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.“Visitors to grievously wounded patients are supposed to be kind, sympathetic, and supportive.”Brodie gave her a soft, warm smile and she felt her skin tingle.“And is that sarcasm I hear in your voice, Lieutenant?”“Who me?” she asked, her head spinning.“Never.”There was a long, expectant pause, and Kristen felt a bit uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her, as if studying her and trying to decide what to do with her.“You aren’t going to put me off, are you?” she asked, nervously.Despite the fog she was laboring under, she was determined to let him know she was okay.“I thought you said you’re grievously wounded?” he asked gently.“I lied.”“You’re not supposed to lie to your captain.”Kristen searched his face, wishing she could clear her head so she might know what he was thinking.He was still studying her, but his eyes seemed softer than she remembered.“Captain, please…” she pleaded, hoping not to be sent ashore.“You look tired, Lieutenant.Try to get some sleep.”“I think Doc over served me a bit on the painkillers, but otherwise I’m fine.” Kristen raised both of her forearms, turning them slightly to show him.She could see burn ointment glistening off her reddened flesh.But she was too doped up to notice the blisters on her left forearm.“See! Doc says it’s nothing?” She then lowered her arms and added, “Please don’t put me ashore.”“Just rest, Lieutenant,” Brodie replied, again avoiding her plea.“Is the boat okay?” she asked.“What about Darby?”“You just worry about feeling better, Lieutenant,” he directed her.“Let the rest of us take care of the boat for a while.”Kristen nodded, wishing she had a mirror so she might know what he was seeing.She was suddenly a bit self-conscious about how she might appear.“What about Darby?” she mumbled, wishing her lips and tongue would cooperate; she could barely form words.“Doc says Seaman Darby is fine.” Brodie’s voice turned a bit hard, and she recognized the dangerous edge in it.“You just rest, now.”“What will happen to him?” Kristen asked, recalling how scared Darby had looked standing in the Wolf’s Den as the fire in the galley grew.Brodie didn’t reply, but even in her drugged state she could imagine things not going well for the frightened seaman.“He was scared, Captain,” she offered in Darby’s defense.“I would imagine he was,” Brodie allowed, eyeing her carefully.“Just as I’m certain you were when you entered the galley and saw the fire.Except whereas Darby ran…” he paused and struggled with his words for a moment, taking another deep, steadying breath.“You ran into the flames and pulled the Halon activation lever, saving the boat from anything more than superficial damage in the galley.”Kristen was a bit uncomfortable hearing him describe it.He made it sound heroic, yet all she remembered was being terrified.“I was scared out of my wits,” she admitted.“It was all I could think to do.”There was a long period of silence between them as he continued to study her face.He slowly reached across her and gently pulled a lock of hair from her face and placed it on the pillow.“I wish everyone reacted as well as you do when they’re scared out of their wits,” he informed her in a gentle, yet serious tone.He then answered her previous question about whether or not he was sending her ashore.“No, Lieutenant,” he concluded.“You aren’t going anywhere.You’re what I call ‘a keeper,’ and I think I’d better just hold on to you as long as I can.”Kristen smiled, the Demerol relaxing her more than she would have preferred.“I like the sound of that,” she exhaled happily knowing she was staying on board.“Thank you, Captain.”“Is there anything I can get you? Anything at all?”Kristen felt herself fading as sleep crept up on her.She shook her head, trying to stay with him for a few more minutes.Her right hand again reached for his arm.Once more he gently placed it at her side.“Could you maybe see to it Gibbs brings me my own robe this time,” she asked.“Last time he brought me that really big one; it smelled terrible.”His calm, cool captain’s demeanor dissolved.She’d never seen him laugh, but he was laughing now.A warm and heartfelt belly laugh.“It was a little big,” Kristen admitted remembering how Gibbs and Reed had been able to nearly wrap it around her twice.“I told Gibbs I have one in my cabin…”A warm smile lingered after the laughter faded, and she found herself smiling as well.“I’ll see to it, Lieutenant.Anything else?”Kristen thought for a moment.She was once again looking at his arms.“Officers aren’t supposed to have tattoos,” she murmured groggily.The Demerol was now in total control, and she looked up at his face.She felt like she was already dreaming, so she could say or do anything without any recourse.But, she swallowed the words that were forming on her lips.“Merry Christmas, Captain,” she said instead as her eyes closed.“Merry Christmas, Lieutenant.”Chapter ThirtyArmy Headquarters, Republic of Korea, SeoulMin-ji Rhee was at her desk early as usual.She’d already cleaned the coffee cups, prepared a fresh pot and was ready to pour as soon as her boss arrived at 7:55.She appreciated his punctuality.After all, he was a military man and it seemed only proper.She paused for a few moments to study her appearance in a small mirror she kept in her middle desk drawer.Her long black hair was neatly arranged, and her eye liner had been applied just right.She touched up her lipstick, using the passion red she felt best complimented her light, porcelain skin [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]