Posted by Civilian Molly Holloway (CEO - Holloway Industries) in Attack at City Center - Sacred Heart - Calvin Harris (Tag Medical)

Posted by General Calvin Harris (Command General- Colonial Customs and Defence Authority) in Attack at City Center - Sacred Heart - Calvin Harris (Tag Medical)

Posted by Civilian Molly Holloway (CEO - Holloway Industries) in Attack at City Center - Sacred Heart - Calvin Harris (Tag Medical)
Posted by… suppressed (12) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The normally quiet afternoon at Sacred Heart erupted into chaos as word spread like wildfire through the building of a shuttle crash and massive explosions in City Center. Within minutes, an automated voice confirmed the rumor as a Code Green echoed through the building… the indication a Mass Casualty event had been reported and the Situation Status lights snapped to a bright green as personnel scrambled to ready the ER and Operation facilities.

Thankfully, through sheer dumb luck, the reported Mass Casualty event ended up with only two being emergency transported to the hospital… but the two victims in question created one hell of a stir! The Commander of OED’s Planetary Defense organization… the Colonial Customs & Defence Authority… General Calvin Harris, and the President of Holloway Heavy Industries, Lucas Holloway… had both been gravely injured when their shuttle had been, apparently, shot out of the sky in broad daylight. The craft had slammed into a storefront that had been unoccupied due to the tenant being on vacation. Within minutes of their arrival, the ER was stormed by CCDA troopers armed to the teeth and the building was completely surrounded by armored vehicles. While the CCDA folks made sure to stay out of the way and let the medical team work on two of OED’s most important citizens, those working to stabilize the far luckier General Harris… and those fighting to save the life of the man that had been the genius behind the incredible shield system that now provided a vast majority of OED with a breathable atmosphere for the first time in decades, went to work immediately.

The alarms and notifications came blaring through Sharah’s office. There was no current civilian head of medical services so that job fell to her as well. She didn’t mind, the extra work kept her busy and being busy helped manage the noise. Sharah was in the ER preparing for a massive influx when the ER was flooded with CCDA troopers. It didn’t take Sharah long to pick up the reason from the surface thoughts floating about, it was the panic and hysteria of the citizenry that was hard to cope with. Spotting someone who looked like the OIC of the parade the diminutive doctor hurried over, “You put whoever you need where ever you need to, but no one in the actual OR unless they have a medical degree. Nurse Temple will help you coordinate.” She pointed to a rather tall, older and rounding woman with intelligent eyes that was supervising the ER staff. Then Dr Fayth was gone to meet the first stretcher as it came in.

While Harris was pretty banged up, with both legs and his left arm broken… the arm was compound in two places and there was a lot of blood. He also had a concussion and appeared to be going into shock. Holloway, on the other hand, had struck his head hard in the crash. Both arms had multiple fractures and his right shoulder was dislocated. A flash burn appeared to cover about 15% of his left side, but most concerning was the gapping hole in the man’s right leg… and the fact the he was beginning to fall into Hypovolemic shock.

Holloway/Harris

The first was Harris and Sharah kind of sped walked with the team as they told her what she was already feeling. Her own bones seemed to ache and there was a moment of light headedness that told her faster than the medics could he was going into shock. “Temple! Medical file for General Calvin Harris. ER 2. Page Dr Eraras. Prep OR 3 incase he needs it.” Eraras was a Bolian and their best Orthopedic surgeon. “Get the bleeding stopped and pull a bag of whole blood for him.” Eraras appeared on the other side of Harris, “X-rays and set up the tissue migrator. 7 ccs of Improvoline to keep him resting with 75ccs of Terakine for the pain. Get his metabolic rate and give him Lectrazine for the shock.” Eraras and the nurses disappeared with Harris.

