A Soldier's Journey (13 page)

“We need one more person,” Jim said.

“No, you don't,” Andy said. “I've carried my share of wounded.”

She supervised his transfer from the floor to the board, which Mrs. Byars had softened slightly with a comforter. She had also torn pieces of what looked like a sheet to keep him in place.

“On three,” Craig said, “One, two, three.” They all lifted. Blake was opposite Andy and she knew he was trying to help her. Her good hand had gripped the handle. They moved fast and she realized they had done this before. But then, of course they had, if they were volunteer firemen.

Stephanie had moved the van close to the porch door and they needed to take only a few steps to load him into the back.

Andy turned to Mrs. Byars. “Can you keep Joseph with you? He's very well behaved.”

“Of course,” Mrs. Byars said. “I like dogs. He'll be safe with me.”

Andy got into the back of the van and sat on the floor next to Nate. The doors closed, and the van moved forward.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

N
ATE
JERKED
AWAKE
in a moving vehicle. His head felt as though someone had bashed it in. The rest of him didn't feel so good, either.

“What...?” he started to say.

“You fell.”

He turned his head, although movement made the pain sharper. He tried to focus on the speaker. “Andy?”

“I was running near Mrs. Byars's home when I heard you yell,” she said.

“I...was on the ladder...”

“Apparently Jim Carter was startled by Mrs. Byars and knocked the ladder down. You fell. Your right leg went through the floor and you hit your head. You came to for a couple of seconds, then relapsed.”

“I don't...remember. Where...?”

“We're in Stephanie's van on the way to the hospital in Pueblo.”

He started to shake his head no, then clenched his lips against his teeth to keep from moaning as the pain grew fiercer.

“Don't even try to protest,” she said. “You obviously have a concussion, and you
are
seeing a doctor and getting a CT scan.”

“My leg?”

“You have a bad gash and lost a lot of blood. You might have a foot or ankle injury as well, but I didn't want to take off your boot. When you landed, your foot crashed through the porch floor. I don't think it is broken.”

He noticed then that she was pale. Despite the throbbing in his head, he recalled the other night when she'd had a flashback.

He felt like a damn fool. He hadn't fallen from a ladder since he was eight years old. He suspected that not all his attention had been with the task at hand. He had, instead, been puzzling out his confusion regarding Andy Stuart.

He tried to move again. His shirt was unbuttoned and he was aware his chest was bare and the scar from Iraq was obvious. But then he couldn't seem to focus very well.

Andy didn't say anything, though, and maybe she hadn't seen it. He felt every jolt, every small variation of movement. He closed his eyes.

“Stay awake,” Andy said urgently. “Try to stay awake.”

He forced his eyes open again but it took even more of an effort.

“Any siblings?” she asked.

“One. One brother.”

“What's his name?”

“Allen.”

“Where does he live?”

He realized she was trying to keep him awake. “Chicago...now.” His voice was unsteady. He hated that. He wanted to be strong for her. She had enough on her plate without...

“Want me to call him?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No. This is just a bump on the head...”

“Maybe, maybe not,” she said. “You need to stay awake, okay?” She paused, then asked, “The scar on your chest. Iraq?”

He struggled to stay awake. “Not bad...didn't hit anything...vital.”

His eyes wanted to close. He felt her touch.

“Stay with me, okay,” she insisted. “What after the service?”

He tried to concentrate. “College.”

“What did you major in?

“Architecture. Didn't finish, though. Got married. Mistake. Huge mistake. Divorced...” His voice was trailing off.

“Architecture?” She kept prodding him.

“I...like building things.” His head seemed to be exploding. “You?” he asked in a barely audible voice.

“Me?”

“Where did you get your...training?”

“West Virginia University, thanks to the ROTC.”

“Was...it worth it?” he asked. His curiosity counterbalanced the pain.

She hesitated, then said, “Yes, I think so.”

His eyes closed.

