The rest of the day passed without much consequence. I sutured up his injuries, handed him a bag of ice and some anti-inflammatories, and sent him on his way. All the action before 8 am left a bit of a lazy afternoon.
Anna left sometime around two, leaving me with Elise who came in around nine. Marge sat at the big chair at the desk while I sat on top of it, mindlessly chatting as I filled out a makeshift chart and an incident report that went to the Colonel. Nothing big really happened here, but I was still worried about what would happen if the Colonel found my report to be lackluster.
I was still tweaking the report when someone breezed into the waiting room later that afternoon. Luke.
"Hey," I said, waving from where I sat on top of the desk. "Nice outfit."
Luke was wearing fatigues with a pretty intimidating gun strapped to his back and another at his hip. I had only seen him in street clothes. "I could say the same about you."
I hopped off the desk and struck a pose in my scrubs, tugging my hair from its messy ponytail and shaking my head. "Think that I'll be on the cover of Vogue?"
He shrugged, the edges of his lips tugging upwards. "Front page, darlin'." He cleared his throat. "I'm actually here to pick up a report. About a friendly fire incident this morning."
"Oh." My smile dropped, but I handed Luke my report. "It's not that entertaining."
He skimmed the report. "This is perfect. Pretty routine. Friendly fire is the worst, but it happens."
"How did he even get shot? It was barely dawn."
Luke shook his head. "People screw around when they need to pay attention. We had a big drill group today at the range and someone disregarded the cease fire."
"That's a pretty bad thing to disregard. I'm surprised no one else got hurt."
"You're telling me." Luke ran a hand against his head. "Everyone on base has to log a certain number of hours at the range. You said you didn't know how to shoot. That true?"
I frowned. "I didn't lie about that."
Luke held his hands up placatingly. "I never said you did. I was going to offer to take you shooting."
I blushed. "After the friendly fire?" Luke just raised his eyebrows in response. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get all snappy. That would be really nice."
He waved me off. "It happens. You've had quite a morning. Quite a few days actually."
"This is actually less than I normally experience in a few hours. I've been on my ER rotation at the hospital, so I've gotten to see a lot more trauma recently." I pulled my hair back up into a ponytail. "Usually I don't have a minute to sit or even eat."
"How about today? Did you find a minute to explore what the mess has to offer for lunch?"
I shook my head, waving at the papers in Luke's hands. "Haven't had a chance with that stupid report. Besides, my babysitter is missing and I don't think I'm supposed to go anywhere without him."
Luke smiled devilishly. "Luckily for you, I know where the mess is. Care for a stroll?"
I hesitated. "I don't really think I'm supposed to leave. I'm working."
"Elise and I can handle it, doll. We'll radio you if we need you." Marge smiled innocently. A facilitator of all things. One that wasn't always subtle. Little did she know, I was already covered on the relationship front.
"Fine," I said, tugging on my ring that hung at my throat and hiding my smile. "Let's go."
----
Luke pointed to a relatively large building, maybe four stories high with the front faceted with windows glimmering in the afternoon sun. "That's the Mess."
"It reminds me of a student center at a university." I could see people clustered inside by the windows hanging out or having meetings. "Is this building just a dining hall or do other things happen here?"
"It's mostly for eating, but people will hang out here or have unofficial meetings." He shrugged. "It's one of the places where we are soldiers for a minute, just people."
I didn't know what to say to that.
Luke gently ushered me inside, waving to a guard near the door. A little girl ran by us, near ramming into me. I maneuvered out of the way and she threw me a toothless smile over her shoulder, her red hair streaming behind her.
I laughed. "It's nice to see that the kids are entertained."
"Yeah, most of them spend their time here or outside. Don't get roped into their games. They are relentless," he said as we weaved through the crowd, dodging children and adults alike.
"This is the main mess." The room was large and filled with rectangular tables arranged in rows. Some had been pulled from their arrangement to make a square table and chair were scattered about. "It's so real. Sometimes I forget that there are so many people that live on base."
His eyes were wistful, his mind somewhere outside of this room. I envied that. My hopes and dreams were put on the back burner to my current situation. I was simply trying to survive right now, trying to make everything work out, but there were so many variables.
