Echo-Foxtrot by Clare Revell

shoulder at the way she had come.
    Airman Ryder was still busy talking and hadn’t noticed she’d gone.
    Question was, how was she going to get back up the slope to him? She had no idea how to turn the chair around and her pride wouldn’t allow her to call him for help. Besides, he’d probably think she was running away again or something stupid like that and just yell at her.
    Maybe she should head over to the parking area. Once on the tarmac, it might be easier to do a three-point turn and hopefully she’d be back before he’d noticed she’d gone.
    Her hand caught in the wheel and Lou yanked hard. Pain shot through her fingers as her hand finally came free. She rubbed it and realized it felt different. Glancing down, she discovered blood trickling down from the needle mark in the back of her hand. “Idiot,” she told herself. “You pulled the drip out. The doc ain’t gonna be stoked now.”
    She glanced over the side of the chair. The IV lay on the ground. “How’d you manage that?” Shaking her head, she reached down and put the brake on. Then she leaned over the side of the chair in an effort to pick up the IV bag.
    The ground was a lot farther away than it looked. Lou leaned farther and the chair tipped, sending her toppling to the ground. She cried out in pain as she hit the ground with a thud. The chair landed beside her and she lay there, unable to do anything.
    Tears of frustration and pain filled her eyes.
    “Lou!” Jack’s voice came from somewhere behind her.
    Great. Just what I need. He’s bound to take this the wrong way and yell at me now.
    Pounding feet reached her and shiny black shoes appeared in her field of vision. “Are you hurt?”
    “No. Just having a rest,” she snapped, rubbing a hand over her eyes. “I thought I’d see the car park from a different angle.”
    “Very funny. Don’t move till Doc Andrews gets here.”
    Lou looked up at him. “Why?” she asked, wondering why his dark eyes glinted in a mixture of anger and concern.
    “Do you really need to ask? You could have undone all her hard work,” Jack replied angrily. Footsteps came running from all directions. Jack held up his hand. “It’s OK. I’ve got her.” Someone stood up the chair.
    Lou tried to roll over and sit up. “Put me back in the chair,” she whispered, blinking back the tears. “Not lying here listening to this…”
    Jack pushed her back down. “Don’t you dare move.”
    Dr. Andrews came running across with her med bag.
    Jack said, “Let the doc make sure you’re OK. Then you and I are having a conversation. Over lunch.”
    Lou looked away. She wasn’t going to be lectured for something she didn’t do. She wasn’t running away. She’d been there, done that, and had the scars to prove it.
    Jack squatted down in front of her. “We are having...” he began.
    Lou looked away again, wincing as Dr. Andrews re-sited the drip.
    Jack took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. “We are having this conversation whether you like it or not. Airman Ryder was good enough to bring you out and this is how you repay him. Don’t you ever think of anyone but yourself? You owe him an apology.”
    Lou rolled her eyes. “I didn’t do anything.” However, she looked at Airman Ryder. “Sorry.”
    He nodded.
    Jack looked at him. “Go get some coffee and leave the report on my desk. I’ll deal with it.”
    “Yes, sir.” He headed off.
    “Is he in trouble?” Lou asked, wondering why a report was necessary.
    “Yes. He was meant to be watching you and you could have gotten yourself killed because he was busy talking.”
    “It’s hardly a busy car park. I wasn’t in any danger of getting killed. Besides, it wasn’t his fault,” Lou tried to explain.
    “I don’t want to hear it.” Jack frowned. “Have you eaten?”
    Lou looked away. It didn’t seem to matter what she said, it was wrong. So it’d be best not to say anything.
    Jack looked at Dr. Andrews. “Doc?”
    “She hasn’t