Operation: Healing Angel

by Margaret Kay

  He beamed a smile at her. She got it like few did. Perhaps it was her medical background that allowed her to understand. “Anyway, sorry, didn’t mean to go down that rabbit hole.”

  “I think I brought us there with talk of the car accident. But I will say, had I not had that experience, I doubt I would have seen the benefits of chiropractic care. My practice would be much different today if that were the case.”

  “I’m glad your practice is what it is. Diana, you have helped me and I’m sure you help many others.”

  “One of the things I like most is all the great people I get to know.” She smiled wider. “Including you.”

  Juliette

  On Thursday, Diana arrived at the Shepherd Security Building at six-thirty. Sam was tied up in meetings over his scheduled appointment time at her clinic and he cancelled again. Her last appointment cancelled last minute on her, so she took a chance and messaged him volunteering to drop by his office for a make up appointment. She was happy he accepted her offer.

  She smiled and waved at Angel as she headed for the door that led into the suite. The door buzzed, and she pushed it open. Angel looked pale and exhausted. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, just tired,” she answered.

  “I’m sorry I was late. You are waiting for me to go home, aren’t you?”

  “No, I’m actually waiting for my husband. We drove in together today.”

  “Good, I’m glad I didn’t delay you going home.”

  “Besides, Shepherd is in his office again. I don’t have to bring you up to his penthouse.” She tapped out a text message on her phone to him. “I’m checking to see if he’s almost ready for you. He was on the phone not too long ago.”

  “He’s working late today,” Diana remarked.

  “He works all the time,” Angel said.

  “Everyone needs down time to unwind.”

  “I think working is his downtime,” Angel joked.

  Diana saw him approach from down the hall. “And here he comes.”

  Angel stood and stretched, elongating her spine. Diana watched her wobble and sway. She dropped her bag and rushed to her just as Shepherd reached her. Angel went down. Both Diana and Shepherd caught her. Shepherd pulled her onto his lap. She tried to sit upright, shaking off the daze.

  “Shh, Angel, relax. Just sit back on me.” She did. He pulled his phone out. “I need you at Angel’s desk. She just dropped.” He disconnected the call and hit a second saved number. “Come to Angel’s desk, please.”

  “Should I dial 9-1-1?” Diana had her fingers pressed to Angel’s wrist, checking her pulse. She was counting her respirations and watching her shallow, quick breathing.

  “Not yet,” Shepherd replied.

  “No, please don’t,” Angel murmured. “I’m okay, just got a little dizzy.”

  “Try to slow your breathing down. Concentrate on drawing each breath deeply into your lungs,” Diana prompted.

  Angel nodded and focused on her breathing.

  Doc arrived, barreling down the hall. “Angel, honey, what the hell happened?”

  Diana was surprised how calm his voice sounded.

  “I just got dizzy.”

  Diana recited her vital signs to Doc. He had a blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope. Diana watched him check her blood pressure. It was high. “She needs to go to the hospital,” she said quietly to Doc.

  “We wait for Jackson,” Doc whispered. He leaned into Angel’s face. “You’re doing okay, honey, but your blood pressure is higher than I’d like it to be. Jackson will be here in a minute. Are you feeling any contractions?”

  “No, none. And it’s too early. I’m not due for five more weeks.”

  “Has the baby been as active as normal today?” Diana asked.

  “Yeah, I felt movement just a few minutes before I stood up.”

  “Okay, that’s good,” Diana said. Her voice was soothing, even though she was concerned. She knew they had to call an ambulance and get a fetal heart monitor on her. “High blood pressure is not uncommon in the last few months of pregnancy. Did you drink ample water today?”

  “I’m not sure,” Angel moaned.

  Diana knew that probably meant she had not. The dark-haired man with the full beard and mustache approached, carrying their little boy. He had concern etched over his face.

  “What happened?” Jackson asked, surveying the situation as he arrived.

  “It wasn’t a big deal. I felt dizzy when I stood up,” Angel said.

  “Momma!” Sammy squealed; his arms outstretched to Angel.

  Jackson pulled him more tightly against his chest. “Not so fast, Sammy. Mommy doesn’t feel good.”

  “Grandpa!” Sammy said, his arms now reaching to Shepherd.

  Jackson pulled him back. “Grandpa is holding mommy, no room for you.”

  “Angel, honey, I think you need to go to the hospital just to get checked out. I’m sure that’s what your OB will want,” Doc said.

  Angel closed her eyes and shook her head no. “I don’t want to go to the hospital. I’ll be there for a minimum of four hours and I’m already tired. I just want to go home.”

  “Baby,” Jackson said. “It’s best to go check it out.”

  “Your mom is still out shopping with Elizabeth, Angel. I’ll call her and have her swing by to pick Sammy up.” His gaze swept to Jackson. “I’m calling an ambulance, too,” Doc whispered. He stepped down the hall.

