A Stella & Margarita - Desert Sex Pt. 09

The Matron smiled at her. It was a cold smile, one that informs those on the receiving end of it that this woman was in no mood to be ‘mucked around’.

“Are you in charge Doctor,” She asked while looking at the name badge on her right top pocket. “Doctor A. Cummins,”

“I am a junior Doctor so no I am not in charge this evening, that would be Doctor Ashford, Captain Ashford,”

“Can you summon him please,” She was asked.

“He is otherwise engaged at the moment, maybe I can help you?”

The Matron opened her handbag, and her revolver was there to be seen, deliberately, she searched for her wallet and when she finally found it, she opened it and let the Leftenant see who she was talking to.

Colonel Matilda Mc Mahon, 8th Australian Signal Corps. Even a junior doctor knew what the 8th ASC really meant.

“Yes ma’am, I will call him straight away,” She pressed a button on her beeper attached to her belt. Within seconds a phone rang behind the counter. The young doctor picked up the phone and spoke quietly to her senior. In a hushed tone, she told him, “There is a Colonel McMahon here to speak to you, Captain.”

The Matron just looked at her and held out her hand asking for the phone to be handed over. She did without hesitating.

“Captain, Colonel McMahon here,” she emphasized the word Colonel “Drop what you are doing and get your ass over here now,“ She ordered him and then added the word “please,” as an afterthought.

“On my way, Colonel,” He replied.

She handed the phone back to the now obviously nervous young Doctor.

“Relax Leftenant Cummins, you are in no danger,” The Matron informed the nervous young Doctor. Why she thought do doctors and policemen get younger looking as we grow older? The Matron went and sat in a plastic chair, those uncomfortable ones that all hospitals seem to have. Before too long an elderly-looking Captain came striding up to her and held out his hand and introduced himself. “Captain Ashford ma’am,” As the Colonel wasn't in uniform he didn't salute her.

Matron took his hand and shook it, and looked into his eyes, she wasn’t certain what she was looking for, maybe some kind of confirmation that he was going to keep these two people alive.

She explained what was going on. “You have two patients on their way in, both are suffering bullet wounds, and both have their own BF [battlefield] Medic with them.

“Yes I know,” He replied, trying to sound like he had it all in hand. “The Base Commander has informed me, ma’am,”

“Good but what you don’t know is that you will have more spooks falling over themselves to talk with them, I will arrange for some MPs to be stationed with them, because, no one and I mean no one speaks to them unless I say so. Is that understood?”

The Doctor stood there looking at her and wondering what on earth was happening. One of her phones rang, she answered it and the Leftenant of the 13th spoke quickly. “ETA 7 minutes ma’am, the Chinese woman is now listed as critical. I will hand you over to our medical officer,”

She waved the doctors over to her and briefed them, she put the phone on the counter and hit the speaker button, a voice came onto the phone, “Ma’am, my name is Corporal Klinger,” Before he started to speak she advised him that he was on speaker phone to two doctors waiting for them. “Thank you, ma’am,” and he continued, “Doctors we have two patients, patient number 1 Is a Chinese female, approximately mid-forties with a superficial neck wound and a 9mm bullet wound to her back, upper right no exit wound. Her breathing is laboured she is conscious, we haven’t heard her speak any English at this stage.”

The senior doctor looked at his junior, and told her, “She goes straight into op A, get a surgeon here now. Better raise the troops Leftenant. And get a Chinese translator,” She ran off in the direction of the operating theatres, she picked up a red wall phone and at the same time hit an alarm button next to it. Somewhere on the base some people’s evening just got batshit crazy.

While still listening to the corporal he yelled down the corridor to the nurse on the front counter. “All non-life threatening admissions to go off base to a public hospital. Set up a triage for yourself. No one comes in here. Lock us in Nurse Scully,”

He listened to the Corporal explain the details about patient number 2.

“Patient 2 is a Caucasian female approximately 40, with two superficial bullet wounds, one to each ear lobe, she has a calf wound, with a 25 mm diameter rusted piece of steel, hanging out of her right calf. It is still in situ, approximately 75 mm in length. She has been exposed to bio-hazards of unknown substances. She is unconscious. On oxygen, her body temperature of 38.7 and rising, blood pressure is 190 over 115. ETA 3 minutes.” He ended his simple explanation of his patients.

