The Nurse's Bodyguard

by Melanie Mitchell

  Turning back to her friend, Claire sat on the edge of the bed. “Okay, tell me what all they’ve told you. Are they taking good care of you here?”

  Jessica grinned. “I assume you want all the gory details.” She glanced at her arm and looked relieved. “Fortunately, the break was very simple—‘non-displaced’ they called it. And my face will just look bad for a while.” Tears formed briefly in her good eye, but she managed to keep her smile. “Nothing broken there, fortunately.”

  “How long will you be hospitalized?”

  “I’ll be discharged tomorrow. I’m still working out where I’m going, since I’ve been told that I can’t go home.”

  Claire looked at her with renewed contrition. “I know, I’m sorry...”

  “Claire, it’s not your fault. Anyway, it may take a while to get the window replaced, and the police don’t want me to go back until this is all figured out...”

  “So where do you think you’ll stay?”

  “I’ve got a couple of friends in the Anthropology Department who’ve offered. The university also has a hotel, but I kind of don’t want to be alone.”

  “I wish I could come stay with you, but I’m supposed to stay at the base, at least for the time being.”

  “Good. That’s the perfect place.” She smiled conspiringly. “I’m sure that Lieutenant Luke will keep you safe.”

  The friends talked for more than an hour. After a while they pulled Tony into the conversation and soon he had them laughing. A little after 2:00 Tony said, “Ladies, I truly hate to break this up, but I have to get Claire back to Yongsan and head to the embassy for my shift.”

  Obediently, Claire rose. She held Jessica’s good hand for a moment and said, “Take care. Call me if you need anything or get bored.”

  As they were leaving, Tony looked uncharacteristically awkward. He returned to the bed. His demeanor suddenly turned serious and he handed Jessica a card. “Here’s my contact information. Call me if and when you need anything—really.” His eyes were steady on hers.

  Watching from the door, Claire saw Jessica swallow and blink quickly before she managed a brief nod. “Thank you, Tony. When you can, that is, if you can...um...you might come back...”

  “Count on it.” He nodded, then turned to collect Claire and accompany her to the Army base. The warmth was back in Tony’s eyes.

  CHAPTER NINE

  CLAIRE WAS SURPRISED to find Luke waiting at the apartment when they returned. He had apparently been working at the dining room-computer center, and rose to greet them when Tony opened the door.

  Luke eyed Claire admiringly and gave her a smile. Then he offered Tony his hand. “Thanks, man. Did you have any problems?”

  “Nope. All was quiet. I didn’t see anything suspicious,” Tony replied.

  “Well, I greatly appreciate it. Thanks again—I owe you,” Luke said.

  Tony briefly shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.” His smile was a bit sly. “I think that maybe, I’m going to owe you.”

  Luke looked puzzled but Tony only grinned then shook Claire’s hand, as well. The handshake turned into a brief hug. “Tony, thanks tons. You were great.”

  “It was my pleasure. Glad I could help out.” He gave a brief salute to Luke. “See you later,” he said and left.

  Luke closed the door and turned to Claire. “What was that about?” He looked a little confused and maybe even a bit jealous.

  Claire shrugged and her lips curled into a smile. “I think there was a bit of a mutual ‘something’ between Tony and Jessica. It wouldn’t surprise me if... Well, who knows?”

  With Luke’s full attention on her, Claire suddenly felt awkward. Instead of his ‘office’ uniform of black slacks and a khaki shirt, Luke was dressed in camouflaged fatigues. The change of attire was oddly disconcerting and made him seem even larger. She wasn’t sure what to do—should she hug him? Shake his hand?

  Finally, she asked, “Um...when did you get home?”

  “About half an hour ago. Since I had to leave early this morning and didn’t get to see you, I wanted to get back.” He seemed a little uncomfortable, too.

  She walked to him then and lightly touched his hand with her fingers. “Luke, thank you so much for that.” She gestured toward the door. “I mean for calling Tony and helping me to go see Jessica.” She bit her lip. “That was special. It was really important to me because I wanted to check on her.”

