Getting Back to Normal
Chapter 7
Chief managed to dodge the area being bombed. He made it outside of the city and headed for the safe house, all the while looking in the rearview and side mirrors for tails. He was also looking for the car Actor was driving. He knew the con man had seen which way he had turned and hoped he was able to catch up with them. They reached the safe house with no sign of the confidence man.
Once inside the house, Garrison slapped his officer's hat on the table in disgust. Chief said nothing, but just went back outside to take up watch. Goniff backed away from their leader and fidgeted. He wasn't sure who Garrison was angry with. Casino just watched the young officer.
Casino sighed to himself. "I don't want to add to your troubles, Warden . . ."
"Then don't," snapped Garrison.
"Yeah, well. Listening to Actor and Terry talking in Italian, I think she got nailed."
Garrison looked sharply at him. "How bad?"
Shaking his head, Casino replied. "Don't know for sure. She was able to crawl behind that car. And she had a kid with her."
Even Goniff looked startled at that pronouncement.
"A kid?" repeated Craig. "How big of a kid?"
"I don't know. Toddler maybe or a little bit older." Casino removed his jacket and sat down on the couch. "I think the dead dame on the street may have been the kid's mother."
Great, thought Craig. He didn't know where his sister was, what shape she was in, and she had a child with her. This was just getting better. At least the two men in the house had the sense enough not to say, 'I told you so.' He knew that without hearing it. Turning, he went upstairs to change out of the uniform.
GGGGG
Terry walked slowly, each step on the wounded leg was like fire. She could barely hobble. It was going to be a long two miles. As usual, she compared it with the ranch in Montana. It was five miles to the mailbox from the house. One mile was to the gate separating the National Park land from the Blackfeet reservation land. It would be only a mile further than that. Only.
She made it a mile before giving out. Actor wasn't sure how she had made it that far. As tight as the handkerchief was around her leg, it was still saturated with blood along with the pantleg. Sweat was running down her face and she was winded. She finally shook her head and said, "No more."
Actor helped her to a tree stump to sit and rest. He set Angel down and took a couple deep breaths himself.
Teresa looked up at him. "Listen, take the child and go on. I'll wait here. You can send a couple of the guys back to get me."
"No," said Actor sternly. "I am not leaving you behind."
"Well I don't think the Greyhound bus comes through here any time soon," Teresa said sarcastically. "How do you propose we do this?"
Actor didn't answer. He contemplated trying to carry the woman and child, but doubted he would get far with his supposedly healed arm. Teresa was watching him.
"We will take a rest now," he said. "Then we will try again, but more frequent rest stops."
Teresa shook her head. "You can't carry the child and help me much farther."
"Do not tell me what I can't do," said Actor through gritted teeth.
"Stubborn Roman-headed Italian," said Terry in frustration.
"Yes, now stai zitti!" he ordered. "Rest and we will see how much farther we can get."
They sat for about five minutes and Actor rose when Teresa climbed to her feet. As before, he lifted the too-quiet child to his hip and reached his other arm out for Teresa. Her jaws and her mouth were clamped tightly shut as she took the first few steps forward. Taking a deep breath, she straightened and tried to walk a little steadier.
She made it about the length of a football field before stopping to lean against a tree, taking her weight off the injured left leg. She had broken into a sweat again from the exertion. After another five minute break, they started off again. It took eight breaks before she stopped seemingly for good. Her face was pale but there was the same determination on her face he had seen many times before on her brother. And she called him stubborn? Actor knew what he had to do, and hoped he would be able to do it.
Again, he set Ange on her feet and stepped behind her. Trying not to strain his injured arm too much, Actor lifted the child to sit on his shoulders and told her quietly in French to hang onto his forehead. Teresa wasn't even paying attention until he lifted her wrist with his left hand and ducked his head under her arm.
"No . . .," she objected, but not fast enough.
He put his arm behind her back and slid his left forearm under her legs. With a grimace of his own, he lifted the woman and started off.
"Put me down!" said Teresa with anger. "You can't carry both of us with that arm."
"What did I tell you before?" he said sharply. "Now be quiet. We will go as long as I am able to."
Actor did not stop until they reached the safe house. He was afraid if he stopped to rest, he would not be able to go on. Chief met him at the road and stared slack jawed. He quickly shouldered his rifle and took Terry from the older man. Actor lifted the child from his shoulders, with a wince and grimace, and put her back on his hip.
"Jeez, Man," said Chief. "How far did you carry them?"
