Women of the United Federation Marines Trilogy by Jonathan P. Brazee

Author:Jonathan P. Brazee [Brazee, Jonathan P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Semper Fi Press
Published: 2016-08-25T23:00:00+00:00

TARAWA

Chapter 28

37

“Am I late?” Sergeant Gracie Medicine Crow asked, rushing into the room.

“No,” Tiggs said, getting out of the chair to hug her and give her a peck on the cheek. “They won’t start for another ten minutes, and the doctor said it could take another 15 minutes for him to come around.”

Gracie had never been much of a huggy person, but that was hard to avoid with the effervescent Antigone Gittens. To her surprise, Gracie didn’t mind. She was probably more surprised that she had become close friends with the young woman, someone at a polar opposite from her. Where Gracie was a hard-ass, and some said, hard-hearted Marine, one who ignored make-up and fashion, Tiggs was all gossip, the latest trends, and social interaction. Tiggs took over any group, guiding them to a common goal while they thought it was all their idea in the first place. Yet, somehow, the two had bonded while watching Eli’s progress over the last two months. He was still in his regen coma, and Gracie had cut short a field exercise to make it back to be there when he came to.

At first, Gracie had felt uncomfortable around Tiggs. She had promised the woman that she’d bring Eli back, and the survivor guilt was still running strong in her. It wasn’t until she’d tried to apologize to Tiggs a week after returning that the damn broke, with Gracie breaking down into tears, and Tiggs, little, bouncy Tiggs, playing the mother figure, holding Gracie until she sobbed out. And Gracie felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders. She still vowed to become a better leader, a better Marine, but the guilt had disappeared like a morning mist (mostly, at least). After that, she never brought it up again, and the two became close. Tiggs, for all her surface flightiness, had a keen, questing mind, and with only Eli’s unconscious body keeping them company, they’d had some deeply intellectual conversations that went deep into the night—along with a few utterly silly ones, or even a couple that strayed into the more adult-oriented topics. For such a sweet-looking girl, Tiggs had an undeniably naughty streak that entertained Gracie to no end.

Gracie took the seat next to Tiggs as the RT, the regen tech, came in to start bringing Eli around. Lieutenant Commander O’Nial, the ward’s daytime charge nurse, followed the RT, looking over the man’s shoulder as if waiting for him to screw up. The nurse could be a stickler for the regs, but it was evident that she really cared for each of her patients.

“That’ll do it,” the RT said after stepping back from the console. “I’m giving him ten minutes.”

Gracie started to feel nervous. The doctors all said that Eli’s progress had been good, but no one could be sure until he was brought out of his regen coma. His body might be well on the way to healing, but was Eli still Eli?

Tiggs reached out and took Gracie’s hand. She was trembling, and Gracie tried to project calmness.

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