CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Rachel had waited next to Tom for a while but realized he was out. Taylor was still in his stretcher waiting for Rios to clear him to leave the helo bay and the man looked bored. She looked over and saw both PO1 Graven and PO3 Hart had been discharged for their minor injuries. Rachel walked over to Wolf.
"How are you doing, Wolf?" she asked. The Australian looked up at her and sighed.
"Bored, Ma'am," he said with a half-smile. "All my friends are off the ship."
Rachel knew he was talking about the three teams that were ashore. Bivas, Mason, Miller, Green, and all the other members of the VBSS teams, who weren't injured, were with the president.
"You should be cleared to leave soon. How do your wounds feel?"
"Painful," he said with a chuckle. Rachel smiled.
"Yes, I can imagine. That hip wound will keep you benched for a while," Rachel replied, and Wolf groaned.
"Just what I need," he said with a slight pout. Rachel smiled.
"It needs to heal properly. You were shot."
"I bet he doesn't have to take it easy when he wakes up," Wolf remarked tossing a finger at the captain. Rachel bit at her bottom lip to keep the full-blown grin off her face.
"You may be surprised," she said softly. Rachel looked up to see Rios coming back towards them. Rachel waited for him to join her on the other side of Wolf.
"I've managed to find a pair of crutches for you. I'm releasing you from the infirmary, but you are not released for active duty," Rios said. "The crutches are on the way up here, when they get here, and they are adjusted properly for you, you may leave."
"Ahh, Doc," Taylor practically whined.
"Sorry, but you're not cleared for duty with the bullet wound."
Rachel stepped away and let the two men argue about it. Rachel knew she was going to have a similar argument when Tom woke up. She sat back down on her stool and swiped her hand gently through his hair. She studied his sleeping face, noticing that his accident was going to leave the hair of a scar over his eye. She traced her fingertips over it, wishing she could smooth it away.
She checked his shoulder and his leg, happy with the sutures she had performed. Now all she needed was for him to wake up. Although she was happy he was getting some rest. She heard someone come in and looked over her shoulder.
"Bout time!" Taylor whooped as the crutches had finally shown up. Rios approached and fitted them to him, and Taylor bounded out of the helo bay, leaving Tom as the last one. Rios walked up to her.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to head back to the infirmary," Rios said.
"Not at all. I'll handle him when he gets up," Rachel replied with a smile. Rios nodded and then left, leaving Rachel and Tom alone in the helo bay. She turned her attention back to Tom and slipped her hand into his. She leaned forward and laid her head down next to their hands, letting herself drift off to sleep.
Rachel woke when she felt a hand gently roll through her hair. She lifted her head off the bed and saw Tom looking at her. She smiled and yawned.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey, yourself. You been up long?"
"No," Tom said looking around the helo bay. "A few seconds longer than you."
"I got tired waiting for you to wake up," she said softly with a smile. Tom chuckled then winced.
"I'm still in the helo bay."
"Yep, and you're not going to like what I have to say next," Rachel said with a sigh. Tom groaned.
"No," he barked.
"No, what?" Rachel asked.
"No, to whatever restrictions you and Rios have cooked up. No."
"Tom," Rachel sighed.
"I'm okay to return to duty," Tom said defiantly.
"Tom, you were shot. Three times. You are certainly not ready to return to duty. I wish this was as easy as Senior Chief Taylor."
"Rachel, I have a job to do and that's lead this ship."
"And if one of your sailors was as wounded as you, what, do tell, would you order of them?" Rachel spat back. Tom went to argue and stopped, his mouth hanging open for a moment before he closed it. "Exactly."
"Not the same," Tom grumbled under his breath and Rachel smiled.
"It is the same, Tom. Listen, you need to rest and let it start to heal. If you don't, it won't heal properly."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Give command to Mike for now," Rachel said blatantly. Tom pushed himself back against the pillow and stared at the ceiling. Rachel could tell he was not happy.
She sat forward and leaned over him, forcing him to make eye contact. When she had his attention, she leaned down and gently captured his lips with hers, then slowly heated the kiss up. Tom responded in kind, until Rachel finally pulled back and sat back down.
"That was for not dying out there," she said, letting the emotions leak into her voice. Tom paused. Then his hand came out and gripped hers. He smiled sadly and nodded.
"I'm sorry," he said. Rachel simply nodded.
"Hopefully Rios has a second set of crutches because he already gave Wolf a set."
