Audrey had counted 17 men who had entered the hospital ward before. Three were nurses or doctors, three were wounded badly and out of the other eleven nine had come back and left already. Jack hadn't been among them.
It had been quiet for a long time now, so she had finally dared to sneak back into her room. The way had been clear, nobody was around.
As she had reached her room she stayed inside and peeked out of the little gap which she kept the door open.
Now for the first time she saw what was going on at the other end of the corridor. To the right were two doors. They looked like they'd lead to operating rooms. At the far end there was a sickroom, out of which right now a soldier emerged. His right arm was put in cast and he wore a white sling.
That made number ten. Only Jack, the three doctors and the three poor guys in the operating rooms were left.
Audrey sneaked a peek through the door into the sickroom, as he opened it.
Yes, Jack was in there.
A few minutes later a nurse left the room, heading for the operating theatre.
Audrey quickly scampered down the hallway. Her bare feet made almost no noise as she was running. She opened the door to Jacks room and found him alone in there. He stood with his back turned to her, just putting on a fresh shirt. It was like all the army stuff- awful khaki green.
She slipped into the room and closed the door behind her. Jack hadn't even heard her up to that.
He turned around, expecting the nurse to be back, but he startled as he spotted her. "Audrey…", he breathed.
She smiled at him. "Jack."
He couldn't help smiling as well. It was so good to see her here, safe and sound and smiling back at him. Hurriedly he went over to her. "What are you doing up at that time?", he asked her. "You should be in bed, not running around."
She stretched out her arms and grabbed him by his loose shirt to pull him closer. "I was waiting for you.", she answered, as she pulled him to her. He let her do that, and put his arms caringly around her body. "I'm so glad you're back in one piece."
For a few endless moments he held her close. He didn't tell her how close he had already been to not coming back in one piece – literally. "Come over to the bed. Lie down." He guided her over to the bed.
"Jack, I don't need to…", she protested, but he wouldn't let her.
"Only because they gave you so many painkillers that it doesn't hurt you any more it doesn't mean you should now run around." Determinedly he helped her up to sit on the sickbed where he had sat before, as they had taken care of his shoulder.
Audrey saw the bloody gauzes and a glass with a metal splinter in it, standing at the table beside the bed. "How is your shoulder?", she worriedly asked him and brushed away his shirt to find a fresh bandage around it.
"It's really ok. That was no bullet, just a small piece of a ricochet.", he answered and took her hands into his.
Audrey sat there and stared at her hands, and as his hands around hers. First she had been happy, but now there was a wave of sadness which came over her. "Jack….", she began, but she couldn't finish the sentence. She had wanted to ask him why he had left her, years ago. But now, as he stood right in front of her, so close, she didn't have the heart to do this. It would sound like a blame.
"What's up, Audrey?" He brought his right hand to her face, and gently brushed a few strands of her blond hair to the side.
There were thousands of questions which she wanted to ask him. But as she looked into his eyes she just came to the conclusion that none of them was appropriate right now. Would he leave again? Of course, he would. Why he had broken away earlier, when she had tried to kiss him? Damn it, a few hours earlier he had told her that he had just lost somebody. She shouldn't have ever pushed him like that. In the end, out of the thousand questions only one made it to her lips.
"Why did you do that all?", she silently asked him.
"Why did I do what?"
"Come to Bakersfield… get me out… don't tell me you've been around by chance. I won't believe you."
Jack took a deep breath and leant forward- leaning his forehead softly against hers. "Audrey you know exactl I've done that.", he silently answered. "Your dad called me an hour after the bomb had gone off and told me you were right there. He didn't have to say anything else."
A few tears rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you…", she tonelessly said. "I don't know how I can ever make that up to you."
"You don't have to.", he whispered. "You did so much for me. I'm sorry I left you so… abruptly before."
"Doesn't matter anymore.", she whispered back. "You returned."
None of them said a word for a while. They simply savored the nearness of the other. Nobody had to say a single word to know what the other was thinking, what the other was feeling.
It was the nurse who broke the silence, as she came back to their room. "Mrs. Anderson…", she stammered, surprised.
Jack stepped back at once, but it was too late anyway.
She had already seen that Mrs. Anderson and Captain Bauer were much more than good friends.
The nurse came over to them and gave Jack a wireless phone. "There's a call for you.", she stammered and then hurriedly left the room again.
He took it.
Audrey watched his back as he was on the phone. He went around in the room and was suddenly looking quite restless. He finally ended the call and put the phone away. "They want me to come to the situation room.", he murmured.
"What? Now? It's in the middle of the night."
He shrugged. "Sounded important." Hurriedly he started to button up his shirt.
Audrey watched him dress up. "Jack, will you come back afterwards?", she asked him.
"I will. Don't worry, it's just a debrief. I guess they need our information now since they're going to send other troops to Bakersfield tomorrow morning."
Audrey nodded, understandingly. She had been in this business for such a long time that she precisely knew that he was right. They needed to know what he had seen, to figure out a strategy for their next move.
As Jack put on the uniform which they had given him, it all felt unreal. It had been like fifteen years ago when he had worn such a jacket for the last time. Colonel Wyatt hat given him the prospect of a presidential pardon. Was that his chance now to get back to a sort of a settled life? If it was, then this was the last chance he'd get, he was sure.
"Jack?", Audrey asked. She saw how he had got lost in thoughts, standing in front of the mirror.
"Yeah? What do you need?", he asked and came over to her again, as he was doing his tie.
"I'm sorry… if I pushed you too far, earlier.", she murmured. "I don't know what on earth got into me… I hope you're not mad at me."
Jack shook his head no. He took her hand into his again bowed down and gave her a tender kiss onto her cheek. "Audrey, there's happened so much in these last years… we'll talk when I come back."
She was electrified by his touch. His beard stubble softly scraped over her skin but his lips felt incredibly soft. It wasn't just a short kiss for a good-bye. His lips lingered there, right at her skin. Audrey closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment. She could read the signs now. This was just as close as he would get – for now. But she could read from every movement he made, from every word he said and every breath he made, that he wanted more.
As an answer she just pressed his hands faster, closed her eyes and savored the short moment.
That was the moment when he was suddenly determined to tell her the truth. He would tell her exactly why he had left- he would tell her about the accusations which Heller had brought over him to force him to leave the country. He would tell her about Renee. About everything that had brought them here.
He had made his decision right now. A wave of adrenaline rushed through his body. It had taken him so long to make that decision. He had been afraid of it, during all of the last days with her.
But a few hours ago, as he had crouched behind the corner of a small concrete wall, seeing some other men of this platoon dying right in front of his eyes, he had so regretted not telling her the truth. For a few moments he had even thought he wouldn't ever return to get another chance. He placed another soft kiss at Audrey's cheek. "I'll be right back.", he whispered and left the room, knowing exactly what he was going to do upon his return.