thought her descent into the ring of
fire must have scared him, too.
“Where do you need me?” she asked.
He gestured to a group of people who appeared
to be injured. He said, “They haven’t been examined. Supplies are in the
middle.” And then he walked away without another word.
It was a bloody mess. Claire and Sergeant Bing
worked hard to triage everybody and treat the critically injured as best they
could. Then they left the less serious injuries to crawl through the wrecked
train and search for other casualties. She could see that getting in front of
him made him angry, so she tried not to do that. They were both burned as they
rescued six more people, including two with critical injuries.
Two civilian fire department helicopters
arrived during the night. Four paramedics and their equipment were lowered. One
broke his right ankle when he landed.
▼
Rescuers arrived by train at dawn and cleared a
path through the still smoldering wreckage.
David was on the train. He found Claire holding
a little boy who was wearing her jacket and had a splint on his left leg.
Though both of them were wrapped in a blanket, she was shivering in the below
freezing cold, smeared with soot, and wearing bandages on her burns.
▼
Claire and Sergeant Bing wound up in adjacent
beds, separated only by a curtain in a small town hospital’s crowded ward.
David was sitting in a chair and had his head
on her bed. He and Claire were holding hands and dozing when the curtains were
pulled back. Her commanding officer congratulated her and Bing for a job well
done.
She said, “Sir, I would like to report Sergeant
Bing.”
The colonel’s expression turned serious.
“Report?”
Claire glanced at the other bed. A shocked
expression was on the sergeant’s face. “Sorry sir, wrong word,” she said. “I
would like to commend Sergeant Bing and recommend him for a Distinguished
Flying Cross.”
She grinned at Bing, and he laughed.
▼
On the Monday before Thanksgiving, Claire and
David received orders transferring them to NASA and giving them leave over the
Christmas holidays. They attended two parties before they left: One was a going
away party given for them at the Officers Club. Claire was delighted to receive
a pair of Air Force blue bunny slippers as a going away present. The second
party was given by Claire and David in a rented motel ballroom near the base.
She put a sign with big letters on the door, “The Low-Man’s Club.” They invited
friends, Sergeant Bing, and the crew of the helicopter on the night of the
fire. The dress code was civilian casual.
At the party, Bing gave Claire a maroon beret
with a Pararescue Flash. With tears in her eyes, she hugged him. His eyes went
wide with shock, and he held his arms away and straight.
“Hug her,” David said. “You saved her from a
broken neck or worse. You’re entitled.”
The big Sergeant lifted the Captain off her
feet. When he put her down, she knew she had been hugged, and they were both
smiling.
Chapter 14
On Monday, January 4, 2048, Claire and David
were seated at a table with two other couples in the NASA Space Center in
Houston. A man standing at the front of the room and facing them said, “Good
morning. I’m your instructor and immediate supervisor. During the next thirty months, we’ll become family, so our
first order of business is introductions. To you, my name is Jim. If anybody
needs to know, my last name is Baldwin.
“On my left is Eagle Flight: Air Force Major Leah
Taylor and Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Taylor. Leah was a fighter pilot, and
Matt was a senior flight surgeon. I say was because now you are all NASA
astronauts in training and members of Team Thunder.
“In front of me is Wolf Flight: Navy Lieutenant
Commander Susan Wolf and Dr. Paul Wolf. Susan
fire must have scared him, too.
“Where do you need me?” she asked.
He gestured to a group of people who appeared
to be injured. He said, “They haven’t been examined. Supplies are in the
middle.” And then he walked away without another word.
It was a bloody mess. Claire and Sergeant Bing
worked hard to triage everybody and treat the critically injured as best they
could. Then they left the less serious injuries to crawl through the wrecked
train and search for other casualties. She could see that getting in front of
him made him angry, so she tried not to do that. They were both burned as they
rescued six more people, including two with critical injuries.
Two civilian fire department helicopters
arrived during the night. Four paramedics and their equipment were lowered. One
broke his right ankle when he landed.
▼
Rescuers arrived by train at dawn and cleared a
path through the still smoldering wreckage.
David was on the train. He found Claire holding
a little boy who was wearing her jacket and had a splint on his left leg.
Though both of them were wrapped in a blanket, she was shivering in the below
freezing cold, smeared with soot, and wearing bandages on her burns.
▼
Claire and Sergeant Bing wound up in adjacent
beds, separated only by a curtain in a small town hospital’s crowded ward.
David was sitting in a chair and had his head
on her bed. He and Claire were holding hands and dozing when the curtains were
pulled back. Her commanding officer congratulated her and Bing for a job well
done.
She said, “Sir, I would like to report Sergeant
Bing.”
The colonel’s expression turned serious.
“Report?”
Claire glanced at the other bed. A shocked
expression was on the sergeant’s face. “Sorry sir, wrong word,” she said. “I
would like to commend Sergeant Bing and recommend him for a Distinguished
Flying Cross.”
She grinned at Bing, and he laughed.
▼
On the Monday before Thanksgiving, Claire and
David received orders transferring them to NASA and giving them leave over the
Christmas holidays. They attended two parties before they left: One was a going
away party given for them at the Officers Club. Claire was delighted to receive
a pair of Air Force blue bunny slippers as a going away present. The second
party was given by Claire and David in a rented motel ballroom near the base.
She put a sign with big letters on the door, “The Low-Man’s Club.” They invited
friends, Sergeant Bing, and the crew of the helicopter on the night of the
fire. The dress code was civilian casual.
At the party, Bing gave Claire a maroon beret
with a Pararescue Flash. With tears in her eyes, she hugged him. His eyes went
wide with shock, and he held his arms away and straight.
“Hug her,” David said. “You saved her from a
broken neck or worse. You’re entitled.”
The big Sergeant lifted the Captain off her
feet. When he put her down, she knew she had been hugged, and they were both
smiling.
Chapter 14
On Monday, January 4, 2048, Claire and David
were seated at a table with two other couples in the NASA Space Center in
Houston. A man standing at the front of the room and facing them said, “Good
morning. I’m your instructor and immediate supervisor. During the next thirty months, we’ll become family, so our
first order of business is introductions. To you, my name is Jim. If anybody
needs to know, my last name is Baldwin.
“On my left is Eagle Flight: Air Force Major Leah
Taylor and Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Taylor. Leah was a fighter pilot, and
Matt was a senior flight surgeon. I say was because now you are all NASA
astronauts in training and members of Team Thunder.
“In front of me is Wolf Flight: Navy Lieutenant
Commander Susan Wolf and Dr. Paul Wolf. Susan
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