CHAPTER SEVEN

Saturday night started off with a bang for Rob and Sandy. They were slammed with all kinds of STATs. And then…

“Trauma respond, ETA three minutes. Trauma respond, ETA three minutes” was announced across the overhead system.

Carmen, one of the phlebotomists, went to the ER. Sandy went immediately to Blood Bank to get four units of uncross-matched O Negative packed cells from the refrigerator. She tagged each one with an emergency release form, along with an assigned tracking number. She then added them to the log sheet. Next she put a temperature indicator on each unit, which would monitor the 2 to 8 degrees Celsius temperature that needed to be maintained while they were in transport. Finally, she took the cooler containing the four units of blood to the ER.

As she was leaving the emergency room, an elderly woman in the crowded waiting area was waving to get her attention. Sandy worked her way through the crowd to get closer to her.

“I’m sorry to bother you, honey, but everyone here, including me, is wondering what ETA means.” She spoke so sweet and slow with a hint of a southern drawl, the way folks from somewhere in Georgia might sound.

“It means Estimated Time of Arrival.”

“Oh…thank you so much, honey.”

“You’re very welcome, Ma’am.”

“What’s the trauma about?” Rob asked when Sandy got back to the lab.

“A guy on a motorcycle got hit by a semi. He looks pretty bad. The sight of him made me gag; I had to leave. Carmen is drawing his blood right now. ER’s waiting room is packed. Even the hallway is full.”

“Great,” he said. “Is it this way every weekend?”

“Not all the time, but a lot of the time.”

“Trauma specimens…type and cross four units,” announced Carmen while delivering the samples to them. Sandy went to work on the type and cross right away.

For trauma tests, Rob performed a complete blood count (CBC), complete metabolic panel (CMP), Alcohol level, and Pro-Thrombin Time (PT), and an Activated Partial Thrombin Time (APTT).

“What’s the trauma patient’s H and H?” Sandy asked Rob as she came out of Blood Bank.

“Hemoglobin is 7.2 and hematocrit is 21.3. He’s lost a lot of blood,” Rob said.
“At least the patient is O Pos, antibody screen negative. We still have ten units of O Pos left after the four I just cross-matched.”

The phone rang and Rob picked it up. “Sandy, E.R. is placing an additional order for cross-match four units of packed cells. The patient is now in the OR. So take the blood to the OR when you’re done with them.”

“O.K…it looks like I’ll be in Blood Bank for a while,” she said.
Carmen was still in the ER, drawing other patients, while Ralee, the other phlebotomist, was drawing blood in other departments of the hospital.

The phlebotomists were sending specimens through the pneumatic tube system as quickly as they were collecting them. There were no specimen processors on weekends; therefore, Rob had to receive and verify the specimens into the lab computer system before the specimens could be analyzed. Sandy came out to help him in between specimen incubations. When she was done cross-matching, she dashed out to deliver the four units of blood to the OR.

Receiving and verifying specimens took a lot of time away from their own work. It was non-stop work for both of them until around 4:00 in the morning. Along with the backlog of work, the phones were also constantly ringing. The ER doctors and nurses were impatient, calling for results, at least, every five minutes – or so it seemed.

“Lab, Rob speaking.”

“Dr. Smith here. Any lab results yet on Amanda Reyes?”

“Just released the CBC results. The urine microscopic is now being read, and the CMP is still running.”

“Kindly tell Dr. Smith that I’m about to release the urine microscopic results in the computer,” Sandy added.

After relaying Sandy’s message to Dr. Smith, Rob hung up the phone and headed to Microbiology to set up a STAT sputum culture, along with a gram stain.

Work finally slowed down, but there were still some slides for manual WBC differential counts to be done. Still looking into the microscope, Sandy felt Rob’s presence nearby after he came back from Micro.

Feeling somewhat stiff from the work-related stress tension and from looking into the microscope for too long, she lifted her head and then rotated it. After that she lifted her shoulders and then rotated them forward and backward to relax them.

Without any warning, she felt Rob’s hands on her shoulders, massaging them gently, but with comforting pressure on her stiff muscles. Sandy, after the initial shock from Rob’s touch, didn’t object but rather welcomed it and enjoyed it thoroughly. The sensation was non-sexual, but very soothing to her stiff neck and shoulder muscles. “Hmm, that feels good,” she said.

“You’ve been working non-stop and so intently that I thought you could use it.” He moved his hands a little lower towards her shoulder blades and towards her middle back, still massaging the tightened muscles.

Sandy felt so relaxed after the massage. When she finished her work, she decided to reciprocate Rob’s goodness by massaging him a bit. While he was seated, releasing some lab results in the computer, Sandy went to work on his shoulders. Rob didn’t object either. So, she continued massaging his neck and shoulders. Rob stopped what he was doing when Sandy moved her hands down his spine and down to his lower back muscles.

