Coming Home

Chapter 8

Terry's eyes flew open. She took in the scene in the hall and rage surged through her. A woman was hurting Julie. Adrenaline poured through Terry, and she moved out of the bed, ripping IV lines and wires off.

"Julie!" Terry was livid. "Get your hands off her!" she screamed. Somehow she made it to the door, grabbing the doorjamb for support with her left hand. Her right arm was immobilized by the cast.

"Lieutenant! Release that child!" blasted a male voice filled with authority. "That's an order!"

Mixed screams still filled the hall. "Teresa! Mama! Papa! Let her go!" A new, accented voice entered the mayhem. "Julie! Release her! Get your hands off my child!"

The nurse let go of the girl. Julie ran to Terry, who was closest, throwing her arms around the woman. Terry hugged her protectively.

The nurse protested, "It is against regulations for children to be here."

"I'm giving you a direct order, Lieutenant. I don't give a damn about your regulations. That child stays here. These three stars on my shoulder out rank your regulations. One more word out of you and you will be brought up on charges. Now get off this ward!"

The lieutenant saluted, pivoted and stalked down the hall.

Terry was becoming rapidly confused. She looked down the hall to where the voices had come from. First, she stared into the eyes of Actor, leaning heavily against the wall by the next room. His eyes were wild, face grayish white. His left arm was in a cast. Standing in the middle of the hall was her father in military uniform. That wasn't right. None of this was right.

Julie sensed something wrong and pulled back, seeing the confusion on Terry's face. She looked to her father and the general, now confused herself.

"Teresa," said Actor heavily. "Go back to bed. Go lay down before you fall down."

Terry looked at him in non-comprehension.

Actor straightened to his full height with much effort. He switched to Italian. "Teresa, get your ass back into that bed before you fall and hurt yourself more!" He looked at his child. "Julie, help her," he said in French.

Julie nodded, "Qui, Papa!" She took Terry's good arm and guided her back into the room.

Actor leaned back against the wall. He looked at the officer in the hall for the first time. There was an amused smile playing on the general's face.

"Mr. Borghese," said the General, "I suggest you follow your own advice and get your ass back into that bed before you fall down."

Actor cocked an eyebrow. "That would seem to be an excellent idea. However, I am afraid I am not going to make it."

"Allow me to help you, Son," said the general.

He stepped forward and pulled Actor's good arm around his shoulders and supported the Italian to the bed, where he helped the tall man get back in and situated.

"I apologize, Sir," said Actor. "I do not normally speak to your daughter that way."

"Quite all right," assured Will with a grin. "Sometimes you have to do that to get her attention. I have to ask though. Did I hear your daughter call my daughter 'mama'?"

Actor nodded, "I believe I heard her do that twice. I'm sure it was unintentional, Sir. Obviously, your daughter is not the mother of my child, but she has consented to be her godmother. The Lieutenant has encouraged Julie to call him Uncle Craig. The other three men are also 'uncles.' I hope this does not offend you."

"It does not offend me in the least," assured Will.

Julie hurried into the room and ran up to Actor. "Papa, there is something wrong with Terry. She is talking funny and not making any sense."

"What is she saying?" asked Actor.

"She says she is dead, and you are dead, and Uncle Craig is dead. And she doesn't understand why I am here and her papa."

Actor frowned in concern. The elder Garrison shook his head. "I'll go try to straighten her out. She probably has a pretty hefty concussion."

Garrison left the room and headed for his daughter's. A new nurse had scooted into the room and was restarting Terry's IV and the oxygen had been put back on her. The woman was calmer, but obviously confused. She looked at her father with something akin to amusement.

"Hi Dad," she said. "I thought you aren't supposed to feel pain when you're dead? This hurts. What is this hell or purgatory? And what are you and Julie doing here. You're not dead. Actor and I are. And probably Craig by now."

The oldest Garrison shook his head. "Terry, Sweetheart, nobody is dead. You're not dead, Actor is not dead. Craig is still in a coma."

"We're not dead?"

"No, Sweetheart, nobody is dead."

"What about Casino and Chief and Goniff?"

Will sat on the edge of her bed. "They are here in the hospital. They will all be okay."

"We made it?" Terry asked in disbelief.

"By some act of God, you all have made it so far."

"What about Craig?" asked Terry in fear. "Is he going to be all right?"

Garrison frowned. "We don't know yet. You were both in comas. He is still in one. It's too soon to say."

The nurse finished up with the IV. Terry caught her hand. "Please, can you bring a wheelchair? I have to see Craig! I have to see the guys!"

"Miss, you need to stay right where you are," the nurse said in a quiet soothing voice.

"I have to see them," repeated Terry agitatedly. "I have to see them now!"

The general sighed. "If you could bring a wheelchair, I'll take responsibility for her."

The nurse left the room in search of a wheelchair.

