Chapter 13

I woke early, refreshed and ready for breakfast. Watanabe brought the tray in and it included a pot of green tea. He said it had restorative properties. Who was I to argue? It was refreshing and didn't give me a buzz like coffee. I declined a copy of the Stars and Stripes. I didn't want to think about the war anymore. He also brought me mobility in the form of crutches. He had me practice for a few minutes. It was fairly painful using the damaged muscles to try to hold my leg in the air while I walked. Although it was worth it to be able to go into the bathroom on my own.

Today he had me lean over the sink as he scrubbed my hair and scalp and my upper body. I completed the lower half pretty much on my own. He seemed a little disappointed when I asked for a razor and shaved myself. Unfortunately my hands were not as steady as his and I managed to nick myself a few times - but at least I had done it. He helped me into fresh pajamas and I only wished I could sit in the chair. I was damn tired of that hospital bed. Next time I get wounded it won't be in the backside I vowed to myself. I almost laughed out loud at the idea of being in a situation where I could be badly wounded again. This was my second time anyway. Fortunately the first time was minor and only required a few of Doc Rosen's stitches. He gave me a tetanus shot and sent me back to duty. I did have to admit that this time around since I had no broken bones, it was very likely I could be returned to duty and eventually to Vietnam or some other spot in the world where they might need the services of a few good men. Oh well, like they say... if you take the King's coin you've got to do the King's bidding.

Watanabe headed off. I wondered where my angel was. I started Shakespeare's Much ado About Nothing.

I looked up. There she was, watching me. My heart jumped. Today she was dressed for the end of summer weather in a patterned yellow cotton dress with a white sweater draped over her shoulders, a strand of pearls at her throat. She closed the door, something she had not done before. Her jaw was set and her eyes were troubled. I knew it was bad news. I was more or less sitting up using the magic of Watanabe pillows to keep me off my wounded leg and hip.

She came to me and took both my hands in hers. I didn't say anything, my throat was so constricted. A tear rolled slowly down her beautiful cheek. "NSA DaNang finally got back to me this morning... your friend Swede... he... he... didn't make it... he died there in surgery... not long after you were both brought in... I'm so sorry." The tears she had been holding back started in earnest now.

"But... that... no... no... that... can't... oh God not again!" I buried my head in her shoulder, and wept. Swede's death on top of two years of bottled up grief poured out of me. I couldn't fight it. My mind and body were injured and my insides felt torn out.

I could see us on the helicopter. I was on my stomach and Swede next to me on his back - his face deathly pale. I touched his arm and he opened his eyes slowly. He managed to focus on me and just nodded. He closed his eyes. Visions of that ride flashed through my mind. The door gunner who stood and covered us with his M-60 now sitting in the middle of the cabin, a bloody wound in his shoulder being dressed by the other gunner. I couldn't see his eyes behind his tinted visor. I looked at him and mouthed thank you. He gave me a "thumbs up" using his good arm. I lay my cheek on the warm metal of the floor and just watched the countryside far below. There were no side doors on this Huey. There rarely were in those days. I thought it must be nice flying along up here in the cool clean air.

Nurse Wilson barged in. "These doors are to be left op... en..." She stopped in her tracks. I don't know what she saw but the fact we were holding each other and crying caused her to make a hasty retreat and close the door behind her.

It took awhile but I finally got control of myself. Mary had stopped crying sometime before but just held me letting me get it all out. Her firm breasts pushing against my chest. I finally pulled back from her gentle embrace. She handed me the box of tissues. "I'm so sorry... I... just... I... don't..." she put her cool finger on my lips and looked at me with such affection... Love? "Don't... it's alright. Nothing to apologize for... it's okay for a man to cry sometimes too." I lay back against the pillows. I felt like all the air had gone out of me. Swede was my best friend, closer than any brother and now he too had gone out of my life. Was I a Jonah, always bringing bad luck? Mary handed me a glass of water. I drank it without knowing it.

She sat in the chair next to the bed and just held my hand. Her touch helped keep me from going insane at that moment. Finally she said, "Shall I ask the nurse to get you something?" I looked at her. She was so beautiful and the front of her dress was wet with our tears. I could plainly see the outline of her bra. "No, you're here... that's all I need." Her eyes got teary again. I wanted to kiss her. My eyes were drawn to her hardening nipples. She noticed my appraisal. "Oh my... I must look a fright!" She disengaged, grabbed her purse and ran to the bathroom and closed the door. She was my angel - here when I needed her.

A short time later she came out. Her makeup was repaired, her hair combed and her sweater was on and buttoned, hiding her wet dress top, and her hard nipples too. She moved to take my hand again.

Just then there was a knock on the door and the physical therapist walked in. Mary jumped back, looking like she had just been caught doing something wrong. Lieutenant Fisher was a knockout brunette with dark eyes and high firm looking breasts. Her legs were sensational too. She and Mary had remarkably similar bodies. "Oh hi Mary, did I interrupt something?" She said with an arched eyebrow.

