Two Days Of A Dream (17 page)

"It's not your fault. This woman has everyone thinking that way. You just have to stop thinking about it." Fat lot of good that advice was for Duran, what with everyone asking about her.

"That's easy for you to say, you've got the blonde to take care of things. I heard her negligee doesn't hide much." He twitched his eyebrows.

"Stop that. Her gown is very respectable for feminine sleeping attire. And she
doesn't
take care of
things
." He certainly didn’t need a psycho woman doing that.

"Not even once?"

Duran tried to ignore the stunned look on Stover’s face. "No, she's a crazy woman who might or might not be a spy.
That
is all."

"Wow, you're a stronger man than I." Stover shook his head.

Duran wasn’t sure if the lieutenant thought him strong or pitied him for not taking advantage of the situation. It bothered him either way.

"Go get some sleep, Stover."

"Yes, sir."

Duran watched as Stover put his hands in his pockets -- no doubt clutching the big wad in his wallet tightly -- whistling while the shadows swallowed him, the tones echoing in the night.

Talbit would think Kelly would take care of things. Talbit always thought that way. Duran knew the doctor too well. He continued his walk, slowing his pace from time to time when it threatened to break into a run. Talbit wouldn't dare to try something, knowing Duran would make a patient out of him if he did. Duran calmed himself with that over and over again as he closed the distance.

Chapter Twenty-four

"I can't wait to show you my hospital. It may be modest but I'm very proud of it."

As Talbit pulled Kelly away, she looked back over her shoulder hoping to plead with Cap. But he was already striding away at a fast clip. He didn't even say goodbye,
again
. Her feelings were hurt and she sulked. This was her dream, and she didn't understand why he was being so difficult.

Talbit was insistent as he dragged her away from the most interesting guy she'd ever met. Each time she looked at Cap, she couldn't help wondering what he was thinking. What made him tick, and what was it about him that made her heart tick faster?

"Here it is, isn't it a beauty?"

Pulled from her thoughts, Kelly realized Talbit had been talking the whole way and now they stood before yet another large tent. "Yeah ... it looks ... great."

Kelly promptly pushed Talbit away. "Yes, and you'll keep proving yourself time and time again with as many women as you can. I know your type. But I don't know Duran's type, that's what makes him so interesting." She stopped. That was it. He was different from all the guys she’d met.

"I guess I'll just have to prove I'm better." He captured her hand and brushed his lips over the surface.

She yanked her hand from his grasp. "That's a very high mark you've set for yourself.""That's because I know I can reach it."

He chuckled and motioned to the room around them. "Here is where the patients come in. We have two doctors. Me and Dr. Stone, who's gone right now to training in Saudi Arabia. There's four registered nurses and four field corpsmen. Once a week a doctor, a nurse, and two corpsmen go to the nearest town and hold a clinic for the local people."

"That's very nice, how often do you go?" She raised a brow.

"Every other week, we rotate. In here ..." He pulled her through a doorway. "This is the exam room. Speaking of exam, I should probably give you one to make sure you're not infectious.

"No, thank you. One exam from you and I would be infectious."

Laughing, he said. "My last exam proved me clean as a whistle." He backed her against the reception desk. "You want me to show you my files?"

"For now. Come on. I'll show you the lab." He tried to put his arm around her shoulders, but she dodged him. "You're quick."

"I wish you guys would stop that. I'm not going to run away.” She sighed, “If I was going to run away, I'd already be gone and in search of Cap."

He sighed. "Yes, I believe you would." He held a flap. "Through here is the lab. I shall turn around now to prove I trust you." He ceremoniously turned to face a room that had been carved out of the larger tent by two canvas walls dropped from the ceiling and tied in place on one side. "Don't expect Duran to turn his back on you; he doesn't trust anyone."

"I can imagine that's what has kept him alive in his profession. I know that's what's kept me alive in mine. Of course, mine's figurative."

