20
Fort Daniels, 27 February 1871
Chad returned to the mess hall and skipped the line to go straight to Helen Jones, the woman in charge, a light-skinned former plantation cook who had brought order and some elegance to the mess hall.
“I need two meals to take away.” He thought about O’Connell. “Make that three.”
“Yes, Doctor, although if you keep stretching yourself taking care of everyone else, you’re going to pay at some point.”
“Oh, I’m already fully aware of that.”
“But are you?” a voice behind him asked, and he turned to see Nanette. The frustrations of the morning and particularly the past ten minutes flared in his chest, and her eyes widened, but she stiffened her stance.
“I am. And you have some explaining to do, Nurse. Why did you lie to me on Saturday about Perkins tellin
