“What?!” Several of the men all exclaimed at the same time. Daisy looked up to see that all eyes were on her. She suddenly felt awkward again. Under the gaze of all these alpha Marines, she felt temporarily small. She regained her confidence quickly though. She hadn’t come this far to be intimidated by a few Marines. After all, if they got injured while they were on deployment, she would be the one to patch them up. They would be at her mercy, not the other way around. She straightened her posture and prepared to defend herself. She wasn’t sure why she cared what these men though of her. It was her life after all and they didn’t know her. They didn’t understand why she volunteered. It was her burden to bear.
“Yes, I have been in the middle east eight different times. Three times by deployment, and five times as a volunteer,” Daisy replied calmly. “It’s more like going home than being deployed after all this time.” She chuckled at her own joke. However, none of the men laughed. They continued to stare at her in shock. She didn’t see the big deal. She was Navy. Saving the world was what we do. You can’t do that sitting on your couch in North Carolina.
“You don’t look old enough to have had that many deployments, besides you’re a doctor. Why would you volunteer to be sent into a combat zone?” Ace asked incredulously. “Do you have a death wish?”
“No…not really,” Daisy faulters. “I volunteer because I am damn good at what I do. Time is of the essence when treating traumatic injuries. The first hour is very important. Most doctors in the Navy don’t want to be away from their families or risk being killed or wounded. I don’t mind being there. It’s important to me. I have worked hard to make something of myself. I do that by caring for the men and women that put themselves in harm’s way to protect our country. It is important to me that the ones that are injured, live and are able to go back home as intact as possible,” Daisy finished, suddenly aware she had opened up to this group of men about herself more than she had with anyone before. She didn’t know why she felt the need to defend herself to these men. It was her business and no one else’s.
“Thanks for caring for us when we are injured, but you should not put yourself in harm’s way unnecessarily,” Ace admonished. “I am sure there are plenty of other Navy doctors that you don’t need to volunteer so much. Besides, Hospital Corpsman are the ones supposed to be in the field. Like Straw and Mercury.” He gestured toward his teammates.
“Yes, there are others,” Daisy replied. “But no one really wants to go, so I volunteer. I’m not married and I don’t have kids so it’s an easy choice…It’s easier than being at home.” Daisy suddenly clamed up as she paled visibly. She had said too much. Why did she tell a complete stranger something like that? She looked away and took several deep breaths to calm herself.
“What could be worse than dealing with death and traumatic injuries?” Ace asked quietly, as he leaned in closer to her. He seemed to understand she had said more than she meant to say. Daisy again shifted in her seat. She was very uncomfortable with the way this conversation was going. Luckily the pilots arrived at that moment to let them know they would be taking off in a few minutes, so everyone needed to get buckled and stow their equipment. Daisy was saved from having to answer the question as the men began getting buckled and stowing their gear away.
However, once the plane was in the air, Ace returned to his questioning. “You never did answer my question, Dee. What could be so bad to make you want to volunteer for a combat zone?” Ace’s voice was so sincere and full of concern. Daisy found herself wanting to disclose all her secrets and let him take them away, but that was foolishness. She couldn’t let her guard down. Daisy was quickly becoming annoyed with this nosy Marine and his persistence in finding out her secrets. It was none of his business why she volunteered. She would do as she damn well pleased. However, Daisy had manners despite her upbringing. Sighing again, Daisy tried to find a reasonable answer without having to disclose all her demons, but she came up blank. All she could think about was Luke and the real reason she didn’t want to be state side. Finally, she gave him an answer.
“Not that it is any of your business, but I have demons in my closet that have a harder time following me outside the country,” Daisy decided that was enough gossipy girl talk with the tall, handsome man. She turned away from the men, laid her head back on the side of the plane and closed her eyes. It was time to take that nap.
Chapter 3
Ace had felt an instant attraction to the mysterious woman from the moment he laid eyes on her and when she shook his hand, electricity had shot through him, causing him to jerk his arm. He wanted to fight the attraction, but his heart kept pushing him to continue. He had decided to introduce the rest of the team to keep the conversation going. He wanted to know more about this woman. He also wanted her to know him and his closest friends. As the conversation had progressed, Ace was floored by her revelation about her work history. He was immediately attracted to the woman sitting in the plane when he and his team had boarded. He was in utter shock that she had volunteered not once but five times to go on deployment into the combat zone to care for injured soldiers. He admired her courage and dedication, but it also bothered him that she didn’t have something or someone to make her think twice about volunteering for such dangerous assignments. When she shook his hand, he felt an electrical shock in his arm that had run into his chest. It triggered something in his brain or maybe it was his heart he wasn’t sure, but he knew in that moment she was the woman he was supposed to find. The woman Destiny had placed in his path. He was determined to have her and keep her safe.
When she had turned away and closed her eyes, Ace stared at her for several long moments before he decided to leave it alone, for now. She was obviously uncomfortable talking about whatever it was that caused her to be on a suicide mission. Ace looked around at his teammates, his brothers. The looks on their faces mirrored his own. Confusion at why anyone would volunteer repeatedly to enter the combat zone for months at a time. The men used hand signals to communicate with one another, but don’t say anything else until they were sure she was asleep.
