Page 115 of Lucky Charm
She couldn’t see at all, but she left her eyes on the hulk until the meds kicked in, and she succumbed to the drowsy feeling.
∞∞∞∞∞
December 5, 2019
Day 31
Hunt wanted to pace but he made himself stand still and observe the open area at the entrance to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. Theplace had the same vibe as Craig, only bigger and more complex. He needed a map and a compass to accurately navigate this place. He glanced out the large windows across the front of the building, waiting for Jackie Shay.
Sun rays pierced the clouds, and snowflakes spit from the sky, creating a kaleidoscope of cold and light. Doggie had packed his go-bag and had included a good set of winter wear to keep Hunt going until he could get to the post exchange.
Cait was in surgery to fix her hip and arm. Her shoulder seemed to be giving them difficulty. She’d been scanned, x-y-z-rayed, and visited by two orthopedic surgeons who talked above his head. They’d left him understanding only the basics of what they were doing. This wasn’t his lane. It was Cait’s. He’d given his permission and swallowed the sharp edge of fear when it came time to let go of her hand.
Jackie could fix that. She spoke the lingo and knew Cait well. She wouldn’t tolerate anything that wasn’t in Cait’s best interest. He knew that from the messages they’d been exchanging. He had Cait’s laptop under his arm, and his cellphone had access to websites, friends, and intelligence resources that rivaled a third-world country. Yet he waited for Jackie, a woman he’d never met before, because he knew she’d do right by Cait.
A beige Audi stopped in front. A slender woman with black hair got out wearing black pants and boots and a purple ski jacket zipped to the chin. The black hair was tied in a tight ponytail thatreached mid-shoulder. She lifted a beat-up red suitcase behind her. He wouldn’t have known Dr. Jackie Shay except he’d seen her picture in Cait’s quarters at Bagram and recognized the hair and the build.
He walked to the door to meet her. Nerves flared. She was Cait’s sister by choice. It mattered that they become a unit to help Cait. He wasn’t the most personable man alive. He didn’t ooze charm or speak eloquently. In fact, he usually was wallpaper in public by choice. He couldn’t be that here.
He pulled open the door and waited for her to reach him.
“You have to be Hunt.” Her smile set him at ease and reminded him of the first moments he’d met Cait.
“What gave me away?”
“Tall, dark, hunky, and you look like you want to kill somebody. I come in peace.” She surprised the heck out of him by dropping her suitcase and hugging him. “I can’t tell you how scared I’ve been.”
He returned the hug, then reached to take her suitcase. “Me, too. I’m glad to see you. She has two allies now. Update, she’s in surgery, and I have no idea what all the technical jargon was. Even plain language still sounded complicated.”
“Surgeons.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “We’ll fix that.”
“Says one surgeon about another.” They walked the long entrance hallway, and he punched the elevator up button. When he’d navigated this area last night to get basic necessities for Cait at the giftshop, it had been crowded with people utilizing visiting hours. This morning was the opposite and suited him better.
“How long until she’s out of surgery?” Jackie unzipped her coat, exposing a black T-shirt with a medical emblem on the pocket with her M.D. initials. She saw him looking at the shirt. “Gotta remind these people that others can be doctors, too.”
“Ah, good strategy. Tell without having to say it.” He punched the button for their floor. With no stops, they exited to the correct floor in minutes, and he led her to Cait’s room. His, too. He was sleeping on a cot next to her until they sent her home. An act that was giving the staff fits as Cait was unconscious more than conscious and had yet to confirm “fiancé” status for him.
“You do it, too. Don’t tell me your Navy uniform with your trident pinned on doesn’t make people stop and pay attention when you’re talking.”
“It does. That’s why I don’t wear it unless required.” He put Jackie’s bag by the bed and took her coat to hang over the visitor chair.
She sat in the chair and crossed her legs. “Talk.”
He shook his head and sank onto Cait’s bed, his hand going to the spot where Cait’s fingers had last been. “They took her an hour ago.” He choked up and couldn’t go on.
“So, a few more hours. They’re doing a lot.”
“We’ve had a hellish seventy-two hours, Jackie. So you know, Moss and Cartwright fudged Cait’s paperwork, so these people think I’m her fiancé.”
Jackie stayed silent for a second, then a deep smile spread across her face.
He backpedaled. “I haven’t asked her.”
Jackie waved a hand at him. “Hunt, she adores you. Has since the second tour famous encounter.”
Hunt’s cheeks heated. Man, he was past schoolboy age and the attending embarrassment about sex. “You’re a straight shooter. I like that.”
She took a deep breath. “Thanks. I try. Cait and I have few secrets. She’s mine, Hunt, and now so are you.” She rose and came to him, hugging him again. “We’ll get her through.”
