Chapter Four #2
“We have a clinic there where injured principals and operatives are treated. When Dr. Sorenson is convinced you’re in good enough shape to leave, he’ll sign off on your traveling.”
“I don’t like doctors.”
A red flag went up in Andre’s mind. “Been to a lot of them?” A half-shrug was his answer. Not enough information. “Want to know a secret?”
Christopher’s head jerked up. “Sure.”
“I’m not a fan of doctors either.”
The kid threw Andre’s question back at him. “Been to a lot of them?”
“Yeah, I have. It’s a hazard of my job.”
“Like the bullet wound?”
“Among other things. Before I joined Fortress, I was a cop. It wasn’t unusual for me to go home at the end of a shift with bumps, bruises, and scrapes from chasing down perps dumb enough to run from law enforcement.”
“Did you have another job besides being a cop in your past?”
“Military.”
Christopher’s eyes widened. “You were a soldier?”
“Sure was. The men in Echo unit served in the Army with me. We’ve been together for a long time.”
“Wow. I wish I had friends like that.”
Andre’s heart ached for the boy. “Who are your friends?”
Another half shrug. “I don’t really have any.
” His voice was low, as though the secret was shameful.
The shame fell on his father. Was he so busy with the responsibilities that came with being an ambassador that he didn’t see what his son needed?
Or was there a deeper, uglier secret behind Christopher’s lack of friends?
“Why not?”
“I’m not allowed to bring anyone home or go to anyone else’s house. Though Dad says it’s for my safety, I don’t see what it hurts to have someone over to play video games or watch a movie.”
The jet landed on the runway and slowed to a stop on the tarmac. As soon as the jet came to a complete stop, Seth and Elias opened the hatch and lowered the stairs. Two of Sorenson’s assistants boarded the jet.
A linebacker-size assistant stepped into the aisle. “Anyone need a gurney?”
Seth shook his head. “We have walking wounded.”
A nod. “Need help with your gear?”
“We’d appreciate it, Todd.”
The operatives hauled their Go bags and gear from the storage bins. Todd and his friend grabbed a couple of equipment bags each and headed toward the SUVs waiting on the tarmac.
Minutes later, the caravan headed to Sorenson’s clinic. Andre glanced over at Christopher. “I think you’ll like this clinic.”
The boy wrinkled his nose. “It has a doctor and nurses, the same as all the others.”
That raised another red flag in his mind. He smiled and nudged the boy gently with his elbow. “This clinic is special.”
“What’s different about it?”
“I’m not spoiling the surprise. You’ll have to wait and see.”
Soon, Sorenson’s men parked the SUVs behind the clinic and helped unload gear. The operatives filed into the clinic, most heading toward the kitchen.
Andre and Noah turned toward Sorenson’s examination room. Riley and Violet trailed after them.
“Where are you going?” Christopher’s voice rose as his gaze locked on Andre’s. “You’re not leaving, are you?”
“The doctor is waiting to examine our wounds. He’ll want to talk to you, too.
I think you’ll like him. Sorenson is an interesting guy, and he has a son about your age.
” Not a lie. The doc loved kids and had a great bedside manner with them.
Injured operatives, however, received his surly bedside manner.
“Why don’t you come with me? I’ll introduce you to him.
If you’re quiet while we walk to the exam room, you might hear something cool. ”
Christopher looked puzzled but walked with Andre and Noah. Halfway to the exam room, dogs started barking nearby. The boy stopped, his mouth gaping. He looked around. “I hear dogs. Are people allowed to bring their dogs to the clinic?”
“The dogs are my main patients in this clinic.” Sorenson smiled at the boy. “You must be Christopher. I’m Ted Sorenson.” He shook Christopher’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Want to come into the exam room while I look at Andre and Noah?”
He nodded.
“Good. I have a chair just for you.” He pointed toward a cushioned chair set off to the side. “Want to try it?”
“It looks nice.”
“This is the most comfortable chair I own.” The doctor patted the seat. “Try it out and tell me what you think.”
Christopher sat down and smiled. “I like it.”
“Excellent. Now, you sit in that comfortable chair while I check Violet’s patchwork job.” He turned his attention to the two men. “Who gets the prize for the most serious wound?”
Andre sighed and raised his hand. “That would be me.”
“Then I’ll look at Noah first, then give my complete attention to you, Marsh.”
“Yes, sir.” Wonderful. Not. Worse, he couldn’t whine about having to obey Sorenson’s orders because he wanted Chris to cooperate with the doctor. Nice way to box himself in.
“Sit on the exam table, Mann. Let’s see what kind of injury you have.”