"How'd everyone else fair," Tom asked. Rachel gave him a run down on the injuries and of how Mike formed up a third team and headed for shore shortly after Tom came back. Tom nodded and blew out a breath. "Who's in charge on the ship?"
"Garnett," Rachel replied, and Tom nodded.
"Okay. So, what am I allowed to do?"
"Go to your quarters and rest."
"You mean stay in bed?"
"Sounds like an idea to me," Rachel whispered quietly. Tom smiled and shook his head at her.
"Okay, I'll take a break for the rest of today but then I'm back at it tomorrow."
"We will see when Rios clears you for duty," she quipped back at him, and Tom frowned.
"I'll need to talk to Commander Garnett today though."
"I'll arrange it," Rachel said as she got up and went over to the phone on the wall. She dialed up the infirmary first and asked Rios to return to the helo bay. Then she called the bridge and asked Commander Garnett to come as well. She walked back over the stool and sat down. "There, all set."
Tom smiled at her and retook her hand, pulling it to his lips and kissing it. It wasn't long before Rios came in. He walked up to them, and Tom dropped Rachel's hand.
"Captain, how are you feeling?"
"Like I got shot." Tom drawled out. Rachel chuckled while Rios gave him a tight-lipped smile.
"Well, the good news is no real damage. Just superficial muscular damage. Both bullets were through and through, hitting just muscle tissue."
"Bad news?"
"I'm sure you've already been told. I'm not clearing you for duty for a few days at least."
"Days?" Tom asked incredulously. Rachel worked hard to keep the snicker to herself and the smile off her face.
"Yes, Sir. The injuries you sustained require you to stay off your leg and rest. The more rest you get the faster you will recover."
Rachel heard Tom grumble under his breath, and she placed her hand on his uninjured shoulder. Tom glanced at her and glowered. Rachel couldn't stop the small laugh that bubbled up in her. It made Tom pout. Rachel squeezed her hand gently. Rios walked away quickly, never looking back. Rachel watched as Tom turned and looked at her.
"A couple days off," she said in a purr. Tom's pout was still in place.
"I can't take a couple days off," he grumbled. Rachel released his shoulder and cupped his jaw.
"Oh, but you can," she said before she smiled at him. He glared at her and blew out a frustrated breath. Before he could answer her Commander Garnett walked in. Rachel dropped her hand.
"You wanted to see me, Captain?" she asked walking up to his bedside. Tom was quiet a moment before he spoke.
"Yes," he said with a deep sigh. "I'm apparently going to be on medical down time for the next couple days. With the XO on shore with the president that will leave you in charge of the bridge."
"Aye, Sir," she replied as she glanced over his injuries.
"Have we gotten word from the XO? Or the teams on the ground?"
"Yes, Sir," Garnett answered. "XO reported that he had reached the hotel and made contact with President Michener. Green and Burk have assumed commands of Cobra and Vulture teams and taken up a perimeter around the hotel. Mason, Miller, and Garrison are filling in the holes in the president's personal security team."
"Sounds like things are under control."
"Aye, Sir. President Michener has reestablished control and communications with the city of St. Louis Mayor Howard Oliver. They have reestablished control over the police force and determined a line of command."
"How long was I asleep?" Tom asked wearily.
"Sir?" Garnett asked. Rachel smiled.
"You were out for a couple hours," Rachel whispered. Tom looked at her with wide eyes. Rachel shrugged.
"Okay. Sounds like we have the city under control again."
"Yes, Sir, as of now."
"All right. I'll be in my stateroom if I'm needed."
"Aye, Sir," Garnett replied and then left. Tom blew out another frustrated breath and Rachel reached down and slipped her hand into his. She watched as his eyes shifted to her.
"It's okay, everything will be fine while you recuperate."
"Easy for you to say," he huffed. She smiled and squeezed his hand. Rios returned with another pair of crutches and Rachel helped Tom to his feet. She watched him wince as he dropped his feet down.
Rios adjusted the crutches and handed them over. Tom frowned at them before placing them under his arms and taking a few steps, keeping his injured leg off the ground. He groaned and paused a few steps in and looked at his injured shoulder.
"This isn't going to work," he grumbled in a low voice. Rachel looked at him expectantly.
"What?"
"It hurts my shoulder to use the crutch," he said angrily as he flexed his hand. "It puts too much pressure on the wound."
"I was afraid of that," Rios sighed. "Give me that crutch and just use the one. But keep as much weight off your injured leg as you possibly can."
