by Bella Juarez
“I. Have. A. Name,” Izzy said, enunciating each word. “And it’s not angel.”
Alex sighed and took a drink from his mug.
“Isabel, it just slips. I don’t mean anything by it. I certainly don’t mean it in a derogatory way,” he said, looking back at the screen.
“It sounds as if you have no respect for me and I’m just an object to you,” Isabel responded.
Alex set down his mug and walked to stand in front of Izzy. There it is again. He’s trying to intimidate me. He stared at her for a long time. He was reading her, looking for something. Isabel was getting uncomfortable, but she wasn’t about to back down. She breathed in and instantly caught his seductive, masculine scent. It was the clean, deep scent of sandalwood, cedar with a hint of herbs…was it sage? He smells delicious! She was getting light headed smelling him.
Izzy wanted to lean in closer and just sniff him. She realized with a flash of irritation that her discomfort was from her unholy attraction to this man. I don’t like him! He’s not the man for me. How many times had she uttered those same words about other men and knew she right. Her instincts had saved her from disaster. When those words were directed at Alex, it sounded like she was lying to herself. She defiantly returned his stare.
“On the contrary, Isabel, I have the utmost respect for you as a physician and a woman. I think you’re brilliant, talented, compassionate, brave, and very beautiful. I can’t understand why you’re so angry,” Alex said.
Beautiful? He thinks I’m beautiful? Izzy knew he’d said much more than that, but at the moment that was all she could remember. She wanted to melt under that cool blue gaze. He leaned forward slightly, and for a moment she wished he would lean forward a little more and kiss her. She recalled her fantasies about Alex as her pulse start to race. He was so close and she needed to get her wits about her because his closeness was hampering her thought process. What else did he say? Oh yeah, I’m angry.
“You don’t know anything about me. Don’t pretend you do,” Izzy said, turning away.
“I know a lot more than you think,” Alex said, turning back to his computer.
Izzy continued cataloging the samples they’d collected. His last statement piqued her curiosity and agitated her a little. What the hell does he know? She glanced at Alex off and on with different emotions running through her. She finished her little portion of the project and picked up her almost-empty mug.
“Would you like another one?” Alex asked in his deep, hypnotic voice. He never looked away from his work.
“Just what the hell do you think you know?” Isabel snapped.
“Do you want more tea?” Alex asked calmly.
“Yes,” Izzy said, turning away.
She opened the EMR program and checked on her patients. Alex returned a short time later with a fresh mug of steaming tea.
“You didn’t answer me. What do you think you know?” Isabel asked.
“I’m grabbing a bite to eat. Would you like to go sit down and talk?” Alex asked.
“I asked you a question. Don’t try and charm your way out of this. That’s not working with me,” Izzy said firmly.
Alex chuckled. “No, angel, I don’t think it would. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know over something to eat. I’m hungry.”
Alex took her mug and walked out of the lab. Izzy logged off the two computers in the lab and stepped out into the hallway. He was coming out of the break area. He looked down the hallway and waited for her to join him. She was so conflicted. Part of her wanted to tell Senior Chief Alex Richards to go straight to hell and walk the other way. The other half demanded his company, his voice, and wanted him touching her more than she wanted oxygen at times. She reasoned with herself. She needed to find out what this arrogant bastard seemed to think he knew about her. She walked toward him and met him in the hallway.
* * * *
Alex opened the door leading to the galley for Isabel. The dining area was sparse this time of day, but it was still operational. They were at the end of the dinner shift for the people working during the day. He knew they’d be shutting down the kitchen in a few minutes and wouldn’t open it again until after midnight for the grave-shift personnel.
As they walked, Alex let his eyes wonder down Isabel’s back down to that bootylicious ass of hers. He almost groaned out loud as he watched her hips sway a soft, sensual cadence. He tore his eyes away from her and focused over her head. He needed to get a grip. He had almost kissed her earlier in the work room when they were talking. Izzy could be downright irresistible at times.
