Echo-Foxtrot (7 page)

“Not even grown-ups can do what they want
all
the time,” Jim told her. “All the grown-ups here have to do what General Merrick tells them. She's only asking of us what she expects from everyone here.”

“What's going to happen when you leave here?” Lou asked.

Jim shrugged. “For the time being, our parents are all staying at Jack's place in town along with Nichola, but long term, Mum and Dad inherited Aunt Edith's house, so that's us sorted. I don't know where you'll go. Nichola sold the flat.”

Lou looked at him, aghast. “She sold it? Why?”

“You'll have to ask her that when she comes in later. But like I said, once we're released from the infirmary, we'll be moving into Jack's place until Mum and Dad go back to England.”

Sergeant Peterson came over to them. “We'd better be going.”

They said their goodbyes and followed Sergeant Peterson from the room, Staff Sergeant Chaney falling in behind.

Lou looked at the clock. Another ten minutes and she could have some more morphine. She wondered briefly if they'd give her too much or if she could persuade them to, but she reckoned pigs stood a better chance of flying than she had of doing that. She had an improved view out of the window now she was sitting up. A plane came in and landed and another one took off.

The medic came over. She chatted as she checked the dosage on the morphine pump and changed one of the bags that constantly dripped into her arm. She had no idea what it was, most likely antibiotics or something. Had Mum told them what she was allergic to? Otherwise, they'd be in for a shock.

The sun blazed down outside and if she listened carefully, she could still hear the birds over the sounds of the infirmary and the planes. She thanked the nurse before she left and then turned her thoughts to what Jim had said about Mum selling the flat. Why would she do that? How could she do that? It was her home, too. Mum had no right to sell it without consulting her.

Lou brooded on this and when Mum came to visit her just after 11 AM, her anger spilled over the moment she saw her mother entering the ward. “Why did you do it? How could you sell the flat like that? Where are we meant to live now?”

9

“Good morning to you, too, Lou.” The smile on Mum's face froze and then fell as the full force of Lou's anger hurtled across the ward at her.

“It was my home!” Lou huffed. “How could you sell it without telling me?”

Mum narrowed her eyes. “Let me at least sit down first.”

Lou waited until her mother had sat next to the bed, and then folded her arms tightly across her chest. Bile rose up her throat and she had to force it back down. Throwing up wouldn't help any. She needed answers, not sympathy. “Well?”

“You have no idea what I've been through, have you? We were going to sell it anyway.”

“But you did it without telling me.”

“You weren't there, Lou. You ran away. You walked out without a goodbye, on a half-baked rescue plan none of you had thought through properly. I had no idea what to do. I was stuck in a flat full of memories I couldn't cope with. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. I stayed there as long as I could. I sold it to have money to search for you.”

Mum paused. “Jack rang me after he met you in Cornwall, but then you vanished again before he could get a message to you. He called again after he ran into you on Grand Turk. I asked him to pay for the boat repairs, and I wired him the money to do so. I wanted to go out there and bring you back, but trying to get a flight was hopeless. Jack and I had a long talk on the phone. That call lasted two hours. He said he'd keep an eye on you while he could, until I could get out there, but you left the day before my plane was due to leave. Jack said the best thing I could do was stay in England. After that he rang me once a week. I was a mess. Jack was a friend when I needed one the most.”

Lou scowled. “Thought he was mine.”

Mum continued. “Bill and Di got back to the UK in September and they were just as worried as I was. Never mind traumatized because of what they'd been through. They moved into Edith's place and I sold the flat. All the furniture went into storage and I moved in with them. Jack called in early December. He'd found the wreck of your boat while flying a routine recon mission. It had been swept clear of the rocks you'd hit and had wound up on the rocks of Pagan—the next island in the chain. They spent days searching it for you. The three of us flew out here a week before Christmas. Jack met us at the airport, and we've been staying at his place ever since. We wanted to be here when they found you.”

Lou looked at the window. “Are you living there now?” she asked icily.

