Unconditional Read online

  “You're not supposed to be in here,” a familiar male voice announced.

  Indy quickly turned and saw Jackson standing in the doorway in his hospital gown and robe. Indy hurried to him, no longer able to control her sobs and hugged him with the promise of never letting go. Jackson gingerly clung to her. He was obviously in a lot of pain, but he didn’t share his discomfort. Indy pulled back just far enough to look into his eyes.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked gently and quickly looked over him. “Are you okay?”

  He smiled warmly and gently brushed the hair from her tear-streaked face. “I'm a lot better now that I've seen you.”

  Indy clung to him, buried her face into his shoulder, and managed a soft laugh. “You need a new line.”

  He snorted a soft laugh while holding her. “Uh, how about saving the sediments for when I'm wearing pants--and possibly underwear.”

  Indy pulled away, stared at him with surprise, and then playfully smacked him. He yelped with some discomfort. He gingerly rubbed the spot where she’d slapped him on his injured arm.

  “That's still a little sore,” he gently informed her. His timid smile immediately returned. “Why don't you go say ‘hi’ to the big guy? I'm going to say ‘hey’ to Harlan before someone throws me out.”

  Indy slowly nodded and again wiped her tears. She sniffed softly and stared at Jackson. “My father didn’t offer much hope,” she said gently and gave a slight nod toward the bed. “He’ll be okay, won’t he?”

  Jackson again pulled her into his arms and warmly clung to her. He managed a soft, insincere laugh. “You know Harlan. He’s got nine lives. Besides--” Jackson pulled back and looked into her eyes. “You know he’s not passing up the opportunity to brag about how he saved our lives by blowing himself up. He’s going to hold that over us the rest of his miserable life, I promise.”

  Indy managed a soft laugh, even if she didn’t believe Jackson. The tears in his eyes were a dead giveaway that he was lying to make her feel better. Jackson grinned and firmly nodded her from the room.

  “Go on,” he announced. “Go see Nate. He’s pretty cranky right now. Seeing you should cheer him up.”

  “He’s a bad patient, I know.”

  “Considering he took a bullet to the ass, yeah, he’s a bad patient,” Jackson replied. “He took one look at the male medic and nearly jumped out of his bed.”

  “Not the suppository story again,” Indy groaned.

  “Yeah,” Jackson replied with a sigh. “He never quite recovered from that little adventure.”

  “I won’t bring it up, I promise.”

  Jackson appeared offended. “You’re no fun.”

  Chapter Six

  One week later. There was a buzz of excitement in the air as Indy thundered down the backstairs leading into the massive, modern kitchen. She nearly collided with Liz, who had been approaching the island counter with her morning coffee. Liz jumped with surprise, spilling coffee onto her satin robe. The grin on Indy’s face was enough to make Liz forget about the spilled coffee as her eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

  “Was that the call?” Liz nearly gasped.

  Indy grinned and nodded. She was too excited to speak. “Harlan’s condition stabilized,” Indy managed to blurt out the words in rushed speech.

  “He’s out of the coma?” Liz asked with surprise.

  “No, he’s still in the coma,” Indy replied but didn’t allow that to distract from what was important. “They’ve cleared Harlan for transport. My father and his team are on their way home. They’re already in the air.”

  Liz cried out excitedly, nearly threw her cup to the counter, and hugged Indy. Indy’s cries of joy matched those of Liz. They hugged in an embrace that seemed to last forever. Liz suddenly pulled away and felt her hair. She looked at Indy with concern.

  “How long until they get here?” Liz asked. “I have so much to do.”

  “Jackson and my father are accompanying Harlan and Nate to Durham VA Medical Center,” Indy informed her. “Nate needs more surgery to his shoulder, so he’ll have to stay a few nights. I said we’d meet them there, but Dad said we should just stay here. Once Nate is settled into his room, and they make sure Harlan is stable, they’ll come back here.” Indy glanced at the kitchen clock on the wall. “They should be here in a couple of hours.”

