"This deluge may not be over by then," I said, sighing at the sight and sounds of triage. With a weary heart, I ran towards the jeeps rushing into the compound.
This was not a rare occurrence; our poker games interrupted by the war. It almost seemed like just when we were forgetting about it, the destruction would make itself known to us again, worse and worse until we broke.
I looked across the compound and saw Linda running up to the ambulances. The expectation was that, by now, she would have a glazed look on her face, glassy eyes and the disposition of a kewpie doll. But there she was, running across the camp, throwing a jacket on as she ran, looking just as alert and alive as when she arrived.
I was impressed.
I was also worried.
Anyone who took that long to let it in, who blocked it out like that, had more of a chance of severely cracking.
But, I couldn't think about it. I was fully in doctor mode and triage was number one on my mind.
"Linda!" I called. She grabbed a clipboard from another nurse and ran to my side.
"Yeah, Hawk?" she asked, pencil at the ready.
"This guy has a bad chest and his belly isn't much better. He's going in first and I've got dibs."
"Blood?"
"Give him twenty units to start and then we'll pump in more when he's ready for it."
"Lieutenant," I heard a voice behind us.
"Yes father?" Linda answered, never taking her eyes off the soldier in front of her.
"I just wanted to thank you again for your generous donation," he said.
"Like I said, it's no problem, Father," she replied.
"What donation?" I asked.
"Lieutenant Florence just gave me, out of the absolute goodness of her heart as well as out of the clear, blue sky, about two-hundred and fifty dollars," Father Mulcahy answered. Someone called his name from behind us. "Bless you my child," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder before scurrying away.
"So, your poker winnings went towards the Father?" I asked, smiling while tying off the soldier's bandages.
"It will be getting cold soon," she said. "I thought that the kids at Sister Theresa's could use some blankets and a hot meal."
She wrote down the status of the patient and ran off to Colonel Potter's side.
I finished triage and ran into the scrub room.
BJ was just finishing scrubbing when I barged in.
"I have faith in humanity again," I announced as I rushed to the sink.
"I doubt it was from that group out there," BJ replied. "I saw a lot of hand-to-hand combat wounds. It's gonna be an interesting night."
"I agree," I said. "But, despite that, I believe that there is a little silver lining on the clouds rolling overhead."
"Pray tell, what is it?"
"Linda, after thoroughly cleaning us at the poker table tonight, gave all of her winnings to Father Mulcahy to give to the kids at Sister Theresa's." I stopped and assessed BJ's response.
All he managed to say was, "Wow."
"Yeah, I know," I said. "That woman..."
That was all I had to say. He understood what I meant. How I was beginning to feel about Linda was a way I hadn't felt in a long time. It felt fantastic.
