Chapter 26
HEAVY, SLASHING RAIN pelted the San Francisco Bay area. Casey hardly noticed. She only had eyes for her new passport. The picture was hers. The name on the passport said she was Casey Adams. All thanks to a young attorney named Oliver Preston, a Vietnam veteran. “No mean feat,” he said when he handed it to her. “I feel like I personally dealt Goliath a mortal blow, and in a manner of speaking, that’s exactly what I did to the U.S. Army. You’re your own person now. You still retain dual citizenship. I respected your wishes in that matter and left the paperwork up to them. On the matter of your life insurance, well, the army is prepared to take the loss. Here in my hand are checks for all your medical bills, the ones paid by Dr. Carpenter. When I relieve you of my fee, you’ll still have a tidy little nest egg. I think your Dr. Carpenter would understand.”
“Marcus Carlin and Alan’s lawyer in New York?”
“I’ll handle everything. You signed your power of attorney, so there will be no problem. I’ll carry out your wishes. Again, I think your Dr. Carpenter would be very proud to know you’re donating all of your inheritance to Senator Carlin’s foundation for Down’s syndrome children in the name of Mary Ashley. I’ll get on that right after . . . day after tomorrow really.”
“I don’t know how to thank you for all your help. I just walked in here out of the rain and fog, and there you were. I was one step away from jumping off the Bay Bridge a month ago.”
“And now?” Preston asked curiously.
“Now I’m going to the bank and deposit these checks, and then I’m going to celebrate.”
“Alone?”
“In a manner of speaking. I’ll share it with my memories one last time. And then I’ll start over tomorrow. Do you have a family, Oliver? I never asked.”
“Yes. Great little wife, and a boy and a girl. They’re my life.”
“That’s the way it should be. Don’t ever let anyone break it up,” Casey said softly. “Good-bye, Oliver, and thanks for everything.”
“Listen,” Oliver said, getting up from his desk. “What if I need to get in touch with you? Where will you be? What are you going to do?”
“What I do best. Right now, though, I’m going to try and catch some of your famous San Francisco fog.” She laughed. Oliver thought the sound of her laughter was the saddest thing he’d ever heard.
“Good Luck, Casey.”
“Thanks, Oliver.”
THE AWFUL IN-COUNTRY smell was just as she remembered it. The heat and humidity just as paralyzing. Casey smiled. She was a veteran, she could handle it. Her bag full of cotton underwear, talcum, a fancy blue dress, and little else was at her feet. She could see the Twelfth Evac Hospital sign and underneath the letters CU CHI.
She heard the sound of choppers. “Incoming wounded,” she said to the three young nurses at her side.
“Where?” the girls chorused in unison.
Casey pointed to the west.
“I can’t see anything,” one of the nurses said. “I don’t hear anything either. How do you know that?” she asked suspiciously.
“I’ve been here before.” Casey laughed. “Better get moving.”
“We just got here. We’re tired,” they whined together.
“Tough. You’re here to do a job, and you’re going to do it. Get a move on. In case no one told you, I’m your superior. I’m tough, but I’m fair. Move your asses, girls. Those guys aren’t going to wait to die till you get ready. In there and scrub up! Five minutes!”
“Jesus Christ, where did she come from?” one of the nurses demanded.
“Another planet,” the second nurse said.
“She looks like a real bitch!” the third one said.
“Nah, she’s a real pussycat. I’m the dragon. Move!” Luke Farrell roared.
“Hello, Luke,” Casey said shyly.
“What name you going by these days?” Luke drawled.
“The same one I was born with, subject to change, of course,” Casey drawled back.
“Can we talk about this later? The name change, I mean. This is a bad one. I don’t want any of those kids dying on my table. How’d you find me? Triage!” he bellowed at the top of his lungs as the first chopper set down.
“I made a deal with the army. I said I’d come over here if they assigned me to your hospital. They said okay. Is that good enough for you?”
“Yeah. Easy, kid, hang on, we’re gonna fix you right up,” Luke said to a young kid with blond whiskers on a litter.
“You have the best doctor in the world, young man. You do what he says and hang on. I’ll see you in a minute. Hang on now,” Casey said.
“Yes, ma’am, I’ll hang on.”
“That’s it, son,” Luke said, running alongside Casey. “We got work to do, Adams.”
“Yes, sir, that’s why I’m here.”
“The only reason?”
“Heck, no. I missed your homely face.”
Their eyes met briefly.
“We’re a good team. Farrell and Adams. Sounds like a dance team.”
“How about Farrell and Farrell?” Casey laughed.
“Sounds even better,” Luke said, taking his position behind the operating table.
“Next!”