Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Foster found an ensign on board who loved to read. He met up with them in the mess hall.
“So what kind of books do you like?” The woman was young, like he would be amazed if she’d turned nineteen. This was her first assignment, and she still had an eager look about her.
“It’s not really for me.”
“Your girl?”
He shook his head. “A friend. They have a concussion so we’re reading to them on the flight back to California.”
“Oh, so no sex then. Let me see…” She dug through her bag, muttering to herself as she looked at the books.
He was glad she was amenable to letting go of some of her books.
“Most guys on this ship want books with erotic scenes. I don’t know why.
I’ve tried to get some of the guys to read this cozy mystery series, but none of them have been interested.
” She handed him three books, all with similar covers.
“Oh, cozy mystery. What does that mean?” He liked reading, but he mostly read fantasy or sci-fi. He wasn’t sure what made a mystery cozy.
“Cozy mysteries have little gore and sex doesn’t happen, at least not on the page. There are a few series with married protagonists, but you only see an occasional kiss on the page.”
“Ah, so exactly what I’m looking for. How much?”
“No, there’s no charge. Just pass the books on to other sailors when you get back to base. I just want them read. Reading is important.”
“Thank you, I agree, reading is important.” He wished he had more time to read for pleasure. Most of the things he read were articles about political or military situations, or tactical briefings.
“You’re welcome. If you’re ever back on this ship, stop by for another book. I read two to three a week, so I always have something.”
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to stop by.”
He left and headed back to the room they were bunking in. After brushing his teeth, he stretched out and started in on the first book. It was a mistake because he was hooked. He had to force himself to put the book down or he would be awake all night.
The next morning, he was up early and in medical to make sure Pen was ready to travel.
The nurses had her ready to go, but they would have to give her another IV bag while they were in the air.
He assured the nurse he knew how to change her bag, and they could care for Pen on the flight.
He got the instructions for the antibiotics Pen needed, and the rest of the medications.
Giving medication and changing IV bags wasn’t something they hadn’t done before. They had her blood type, so if she needed a transfusion they could set her up. Between the six of them, they could donate to most people. Since Jump was a universal donor, that made everything easier.
The transport to an airbase didn’t take long. They got a few odd looks since Pen was along for the ride, but their orders were plain, and no one objected to her being on the plane.
They slept a bit, but while they were awake, they took turns reading the book to Pen when she was awake. It was interesting to see how much the guys were into the story. No question, he was really into the story and wondered if he’d missed out by not knowing about cozy mysteries before.
The story kept Pen’s attention, which was what he wanted. He knew Wave wanted to question her, but Foster could tell she wasn’t ready. When they asked her questions, it took her a moment to answer. That had to be the pain medication she was on.
Before landing in California, she asked for them to remove her IV.
They didn’t see anything wrong with taking it out since she wasn’t seeing a doctor for a few days.
Not having the IV would give her the ability to move around a little more.
Plus, her eyes were no longer as sunken in, and she looked rehydrated.
Besides the bag was almost empty, and they would have to take her to the hospital if she needed another bag.
Many hours had passed, so he wasn’t surprised that she seemed better. The color in her cheeks made him feel like she was at least physically on the road to recovery. Also, her appetite was a bit better. She was eating food, which had to feel better for her.
When they landed, a lieutenant met them on the tarmac. The guy was supposed to take Pen to the hotel and get her set up. She’d be allowed a day to sleep and then she would go for a doctor’s visit. After that, they wanted to ask her about Kaya and see what she knew.
When the lieutenant told Pen why he was there, she shook her head and stepped back. Irritation filled the guy’s face, but that made Pen take another step back.
Foster stepped forward. “I’ll take her to the hotel.”
She met his gaze and nodded. The opinionated woman he’d met in Turkey had simmered down. Or maybe she was overwhelmed with everything that had happened. The drugs had to be playing with her mind, and then she’d had time to think and realize she wasn’t going die in the immediate future.
Foster indicated that she should follow him.
“Just give me time to put up my things and we’ll head out.
” A few steps on the path to put his things away he realized she couldn’t keep up with him, so he slowed down.
She had a limp, but it wasn’t horrible. It was probably her body adjusting to stretching out and moving.
Everything she’d been through had to have been overwhelming. He didn’t blame her for not wanting to go with a stranger. He hoped his presence calmed her. It would make questioning her much easier.
In the last year, Pen dealt with a bunch of different men. Some of them had been nice, but a lot of them were total assholes. She didn’t know the guy who wanted to take her to the hotel, but she didn’t trust him.
There was something about him that made her stomach twist with unease. If asked, she wouldn’t be able to pinpoint exactly what bugged her, but she didn’t want to be alone with him. She hated to make Foster do something extra, but she couldn’t go with that man.
Being weak sucked. Holding her own was important, but everything was so screwed up. Would she ever feel strong enough to be independent again.
Foster adjusted his pace, which she hated, but there was no way she could have kept up with him. She was walking, but every step had to be thought out and the negotiations between her muscles and brain took time.
Thankfully she was able to sit for a moment while he put away his gear.
The walk to his car wasn’t long, and then they were speeding along the city streets.
It had been a long time since she’d been in the USA.
During her time in captivity she hadn’t been allowed to watch out the car windows and see where they were headed.
This was nice, watching the world go by. This was close to normal. But would she ever feel normal again?
“The hotel is for military personnel and their guests. It’s safe.”
She nodded, unsure what to say. It took her a moment to find words that weren’t full of snark or depression. “Thank you for driving me over.”
“Sure. You’ll have tomorrow to yourself then the day after that you’ll have a doctor’s appointment or two. I’ll make sure to send a woman to pick you up. You’ll have food. Rest well. If you need to see a doctor before your appointment, you can call down to the front desk. They know who to call.”
He’d delivered a lot of information, but she could handle this. She wanted to do this on her own and not have a babysitter all night. Besides, she didn’t like having other people around, or she hadn’t liked it. For some reason she didn’t mind having Foster close.
The hotel was behind a fence, which made sense since it was a military hotel. She wasn’t sure how that worked, but she guessed they wouldn’t want people walking onto the property who didn’t belong there.
She drew in a deep breath. “Got it. I’ll be fine on my own.”
“I’ll make sure you have my number. We have a phone for you. It’s a cheap burner, so not a lot of data, but my number is programmed in. Don’t hesitate to call if you need something.”
“Sure.” She wouldn’t call. She could do this on her own. Being alone in a hotel room with food and a nice hot shower sounded like heaven. “I’ll be fine. I’m looking forward to being alone.”
“Good. But don’t hesitate to call if you need something.”
“Got it.”
Checking into the hotel was easy. She went up to her room on the third floor, glad to see she wasn’t by the elevator. She wouldn’t have to listen to people going up and down all hours of the night.
The room was perfect, and after she closed the door, blocking everyone out, she sighed, happy to have some alone time. She closed her eyes, pushing away the panic. It had been a long while since she’d been on her own. She almost didn’t know what to do.
First things first, the bathroom. She took a few steps but froze at a noise in the hall. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure the door was really locked, bolted, with the security latch in place.
Nervous laughter rose, but there was no reason to worry. She was fine. No one could get into her room. Besides, no one who would wish her dead knew where she was. Everything would be fine. She just had to stop reacting to every little sound.