“Alright moving to the biobed in 3…2…1” and they lifted and slid Harris onto the biobed, and the nurse turned the biobed on. Grabbing surgical shears, Eraras started cutting away Harris’ clothing to get a better look at the breaks and determine if the blood was his or someone else’s. “Where’s the x-rays?” Eraras held out his hand, “Exo-scalpel. I need to get a better view of what’s going on with these breaks and we’ll need more room to set them right. Prep the Trilaser Connector to repair any nerve damage and the Vascular Regenerator. If this is his blood then we’ve got a nicked artery somewhere. Where’s his medical records?”

Harris’ medical records from LCARS were thorough and… colorful. Multiple healed injuries from litany of ‘adventures’ and notations of the former SFMC Colonel surviving intense & brutal interrogations while being held hostage by “Rouge Elements Unknown” under Classified Conditions. He had had multiple teeth knocked out and was beaten half to death, having been subjected to phaser burns… electrical shock… and attempted suffocation. He had been cleared to return to full, unrestricted duty five months after the event and had no noted lasting injuries but he was required by SF Medical to see a Counselor every month until his date of Separation from Service upon his acceptance of command of the CCDA last year. His new agency had insisted he continued treatment and he had without complaint.

Temple bustled in holding a plasma infusion unit and a couple bags of whole blood. “On your screen now Dr Eraras. He’s O+, I’ve got whole blood here for him. His medical records are about a mile long Dr.”

“Of course he does, he’s a decorated Marine. He’s got a lot more years in him, so let’s get to work.” Temple started prepping the infusion unit and another nurse pulled up the imaging scans and x-rays to the large display screen in the room.

Harris was fairly banged up. It was very obvious the former Marine had ping-ponged around inside the cabin of the from the time of the explosion to the time the shuttle slammed into the ground. His left arm was smashed with shards of bone throughout, looking as though that was the side he landed on during the actual crash. Broke in three places, two upper arm… closed breaks… and a compound fracture lower arm two and a half inches below the elbow, punctures to the inside of the arm. There was a secondary vein nicked but thanks to the hole in his forearm, the nick is visible and minor, a quick fix. Lower break was rather clean and would be involved more in healing the torn flesh than the bone once it was set. The two upper breaks were a different story. Both breaks were almost exactly 4 inches apart and outer bruising looked as though he had slammed into a support beam in the shuttle. It would require heavy regen to fix the shattered bones. He also had a nasty bruise on the left side of his head, likely received at the same time as his broken arm. Harris had gone into shock moments after being placed on the biobed and had shallow breathing. His broken legs were standard closed breaks, left femur 6 inches below hip and right shin… about halfway between knee & ankle. The blood on the General appeared to be mostly from his open wound on his arm. He was also free of shrapnel from the crash.

Eraras scanned over the images and nodded. “We’re going to be here for awhile. Get settled in people and turn on some of that Risan harp music. Vascular Regenerator,” and he held out his hand for Temple to place the device in his hand. “Temple set up Drechtal beams to sever the neural connections for his left arm and both legs. Let’s keep him from feeling any pain while we work. Then set the legs.” First order of business was to seal up that nick. He probed the puncture carefully and then turned the arm slightly for easier access. He cleaned the wound and then used the vascular regenerator to seal up the vein. Then he moved to the second puncture wound and cleaned it. A few minutes with the microsuture made sure the deep finer connections of tissue were stitched together, then “Autosuture” and the secondary nurse placed it in his hand to seal up the puncture wounds.

“Dr the drechtal beams are in place and the legs set.” Eraras moved down to the legs. “Let’s start the osteogenic stimulator to accelerate the bones to heal. Let’s start him on Bicaridine Treatments to help facilitate the progress of healing all these fractures. 7/10ths strenth. Take it slow. No need to rush here.” Temple nodded and set to work with the additional devices.

Where Eraras had used the exoxcalpel to open the wound further he could see the shattered bone in the arm, “Get me an extra osteogenic stimulator.” A medic ran out of the room and returned. Eraras kept an eye on the K3 Indicator on the biobed which would tell him how much pain Harris was feeling.