“Why would anyone put themselves in harm’s way like that?” Deadeye whispered a little while later. “I know we have been sent over here several times, but usually only for a few days or weeks at most. Doctors are sent for 12 to 18 months. I know they are usually not in combat zones, but the way she talked, and her attire leads me to believe she volunteers to go into the combat zone to treat soldiers in the field. It’s just insane.”
“I agree. I don’t like it. I intend to find out what is going on with her,” Ace declared. “Is she that brave or is she trying to commit suicide by war? It’s like she has a death wish or something. Surely, someone has picked up on her apparent lack of self-preservation.”
“Ace leave it alone. It’s not any of our business. We are on a mission. That is what we need to focus on, okay?” Wallace interjected. He had always been the practical one of the team. “We are going to bring home the daughter of a powerful family. We need to be focused.”
“I will focus on the mission, but I won’t leave this alone. Something is not right with this woman. I intend to find out what it is. Don’t worry. I will be careful,” Ace said. Ace could feel it in his bones. This woman needed help. She needed him. He would find out what had made her repeatedly put herself in harm’s way. His old doubts and fears reared its ugly head, but he tamped them down. She needed him and he wouldn’t let his fear of getting hurt keep him from helping her.
* * *
The sound of the blades cutting through the air is deafening. The soldier laying at her feet was gravely wounded, blood was pouring out of him fast. She had to stop the bleeding soon or it would be too late. It was up to Daisy to save him. She was working feverishly to stop the bleeding as the chopper cut through the air to get them to base where Daisy could perform a more formal surgery. She was attempting to try off another arterial bleed when the chopper was hit by something. It jerked violently to the right. Then it began to spiral over and over. Daisy was hanging on for dear life. Just as it hit the ground to burst into flames…
“Dee! Dee! It’s just a bad dream,” Ace was shaking her gently. Daisy was flinging her arms like she was trying to catch herself. Daisy jerked awake as she heard someone calling to her. She looked around the plane like she didn’t know where she was.
“You’re ok, darlin’. It was just a dream,” Ace assured her. He placed his hand on the side of her face. He caressed her face with his thumb as she stared at him, still lost in her dream.
“Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Daisy said with a quavering voice as reality began to return. She had a sheen of sweat on her face and her hands were trembling. Her eyes remained wide and fearful. Tears had formed in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She continued to scan the plane as if she were looking for someone or something. As full awareness returned to her, she jerked her face away from his gentle caresses.
“Are you alright?” Ace asked quietly a few minutes later. He had been watching her closely after she had awakened. He had seen all the emotions running across her face: fear, confusion, awareness. She seemed to be more relaxed, but still stunned.
“I’m fine,” Daisy replied harshly. “I appreciate your concern, but I do not need it.”
“Look, Dee. We have seen more than our fair share of combat and injuries,” Ace began. “Sometimes you just need to talk to someone about what is going on in your head. Just because you aren’t directly fighting the enemy doesn’t mean you might not suffer from PTSD. It can manifest itself in different ways. One of those being nightmares. If you need help, someone to talk to, I am here. I’m willing to listen., Ace said in earnest.
Daisy looked at him, then the other men that were staring at her with concern in their eyes. She was overwhelmed at the fact these strangers were concerned for her. But she had taken care of herself for a long time. She was not willing to admit to weakness now. She straightened her spine and took a deep cleansing breath. Daisy prepared for battle.
“I amnotsuffering from PTSD. It was just a bad dream,” Daisy growled at the alpha male determined to be in her business. How much longer would it be before we land? She wondered to herself as she huffed out a frustrated breath.
“I’m sorry, Dee. Perhaps I have misinterpreted the situation. Just know if you should ever find yourself in need of a friend or help out of a jam, I am only a phone call away,” Ace said as he placed a slip of paper in her palm. Daisy looked down at the paper. It had a man’s name, email address, and phone number on it. Before Daisy could reply, the plane began to descend for landing. She tucked the paper in her pocket and reached for her bag. She was getting off this plane and away from these men as quickly as possible. She had had enough of this man’s attempt at counseling her. She didn’t need it. She was dealing with it her way.
When the plane landed, Daisy moved to exit the plane as soon as the door opened. Ace followed her out the door, close on her heels. She was almost jogging to get away from him. Ace grabbed her arm before she could get away. His grasp was gentle but firm. It stopped her forward motion. She spun to face him. Ready to blast him for stopping her.
“What is your full name, Dee?” Ace asked earnestly. When Daisy frowned, he continued. “Please, I just want to get to know you, be your friend.”
“I don’t have friends…I mean need friends,” Daisy retorted. Her face flushed a bright red. Why did he make her blurt out her most intimate details? She jerked her arm out of his grasp. She spun on her heel and hurried to the waiting Humvee that would take her to the camp hospital. She didn’t even spare a glance back at the Marines watching her go. She couldn’t risk them seeing the tears in her eyes. The ones she refused to let fall or even acknowledge they existed.