"Where are we?" asked Terry. "The last thing I remember is running a roadblock and getting shot."

The elder Garrison shook his head. "This is the Army Air Force base outside of London."

Terry's forehead crinkled as she tried to make her mind work. "Monty's base?"

"Yes," replied Will. "He's been here to see all of you."

A moment later, agitated herself, Christine ran into the room, clothes damp and hair dripping from the shower. She looked to her father.

"What happened? I heard shouting," she asked. Her eyes went to her sister and looked into the green eyes with shock. "You're awake!"

"I think so," said Terry dubiously. "Was that really Julie? Where is she?"

"I saw her at Actor's door, and she went inside," answered Chris. "What happened?"

"A nurse was trying to drag the child down the hall. She was screaming for her father and Terry . . . her mother," said Will.

Chris frowned at that, before realizing what must have happened. "I heard Actor yelling. Is he okay?"

Will nodded. "He made it as far as the door. I got him back into bed."

Chris smiled widely and a tad wickedly. "Um, Dad? Why don't you go order Actor to take some pain medicine? I would think he might need some and he won't take it."

"Oh, you think he will take an order from me?" scoffed Will.

"He might," said Chris. "If you tell him he can't see Terry unless he does."

Garrison and Terry both looked at her quizzically.

Will shook his head. "When did you become like your sister?"

Chris smiled. "I'm only like that when Terry is incapacitated, and I have to be in charge."

The sound of a wheelchair approaching reached them. This time it was the nurse, Sandy. She left the wheelchair outside the door and stepped inside the room. The nurse stopped at the foot of the bed and looked at Terry.

"Hello, I'm Sandy," she said. "Nice to see you back with us. Are you sure you are up to a wheelchair ride?" she asked dubiously.

Terry looked at her and a bit of the Garrison stubbornness shown through. "I can do whatever I need to do," she said. "And right now I need to see my brother and the other men for myself."

Sandy smiled. "Well then, let's get up, without pulling the lines out. If you get tired and need to lie down, tell me, and we'll get you back in bed for a rest and try again later."

Will stepped out into the hall while Chris helped Sandy get Terry back up and into the wheelchair. The injured woman still looked slightly confused and tired, but determined.

Sandy took over pushing the wheelchair while Chris guided the IV pole with the bottle clinking lightly against the metal pole. They went diagonally across the hall and into Lt. Garrison's room. The General trailed behind out of necessity.

Inside the room, a dark-haired nurse gave them a smile. "I see they pulled you out of that meeting," she said to Sandy.

"Suited me just fine," grinned Sandy. "Georgia, Terry Garrison. I think you've met General Garrison and Christine already."

"Nice to see you awake," Georgia said to Terry. "I take it things are straightened out in the hall?"

"Yes . . . I hope," affirmed Sandy. "You know how Lt. James can be."

"I didn't go out there at the time," said Georgia to the Garrisons. "I was watching the Lieutenant here. He became restless when the shouting started. When it got quiet, he went back to the way he is now."

Terry frowned and reached out to touch Craig's hand. "Hey, Brother, wake up." She said firmly.

There was no response.

With difficulty and a couple steadying hands on her, Terry stood up and stepped over the footplates so she could look down at her brother. "Craig, come on. Time to wake up. If I have to be awake so do you." Still nothing. Terry sat back down in the wheelchair.

"You think he's doing it?" asked Chris.

"That's exactly what I think," said the older sister. With the nurses there, Terry couldn't just wallop Craig on the leg and tell him to wake up. Besides she didn't know what his other injuries were or where. She turned her head to look at her father. "You said this is Monty's base?"

"Yes," replied the General.

"Has he been in to see Craig?" she asked to anyone who would know.

Chris answered. "Mon was in the first day. He tried to talk to Craig but didn't get any response then either."

Terry's eyes narrowed and she turned her attention to her sister. "I can't do it. You can't do it. I doubt Chief can do it. Let's get Monty back in here if we can."

"That may take some doing," said Will. "I think he has a mission." The elder Garrison looked at his middle daughter. "Just what are you talking about?"

"Old Indian trick," said Terry leaning back in the seat. "When things get hard to deal with, or the pain gets too strong, Monty, Craig, Chris and I can push ourselves into a little room in the back of our heads, close the door and lock it behind us, to keep the bad stuff out. Chief can do it too, but none of us except maybe Monty can pull somebody out of their room if they aren't ready to."

Nothing with his children, blood or adopted, surprised the General anymore.

"What about Actor?" asked Christine. "Weren't you guys teaching him to do it?"

"Yes," replied Terry, "but he doesn't have it down pat yet. And we can't teach him to bring someone out of it if we don't know ourselves." She looked back at her father. "Dad, can you try to find Monty, or at least get word for him to come here after his mission?"

Garrison nodded. "Where did you learn how to do something like that?" he asked in disbelief.