The medication took a little time but Harris’ condition stabilized, his breathing slowly returned to normal and General would be resting well within the hour.

Gen. Calvin Harris, CCDA

Once the meds kicked in he seemed to be fine. It was hours of work to run the osteogenic stimulators over all the bones. The arm took the longest as Eraras had to piece each fractured piece in place while the bone began to knit and then move on to the next piece. Harris would be on Metorapan Treatments (to help regenerate the bone around the fractures) for a week minimum. After the arm was done Eraras used the autosuture to close the wounds. Then sessions with the tissue migrator to heal the skin and deep tissue damage.

“Alright let’s look at his head now.” The pain medication Harris had been given earlier also contained an anti-inflammatory which should have helped with the swelling and he was being given blood and plasma as well as fluids. And fluids were essential to helping a concussion heal. He grabbed a handheld dermal regenerator and slowly moved it around the edges of the goose egg that had formed. Since Harris was not awake, Eraras erred on the side of caution in doing too much to the head wound. “Ice pack here 20 on 20 off.”

“Alright let’s get these Drechtal beams off,” he watched the K3 indicator but as feeling returned the medication seemed to be holding. “Temple let’s finish getting him cleaned up and in a gown. Then we’re going to move him to a private room. Someone go tell his body guards we’re moving.”

Harris was taken to a private, secure ICU room. Once he was settled, he was set up with a full session with the bioregenerative field which would continue healing the tissues and bones. Metorapan Treatments were scheduled for every 10 hours, with a resonance tissue scan every 12 to insure he wasn’t getting a post surgical infection. Corophyzine, an antibiotic, was administered to help prevent post surgical infections just in case.

Eraras stepped out of the room, Nurse Lyniat assigned to sit in the room with him. He looked around for the OIC of the guard and motioned him closer. “I’m Dr Eraras, I worked on General Harris. He’s stable for now.”

Fayth | Eraras

Sitting in a corner, Molly watched as the Doctor spoke to General Devri Hudson (the CCDA’s officer in charge), but before the woman had a chance to say anything back to Eraras, Holloway was on her feet, walking the short distance to the pair.

Glancing apologetically at Hudson for interrupting a conversation she was sure would be directed her way regardless, Molly shot a tired smile at Eraras.

“Doctor Eraras. I’m Molly Holloway, General Harris’s fiancée.” The words rolled off of her tongue as if they were nothing but natural even though it was the first time Molly was uttering them. They would, however, come as a surprise to Hudson. “How is he doing?” Her tone was measured and serious.

Molly had been one of the few people (and the only person present in the room at the moment) that had seen both Harris and Holloway at the crash site. In fact, she had been one of the helping hands on the scene. Having talked to Calvin in the few seconds he had been conscious had made her assume that there was not as much to worry about him as there would be with her uncle, who was very much still on the surgical table at the present time.

Molly Holloway, CEO Holloway Heavy Industries

Eraras was a normally jovial man, typical of his species. His normal joviality was tempered by the severity of the situation. “Ms Holloway. He is stable for the moment.” He held out his hand and then waived back toward a seat after stopping at the nurses desk. “I hope you will forgive me, but considering the circumstances safety of General Harris and Mr Holloway is of paramount concern.” He held a biometeric security scanner in his left hand. He placed his palm over it “Dr. Eraras, Tobin, Orthopedic surgeon, Sacred Heart Hospital, Oed V Colony. Bolian.”

“Oh, of course. I’m grateful to know that Sacred Heart is taking safety seriously.” Molly said with a soft smile. “It eases my mind and hopefully that of everyone here.” She looked around at several of the security officers present.