Noah stripped off his shirt and remained still while Sorenson removed the bandage with which Violet had covered the operative’s injury.
After poking and prodding the bullet wound for a few minutes, Sorenson gave a curt nod. “Nice work, Violet. Mann, keep the wound clean. Change the bandage every day. Are you on antibiotics?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Keep taking them until they’re gone. Take pain meds every six hours as needed. You’re free to go. No work for a week.” The doctor swung his gaze toward Andre. “Your turn, Marsh. I thought I told you last time you were in here that I didn’t want to see you again.”
“You did, Doc. I tried to stay out of the line of fire. It didn’t work out the way I thought it would.”
Sorenson snorted. “So you zigged when you should have zagged.”
“Pretty much.”
“Let’s see how much damage you’ve done to yourself this time.” He motioned for Andre to remove his shirt and glanced at Riley. “You’re injured as well?”
“No, sir.”
The doctor was silent a beat, then gave a brief nod and shifted his attention to his patient. “Stretch out and make yourself comfortable, Marsh. You might be here a while.”
Swallowing hard, Andre did as ordered. He stretched out on the examination table and tried to relax. Fat chance of that happening. He was with Chris. He hated going to the doctor.
Sorenson followed the same routine with Marsh as he had with Mann. Muttering under his breath, the doctor examined the wound with more poking and prodding than Noah had endured, tempting a grown man to swear.
Andre kept his tongue under control. Barely. The exam was painful since he’d forgotten to take another dose of pain meds before he left the jet.
Finally, Sorenson straightened and scowled at Andre. “You’re lucky.”
“Yes, sir.” Under normal circumstances, he’d receive a long lecture about prioritizing his own safety.
“Violet, was the bullet still intact when you removed it from Mr. Marsh?”
“Yes, sir. There were a few bits of material in his wound, but I cleaned them out.”
“You did an excellent job with the field surgery. My congratulations on your fine work.”
Violet looked surprised. “Thank you, sir.”
“Marsh.”
“Sir?”
“You sustained a serious wound on this mission. Although Violet’s work was top-notch, I would feel better if you took a stronger antibiotic than the one Violet started you on. I also want to keep you under observation until tomorrow.”
He pointed a finger at the operative. “No whining. Sustaining a wound of this magnitude in a tropical environment is just begging for an infection. If we pass the 24-hour mark without signs of infection, I will release you to finish recuperating at home and out of my hair.”
Sorenson turned his attention to Christopher. “Now, young man, I’d like to be sure you don’t have any scratches or cuts that need treating and talk to you for a few minutes. Will that work for you?”
Christopher’s gaze shifted to Andre, his face ghostly white.
Oh, man. This wasn’t good. “What’s up, buddy?”
“Will you be gone when I finish?”
“Didn’t you hear the doc? I have to stay until tomorrow at least to make sure I don’t develop an infection. I’m not going anywhere. Dr. Sorenson only wants to be sure you don’t need antibiotics, too. In the jungle, even minor cuts and scrapes can lead to an infection.”
“He’s right,” Sorenson said. “Mann, go to the other side of the clinic with Marsh and choose a friend for Christopher.”
Noah’s eyebrow shot up. “You sure, Doc? What if he wants to take a friend home?”
“Not a problem with this batch.”
Relief flooded Andre. Sorenson must have several four-footed friends from the animal shelter in the clinic for an exam.
“Chris, is it all right if I go with Noah for a couple of minutes? Riley can hang out with Violet in the hall outside the exam room. If you need something, all you have to do is yell.”
“All right.”
He smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “I’ll be back soon.” Andre looked at Sorenson.
The doctor rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes. I have him. Now go.”
Andre followed Noah down the hall and into the veterinary side of the clinic. They waved at Patty, one of the doc’s vet techs. She grinned and continued working with a Westie currently on an exam table.
Noah opened the door to the holding area and slipped inside with Andre on his heels. Together, they scanned the dogs in the cages. “Got any idea which dog might be good for Christopher?”
Andre pointed to the cage in the corner, where a golden-haired puppy lay curled up in a corner, taking a nap. “That one.”
“What kind of dog is it?”
“It’s at least part Golden Retriever.”
“What if the ambassador won’t let him have the dog?”
He scowled. “I hope the boss can persuade him otherwise.”
Noah studied him for a moment. “What’s up?”
“Although I don’t have proof, I’m concerned about abuse in the home.”
Fury burned in Noah’s gaze. “We need to talk to Brent and Zane. We can’t do anything from here. Let’s put them on the hunt and see what they turn up.”