Free Secrets of War: A Military Romance by RD Jordan Page B

slow down the bleeding.
    As she finally tight knot tied it, the pain must have startled the boy awake. He woke up screaming trying to flail his arms around. Suzy started to fall backward startled by his jerking. She was able to catch herself to not inflict any serious damage but unfortunately got a deep gash in the palm of her hand.
    The boy screamed for his father, fighting Suzy who was trying her hardest to get control of him without touching him with her now open and bleeding hand, and keep him from hurting himself.
    “Suzy! What can I do?” Jamie asked looking down at them.
    “I need a tourniquet from my bag and there’s a needle in there with a blue band around the hilt, pass it to me with an alcohol swab, so that I can tranquilize him, so we can get him out of here please.” She went back to trying to console the boy, but he was in so much pain and so terrified, he couldn’t hear anything she said.
    “Here you go,” Jamie said handing her what she needed. “Do you have another one of those for Rich Henderson, his dad? Because he is losing his mind.”
    Suzy carefully wiped his leg with the alcohol wipe before sticking the needle in his leg to administer the medication.
    The boy must have not heard her tell him she was about to give him a shot. When he felt the pain, he yanked his arm that was caught finally detaching it from his body. Luckily, within seconds of doing that, the tranquilizer worked and he passed out.
    Suzy and Jamie worked for the next ten minutes getting him out of the auger, the paramedics were there waiting for them as they did.
    The bystanders applauded her, as she was helped to another ambulance. Once she was inside, the medic reached for her hand to examine the cut without any gloves. Suzy yanked her hand away. “No”
    The paramedic looked confused. “Doctor Stephenson, I need to see—”
    “I’m HIV positive!” she replied sternly. “You need to put some gloves on before you examine me, and I need you to contact the other ambulance and let them know, so they can notify the doctors I had to touch him with this open cut on my hand.”
    “Oh…Oh,” the medic replied looking around to find her blue medic gloves. “I will get right on it.”
    Jamie stepped into sight from behind the ambulance door and Suzy knew from the look on his face that he’d heard her admission. She simply stared at him, tears running down her cheeks. Now he knew. At least she didn’t have to try and figure out to tell him now. Heck, she was sure he would probably avoid her from now on. She wouldn’t be hearing anymore of let’s give us another try stuff.
    She said a mental goodbye to him as the paramedics closed the doors, and took off to get her to the hospital.

 
    CHAPTER TWELVE
     
     
    I t’d been three weeks since Suzy had worked to save a child’s life, and been injured herself, exposing her secret. The cut to her hand was so severe, she’d needed ten stiches.
    She hadn’t heard from Jamie, one of the soldiers at the VA had told her he was out of town for a few weeks. To his credit, he’d come to the hospital the night of the incident and waited in the waiting room until someone said she would be okay.
    Suzy was broken hearted to know a man she’d once held so dear, could be so closed minded that he couldn’t be friends with someone with HIV. However, she would be lying if she said she was surprised.
    This day and age HIV and AIDS in society was as bad as being gay or transgender. Most people knew little about it and almost all people treated those with it like they were a danger to everyone in society and they deserved to die.
    She was doing the inventory in the back of the shop, when she heard his voice behind her.
    “Did you miss me?” he joked.
    Whipping around, Suzy almost knocked the rack over she was hanging clothes on. “JAMIE! I—what? No, what are you doing here?” she finally asked.
    “I came to talk to you,” he said leaning against the door.
    “Oh…” she replied going