Chapter 18

"He didn't have a lot of choice, Ma'am. He was investigating a leak in the Company," AJ told her.

"Did he find it?" Porter Webb asked.

"Yes, Ma'am. It's been plugged."

"Good," was all she said and then changed the subject. "Did his doctor say how soon he could be moved? I want to get him home to Boston."

"Haven't you spoken to the doctor at all?"

"No, I was told he had gone home to get some rest and would see me as soon as he got back to the hospital. All the nurse would tell me was that he had come through surgery and was under heavy sedation. I take it you know more than that?"

"Yes, Ma'am and you might want to sit down for this," he advised gently, and after she did he began to tell her the extent of Clay's injuries. He ended with, "So you see, they are keeping him in a coma to remove any chance he could move and aggravate the problem any more than it is."

"But if he needs surgery that critical I want him to have the best, and that means getting him home to Boston!"

"Even if they kept him unconscious and immobilized, you have to take into consideration all the transfers it would take. From here in an ambulance to the airport, then on to the plane, back off again to another ambulance, then into the hospital, well you get the idea. Those transfers could all be potentially disastrous to Web…Clay."

Porter was quiet for a while contemplating his words and then said with determination, "Then I will find a way to get the best neurosurgeon I can to come here!"

Knowing that he would feel exactly the same way, if it were Francesca laying in that bed and he had the means to back it up, AJ replied, "I hope he's strong enough to need it soon. I'll be in town until the end of the week if there is anything I can do for you or your son, please don't hesitate to call. Here is my card with my cell phone number on it."

"Thank you, Admiral, both on my behalf and Clayton's," she said taking his card. "If there is every anything I can do for you I hope that you will feel free to do the same. I am fully aware that my son owes you his life and that is not a debt I take lightly!"

"I would have done the same for anyone, Mrs. Webb. There is no need for repayment," he told her as he started from the ward.

Porter said to his retreating figure, "Nonetheless, it is a debt I won't forget."

He called the hospital everyday to check on Webb's condition and was sorry to hear, on the day he was to fly home, that Clay still wasn't ready for the last bullet fragment to be removed. However, the doctor said the swelling had gone down enough for them to see that the cord itself was not damaged and that if Signor Webb continued to improve they might be able to perform the surgery in a few days.

AJ met Colonel Mackenzie in the break room early Monday morning over their shared pot of extra strong coffee. He brought her up to speed on Webb's condition and did the same for Commander Rabb when he came in an hour and a half later.

Wednesday, he was surprised when Petty Officer Coates told him there was an international call from Mrs. Webb. She was calling to say that the neurosurgeon she had flown in had finally declared Clayton ready for surgery and he was being taken in now. She also asked if anyone that cared about him would keep her son in their thoughts. AJ promised to pass along the request and assured her that both of them were in his.

Thursday Mrs. Webb called again to say that while the neurosurgeon had been able to remove the fragment. Also, there had been a tiny sliver they hadn't known about. It had entered the cord, severing several nerves. The doctor had removed it and repaired as much of the damage as he could, but this new factor would make his recovery much longer than they had expected. She would be bringing him home to Boston as soon as he was able to travel.

To be continued…