Brown, Dale - Patrick McLanahan 02 by Day of the Cheetah (v1.1)

Author:Day of the Cheetah (v1.1) [Cheetah, Day of the]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Brooks Medical Facility, San Antonio

“Edema in her right lung, possibly from inhaling fire or burning debris. We didn’t catch it right away . . .” the doctor was saying as McLanahan and Powell entered the intensive care unit.

Wendy Tork’s parents were on either side of her. Her hands were heavily bandaged. She had been on a respirator ever since she was found in the crash area, but now there was a different one in place, one to keep her lungs clear of fluid and help her keep breathing. Most of her facial bandages had been removed, exposing ugly burn marks and cuts. Intravenous tubes were feeding glucose and whole blood into her arms. One small vase of flowers rested on a nightstand—ICU would tolerate no more—but Wendy had not yet been conscious to see them or her parents.

Betty and Joseph Tork glanced at Patrick and J.C. as they came into the room, quickly turned their eyes back to their daughter.

“Doctor?” McLanahan couldn’t get out the obvious question.

“She’s a strong woman, Colonel, but her injuries are massive ...” He paused, moved closer to Patrick and lowered his voice. “Did you know she was pregnant?” Wendy’s parents heard the words anyway. “Oh, my God,” Betty Tork said, turned away from Wendy’s bedside and gave in to the tears she’d been fighting back.

McLanahan could only nod and clench his fists.

“She suffered severe abdominal injuries . . .”

Powell stepped firmly between McLanahan and the doctor. “I think that’s enough, doctor. I think we ought to leave,” and he took the doctor’s arm and led him out of the room.

Patrick, Wendy’s parents and an ICU nurse stood in silence for a long time watching Wendy, listening to the beeps of the body function monitor and the hissing of the respirator. Several times Patrick could see muscles in Wendy’s face or shoulders twitch, and for a brief instant thought that she might be about to wake up.

Betty Tork noticed her daughter’s movements too. “I wish they’d give her something .. . something to help her relax. It’s so awful seeing her suffer. My daughter is in pain, Colonel Can’t anybody around here do something for her? What kind of hospital is this, anyway?”

Should he tell her it happened to be the best burn-and- trauma facility in the country? That as long as Wendy kept fighting for her life there was at least hope . . . ? He said nothing.

“How did this happen, Patrick?” Joe Tork asked. “She was flying the B-52, I know, but how did the crash happen?”

“I’m sorry, Joe, I can’t—”

“Don’t give me that crap, McLanahan.” He stood up suddenly, filling the room with his size, but Patrick was immediately drawn to the lines of dried tears in the corners of his eyes. “For the past ten years, Colonel, that’s all I’ve been hearing from her, from you, from everyone at that damn place. When she moved to Vegas it was as if she’d moved to Mars. Now she’s lying in a hospital

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