“No,” she said. “Stay awake. Just for a few minutes more.”

He tried. “Thank you...for being here.”

“You did the same for me Saturday night.”

“Not...quite even,” he replied.

“Tell me more about the inn. How big is it?”

“You haven't...seen it?”

“No.”

“Then as soon as...”

Nate felt the van slow down. Maybe now he could close his eyes.

* * *

A
TEAM
WAS
waiting at the emergency room door. They rushed him inside. Andy trailed behind while Stephanie moved her van.

An older man in a white physician's coat talked to the paramedics as they rushed Nate inside. Then he left them and walked over to where she stood. “Miss Stuart?”

“Andy,” she corrected.

“I'm Dr. Bradley. Tell me exactly what happened.”

She ran through what she knew in more detail than was in the phone call.

“Glad to have you in Covenant Falls. We'll talk later. I already have the CT scheduled and called a consulting neurologist. Are you going to stay with him?”

She nodded. She wasn't going to leave him alone now. Joseph, at least, would be cared for by Mrs. Byars. Stephanie had to get back to Covenant Falls. She had bumped her scheduled surgeries and one was urgent. Andy had to call Sara Monroe and cancel the appointment. She hated to do it. It might destroy that fragile connection they had. It might also anger Mr. Monroe. But there were priorities, and Nate had become one.

She wasn't surprised at all that he had been helping Mrs. Byars. She'd watched the ease with which he'd moved among the veterans last night, the interest he expressed for each one. He and Jared had a lot in common.

The thought, so sudden and powerful, struck her like lightning.
No one was like Jared.
How could she even think about comparing the two? Another jolt: she had managed the past few hours without a major flashback. There had been the one brief moment when she'd seen the blood, but Mrs. Byars had jerked her out of it. Progress. She needed to talk to Dr. Payne about it. Later.

Now she had other concerns. She used her cell to call Sara Monroe and explain what had happened.

“Al heard about the accident. Of course you must stay with him,” Sara Monroe said. “You just call me when it's convenient. And give Nate our best,” she added. “I've always liked that young man. Please keep us informed.”

“I'll do that, and thank you,” Andy replied.
Al already knows?

Andy had suspected that Sara Monroe would know as soon as she did. She knew now how fast news moved in Covenant Falls. She suspected the waiting room would soon be full.

* * *

“S
OON
”
WAS
EVEN
quicker than she'd thought. An hour and a half after she and Nate arrived, Eve and Josh joined her in the waiting room. Clint arrived thirty minutes later with a tall white-haired woman.

Clint made the introductions. “Andy, this is Agnes Rowland, Nate's mom. Mrs. Rowland, this is Andy, our newest resident.”

Mrs. Rowland grasped her hand. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for taking care of Nate. How is...?”

“We're waiting for the doctor,” Andy said gently. “Nate was talking to me on the ride over here. He has some cuts and bruises but—”

The door to the waiting room opened and Dr. Bradley appeared. “Agnes,” he said, going straight to Mrs. Rowland. “Nate has a minor skull fracture. We've cleaned the scalp wound and closed and removed some loose bone fragments,” he said. “The good news is a CT scan doesn't show any blood clots or lesions. But I don't want to take any chances. We should keep him here for several days under observation. Head wounds can be tricky. He's also on intravenous antibiotics for the very nasty gash in his leg, and he has a sprained ankle that's going to be pretty painful.”

“Is he awake?” Mrs. Rowland asked.

“Yes, and already complaining about being here.”

Mrs. Rowland's anxious expression eased. “That sounds like him. It's difficult for Nathan to stay still for more than five minutes. Can I see him?”

“Yes, and stress the importance of staying here for at least two days and even better, three. If you were closer to the hospital...I would feel better about Nate going home, but there could be some swelling, and quite frankly I don't have the equipment I would need.”

“He'll stay if I have to sit on him,” Mrs. Rowland said grimly.

