THIRTY TWO
Walking briskly against the cold, plodding over the planks of wood that had been laid down over the icy, slushy mud around the camp, Corporal Klinger approached Lieutenant MacAllister's tent. Having only had two hours of sleep himself, he knew she probably hadn't had much sleep, either. He hated to do this. Knocking at her door, he called to her, "Lieutenant? Wake up, ma'am."
At her sleepy reply, he entered her quarters. "I'm sorry," he told the woman who was reaching for her robe. "But the colonel's going to take that Canadian soldier back into the operating room. And, since you're listed as on-call surgical nurse on the duty roster…"
The nurse nodded in understanding, "I'll be right there," she yawned.
After relaying his message, the company clerk headed back to his cot. At least MacAllister hadn't thrown a boot at him like Baker, the scheduled anesthetist, had done when he had woken her up.
Groggily plodding across the compound, Corporal Klinger approached Lieutenant MacAllister's darkened tent, again. He was so tired. Moving in a somnambulistic state, he opened the door and paused just inside the structure, "Lieutenant? Lieutenant MacAllister, wake up!"
A sudden growl and the popping of teeth near his leg made him yell and leap back in fear. Corporal Klinger was now wide awake.
A light was switched on in the tent.
"Ernie! It's all right. Come here! That's a good boy, come here." Sarabeth MacAllister, straightening from her crouched position, patted the dog and looked at the company clerk. "Next time, Klinger, I suggest you knock. Did he bite you?" she asked as she fastened her bathrobe around her pajamas.
The man took a deep breath and shook his head, "I don't think so. I'm sorry to disturb you, again, but there's a really strange call for you in my office."
Instantly, the lieutenant went into action. She pulled on her boots and reached for her jacket. "Let's go," she ordered. "Tell me about it on the way."
"...After I finally managed to find the phone in my sleep," the corporal was explaining, "and after I identified this unit, a man said: 'This is an emergency message. I must speak to Yellow Rose, immediately.' At first, I didn't know what he was talking about. But then I remembered, the last time Colonel MacAllister was here, he told me that if I ever received a call asking for Yellow Rose, I was to notify you, immediately; even if you were in surgery."
At the company clerk's desk, the lieutenant grabbed up the receiver and spoke into it, "Yellow Rose." The Texan listened to the voice on the other end and replied, "4/21/36. Siesta."
The corporal watched her curiously as she took up a pen, turned over one of his typed reports and began writing down the words dictated to her. "Got it. Message understood. Out." Frowning, the woman hung up the receiver.
"Lieutenant? What's the matter? Are you all right?" Klinger asked in concern.
"I'm OK." She read the other side of her paper before folding it. "Looks like I owe you this week's laundry requisition, Klinger." Sarabeth placed the note in her robe pocket. "Let me examine that bite. And then we have work to do."
"I didn't know that you were with Army Intelligence."
"I'm not. I just have a brother who is. Anyway, didn't you just learn that you should let sleeping dogs lie?" MacAllister's smile was friendly but her eyes held a warning against further questions.