  Angel reached her hands to Sammy. “Come here, baby.” Jackson gently lowered him onto her. “You’re going to go with Aunt Elizabeth and Grandma. You be a good boy and I’ll be home later.” She hugged him tightly. “Love you, Sammy.”

  Diana watched the toddler give Angel a messy kiss, and then Jackson took him back. When Doc returned, he nodded to Jackson. “Alright babe, let’s get you sitting in your own chair.” His gaze swept to Diana. “Could you hold Sammy for a minute?”

  “Sure,” Diana said, reaching her hands to the child. He eagerly went to her. She gave him a smile. “Hi, Sammy. You are such a good boy.”

  Doc and Jackson helped Angel to move to her desk chair. Then Shepherd took Sammy from Diana. Angel looked completely wiped out. Thankfully, the EMTs arrived a few minutes later. Angel fussed, insisting that Jackson just drive her to the hospital.

  Shepherd rolled up close to her. He took her hand. He beamed a small grin at her. “Doc is pulling rank and I support him. Go get checked out.”

  “Fine,” Angel moaned.

  Shepherd’s gaze went to Jackson. “Let me know.”

  Jackson nodded.

  “I’ll bring Sammy out to Elizabeth and then follow you to the hospital,” Doc said to Jackson.

  Diana watched everyone leave, Angel on the stretcher, with Jackson, Doc, and Sammy following. When the outer door was closed, she turned to Shepherd. “I hope everything goes well for her.”

  “Me too,” Shepherd replied. “She’s going to argue with me on it, but I think it’s time she goes on maternity leave.” He motioned down the hall towards the elevator. “Shall we?”

  Diana noted his tone of voice was the same as during the crisis with Angel. He’d remained unruffled during it.

  “Yes. How do you feel today?”

  “Not bad. I woke with a lot of the stiffness. Doc stretched me out well around lunchtime. I still feel pretty good, everywhere but my left shoulder. I’m not sure what I did to it.”

  They stepped into the elevator. “I’ll give it special attention.”

  Shepherd’s lips pulled into a grin. He liked the sound of that.

  Once in his apartment, he rolled into his bedroom, partially closing the door to change clothes behind it. He shed his sports jacket, holster, and dress shirt, laying them in a neat pile on the bed. He pulled a pair of athletic shorts on and an Army tank top. Even though he was concerned about Angel, the thought of spending the next hour with Diana lightened his mood.

  Diana peered through the gap that Sam’s bedroom door was left open, for him to reapp
ear. She saw his sports coat get draped over the edge of the bed that was barely visible. A gun in its holster was laid atop it, followed by his white dress shirt, folded precisely. Why would he need to wear a gun in his secure building? So much about this man and this building confused her. She forced a smile at him when he rolled back into the room.

  Shepherd powered his chair to the therapy table and pulled himself atop it, placing his phone beside him. He sat facing her, trying to evaluate the expression on her face. “Obviously, Doc will not be joining us today.”

  Diana nodded. “Let’s get started. I’d like to see what’s going on with your shoulder first, since it is bothering you.” She came in close and began moving his arm around. “It’s very tight.” She used both hands to massage the muscles. “Your pec is really pissed,” she said

  Shepherd chuckled. “Is that an official medical term?”

  She flashed him a smile. “Yes, it is.”

  Shepherd smelled that fresh scent again and combined with the sensation of her hands on his skin, his arousal flared. He recited the Uniformed Code of Military Justice in his head, trying to break the spell she had over him. She moved his arm around some more, bending it at the elbow, stretching it to the side, pulling it behind his back until something popped in the shoulder joint.

  “There, got it,” she said.

  “I felt that.” He rolled his shoulders. “Wow, that’s much better.”

  She flashed him a knowing smile. “The human body is an amazing machine. Everything is connected. Muscles pull against joints and bring them out of alignment. By stretching them and working them in a specific way, we can put them back.”

  Shepherd was becoming a believer in chiropractic care and in Dr. Diana Palmer. And he was surprised by her physical strength manipulating his shoulder. She worked over the rest of his body, having him roll into different positions and folding his limbs over him. She leaned into him, practically crawling onto the table herself to use her weight to deepen the stretches. He found her confidence sexy as hell.

  When Diana finished the session, she had Sam sit up on the table. She stood in front of him. “Your muscles and joints are responding well. I have increased your range of movement and deepened the stretches farther than I thought I could in such a short amount of time. Vic’s therapy over the years has made a huge difference. But the decrease of the pain, numbness, pins and needles is of course the goal. As I told you the other day, that could take weeks or a few months.”

  “I can say, in the short week I’ve been seeing you, I haven’t had a day of any intense pain.”

  “Well, that’s a start,” Diana said with a smile, glancing over his superb musculature. She knew it was wrong to appreciate a patient’s body and think he looked sexy, but she couldn’t help it where Sam Shepherd was concerned. She respected his focus on health and fitness. She found his personality and sense of humor attractive. And when he smiled, the small wrinkles that formed around his dark eyes, that were framed with thick black lashes, showed a mature man that held her attention on a personal level.

