. He dialed Angel. “Let her in and escort her to my office.”

  He grabbed the manilla file folder from the stack of papers on his desk and brought it with him to the door. Once in the hall, he glanced to his right to see Angel and Dr. Diana approaching. The elevator chimed. It opened and a nun he recognized as Sister Bernice John, Angel’s mom, stepped out followed by Jackson, still dressed in his flight suit.

  “Sister, it is nice to finally meet you in person,” Shepherd said, reaching his hand to her.

  “Colonel, many thanks to you and your people,” she said while shaking his hand.

  Diana saw the nun greeting Colonel Shepherd.

  “Mom!” Angel squealed and then rushed in front of Diana to go to the nun.

  Diana watched the two women embrace. Then Angel and the bearded man in the flight suit embraced and then kissed. She rightly assumed he was her husband. Her eyes locked with Shepherd’s. He grinned slightly, keeping his eyes on her as she approached.

  “Dr. Diana, I will be only a minute.” He turned to Jackson. “I’ll be tied up for about an hour. Can you let the team know that the debrief will be at eighteen hundred?”
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br />   “Sure,” Jackson said. He turned to Angel. “I’ll see you at home, babe.” He placed another kiss on her forehead.

  “Angel, go ahead and take off. I know you will want to bring your mom home to meet Sammy,” Shepherd said.

  “Where is Sammy?” Sister Bernice John asked.

  “He’s at Elizabeth’s. We’ll go straight there and pick him up.”

  “I cannot wait to see Elizabeth and meet her daughter as well as hold my grandson in my arms.”

  Diana watched as the two women retreated down the hallway. The bearded man took the stairs down, and Colonel Shepherd pressed the call button on the elevator.

  Shepherd had the confidentiality agreement in the folder. He’d watched Dr. Diana carefully as her eyes swept over Jackson. He knew he had to give her some information on his organization. At least Jackson had not been openly carrying a weapon. But he knew it was only a matter of time before she saw someone at the agency that was.