“Stay on the phone Corporal,”

He then looked at the Colonel and asked, “Any ideas on the bio-hazard substances,” The Matron just shook her head.

The doctor went to the phone on the desk, picked it up and spoke sternly to whoever was on the other end. “I need the place locked down, Bio-Hazard alert. I need a team in here within 2 minutes, decked out in hazard suits. I also need a place set up and secure for recovery.

He looked up as the junior doctor approached him, he had made notes on the two patients. At the top of the page where Stella’s information is, he wrote in big letters and circled it BIO-HAZARD PATIENT.

The young doctor turned white. The captain pulled her to one side away from the Matron who looked suspiciously at them and then rang the 13th Leftenant.

He answered immediately, “We’re pulling up outside, where do you want us?”

“Leftenant, was there any evidence of any hazardous material in that warehouse?” She asked but she already knew the answer, because if there was, the Leftenant would have handled it totally differently.

“No Matron, nothing, some hay bales they were using for target practice and on the top floor some cots and a kitchen, some laptops nothing else.

“Did she say anything before she passed out?”

“No ma’am, not a word.” He replied.

“Any idea where she might have come into contact with some kind of Bio-Hazard material?”

“No ideas ma’am, sorry,” he told her.

As they were speaking half a dozen people came in all covered with yellow Bio-Hazard suits on, they ushered everyone out and slowly secured the area. Matron was none too pleased to be told she was no longer in charge. She watched as two people in suits carried a stretcher which had now been covered in a plastic bubble.

The doctor came up to her and asked again, “Any ideas about the bio-hazard material yet Colonel?”

“Not yet, I’m working on it.” She told him harshly.

She watched as people came to seal up doors and put plastic curtains and airlocks into place. Several MPs were placed at each entrance. In the time it took them to take the Major from a military ambulance to a ward half of the hospital had been put into a tightly controlled lockdown situation. The security of her two patients was automatically taken out of the Matron’s hands and she was more than a little pissed off.

She rang Freddie, the call went unanswered.

She rang the General it rang several times before his voice answered. A dull sullen voice. “Matron, I understand things have taken a rather bad twist over there.”

“I don’t think so General, it's under control, it appears that the Major has come into contact with some Bio-Hazard Material, we are trying to sort it out. I’ll have some news for you in the morning,” She told him.

“I’m getting calls from all sorts of people Matron, people who shouldn’t even know I exist, can you explain that to me?”

She had no idea what he was talking about. “Like whom, General?”

“The worst kind of people, politicians. Something about a Bio-Hazard spill or leak. Once a politician gets wind of something like this, it is only a matter of time before the media find out. I suggest we meet swiftly and upgrade our security network. I’ll get Freddie to take charge of that end.” He told her.

“Speaking of Freddie, as he isn’t answering his phone tonight, ask him if he has any ideas on where the Major came into contact with the hazardous material.” She knew she was treading on thin ice and she didn’t like the way things had suddenly turned sour.

There was a long silence on the phone an uneasy silence. “I will call you in the morning Matron or as soon as I have spoken to that boy of yours,”

She thought the only thing to do was to stop and go back over every step, see where she had slipped up if, in fact, she had slipped up.

She walked slowly across a dark courtyard towards the office’s mess, the lights were on and the noise was starting to increase in there. That’s a good sign she thought.

She entered the corridor leading to the Mess from the back door, knowing everyone would be coming in through the front door. She was deep in thought wanting both to find where things had gone wrong. Her phone was ringing, and she answered it, Freddie was returning her call.

“You rang Matron?” He asked innocently.

“The Major is critical she came into contact with some sort of Bio-Hazard, any ideas dear boy?”

“Yes, I have samples and we are going through it now. The General was on the phone, he sounded a little pissed off, to be honest,” He added. Sounding none too concerned about the Bio-Hazard.

“Yes he had a call from a polly, he is none too pleased. So if you have done something to let the cat out of the bag, I’d be very concerned dear boy,”

“Don’t be silly Matron, I don’t do things like that and neither do my team, although that girl you sent me, I haven’t had time to check her out yet,” He told her.