"Monty either knew or learned how to do it when he first came to us," said Chris.

"We don't know if it's Lakota or Blackfoot," added Terry. "He was hanging around with some of the boys from the Res."

Garrison's eyebrows rose and he shook his head. "I will see what I can do about getting Monty over here." He left the room.

Sandy looked down at Terry. "Where do you want to go next?" she asked.

"Actor," said Chris with certainty.

Terry shook her head. "No, Actor last. Can you take me to the other guys?"

She was wheeled out of Craig's room and turned to go down the hall to the ward. A familiar man was standing in the doorway, arm in a sling, watching her.

"Hi, Casino," said Terry with a smile. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it's nothing." The safecracker grinned at her. "You come out of a coma, and you still got a set of lungs on you."

Terry tilted her head sideways and tried to shrug her good arm. That shot pain in her ribs and chest, causing her to wince.

"Come on in and see the other guys, before yuh decide to pass out again," said Casino with his usual manner.

Terry was pushed into the bigger room. Goniff and Chief were getting up to come see her.

"Goniff," said Terry in concern at the dressing wrapped around his chest. "How bad?"

"Not bad," he said in place of his usual 'I'm dying.' "Bullet hit me chest, cracked a rib and went on out. I'm okay." He took the hand she held out and squeezed it gently.

Chief looked at her. "Good to see you talkin' and makin' sense."

"That shoulder going to be okay?" asked the young woman.

"Yeah, so they say."

Sandy leaned over Terry's left shoulder, "Don't you think you should be back in your bed?"

"Probably," agreed Terry. "One more stop first," she said.

"She can come back and see you later," smiled Sandy to the three men.

Terry's eyes roved over the three. The last thing she had thought in the truck was they would all be dead.

The wheelchair was turned and pushed back into the hall. Terry motioned Sandy to stop and beckoned Chris closer.

"Sis, you think you can get Julie out of there and keep Dad out for a little bit?" Terry asked. "I want to talk to Actor alone. What I did to him wasn't nice. I need to grovel, and I'd rather do it in private."

Chris looked at Sandy. The nurse nodded behind Terry. "Just for a few minutes."

The younger sister chuckled. "I heard what you did to him," she said to Terry. "I don't think you have to grovel, but it probably wouldn't hurt."

Sandy pushed the wheelchair to the open door and Chris asked Julie to come out for a few minutes. The girl walked up to Terry and looked at her with reddened and moist eyes.

"It's going to be all right, Sweetheart," assured Terry.

"Even Uncle Craig?" asked the girl.

"Probably," said Terry. "We'll just have to wait and see." She smiled. "I want to talk to your father alone right now. We won't be long."

"Okay," she answered quietly.

Christine held her hand out. "Come on. Let's go make your face presentable again."

Sandy pushed the wheelchair and IV pole into the room and alongside Actor's bed. "I'll be outside. Yell when you're ready to go."

"Thank you," said Actor, eyes on Terry's face.

Sandy left them, and closed the door behind her.

Actor looked over at the woman in the wheelchair. They would have had matching casts if they were on the same arm. She just looked up at him, not knowing what to say. He gave her his crooked smile.

"I must thank you, Teresa," Actor said in Italian. "If you had not been so kind as to dump me on my side on the seat, I could have taken that bullet in my culo."

"I had to," she countered in the same language, "it would be such a shame to mar the perfection of that lovely culo. And if I hadn't dumped you on the seat, Julie might be missing a father too right now."

The Italian looked at her with affection. "I am very aware of that," he said.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," said Terry, eyebrows coming together.

"I'm aware of that too. Apology unnecessary and accepted," he answered. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Terry eyed him up and down. "There isn't room and I think it would hurt both of us. Where did you get hit?"

"Right hip," he replied. "Not bad. I've been shot worse." He tried to make her smile. "I will accept a raincheck on that other."

"I have a feeling it is going to be a long raincheck," she remarked. Silently she gazed at him, not knowing what exactly to say about what she was feeling.

As usual, their wavelength was working. Actor smiled. "Carissima, you look like you could pass out soon. Go back to bed. Later, I will get a wheelchair and come visit you. We can talk longer then."

Terry nodded.

"Sandy?" Actor called out. The door opened immediately, and the nurse peered around it.

Actor smiled. "I think she needs to go back to her room. She looks like she needs to lie down again."

Sandy nodded and took the handles of the chair and the hooked the IV pole with two fingers. "Come on," she said with a smile. "None of you are going anywhere for a while. You can visit more later."

"Thank you," said Terry. Her eyes did not leave Actor until she was out the door.

Out in the hall, Christine motioned Julie to go back with her father. She looked at Sandy. "I was told Dad is on his way back with Monty."

"All right," said Sandy. "Would you like to help me get Terry back into bed. I think her adrenaline is wearing off."

Chris looked at her sister. "I think so too."

8