Kelly watched Talbit's eyes as he went into detail so in-depth that it tunneled right under her feet. She didn't bother to try to understand half of what he threw at her. But it did catch her off guard to watch his face switch from hungry man sneer to the pure joy of a small boy talking about his favorite toy. His eyes twinkled with excitement over a metal box with lots of buttons and doodads that lit up.

"They aren't toys. They are finely calibrated medical equipment. But since you asked … over here is a Biosinglertor. We're the only field hospital in Iraq that has one."

"How 'bout if we keep moving? Why don't you show me your office? They say you can tell a lot about a person by looking at their office."

"Well, my
office
is in my tent, and I would love to show it to you."

"Never mind, I think I know more about you than I need to. What's next?"

He sighed. The frustration of not getting anywhere with Kelly showed on Talbits face, and she was determined to keep it that way.

The last place Talbit showed Kelly was the patient ward, where there were four men. It was past time for them to be asleep, but she heard the men talking before she entered a step behind the doctor.

Inside were ten cots but only three were occupied. One small lamp, barely more than a night light, illuminated whatever the corpsman sitting at the desk was reading.

They all looked up as Talbit entered. When Kelly entered, the tent fell quiet. Every one of the patients had some sort of bandage or cast except one young, stocky soldier who was flushed and fever dewed. He looked the worst of the lot.

"Hey doc, is she the lady in the sexy gown that lured the enemy out?" The soldier who spoke had a cast on his leg suspended in a sling between two poles.

"How'd you hear about that, Private Donaldson?"

"A buddy from my unit came by and filled us in." Donaldson grinned ear-to-ear, probably proud of himself for not being left out of the loop.

"It just so happens Kelly here is our mysterious lady in white."

The soldier with the bandaged head sat up. "Whoa, wish I could have seen it. Donaldson's buddy was in the back and didn't get a good view of everything that happened."

Talbit leaned against the small desk with his ever-present, infuriating grin. "Well, guys, I was up front and center for this one."

Kelly, who was glad this was all a dream that she wouldn't have to live down no matter what the embellished account Talbit might tell, merely shook her head.

"You should have seen her, it was amazing." He got so involved with his story he had to use both hands. "We got the Intel that something was going to happen tonight, so we were at the ready waiting for another attack. Of course, we thought it would be the same as this morning, and we were watching for another shelling. We were all at our posts when the word came down the line that Kelly was on the move in her nightgown." Talbit raised a brow suggestively, and Kelly had the impulse to throw something at him. Instead, she blushed and rolled her eyes.

"Captain Duran and I tried to get to her before she got hurt. But we were too far away and had to stay in the shadows in case we were being watched. She just walked right out into the desert as though she were on a Sunday stroll. But surprise, surprise, an insurgent raised up out of the sand. I thought my heart was going to stop when she reached out and touched him. He didn’t move and she kept right on walking. " He swung his arm out with a flourish.

The men inhaled briskly. Kelly didn't understand what the big deal was. Those in the sand had looked like nice young men to her.

"We were afraid he might hurt her, but he just knelt there and looked as though he'd seen a ghost." Talbit shifted as he dove into the next part. "If that wasn't enough, a second man lifted up. You could barely tell they were there because they blended with the sand so well. We could just make out their faces with the movement. This one she also touched as she passed, as though she were passing a statue in the park or something.

The guys chuckled, even the soldier who was so sick.

"Duran and some of his guys started to sneak up on the two insurgents, but a third one popped up. She barely slowed to look at him and kept right on walking.” He flung his arm out again. “They were so intent on Kelly that Duran and his men snuck up and nabbed them without so much as a shout."

"All right!" The men hooted and clapped.

"If Duran hadn't called her back, I think Kelly would have walked clear across the desert. After tonight, I have no doubt she probably would have made it." Talbit inclined his head to her.

Donaldson, who seemed to be the spokesman, sat up. "Why'd ya walk out into the desert, ma'am?"