"How many people live on base?" I asked, snapping him back to reality. I wondered what had him so captivated. If it was a who rather than a what.
"Now?" He rubbed the back of his head, still sporting his grown out buzz cut. "Less than normal. Usually we have about 500 people give or take depending on who has been deployed and whether or not families stay or if they even have families. Many people decided to stay when the infection hit, but even more decided to leave. A lot of us have small hunting cabins so a lot headed out that way."
"Why did you stay? What made the base more appealing than a secluded cabin in the wilderness?" I didn't want to pry, but I was genuinely curious. He seemed to have a lot of drama with the Colonel, so I was surprised Luke didn't want to cut ties as soon as he could. Besides, Luke struck me as someone who would thrive in a hunting cabin. Getting to shoot and not have to deal with other people's bullshit. Me, on the other hand, I would go crazy from loneliness and boredom before the sickness got me.
"You act like I had a choice." He sighed. "Sometimes you have to do what is best for the base regardless of what you think is best for yourself."
I frowned. The concept was not unfamiliar. As a doctor, I had to make many sacrifices, both for the sake of my career and the sake of my patients. Whether that meant getting no sleep so that I could monitor a patient or forgoing a date because I was on call, I had to make choices. That's life. A series of choices. It's not just one that gets us to the end. It's the culmination of a thousand little decisions that make us who we are.
"I understand that. Believe me, I do."
"So it wasn't your choice to be here? Are you choosing because you think it's best for yourself or best for someone else?" His gaze was critical, penetrating, as if searching for some deeper answer in the creases of my face and the sift of my eyes.
Wasn't that the question? I didn't really have a choice. I was here because I had no other options. "I don't know. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be, but it's not all bad."
"Right you are." We stopped at a table and Luke pulled out a chair for me. "I'm about to show you just how gourmet our cuisine is here at the Mess Hall Cafe."
He jogged over to a counter where a few people were chatting and laughing, one or two shooting them annoyed looks every once and awhile. After a bit of polite conversation, Luke returned with two plates, piled high and hot.
"A classic base dish," Luke said, setting the plates down on the table. "Spaghetti."
"I haven't had spaghetti in ages." I took a big inhale of the delicious scent wafting up from the setaming meal in front of me. "In my house, we are too health crazy. It's always spaghetti squash. Never real pasta."
"Don't get too excited," Luke warned. "This is just the boxed stuff. Never compares to the real stuff."
"Don't care. I will savor every bite." I twisted my plastic fork into the middle of the dish and twirled up a nice bite. Gesturing with my full fork, I said, "this is going to be so good."
As soon as I took a bite, a loud voice yelled just behind me. Startled, my throat seized. I started to choke, coughing and sputtering. Luke hopped up and hit me gently in the back a few times. Not exactly how to fix a choking patient, but I appreciate the thought.
Whoever yelled just laughed. When I finally stopped dying, I whirled around to see Ian's giant grin. A gaggle of soldiers in fatigues were with him, some carrying plates.
"Ian," I groaned, shaking my head. "Why did you do that to me?"
"Sorry, Lizzi. I just wanted to scare you. How was I supposed to know that you would choke? Usually eating isn't that hard."
My face scrunched up as I pursed my lips at him. "Cute. Too bad I don't see it that way."
"Too bad Luke doesn't see you that way," Ian quipped.
My jaw dropped, and Ian slapped a hand over his mouth. Scoffing, I tried to fight the heat rising in my face. Luke and I both sputtered for a response, attempting to break the awkward tension to no avail.
Ian had no such qualms and plopped down right next to me. He was acting like the younger siblings you just can't get rid of. "So, how's the food? Seems you've been inhaling it. Literally."
I turned to give Ian a piece of my mind when a few others joined our party. These soldiers were older. I could see it in the hard set of their jaws, the deeper creases in their foreheads, and the haunted gleam in their eyes. These people were battle forged.
"Yo, Falls," the one in the front said, reaching out to clasp arms with him.
Luke hit him on the back. "Bishop, man. I can't believe you got your lazy ass out here."