He held the scanner out for Holloway, and once confirmed he set the device aside. “General Harris is stable. He was given Improvoline, Terakine, and Lectrazine. When he arrived at the hospital he was in shock and had lost a lot of blood. He had a nicked secondary artery. We repaired that and he received two units of whole blood. He also had two broken legs and a broken arm. The breaks in his legs were fairly straight forward to fix. We set the bones and used the tissue migrator to repair the bone and muscle damage. His arm was more complicated. It was in shards, but we were able to heal it. He will receive Metorapan Treatments every 10 hours for at least a week, with a resonance tissue scan every 12 to check for post surgical infection. He is also getting Corophyzine, an antibiotic, as a precaution. Calcium and vitamin D infusions are being given to help with the bone regrowth. After that it will be physical therapy.”

Repeating Eraras gesture and placing her palm on the scanner, it identified “Captain Holloway, Molly Grace, Starfleet Command, Retired, Chief Executive Officer, Holloway Heavy Industries, OED V Colony. Human.”

Molly nodded as the doctor spoke, trying to follow everything she was being told. She wasn’t familiar with the medication names but she was sure the doctors knew way better than her what the best treatment would be. Broken legs, broken arm, it fitted with what she had thought. Molly winced slightly at the mention of his arm fracture but breathed out in relief when she was told that they had been able to fix it. Post surgery treatments for a week followed by physical therapy. Calvin was not going to like it, but Molly didn’t really care. He was going to do it.

“He also received a nasty bump to the head, and we’ve treated him for a possible concussion, but until he wakes up we won’t know how bad it is. Right now I’m predicting a severe headache, lightheadedness which will bother his equilibrium, and possibly some memory confusion or amnesia. That usually clears within a few days to a couple of weeks.” Eraras turned in his seat and glanced out the door.

Amnesia. The word hit like a ton of bricks, even if it was just temporary. Inside her, the knot that had been loosening with the conversation, now tightened back a little, but she could do nothing but wait and see when he woke up.

“Along with whatever protocols the CCDA requires, biometric confirmation of each person in and out of his room and Mr Holloway’s will be required, staff and visitors. You’ll be asked to pass through aseptic entry to ensure no contaminants get in the room.” Eraras glanced over at the dog with a flick of his eyes, “The dog may go as well as long as he can pass through the entry and will sit for a biomedical scan as well.” Eraras had no objection to pets or family visiting, as long as safety can be maintained. “I know it’s a lot to take in, I’m here to answer any questions you have, and then I can take you to see him.”

Eraras

“Of course.” Molly nodded as she was told the safety procedures for visitors. “Once again, thank you for taking General Harris’s and Mr. Holloway’s safety so seriously. I’ll make sure that everyone visiting knows the procedures. I’m sure no one will mind, including Boomer.” She gestured to the old black Labrador with a smile.

“I think you cleared most of the questions I had, Dr. Eraras. Thank you so much for making sure that Calvin returned home in one piece.” Molly smiled again gratefully. “Now, his daughter Alexis is also here. How many visitors are allowed in the room and for how long? And well, if it’s possible, me, Alexis, and Boomer would really like to go see him. So he can have a few familiar faces when he wakes up.”

Molly Holloway, CEO Holloway Heavy Industries

“ICU is limited to two visitors at a time under normal circumstances. Unless the CCDA feels the need to limit that, I don’t see why we should change it.” The jovial man patted her hand reassuringly. “I know it’s a lot Ms Holloway, but I’ve seen his medical record. He’s been through worse, and we’re going to make sure he gets through this too.” Eraras placed his hands on the arms of the chair and hoisted himself up. “If you and his daughter will come with me, I’ll take you to him.”

Molly smiled softly at the doctor’s reassurance. “Thank you, Doctor.” She said. She was genuinely grateful. “I know Calvin’s records… and I know he’s been through worse…” Molly was too familiar Calvin’s record. She had been involved in some of the events. “But it’s always hard… I really appreciate your words.”

As they left, Molly took a moment to wake up Ali in Room 104 so that she could see her father, and both women followed Eraras.