  Liz took a quick sip of coffee, cast her cup back onto the counter, and hurried for the backstairs. Indy understood that Liz would want to look her best for Flynn when he returned, which would require excessive primping on her behalf. After she thought about it, Indy realized it wasn’t such a bad idea and ran up the steps after her.

  †

  The taxi pulled up to the Stryker house early that evening. The house was lavishly decorated with white and blue icicle Christmas lights hanging from both the first and second stories. White and colored lights alternated on the bushes in the front yard, and two large holiday wreaths hung from the main, double doors. Flynn and Jackson got out of the taxi with added soreness from their still healing injuries and the long flight from the military freighter where they had been recovering. Jackson joined the driver by the trunk to receive their duffle bags while Flynn stood alongside the taxi and stared at his decorated house. A tiny smile crossed his face, but there appeared to be something more lurking behind it. The front door opened to reveal Indy and Liz. Both hurried from the house to greet Flynn. Each woman hugged him with enthusiasm and excitement to his return. Flynn returned their warm embraces then recovered his military bag from Jackson. He placed his arm around Liz and allowed her to escort him into the house. Indy exchanged hugs and a quick, friendly kiss on the lips with Jackson before heading toward the house with him.

  “How’s Harlan?” Indy asked as they headed up the few steps to the porch.

  Jackson placed his free arm around Indy’s shoulder and held her to his side with affection. “He’s, well, stable,” he reported. “Nate’s stuck at the hospital for a few days, so he’s going to keep him company.”

  Indy stopped Jackson before the open door to the house and turned to face him. She stared into his eyes. Her look was serious and demanding.

  “But how is he?”

  Jackson inhaled deeply, avoided looking at her, and stared off a moment as if searching for the answer she wanted to hear. He finally met her gaze and offered a pleasant smile.

  “He’s still in the coma, but he’s stable,” he reaffirmed. “You can visit with him tomorrow, but I think it’s best to avoid the topic anymore tonight. Your father really needs a stress-free night to unwind at home. I think he blames himself for Harlan’s act of idiotic heroism.”

  She nodded in agreement. “Yes, you’re right.” Indy attempted a smile. “We’ll have a wonderful evening, and then let the lovebirds have some privacy.”

  Jackson hugged Indy while chuckling softly. “You’d make an excellent military wife.”

  Indy groaned and pushed him away. She hid her smile. “I hope that wasn’t a lame attempt to secure your own ‘welcome home’ romp.”

  “Be serious, Indy,” Jackson retorted. “If I intended to make a pass at you, your head would be spinning with ecstasy, and you’d fall helpless to my power of seduction.”

  She eyed him then smirked. “Wow, someone’s ego is still intact. Your ‘power of seduction’ never worked in the past,” Indy announced. “I think I’m safe.”

  “That’s cold,” Jackson announced with a pouting look on his face.

  Indy grinned, pleased with herself, and headed inside. Jackson reluctantly followed her, shutting the door behind him. As they entered the foyer, Flynn stood at the base of the stairs and stared silently at the ivy and bows cascading down the staircase from the second floor. Liz had mysteriously disappeared, possibly to get him a drink while he settled in. Jackson cast a look at his motionless commander without comment, picked up Flynn’s bag, and took both upstairs. Indy paused alongside her father as he stared at the Christmas decorations.

  “Do you like the
decorations?” Indy asked cheerfully. “I tried to keep them exactly the way mom used to do them.”

  Flynn snapped out of his trance, looked at his daughter standing alongside him, and smiled warmly. “Yes, everything is perfect, darling.”

  He pulled her into his arms and held her as if he’d never let go. Indy returned the embrace, although, she couldn’t help feeling that something was wrong. Was he displeased about the decorations? Had he been suffering in silence about what happened at the compound? She knew about PTSD and realized she’d need to keep an eye on her father’s moods for a while. Hopefully, after a few days at home, he’d be feeling his old self. Until then, she’d offer as much support as possible. Thankfully, Jackson and Nate would be staying with them for a few weeks. The more friends he had around to support him, the faster he’d bounce back from whatever had happened at the compound. Liz appeared in the foyer with the familiar silver tray and four, festive glasses of eggnog. Flynn released Indy, offered Liz a grateful smile, and accepted a glass of holiday cheer. Indy saw his hand trembling as he picked up the glass. Concern rippled through her body, but she attempted to keep it buried inside for now. Her father needed a night of normalcy and, perhaps, a few more glasses of eggnog.

