my notebook and began to draw lines on how each soldier was connected to the other. Some were friends before they were recruited to North Rock, and some had never met. Then I began to look into the rookie who was killed. As I read through his records, I noticed he had taken the last test twice before he graduated. I pulled out my red pen and circled his name. That test was only supposed to be taken once. I sent a quick email off to my father asking him if anyone had ever taken the test twice, and if so, who, and why there would be exceptions.
I tossed my coffee cup in the trash and glanced out the door to the other room and then back at the time. I joined the others just as the doctor came through the door. He stepped back to let me by, and the others jumped to their feet.
“First, I want to thank you for being so patient with my team,” the doctor addressed us. “It was a complicated procedure. Daniel had an open compound fraction of the femur, but thanks to the splint that was applied in the field, I was able to repair it. He also suffered a head injury that caused some swelling to the brain, and we’re watching carefully to see if the swelling decreases. Right now, myself and Dr. Tahoe don’t feel surgical intervention is needed. Rehab will be extensive, but he should have full mobility in the months to come. All things considered, he should make a full recovery. It’s a good thing your men are trained in first aid as well as they are. They should be commended.”
The tension in the room evaporated with sighs of relief and some tears.
“Excuse me, Doctor.” I caught him just as he reached for the door handle. “John Black went in for x-rays hours ago, and he hasn’t returned. Do you happen to have an update on him?”
“No, but I’ll send someone out to speak to you and let you know.”
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that.” I turned back to give Sue a big hug and noted that Cole sat down with a thud, I’d bet for the first time today. His father’s injuries sat pretty heavily on his shoulders.
I could relate to the type of stress they were feeling. There were many types of stress, but the stress a soldier faced each day to ensure our freedom took a special kind of courage. I could remember my mother would sit and worry about my father’s return, and as I got older, I joined her in it. You couldn’t know what it was like unless you’d lived it.
“Excuse me, are you all with John Black?” A tired-looking nurse with wrinkled scrubs appeared in the doorway. Cole jumped to his feet and stepped forward and said we all were.
“Should I speak to one of you or all of you?”
I shot a quick look at Cole, who immediately took charge and said, “We are all his family, so you can go ahead.” Cole stepped over and stood next to me, and I appreciated his support.
The nurse removed her mask and twisted it between her hands. “Mr. Black was admitted into ICU, and it can go either way at this point.”
My hand flew to Cole’s arm as the tension in the room grew once again.
“What?” Mike questioned. “He went in for x-rays on his ribs.”
“Yes, he did, and four are broken.” She swallowed hard and looked around at all our faces then quickly continued, keeping her eyes on Mike. “But there is also a large cut on his calf.” Her face grew flushed, and her words came faster. “He was disoriented and running a fever at first, then his blood pressure spiked, and his pulse oxidation decreased dramatically. He required supplemental oxygen through a nasal cannula. We didn’t know what was going on at first, then we realized it was an infection in the cut in his calf. We ran bloodwork, and our suspicions were confirmed. He has sepsis.” Her eyes went to me. “What that means is that the infection got into his bloodstream, and that can be fatal if not treated right away. So, we immediately started him on strong IV antibiotics.”
She glanced around the room once, and when she got back to me, her shoulders sagged. “Look, I’m really sorry. I was under the impression you had been updated on his condition. From here on, I’ll do my best to keep