“Lieutenant, he’s an expectant! Get to cover!”
Another rocket hit closer, and the lights flickered again. Patients cried out and medical personnel scuttled on handsand knees to reassure the men they’d pulled under cots forprotection at the first whoop of warning.
“He is not going to die on me!” she shrilled more sharplythan the rockets. “You’re not going to die on me, Jimmy!”
“No, ma’am,” the boy answered, his voice already a ghost. “I’m not going to die on you.”
He wasn’t going to die on her, even if he had no legs, evenif he had a great, seeping hole in his abdomen. There were a lot of men who had no legs coming in here. Men with injuries that couldn’t possibly be healed. They healed them.
“That’s right,” Claire told him. “Now, somebody helpme!”
“Claire?”
“Help me! I’m not leaving until I get this bleedingstopped!”
“Claire, it’s me.”
She didn’t hear the whistle this time. She just felt the impact, right across her ribs. Slamming into her like a freight train and taking the lights.
“Claire, can you hear me?”
“I can hear you, Tony.”
She didn’t bother to look over to know that he wascrouched at her side holding on to her hand. She didn’t need to see to know that his eyes were dark and sorry, that he wassmiling anyway. She just watched the water.
“You had us worried, honey,” he said.
“I’m sorry.” It seemed all she could manage. The waterwas so quiet, so deep, so calm. She wished she were calm.She wished the tears would stop, the memories would stop,the fury would stop. “I think... I’m late for work.”
“Yeah, Claire. You’re late for work.”
She tried to shake her head. She should move. Shouldgather herself together and get back in the fray. Shecouldn’t. Jimmy wouldn’t leave her alone.
“It’s okay, though,” Tony was saying. “Nadine took careof work. We just need to take care of you.”
Something flickered in her. Something anxious. Tears spilled again, but she didn’t really notice anymore.
“What happened, Claire?” he asked. “What made yourun?”
She tried to answer. She started crying again.
“Go away,” she told him, trying to pull her hand back. “Just go home and leave me alone.”
“I can’t, honey. You know that.”
He hadn’t moved. He was still crouched next to her in theopen car door as if he were a carhop and Claire wanted burgers. She wanted to sleep. She hadn’t slept in so long.
“I just can’t do this anymore,” she said. “I can’t...”
“You can,” he insisted. “You can get through this.”
“No. I quit. I want you to go home and let me get backto my life.”
She found she could turn to face him, because the tearshad brought up the anger, the long-simmering rage that could erupt so easily.
“Why are you doing this to me?” she demanded.
She saw the grief in those seductive green eyes. She sawthe creases of anxiety that weren’t there the first day she’d met him. Even so, she didn’t expect the answer.
