Chapter 16: War Wounds

It was challenging for Angel to wake up early after spending so many years being nocturnal. She was a bit out of sorts as she got in the shower. It was work for her to keep her eyes open as the water fell on her and she managed to finish showering. She toweled off and began to blow dry her hair and then she thumbed through her clothes attempting to pick out an outfit. Jordan had given her a little bit of closet space.

"Dress casually today," Jordan said and she could see he was wearing his jeans and tee shirt and it appeared he intended to put on a flannel shirt. She noticed he was wearing the cowboy boots he wore on the night she first met him in the bar. Those boots were an indication that he was definitely a cowboy from Reno.

Angel was grateful for Jordan's housekeeper who had washed and folded her clothing neatly placing her clothes on top of the dresser so that all Angel had to do was put them in the drawer Jordan provided. She grabbed her freshly washed jeans and put them on along with a sweater and then she put on her Levi jacket.

She joined Jordan in the kitchen as he filled a thermos and two travel mugs with coffee. There was a nylon bag sitting out on the counter that had been filled with cups of jell-o and fruit, along with granola bars, power bars, and assorted snacks. Angel wondered how much he paid his housekeeper, she was quite efficient. She had never even seen his housekeeper.

As they got in the truck, Angel cuddled up next to Jordan and he looked down at her sternly, "You need to slide over on the seat so you can buckle up."

She looked up at him as if he was joking, "Are you kidding?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" He asked in a serious tone. "I'd love for you to sit right next to me for the ride, but I've seen too many accidents when people weren't wearing seat belts. I don't want you to be injured if I accidentally veer off the road."

Angel didn't like that he was making her sit away from him, but she knew he was not kidding around, and she wasn't in the mood for him to spank her this early in the morning, so she slid over and buckled her seat belt and frowned.

He brushed her cheek lightly with his hand, "Hey, it's better to have you alive than dead." He then inserted a CD in his truck stereo, "George Strait," She groaned, instantly recognizing the music.

"Yep, and after that it's Dwight Yoakum," he grinned.

"You're quite the Redneck," she said in mock disapproval, "Did the good people at Harvard Med know you were a 'good ole boy'?"

"Yep," Jordan laughed, "and there ain't nothing you can say worse than what some of them folks already said about me, so don't even try."

"Good Lord," Angel sighed in amusement, "George Strait."

"Careful now," He grinned, "You don't want me to spank you this early in the morning."

"You would spank me for disagreeing with your choice in music?" and then she thought about it, "Hey, if it means we can listen to some Rock and Roll oldies or anything besides this damn Country music, then by all means please spank me!" She joked, "Can't we at least listen to Garth Brooks?"

"Be good," he warned and cranked up the volume.

Jordan pulled his truck out onto the highway. Their first town was located only about an hour away and they arrived in no time. Jordan was a hard worker and Angel began to realize as she watched him work that when he was working he had very little time to focus on much else.

Jordan didn't have a nurse to assist him when he was out in these small towns and although sometimes his nurse Meredith accompanied him, most of the time he went alone. Angel found that he was not shy about giving her orders after awhile and she quickly complied, it made her feel useful when she was assisting him with the patients. She preferred helping him with the patients a lot more than she enjoyed answering the phone.

They visited three towns throughout the day and by the end of the day they were both exhausted. They hadn't stopped to eat or anything else all day long, it had been grueling. But there was a steak house that Jordan loved in the town they stopped in last, so after the last patient left the makeshift office where Jordan showed up once or twice a month, they packed up their supplies and eagerly drove over to the steak house.

"I don't know how you do that every day," Angel yawned as they pulled into the parking lot of the steak house.

"You were a huge help to me," Jordan smiled, and he parked his truck and led her inside the steak house. There was a live band playing country music as they entered and Jordan grinned at Angel, "Great band."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. It wasn't that she was opposed to country music, because she wasn't; she simply enjoyed giving Jordan a bad time.

They ordered steaks and drinks and both of them were too tired to say much as they sat across from each other enjoying their food and each others company. Jordan ordered a shot of tequila for both of them and then as they finished eating, he stood up and grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out onto the dance floor.

"Wait," Angel protested, she could dance a little, but she had never danced the two-step.

Jordan took her in his arms and began to show her how to dance. It was easy for Angel to pick up dance moves. She had survived being a cheer leader, so a certain amount of coordination came naturally for her. She loved to dance, but she was also growing tired. It had been a very long day.

Finally, there was a slow song and Jordan pulled her close and they swayed slowly to the music, "Why don't you have a dog or some horses?" She asked dreamily, "Most cowboys I know have at least a dog and usually a couple of horses."

He looked down at her with affection, realizing she must be tired to ask such odd questions, "I hardly have time to care for myself, let alone a dog," he sighed, "And I guess I was waiting for a wife and kids before I got horses."

Angel looked down at the floor uncomfortably.

"What's wrong?" Jordan asked and tilted her chin up so that he could look down into her eyes.

"Nothing," she said uncomfortably.

"Tell me," he insisted, "or I might have to spank it out of you."