“Right now, I'm using his quarters here on the base, but yes, I am. We all are.”

“You can't just replace Dad like that.”

“It's not like that.”

“You're living in his house, staying in his quarters. What
is
it like then?”

Mum glared at her. “Jack is a friend. Nothing more.”

“Yeah, right,” Lou said rudely. “I didn't think you Christians did things like that. Living together is a sin, isn't it?”

“Don't you dare question me, Louisa. Bill and Di are staying there too. You ran away, or don't you remember that?”

Lou's eyes stung with tears. “You can't even be honest with me now, can you? I saw the way he looked at you last night. He fancies you. He shortens your name. And you looked at him the same way. You held his hand.”

Dr. Andrews came over and took Lou's wrist to take her pulse and shoved a thermometer in her mouth. She smiled at Mum. “I just need to run a few checks. Can you give me a few minutes? I won't be long,” she said.

“That's OK,” Mum said. “I have to pop out for a sec anyway.” She got up and left the room quickly.

Lou watched her go. “I haven't seen her for months and she's mad at me already,” she muttered around the thermometer.

Dr. Andrews looked at Lou. “You need to ease up on your mom, young lady. She's been through a very difficult time these past months. Her friends were missing, presumed killed, and then you three go off on some fantasy adventure to find them. She thought you were dead.”

Lou snorted derisively. “She sure got over it quick. Moved in with someone I thought was a friend.”

“If you mean Colonel Fitzgerald, you're reading the situation wrong. He's a gentleman and a good friend. He would never do anything to hurt your mom. You need to listen to what she has to say, rather than yelling. That isn't going to do your blood pressure any good,” Dr. Andrews said. She put the thermometer away and pulled back the covers to check Lou's leg.

“Aren't I too young to have to worry about that?”

“Keep the yelling up and you'll be back in surgery quicker than you can count to five,” Dr. Andrews said firmly.

Mum came back in. Her face was blotchy, as if she'd been crying.

Dr. Andrews smiled and replaced the covers. “All done here. It's looking much better.”

“That's good.” Mum nodded as she sat down by Lou's bed again.

Dr. Andrews lingered for a moment longer as she wrote up the chart. “OK. You remember what I said, young lady.” She headed back to her office.

Mum looked at Lou. “What did she say?”

“Told me to shut up before I burst a blood vessel,” Lou paraphrased.

“She has a point,” her mother said. She twisted her hands on her lap. “Concerning Jack. Yes, I like him. A lot. As you so crudely put it, I fancy him. But, sweetheart, neither of us are going to compromise our faith by living together in the way you were insinuating. I loved your father, Lou. We were married for seventeen years. That's almost half my lifetime and a year longer than yours. You don't just forget that or throw it away without a care or second thought. When he died three years ago, I didn't think I'd ever love again. You were my whole life.” She paused. “Things change, sometimes when you least expect them. Jack has asked me to stay here with him, instead of going back to England.”

Lou watched her mother carefully. “What about me?”

“Of course you will be there too. Jack's place is huge. He wants both of us.”

“Are we talking marriage here, or just living together?” Lou kept her voice level this time.

“Right now, we're dating. I sleep in the guest room. There is nothing untoward going on. I promise. Even if Bill and Di weren't in the same house, there wouldn't be.”

Lou picked at the edge of the blanket. She could either prolong the argument and upset her mother further or she could make it look like she'd given in. “I like Jack. I'm not going to object to you seeing him. Just promise me no more secrets.”

Mum hugged her. “I promise. No more secrets.”

Jack came across from Dr. Andrews's office. “Good morning,” he said.

“Morning, Uncle Jack,” Lou said.

Jack raised an eyebrow. “
Uncle
Jack?”

“Isn't that the title you give to the man your mum is going out with?” Lou replied innocently.

He looked at Mum. “You told her then, Nicky?”

“Yeah.”

Jack smiled. “Good. And there's no need to call me uncle. Just Jack will do fine.”

Lou shrugged. “Weird name choice, but OK, Just Jack.”