Relieved, Andy smiled. Mrs. Rowland would have a hard time restraining her taller, stronger son. Her hair was short and simply styled and she wore slacks and a shirt with a button undone halfway down. Andy judged her age to be in the late sixties. The idea of her sitting on Nate made Andy smile. Inwardly.

As if sensing Andy's perusal, the woman turned and looked at her. “June Byars told me how fast you reacted. Thank you for talking sense to my stubborn son and getting him here.” Her tight lips relaxed into a smile.

Embarrassed because she'd really done very little, Andy simply nodded.

“I hope we can get to know each other better,” Mrs. Rowland said. “I hear you're interested in the history here. I don't know if anyone told you that Angus Monroe's Bible is at the Covenant Cove Presbyterian Church.”

No, they had not.

“Miss Stuart,” Mrs. Rowland started.

“Please call me Andy,” Andy interrupted. She still wasn't used to “Miss Stuart.” For years it had been “Lieutenant” or “ma'am” or just plain “Stuart.”

“Andy, then,” Mrs. Rowland continued. “I hope I can repay you with a lunch or dinner when Nathan gets home.” She turned back to the doctor. “Can I see him now?”

“He's still getting stitched up,” the doctor said. “But you can look in there,” he said, talking directly to Mrs. Rowland.

Eve turned to Andy. “Do you have a ride back?”

“No.” She hadn't thought about that. “Stephanie had to get back, and I wanted to wait for the doctor's report.”

“You can ride with me. Josh can go with Clint.”

Andy wanted to stay, but she had no reason to do so. Mrs. Rowland was with him. Clint and Josh, his best friends, were staying. He would have the best of care here. “That would be great. I left Joseph with Mrs. Byars.”

“You probably want to get cleaned up,” Eve added.

Andy looked down at herself. Blood had splattered over her shirt and jeans. She hadn't noticed in her concern about Nate.
She hadn't noticed blood.

“You're right. I probably look like something from a horror movie.”

“Close,” Eve said. “But you did good.”

She had. A surge of satisfaction swept through Andy. She'd seen blood and hadn't fallen to pieces. Maybe it would come later. Maybe tonight.

“Let's get you home,” Eve said. “You can come back with me later if you want.”

“I don't think so,” Andy said. “He'll need rest.”

The problem was she
did
want to come back. She kept seeing Nate on that board in the van.

She swallowed hard and looked around for a purse before remembering she didn't have one with her. She didn't have anything with her.

“Want to stop by a restroom?” Eve asked.

She did. Badly. She had to wash her hands, look at her face. She nodded.

Eve obviously knew something about the hospital. She led the way directly into a nearby restroom. Once inside, Andy took a look at herself. Her hair was a sticky mess where she had pushed some back. There was blood on her face, as well. She took a deep breath.

That was the way she'd looked to Nate's mom? Why hadn't she cleaned up the moment she'd arrived at the hospital?

She knew why. She'd been worried and hadn't wanted to miss the doctor. She knew the danger of concussions, had seen people die from brain bleeds.

She grabbed paper towels and washed her face, her hands, but she couldn't do anything about her hair. She watched the blood leave the towels and run in a pink stream into the sink. She waited for her hands to shake.

“Andy?” Eve's voice filtered into her consciousness.

She dried her hands. “I'm ready,” she said and followed Eve out the door.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

A
N
ECSTATIC
J
OSEPH
greeted Andy when she arrived at Mrs. Byars's house. Eve accompanied her inside.

Andy knelt and hugged Joseph, then stood and thanked Mrs. Byars for keeping him.

“No thanks necessary,” Mrs. Byars said. “I owe you so much more, and Joseph was a delight. I had forgotten how much I enjoy having a dog around. How is Nate?”

“The doctor thinks he'll be fine,” Andy said. “A mild concussion, several gashes, a sprained ankle. He's already complaining about staying in the hospital. But they want him for a few days. He's a hard guy to keep down. So please don't worry.”