Inside the ICU room Harris was on the biobed with all the beeping and monitors set up. There was a soft shimmer around the bed as the bioregenerative field was working. “He’ll be asleep for awhile. When he wakes up he’ll be groggy simply from the amount of time he’s been out, as well as the physical trauma. But the longer he’s awake the more it will clear. You are welcome to hold his hand when the bioregenerative field is off. You don’t want your hand caught in it. This button here will call the nurse.” About that time an older human woman in nurses scrubs placed her hand on the scanner by the door. Her identification was read aloud inside the room and then she walked in. “Ah, Ms Holloway this is Nurse Temple. She’ll be here until shift change and will introduce you to the night nurse. She was with me during the surgery. She can answer any questions you have.”

Molly nodded as the doctor spoke, and then in acknowledgement of Nurse Temple.

Temple introduced herself to both women and even took the time to greet Boomer as well. “The couch pulls out and I can get a sleeper chair brought in if you need it. I’m here for all of you. You need food, answers, anything just let me know.”

Molly watched quietly as Nurse Temple greeted Boomer. A gently smile on her lips. It was not every day that one got to meet medical personnel as thoughtful as Sacred Heart’s seemed to be. She was glad that both Calvin and her uncle seemed to be in incredibly capable hands.

Eraras checked over Harris’ vitals and readings. “I’ll give you some space, but don’t hesitate to ask.” He left the room quietly.

Eraras | Temple

“I really can’t thank you enough, Doctor Eraras.” Molly said before the man left the room. “I really appreciate your time and patience. And I’m sure Calvin will too.”

After Eraras left, Molly walked up to Cal’s side, mindful not to touch the bioregenerative field. Her shoulders slumping slightly as she looked at him. Despite everything he seemed okay… peaceful even. Far better than other times she had spent by his bedside. She let out a breath in relief. The doctor was right. Cal had been through far worse, and he was going to get through this as well.

Looking around, Molly dragged the small chair in the corner of the room closer to the biobed, leaving the couch for Ali and Boomer.

Ali entered the room, Boomer close by her side, and openly sobbed when she saw her father. “Daddy!” She cried, Boomer nuzzling her stomach in support. The young officer walked trembling to the biobed, the bioregenerative field glowing softly. Placing a single hand on the control arch, Molly would hear the young woman say a quiet, brief, desperate prayer then silently walked to the couch. As Ali settled, her father’s faithful companion crawled into her lap… seeming almost as sad and frightened as the girl he had dutifully watched over for nearly ten years. Ali petted the old dog, held him… cried into his fur. Then, without a sound… her bloodshot eyes cut across the dimly lit room and in a broken voice spoke a single word. “Mom?”

At first Molly didn’t react, the word not correlating in her head. A few seconds passed until she realized there was no one else in the room but her and Ali, therefore, the young woman was talking to her.

When her eyes finally met Ali’s Molly smiled. “He’s going to be okay.”

Molly Holloway, CEO Holloway Heavy Industries

With a forced smile, Ali nodded. “Of… of course he… is.” Tears were flowing once more. “You’re here.”

A pang of sadness crossed Molly’s features before she looked at her feet, slightly shaking her head. Cal put a lot of faith on her, but she never understood why. And clearly now, that same faith was seeping onto Ali. But she definitely wasn’t the hero Cal many times seemed to make her out to be.

Looking back to Ali, Molly shook her head, this time more vigorously. “No Ali. Because we are here.”

Two Days Later

The transporter pad suddenly felt incredibly solid under his tactical boots. The smell of gunpowder and iron reeked from his body as Harris looked down at his shaking right hand, his 1911’s barrel still smoking and he was covered in blood splatter. The Marine looked to his left and right at the four people standing with him. The Security Chief and the JG next to him looked shaken but ok, the two Ensigns beside them had a thousand yard stare indicative of the violence of combat when one first experiences it. All were armed to the teeth and splattered in blood. Tapping his damp commbadge, Harris said flatly.