  A little tentatively, he raised his hand to stroke her cheek. His voice was quiet and deeper than normal when he repeated Tony’s words. “It was my pleasure.” His eyes were serious as they searched hers.

  They were so close. Both knew that the next move was hers. She could step one inch closer and be in his embrace, or she could take a step back and break the spell. Several moments passed before she gave a small sound, broke the contact and took a step in retreat.

  Luke seemed simultaneously relieved and devastated. He blinked and then turned toward the kitchen. “How about something to drink? I was going to get a Coke. Can I get you one, too?”

  “That would be great.” She followed him to the kitchen area and watched as he put ice in glasses and opened two soft drink cans.

  He pointed toward the living area. “Here, let’s go talk. You can tell me about how Jessica is doing.”

  Sitting side-by-side on the weathered leather sofa, they chatted about Jessica’s recovery and the possibility of a blossoming romance between the professor and the marine. “Well that would just be too weird,” Luke commented with a grin. “I’ve known Tony about a year and he’s very much the happy bachelor. I’ve never seen him act quite like that before.”

  “You think he’s a good guy, don’t you?” Claire frowned slightly.

  “Yes, he’s a good guy. I wouldn’t have asked him to take you, if I didn’t trust him.”

  “Oh.” Claire’s shyness returned and she took a quick sip of the cola. Glancing back up she asked, “Do you have to go back to work?”

  “Not officially. I need to keep an eye on some things, but I can do that from here.” He nodded toward the group of computers. “I might be called back in, but hopefully all will stay quiet. As I recall, I promised you a hamburger tonight. I thought I could work a while from here and then we could head out to the base’s best grill and maybe go to the movies. We get first-run flicks at Yongsan’s theater, and the new Batman sequel is on.”

  Her smile was huge. “That sounds fantastic.”

  * * *

  ON FRIDAY, Luke made arrangements to take the afternoon shift so he could accompany Claire to the medical center. Over hamburgers the previous evening, she mentioned that she wanted to check on some of the children and do some work, and hesitantly asked if he could help her find an escort. Luke declined her request, insisting that he would take her himself. He’d also loaned Claire one of his laptops so she could transfer her data to coding sheets. With the data downloaded, she’d be able to work on her research project from his apartment.

  “ARE YOU SURE this is okay?” Claire asked as she climbed into the aging Honda sedan Luke had borrowed for the day. “I mean, are you sure you don’t need to go in this morning to do your ‘day or anytime’ job?”

  He grinned. “Nope, not a problem. Actually, the guy I switched shifts with was ecstatic. It’s Friday and he’d much rather do the early shift and leave his evening open for—well, whatever.” He climbed into the driver’s seat and headed toward the gate.

  “But it messes up your Friday evening...” She still looked worried.

  “Yeah, so what?” He shrugged. “I get to spend Friday morning and afternoon with you. We’ll worry about Friday evening later.”

  Luke maneuvered through the crowded city traffic. “Okay, let’s set the ground rules,” he said casually, glancing at her before returning his attention to the ro
ad. “I’ll stay with you as much as possible, certainly when you’re in public areas. If you need to go to a patient’s room or somewhere that’s more restricted, be sure to let me know exactly where you’ll be and give me some kind of time estimate.”

  “Luke, of course that’s fine, and I’ll follow instructions, but don’t you think this is a little overkill? First off, we don’t know that they—whoever they are—will be watching the hospital. Besides, the hospital is so big and so public, I can’t imagine that they would try anything inside...” Skepticism and more than a little frustration was clear in her tone. “And, besides I really hate that you have to take time off to sit around a hospital and look after me. That’ll be terribly boring for you.”

  “Honey,” he said, “you just called it—we don’t know. They may be watching and they may not. They may try to hurt you again—they may not. But I’m not willing to take a chance.” He grinned at her. “And, Claire, I spend hours upon hours staring at computer screens and listening to radio exchanges waiting for something to happen. I’m really good at it. Hanging around a hospital, looking out for you for a few hours is nothing. Besides, I’m counting on a re-match with the boy from the other evening—Min-soo. My reputation has taken a hit; that must be rectified.”

