“You’re in Maryland at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.” The man offered him a drink from a cup with a bent straw. “I’m Captain Murray, the doctor assigned to your recovery.”
Dave drank until the doctor dragged the cup away. He looked at him. “My wife?”
“I’m sorry, she didn’t make it.” The doctor laid a hand on his shoulder. “She died instantly if it’s of any comfort to you.”
“Comfort? Someone killed my wife. I need to be there making sure they treat her right. Get these wires off me.” Anger rolled off him. He wanted to punch something. The machines started going nuts and Murray pulled a syringe from a drawer. Dave glared at him. “Don’t stick me with anything, or I’ll break your neck.”
“I’ll call for help if you don’t calm down.” Murray’s expression filled with compassion. “I know what you are and your unique abilities. Use them now to control your anger. Pushing your blood pressure too high at this stage of recovery could cause a stroke.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Dave glared at him. “We’ve never met.” With effort, he smothered the grief threatening to destroy him. The military wouldn’t give him time to mourn his wife, so for now he’d become the machine they’d created. He dropped so deep into the zone that his low heart rate set off a warning on the monitor.
“I’ve never seen that before. That’s impressive. I have clearance, so you can speak freely with me.” Murray had taken a step back, his fingers still clinging to a loaded syringe.
Dave frowned. “Do you now, Captain. Then you’ll know, I only speak to Terabyte. What time is it?”
“Midday.” The doctor dropped the needle on a tray and adjusted the drips running into him. “It’s November 7th. You’ve been in an induced coma for four months.”
Astonished, Dave blinked. “Explain.”
“The blast sent a piece of metal into your skull. In simple terms, we had to repair it with a metal plate. There was substantial brain swelling and we had to wait for it to subside. You’re not out of the woods yet. The fact you are coherent and speaking is a good sign but you may have to learn to walk again and even feed yourself. You have a long and hard road ahead of you, I’m afraid.”
Dave wiggled his toes and moved his legs. He touched his nose with each index finger and tried to sit up. Pain slammed through his head in waves of agony. Nausea hit him and he flopped back, gagging. After he gathered himself, he looked at Murray. “Seems to me everything is working fine apart from my head.”
“I’ll give you something for the nausea and then I’ll sit you up.” Murray pushed a needle into the drip line. “Seeing you move so well after lying so long flat on your back is a very positive sign. Unfortunately, the plate in your head will cause headaches and these will lessen as time goes by, but at first, like now, when you move you will experience, pain, dizzy spells, and nausea, which we can treat with drugs.” He smiled. “It’s really up to you now.”
As the back of the bed rose slowly, Dave gingerly touched his head. No bandages but he could feel how short they’d cut his hair, although it had grown back some over a lumpy scar over one ear. He looked at the doctor. “I need to speak to Terabyte. Can you arrange that?”
“Do you remember his number?” The doctor pulled a phone in a sealed box out of the drawer. He broke the seal and handed it to him. “I was instructed to do this in front of you.”
“Yeah, my memory is fine.” His stomach rumbled and he looked at the doctor. “Can I get something to eat?” He examined his arms and peered under the sheet. He’d lost half of his body mass. “I need protein.”
“Maybe some Jell-O to start.” Murray smiled. “Slow and easy is the best way to go.” He turned and left the room.
Dave punched in Terabyte’s number. It was good to hear his voice. He gave his code name and waited for a reply. The verification came through and the line secure. “I lost Annie. Have you found the bomber?”
“You sound lucid. How long since you woke up?”
Annoyed, Dave let out a long sigh. “Just before and my brain is working overtime. My body is a mess but I’ll be fine. Did you catch the damn bomber?”
“We have everyone on it. There are a few leads and I’ll update you as they eventuate.” Terabyte sighed. “I’m really sorry about Annie.”
Dave pulled out the drip to the saline and dropped it on the floor. The morphine he’d leave for just a bit longer. He needed to talk about Annie but his chest hurt so bad he couldn’t get the words out. After taking a few deep breaths, he composed himself. “Where is she?”
“Her father took care of everything. She is buried in the family plot beside you.”
Dave swallowed hard, thinking he’d misheard him. “Say again?”
“You heard me right. You’re officially dead. I went to the funeral and took a video. I know it sounds morbid but I figured you would’ve wanted to be there and this is the next best thing.” Terabyte paused a beat. “I know what pain you’re going through and it doesn’t get better but we can live with it. They say time heals, so put any ideas of self-harm out of your mind. It isn’t a solution. One day at a time is our motto, right?”
The pain at losing Annie was stuck just above his heart. He’d never forget her. He didn’t want to and would always remember their time together and the love they shared. Dave nodded and regretted it immediately. “Yeah, Annie wouldn’t like me to eat a bullet, so I guess you’re stuck with me, but my future isn’t so bright right now. A desk job at best, I figure.”
“Nah, you’re a valuable player, carrying national secrets. POTUS wants you protected and has planned a future for you. While you’re out of commission, you’ll get a new face, identity, and job if you want one, but not in DC.”
Trying hard to focus, Dave rubbed his aching head. “I don’t need a job or my old identity to access the funds in the offshore account. It’s by a
retina scanner via an app on my phone. If I still have a phone.”
“All that is already in motion. POTUS’s office will produce postdated documents to have everything in both your and Annie’s estates, including life insurance policies, moved into your offshore company. Once we establish your new identity, you’ll have a bank account fed by the company and a regular paycheck from Uncle Sam. Everything will be organized for you.”