They got their food and found an out-of-the-way table and Alex dug in. He’d been increasing his workout to ease some of the sexual tension he was experiencing. His metabolism had kicked into high gear and he was starving all the time. He looked up from his plate and into Isabel’s startled hazel eyes.
“You are starving. You’re eating like you haven’t had a meal in days,” Isabel commented.
It’s all your fault, and you, my sweet angel, will pay for making me so crazy, Alex wanted to say. That, however, would be a conversation for another day.
“I told you I was hungry,” he said with a shrug instead.
They ate in silence for a while. Alex knew Isabel wanted to ask her questions, but she needed to learn patience. She had a hardy appetite as well. That was good. He hated taking a woman out to eat and watching as she picked or one who really didn’t eat at all. He suspected Isabel was a natural athlete. He knew she ran around the compound every day for at least an hour. She set her fork down and looked at him squarely.
“So, Senior Chief Alex Richards, what do you think you know about me? And by the way I’m not angry,” Isabel said.
“Okay,” Alex conceded. “I had to do a background check on you before I granted you privileges here. All I know is what I found out.”
“That tells me nothing. What do you think you know?” Isabel asked.
“I know your mother opted to stay in Cuba when your dad decided to go to Miami. I know just because I know what’s required of a young resident and doctor that you have no personal life. I know you and your dad are close, because your address is his address. I don’t think you take men home and I don’t think you stay out all night, if you’re living with your dad. I know you don’t like the war. I know you’ve worked very hard to be where you are professionally and that no one has ever handed you anything. And you’re right, Isabel. You’re not angry. Someone hurt you really bad and you don’t trust people. It’s too bad. Not everyone will hurt you, even people in the military,” he said, taking a drink.
Isabel was quiet and didn’t look at him for a long time. Alex could’ve gone much further. He’d decided to keep it as professional and subtle as possible. There was so much more he’d guessed about her by the indirect things she said and did. It was a good thing he’d stopped, because it was obvious by her sullenness that she was disturbed at his observations and knowledge of her past. He half expected her to walk out and go back to the hospital for the rest of the evening. He’d started the process of stripping her barriers and for now he had gone far enough.
“That’s not fair. I don’t know anything about you,” Isabel finally said quietly.
“What do you want to know? I’ll tell you,” Alex said.
“Why aren’t you a doctor?” Isabel asked.
Alex winced internally. Isabel was smart and just as observant as he was. She’d managed to ask the one question he didn’t want to answer.
“I am a doctor,” Alex said.
“I knew it! Why aren’t you licensed and practicing?” Isabel asked.
“I didn’t finish my residency. I joined the Navy in the middle of my PYG-2. I asked to come into the Navy enlisted,” Alex answered.
“Why? You walked away from your second year in residency!” Isabel demanded. “You were so close! Why would you do something like that? Did you kill somebody?”
“Ang—” Alex started and quickly corrected, “Isabel, it was perso
nal.”
“Okay, you just laid my whole life open a minute ago. I think it’s only fair that you tell me a little something personal,” Isabel said, sitting back, folding her arms.
No, angel, not everything’s about you. Alex sighed and took a drink because he’d only told one other person why he hadn’t finished his residency and gotten his medical license. That person had been hounding him ever since to go back. Captain O’Malley wouldn’t let it go and had gone so far as to enlist the aid of the Admiral of Navy Special Warfare. Now Rock had sent Cobra to harass him with a new plan and Rock always found a way to get what he wanted.
It was a decision Alex had been wrestling with since Cobra had proposed it to him after he arrived. The situation Alex was in when he joined the Navy was no longer a factor and the terms the Navy asked for while allowing him to finish his residency, do his specialty fellowship, and finally get licensed as a physician weren’t unreasonable. Admiral Campbell would also make him an officer. Rock knew Alex didn’t want to leave the SEALs, so Rock had managed to find a way to keep him in by creating a new bio-strike team. He looked at Isabel, who was waiting for an answer.
