Waiting for Her Soldier by Cassie Laurent Read Free Book Online

boyfriend now and I knew he and Darren didn’t get along.
    “Good. He needs someone there for him. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, but he’s a hard-headed and determined man. It’s the same quality that makes him an excellent soldier, but I’m afraid he won’t follow through on his treatment without someone there making sure of it.”
    I laughed. The Doctor had only known Darren for a short while, but one of his most salient characteristics, his stubbornness, had already shown through.
    “Ok, I’ll make sure to whip him into shape,” I said, amused at the Doctor’s candidness.
    “Good. I need you there with him every step of the way, it’s crucial to a full recovery. If he stops going to physical therapy sessions, his arm mobility will be drastically limited, and I know he doesn’t want that. Alright, I’ve got to run. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
    “Goodbye. And thank you.”
    “It’s my job, ma’am. Now go see your boy.”

    I stayed with Darren the rest of the afternoon, just talking with him and hanging out. It was pleasant and peaceful, and Darren was in high spirits knowing that soon he’d be outside of these drab hospital walls. With ten minutes to 9:00 PM, a nurse came by and told me that visiting hours were over soon. I packed up my things and gave Darren a kiss on the head, knowing he’d sleep well tonight. He didn’t want to admit it, but I could see that the long surgery had really taken it out of him. And finally having Darren home safe and sound, with the concerns put out of my mind by Dr. Williams’ positive prognosis, I knew I would finally sleep well, too.
    As I drove back to my motel that night, I thought about the weeks to come. We’d decided that Darren would stay with me for the next few weeks. As I’d expected, he didn’t want to live with his sister and her boyfriend. He wanted to see his parents for Christmas, but traveling there for Thanksgiving was absolutely out of the question; he was in no condition to be flying anytime soon.
    And so it happened that Darren would just crash at my place for awhile. It just seemed to make sense. It would just be casual of course, no pressure or anything, but we were both pretty happy with the arrangement. I was looking forward to his company, cooking for him, just spending some time together. We had a lot to catch up on and now we’d finally have the time to do it in. There was no need to rush into anything too quickly.
    That night I climbed into the motel room bed alone, but dreaming of the possibility of a future in which that would no longer be the case. And as expected, I slept soundly that night.

CHAPTER 17
———
    When I got to the hospital the next morning Darren was already looking much better. The color had returned to his face and he was looking strong and healthy, minus the bandaged arm of course. Dr. Williams came in for a final examination before clearing Darren for release. There were a few more papers for us to sign, and before we left Dr. Williams handed me a packet with all the instructions for his post-operational treatment, as well as the various prescriptions he’d written for Darren.
    “Take care, Sergeant. Enjoy life on the outside.”
    “I will. Thanks, Doc,” said Darren. And before I knew it we were exiting the elevator into the hospital parking garage.
    Darren was happy to be outside, tired of breathing the stale air of the various hospitals he’d been confined to for the past several days. We got into the car and left the garage, turning left toward the exit of the hospital campus. After a few more turns, we were on the highway, heading back to my small apartment.
    The drive was quiet and comforting, the poor weather of yesterday giving way to clear and sunny skies. The air was brisk, but Darren insisted on cracking a window, happy to drink in the fresh American air. I turned on one of his favorite radio stations and we just cruised for awhile. Every now and again I looked over to find him staring out