Angel shook her head and he noticed there were tears in her eyes. "What is it Angel?" He asked softly.

"I don't think I can ever have any more children," she confessed.

He stopped dancing and looked down at her with affection, "What makes you think that? Are you certain?"

She nodded, "I'm pretty sure."

Jordan held her close as they continued to sway to the steady rhythm of the music. He thought of how his father was. Ethan made sure his whores were disease free and he always took care of their immediate medical concerns, but he didn't allow them to become pregnant and he often sterilized them on a regular basis. "Did you have any surgeries?"

Angel shook her head, "I don't know, I don't think so."

Jordan held her close wondering how she couldn't know whether or not she had surgery, but he didn't want to think about it, "What sort of birth control are you on?"

"I don't know," she confessed.

"How long since you had a period?" He asked with concern.

She shook her head, "I don't know."

He pressed her against him, "It'll be OK Anj. I'll examine you and run some tests and we'll find out what's going on inside of you, OK?"

She nodded. She knew she was disease free because Ethan had her tested routinely and the men he allowed her to see, most of them regulars, had to be tested before they were allowed to be with her, at least initially. A doctor visited frequently and made sure she was not pregnant and that she did not have periods or contract any diseases. If she wasn't clean there was no way Ethan could get the $5000 per hour that she was worth.

Jordan could tell talking about the condition of her body was a sensitive subject for her. He hadn't ever used a condom when he had been with her, which was an asinine thing for him to do, especially considering her past, but somehow he hadn't cared. He didn't understand what it was about her that made him act so impulsive and reckless.

He breathed a tired sigh and twirled her around one last time as he led her off the dance floor and out of the restaurant. The effects of the alcohol he drank during dinner had completely worn off. As they got inside the truck, Angel insisted on cuddling up next to him, and against his better judgment, he allowed her to sit close to him, even though he she wasn't properly restrained by the seat belt. She closed her eyes as the radio blared a George Strait song You're Something Special To Me, "An angel's what you are..." George's voice rang out loud and clear, "every man has a dream and you made mine come true..." Jordan was certain he would never hear this song again without thinking of Angel because the lyrics suddenly struck him in a way they never had before. She was indeed something special to him.

It was nearly 2 a.m. when Jordan finally arrived home and carried Angel inside. She was so tired she couldn't stay awake long enough to remove her clothes, so Jordan took them off for her and then cuddled up next to her under the covers in the bed, giving her a light peck on the cheek as he drifted off to sleep.

Martin paced back and forth in his office sipping his coffee. He had put it off for several days, but he knew he had to go speak to Angel. For a man like him, something like that was easier said than done.

It was around noon when Martin grabbed his jacket off the coat rack and headed out the door. He got in his truck and drove over to Dr. Parker's office. He pulled up in the parking lot in his old beat up pickup truck and walked inside.

Angel was hard at work when Martin entered. She was ready for the lunch break and her eyes flew wide open when she looked up and saw her father approaching. She blinked several times and swallowed nervously. He stopped in front of the reception desk and looked down at her, "Hello Angelica," Martin said quietly.

Connie didn't wait, she knew this was an emergency and she quickly rushed to the room where Jordan was seeing a patient and interrupted him, "You better come out here," she said in a worried voice.

Jordan was grateful Connie had interrupted him. "Hello Martin," Jordan said casually as he rushed out to see what was going on, "Can I help you with something?"

Martin looked at Jordan, "I want to talk to my daughter," he said.

Angel was shaken up by Martin's presence, and her lips quivered and her hands shook. Tears threatened to burst forth out of her eyes and she was choked up and unable to speak.

"What are your thoughts Angel?" Jordan asked with a worried look.

Angel swallowed and after a few seconds she managed to say, "It's OK," but she was barely able to get the words out.

"You can use my office to talk," Jordan offered.

"No, I want her to come with me and we'll get lunch," Martin said and he looked down at his daughter expectantly. Angel was still trembling nervously and looking as though she wanted to crawl under the desk and hide.

"I'd prefer you not leave my office with her," Jordan said with a tight jaw.

Martin considered Jordan's words and was a little surprised by how protective Jordan was of Angel. Martin scoffed, "I'm not staying here," he said, "C'mon Angel, let's go to Carson's Diner for lunch; there are a lot of other people there," he added for Jordan's benefit.

Angel didn't know what to do. This was completely unexpected and caught her off guard. But somewhere deep down inside she was conditioned to follow her father's orders no matter what, so she stood up as if on automatic pilot and gathered up her purse.

"I don't think you should go with him Angel," Jordan said and there was pleading in his eyes, "things could get ugly." He wondered if there was a way he could force her to stay.

Angel shook her head and looked at Jordan, "I'll be OK Jordan; don't worry," and she reached over and touched him on the shoulder softly as she walked past him, looking at him with as much reassurance as she could muster.

Jordan's felt as though his heart was being ripped out as he watched Angel leave his office with her father. He wanted to run out after her and stop her. He turned and looked at Connie and Meredith who appeared to be mesmerized as they stared at the door with shocked expressions, "Will she be OK?" Connie asked with concern.