Mrs. Byars nodded, but all the same she looked worried.

“I'll keep you posted,” Andy promised, just as she had Sara Monroe, but then realized it was probably unnecessary. The way news flew around town, Mrs. Byars would probably know before she did.

Eve left her red pickup in Mrs. Byars's drive and walked with Andy to the cabin.

“Need company?” she asked when they reached the door.

“Thanks, but I'm fine, and I have Joseph. I just need to get these clothes off and take a shower.”

“Call if you need anything,” Eve said. “You did a great job.”

“I did what I was trained to do,” Andy said. She knew she sounded testy, but she was tired and wanted to be alone. She suddenly realized she didn't have a key to the cabin, then remembered she hadn't locked it. She'd just tucked her wallet in a pocket.

She opened the door and turned to Eve. “Thank you for the ride,” she said. “I'll be fine once I get a shower.”

Eve nodded. “If you need anything, call.” Andy watched until she disappeared down the road. Then she went inside and, emotionally and physically exhausted, she collapsed on the sofa. Joseph put one paw up on the cushion, asking permission to come up with her.

“It's okay,” she said. Joseph climbed up, one foot after another as if still unsure of his welcome. Once all the way up he rested his head on Andy's lap as she tried to relax.

She wasn't aware how long she sat there, comforted by Joseph's presence, until she realized she hadn't changed clothes or taken a shower. Nor had she fed Joseph. She stood and he followed as she went into the kitchen and poured dog food into his bowl. While he was gobbling it down, she headed to the bathroom.

She took off her clothes. Her T-shirt was ruined. Her pants were stiff with blood. She threw them in the corner, then stepped into the shower, not even caring that the first stream of water was cold. It soon turned warm, then hot as she scrubbed her body and washed her hair.

She stayed there until the water started to run cold again, then stepped outside and toweled herself down. When she went into the bedroom, she looked at the clock. A little after six. Sleep was impossible.

She was grateful Eve had been mostly silent on the drive back from Pueblo. She hadn't wanted to talk about what happened that morning. She didn't want to relive it. She didn't want to think about the fact that she had nearly flipped out again.

She pulled on her oldest T-shirt and shorts, then threw the bloodstained clothes into the garbage. She grabbed a soda and went out to the porch, where she could see the lake and mountains and sky, all of which had a soothing effect.

She pondered the question Nate had asked in Stephanie's van. Had the scholarship been worth the years she'd spent in the army? That wasn't exactly the way he'd formed the question but it was what she thought he'd meant.

After the attack, she had asked herself that question over and over again. Without the scholarship, she might never have become a nurse. Never gone overseas. Never saved a life. Never fallen in love. Everything had been intense during those years. Intense training. Intense satisfaction in saving a life. Intense fear. Intense love. Intense grief.

She sighed. Part of her missed the adrenaline that surged when a copter landed with the wounded. The flush of victory when the team saved a life or limb. But then there were the failures...

Then she remembered she'd promised to call Sara Monroe. She went back inside and punched in the number. The maid answered the phone. Andy identified herself and asked for Mrs. Monroe. She came on immediately.

“Miss Stuart. Thank you for calling. How is Nate?”

“Please call me Andy,” she said and repeated what the doctor had said.

“Thank you for calling,” Mrs. Monroe said. “I know it's late today, but would you like to reschedule our meeting for 2:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon? I've been looking through letters and other documents.”

“I would like that,” Andy replied, trying to infuse enthusiasm in her words. At the moment, she was tapped out of enthusiasm.

“I'll have tea ready,” Mrs. Monroe said. “Or would you prefer coffee?”

Andy thought the latter was an afterthought. She was a coffee person through and through, but she was a guest. “Tea will be fine.”

“I'll see you then, and I'm so pleased about Nate. I'll tell Al.”

Duty done, she went back outside. She sat in the swing and stared out at the mountain. She wondered whether it had a name, had ever had a name or was merely a part of the San Juan mountain range.