Jack rolled his eyes as he sat on Lou's bed. “Lou, there's something I want you to know. When I asked your mom to stay here with me, she agreed on two conditions. Nothing would happen between us, and she came as a package with you. I have no intentions of replacing your dad. Now or ever.”

Lou blushed. “You heard that?”

“I think the entire base did.” He took Mum's hand and looked at Lou. “I love your mother. I have from the moment I met her. I asked her to stay because I don't want her to go.”

Lou put her hand on top of theirs. “It's OK, Jack. I don't mind. So long as you don't do anything untoward towards her, it's fine. Have you told Jim and Staci?”

“Bill and Di know, but we haven't exactly been hiding our relationship. I haven't said anything to the others yet. I wanted to tell you first,” Mum said.

Dr. Andrews came over. “General Merrick would like to see Lou now, if possible. Then I need to run a few more tests.”

Mum nodded and stood up. “I'll come back this afty.”

Jack got up too and saluted as General Merrick came over.

General Merrick returned his salute. She waited until they had left the room before sitting next to Lou's bed. She then gave Lou the same lecture that Lou assumed she had given the others.

Lou sat silently through it, hearing but not listening. She was quite adept at that, having perfected it at school. She nodded in the right places and apologized for wasting so much of everyone's time.

“Answer me one thing,” General Merrick said. “Back in June, when you ran away, there was an incident at the docks in Southampton. A police boat exploded, killing two officers. Three were saved by a girl from a passing cabin cruiser. She gave her name as Louisa Benson. The name of the boat was
Avon
, call sign Alpha-Juliet-Tango-Kilo. I assume it was you?”

Lou nodded. “Yeah. Jim didn't want to help and was furious because I did.”

“You risked your life for total strangers. You also put your whole journey in jeopardy.”

“That's why Jim was so cross. Seems like a lifetime ago. But it isn't like I'll be doing that again any time soon.”

“Why not?”

Lou pulled the covers aside and pointed to the remains of her leg. “That's why not. I made a mistake five months ago and I shall pay for it as long as I live.” She stifled a yawn. She didn't want to be rude, but she was suddenly very tired.

“I'll let you get some sleep.” General Merrick stood up. “Is there is anything I can do?”

“I could do with the morphine upped. It's not touching the pain.”

“I'll let the doctor know on my way out. Is there anything else?”

“No, General.” She paused. “I'm sorry; pain makes me cranky and not very good company.”

“You're not alone on that score, as pain makes me cranky, too.” General Merrick nodded and rose.

Lou resumed gazing out of the window. The planes were still taking off and landing frequently. She saw Jack and three others, including a petite blonde, cross the tarmac and climb into a helicopter. It sat with rotors turning and then took off. Lou took a deep breath, wishing she could scratch her toes. They really did itch something chronic.

“Lou?”

She turned her head. “Yes, Dr. Andrews?”

“Time for those tests,” Dr. Andrews said.

“Great.” Lou rolled her eyes.

“That's what Staci said, with more or less the same expression on her face, too. We ran the same tests on all the others. Sooner we start, the sooner we're done.” Dr. Andrews put a tray of instruments down and pulled the curtains around the bed. “This is the part Colonel Fitzgerald always refers to as the human pincushion bit. If it's any consolation, he hates it, as well.”

“OK.” Lou held out her arm, not seeing the point in objecting.

10

It was evening when they wheeled her back to the infirmary from yet another scan.

Mum sat by the bed, waiting for her. “Hi, sweetheart,” she said. “You OK?”

“I guess so.”

“I can get you some dinner if you want.”

Lou shook her head. Just the thought of food made her stomach turn itself in knots. Part of her knew that was down to hunger, but the other part of her wasn't going to risk eating just in case. “No thanks. I'm more tired than hungry.”

“You need to eat.”

Lou tilted her head. “I'll be sick if I do, which is kind of a waste of food. I have something for you.” She pointed. “That package next to the unit there.”

Mum picked it up. “This one?”