“She is too young for you to check out Freddie,” She told him.

“I’m not her type apparently, she is busy chatting to Susie as we speak,” Suzie being the only out woman on his team, up until Terry came on board, that is.

“Good for her, I say,” She said laughing.

“Be aware our Lord and Master wants a complete security upgrade. It is time for one in any case, just so you know.” The Matron told him. “Now tell me why you aren’t throwing a sissy fit over this Bio-Hazard scare?”

“I had it checked out before I sent her in there, toxic yes but not enough to kill you, I’ll hurry the results up and who wants them first,” He asked.

“Doctor Ashford here at the base hospital. In fact, you can call him now and tell him what you know, then YOU can tell the General, I am going to get comfortably numb.” She was slowly starting to unwind. A decision that was weighing on her mind had been made.

“Will do Matron, no dramas, I can handle the General,” He said.

“Not in your wildest dreams can you handle him, Freddie trust me on that. That old fox looks harmless until you upset him. Be warned, dear boy. I’m hanging up now, I’ll talk to you later on,” And with that, she pressed the end button.

She opened the door and the noise and warmth of a group of men and women unwinding after a particularly stressful mission assaulted her ears and eyes, losing two comrades, so some were drinking to remember, some drank to forget.

She looked about the room, and many faces she didn’t recognise, it seems some locals were still hanging on as well as the 13th were there. There was a lot of laughter, as well as some who were feeling rather low. She sighted the Leftenant and invited him over to an empty table.

She shook his hand and with her sad eyes, said once again how sorry she was that two weren’t coming home. She looked up at the clock on the wall, it was 20 to nine. “Let me get you something to drink Leftenant, what would you prefer?”

Whiskey, please ma’am,” Tilley left him at the table and went to the bar, she brought a bottle of Glen Fiddich 18 back to the table with two glasses. She poured two hefty amounts into each glass, gave a weak smile to him and made a toast, “To lost soldiers everywhere Lest We Forget”. The Leftenant stood up and raised his hand and his team came over to him.

“Fill your glasses, everyone. Those that didn’t have a drink used the bottle of whiskey the Leftenant had in his hand to refill their glasses. They all went silent, the room with all the different officers in there slowly went silent, realising someone was about to speak.

“To Carver and Blake, Lest We Forget.”

And with those words everyone in the room replied. “Lest We Forget,”

The Matron hung her head seeing the time was now 9 pm and two strangers were knocking on a younger mother’s front door and delivering the worst news possible.

The team all formed a circle and started singing.
“So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
Did you exchange
A walk-on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year
Running over the same old ground
What have we found?
The same old fears
Wish you were here”

The Matron shed a tear. She wasn’t the only one. The whiskey bottle suddenly was half empty, she filled her glass and found a corner for herself.

She wasn’t paying attention to what was happening, the 13th were getting louder, and drunker, and she wasn’t too worried. She looked up and found Bianca staring down at her. Her face lit up, she smiled up at her. Her eyes began to sparkle again. Bianca sat beside her putting her arm under her arm, pulling her in close. Bianca asked, “Are you alright Mistress?” Tilley nodded. Then smiled at the other girls who were behind her, fighting off well-meaning young men.

She waved them over to her and tried to hug them all at once, “The drinks are on the General tonight, so drink up and relax.”

She grabbed hold of Margarita who was looking around, “I will get someone to take you over to the base hospital, and she is going to be OK.”

Margarita hugged her and whispered in her ear. “I can never do that again Tilley,”

“That’s OK, I won’t ask again,”

She turned and smiled at Celina and Corrine, “Drink up ladies. I am going to take little Mags across to see her Mrs, don’t disappear on me OK?” They both smiled and nodded, seeing the Matron for the first time with her guard down. Bianca didn’t let go, but a warm look and a simple kiss on her nose brought a smile from everyone. “I’ll be right back, don’t pick up any strange men while I’m gone, will you?”

“Not a snowball’s chance in hell,” Bianca replied.

