September 28th, 2000
Cooking. The sizzle of eggs fills the galley's small space. Firm whites, gooey yellows, just a bit of seasoning. A little bit of my home so many miles away. I part out the lion's share for George. A small helping for Doc and I. We have rough grained bread to mop it up.
"Eat up!"
George chews slowly and only on one side of his face. He wasn't a handsome man to begin with, but the new gaps don't help. The ugly bruises will fade with time. Doc's adjusted his ribs by feel before tightly taping them up. We wolf our meals before George is a third through.
I run my hands through short sweaty hair. "Crazy day, Doc. How are Gunny and Andrejz doing?"
"You should have asked on the way out. How about on the way in?" Her eyes are dilated way out with dark rings under them. "Or, hell, during the post-op, the autopsy or any damn time." She twitches.
"Have you gotten any sleep?"
"Nope, not a wink. Been saving lives. Chopping up dead men. Had my ass hauled all over town. So you can just. Shit. talking fast, thirsty, anger issues." She tries for sheepish, "Rataj has some good stims." She too wired to pull it off. I'll let it slide.
"Right, Gunny. Deep tissue damage, both legs. No nerve damage. That I can tell. Severe pain. Give him one to three months before he's walking. I've dosed him with broad spectrum antibiotics. Dropping into the midden didn't help with infection. We'll see." She pauses, drinks down her glass. "Andrejz is lucky, lucky to be alive or too stubborn to die. Broken leg, arm, crushed ribs and internal bleeding. Damn near collapsed a lung. We got it stopped. We'll see. Got to watch him. He needs good food, warm quarters, and time. If he doesn't infect he'll be down four to six months. Think they'll have it for him. Yeah, they will, do, whatever."
George has stopped eating. Pushes the plate aside.
"And him?" I ask the Doc.
"Beaten, sprained ribs, mild concussion, missing three teeth and five fingernails. I want him convalescing until those ribs stop hurting. And let me fucking know if your vision blurs, head aches worse, or the room starts spinning again. Got it."
"Yes, ma'am."
"George, I need to know happened and what you told them. No repercussions. I would have talked after the beating and the first nail."
"I did. They," he swallows. Looks down at his hand swathed in bandages. "They had to be sure."
"I told them whatever they wanted,' he rallies. Tries to smile. "All of our plans to disembark the tank and use it as a mobile strong point. The two hundred men we'd brought downriver to reinforce Rataj's relatives. Our cargo of anti-personel mines, Wojo's special 60mm mortars, all twelve of them. The cases of frags and AT grenades. I kept the numbers consistent. They believed me after they'd finished with two, three, and four. I think so."
Both Doc and I sit quiet. She's twitching. I'm trying to think of something to say. Confusion to our enemies is a good. I couldn't have asked him to pay that price. My fault he did. I know I can't guard point and tail. Still my fault.
Doc perks up, asking before thinking, "But you're missing five."
"Yeah," bitterly, "said it completed the look. He was going to do the other side today. Anything else, Doc." The hard emphasis on her handle says there better not be.
I give Doc the shut-up NOW look. I tell him, "No, George, that'll be all. Get some rest." I push some warmth into my voice. "If you need anything, at all, let me know."
He pushes off the table. Makes his way down the short passage to my cabin. I don't sleep there anymore it seems. I'll double with Doc.
"How long till you come down?"
"Hour or two?"
"Good, fill me in on Mr. Black's physical."
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