“I hope that if I ever find the right woman for myself that she can give me a massage like you can.” Sandy felt heartened by his compliment. After she withdrew her hands, he let out a moan of satisfaction and then thanked her. Sandy thanked him also for massaging her earlier.

She left to answer the beeping call of the pneumatic tube system. Morning draws had started coming down the chute. They were now starting into the second segment of this busy night’s work before their shift would come to an end.

CHAPTER SIX

After a few days of working together on the night shift, Sandy ran into Rob at the commissary. She had to take another look to make sure it was Rob.

“Rob?”

“Sandy!” Rob approached her with his arms wide open. He bent to give her a hug.

Sandy reciprocated. She was perplexed to see him there. “Did you come here with somebody?”

“Does it look like I need a chaperone?”

“No! I don’t mean it that way. How did you get in then?”

With his eyes glinting, he grinned mischievously. “Well, let me see. I entered through that door over there, which I think is where I was supposed to come in?”

“Will you stop?” Sandy said, slapping him lightly on the arm.
Still perplexed, she frowned and then gave him a side glance. “You’re not in the military, are you?”

“Retired.”

“No… I can’t believe that. You look too young to be retired.”

“How old do you think I am?”

“I don’t know…thirty-five?”

Rob blushed a bit. “Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment. I’m forty, and retired almost four years ago.”

“Really?”

"Really. Here’s my military ID.” He showed his ID card to her.

She looked closely at it, studying it. “Wow! You retired as a Major at age 36? How did you manage that?

“Are you familiar with the SERB program?”

“I’ve heard of it, but don’t remember what it stands for or what it is.”

“Well, after the Gulf War, there were a lot of pilots with nothing
much to do. To resolve this over-staffing, the Air Force instituted the Selective Early Retirement Board (SERB) program. Under the program, pilots, like me, and people in certain over-filled military career fields were offered an early retirement with full benefits. I was one of those who took advantage of their offer. After only 15 years in the military, I retired.”

“Lucky you. So, you were a pilot?”

“Yep.”

“So, what are you doing working in a medical field?”

“That’s a very good question! To make a long story short, after I got out of the military, I flew commercial aircraft for Frontier Airlines out of Denver. Unfortunately, I started losing my right peripheral vision during that time. When it was time to recertify, I failed the vision test. The FAA board told me that I couldn’t fly anymore.” He grabbed a box of Cap’n Crunch cereal off the shelf.

“That’s too bad,” Sandy said. “So, any idea what caused your vision to go?” She certainly had an inquiring mind. That was her nature, which had sometimes placed her in awkward situations.

“Nobody knew. After blood tests and MRIs, the doctors didn’t find anything. They couldn’t determine what caused it.”

They continued their discussion as they walked through the aisles, occasionally stopping and grabbing items that were on their shopping lists.

“When you stopped flying, you went back to school to get a degree in Medical Technology?”

“Actually, I was a med tech. before I joined the military…and long before I became a pilot.”

“Hmm.”

“My first job as a med tech was working at the Hershey Chocolate Factory in Pennsylvania—in the Quality Control Department. A couple of weekends a month, I worked at the Hershey Medical Center laboratory.

“I love Hershey’s Kisses,” Sandy blurted out. “My all-time favorite. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“No problem. They’re my favorite, too. Anyway, I didn’t want to completely retire three years ago when I was told that I couldn’t fly anymore. So, I tried my luck at the Hershey Company and the Hershey Medical Center. Hershey Company didn’t hire me back but Hershey Medical Center did. I really didn’t think Hershey Medical Center would hire me since I’ve been out of the field for so long. I just had to renew my ASCP certification.”

“How come you’re doing the traveling job if you were already hired by Hershey Medical Center?”

Rob chuckled. “Do you really want to know the whole story?”

“Sure. Your life story, so far, sounds fascinating.”

“To you, maybe, but not to me!” He chuckled again. He stopped walking and Sandy followed suit. His face turned somber. She couldn’t help but notice the change. “It’s another long story, so, perhaps, some other time?”

She hesitated. “Okay, I’ll wait. But, the suspense is just killing me.” She smiled. He smiled back.

By the time they finished working their way through the last aisle, Sandy had ended up with one heaping cartful of groceries.

“Is someone going to help you unload your groceries at home?”

“No, but I can manage.”

“I’d be glad to help – and would like to if you don’t mind.”
Sandy eyed her groceries and gauged the size of the cart’s load. A short hesitation followed before she spoke. “Sure, if you truly don’t mind. Thanks.”

“My pleasure,” he said.

***

Rob followed Sandy to her home in base housing. When he brought in the last bag of groceries, he commented on a framed picture that hung on the wall.

“That's Steve and his crew in Kosovo. I just got that from him the other day. I thought it would look good up on the wall."

"It does look good." He stepped closer to check it out. "When you say you've just received this photo, does that mean that he’s in Kosovo now?"

“Uh huh." Even though she wasn't supposed to tell anyone, she couldn't lie about it when she was asked.

Rob moved to the next picture on the wall. "Your daughters?”

