Resilience (Warner's World Book 6) by Dave O'Connor Read Free Book Online

do the talking.”
    It was a wary 1 st Lt Ginty Martell that entered Dave’s office accompanied by her officer commanding (OC), LCmd Jim Bucknell. They both sat down in the chairs as indicated by Ivan with his hand. She knew she was going to get a chewing out. Yes, she regretted giving the XO some choice words but she was still smarting over the fact that he was not respecting her right to privacy on this matter.
    “So Ginty” started Dave “why do you think you’re here?”
    Ginty gave Ivan a quick glance. He was playing a straight bat. She would have preferred that he showed some more emotion. “Look I’m sorry for the language but I have rights you know. I don’t have to communicate with my mother and it’s none of your god dammed business as to why either.”
    Jim frowned at her and was about to say something but he stopped when he saw Dave shaking his head.
    Dave took a deep breath in. “Normally I would agree with you.” He paused deliberately to let that little fact sink in. “But the XO exercised his right to read the communication you keep blocking. This was done at Fleet HQs request. The XO has shown me the communication and I think you should read this now.” Dave placed the ePaper on the desk in front of Ginty.
    She looked at it like it was poison. Her lips pursed tight. It was like a red rag to the bull. “You can’t make me do this. You have no idea. She might be my mother but she lost all right to communicate with me when she ran out on us to get stoned. It was my dad who raised me not her. I washed my hands of her all those years ago and I want nothing to do with her, do you here.”
    “It’s about your dad, Ginty. He’s dying and she needs your approval for a power of attorney so she can care for him.”
    “What?” she said and she grabbed the ePaper and began reading. As she did a floodgate of emotion coursed through her. There was anger, bitterness and oh so much sadness. She wiped away a single tear and drew on her reserves to re-establish her composure. She nodded to Dave and then asked “Are we done?”
    “Yeah, we’re done Ginty.”
    Ginty stood up, gave the others a nod and left.

Chapter 20. Cornucopia to Polaris 0945, 10 September
    Charles had been disappointed when he turned up at 0700 to get his dressing replaced only to be told that Dr Li was too busy to see him. He had reluctantly submitted to the male nurse on duty who changed his dressing.
    But he was pleased when Merry hailed him at 0930 to apologise for not being there and delighted when she said she could meet him for coffee. He was sitting at a table in the café waiting for her. His eyes lit up as she approached but he could see that she looked very tired.
    “Sorry about earlier” she said as she sat down at the table. “I couldn’t get away from theatre.”
    “Long night?” asked Charles.
    “Yes we got an admission late in the night…complicated.” She gave him a weak smile.
    “Does that happen a lot?”
    “This is a hospital ship and we’ve got a lot of wounded, so yeah.”
    “How long have you been serving on this ship?”
    “Two years now and because of the war most of it has been spent in transit.”
    “Will you get any down time when we arrive?”
    “You don’t muck around, do you?”
    “Sorry, didn’t mean it that way.”
    She studied him closely, still a little unsure of him. She decided to let it lie and change the topic of conversation. “So are you being discharged…from the Service I mean?”
    “Probably…that’s still a bit up in the air at the moment.”
    “What was it like down on Qwantum? You don’t have to answer that. I shouldn’t have asked really?”
    “That’s all right” said Charles and he went on to explain his part in the assault on the missile battery at Rollinium. Merry appeared to be genuinely interested, so Charles unfolded more of his experiences. Before he knew it an hour had passed. Merry said “Oh is that the time I better go I’m back on shift at