  Luke maintained a wary and watchful eye as they traversed the parking lot and passed through the automatic doors into the hospital. As before, it was a challenge to try to identify a potential assailant or someone with undue interest in Claire because he himself attracted so many stares. As they proceeded into the large lobby and waiting area, however, his attention was drawn to a lone man sitting near the entrance. The man was holding a magazine in front of his face in an awkward position. He appeared to be reading but could easily observe the entrance. As Luke and Claire walked in, he quickly—and not too stealthily—shifted his attention from the door to the printed pages.

  Luke could almost feel his stare. He slipped his smartphone out of his pocket, ready to take a quick picture of the man. When they’d gotten about twenty feet across the lobby, Luke stopped abruptly. Pretending to pick something up, he reached down and glanced behind them, his phone in his hand. He was annoyed to discover, however, that the man had risen from his perch and was moving quickly toward the exit. Luke stood and monitored the man’s departure. While he was watching, the stranger glanced back. For a split second their eyes met, then the Korean man turned and hurriedly left the building.

  Luke blew out a breath and looked at Claire. She was watching him with curiosity and some concern. “What is it?” she whispered, stepping a little closer.

  Luke glanced back to the hospital entrance, where a family of four was now coming in. “Dunno,” he said. “But that was interesting.” He briefly considered trying to follow the man but didn’t want to leave Claire alone.

  “What?” Claire’s voice was still very quiet.

  “Just that guy in the dark blue baseball cap. Did you happen to notice him?”

  She shook her head and leaned around him to try and see beyond the wide automatic doors.

  “He was in that seat, watching the door, and he seemed nervous to me. Anyway, he hopped up after we went by—maybe he got scared off.” Luke took her arm, trying to encourage her to proceed on through the lobby. “Let’s go and get you somewhere a little less open. Do you want to go to the playroom first?”

  Claire hesitated, still staring at the door.

  “Honey, don’t worry. Most likely it was nothing—just some guy nervous about hospitals. But if he was one of the bad guys, he knows now you’re not alone.” He tried his most reassuring look. “Claire, I’ve got this. Nothing is going to happen to you.” He rubbed his thumb lightly to smooth out the lines between her eyebrows. “Come on. Let’s get to work.”

  She took a deep breath and shook her head slightly. “Thank you for being here.” Her voice was solemn.

  * * *

  CLAIRE AND LUKE spent most of the morning in the playroom with nearly a score of children, parents and health providers. Claire set up a work station on a small desk in one corner of the large room. There she was able to access the data she needed from each patient’s records through the medical center’s intranet. She entered the information onto coding sheets she had created earlier, planning to conduct a series of statistical analyses at a later time.

  While she was engrossed in her work, Luke was free to entertain the children. He was a little disappointed that Min-soo wasn’t present for a rematch, but he was coaxed into games with some of the younger patients. After overcoming their initial apprehension of the giant American, the children were attracted to his natural ease, self-deprecating demeanor and willingness to play.

  Claire made excellent progress, although her work was hindered somewhat by laughs, giggles, groans and barks. Unable to ignore the happy sounds, she would look up to see Luke petting a pup, tickling a child, or firing multiple rounds at a projected assailant with a joystick.

  Near midmorning, Min-soo joined the group. Luke took in his appearance, expertly noting the subtle changes since he’d seen the adolescent a few days prior. He was now clutching an IV pole and looked quite pale. The boy’s wan face brightened, however, when he spotted Luke. “Hey, sir,” he said excitedly. “Will you play Angry Birds?”

  Luke feigned a punch to the boy’s shoulder and replied, “Bud, that’s why I’m here. I want a re-match.”

  Eventually, a small crowd watched as Min-soo won two out of three games. Claire gave up trying to concentrate and joined the group to encourage a dejected Luke as he lost the match. “Well, champ, you got me again,” he said admiringly, giving the boy a fist bump. Min-soo beamed.

