Encounter with a Commanding Officer

Ash thrust her away from him so fast she almost stumbled backwards. He made no move to catch her, only folded his arms across his chest, those biceps bulging all the more, and glowered at her.

‘Just get the suture kit and do your damned job, Major, if you can keep your hands to yourself for that long. Then we can both get the hell out of here.’

CHAPTER FOUR

‘WHAT HAVE WE GOT?’ Fliss jumped off the heli to speak to the medic on the ground as her team hauled the casualty on board.

‘Fusilier Bowman, nineteen, was playing football with the local lads when two of them had a collision and Bowman fell on his shoulder and broke his clavicle.’

Already she could see her team checking the airway, breathing, and circulation, one of her crew moving behind the casualty to examine the clavicle itself, including any signs of deformity.

‘Oscillate and percuss the lung fields to exclude pneumothorax and carry out a neurovascular examination, particularly for upper limb pulses, decreased perfusion and muscle power,’ she called out. ‘Okay, let’s see the other lad involved.’

A brief check confirmed the other player had got off lightly. More than likely the break had occurred on impact with the ground rather than with the other player. Still, Fliss wanted to rule out the possibility of a head injury.

Satisfied, she was on her way back to the heli when a voice halted her.

‘Ma’am?’

Fliss stopped, turning to the trio of soldiers eagerly approaching.

‘We heard Colonel Stirling is in Razorwire now; he was on a MERT shout yesterday?’ one of them asked.

Fliss nodded, wishing her whole body didn’t react at the mere mention of his name.

‘Are you likely to see him, ma’am?’

She plastered a pleasant smile on her lips. ‘Doubtful, gents. Sorry.’

‘Oh.’

The lads looked disappointed, and before she knew it she was being drawn in.

‘Why?’

‘It’s just that... Would you just tell him...?’

‘That it’s a bit quiet here without him,’ the second lad interjected.

Fliss pressed her lips together. It wasn’t what the lads were saying so much as what they weren’t saying. This was the closest these guys got to saying they missed someone. It said a lot about the Colonel. Her expression softened.

‘He was your company commander?’

‘No, ma’am.’ The second lad shook his head. ‘He was only a captain when we knew him, our recce platoon commander. Before he got himself blown up.’

Her heart bounded around her ribcage.

‘The grenade? You were there?’

They looked like kids.

‘Yeah, of course. Six years ago. The boss saved our lives,’ the first lad announced proudly. ‘Mick, Jonesy and me, ma’am. And some others who are going to be mad they aren’t here now.’

‘I see,’ she acknowledged. ‘I knew the Colonel had been involved in a grenade incident but I’m afraid I don’t know the details.’

‘Let me guess, the boss doesn’t like to talk about it, ma’am? Claims it was no big deal and he was just doing his job? That sounds about right.’

‘You don’t agree, gentlemen?’