Tilley took hold of Margarita’s hand and lead her away. As they walked slowly across the dark courtyard back towards the Hospital the Matron started telling Margarita about what had actually gone on since she and Stella were suddenly picked up by her in the Alice Springs airport. She told her every detail, the good, and the bad, yes and the ugly. She was told about the kidnapping and what Corrine had done on the open seas, how everything was thrown together so quickly. She stopped in the courtyard and took hold of Margarita’s other hand and told her how sorry she was to have had to ask her to do what she did. Margarita faintly smiled back, but in the darkness, it went unseen. Matron broke out of her stern Matron demeanour and spoke to her as Tilley, “I need you to know just how appreciative we are that you had entered Stella’s life.” How happy she was at how protective the Major was of her. That is so special, she was told.

She then turned back to walking towards the hospital and told her, “Margarita, you have a very unique skill, word will soon get out, and my advice to you is to ignore it or better still deny it.” Margarita listened to every word, not saying anything in reply. She took it all in and squeezed Tilley’s hand. When she looked up at her, she witnessed a tear running down her cheek.

The Base Hospital had gone from a bio-hazard emergency back to almost normal. Still a lot of people around the A&E section. As they walked in an MP Sergeant approached them and told the Matron his men would be staying on duty for the night. She nodded and gave him her thanks. They found Doctor Ashford who smiled at her and walked over and greeted them, “Let me guess this is Margarita? I hope,”

She looked at him strangely and then looked at Mags, “Yes it is, how did you know her name?” She asked him.

“The Major has been threatening everybody, I mean everyone with death if we don’t get her, as in right now. So Margarita my staff and I are really glad you are here.”

Margarita looked around the room trying to see where Stella was when she heard her voice. Mags started running in the direction of the voice and a commotion. She ran past a doorway and then heard her name called. It was a desperate call, like a wounded wild animal, which was pretty close to what it really was. Mags skidded to a halt and doubled back to the door where she heard Stella calling for her. She stood in the doorway and looked at Stella, sitting on the side of her bed. A nurse desperately trying to get her to get back into bed. Margarita stood at the door and smiled at her. She looked different, older, almost haggard, her hair a mess, and in need of a bath. She smelt most foul. Mags saw her calf bandaged up and looked at the plasters on each ear. Tears were building up in her eyes.

“Come here Mags, please come here,” She begged.

Margarita held her hands over her mouth, now completely unable to stop the tears from cascading down her cheeks, those sweet tears of joy, of love. She felt her heart pounding away inside her girl-like chest.

She just burst into tears, she went to her partner in life, and she asked the nurse to leave her be, “I will handle her,” She told the nurse. Her smile was sincere. She stood in between her legs their hug was strong, and firm, neither of them wanting the other to release them.

“Stella, I love you so much, you have to tell me everything, I want to know what you went through,” Mags asked of her.

Stella kissed her not once or twice but continuously, holding her, she too now had tears streaming from her eyes. “All in good time babe, all in good time.”

The Doctor and Matron stood at the doorway, watching. He told the nurse to leave them. As she was about to pass them at the door the Matron suggested to them that they should organise another bed for Margarita, “I don’t think these two are going to be parted for a while,”

The Doctor nodded and asked the nurse to arrange it. She just smiled and said “Yes, Sir,”

They closed the door to the room they were in and cheekily Matron said, “Pity you don’t have a Do Not Disturb sign.

He smiled, “The Major will be on her feet by the morning. Once we got the rundown on the water she was exposed to, there was no Bio-Hazard just a little toxicity in the groundwater, the antibiotics we gave her worked quick enough.”

“The calf wound wasn’t as bad as it looked,” he continued. The Matron just nodded to him.

“If they ask after me, or anyone, send them over to the Officer’s Bar, we have a little shindig going on in there, for the foreseeable future.”

“Oh dear,” He replied, “A few bumps and bruises coming our way then,” He smiled as he said it.

“More likely a lot of sore heads when they wake, I would think,” The Matron explained.

She smiled back at him and wandered off back to the noise and mayhem in the Officer’s Bar. Bianca hadn’t moved, her beaming smile welcomed Tilley back. Corrine was talking to an older Officer at the bar, while Celina was surrounded by a small group of men, offering her a wide range of drinks and some proposals that would have made her blush normally. She thought to herself, ‘Whatever happened to the old Officers and Gentlemen of this world’.