“We need to load him up, ma’am,” one of the paramedics said. “We’ll be going to Darnall Army Medical Center. It’s the closest hospital. He was very lucky that he wasn’t hurt more than he was.”
Sienna nodded and went to take a step back. Chris tightened his hold on her hand. “Wait!”
The paramedic looked put out, but he didn’t insist on getting him loaded right that second.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Chris told Sienna.
Then she smiled at him, the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen, and said, “Yes. I’d love to go out with you.”
“Best Christmas ever,” Chris said, and squeezed her hand, wishing he could bring it up to his lips and kiss it. The straps on the gurney kept him imbobile, but for once he wasn’t thinking about the fact that he was claustrophobic, he was thinking about where he should take Sienna on their date. The last thing he saw before the doors of the ambulance closed was her beautiful smile.Part 2 - The Angel“I can’t believe you know Tony’s dad,” Sarah said later that evening as they were on the way to the hospital to see Chris. The Army personnel at the scene of the accident had done just as they’d promised, and had escorted her onto the post. Sienna learned they were in some sort of platoon together, and she got the sense that they didn’t want to talk about it, but if she had to guess, she’d say they were Special Forces. They just seemed to have that vibe about them.
She’d also noticed the rings on all their fingers.
She’d seen the jealous look Chris had given them and had wanted to reassure him that she wasn’t attracted to the men at all, but she also hadn’t wanted to embarrass him. When she saw Chris again, she could tell him the men all seemed to be married…happily so, if their discussions about their wives were any indication.
She’d followed the men’s vehicles through the gates and to a building in the middle of the busy Army post. They’d escorted her inside and introduced her to the commander of her daughter’s unit. He knew who Tony was, as apparently he was an excellent soldier and had made a positive impression on many of the officers in the unit. He’d had both Tony and her daughter escorted to his office.
Sienna had been overjoyed at seeing her daughter again. FaceTime and emails just weren’t the same as seeing your flesh and blood in person. Sienna was happy to see for herself that her daughter was safe and sound. Then she’d welcomed Tony home and told the young man everything that had happened to his dad and what she knew about his medical condition.
Now they were all in Sienna’s rental car on the way across the Army post to the medical center.
“It’s crazy that you both live in Nashville,” Tony said. He was a very polite young man who Sienna had liked from the start. He was about the same age as Sarah, but apparently they didn’t really know each other. Even though they’d been deployed together, Tony was infantry and Sarah was a cook, so they didn’t run in the same circles while overseas.
“I know, right?” Sienna said. “I thought he was kidding at first. What are the odds that we met down here in Texas, both from Nashville, and with kids in the same unit?”
“It’s pretty odd. Maybe it’s your Christmas miracle,” Tony joked.
“That’s exactly what I said!” Sienna laughed.
Then Tony sobered and asked, “You’re sure he’s okay?”
Sienna nodded and tried to reassure the young man. “I’m sure. He hit his head on the driver’s side window, but I think that’s the extent of his injuries. He was very lucky.”
“I don’t understand why he was driving such a small vehicle,” Tony mused. “He never rents anything smaller than a full-size car or SUV.”
Sienna shrugged. “I don’t know, I’m sure he’ll tell you when we get to the hospital, but from what I understand, that car saved his life. The side curtain air bags really cushioned him. It could’ve been a lot worse.”
“Thank you for being there for him,” Tony told her.
Sienna pulled into a parking spot at the medical center and turned to Tony. “From the little I know of your dad, I have a feeling he would’ve been just fine even if I wasn’t there. He really wasn’t hurt all that badly.”
“But you said he was trapped,” Tony insisted.
Sarah was watching the conversation with interest.
“He was,” Sienna confirmed.
“He’s claustrophobic. He doesn’t like to admit it, but from what he’s told me over the last few months while I was deployed, it’s getting worse, not better.”
“I’m not sure anyone would want to admit something about themselves that could be seen as a weakness,” Sienna said. “As a soldier, I’m sure you’ve seen others who were wounded and who are struggling to deal with the things they’ve done and seen while deployed. This is no different. Just because your father is having a hard time coming to terms with the riot at the prison doesn’t mean he isn’t strong or brave. The fact that the first thing he told me was he’s claustrophobic makes me respect him more, not less. It’s not manly or tough to hide what you’re feeling. Remember that.”