"No... no... just giving Sgt. Reid a message." Fisher's look said it all... and what kind of message might that be? "I have to be going. If there is anything you need, Sergeant, please let me know." She turned to leave. "Oh, Mrs. Andersen." She turned her eyes still a little red. I was playing the game too. "Thank you very much for telling me about Swede. I'm glad it was you who told me and not a stranger." Her eyes seemed to tear again and she quickly turned and left.

None of this was lost on Anne Fischer. It was obvious that we were both distraught. She had the good grace not to ask and started in on my exam.

"Now Sergeant Reid, let's have a look at you. She put the bed down flat and had me on my stomach. She then pulled my pajama bottoms completely off. She gently removed the dressings.

"Very nice. I'll bet Doctor Allen did the work. He's the best we have with reconstruction. Everything looks great, no infection." She looked through my chart. "Yep... Doc Allen." She helped me take off my pajama top next. Her cool hands examined my muscle structure and seemed all over my deeply tanned body. I noticed she wore the same perfume as Mary. "You're in excellent condition and that will help with getting you back on your feet. What's this from?" She moved her cool fingers over a scar on my upper right shoulder blade. "Piece of shrapnel I picked up last year. Our corpsman dug it out and sewed me up." "He did a nice job." "Glad to hear it - hurt like hell when he was doing it though - didn't even give me a bullet to bite on!" She laughed. "I like you Sergeant Reid."

"Please call me James." It was kind of bold of me but I figured she was a good sport and the worse she could do was to give me a lecture on protocol.

"Alright, "James" I need you to stand to see how that leg is going to hold up." She didn't offer me my pajamas back. I had hoped a back exam was all she was going to do because I was hard from the tactile stimulation of her hands on me. There was nothing for it. She helped me roll onto my side then to a sitting position. My cock stuck straight out. I thought as a therapist she had seen lots of cocks and as a 30 year-old woman she had maybe sucked a few so it might not be any big deal to her. Quietly she said, "Oh my" when she got me to my feet and saw my entire 10 inches. She licked her lips. My cock throbbed. She looked so sexy in her naval uniform, blouse, skirt, hose and heels.

She had me turn around and stand, holding onto the bed. "Good, good... Now let's see how much weight you can put on both legs. Try to distribute the weight evenly." "Ohh..." the pain was bad, but bearable. She ran her hands over my ass and down my legs. "Yes... yes... very... good... very... good. Please put all your weight on your uninjured leg and turn around." I stood there, propped against the bed, leaning slightly back, my hard cock at full length. She stood right in front of me the tip of my cock only about an inch from the front of her skirt. Her hands clenched and released like she wanted to touch me and squeeze my cock. She seemed mesmerized by it. She nervously looked at the closed door... fighting with herself. She looked at me. "Can I touch it?" I nodded. Her hand moved in slow motion and found my cock. We both quietly moaned as she tried to wrap her fingers around the pulsating shaft. She shuddered like she was having a mini orgasm as she stroked me. Her mouth opened and her tongue washed the outside of her lips. That's when I knew she was going to suck me.

There was a crash of breaking crockery outside in the hallway. Startled, she released me and jumped back. I groaned. It was not fair. No woman had touched me in months and now I was on sensory overload from two women and no release was in sight. She looked at the closed door again. I could see the change in her eyes - regret but impossible right now to continue. She handed me my pajama bottoms. "Sorry James..." her breasts rose and fell, her nipples straining against her bra and blouse - her excitement obvious. She grinned. "Just remember, I always finish what I start." She walked over and opened the door as I struggled into my pajamas. "Now let me show you some strengthening and stretching exercises. I'll also have Watanabe show you some of his magic stretches."

Anne was very strong and she stretched me and pulled me and stretched both legs and my back. She also showed me abdominal and leg strengthening exercises. After 20 minutes I was hurting and feeling weak. It sure didn't take long to get out of shape when you're in a hospital bed for a few days, and had a couple of surgeries. The one effect all this had on me was that my cock had deflated. She almost seemed pleased that she had reduced me to a quivering lump of Jell-O. She got me a fresh set of pajamas and helped get me somewhat comfortable. I'll get Nurse Wilson to come in and put on the new dressing. I expect by tomorrow no dressing will be necessary. She smiled down at me, licked her lips and said "see you soon James."

I must have dozed. I was awakened by the none-to-gentle ministrations of Lieutenant Wilson. She seemed pissed off as usual. She was skillful and the dressings smaller as the healing began. She didn't say a word and turned to leave.

"Lieutenant Wilson!" She stopped, her shoulders tight. I thought she was going to ignore me but she eventually turned with a reprimand on her lips. Before she could speak I said, "Look, I don't know what I've done to you to cause you to be so angry at me, but I'm sorry." "You're sorry... you... think "sorry" could be enough - you come in here Mr. war hero in this VIP room - with my volunteers at your beck and call - that's the least of it... but it's not just you... it's all of you." She waived her arm toward the ward outside my door. All of you Marines... coming into my ward acting like you own the place... and thinking you are God's gift to women... a bunch of cocky bastards disrupting the place, making demands, wanting this and that, thinking you're better than everyone else. I'm sick of all of you. I'm not your mother or theirs!" She stood there defiant, pissed, clenching her fists.