Page 27 of Hearts Under Fire
“Tell me what you need me to do,” Kate said, feeling guilty for being so difficult.
“We’re going up to the ICU. I’m doing a full evaluation on you, taking labs, administering fluids and meds, and giving you another meal. If you have any symptoms of disease, infection, or injury, I want you to tell me immediately. If you don’t cooperate, I’m going to have Colonel Williams come down here and yell at you herself.”
Kate chuckled. “There’s no need. I’ll comply willingly. Sorry for being such a pain in your ass. You know what it’s like, trying to keep a patient alive even if it’s the last thing you do. You’ve got to see it through.”
The male medic chimed in, finally breaking his silence and holding a hand out waiting for a fist-bump in return. “I hear that. Thank you for bringing back a lost sister.”
Kate scanned his face and noticed he had striking resemblance to Alexis. His Native American heritage was clear, and he, too, was sporting an almost out of regulation mohawk type haircut. She fist bumped him back but shook her head.
“I didn’t do it for entirely unselfish reasons. I’m not sure I’d be the same if I lost her.” Emotion crept in, and her voice cracked at the end as she choked on a silent sob.
“Doesn’t matter to me,” he said as he gently steered Kate toward the ICU. He kept talking, ignoring that Kate was crying, letting her have that shred of privacy.
“When you and Lt. Cole didn’t come back from the retrieval, your friend Bowie told us what happened. He said you patched them all up, and without you, none of them would have survived. Andrews’s concussion was a lot worse than they expected, and Cassidy’s shoulder almost suffered internal amputation. If youhadn’t repaired it, he may have lost total use. Then, when you were separated in the desert, you kept Lt. Cole alive through one of the worst injuries I’ve ever seen in my ten years as a combat medic. She’s lucky she’s not going to lose the arm. And that’s all because of you, Lt. Cross. Here we are. This is your room.”
Kate was silent, letting his words sink in and soothe the raw ache in her heart as tears cascaded down her face.
“Now, little sister, I want you to be quiet and go to sleep. We’re going to check you over, and your doctor will be in soon to join us. Understood?”
Kate nodded, walked to the bed, stripped off her torn, dirty clothes, and got on top of the bed in just her bra and panties. They poked and prodded her, checked her head to toe, gave her some sleep medication, put food in front of her, and told her to eat and sleep. They’d assured her Alexis would be brought up to the ICU once her surgery was finished.
With nothing to do but follow directions, Kate ate an entire plate of bland hospital food, surprised to find that it wasn’t as good as the meal she’d had in Iraq, and passed out in her hospital bed, more exhausted than she’d realized.
People filtered in and out of the room, flowing like water. Kate was unaware of what was happening. She slept lightly, ignoring them when they came to draw blood and take vitals. It was only when they brought in a tray of food that Kate stirred. Her appetite had returned, and she was ready to eat.
As the girl in scrubs set down the tray on Kate’s table, she asked for another tray to be brought in.
“I can do that. I’ll be back in a bit. You want the same thing, or want me to bring you something else?”
Kate shrugged. “Surprise me.”
The girl laughed, turned, and left. Kate opened the top of the container and found mashed potatoes and roast beef with aside salad. Her mouth watered, and she tried to remember to eat slowly and breathe in between bites.
When the girl returned, Kate saw that her name tag saidLacey. “Thank you so much, Lacey.”
Lacey smiled in return. “No problem. Your room has a phone, so if you need anything else, just dial our number. It’s next to the receiver.”
Kate smiled. “Thank you.”
The second tray had chicken strips with a side of fries, and a second plate with a cup of steaming tomato soup with a little plastic lid and a grilled cheese cut into triangles. On the side there was chocolate pudding and two Gatorades. Kate ate it all, happy to be full. Before long, she dozed, only waking when the sound of a bed's squeaking wheels brought her into consciousness.
Alexis’s bed was being rolled in by a few people in scrubs. A nurse trailed behind them, reading off information from the blue medical chart in her hands. The other nurse in different colored scrubs followed her, taking in the information and making notes on a small writing pad. Kate watched as they chattered to each other. The two who’d been pushing the bed plugged all of Alexis’s monitors and pumps in, hung fresh IV bags, and left the room.
From where she sat, Kate could see Alexis lying in her bed, sleeping peacefully. Her color had returned, and she no longer looked ashen. As someone with richer copper tones skin, Alexis’s pale complexion from blood loss had terrified Kate.
The O.R. nurse handed the blue chart to the other, turned, and left. A severe looking nurse approached Kate’s bedside.
“She should wake up in a few hours. Probably needs the sleep. If I’m not mistaken, you need some sleep, too. I’m going to check her over and then leave you guys be. Call if you need anything.”
She pointed to a red button on the side of Kate’s bed. Kate nodded but said nothing. Contented, she just watched Alexis sleep. Before long, she drifted off, too.
Kate woke to find Alexis stirring, beginning to awaken. She checked the time and realized they’d slept almost all day. It was past six in the evening. Pressing the red button on her bed, Kate called in the nurses.
Two women in scrubs came in, and Kate smiled at them. “She’s waking up, and I think we’re probably going to need two or three food trays for the two of us. I don’t think she’s eaten in three days.”
The nurses smiled back at her. One went to Alexis’ side, and the other turned around and went to the desk to call for dinner. Kate watched as the nurse gently woke Alexis, murmuring softly to her and asking her questions. She checked her vitals and monitored her breathing, and Kate could hear the gruff murmured responses from Alexis. She hadn’t realized Kate was there yet, so Kate tried not to leap out of her bed and overwhelm her.
“Your food is going to be here in a bit, so just take it easy until then. If you aren’t feeling up to eating, then don’t try. We can get you a smoothie or something to drink and start on food in the morning. If you have any questions, just hit your button and I’ll come in.”