=A= Harris to the Bridge. You have thirty seconds to be as far from that ship as possible. We’re all back. Take us home Captain. Harris out.=A=

Turning to the Security Chief, Harris said with a slight nod. “Thanks Chief. Go get your folks cleaned up and…” He motioned to the two junior officers. “… get those two over to see the CNS. They’ve gotta work through what just happened. I’m going to Sickbay.” The Security Chief nodded as Harris turned for the door, patting each of the four person team, three males and a female, firmly the shoulder before walking slightly to the Dresden’s Sickbay.

Walking through the door into the chaos of injured, many in the room stopped and stared at their Commanding Officer in way they never had… in fear. The man was in Marine Tactical gear, a Mossberg Tac Shotgun across his chest… an H&K slung over his back and his 1911’s holster open. He also carried an empty 10-charge grenade belt and he was splattered head to toe in various shades of blood. A Nurse ran up to him in a panic. “Skipper… Jesus Christ! Are you OK?!” Harris was coming down off the adrenaline of the assault and just sighed. “None of its mine Nikki… where’s Holloway?” Looking visibly relieved but still shocked, the Nurse ushered Calvin into a small, private room with a biobed already hard at work on a woman with matted fiery red hair. “She’s in here Skip.”

She looked… terrible. Like she had been through hell. Walking to her, Calvin shed the remnants of the battle he had waged to both save her and set retribution on the monsters that did this to her. His shotgun and assault rifle, along with the grenade belt clattered to the floor and he slid the blood damp tactical blouse off before quietly settling into the chair beside her. Taking her hand in his, tears flowing freely in the privacy of the moment, Calvin Harris wept over the broken body of the woman he loved. He had gotten her back yet worried who the woman she would be when she woke up. He cried for what felt like days and was only taken out of his despair when the hand he was crying over softly slipped from under his head, then ran its fingers through his short cropped hair. Through fresh tears, Calvin looked up into Molly’s eyes and in that moment thanked God for bringing her back to him.

---

The bioregenerative field had been finished its last cycle about 10 minutes when the sensors on General Harris’ bed beeped softly, indicating the CCDA Commander was starting to wake up. Boomer’s head come up from where he had finally been allowed to settle on the foot of Harris’ bed. It had been thirty-five hours since the former Marine left the surgical suite and as he began to stir, those in the room with him would hear a single soft mantra being said over and over. “Molly… I’m so sorry… I’m so so sorry.”

Harris, CCDA

Molly looked away from the PaDD she was reading when the beeping started, Boomer’s sudden movement telling her that she hadn’t been the only one to hear it. And then Calvin spoke. Softly. At first, Molly didn’t understand what he was saying, but the repetitive nature of his words helped her brain make sense of them.

Moving her chair closer to the side of the biobed and making sure the bioregenerative field was done for the moment, Molly took one of Cal’s hands in hers, softly rubbing her thumb on the back of it.

With a soft kiss to his forehead, Molly whispered. “It’s okay Calvin. I’m here. You’re forgiven.” Holloway didn’t know what was that the former Marine was so sorry for, but she felt that, at present time, that was the best way to put his mind at ease.

Molly Holloway, CEO Holloway Heavy Industries

After a few more moments, Calvin Harris’ piercing blue eyes slowly opened… the dim light of the room causing the former Marine mild pain due to being closed for so long. As they focused, his eyes settled on Molly and he smiled softly, as if waking from a dream.

As Cal’s eyes met Molly’s, she breathed out in relief. He was awake. He was fine. He was going to be fine.

Then suddenly, the General flinched in alarm… his heart rate monitor noting the spike in his pulse. “Molls…?!” His eyes flashed down his body to Boomer, who had stirred as the CCDA boss awoke, then a look of near panic as Ali approached the bed. “Princess?” His voice was rough. “Why are you here, Baby?! Where am I?!” Ali touched his foot and was about to speak when Cal’s eyes flashed back to Molly. “Molly… where am I?” He asked, more focused and steady. “Why am I here?” Ali looked at Molly on the edge of panic herself, trembling in indecision as she and her father both looked to the woman.