"Both of them for the last half mile," said Actor.
Chief turned and started toward the house. The con man followed.
Goniff was watching out the window when the two men came into view. His eyes widened. "Warden!"
Garrison looked up from his seat at the table. "Terry and Actor?"
"Yeah," said the Englishman.
Casino jumped up from the couch and opened the door. Chief came in first, still carrying Terry and Actor followed with the child.
Garrison took in the blood staining the Italian's jacket. His eyes went to his sister. What he could see of her pants was soaked in blood. She was aware, but did not make a sound.
"Where you want her?" asked Chief, waiting for instructions from one of the leaders.
"Can you get her upstairs?" asked Actor. "We have to get that bullet out and stop the bleeding."
"I can get her up there better'n you can right now, Dad," said Chief.
He headed for the stairs. Casino approached the Italian and held his arms out. Actor told the little girl it was all right. She reached for the other man with some hesitancy, until he smiled at her.
"You got a name, Kid," asked Casino.
She looked at him without comprehension.
"Ange," said Actor, barely hiding his relief at no longer being weighed down. "Or as Teresa calls her, Angel."
"Uh, was her madre, uh, tot?' the safecracker asked in Italian and German.
"Very," replied Actor with resignation. Expecting the wrath of the officer, Actor said," We could not very well leave her there with her mother to be bombed."
"We'll deal with it," said Craig. "What about Terry?"
Actor shook his head. "She has lost a lot of blood. We ran out of gas two miles from here. She walked most of it." At Garrison's raised eyebrows, he added, "She is stubborn, like the rest of her family." The older man was tired, in pain, and unhappy with the Lieutenant's decision to visit the factory. None of it was anything he could say to the officer.
"Goniff, go take watch," ordered the Lieutenant, ignoring Actor's outburst.
In the meantime, Chief carried Terry to the first bedroom and carefully laid her down on the bed. He looked at the pale, sweaty features of the girl before his eyes slid down to the red handkerchief tied tightly around her left thigh that matched the pantleg.
"You still got your blade?" he asked.
Terry dropped her right wrist over the edge of the bed and released the knife from its sheath. She held it up to the scout.
"Keep yours. You may need it," she said.
Chief shook his head. "I'm gonna try to find an aid kit."
"Thanks, Chief," said Terry quietly.
Garrison and Actor were coming up the stairs when Chief let himself out of the bedroom. "You think there's an aid kit in the general's car?"
"Hopefully," replied Garrison. "We checked downstairs and there was nothing." The frown on the younger man's face worried the Lieutenant. "She okay?"
"She's talkin' and makin' sense, but she isn't good," said Chief.
"Well, see what you can find," said Garrison. He waited by the door until the scout was on his way downstairs and looked questioningly at Actor. "You want to cut, or do you want to hold her? I'm not hopeful there is even an aid kit let alone chloroform."
"My right arm is okay," replied Actor. "I'll cut."
They both entered the bedroom. Terry looked up at them. "So who is going to do the honors?" she asked.
"He is," said Craig tilting his head.
"Good," replied the girl in a weaker voice than normal. "You can put your finger between my teeth, and I can gnaw it off for you."
"That won't be necessary," said Craig in Blackfoot so Actor could not understand. "I know it was an idiot thing to do."
As they were changing languages, the girl looked at the tall man who was looking at the pantleg and handkerchief assessing how he was going to remove the bullet.
"Come sta il tuo braccio?" she asked about his arm.
"Io vivrò,"he replied shortly.
"Bene."
Craig had understood enough words to figure it out, but did not say anything. "I'll check the bathroom for an aid kit." He left the two together.
Actor pulled a chair up facing the wound. He held his hand out and was not surprised when Teresa laid the switchblade on his palm. "If this is too painful, tell me." He began cutting the pantleg above the handkerchief. He went across the top of the leg and circled as far down both sides as possible.
Chief met Garrison in the hallway. Both had aid kits in their hands, but the one from the General's car was bigger with presumably more supplies in it.
"You want me to stay?" asked Chief.
Garrison nodded. "You probably should. I'll hold the top of her, but you may have to keep her from kicking Actor or at least hand him what he needs."
Actor took the larger of the aid kits. He moved the chair to the side and opened the kit on the seat. A tiny smile came to his face when he saw the packet of suture. There was also alcohol in a small bottle. Actor untied the handkerchief and gently pulled it free, dropping it on the floor.
"Teresa, can you roll a little to your right so I can cut the rest of the pantleg off?" he asked.