“Yes. That’s Sheyenne on the left and Taurea on the right.”

“They look just as beautiful as their mother," he said, without looking at her. He didn't see her blush from his words.

“Thank you.” His compliment made her heart race, warming her all over. "Do you have children, Rob?”

He turned to face her. “No. No children. Can’t have children without a wife, right?” She sensed his cynicism and bitterness.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.” She was going to add that there are many who are not married, yet have children. But with Rob’s initial reaction to her question, she chose to not go that route. She didn’t know him well enough to push it any further. She also knew that, perhaps, today was not the right time to be asking him any more personal questions.

“No reason to apologize.”

Sandy now felt sorry for him. For the second time in the span of an hour, he looked solemn and melancholic. She wondered why the subject of children and a wife had affected him that way. His reaction just intrigued her more.

When Rob finished looking at the photos on the wall, he said that it was time for him to get his own groceries home. Sandy thanked him again for his help as he made his way out to his vehicle and drove away.

CHAPTER FIVE

Joe gave Rob a run through on how things were done during the night shift. Fortunately, this night was not as busy as most nights as far as patient testing was concerned, which allowed for more “show and tell” session time.

Joe’s primary job was with the Air Force. He worked weekdays for the Air Force and then nights for Trinity Medical Center, getting by on three or four-hours of sleep. Sandy was amazed at how he could function so well with so little sleep. This would definitely not work for her. She had to have at least six or eight hours of sleep every day. Joe had told her his reasons for his maniacal daily schedule, with which Sandy couldn’t completely agree.

Sandy emerged from the Blood Bank department for the first time since shift change. “Hi, Joe. Hi, Rob. Sorry, I wasn’t able to come help you out here. The condition of our heart patient deteriorated today. They took him back to surgery. I would have been done sooner, but he has two different antibodies. I had to crossmatch 18 units of blood to find six compatible ones that they need.”

“We have everything under control here, so don’t worry. Just take care of what you have to do in blood bank.”

“And here I was thinking that you just didn’t want our company,” Rob chimed in, grinning.

“Moi? Not wanting your company? You must be joking,” Sandy teased back. Her dimples were showing more prominently as she smiled. “Actually, I’m finally finished in there now.”

“In that case, I think I’m going to lunch,” Joe said.

“Go for it while you can. You might as well go, too, Rob, if you want to.”

“That’s okay. I’ll wait and go last.”

“How are things going for you?” Sandy asked Rob after Joe had left.

“In terms of?”

“About tonight. Your first night of work.”

“Good. Joe’s been showing me a bunch of stuff, and I’m learning the ropes. How ‘bout you? Did you enjoy your weekend off?”

“I did. I cleaned the house and did some laundry.”

“That sounds real exciting.”

Sandy sensed his sarcasm and then shrugged her shoulders. “What can I say? I lead a pretty boring life.”

“I shouldn’t talk. My life is just as boring.”

“You call your life boring? Traveling all over the place? Seeing beautiful places…and meeting interesting people?”

“In some ways it is, but it’s not as exciting and adventurous as you might think.”

Sandy wanted to discuss the topic further, but she still had things to do. She decided to save it for another time. “I’m going to leave you alone for just a bit. I just need to take care of the chemistry analyzers. If you get busy and need help, just come get me.”

In between running STAT and routine specimens, Sandy performed the daily maintenance and then ran the quality control (QC) specimens on the designated Number One analyzer. After she finished with the Number One analyzer, she did the same on the designated Number Two analyzer. She finally loaded the QC specimens on the Number Two analyzer and then hit the RUN button.

Joe was still on lunch break and the workload was still unusually light, so Rob and Sandy chatted. They were talking face to face and occasionally looked into each other’s eyes, studying and observing each other. They seemed to hit it off right away, joking and laughing at some of the things that they were discussing.

Rob exhibited a myriad of different facial expressions, hand gestures, and other body language to get his point across. Sandy found him very theatrical, very amusing…and very intelligent.

On closer inspection, Rob noticed Sandy’s smooth skin. He felt the urge to touch her face, to feel the softness of her skin. He, of course, controlled that urge. For all he knew, he might have gotten slapped if he had touched her face right then and there. As he watched her speak, he became mesmerized by her emerald eyes. So unusual, he thought, for someone of her skin color to have those eyes.

That explains her exotic and stunning beauty and explains her natural tanned skin color. Rob had concluded that after Sandy told him that her mother was from Bolivia. And that her mother was crowned Miss Bolivia, representing her country in the Miss Universe Pageant in 1965, the year before her mother came to study in the U.S. He also learned that her father was from New Zealand with Scottish ancestry.

Rob took delight in the fact that Sandy appeared to be truly entertained and was enjoying herself around him. Rob‘s thoughts of Dee were now gone, as he became almost entranced with Sandy’s attention and verbal playfulness.
Specimens were coming down the chute again, now at a faster pace, and the phones were starting to ring more often to where their conversation was being frequently interrupted.

