Chapter 15 - The Visitor in the Ward
By Friday afternoon, young Lucas Pike was moved out of the ICU into a private recovery room on the fifth floor.
I walked into the sunlit room carrying a fresh chart, finding him sitting up in bed, sipping a glass of apple juice.
His color had returned completely, his vital signs were rock solid, and his incision was healing beautifully.
"Good afternoon, Specialist Pike," I said warmly, stepping up to the side of his bed to check his surgical drains.
"Good afternoon, Colonel Holloway... ma'am," Lucas replied politely, attempting to adjust his posture in the bed.
"Relax, son," I instructed gently, pressing a hand on his shoulder. "You're off duty until those vascular clips settle."
Lucas looked at me, his brown eyes filled with a deep, complex mixture of emotions that he was clearly struggling to express.
"My uncle told me what happened in the trauma bay, ma'am," Lucas whispered, looking down at his bandaged hands.
"He told me my father tried to order you away while I was dying on the table."
I took a breath, sitting down on the vinyl chair beside his bed, choosing my words with extreme care and compassion.
"Your father was panicked, Lucas," I explained gently. "He let his fear and his ego blind him to the reality of the situation."
"He didn't know it was you on that gurney."
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"That shouldn't have mattered!" Lucas yelled softly, tears glistening in his eyes. "He should have wanted to save whoever was on that table!"
"He's been like that my whole life, Colonel... always choosing his career over people."
