Free Angel of the Night by Jackie McCallister Page B

Park” on the television set that hung from the ceiling above his head. Kitcavage was snorting over the antics of Eric Cartman on the cartoon when Henry and Wendy walked in. Michael switched off the television and spoke with mock sternness to Henry.
    “Well. you’re doing a little better, but you’re not all the way there yet. I told you that I wanted a rib eye. This time you bring me a pretty girl and, while I appreciate the gesture, I’m hungry! Bring me a steak!”
    Henry got to the bed in a single bound. He grabbed the hand that wasn’t connected to a saline I.V. and pumped it for all he was worth.
    “You look great, Mike! You look great!” then to Wendy, “Doesn’t he look great?”
    Wendy had to agree. She didn’t know for sure how Michael looked when he was in the pink of health, but the patient lying before her had definitely improved in appearance since he had been in the hospital. The sun injury was going to leave some scarring. There was no doubt about that. Wendy’s trained nurse’s eye could tell that Michael Kitcavage’s face was always going to show a little wear and tear from his ordeal. But that was of little concern right now. Michael was going to live! Just then Dr. Jiminu knocked softly on the door and came in. He nodded an acknowledgment to Wendy, obviously remembering her role in saving the patient’s life, and walked over to the bed. “Well hello Private Kitcavage. How are we feeling today?”
    Michael reached up to take the doctor’s outstretched hand. “I’m feeling pretty good, doctor. I guess it’s up to you to tell me if I’m doing as well as I’m feeling.”
    “Well chap, I have some good news. Your kidney function tests show an organ that is working at 92% efficiency. That would be a very good number for someone who was in renal failure such a short time ago. In fact, the only people who have a kidney function over 95%, as an adult that is, are competitive runners and swimmers. Since you are a well-conditioned soldier, but not a competitive runner, I’m well pleased with your progress indeed.”
    Michael Kitcavage appreciated the good news but asked for more. “What about getting out of here, doc?”
    “You will be discharged tomorrow afternoon if there are no further setbacks. We want to keep an eye on you for one more day. We will kick you out the door right after lunch if everything checks out okay. You will need to be on light duty for two weeks, and that duty only at night. Most of all, no more football play during the day. And I mean that. This young lady may not be there to pick up the pieces next time.”
    ”Thank you, Doctor. I’ll keep that in mind,” Michael said. “Thanks for everything.”
    Dr. Jiminu left the room, leaving the young people to celebrate the good news. Wendy marveled again at the easy rapport between Michael and Henry. The two men had been raised thousands of miles apart under very different circumstances. But you would never know, from seeing them together that the two men weren’t brothers, in fact, as well as brothers in arms.
    Wendy interrupted her pleasant thought process to announce that she was going to need to take her leave of the room, because of a mandatory staff meeting at the medical center. She told Kitcavage how happy she was that he was going to be released soon, and promised Henry that she would give him a call later. Before Wendy was out of earshot, the two friends were planning the hunting trip that Henry had mentioned to her earlier.
    Wendy left the Glynnis Unit, but she didn’t turn east to go back to the main medical center. Instead, she turned in a westerly direction and walked beside the perimeter fence until she arrived just inside the main gate. There she found a black Lincoln Continental with darkened windows. The back passenger side door opened, and Wendy stepped inside.
    The big black car pulled smoothly through the main gate of Kabul Air Base and purred quietly down the road. Wendy watched out the window