stood to one side, silent and somewhat unsure, Anna had a feeling David could use a friend now that he was back on post. Maybe she was just imagining the way his dark eyes gleamed with interest every time he looked at her. But, every time he looked at her, he was smiling.
Chapter Two
David stood watching as the hospital staff prepared to wheel Ali away. Dr. Nora Blake marched behind Ali’s stretcher, her hands up to keep people from crowding in too close, her expression as chilly as a cold desert night.
Ignoring the loud questions from a group of local television and radio reporters who’d followed them from the airfield, she shouted, “Okay, people. Let’s finish so Ali can get settled in for some tests and some quiet time before he goes home in a couple of days.”
David got the distinct impression nobody messed with Dr. Nora. She looked as intense as a colonel about to lead his troops into battle. She seemed to soften when she looked down at Ali, but the coolness was still there in her stance, just the same.
David could understand that intensity. He’d felt that way for the last two days, his mood waffling between worry for Ali and relief that they were going home. Now that Ali was here, David had fulfilled his duty. His part of this important mission was over. All he could do now was pray for the scared little boy and hope Ali adjusted to his new life in America. And that the surgery to repair his heart would be successful.
But what now for me? he wondered. Life stateside was always jarringly surreal after being in the thick of things for months on end. He’d have to take a few days of his R & R to get acclimated to his home town and to Fort Bonnell again. He had over a couple of months leave, but he wasn’t sure what he’d do with that time. His mother wanted him to come visit her in Louisiana, but David wasn’t quite ready for that trip. Not yet.
Anna held Ali’s hand, then leaned close. “We’ll all be right here, Ali. You’re home now. You’re safe.”
Chaplain Steve added his own words to that, but in Arabic. Ali beamed a smile in return, then gave the chaplain a weak high-five. “Safe. A-mer-ica.”
A woman who’d been introduced as Julia Saunders stepped forward. “Dr. Blake, remember, if you need me—”
“Thank you, Julia. We’ll see how Ali handles being in America, but if we need a consult, you’ll be the first to hear.”
David strolled over to wave to Ali then gave Anna a questioning look. “What kind of consult?”
“Julia is a social worker. She often helps Children of the Day and was involved in helping us bring Ali over,” Anna explained. “She’s very interested in Ali’s case and his adjustment to life over here. He’ll be living with his grandfather and guardian, General Willis.”
David nodded. “Dr. Mike went beyond the call of duty to get him here.”
“Can you tell me more about what happened?” Anna asked. “It must have been awful for Ali, losing his mother and being all alone.” Then she shook her head. “I’m sorry. You might not be ready to talk about that.”
“It was a bad day,” David said, memories of dust and death and the roar of choppers always nearby. He hadn’t talked to anyone, not even his friend Maddie, about the day Ali came into the CASH, but he felt strongly that he could trust Anna, that she would understand. So he took her aside and started telling her in a quiet voice, reliving each second of that dark, dust-covered day. “Major Mike Montgomery—Dr. Mike—called me to the CASH with bad news. I figured we’d lost another soldier.”
Anna nodded sympathetically.
“I was tired and ready to hit the sack. We’d had a grueling day transporting the wounded, but when he told me it was Karima and Ali, well, I got over there as fast as I could.”
Anna touched a hand to his arm. “We heard it was a bomb.”
“She was bringing him in for a checkup. Their vehicle got hit by an IED—an improvised explosive device—about five miles from camp. Karima was killed instantly and Ali was in bad shape.”
David remembered rushing across the sprawling tent city and into the camp hospital, adrenaline and shock pushing away his fatigue. “I couldn’t believe it. Karima and Greg Willis fell in love in spite of the odds. Greg fell for her the first time she came into camp.”
“She was a vital part of our organization over there,” Anna said, tears welling in her eyes. “And I know she loved Greg and Ali so much.”
David nodded, wondering what that kind of love would feel like. He’d never had that, not even from his mother and certainly not from his father. “He married her even though General Willis disowned him for it. After Greg’s chopper went down, Dr. Mike and I vowed to watch over Karima and little Ali.”
“From what I’ve heard, you did exactly that,” Anna replied, her tone low but sure, her pretty eyes full of compassion.
David basked in her look and immediately started feeling better about things. “We failed him,” he said. His prayers for little Ali had been front and center in his mind as he’d headed into the chaos of the surgical field hospital. “He looked so fragile and pale. But Dr. Mike and Maddie worked hard to get him stable.”
Anna listened to his story, her gaze holding his as if he were the only person in the busy waiting room. “I’m so glad Ali had the two of you. Thank you again for helping us. I know his grandfather will appreciate it.”
David nodded, feeling humble all over again. “It was my last mission—to get Ali here. I’m glad I did.”
Dr. Mike had explained that the trauma of the boy’s injuries had created a hole between the lower chambers of his heart and it could only be repaired by someone who was highly skilled. According to Mike, Dr. Nora Blake was one of the best cardio surgeons in the country. She lived in Prairie Springs and worked in dual capacity at both the Fort Bonnell Medical Center and at a large urban hospital in nearby Austin. Dr. Mike trusted her with Ali’s life.
And apparently, so had Ali’s paternal grandfather.
David glanced over at the crowd watching and waving to the little boy. “I hear even old Warhorse Willis himself is softening. Guess it’s true if the boy’s going to live with the old man.”
Anna gave him a measured look, the slight disapproval of his choice of labels disappearing from her eyes in a twinkle. “General Willis has come a long way in letting go some of his preconceived notions, yes. He’s invested more than just money in Ali’s care and well-being, I think. This little boy has given General Willis a new lease on life.” She glanced out the double glass doors. “In fact, he’s supposed to be here today.”
David wondered if the ornery old general would show. When he used to complain about never knowing his father, Greg would tell him that might be a blessing in disguise. General Willis had been tough on his only son, demanding that Gregory follow in his footsteps by joining the army. Greg had been good at what he did, a real hero, but he’d angered his father by enlisting straight out of high school rather than going to officer’s training school as the general had planned. Things had gone downhill in the relationship from there on. Two different men, two different mindsets about war. At least Greg had had someone to fight against. Someone to fight with. It was one thing to fight strangers in a war, but another to have family with which to fight…and love and laugh. That kind of intimate relationship, no matter good