  During the final game, a nurse had entered the room and waited patiently until the end. As they finished, she gave Min-soo a pat on the shoulder and said something to him with visible compassion. She pointed to the door and said something else.

  The boy was immediately dejected. He rose, glanced askance at Luke and said something to the nurse, then pointed to the American. The nurse shrugged and looked toward one of the English-speaking therapists, asking him to interpret.

  The therapist turned to Luke. “Sir, Min-soo needs to return to his room for a lumbar puncture. He asked if you would come with him.” The man looked as if he approved. “It would be good as you might help because it is an—um...unpleasant procedure.”

  Luke looked at Min-soo with sympathy and nodded. He shifted his gaze to Claire, who had come to stand beside him. “Lumbar puncture? Is that a spinal tap?” She nodded. “Would it be okay if I went with him?”

  “Yes. I think it would be a good idea. You could be a support and a distraction. We need to make sure it’s all right with the doctor, though. I know her; let’s go ask.”

  Luke gave Min-soo a small smile and said, “Okay. Let’s go, pal. We’ll get this over with and maybe play some more.” While the therapist was translating, Luke dropped his voice and said to Claire, “I want you to come, too. I think you’re safe here, but I’d rather not have to worry about you.”

  Claire and Luke accompanied Min-soo and the nurse back to his room. There they met the oncologist who would be performing the procedure. The doctor shook Luke’s hand and readily agreed to allow his presence. “We always prefer to give the children what they request,” she said. “It can help them through the difficult times.”

  Min-soo was positioned on his side with his back near the edge of the bed. Claire showed Luke where to stand, near the head of the bed, with the boy facing him. A nurse stood beside the doctor and helped steady the boy while the doctor inserted a long needle between two vertebra. Skillfully, she positioned the needle and removed the stylus, allowing a small amount of clear fluid to drip into a test tube.

  Luke leaned forward on the bed, holding the boy’s hand and talking to him in low tones throughout the procedure. At one point, Min-soo gripped Luke’s hand hard and cl
osed his eyes tightly, but for the most part he was very still and expressionless. When the oncologist finally removed the needle, the boy sighed and let go of Luke’s hand. “Thank you, sir,” he whispered. He closed his eyes in obvious relief when the doctor pressed the area with a gauze pad.

  “No problem.” Luke gently rubbed the boy’s bald head. “You did great, champ. Glad to help.” Luke’s voice was a little hoarse. He blinked rapidly then glanced toward Claire and asked, “What’s next?”

  “He’ll need to lie flat for a while to try to avoid a headache.” There was a slight catch in her voice when she replied, as if her own throat was tight with emotion.

  “I’d like to stay with him.” Luke looked at the oncologist. “Would that be all right?”

  The doctor smiled and nodded. “Yes. If you can keep him still, that would be very good.”

  Luke turned back to Claire. “Can you bring the laptop in here to work?”

  “Tell you what, I’ll go get the laptop and bring in a couple of iPads.” She patted Min-soo’s hand. “You guys can go at it again—as long as you’re still, of course.” She pointed to a quiet corner. “I’ll stay over there, out of your way.”

  Min-soo’s smile was huge as he shyly eyed his new friend. “I will win.”

  * * *

  CLAIRE AND LUKE remained at the hospital until midafternoon. During the visit, Luke was called upon several times to help hold a child or be a distraction. For the most part, he and Claire were confined to the playroom or one of the children’s rooms, and other than the man early that morning, Luke didn’t see anything or anyone suspicious.

  After they were settled in the car ready to drive to the base, Claire leaned over and kissed Luke on the cheek. “Thank you for...well, for everything. I can’t tell you how helpful it will be to have all of the data downloaded. Now I can start the analysis from your apartment.” She patted the backpack that contained Luke’s laptop. “Plus, well...” She fought hard to keep her tears in check. “You were terrific with the children.”