She rolled over slightly, but could not stifle a wince. The con man worked quickly cutting the rest of the pantleg free. Standing at the foot of the bed, Chief took hold of the cuff and slowly pulled it down and off her leg. It went on the floor beside him.
Actor lowered himself on his heels and studied the opening in the woman's thigh. Opening a cloth wrapped square, he took a single gauze dressing, wet it with alcohol, and looked at the Lieutenant. Garrison climbed up on bed behind his sister, so she was leaning back against him. He crossed her arms on her chest and grabbed opposite wrists with his hands.
Actor flicked open the switchblade and wiped it down with alcohol before laying it on the open kit. A little bit more alcohol was poured in his palm, and he rubbed it into his hands. Taking another gauze dressing, he wet it with more alcohol, gave Teresa a warning look and began to wipe the blood away from the wound. He was very aware of the inhaled breath the woman took when the wound was touched.
"Wait a minute," said Chief sharply.
The other three looked at him as he went out the door and returned quickly with damp cloth rolled up tightly. Terry realized his intent and opened her mouth to use the cloth to clamp her teeth onto.
"Good idea," said Actor. "I should have thought of that earlier."
The gauze he was cleaning the wound with went on the floor atop the remains of the pantleg. He picked up the switchblade and looked at Teresa. She nodded.
Garrison tightened his grip on her wrists and Chief did the same with her ankles. Actor slipped the end of the knife into the wound and saw the muscles of the girl's legs tighten.
"Breathe, Teresa," instructed the Italian. "Try to not tense this leg."
She took a deep inhalation and forced her left leg to relax. Her eyes went to the wound and Actor's hands. Sometimes, if she watched, the pain didn't seem quite as bad. This wasn't one of those times.
Carefully, Actor probed, trying to ignore the strangled noise coming around the mouth gag. He found the bullet with the tip of the knife and eased in forward around the metal fragment. Chief leaned his weight on his grip around Terry's ankles and Garrison tightened his grip on her wrists.
"Easy, cara," Actor said softly. "I almost have it."
Working with the slippery metals, he was able to finally reach the entrance with the bullet. It slid out and onto the bed and then the floor. Actor set the knife down and pressed a wadded up piece of gauze against the wound. He looked at Teresa's face. A tear was making a trail from the corner of her eye toward her ear. She took a ragged breath and looked at him, forcing herself to relax.
"The worst part is over now," said Actor. "Two sutures to allow it to drain until we can get you to a hospital."
Terry spit the cloth out. "I don't need a hospital. I have a doctor already. What can they do that you can't do?"
"Give you a blood transfusion for one thing," replied their medical man. "And some antibiotic."
"Warden," broached Chief. "Don't think either of you is up to givin' her blood."
"He is probably correct," acknowledged the con man.
"Kelly," suggested Terry.
Garrison nodded. "If we can find him."
Actor just wanted to get this over with. He hated to inflict pain on the younger woman. "Ready?" he asked.
Teresa nodded.
Fifteen minutes later, the wound was stitched, sulfa applied, and dressed. Chief picked up the trash and Garrison let his sister lean back on the pillows.
"I'll clean up," said the officer to his second. "Go rest."
"Thank you, Actor," said Terry. She frowned. "Where's Angel?"
"Casino is watching out for her," replied Actor.
"Oh, yeah. All those brothers and sisters," acknowledged Teresa.
Actor turned to the Warden. "Are you sure? I can finish up."
"Go rest. That's an order," said Garrison with a smile. "We have a couple hours yet before we have to leave."
The confidence man nodded and walked toward the door.
"Actor?"
He turned to look questioningly at Teresa.
"Thank you," she said again.
He merely nodded and let himself out of the room.
"I don't believe he carried you for a half mile," said Craig shaking his head.
"I don't either," said Terry. "But I was there and that's what he did."
"You walked a mile and a half on that leg," questioned her brother.
Terry nodded. "That's how far he said I walked."
She watched her big brother cleaning up the items on the chair. He took the knife out to clean it and brought it back closed to hand to her. She worked it back into its sheath.
"Hey, Craig?" she asked. "Is this going to be normal now for me going on missions with you guys?"
"I certainly hope not," said Garrison heartily.
"You know," mused Terry. "We aren't going to be able to let Ma see us without clothes anymore."
Garrison gave a snort in response. "She might handle me okay, but one look at you and she'll have a heart attack."
"No doubt, Big Brother."
8