Images of the morning flickered through her head even as she tried to block them. She didn't want to think of the blood when she'd reached Nate, the way she had almost lapsed into a flashback or how frantically her heart had beaten when she didn't know how badly he was hurt.

How could that be? She barely knew him. She remembered him as he'd been when she left the community center last night. Tall, strong, competent. She had been drawn to him even as she'd tried her best to draw away. She'd felt disloyal to Jared. She still felt that way. She couldn't get away from the fact that she lived because he'd died. He'd taken the bullet a second before armed guards had rushed in and killed the attacker.

She swallowed hard.

“Come on, Joseph,” she said.

He brought his leash to her and they walked out. She didn't bother to lock the door. If there had ever been a safe place, Covenant Falls seemed to be it. Not that she had anything to steal.

It was dark, but a part moon lit the night enough to follow the road. She walked down Lake Road to the beckoning lights in the park and sat on one of the swings. There were others in the park. A woman pushed a boy on a swing. A couple sat on a bench facing the lake. Young. Fresh faced. They were holding hands and leaning against each other.

She'd never had young love. She'd been too different in high school, too busy in college and too careful in the service. Sure, she'd dated, but no one had clanged the bells. And then she'd joined Jared's team. At first she'd been wary. Fraternization was frowned upon, and Jared was all business...

She chewed on her lip as she stood there like a member of an audience staring at a play. An onlooker, not a participant. She'd been kept so busy since arriving here, she hadn't had time to think, to remember. She had gone several days without mourning Jared, but now grief hit her like repeated blows to her midsection.

Joseph bumped her and offered his paw. “You're right, Joseph,” she said. “It's time to look ahead.” They left the park lights and walked back to the cabin. She would choose a book tonight and read. And hope the blood this morning would not bring on the nightmares.

* * *

N
ATE
DRIFTED
IN
and out during the day. His leg hurt like hell. At least he'd been assured that no permanent damage had been done. The doctor said he might need crutches for a few days. He supposed he'd been lucky.

It was a freakish accident, one he felt he would never live down. Falling off a damn ladder. Years ago, he would not have been caught off balance. He feared it was because his mind had not been on the job.

If he hadn't concentrated so hard on keeping awake in the ambulance and if he hadn't hurt from head to toe, he might even have enjoyed Andy's attention during the drive to the hospital.

“Nathan?”

He looked up at his mother. “You don't need to stay,” he said. “The doctor said I'm fine.”

“Sorry, but he didn't say that. He said he wanted to observe you for a few days. I'm simply helping him do that.”

He knew that look. He gave up. “Could you get me something to read?”

“Magazines? A book?”

“Whatever they have downstairs. And get something to eat. Okay? I'll be fine with all the nurses around here.”

“That Miss Stuart sure is pretty. And nice,” she said slyly.

“Don't go dreaming up a romance, Mom. You know how I feel about that. And she's not going to be here long.”

“Like your friends Josh and Clint?” she replied with a twinkle in her eyes.

“She's hurting, Mom, and two hurts don't heal each other. They just make for a bigger one,” he said, not bothering to deny the pain his ex-wife had caused him. “You go home, Mom,” he said. “I promise I won't try to escape.”

She left then, and he lay back. His mother was right in one respect. It was time to let go. It wasn't that he still loved his ex-wife, although he had, or thought he had, in the beginning. It was all the betrayals...

They had colored all subsequent relationships. He simply was unable to trust again especially when the woman seemed—or was—in need of help. He helped, then usually ran as fast as he could in the other direction. That defense mechanism didn't seem to be working with Andy.

He turned on the television, checking to see whether the world was still spinning. It was. The offerings were sparse, however, and his mind turned back—once more—to Andy. Blood splattered and all, she was one of the most appealing faces he'd seen. He didn't think he would ever forget the intensity in those gray eyes as she demanded he stay awake.

He remembered until the meds kicked in and he drifted off to sleep.