Vicky Peterwald: Survivor (Vicky Peterwald Series Book 2) by Mike Shepherd Read Free Book Online Page B

asleep. Her next recollection was waking up with her head on the captain’s shoulder and drool dripping from her mouth onto the poor woman’s uniform.
    Vicky sat up straight and tried to wipe the woman’s shoulder clean. It looked better after a few swipes.
    Glancing around, Vicky asked, “How long was I out?”
    “Almost three hours. They’ve got a bed ready for you.”
    “Thank them, but no thanks. Was there any report on Ger . . . the commander?”
    “No one’s come out that door,” the captain said.
    “Well, seeing how we’ve slept together,” Vicky said, “I’m Vicky, sometimes called Victoria, the Imperial Grand Duchess of Peterwald.”
    “I’m Captain Inez Torrago. Rangers. Your Honor.”
    “It’s Your Grace the first time you address me. Ma’am or Commander after that. I wish we could have met under better circumstances,” Vicky said, and stood, stretched, and marched for the door.
    The Ranger captain followed.
    Vicky pushed the door open and took a peek. Medical gear. Lots of it.
    And a nurse who immediately headed for her in full and high dudgeon.
    “You can’t be here.”
    “I’m the Grand Duchess Victoria Peterwald.”
    “I don’t care if you’re Mary, Queen of Scots. You’re not hurt and not medical staff. Get back on the other side of the door before I bust your head.”
    “I’m game,” Vicky said.
    “Head trauma goes to another unit. You can’t get in here that easy.”
    “What does it take to get in here?”
    “I’ll see if one of the doctors can spare you a moment. Now get back where you belong.”
    Since the nurse was now nose to nose with Vicky and looked mean enough to break a head or three, Vicky retreated.
    “Would you have defended me from a head-breaking?” Vicky asked the captain as she withdrew back to her chair.
    “Interesting question,” the captain said, apparently giving itserious thought. “I’m not sure whether my duty would be to help her bust you one or defend you. I think I’d have tossed a coin on that one.”
    “Heads you bust me, and the coin has two heads?”
    “Something like that. We haven’t had that many Imperials out this far lately. Kind of hard to figure out how to treat one of them just now.” The words were hard, but the hint of a smile softened them.
    Vicky settled back in her chair. “I’m properly put in my place. Damn, how busted up was Gerrit? How long can it take?”
    The captain offered no answer. Vicky hadn’t expected one.
    Her own conclusions were bad and getting worse.
    Damn, if he hadn’t been taking care of my shivers, he’d have had his seat belt on.
    Another hour passed at a glacier’s pace. The captain sent a uniform out for sandwiches. Vicky played with the ham and cheese on rye more than she ate it.
    Then the doors opened, and a woman in scrubs came out.
    Somewhere Vicky had heard a Navy corpsman say that they always sent a woman doc to deliver the hard news.
    Vicky stood and prepared to hear the worst.

CHAPTER 15
    T HE young woman approaching Vicky was almost tiny. However, her informal medical garb could not hide the power and purpose with which she moved. She had a medical-records board in the crook of her arm.
    “You are?” she inquired curtly of Vicky.
    “Vicky Peterwald,” she answered.
    “The Imperial Grand Duchess, Victoria of Greenfeld,” the Ranger captain corrected.
    “Hmm,” the doctor said, making a notation on her board. “And you are related to the patient how?” came out cold and fast, from having been said far too often.
    “He’s sworn to give his life to protect mine,” Vicky fired back with meaning.
    “Oh. No box to check off for that, but I believe that I can knock something together for our Patient Privacy Office.”
    “How is Gerrit?” Vicky demanded, having been stopped by as many bureaucratic roadblocks as she could handle for one night. Morning. Whatever!
    The doctor raised an eyebrow at the way Vicky used Gerrit’s first name. “Commander Schlieffen is in bad