The nurse, back on duty, came into the room and checked the dials and screens on all the machines, double-checked the drip on the IV tube. She was a tall thin woman. Probably had a name like “Stick” or “Spindle” when she was young, Lori thought. Her movements were long and fluid, like a dancer. Lori thought that perhaps she had been a dancer, until she had grown taller than all her male partners.
“Don’t you want to take a little break…get something to eat? We’ll come get you in the cafeteria if she starts to wake up.”
The sound of someone’s voice in the quiet room startled Lori. She looked up into the warm smile that Major Shirley McDowell offered. Lori hesitated. Her body ached from sitting in the chair all night. Maybe a cup of coffee and some cereal would make her feel better. Her sto
