Jackson was listening intently to the voice on the other line. Doctor Ross Graham had been his good friend for a long time and was highly esteemed by many, Jackson included. In fact, it was Ross that had led him to the Lord all those years ago and they still grabbed a pew together when they could. Ross was one of the few people Jackson knew who could say whatever needed saying without adding any shine or polish. The Doc called it frankness but many felt that he was excessively sharp and needlessly abrupt. Not Jackson. He respected the ‘tell it like it is’ mentality. People who like to be wooed usually dicker around and waste precious time.
The Doctor was detailing an urgent search and rescue mission. A plane had gone down two days ago and its six passengers were stranded somewhere in the mountains. They had been unable to get in and had had little contact with them since the crash due to the storm but several were still alive and in need of medical attention. The standby team, waiting in the bay to go in, had to be deployed on another emergency. S.R.T. wanted Dr. Graham's crew ready to deploy at 1030 hrs. Two of the passengers and one of the flight crew had suffered severe injuries. One man was assumed dead. The pilot, also badly injured was holding on but barely. The S.R.T. was aware that Jackson’s neck of the woods was still blown under. Could he be prepared to leave with them if they sent the Helli-36 to pick him up? “I won’t take anyone else up there with me J.D. You, Dirk and Peter are the best. Everyone makes it out on our team so if you cannot go I will tell S.R.T. to get another crew.” Jackson agreed that the team should leave straight away. “Has everyone been notified?” He asked.
His glance slid to the beautiful woman sitting on his couch. He listened carefully to the Doc’s instructions and when he’d finished speaking he said “Listen, Ross… I have a young lady here that I rescued during the storm. She was pretty banged up and unconscious when I found her. Since we are still without roads and such she has only had my limited aid. What are the chances of dropping her at St. Bart’s on the way? She really should be seen by a professional.” His brow dipped in a frown. “No. She had a high fever and was in and out of consciousness for ten days.” He paused and then fired off answers to another question. “Yes. Head injuries. She had two nasty bumps on her head. One required several stitches. Yes. A Concussion, delirium, and temporary blindness. Eyesight restored but not colour. Objects disappear and reappear at will. Also several cuts, bumps, bruises and burns.” He saw her grimace. “I agree. Yes. Full C.A.T. and EEG.” He smiled and said “Good. We will be ready.”
He hung up the phone and just stood there, staring at her. A strange sensation rippled through him. Loss? No. Longing! His brow lifted as his eyes widened with shock. He knew that he was lusting for her, God forgive him. She was a very sexy woman and he had definitely seen her naked. He had tried not to look but… He had also enjoyed her company these last few days. She was funny and vivacious but very serene too. They had talked a lot to pass the time and although she couldn’t tell him much about herself, she had endeared herself to him. He liked her. A lot!
Less than an hour later he had her bundled in her own clothes, now clean, and was sheltering her from the tornado like winds of the Helli’s propellers. He had given her a detailed explanation of her intended treatment and a brief one of the S.R.T mission. He kept his arm around her shoulders the entire flight just to have an excuse to touch her. He told her as they were landing on the helli-pad at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital that he would stop to see her after the mission.
“They’re probably going to keep you several days.” He yelled to be heard over the Chopper. She looked pale and scared and he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. He wrestled with himself for half a second before he did just that. “Bye Cuz’.” He said in her ear, just loud enough to be heard. Her startled eyes lifted and bumped into his steady ones. She gave him a lopsided grin. The Doctor pushed his way through and yelled “You ready Miss?…” She sat in the wheelchair and he watched her until the Emergency doors slid closed behind her. Climbing back into the helicopter he swore. Darn it Jackson! This is a bad time to realize that you’re in love with her! ♦️
YOU ARE READING
The Sun
General FictionA cop and an insurance agent try to track down a killer who is out to get them first. Through loss, amnesia, and bullets, will they get the bad guy first?