“I see it’s getting busy, so I better get back to Chemistry.” Rob acknowledged her with a nod. Joe was also just coming back from lunch.

Sandy was finally all caught up with patient runs. “I suppose it’s my turn to go to lunch since Rob is not yet going. There are no patient specimens running right now. QC is still running in the Number Two analyzer, so use Number One if you get a patient sample.” Sandy’s messages and instructions were directed at Joe.

Sandy announced her presence, loud enough for them both to hear, when she came back thirty minutes later.

“Now that you’re back, I’m going to Micro for a bit to set up some positive blood cultures,” Joe said.

“Rob, I’ll cover for you if you’re ready to take your lunch break.”
Rob agreed and then left, but came back after only ten minutes.

“You’re back so soon.” Sandy was astonished.

“I eat fast. I usually don’t sit down for long.”

“I just don’t want you cheating yourself out of your lunch time.”

“I’m not. I’m perfectly okay with it,” he assured her.

Sandy was glad anyway because the morning draws had started coming down the chute in rapid succession now.

Chapter Four

Within the three weeks since his arrival in the lab, Rob cycled through all the different departments, familiarizing himself with Chemistry, Hematology, Coagulation, Urinalysis, Blood Bank, and Microbiology procedures and protocols.

In his third week, Sandy asked him when he would start working the night shift.

“I’ll start next Monday. Then I’ll be off Friday, and then work the weekend.” He replied to her question with a lot of hand gestures and different facial expressions, which told her that he was searching his brain for the information to accurately verbalize his schedule.

“Then you and I will be working together that weekend,” Sandy said. “You better enjoy the lax time you have right now because you might not get many opportunities for a break once you’re on the night shift.”

“I like being busy, so I don’t mind not taking breaks. I’m really looking forward to actually be doing what I’ve been hired to do, rather than being in this training mode.”

“That’s the kind of attitude we like from people coming onto our shift. It really makes a big difference when people are enthusiastic about the work. The night shift can be rough, especially when you can’t get enough sleep before coming to work,” Sandy said.

***
The Friday evening before Rob was to begin working the night shift, he went to eat dinner at the local Red Lobster. A few minutes after he was seated, the waitress came back with his drink and with some hot, freshly baked rolls.

“Are you ready to order?” the waitress asked.

"Yes, I am.” Looking at the menu, he said, “I’d like the 16 oz. prime rib with the 10oz. lobster tail, mashed potatoes and gravy, and some mixed vegetables.”

“Got it,” the waitress replied and she was off to the kitchen.

He devoured the hot buttered rolls while he waited for the rest of his food to be served.

Since he would be working nights and mostly weekends after this week, he planned to go to the Starlight Club one more time. The Starlight Club was a local club that he’d been frequenting every Friday and Saturday night since his arrival. The club had a live band performing on those two nights.

It was 9:00 on a Friday night when he first visited the Starlight Club three weekends ago. A female singer had caught his immediate attention and interest.

She was definitely a beauty. Rob liked everything about her. He liked her gorgeous, long, dark-brown hair that cascaded in different layers down to her waist (he was always partial to women with beautiful long hair). He liked how the woman looked in her dark-blue, tight-fitting jeans along with her almost see-through blouse with its two top buttons undone, exposing a bit of her cleavage. He also liked the way she sang and moved on stage as she tapped her pair of black western-style cowgirl boots on the floor.

Even though he wasn't planning on pursuing a romantic relationship with the woman, Rob couldn't resist checking out her ring finger. From where he sat, he could clearly see a large shiny diamond.

Rob enjoyed the night, listening to the woman’s soothing, but somewhat gritty voice, singing the songs of Patsy Cline, Patty Loveless, and Tammy Wynette. The songs seemed to connect with him. They touched his wounded, lonely heart. The time went by all too quickly. Before he knew it, the band was playing its last piece and was giving its acknowledgments. It was already two in the morning—closing time.

"Please give Dee a big hand,” the bandleader said. Rob made a mental note of the woman’s name. The remaining crowd, including Rob, clapped thunderously. After Dee acknowledged the crowd, she grabbed her purse from the stage floor, behind the drummer. She came down the stage steps, made a goodbye sign to the band, and then took off alone through the back door.

The next night, Saturday, Rob went to the club again to watch the band. The club was already half-full. Cigarette smoke and its uncomfortable odor filled the room. Loud conversations, over the band’s instruments being tuned and adjusted, also filled the room. Finally, the band was ready.

Dee got on the stage. Rob noticed everything about her. Instead of blue, she wore a pair of black tight-fitting jeans. Instead of a loose-fitting white top, she wore a thin, black, stretchable top with three-quarter sleeves and a low neckline, decorated with delicate black lace. Her clothes accentuated her beautiful curves. Her matching silver jewelry with touches of tiny diamonds throughout was also very complimentary. She seemed to be wearing the same black boots. If he thought Dee had looked beautiful on Friday night, tonight he thought she looked absolutely stunning and seductive.

