“I’m on a two-year posting. There are a few of us over here and the commander thought you might feel a bit more relaxed with some folks from the old country. Major Webber is still here.”
“Oh, God.” He rolled his head to the side and stared out the window. “That sonofabitch is never going to let me forget this.”
“That’s pretty well what he said last night in the cafeteria.” She smiled and pointed the penlight into his eye. “Look to the side please, sir.”
He glanced at the two hooks and maple leaf on her collar before looking away. “What’s your name, Master Corporal?”
“Josie Manon, sir.”
“Well, Josie Manon. I have a feeling we’re going to see quite a bit of each other for a couple more days, so why don’t you forget I’m an all-knowing, all-seeing officer and that you’re just a lowly, insignificant, junior rank. My name is James.”
“Why you—“
“Gotcha.” He looked at her as her eyes flared. She was by no means a natural beauty, but some unknown quality caught his attention. Her shoulder-length brunette hair, slightly unkempt from the long hours, framed her slender face, and her skin was fair and smooth.
“Apparently, the only good thing about you being here, James,” she said sternly, “is that you will one day leave. Hopefully, you won’t drive me completely crazy by then.”
She turned and walked to the window as she filled out the chart. “Are you always this much of a pain?”
She turned when he didn’t respond as expected. “Dr. Webber,” she called loudly. She ran to the side of the bed and hit the panic button. “I need help in here.”
James stared blankly at a pool of blood seeping onto the white sheets. His sudden twisting only moments before had caused the incision on his side to open. She pressed one hand to his side and took his pulse.
“Oops.” Blood oozed through her fingers. “Hey. Don’t squeeze so hard.”
“Shut up.”
The sound of footsteps filtered down the hall, and Vince Webber ran into the room. “For Christ’s sake, Dusty. What the hell did you do this time?” He placed a stethoscope against James’s chest.
“I—”
Josie looked up. “I startled him when I adjusted the IV and he tried to rip my arm off. The incision around the drainage tube pulled open. I was on the other side of the bed when it happened. Pulse is normal.”
“Get me the stapler, Master Corporal. You know something, pal?” Webber said as he snapped on a pair of latex gloves. “You’re really starting to piss me off.”
“Take it out on the prick that zapped me. Besides, you butchers need all the practice you can get.”
“Shut up or I’ll check your prostate with a crowbar. You now owe me a bottle of cognac. Any more of this shit and you’ll be into me for a full case.” Webber took the stapler, pinched the skin together, and fired the first staple.
“You bastard. How about some of that freezing crap?”
“Shut up, you wimp.” Within minutes, Webber had the incision stapled together. “Get a bag of O positive hooked up and stay with him for a while. He should be back to his normal idiotic self in no time.”
“Yes, sir.” Josie was surprised at the flutter her heart gave. Damn it, girl. Calm down. He’s a married man.
“I love you too, Vince,” James called out.
As Webber left, a grin spread across James’s face. “Alone at last. Whatever shall we do?”
Her face flushed. Oh, the things I could do. “After I change your sheets, you, sir, are going to rest and I am going to read a magazine,” and think dirty thoughts about us.
James sighed and looked at the small bedside table. It was covered with newspapers—at least ten, he mused, as his brow furrowed. “Who brought all those papers?”
Josie smiled. “I guess they forgot to tell you. You’re a hero.”
“Huh?”
“Modest, too. The world has taken notice of your exploits in Yugoslavia. Those are papers from the U.K. and the U.S., Canada, of course—and even one from Australia. All of them are making you sound like the Second Coming.”
Morgan closed his eyes and shook his head. “I just did my job,” he said softly.
Josie shrugged and sat down. “It doesn’t really matter now, does it?”
Chapter 6
10 December, 1045 Hours
“Damn it, woman! You get that sonofabitch Webber in here right now.” James’s voice echoed off the walls as the nurse quickly retreated to the end of the bed. “I’m tired of sitting around this butcher shop.”
The middle-aged nurse looked at him and shook her head. Her face turned red and her hands balled into fists. “Captain Morgan, there is nothing the majority of us want more than to get you very far away from here, but right now, you are going to take a walk so that your legs don’t shrivel up and die, forcing us to keep you here one second longer than is absolutely necessary.”
He threw the thin covers off. “Shit.” His track pants allowed him to retain some dignity, but the hospital gown made him feel like a one-armed bandit. He could handle the sling, but the gown had to go. It was new, prickly, and he couldn’t reach all the itches. “Bloody Yanks.”
“Haven’t you learned to keep your mouth shut, Captain?” Josie leaned against the door and smiled as the other nurse stormed out of the room.
James looked up, and the scowl quickly turned into a smile. “Good morning.”
She was in a pair of faded blue jeans and a simple light blue silk blouse. “The more you piss everyone off, the more difficult they will become.” She held up her hand to choke off his protests, “And like it or not, they are the ones who say when you go home, or which nasty tests you have to have.”
“You’re pretty smart for a junior rank.” He looked down at what she was holding. “What’s that?”
She pushed away from the wall and walked over. “Put this on. We’re going to lunch and I don’t want to be seen with someone who looks as stupid as you in that gown.”
He gingerly removed his arm from the sling. Most of his upper body was still bandaged, but his muscular frame was as impressive as ever. She forced herself to look away and handed him the T-shirt. “Doctor’s orders. He feels the longer you harass his staff, the more likely one of them will kill you in your sleep.”
He looked at the black T-shirt and laughed at the picture of an injured Mickey Mouse.
“If you would help me with my shoes,” he said, and blushed, “I guess we can head off to the cafeteria.”
“Who said anything about the cafeteria?”
He looked down and his eyes were drawn to the lacy white bra and cleavage on display in front of him. “Is this some sort of a date?”
“No, but one of the nurses did show me the key to the poison control locker and suggested something might end up in your coffee if you don’t get off the floor for a few hours.”
He steadied himself as he stood. “I’ve never had lunch with a master corporal before.”
She grinned as she took his arm and led him into the hallway. “I hear there’s a first time for everything.”
Lunch proceeded smoothly as they talked and made fun of whoever walked past the café window. Josie was quick to change the subject when she could, but she knew