  Shepherd’s phone chirped. He checked the display, hoping it was Jackson calling with an update on Angel. It was not. It was Ops. “Give me a moment,” he said to Diana. He answered the call. “Shepherd.”

  “Hi Shep,” Yvette greeted. “You wanted to be notified when Lambchop called in and he just did. Sherman still hasn’t been called in for the piss test. He wants you to follow up with your contact again.”

  “I’ll do that,” he said. “Tell him I will call him later this evening.”

  “Roger that,” Yvette said.

  “Any other issues I need to be aware of?”

  “Negative.”

  “Very good. Thank you for the update.” Shepherd disconnected the call. His eyes fixed on Diana. “I was just about to dive into a Mediterranean chicken salad. Will you join me?”

  Diana’s smile spread over her face. “You don’t need to feed me every time I’m here.” But she did like the idea of spending more time with him.

  “It’s later than usual because of the medical matter with Angel. I was hoping that call was an update on her. It wasn’t.”

  “I hope you hear something before I leave. I too want to know that she and the baby are alright.”

  “If the update comes after you leave, I’ll text you.”

  “Thank you. I’m glad her husband insisted they go to the hospital. Her blood pressure was too high and nearly passing out like that is a huge red flag,” Diana said.

  “Doc has medical oversight for all agency personnel. It was his call and Angel knew it.”

  His matter-of-fact statement confused her. Medical oversight? Doc’s call? Not Angel’s and her husband’s? An odd feeling settled over Diana. She was again reminded how off everything associated with Colonel Sam Shepherd was. She had already gotten used to the intense security at the building. And his insistence that he couldn’t be away from work for more than a few hours was still baffling. He worked all the time, rarely left the building. Somehow, she’d already accepted all that as normal. But it wasn’t. Not at all.

  “Diana,” Shepherd’s voice startled her out of her thoughts.

  “I’m sorry, I was just thinking about Angel and running all possible reasons for her nearly passing out through my mind.” She saw concern pass over his face. One thing was for sure, Sam Shepherd did care greatly for Angel. “The baby had been active right before she collapsed, so that is a good sign. She was probably just dehydrated. Her answer to the question if she had drunk enough water today was not a confident yes. That usually means no.”

  “Was that a yes, that you would have dinner with me again?”

  Diana couldn’t help but feel flattered by the invitation. She smiled and nodded. “Thank you, yes. It is late and I am hungry.”

  Shepherd transferred himself into his wheelchair and then pulled a sweatshirt on. He motioned her to lead. In the kitchen, he pulled the container of the Mediterranean chicken salad from the refrigerator. It was left from the lunch order Angel had placed. And she had gone grocery shopping earlier that afternoon. His refrigerator was stocked for at least the next few days.

  Diana grabbed two plates and forks. She knew where he kept things in the kitchen. She pulled her water bottle from her bag. Then she took the seat she’d sat in previously. “That looks good.” She nodded at the container that he now had open.

  “It’s from a great little Greek restaurant nearby that Angel orders lunch from once every other week. There are about ten restaurants she rotates ordering from.”

  “How often do you order out lunch?” Diana asked as she served herself a healthy portion.

  “Angel caters in lunch for the office five to six days a week depending on our work schedule. She gets plenty, so there are always portions left for anyone working late. We are too busy to have the luxury of going out for lunch and many of our staff work twelve-hour shifts, so it’s easier if meals are catered in. She keeps muffins, fruit, and breakfast sandwiches around too. I do not want my people to have to worry about getting their next meal, especially the teams that arrive at odd hours.”

  “Wow, that is really incredible. And I thought I was doing something good for my staff by having free coffee and juice available.” Diana watched him closely. He seemed relaxed, and she was surprised he was sharing so much with her.

  “It’s a carryover from my Army days. A well-fed battalion is a formidable force.” His lips pulled into a grin.

  “I imagine the logistics of keeping an Army fed, has to run like a well-oiled machine.”

  Sam chuckled as he scooped the salad to his own plate. “You have no idea.”

  “That’s quite a job perk, meals provided.”

  “Many of our staff are former military, so they are used to it.” He saw the question flash over her face. “Not Angel, but Jackson was. Doc too.”

  “So, I assume there is a backup for Angel that will order meals and man the front desk?” Diana asked.

  �
�Yes, you met Brielle that first day you came with Vic. She wears a number of hats at the agency, including backup for Angel. Doc’s wife Elizabeth also helps out at the front desk. They have a little girl who will be a year old this summer and she helps with Sammy and another child of agency personnel, so her time is limited.” He took a bite.

  “Doc has an infant?” This surprised her. He didn’t seem like the type of man who would be a father.

  “Yes,” Shepherd confirmed.

  Diana wondered if the job they did was dangerous. Was Sam shot while serving in the Army? Doing this job? Or did it happen during a random crime out on the street? Vic didn’t seem to really know. She wanted to ask, but she knew better. She took another bite and thought about what other topics they could talk about.