“How‘r y’all doin’?” Dee asked the crowd. “Are ya ready for some entertainment?” Her twang was not quite like a Redneck’s, but she didn’t care. Considering that she was a city girl, her attempt at it was impressive. Besides, in her heart and soul, she felt like a country girl.

“Yeah!” The crowd chanted. Dee sang the same songs as the previous night while couples got up to dance. Rob, of course, just sat at his table, drinking Miller Lite and watching her perform. He appeared completely taken in and seduced by Dee’s singing and by the way she appeared. His heart was gushing warm sensations all over his body. It was the same kind of feeling he felt each time he had fallen in love with a woman.

He couldn’t wait for next Friday to come. When it finally arrived, he went to the club, but was disappointed to find a different female singer performing. He went again on Saturday, but still, Dee was not there. His level of interest just wasn’t the same without her there; so he had left the club around 10:00 p.m. each night.

Tonight, Rob was feeling optimistic. He checked his watch after he paid for his meal. It was only 7:35. It was too early. The band wouldn’t start playing until 9:00, but he decided to go there and get seated anyway. Besides, he didn’t have anything better to do back at his apartment.

Rob ordered his usual Miller Lite when he arrived at the club and got seated. Since there were hardly any customers when he arrived there, Angela, the waitress who served him, took the time to chat with him.

“New in town?” she asked casually. It was her standard opening question to customers that she didn’t know.

“Three weeks,” Rob said. He liked her direct, but friendly approach - ala Flo in the sitcom Alice. She almost looked like her too. He smiled at the thought.

“Are ya with the Air Force?”

“No.”

“Hope I didn’t offend ya. Just that most folks who come to Minot are military that are stationed up at the base. And, you look like one, too,” she said, smiling.

“Actually, I was one of them, but not anymore. I came here for a job at the hospital in town.”

“Trinity or St. Joseph?”

“Trinity. Seems like a nice hospital. The lab is short of med techs right now. That's why they hired me.”

“That’s what you’ll be doing then?”

“For seven months,” he said, nodding his head.

“Well, it's been nice talkin’ to ya. Looks like I’ve got to get my butt back to work now. Customers are starting to pour in. Enjoy the rest of the night.”

He had taken note of her nametag. “Likewise, Angela,” he said. "Thanks for your time."

The band warmed up and it was finally time for the band to start playing, but there was no sign of Dee. Rob left after a few songs with a heavy heart.

For two years now, he had successfully stayed away from getting romantically involved. But now, Dee, this mystery woman, had captured his attention and was driving him mad. Thoughts and mental images of Dee occupied his every waking moment. They had kept him awake and restless at night, for three weeks now.

Since he’d been burned before, all he thought that he wanted to do was to admire her from a distance. Even with this in mind, Rob knew that somehow this was different and there was nothing he could do to change it. He couldn’t help but feel that he just had to meet her. But now, she might already be gone. Life seemed to be so unfair.

Chapter Three

Friday arrived too soon for Sandy. She had asked for the night off to spend some time with Steve. Steve was, however, very busy throughout the day and into the evening, attending briefings, doing final out-processing, and passing instructions to Dr. Levi who would, in his absence, be taking over his work at the hospital. He stayed until almost 9 p.m. to finish his dictations and to clean out his desk.

The girls were already in bed when Steve arrived home. Sandy heaped a pile of refrigerated spaghetti on a plate and warmed it up in the microwave before serving it to Steve. She delivered it to Steve in the family room and he hungrily began to shovel the spaghetti into his mouth. They sat there and discussed family matters and some last minute details about his deployment while they watched TV. After that, Sandy helped Steve get his bags packed. She announced the compiled checklist items to Steve.

“Shot records.”

“Check.”

“Dog tags.”

“Check.”

“Passport.” Steve’s Passport, along with the others who didn’t have current passports, was processed on an emergency basis.

“Check.” This exchange went on until Sandy reached the last item on the list.

“Funeral arrangements. Funeral arrangements?!” Sandy came unglued.

“Um…yeah, well…you need to designate where you want my body to be shipped to and buried at.”

“No, I don’t want to do that!” She protested vehemently.

“But, you must, Sandy. The military needs to know in case I die in Kosovo.”

“You’re not going to die, so why should I be making funeral arrangements?!” she said, flopping onto the couch, sobbing.

“I don’t expect to die, either. But, we have to be practical about that possibility anyway. After all, I’m going off to a war zone,” he reminded her.

Sandy couldn’t help herself and cried uncontrollably and inconsolably for at least half an hour. Her face turned red, her eyes became swollen, and her nose got stuffed up from all the crying.

“Did you get a hold of Mom?”

“Yes, she arrives tomorrow afternoon at five.” She sniffled in between sentences. “Carrie also agreed to stay with us until you come back.” She sniffled again.

“Good. Thank Mom and Carrie for me. I’ll call them once I’m settled in Kosovo.” Steve meant to be true to his words.