Harris/Ali/Boomer

Memory confusion or amnesia. Doctor Eraras’s words echoed through Molly’s mind. Looking at the heart rate monitor as Calvin’s pulse spiked, Molly found herself staring at both father and daughter. Her own panicked gaze mirrored on theirs.

Squeezing Cal’s hand, Molly started as softly as she could, and yet her tone was far from steady. “You’re at Sacred Heart Hospital Calvin…” Should she tell him about the accident? Would he remember? Would that only make it worse for his heart rate? The questions zoomed through Molly’s mind at the speed of light. “… You were in a shuttle accident… but you’re okay now. You’re going to be okay.”

Taking a deep breath and looking expectantly at Cal, Molly hoped that her words would spark something to jog the former Marine’s memory of the accident back into the front of his mind.

Molly Holloway, CEO Holloway Heavy Industries

Harris looked shocked then, his eyes showed a calming clarity as he nodded in understanding. “Okay.” After a moment, Calvin reached for his daughter’s hand… squeezing it tightly as tears ran down the young woman’s face. “You’re okay Daddy… you’re gonna be… fine.” Ali said softly, the last word catching in her throat.

Cal’s ‘okay’ hadn’t been enough to convince Molly, but she didn’t press the subject.

Still holding Ali’s hand, Calvin’s blue eyes found Molly’s brown and a bit more strength returned to the tone of his voice. “Molls… how long was I… out?” Then the flash of panic hit full force and Calvin tried, but failed, to sit up… his body still too weak to lift his shoulders more than a few inches before he fell back into the bed with a frustrated sigh. Looking at Molly once again, Calvin said firmly… his own voice nearly at full strength. “Where the hell is Lucas?!”

Gen. Calvin Harris, CCDA/LTJG Alexis Harris, Starfleet

“Easy… easy…” Molly leaned forward placing a hand on Cal’s shoulder gently pushing him back down on the biobed. “You were out for about two and a half days… just take it easy and rest. The bioregenerative field will kick in a few times a day to help, so you’ll feel better in no time.” Molly smiled softly.

“Jesus…” Harris said breathlessly. “… I feel like I was hit by a truck.” Taking a few slow breaths, the former pilot reached up with his right hand and rubbed his face for a moment before insisting… his voice nearly to full strength. “Molly, honey, where is your uncle?”

At the mention of Lucas, Cal would see the blood drain from Molly’s face. Eyeing the Marine’s heart rate monitor that seemed to have gotten quieter, Molly didn’t want to upset Cal again in order to keep his heart stable. She pondered for a moment what the best approach was, as she was also aware that a refusal to give Cal an answer would only make matters worse.

“Uncle Luc is in the room on the other side of the hallway.” Molly motioned with her chin to the hospital room’s door. “He’s asleep.” However, knowing Molly as well as he did, Cal wouldn’t miss the pain in her eyes, telling him that, even though truthful, he hadn’t been told the full story.

Molly Holloway, CEO Holloway Heavy Industries

Cal knew Molly better than likely anyone he ever met and, because of that, he knew that the woman he loved more than anything in the universe was hurting… badly. Slowly, Harris took Molly’s hand in his and after a deep breath said as gently as he could. “Molly… you might have been any amazing Spook…” He smiled, a soft chuckle escaping him. “… but, you lie like a cheap rug… at least to me. Please, be honest…” There was a hurt in his eyes but also the strength the woman had grown to love and respect shining behind those dark blue eyes. “… how bad is Lucas? And how did I end up in this bed?”

After a moment, he smirked… adding. “You can either tell me…” He coughed slightly, still forcing his voice to near full strength. “… or I’ll order Devri to tell me. Your call my love.”

Calvin Harris, CCDA Commandant