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Mattie turned as a runner raced up from behind her. ‘Message from the radio-operator, you’re needed back at the main field hospital at Brigade.’
‘Now?’ She frowned. ‘We’re about ready for the pallet drop.’
‘Sorry, ma’am, they said it was urgent. They’re sending a helicopter for you now.’
‘I’ve got this, Mattie.’ Alex, the major she had appointed to run this part of the exercise, stepped closer to her. ‘You go. Shall I drive you to the landing site?’
‘Dammit, I really wanted to be here for this part.’
‘Yeah, that’s because you’ve run so many of them.’ He grinned. ‘But now you’re getting this promotion you’re going to have to learn to take a step back. This hospital’s going to be my baby now.’
Mattie wrinkled her nose.
‘Fine, I’m going. You’ll take care of it, right?’
‘I learned from the best.’ He laughed, then turned and headed off to brief the team.
Mattie turned to her driver and smiled.
‘Okay, let’s go.’
* * *
‘Give me the sit-rep, Kath,’ Mattie directed her second-in-command, Major Katherine McDonal, as she arrived back at the main field hospital.
‘New orders from Brigade. The exercise has been going much smoother than expected. Early training has bedded in and Infantry and Light Armoured are advancing quickly. If they keep it up there’s going to have to be a hiatus.’
‘But Brigade want to keep up the tempo,’ Mattie guessed. ‘They’re bringing forward the casualty scenarios?’
‘Right.’ Kath nodded. ‘However, Amputees for Armies aren’t going to be able to get out until next week, as previously planned, so they need us to come up with a few more scenarios to throw at the guys for now.’
Mattie’s mind began to race. There were several medical situations she could create, but it depended what Brigade’s overall picture looked like.
‘Do they have anything particular in mind?’
‘Possibly bringing in the Engineers for some kind of bridge collapse.’ Kath shrugged. ‘They’re sending you a liaison from Mechanised Infantry.’
Mattie groaned.
‘Oh, God, not Percy Copperhead? He’s an oxygen thief. The only reason he got to Major is because his father was a divisional commander. I know it doesn’t happen that often, but the guy’s the epitome of the worst elements of nepotism.’
‘He is,’ Kath agreed. ‘But I think he knows exactly what you think of him because he isn’t coming in person, he’s sending his company sergeant major instead.’
‘I guess that’s him trying to make a point and insult me.’ Mattie pulled a wry face. ‘But I’m guessing his CSM is the one who really runs that unit anyway. The place would fall apart if Percy was really in charge.’
‘Funny you should say that...’ Kath laughed ‘...but I had the same thought. So I asked around, and from what I can glean the guy is as solid as they come. A real straight shooter who knows his stuff. Should suit you a lot better.’
‘Great. Okay, when is this guy—do we have a name?—heading in?’
‘No name, but the guy’s already in transit so he should be here by seventeen hundred hours.’
‘That’s in fifteen minutes. Brigade must really be panicking,’ Mattie mused, consulting her watch. ‘Okay, you crack on with what you were doing before, I’m going to see if I can’t grab my first coffee of the day then have a look in Triage and the ICUs.’
‘Okay, I’ll know where to find you,’ agreed Kath. ‘Try to grab some scran as well—I’m willing to bet you haven’t eaten yet.’
Mattie’s stomach rumbled on cue.
‘I’ll see what I can do.’ Mattie laughed as she left the room. ‘I just hope the CSM that idiot Percy’s sending me is going to live up to his apparent reputation.’