It had been three months since they last made love, but with Steve’s hectic schedule and with a lot of things on his mind, he was in no mood for sex. Sandy was disappointed, but she understood. They cuddled until both of them fell asleep. They were awakened by the alarm clock when it went off at exactly 4 a.m. Sandy put her left arm around Steve. He rolled over to face her, and they cuddled, but it was short-lived as Steve needed to get up to get ready to go.

At the Base airport, Steve lifted the girls up - one in each arm. “Behave yourselves and listen to your Mommy, okay?” Steve said as he pulled them both into a tight embrace. He kissed them, and they kissed him back. He eased them both down and shifted his attention to Sandy. “I’ll try to get a hold of you as soon as I can. I really don’t know how things are set up over there…. I’m sorry you’re left alone with all these responsibilities at home.” He gathered her into his arms while she cried.

Why can’t he be more like this with me all the time? Why does it take an event like this for him to show me his tender and caring side?

“I love you.” Lo and behold! Did she hear him right or was she delusional? It was one of those rare occasions since they’d been married that Steve was the first one to say those words before she did.

“I love you, too…..I’m going to miss you….Take care.” Sandy said in between sniffles. Sandy and the girls stayed and watched until Steve’s plane, a C-130, lifted safely off the ground and completely disappeared from sight.

At 5 p.m., Sandy and the girls were at the Minot International Airport, which is located just outside of the city of Minot. They were there to pick up Sandy’s mom, Christina.

“Hi, Mom! It’s really good to see you.” Sandy said excitedly when she and the girls finally saw her emerging from the terminal gate.

“It’s good to see you, too, punkin.” Mrs. Christensen said. At Sandy’s age, her Mom still called her pumpkin, replacing the letters “m” and “p” with the letter “n”. Sandy and the girls gathered around her, and they had a long and happy group hug.

“Thanks again, mom, for coming over.”

“I’m glad that you need me for a change,” she said in her sweet, sarcastic tone.

Sandy knew where her mother was coming from. Sandy had never really asked her parents for anything after she got married - until now. Even when she had her babies, she never asked her mother to come to help her, but her mother volunteered each time. For each child Sandy delivered, her mother came to stay with them for two weeks.

“Steve wants me to tell you ‘thank you’. He said he’ll call you and Dad once he gets all settled in.”

“Oh, bless his heart,” Christina said.

Chapter Two

“Sandy, have you met the new temp?” Celia asked when Sandy arrived in the lab on Wednesday night.

“No! And I don’t even care “who” that person is!” Sandy said as she was donning her lab coat. Her face lacked her usual friendly smile.

Celia was taken aback by Sandy’s angry tone. Usually, Sandy went to work in good spirits, saying hello to everybody on her way to the time clock. “Are you okay, Sandy?”

Sandy was not okay.

On Tuesday night, after meeting for lunch at the Officers’ Club the day before, Sandy and Steve were back at the club again. It was her night off and, this time, they were there to celebrate their 13h wedding anniversary.

Before going out that night, she spent considerable time prepping herself for the occasion. She styled her hair, put some make-up on, and wore her low-cut, black evening dress, and put on her favorite pair of black heels. She checked herself in the mirror. She looked sexy. Even though she rarely heard Steve compliment her, she was hopeful that he would at least say something to her this time. But, not a word. He didn’t even notice her new dress with its plunging neckline, which exposed her well-formed cleavage, as they ate dinner seated across from each other.

Sandy was disappointed that Steve didn’t notice or comment on how she looked, even after she made a point to compliment him on how good he looked.

When they arrived home, she was eagerly anticipating a romantic night together in bed. That didn’t happen either. Instead, Steve turned his back on her and then went to sleep while she cried silently, wondering if he still loved her.

Tonight, when she went to bed, before going to work, the feelings of rejection and frustration revisited her and kept her awake. She was in a bad mood when she went to work. Her lack of sleep compounded that.

Celia’s question, somehow, made an instantaneous impact on her mood. Suddenly, she felt guilty for the way she snapped at her. “I’m very sorry Celia. I’m just not myself tonight, and I can’t seem to shake off this mood I’m in. I’m wrong to bring it to work. Anyway, I haven’t met the new temp, but have you?” Sandy said, feeling much better already.

“I caught a glimpse of him this morning as I was leaving, but I haven’t met him, yet, either. I hope that he is more help than Janet was.”

“Oh, so it’s a guy this time?” Sandy commented. She had been on the night shift for six years, the longest of any of the current night shift staff. Celia had been on it for four years now, and Joe for three. Since Sandy started on the night shift, she had seen many faces come and go to fill the different slots, especially the 4th slot in her shift. Aside from her, only Celia and Joe had been able to handle working the night shift. All the others had left within a year of their hiring.

Nine years ago, the hospital resorted to hiring technologists from Temporary Services to fill in for the shortages. The temps were hired for anywhere from 3 to 12 months. Until now, all the temps had been women.