  Chapter Seven

  It was two days later and nearing evening. The Durham VA Medical Center in North Carolina was a ten-story modern marvel of brick and mason. The 274-bed facility housed military men and women either recovering from recent injuries returning from active duty or those requiring medical attention in the years following their discharge. The patient’s rooms, although clearly sterile and reminisce of a hospital, had a slightly homey feel for the comfort of their honored, recovering guests. Harlan lie in his hospital bed beneath the sterile, white sheets. He was still attached to tubes and monitors while remaining in his comatose state. The respirator had been removed and the injuries to his face appeared to be healing. Indy sat in a comfortable chair facing him and held his fingers, which stuck out beyond his cast. A book lie open on her lap as she softly read to him. A cheerful yet sophisticated looking doctor in his late forties, Dr. Perry, entered the room while scanning through Harlan's chart. When she stopped reading, Dr. Perry looked at Indy, who was now silent while watching him. He managed a tiny smile and almost appeared embarrassed.

  “I didn't mean to interrupt story time.”

  She would have to admit, she didn’t feel comfortable reading in front of others, but she was more interested in any new findings from the distinguished looking doctor.

  “I have all evening,” Indy replied while studying him. “How is he?”

  Dr. Perry finished skimming the chart and looked back at her with a more pleasant smile. “Apart from the obvious, he's physically healing,” he informed her. “There's no internal damage, and we're fairly confident there's little to no brain damage. His body is just in a state of shutdown while trying to heal itself.” He briefly glanced at the chart and raised his brows with what he read. “Apparently his brain played ping-pong inside his skull.” He looked up at her. “He’s lucky to be in such good shape.”

  “He's a war hero,” she proudly informed him.

  The doctor smiled in response. “So I've heard from the others who come to sit with him. I’ve seen devotion among those who serve, but Harlan seems to have more than earned respect from his team.”

  “They’ve served a long time together,” she informed him. Indy felt uncomfortable, but she needed to be direct, since the medical staff had a way of dancing around the tough questions. “Do you think he'll come out of it?”

  “I hear he's a tough one, so I'm going to say he has a great sporting chance.”

  She felt relief sweep over her, possibly for the first time. The fact that he didn’t even hesitate before responding made her feel better than she had.

  “Thanks, Doctor.”

  Dr. Perry checked a few of the monitors before leaving the room. Indy stared at the door after he was gone and sank into her own thoughts and concerns. There was little point to worrying herself over something she couldn’t control. She shut the book, removed a comb from the drawer, stood over Harlan’s bed, and styled his hair the way he usually wore it. She didn’t like when the nurses gave him that flat back, college professor type hairstyle. He wore his neatly trimmed hair slightly spiky. She always thought it made him look somewhat unpredictable yet slightly cuddly. She heard of Harlan’s reputation among the team with the stories they’d tell. She found most of them difficult to believe. Harlan had always been sweet and docile, in her opinion. She’d never seen him in action, but she never understood how anyone could fear such a sweet, caring man.

  If she were honest with herself, he was her first childhood crush. He reminded her a little of her father, and most girls wanted a man like their father when they were little. It was those father like characteristics that later ended her crush. There was a time in a young woman’s life when she wanted a man completely the opposite of her father. That’s when she developed a slight crush on Jackson. Jackson, very much a lady’s man, easily proved to her that he wasn’t the type of guy she was looking for. By the time she was fifteen, she reserved herself to the fact that she did want someone like her father, and she was no longer ashamed to admit it. She even toyed with the thought that she’d someday marry Harlan, a typical teenage scenario. She never told anyone, but she cried when he met Maureen nearly seven years ago. She cried even harder when they were married the following year.

