“She wouldn’t wake up,” Lydia said. “The doctor was very concerned. I left when they started to undress her. It was women doing it. The doctor promised there would be women present at all times, but I had to leave. She was very hot and she moaned but she wouldn’t wake up.”
“She had a lot of painkiller in her,” Mike pointed out. “It hits some people that way. She’ll be fine.” As long as they don’t screw up the anesthetic from her having Loritab in her. Or bungle the operation. As long as the appendix hasn’t burst already and she doesn’t die from peritonitis. Bad thoughts that he set aside.
“Will it be very long?” Lydia asked.
“Probably not,” Mike said. “Pulling an appendix is a very straightforward operation. In fact, a doctor once did it to himself.”
“How?” Lydia asked. “And why?”
“Traffic in Cairo is very bad,” Mike said. “The doctor knew he had a swollen appendix and was going to the hospital but he got caught in a very bad traffic jam. So he removed it himself and then drove to the hospital. Now, I don’t know that I’d want to do that, it would probably hurt like hell, but it has been done. So, you see, it’s very straightforward.”
“The Fathers will be very angry,” Lydia said, looking at the floor. Mike desperately wanted to hug her, hell, he wanted to screw her, but he refrained.
“Because this puts the Family in debt?” Mike asked. “Or because I screwed up and didn’t bring a chaperone?”
“Both,” Lydia admitted.
“Well, on the debt thing, I warned them,” Mike said. “I should have brought Father Kulcyanov in earlier, so we can get his heart checked. He’s got a case of congestive heart failure if I’ve ever seen one. And as for the other, they can kiss my ass. If they’re that worked up about it, I’ll sell the land back to the bank at a loss and go find some other insular society to bug. And then they won’t be able to throw their hands up in despair and say ‘The Kildar!’ ” Mike finished, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
Lydia smiled at that and ducked her head.
“You are very funny, Kildar,” she said, looking up after a moment. “And very kind.”
“I’m just trying to get you in bed,” Mike said, then clapped his hand over his mouth. “Sorry, sometimes things like that just slip out.”
“I am promised,” Lydia said, primly. “To Oleg.”
“Well, Christ, now I’m in trouble,” Mike replied, thinking of the massive Keldara. “He’s gonna break me in half!”
“He will not,” Lydia said, patting him on the arm in comfort. “He likes you. He wants to be a leader in the militia.”
“Well, I’m gonna see you two married if it’s the last thing I do,” Mike replied. “And with a passel of kiddies. See if I don’t.”
“Perhaps in summer,” Lydia said, shaking her head, sadly. “There are problems.”
“We’ll work them out,” Mike promised. “One way or another.” He looked up as the doctor came in the room, still stripping off his gloves, which were spattered with blood.
“It is good,” Dr. Platov said, nodding. “It was an inflamed appendix, yes, very bad. But it had not burst. She should be well. There is no infection of the bowel. Peritonitis, yes? None of that.”
“Good,” Mike said, more relieved than he was willing to admit. “Thank you, Doctor.”
“She will stay here overnight for observation,” Platov said. “Then can be moved tomorrow, perhaps tomorrow afternoon. I have placed her on what we call a priority regimen,” he added, smiling ironically. “This will increase the cost, it uses German medicines instead of Russian, but you can be sure the bottles have drugs in them and not distilled water.”
“I can afford it,” Mike said. “When can we see her?”
“She is in recovery and it is well after visiting hours,” the doctor said, yawning. “I would suggest that you find a room in town. Come back tomorrow not before eight. She should be awake by then.”
“We’ll see her tomorrow, then,” Mike said, standing up. “I’m unsure of the customs and I hope this is not an insult. Is a gift in order? For a life?”
“Always,” Platov said, nodding. “Make sure she is not sold to town by the damned Keldara. I did not work on her as hard as I did for her to be a whore. But if you are talking about money, no.”
“Kildar, this is too much,” Lydia said when they were shown to the suite. It really wasn’t much from Mike’s point of view. A small living room and kitchenette with bedrooms on either side. The furniture was 1970s chic. It looked freshly made, which meant some designer somewhere needed to have their head examined.
“Don’t worry about it,” Mike said, yawning. It had been a long day. “Genadi?” he called.
“In here,” Genadi said from the left-hand room. He popped his head out and grinned. “I’d missed television.”
“The boobtube will rot your brain,” Mike said. “But I wonder if they get ESPN? I might be able to catch a game.” He thought about the time of year and shrugged. “Never mind, the Superbowl’s even over. Lydia, you get that one,” Mike continued, pointing to the right-hand bedroom. “I’m sure the door locks. Lock it. There will be a bathroom and all that. Get cleaned up, long day tomorrow. Then get some sleep. We’ll be getting up in about…” He glanced at his watch and blanched. “Two hours. So get some sleep fast.”
Mike was sitting on a chair down the hall from Irina’s room when the Ambassador Wilson entered the corridor, followed by a couple of functionaries including one of the hospital administrators.
“Hi, Mike,” the ambassador said, sitting down next to him. “Really, Administrator, I’m just here to talk to my friend.”
“If there’s anything we can do for you, Mr. Ambassador…” the administrator said.
“Not a thing I can think of,” the ambassador answered, smiling. “I’m just going to talk to Mike for a bit and then head back to the embassy.”
“If you need anything,” the administrator said, “have one of the nurses call me. If there are any problems at all…”
“I will,” Wilson said, smiling. “We’ll be fine.”
When the administrator had left, Wilson looked over at the former SEAL.
“So, any problems you need fixed?” he asked, chuckling.
“Why do the words ‘follow the money’ come to mind?” Mike asked.
“Because we dumped about six million dollars into this place three years ago,” Wilson replied. “Most of it went down the usual corruption rathole, but some of it stuck. The surgical suite your friend was fixed up in for example. And we’ve got an ongoing cross-training program for doctors. They like us very much, yes?”
“Yes,” Mike said, smiling faintly.
“So, how’s the Keldara militia going?” Wilson asked.
“Slowly,” Mike admitted. “I’ve got the equipment. I’m waiting on the trainers. Time.”
“Napoleon,” Wilson replied. “ ’Ask me for anything but time.’ Did you really beat up a guard?”
“Took away his peashooter,” Mike admitted. “And, okay, lifted him up by his collar. I didn’t hit him, though.”
“All good,” Wilson said. “Spreads the myth of the American. In general it’s a problem, but in places it’s quite useful. You should have tipped the policemen, though.”
“Arrange it and bill me,” Mike said, tiredly.
“And the president wants to meet you,” the ambassador added.
“Just what I need,” the former SEAL said with a groan. “Georgia’s I take it?”
“Svasikili,” Wilson agreed, nodding.