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Laila clung to the woman’s hand. “Thank you, Nahid,” she said quietly. “Now that we’ve landed, I can call my boss.” She swallowed and closed her eyes. “My old boss. She’ll know how Jase is doing.” She fumbled with the phone, pressed Mel’s number, then reached for Nahid’s hand.
“Laila. Where are you?” Mel asked.
“I have no idea, but we’re on the ground. Taxiing. Tell me about Jase.”
“He was shot twice in his left leg. His femur is shattered and there’s severe muscle damage. He lost a lot of blood. But he’ll survive. He’s in the infirmary right now, and the doctor is keeping him comfortable and doing everything he can while he waits for the trauma surgeon. Once Jase has surgery, he’ll spend a few days here, then he’ll be airlifted to the base in Germany. Or maybe direct to Walter Reed.”
“Did... did they catch the person who shot him?” Laila asked.
“No. There was a mob out there, and by the time the MPs got through the crowd, the shooter was gone.” She sighed. “The MPs told me Jase had started up the stairs,” she said quietly. “If he hadn’t, he’d probably be dead. From where the bullet hit, the shooter was clearly aiming at the left side of his back. Trying to hit Jase’s heart. If Jase hadn’t run up those steps, the shooter would have succeeded.”
“Will you call me when you hear anything?” Laila asked.
“Of course I will.” Laila heard papers shuffling. “According to the flight plan Jase gave me, you’re in Dubai. You’re going to board a commercial jet that will take you to Madison via Milwaukee. The Afghanis will go on a military plane to a relocation center about half-way between Milwaukee and Madison.”
“Once I’m back in Wisconsin, I’ll book a flight to wherever Jase is,” Laila said. “I’ll find a place to live and stay there while he recovers.”
Mel sighed. “If he goes to Germany, you won’t be allowed on the base,” she said gently. “Only relatives and spouses are admitted. I’ll keep you informed, and I’m sure Jase will contact you when he can. But it may not be for a while, so don’t panic if you don’t hear from him immediately.”
Laila tightened her grip on the phone and drew a shuddery breath. “That’s not acceptable, Mel. If he goes to Germany, I’ll figure out a way to get on that base. If he goes to Walter Reed, that’s where I’ll go.” She drew a deep breath. “Thanks for the update. Tell Jase...” her throat swelled and she had to swallow to get the words out. “Tell Jase I’m thinking of him. And I’ll see him as soon as I can.”
Mel sighed. “I’ll tell him that, Laila. But don’t get your hopes up. I’ll try to make sure he goes directly to Walter Reed. But it depends on what the trauma surgeon recommends. Be patient.”
“Would you be patient if it was Dev who’d been injured?” Laila said, her voice hard.
“No,” Mel admitted after a long moment. “I wouldn’t be patient, either. I’ll keep you posted, Laila.”