Another man laughed, seizing the opportunity to make fun of a friend. He looked so familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on how I knew him. "Yeah, we can't believe he got his ass out of bed." Some of the others snickered, but Bishop just smirked.
"At least I didn't get out of an empty bed, Warner." A chorus of chuckling and pushing went throughout the group. Ian and his crew were hesitant to laugh, even if they thought the joke was funny. Maybe these men were their commanding officers or COs. It would be like making fun of your teacher with their friends. I understood their discomfort.
Wait, Warner. That was Ian's last name. I glanced between Ian and Warner. The same icy blue eyes and cropped dark blonde hair. They were brothers. Now I really understood Ian's discomfort. You never know whether it's cool to roast your siblings around their friends. Usually it's fine, but then, one time it's not and you and your sibling get into a huge albeit petty fight in front of a crowd. It's a blast.
Warner scanned the table, popping up his chin at Ian, who responded in kind. His eyes centered on me. "And who might you be, gorgeous?"
"Way out of your league," I said sweetly.
He let out a surprised laugh, the soldiers around him gazing at me intensely. "Some fire. I like that. I'm Warner. Welcome to base. I assume you're new?"
"Elizabeth," I introduced myself. "And thanks, I am. I've been working in the clinic while I've been here."
"Ahh, they roped you into volunteering at the desk. Sounds like a blast." The sarcasm was evident in his tone.
Luke laughed. "Don't get her started."
"No, actually. I'm a doctor. I've been treating patients."
"Damn, W. She really is out of your league," one of the soldiers called.
Warner raised his hands in surrender. "They wound me." He clapped Luke on the back. "As much as I am delighted to meet you, we're actually here for this boy. Range tonight. You down?"
"Hell yeah. I never turn down an op like this." A grin broke out on Luke's face as he conversed with Warner. "When?"
"The usual. Keep it on the DL, though." Warner lowered his voice. "We don't exactly have permission."
A dark look crossed Luke's features, one of deep understanding and acceptance. "See you then."
Warner bumped his fist against Luke's. "Get ready for defeat."
"In your dreams, bud." Luke pointed two fingers at his own eyes and then at Warner's, who just raised his hands in a come-at-me gesture.
I found myself smiling at their encounter as I finished eating. As Luke and I retreated from the mess, leaving Ian and his cohorts to their mindless chatter, I finally asked, "what illicit affair will you be doing tonight?"
Luke's laugh boomed. "You pick up on too much sometimes." He looked at me closely. "Why? Do you want to join?"
Of course I did. Who doesn't want to be involved in a fun and mildly illegal event? The unknown, the fear of getting caught, it was an adrenaline rush. Simultaneously, the fear of getting caught was paralyzing. The rules were probably there for a reason.
"Maybe." I jumped over a crack in the sidewalk. "You might need to convince me."
He took it as a challenge, leaning in close and beckoning for me to mimic him. In a low whisper, he said, "how do you feel about midnight?"
In the same secretive tone, I shot back, "it's the witching hour. Perfect for danger and whatever clandestine activity you have planned."
"Night shooting." His breath caressed my ear, raising goosebumps along my arms. "I'll teach you how to shoot."
My voice was breathy. "That's an offer I just can't deny."
He smiled at me and we locked eyes. The afternoon sun brought out the shining flecks of gold in his emerald green eyes. They were captivating, a deep jewel tone, sparkling with mischief and contagious excitement. How could I ever say no?
I snapped out of it. It was just shooting. A necessary skill. One that he had to teach me in order to help the base, to appease the Colonel. Even if this attraction was real, I could never act on it. I was engaged to someone else. It was fair to Oliver, to Luke, or to myself.
My hand flew to the ring around my neck, and I tugged hard on the chain, the warm metal digging into the soft skin at the nape of my neck. My engagement ring, gold and adorned with diamonds. Classy, elegant, and expensive. I was so afraid to lose it, but I wanted to wear it.
Since I was a doctor, it was almost impossible to wear a ring. It ripped gloves, made it impossible to completely scrub in, and I worried about it getting bloodstained.
So I wore it on a necklace. It was a reminder.