“My dad was paying for medical school. He threatened to yank the funding if I didn’t go into the specialty he wanted. He’s a doctor, too, and was planning on me taking over his practice when he retired. So I quit and joined the Navy,” Alex said.
“Oh my God! That has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! Alex, you ruined your life to piss off your father? What the hell is wrong with you?” she demanded, shaking her head in disgust.
“Tell me how you really feel, angel,” Alex said, shocked at her response.
“I think that’s the most boneheaded thing I’ve ever heard,” Isabel answered. “You need to leave this behind, dump your damn pride, and finish. You’d make an outstanding physician with all the experience you have. Stay in trauma medicine. You’re good at it. What medical school did you go to?”
“Stanford,” Alex said.
“Stanford! Where did you do your residency?” Isabel asked.
“Johns Hopkins,” Alex said.
“Oh, Alex! You went to the best schools in the country!” Isabel exclaimed, shaking her head.
“I might go back. I’ve been offered a chance to finish by my captain,” Alex said.
“What the hell are you waiting for? Why are you still here?” Isabel demanded.
“I’m thinking about it,” Alex said.
“Thinking about it! What’s there to think about? Alex, what’s wrong with you?” Isabel asked.
“It’s complicated, Isabel. It’s my life, my career, and I’m thinking about it,” Alex snapped, growing tired of her nagging.
“It’s too bad. You could really help a lot of people. I don’t understand,” Isabel said, sitting back.
“I don’t want to leave the SEALs because I love what I do here and I help a lot of people. Now there’s an opportunity that didn’t exist before and I’m thinking about taking it,” Alex said, explaining his hesitation.
“Leave the military, Alex—” Isabel started.
“Don’t go there, Isabel. I’m not leaving the military,” Alex said, cutting her off with finality.
* * * *
The next few days were uneventful. Alex knew this was the calm before the storm. There was a big mission planned near the border with Iran. They’d be taking out the observation post that had launched the missile and he knew just from what had been discussed that this would get bloody and messy. After a particularly busy day with supplies, he lay down and willed himself to sleep. Tonight they’d be running the operations in Iran. After few dreamless hours into sleep he was rudely yanked out of bliss.
“Senior Chief! Incoming in thirty! Five wounded and a possible causality,” a voice shouted from outside his door.
Alex jumped out of bed and quickly pulled on a clean set of scrubs. He knocked on the door a short distance down the passageway.
“Doctor, we have incoming wounded. We need you,” Alex called through the door.
The door flew open and Isabel stepped outside in what seemed like seconds. She, too, was in a pair of scrubs. They got to the small ER and started preparing for the wounded men coming in. Alex heard the choppers and took a team with him to meet them out in the landing zone. He directed Izzy and some of the others to start preparing the areas they’d be using. When he got to the landing zone, he quickly assessed the wounded into categories, three who could wait and two who couldn’t wait. The worst of the casualties was one of his medics.
“Isaac, get Juan in with Dr. Vasquez and take PO Pentamore. Stabilize him and get him prepped for surgery!” Alex ordered. Shaq got off the chopper with Chief Juan Villalobos. “What the fuck happened, Shaq?” he demanded.
“They got ambushed. Pentamore got hit first. Juan was covering him and got him out of the way. Don’t worry, those cocksuckers paid for it,” Shaq explained.
“They better have. This is pretty fucking bad,” Alex said, looking over Juan.
“You can patch them up, right, Doc?” Shaq asked, concerned.
“I sure as hell hope so,” Alex said as he went to work on PO Pentamore.
When they entered the emergency area they stepped into chaos. Alex tuned out Isabel shouting orders as he shouted his own. He worked on PO Pentamore, stabilizing him and stopping the bleeding so that they could take him into surgery right after they dealt with the more critical Chief Villalobos.
“Doctor, I need an assist in the OR. Now!” Isabel said, rushing past his triage room.
