On Fire. Lindsay McKenna

rallied. Emma and Khalid. “Yes, they’re like family to us. Tell them to come on up?”

      Celeste nodded. She pointed to several chairs outside along the light blue wall. “I can only allow one person at time in here, so why not have them wait there? There’s coffee and tea in our lounge, too.”

      “Will do,” Mike answered, feeling new hope race through him.

      She left the ICU unit. He never realized how much he needed some support until right now. Turning, he leaned down and kissed Khat’s lips. They were warm. Brushing his thumb across her pale cheek, he whispered, “I love you, angel. You made it through last night. Keep fighting for us. Emma and Khalid are here. I’m going to let each of them come in and sit with you for a bit. I know you’ll like having their company.”

      As if to confirm it, Mike lifted his head and saw her pulse lowering even more. Perhaps out of relief? He wasn’t sure. Turning, he saw the elevator doors open. Khalid stepped out with Emma. Khalid was in a US Army olive green flight suit. Emma, who had a worried look on her face, was in the blue flight suit she wore when she was flying their helicopter for their charity. Mike squeezed Khat’s hand, and he said, “I’ll be right back. Emma and Khalid just arrived...”

      Moving out of the room, Mike met them outside the door. Khalid shook his hand. Emma hugged him. Mike closed his eyes for a moment, feeling Emma’s strong arms hold him tightly, as if to feed him hope. Releasing Emma, he gestured to the chairs.

      “Thanks for coming,” he said, his voice strained, as they sat down. “Have a seat.”

      Khalid stared into the ICU at Khat. “I’ve been flying missions. I just got back here to Bagram and Emma called me and told me about Khat. How is she doing?”

      Mike explained everything, keeping it to the short version. Emma’s eyes filled with tears.

      “May I go in and see her, Mike?”

      “Sure,” he murmured.

      Khalid placed his hand on Mike’s shoulder. “Why don’t you and I go down to the cafeteria and get some breakfast? Emma can stay with Khat.”

      Emma stood up and said, “Good idea. Mike, you need some break time. Have you had a shower or anything?”

      He nodded. “Yeah, I got cleaned up yesterday after I arrived.”

      Khalid stood. “Come on. Khat’s in good hands with Emma at her side.”

      Reluctantly, Mike stood. He felt infused with their care and kindness. “Yeah, okay. Emma, If anything changes...”

      Emma nodded. “I know where you guys will be. I’ll get a hold of you, I promise.”

      Emma stepped into the dimly lit ICU, her expression sad as she went to Khat’s bedside. Picking up Khat’s hand between her own, she whispered, “Khat? It’s Emma. Khalid and I are here. I’m going to sit with you for a while. Mike needs to get some breakfast and then a shower.” She wiped tears from her cheeks with her other hand as she sat down in the chair. “You hang in here, Khat. Mike loves you. And we do, too. We want you back with us.”

      * * *

      KHALID SAID LITTLE as Mike ate like a horse. He’d been flying an Apache at another combat engagement and on his way back for refueling at Bravo, heard about the firefight going down at the village where Khat was being cared for by the Shinwari villagers. He noticed the tightness in Mike’s face, the desolation in his brown-gold eyes, the way his mouth was set. Khalid remembered all too well when he was falling in love with Emma. She had been kidnapped by Taliban and he starkly remembered what it had done to him. And to Emma. Luckily, Emma had escaped using her own wits and courage. Mike was in a different and far more difficult situation with Khat.

      Khalid drank his coffee and sat in the large, noisy chow hall. Mike had found a place against the wall so he could always look out into the area and observe. It was a SEAL thing, Khalid knew, and not a bad one. They were always at risk no matter where they were at in Afghanistan. Even Bagram was not safe.

      “Will Khat wake up on her own or do they have her in a medically induced coma?” Khalid asked.

      “No, she’s not in a coma. Dr. Mason wasn’t very hopeful about her chances,” Mike muttered, pushing his emptied tray to one side. He wiped his mouth with a paper napkin, wadded it up and threw it on the tray. “The nurse supervisor said she was unconscious from the infection, high fever, plus the trauma of surgery.” He picked up his coffee.

      “What can we do to support you?”

      Mike gave his friend a grateful look. “Just being here is a help, Khalid. I know you and Emma are damned busy with a lot of other commitments.”

      Khalid gave him a lazy smile. “Never too busy to help a friend. I’m off the flight roster for the next two days. Emma has no more flights to villages for the next week. Can we come in here and spell you? Give you a chance to eat, go shower or just take a walk?”

      Mike nodded. “I’d like that. I know Khat loves both of you, and right now the more people who come to sit with her is a plus. The nurse supervisor was telling me earlier that in all her years of experience, the ones in ICU who made it had loved ones present.” His mouth set. “And I don’t want to leave her alone if I can help it.”

      “Then we’ll make it happen,” Khalid murmured. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

      Cranking his shoulders to rid them of the tension, Mike said, “More off than on.” He shook his head, staring down at his coffee cup. “I’d doze off, snap awake, thinking she was dead, get up, make sure she was still breathing and then lay my head down on her bed again and doze off. It was like that all night.”

      “I can stay as long as you need me this morning. They do have a room where family can get some sleep in a good bed.”

      It sounded tempting. “Thanks, but I feel like Khat’s going to come out of unconsciousness sometime today. I want to be there when she does.”

      “You know Emma and Khat are close. We’ll set up a schedule where you get breakfast, lunch and dinner with one of us and the other will stay with Khat. Okay?”

      Mike nodded, pursing his lips. His voice was gruff with barely controlled emotions. “Yeah, that would be great. Thank you...”

      * * *

      EMMA SMILED WARMLY and stood up as Mike pulled open the door to the ICU unit.

      “You look better,” she murmured, releasing Khat’s hand and stepping out.

      Mike had eaten a ton of food and then had a shower. He felt a helluva lot better. Stronger. “I am, thanks. Any change?” he asked, gazing at Khat.

      Emma nodded. “The nursing supervisor for this new shift is Major Linda Black. She came in to check on Khat. She’s very nice, Mike. Linda said her vitals are stable and that’s a hopeful sign she’s battling that awful infection.”

      “I just wish Khat would wake up.”

      “The fever has to break first. That’s the best sign that could happen,” Emma said. “At least, that’s what Linda told me.”

      Rubbing the back of his neck, Mike said, “I have a feeling she’ll wake up sometime today.”

      Emma stepped outside the unit and he moved into it. “I’m going to catch some breakfast at the chow hall here at Bagram. We’ll swing by before we leave? Make up some kind of schedule so we can spell you?”

      “That would be good,” Mike said, giving her a slight, strained smile. What would he do without good people like this in his life? He watched them walk toward the elevators and his heart swelled with hope. He’d also called his mother and father, Bedir and Annie Tarik, to let them know what was going on, as well. He didn’t want them to worry, either. His parents, who lived in Alpine, California, were relieved to hear from him, and they immediately said they would pray for Khat. Prayers were always good in Mike’s world, and