Tom handed Rios the one crutch and attempted to maneuver himself with just the one. It took a few steps and fumbles before he finally figured out how to walk with his weight shifted and the crutch supportive. Rachel started to follow him.
Once they got to the stateroom, Tom slumped heavily onto the couch, dropping his crutch down in disgust. Rachel sat tentatively next to him. Cautious of his injuries, she stayed on the other side of the couch. Tom frowned.
"This sucks," he whined. Rachel laughed and watched Tom's eyes snap to her. "I'm serious."
"I know you are," she replied with a giggle. Tom frowned.
"What the hell do I do for a few days?"
"How about rest, relax, and let your body heal," Rachel said suggestively. Tom furrowed his eyebrows and blew out a sigh.
"I don't know how to do that," Tom grumbled lowly. A bark of laughter escaped from Rachel before she covered her mouth with her hand. She earned another glare from Tom.
"Don't laugh at me," he said, his face almost in a pout.
"Seriously, Tom," Rachel said working to control the laughter in her. He crossed his arms over his chest then winced, before blowing out a frustrated breath. Rachel leaned over and scooted closer to him. He slumped back into the couch and dropped his head along the top of the couch. "I know it's not ideal, but you were shot...three times," she said, the emotion seeping into her voice.
Tom picked his head up and looked at her. She forced a smile over her lips trying to keep some of the fear and anxiety she was feeling down. She sat there, patiently letting his eyes probe her, watching as understanding suddenly dawned on him.
"Yeah," he said as he reached with his good arm and took her hand. "I guess I wasn't thinking about how…" he was saying but his words trailed off then stopped.
"I know," Rachel said. "But you were lucky, as were the others who were injured," she said softly. Tom blew out another breath.
"I'm sorry," he said, squeezing her hand. She smiled at him in return and nodded slightly. "I'll take time to rest. I'm not built for this type of thing."
"No. You're built to charge forward. But in doing so…you end up like this sometimes."
"I know," Tom said as he looked away. Rachel looked down.
The emotions of the situation running through her. She felt the tears forming in her eyes and grew angry at herself. She wiped at her eyes with her free hand and saw Tom look back at her. His free hand came up and he brushed the backs of his knuckles down her cheek. She leaned into the touch and closed her eyes.
"I'm okay," he said. Rachel opened her mouth to say something, but no words came as the what ifs assaulted her brain. The thought of how close Tom had come to dying rushed her and overwhelmed her senses. The tears fell, and she bit at her lip to stop the sobs. "Hey," he said gently as he dropped her hand and cupped both sides of her face.
"You almost died, and I don't think you realize how close it really was. If this bullet," Rachel said touching his shoulder gently, "had hit you here instead? It would have blown apart an artery and you would have bled out before anyone could have even gotten to you."
"But it didn't." he said sternly. Rachel felt exasperated.
"If this bullet," Rachel continued, touching his leg, "had hit here? You would have severed an artery and again…bled out."
Tom's expression didn't change, and she couldn't read him to tell what he was thinking. As far as she could tell he wasn't taking any of what she was saying seriously. It was sheer luck that Tom was sitting here now, and he was totally clueless. They stared at each other for a long time, and Rachel still couldn't tell what he was thinking. The tears were still falling as all she could think about was his body returning to the ship, not him.
"Rachel," he said after a long pause. She pulled away from him because she was losing the internal battle. "I think you misunderstand my stoic and emotionless response to what you're saying as me not understanding the danger that was today. Trust me when I say, I completely understand how dangerously close I came to dying today. But the only way for me, personally, to deal with the idea that, yes, I should not have lived through the day, is to push the emotions down and not feel them. If it had been a trained soldier on the other end of the that weapon instead of a scared kid? I would have been dead."
"But you," Rachel stammered as she worked to even out her breathing.
"No, listen. I just compartmentalize those emotions because if I don't? I can't do my job. If I'm afraid I'm going to die, I can't do my job. Do you understand? I've gotten really good at being able to continue on and be thankful for dumb luck."
"I can't do that," Rachel said.
"I know," he replied with a sigh. "But trust me I understand how close I came to dying today. I'm so grateful that it didn't happen, and I get to come back to this," he continued as he moved his hand between them.
"So, you'll take a few days?" Rachel asked. Tom's face remained a mask then slowly split into a grin.
"Yes," he whispered. "For you."
To Be Continued…