***
Sandy didn’t see the new temp in the morning before she left work. She, however, saw a stranger the next morning, so, she went to introduce herself. “Hi! My name is Sandy. You must be Rob.” At least, she had learned the temp’s name beforehand.

Rob didn’t expect that at all. He was caught off-guard, considering that no one, so far, had introduced themselves to him since his arrival four days ago. “Hello, nice to meet you,” he responded in kind.

“That’s Celia and that’s Joe over there. We all work the night shift.” In such a short encounter, Sandy found Rob to be very pleasant. She had a good feeling about working with him.

***
“Hi! Rob. How are you today?” Sandy, being the ever cheerful and friendly person, said the next morning when Rob arrived at work.

“Oh! Hello! Sandy. I’m fine. Thank you. And how are you?” He matched Sandy’s cheery voice.

“I’m doing fine now that I get to go home soon. ER kept us very busy.” She glanced at him a second time. She noticed his well-groomed and abundant wavy, dark-brown hair (almost black), especially his ruggedly handsome face, with deep-set eyes of midnight-blue. It’s not that she didn’t notice all of this yesterday; she just seemed to notice them more today.

He glanced back at her and noticed the way she wore her long, wavy dark-brown hair put up in a loose bun. He then took notice of the way she looked behind her unflattering pair of eyeglasses. She’s gorgeous. Sandy’s oversized lab coat couldn’t hide her tall height and slim figure from his observant eyes. Five- foot nine and 125 lbs, perhaps? He was right on target with her height, but well off mark with her weight. He must have found her a little on the thin side. Sandy actually weighed 135 lbs. He continued assessing her to himself. She must be in her early 20s. Having served four years in the early 80’s as an Air Force Intelligence officer, before cross- training and successfully completing undergraduate pilot training, Rob had developed a keen sense of observation about his surroundings and about people. However, he failed miserably in his assessment of Sandy’s age. Sandy’s young looks were deceiving. In fact, she was already 31 years old.

Sandy had come a long way since she was 15. She abandoned wearing heavy makeup, making her look much younger than her actual age. Her body had blossomed well, and she also grew three inches taller. Her breasts and hips had developed more after she had given birth to her children, giving her great form and curvature in nice proportions in just the right places.

“Have a good day, everybody,” Sandy said as she was leaving.

***
She went to pick up Sheyenne and Taurea from the babysitter’s house and then drove them to school. Her children were glad to see her and also were excited to go to school. Going to school beats going to the babysitter’s house anytime. At school, they had lots of playmates. They did a lot of “fun” things. They rode the swings, climbed and went through the obstacle courses, and played games of tag on the playground. At the babysitter’s house, they were kept indoors, and they didn’t do any fun stuff. They were also subjected to little Megan’s daily bites or scratches, which the sitter usually ignored.

Steve would drop Sheyenne and Taurea off at the sitter’s house before going to work in the morning, and then Sandy would take them to school after she got off from work. The children were at the sitter’s house for only an hour in the mornings, but to them, it was one-hour of misery, every weekday.

“Mommy, Megan ‘cratched me ‘gen!” Taurea said, pointing to her arm as they got into the car.

“She tried to scratch me, too, but I ran away,” Sheyenne chimed in. Sandy was furious, but what could she do to a two and half year old girl who didn’t know any better. Sandy wished she could tell Sheyenne and Taurea to retaliate the next time Megan scratched or bit them. But that would be teaching her six-year old and her almost five-year old daughters a poor lesson about dealing with violence. Instead, she told them that she would talk to Doreen when she arrived home.

“Doreen, Taurea showed me more scratches from Megan today. I know that you can’t be one hundred percent watching ALL the kids ALL the time, but can you at least ask Megan’s mom to trim her fingernails? And, if you see her scratching or biting the kids, to somehow discipline her?” Doreen said that she would try to do what she could.

Chapter One

Sandy and her husband, Steve, were having lunch at the Officers’ Club on this Monday, March 8, 1999. Even though there was plenty of activity around them - people walking past them, others talking at their tables, and silverware and plates clanking together - neither of them was talking. There was a palpable tension between them.

After a major argument a month ago, Sandy was determined to spend more time with Steve. She hoped that joining him for lunch at least once a month would help get them better connected again.

At the moment, the painfully prolonged silence between them was just too much for Sandy to bear. So, she started talking. “We got our new Chemistry analyzers delivered at work today,” she said, forcing a smile and infusing some enthusiasm in her voice, trying to engage Steve in some form of conversation. “They look more streamlined than the ones we have now. They can do BMPs in 42 seconds and CMPs in 90 seconds, which the E.R. doctors will definitely like.” For Steve, being a doctor, Sandy thought the topic would interest him. “The best thing about them is that they require very little maintenance,” she continued, and all the while observing him for any signs of being the least bit receptive to her. What Sandy saw, instead, were Steve’s openly unresponsive and expressionless face and a general stiffness in his overall posture. He grudgingly uttered the absolute minimum of words in response to her statements, until they had finished with their lunch and were getting up to leave the club.