“Take over, Isaac. Stop this damn bleeding,” Alex said as he hurried out of the room.
“What’s the diagnosis, Doctor?” Alex asked Isabel as they rushed to the operating room.
“It’s not good, Alex. There’s some serious internal damage. I’ll try and stop the bleeding in surgery. Do we have blood or plasma or something we can give him?” Isabel asked.
“Yes, I’ll meet you in the OR,” Alex said, breaking away.
Alex went to the blood supply and quickly took what he needed. He knew what each one of his medics needed from memory. He had to know. Medics were often the ones to be the most critically injured because they went in to treat the wounded. In the case of the SEALs, medics were also special operators. They inflicted almost as much damage as they fixed. He met Isabel in the OR as they were putting Juan Villalobos under anesthesia.
“Alex, I need major help here. You need to hold some of the clamps so I can stop the bleeding and clean him up,” Isabel said.
“Josh, get this blood going,” Alex said, handing the bags to one of the medics also assisting.
Isabel opened up Juan a little more in order to see the real damage that had been done. He had multiple wounds and had lost a lot of blood. They worked almost four hours on the young medic, finally breathing a huge sigh of relief as they closed him up. They still had four more surgeries to go. It would be a long night.
At almost noon the next day they had finished taking care of all the wounded, who were all resting comfortably. Juan had managed to regain consciousness at the end of their third surgery. Alex and Isabel as well as the entire team of medics at the small field hospital had been stretched to their limits. Alex couldn’t imagine not having Isabel on staff. She’d saved Juan’s life. After rounds and some lab work on all the wounded, Alex went to his quarters to seek some relaxation and much-needed sleep. He lay down with a book and closed his eyes for a moment. He felt the book slip from his hands as he drifted into sleep.
* * * *
Isabel’s eyes flew open. She didn’t know what had startled her awake from her dreamless sleep, but something wasn’t right. She looked at the clock next to her bed and saw she’d been sleeping for about four hours. She sat up and swung her legs over the edge. She was still exhausted and her body was sore from all the tension she’d endured today.
Izzy decided to go and get a cup of tea to calm the stress of the last twenty-four hours. She pulled on a clean set of
scrubs and walked down the hallway to the break room. As she started the microwave to heat up the water for her tea, she tried shake the haze from her brain. She grabbed a teabag and started soaking it for a few minutes as she walked across the hallway and logged into a computer to check on her patients.
As Izzy took her first drink, she heard hurried footsteps and then urgent knocking. What the hell? She stepped out into the hall and walked toward her quarters. She saw Alex’s door fly open and watched as the young medic started explaining something to him. Alex seemed to jump out of his room as both men hurried down the hallway. Isabel followed. They went into the intensive care unit where Juan Villalobos was in distress. Isabel went to the observation area where all the monitors of the patients in intensive care were located. Juan wasn’t the only one showing signs of regression.
POs Pentamore and Jenkins were also not looking good, she noted, and then watched in horror as Juan flatlined. Calm took a hold of her and she rushed to take over the young man’s care. A crash cart was rolled into the area as Alex shouted orders. Isabel ran to apply the medicine that would assist in jump-starting his body when they used the defibrillator paddles.
“Isabel, get that epinephrine ready, double the dose,” Alex ordered.
“What?” Isabel snapped.
“Just fucking do it!” Alex ordered as he turned to the crash cart. She hesitated. “Trust me, Doctor. I know what I’m doing,” he said as he prepared the paddles of the defibrillator.
It was the hardest thing Isabel had ever done. She knew from experience that during situations like this a patient might require more than one dose of medication like she was about to administer. But the initial training of a physician taught first, do no harm, and a double dose of this medication could kill this patient for sure. She realized these men had more experience than she did when it came to circumstances like this because they lived this sort of trauma every day. While they were intubating Juan, Isabel made the decision to do a dose and a half. It was in the middle and she could live with that decision. She prepared the medication and administered it quickly.
