Page 85 of Luck Be Mine
Taken aback, he stared at her. “11B. Infantry.” He spit the words with surety she wouldn’t know. But she’d sent so many11B soldiers home with flags over their coffins, she could predict who they were and assign the number in her sleep.
“Where’d you serve? Afghanistan?”
“Iraq first. Then Afghanistan. Kandahar, 2011. Casualty escort, security, training Afghan troops.”
The nurse came into the room. “You need help, Dr. Hunter?”
“Yes, please. Check his IV and reset his vitals monitor, will you?”
The nurse did as she requested. “Anything else?”
“What is he waiting for? Can his IV be disconnected?” She hoped not. She had more to ask him.
“Dr. Sung was waiting for Dr. Day to review. He’s tied up.”
The sergeant straightened in his bed. “I’d like to go home.”
Cait stared directly at him, choosing honesty and strong eye contact. “Soon, Mr. Delaney. Let the IV run through. It takes a bit to stabilize from an epi-pen. I see here a neighbor had one?”
“Yeah, mouth went numb first. He stabbed me with the pen when he figured out what happened. Pretty sure I owe him lunch.”
“Have you ever responded like this to a bee sting before?”
“Yeah, a couple of times.”
“Mind if I check your arm?”
“No point. VA won’t pay for any repair.”
“Can I look anyway?”
His eyes narrowed, but he shrugged. “Knock your socks off, Doc.”
She took several minutes to examine his arm, test his stiff elbow, and identify the numb spots. “How did this happen?”
“Kandahar out of FOB Wilson. Hasty evacuation after an IED strike, got thrown against the door frame of a MRAP while loading an injured soldier. Hit my elbow hard.” He spit the words out like he expected her not to understand the acronyms.
She kept on with her questions. “Did you go to medical? Have it treated?”
Delaney’s face soured. “No, no time. Shit show going on.”
“Never served in Kandahar, Sergeant. Heard about it, though. One of my surgical partners was there.” Duncan Moss had to be drunk to talk about the bloody mess, but he’d done so once. “Self-treated, then?”
“Yeah. No choice.”
“Had X-rays on the arm lately?”
“Tried to at the VA. They had no record of combat-related injury and wouldn’t authorize treatment.”
Cait sighed, recognizing his frustration and the familiar pain in his voice. “Unfortunately, not uncommon. You continued your tour?”
“Yes. It’s been worsening over time. Retired ten years ago. Feeling in my arm was intermittent. The fingers went about two years ago.”
That he’d suffered this long made her angry. “Let me see if I can get an x-ray authorized through the hospital.”
The man paled. “I can’t pay for that.”
“There may be funds, though. Let me ask.”