“By the way, I’ll be a little late coming home today. The hospital commander has scheduled a meeting at 1700 hours.”

“Why?”

“Don’t know. It’s probably our usual monthly meeting, except that we’re doing it today rather than on Friday.”

Sandy was suspicious, but she brushed it off. She was all too familiar with the unpredictable nature of military life.

Since Steve was going to be getting home a bit late, Sandy and the children went ahead and ate their dinner. It was almost 7pm when she recognized the sound of Steve’s Toyota SR5 pickup’s engine in the carport outside, followed by the sudden silence of the engine being shut off. She heard the vehicle’s door open and close. As she looked towards the kitchen door, she saw the doorknob turn. The door opened slowly and Steve walked in.

“How did the meeting go?” Sandy asked as she met him at the door. Steve didn’t answer right away. He put his briefcase down on the floor before giving her a hug and a peck on the lips. He looked disturbed and very distracted. He picked up his briefcase and went to their bedroom. Sandy followed him. Still waiting for his response, Sandy faced Steve with a questioning look and said impatiently, “Well, are you just gonna ignore me?”

Steve sighed heavily (the kind of sigh that told her he'd like to say something, but was finding it difficult to get it out). “You’re not gonna like what I’m gonna say,’’ he finally said and then paused. And more pause. He removed his shoes and socks, tossing his socks in the hamper. Sandy’s facial expression changed from questioning to worrisome. “I hate to tell you this,” he added and then paused again while busily changing his uniform into his shorts and t-shirt.

Sandy’s heart jumped to her throat. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the rest of it. With the way Steve had been acting towards her within the last three years—becoming more aloof, unloving, and less caring, she was afraid that the day had finally arrived for him to say that they were through. She tried to prepare herself for the worse, but it wasn’t helping.

“… but I’ve got orders to go to Kosovo this Saturday. That’s what the meeting was about. It’s not all a secret, but it’s not something we want to be advertising or necessarily be telling people about either. NATO has agreed to get involved in Kosovo. My group and I will be assigned there for medical support.”

“What?!” Sandy exclaimed in response to the news, even though she was relieved to know that Steve wasn’t asking for a divorce. Panic soon followed with the realization that Steve was going off to another country and would be leaving her and the children behind. Sandy would just die if something bad were to happen to Steve in Kosovo - or anywhere else in the world. “How long will you be gone?” she asked when her nerves finally settled a bit.

“Don’t know for sure. I was told to get all my personal affairs in order before shipping out. One thing they assured me was that this deployment would be for at least twelve months.”

Hearing the news, Sandy didn’t know whether she could survive without Steve that long. It would mean that she had to do everything while Steve was away. They’d been married almost thirteen years and had never been apart for any length of time throughout their entire married life. After dinner, she cleared the table and started the dishwasher.

After she took a shower, she sat down on the sofa next to Steve and started massaging his neck and back. It’s something she did gladly and routinely. Steve was more talkative and social this time, which made Sandy very happy. They talked and wondered how the kids would handle the news and whether she could handle work and the whole household all by herself.

“I’m sure Carrie doesn’t mind moving from the dorm to come live with us for a while until you come back. I’ll call her tonight and also call Mom to see if she could stay with us until Carrie comes back from Florida.” Carrie, her baby sister, was off to Florida with her class, attending a two-week study of Florida Everglades' Ecosystem.

Sandy said goodnight to Steve and then to the children who were playing with their toys in Sheyenne’s bedroom. In bed, after she set her alarm clock, she made her calls to Carrie and to her Mom. The news earlier had been dropped on her like a bomb. She had a difficult time falling asleep, so she tossed and turned. Sleep finally came to her, but it was seemingly just in time for the alarm clock to sound off.

Taking her lunch break that night, she ordered a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich with a large-sized Coke. (No matter what time of day or night it was, all of the shift workers at the hospital called their meal in the middle of their shifts, LUNCH.) She took a seat and started to eat. Besides her, there were only two other people sitting and eating in the entire cafeteria. The three of them were seated alone, each to their own table. The other two were busy reading paperback books while they ate.

The lighting there was somewhat dim. There was a spooky, ghostly feeling she experienced each time she ate there, but tonight she didn’t feel it. Her mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of Steve going to Kosovo and about her and the kids getting by without him. It was a good thing Carrie agreed to move in with them until Steve came back, and for her mom to come over also for a short while. Otherwise, she didn’t know what she would do. Steve had never been close to his aunt and uncle. Therefore, Sandy didn’t feel right asking them for their assistance now that she needed it.

***
Orphaned at twelve when his mother died in a car accident, Steve went to live with his aunt Molly and her husband, Rick. Rick was a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Steve never got along with them very well. So, when he turned sixteen, he left them and went to live with his friend, Tony, and his family when they moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. That was how Steve ended up in Minnesota. And that was where he met Sandy.