“He stays,” she said.
The colonel’s eyes narrowed.
“That sounds like an order.”
“It’s a medical decision.”
“Made by a captain to a colonel?”
“Made by the nurse responsible for this patient.”
The words hung between them.
Natalie expected anger.
Instead Reeves became strangely calm.
“Do you know what he is accused of?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what happened this morning?”
“Yes.”
Three soldiers had been killed.
Seven wounded.
Natalie had treated two of them personally.
One had been nineteen years old.
She could still see his blood on her gloves.
Reeves leaned closer.
“And you’re protecting him.”
“No, sir.”
“Then what are you doing?”
Natalie looked at the monitors.
“My job.”
A physician entered.
Before Natalie could feel relieved, he avoided her eyes.
“Captain Shaw.”
Something in his voice frightened her.
“What?”
“The patient regained consciousness for approximately thirty seconds earlier.”