  As Indy sank back into her childhood memories of Harlan and how much he’d been a part of her life, an attractive, dark-haired woman in her early thirties entered the room and stopped to watch Indy taking great care to style his hair. Maureen Temple smiled at the sight then finally approached the bed.

  “Hey, Indy,” Maureen said in a warm but soft tone, so as not to startle her.

  Indy quickly turned, saw Harlan’s wife, and held back her sobs. She took two steps toward her and gave her a warm embrace. Maureen returned the heartfelt hug.

  “I was hoping to run into you,” Indy announced while fighting her tears. She pulled away and smiled warmly at Maureen. “We kept missing each other the last couple of days.”

  “I've been working a lot of crazy hours.”

  Indy quickly stepped aside and offered Maureen the chair at Harlan’s bedside. The attractive woman hesitated and seemed unusually uncomfortable.

  “No, I can't stay long,” she informed Indy. “I just wanted to see how he was doing today.”

  Indy couldn’t help feeling a strange pang in the pit of her stomach. How could she drop by and not want to spend time with Harlan? She was his wife. He’d take comfort in knowing she was at his bedside…where she belonged. Indy brushed her feelings aside and attempted not to judge her.

  “Dr. Perry is hopeful,” Indy announced and again pressed the issue. “Why don't I leave you two alone for a few? I'll get us some coffee before they close the cafeteria.”

  Before Indy could make an attempt to slip from the room, Maureen responded, catching her attention.

  “No, that's okay. Don't leave on my account,” Maureen announced and smiled in a way that left Indy feeling confused. “I'm sure he'd rather have you read to him then hear about my crazy day at work.”

  She attempted to understand Maureen’s reluctance to stay, and wondered if Maureen was somehow bothered by all the time she’d been spending with her husband. Indy again attempted to assure Maureen that it was better if she stayed with Harlan.

  “It's more the sound of our voices than what we're actually saying,” Indy announced while forcing herself to smile. She didn’t know why she had to convince his wife to stay with him in his time of need. “I'm hoping hearing a familiar voice will help him find his way back.” Indy decided she wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer and transformed into her father right before Maureen’s eyes. “I'll give you two some privacy.” She left the room, leaving Maureen with Harlan and their much-needed privacy.

  Chapter Eight
/>   The hospital cafeteria was starting to thin out after the busy dinner hour had ended. Those remaining were mostly visitors and the inpatients they were visiting. Indy paid for her cup of tea and sat at the first available table with her back to the wall. Perhaps her father had taught her to be slightly paranoid over the years. He preferred sitting with his back to the wall so he could watch those coming and going with the added bonus of not allowing anyone the opportunity to sneak up behind him. Was he paranoid? Perhaps, but with his profession, paranoia helped keep a man alive. Indy despised hospitals, although she doubted anyone really enjoyed being in one, whether visiting or staying. Her last visit to a hospital was the fateful Christmas Eve her mother had died. Indy made it to the hospital just in time to see the shattered look on her father’s face and witness him crying for the first time, that she was aware. She never had a chance to say goodbye to her mother. Her thoughts again strayed to Harlan. She didn’t need another tragic hospital tale to reinforce her dislike for them.

  She immediately snapped out of her own thoughts when she saw Nate at the register with a cup of coffee. She wasn’t sure he’d seen her, but he approached her table immediately after paying and joined her. He had a habit of appearing oblivious to things around him, but he knew what was going on more than people gave him credit. Nate had been unfortunate enough to require additional surgery after the compound assault. The man had more titanium pins in his bones than she could even recall. He was literally the man of steel. His additional surgeries required he spend extra time at the hospital once they returned stateside. Nate was a man who hated hospitals more than anyone else Indy had ever known. He firmly believed nurses were all out to stick things in his classified posterior, making him the worst patient of them all. Indy couldn’t be sure, but she had a sneaking suspicion someone, who shall remain anonymous, had pulled a prank on the big guy, which led to the suppository paranoia. She’d never say the words aloud in fear Nate would kill the offending comrade. She liked Jackson and didn’t want to see the big guy kill him.