Another new character is introduced. I see Demi Moore, circa the GI Jane period, as Tammy Ford.
Tammy will be a major player in the storyline.
Sorry for the spoiler...
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Confirming Carter Book One Chapter Two
Day Two
Interior-Dr. Andi Samuels Office
0840 Hours
Carter woke up the next morning feeling better than she had in years. She sat up in the bed, looking around. She was still in Andi's bed, alone this time, but she smelled coffee, and knew someone was in the suite with her.
Swinging her feet over the side of the bed, she stood up, stretched her arms over her head, then bent over at the waist, touching her palms flat on the floor. She raised up slowly, then repeated the move.
"Okay, that's weird." She said to herself. "I wasn't limber enough to do that yesterday."
She stepped over to the mirror, and ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing it up, then finger combed it out into her usual shag. Leaning in, she looked at herself closely in the mirror. She thought she could see subtle changes in her skin. Nothing major, just that the crows feet around her eyes didn't appear as prominent.
The smell of coffee in the air got her attention again, and she followed it out into Andi's office. Jennifer and Andi were sitting at the breakfast bar, both of them looking tired and worn.
"Morning girls!" Carter said brightly, as she walked into the kitchen. "How'd you two sleep? I went out like a light...and damn, I feel great!" She leaned across the counter, puckering her lips and making kissing noises. "Give us kiss! Mwwwwahh!" she said, then turned and looked around the kitchen.
She picked up the coffee pot, poured a cup, and took a sip. She made a face, and poured in a dollop of milk, then added a spoonful of sugar. Stirring it a little, she took another sip, and grimaced at the taste. She added three more spoons of sugar, and tasted it again. "Ahhhh, that's better." She muttered as she turned and looked at the two doctors. "Okay, what's the plan fo...What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You just put four spoonsful of sugar in your coffee." Jennifer said slowly. "You usually don't use sugar. Or milk."
"Yeah, I know." Carter said lightly. "I just got a taste for something sweet this morning." She turned and opened the freezer door and looked inside. "You got any ice cream in here?" She said over her shoulder to Andi as she poked around.
"No, I need to get some from the commissary. Sorry."
"That's okay. Would one of you call down to the mess and ask them to send up a couple quarts? French vanilla and chocolate ripple would be great!" She turned and looked at the other women. "Wanna see something kewl?" She asked. Taking a couple steps back, she put her feet together, bent over at the waist, and touched her palms to the floor again. She held the position for a few seconds, then stood up, throwing her hands out like a gymnast nailing a perfect ten landing. "Tada! I couldn't do that yesterday."
"Come out here. Colonel. We need to take a look at you." Keller said. She slid off her stool and picked up her medical kit from the floor.
Carter came around the corner and stood in the center of the room. "Before you do anything else, Jenn, Do you have a light? Like a flashlight, or something you can light up my skin with? I thought I saw something, and I just wanna make sure."
"Sure, I have this small one in my bag." Keller said, digging around for a minute, then holding up a penlight. "Will this do?"
"Beats the hell outta me," Carter giggled. "You're the one that's gonna be using it. Come over here and look at my face, especially around the eyes, and the corners of my mouth."
"Your speech pattern is different." Samuels said softly. "It's more colloquial than usual. You tend to be more formal, even in informal settings. And you're using slang and contractions, where you normally tend to use proper English."
"And that's a bad thing, how?" Carter asked, pulling a stool out from the bar and spinning it around. She hopped up on it, and tipped her head back as Jennifer moved in front of her.
"I didn't say it was a bad thing. I just pointed out that it was different." Andi said lightly. "But it might be something we need to watch. Personality changes could be a problem."
"Good point." Sam said, nodding slowly. "Okay, Jenn. Look at the crows feet around my eyes, and the laugh lines around my mouth, and tell me if you can see any changes."
Jennifer shined the light over Sam's skin, leaning in to examine it closely. "I think you're right, Colonel. The skin around your eyes appears tighter." She reached up and ran her fingertips lightly around the corner of Carter's eye, then stretched the skin slightly, and released it. "The skin feels softer and more supple too. You haven't applied any lotions, creams, or anything like that this morning have you?"
"Nope, I fluffed up my hair a bit before I came out, but that's it." She looked back and forth between the two doctors. "Hey, can we hurry this up, or can we wait till after I hop in the shower? I'd like to freshen up a little, if you know what I mean." She gave Keller an exaggerated stage wink.
"I don't see any reason why not." Keller said, stepping over to her medical bag. She pulled several items out and sat them on the counter. "But I want a blood sample first." She pushed Carter's sleeve up, and tied a rubber strap around her upper arm. Tapping the inside of her elbow, she found a vein, and picked up the syringe, easing it into her arm. When she was satisfied it was seated properly, she pressed the vial up, and watched it fill with blood. She removed the first vial, and quickly filled two more.
"You didn't swab that." Carter said as she watched her mark the vials and put them in her bag.
"Waste of time, this is better." Keller said offhandedly as she sprayed an antiseptic on the puncture as she removed the syringe and sat it on the counter. She held a piece of gauze over the wound for a moment, then put a drop of clear gel on it. She waved her hand over it for a few seconds, then poked it with her finger. "NuSkin. Better than band-aids for small wounds. waterproof too."
Reaching into her bag again, she pulled out two small plastic sample cups. "Spit." She said, holding one under Carter's mouth. Sam spit in the cup, and Keller put the lid on and marked it. She held the other cup out. "I want a urine sample too."
"Excellent, cuz I really gotta go!" Carter said, hopping off the stool and whipping the gown off over her head, dropping it on the floor. She grabbed the cup out of Keller's hand, and skipped down the hall toward the bathroom, disappearing inside. Her head reappeared a moment later. "Either of you wanna come with? Might be fun!" Her voice came down the hall, echoing from the confined space of the bathroom. "And I haven't heard anyone order any ice cream yet. Hellllooohhh?"
"I'm going to join her." Andi said, unbuttoning her top as she went. "She needs someone to observe her, and to make sure she's okay." She stopped, and looked at Jennifer. "Why don't you order that ice cream, and three breakfast trays, then come join us. There's plenty of room for three."
"I...wha...you can't..." Jennifer sputtered as she watched Samuels drop her pajama top to the floor as she turned into the bathroom door. She stopped, staring after her, then went over to Andi's desk and paged the mess on her comm.
"Mess hall, Sgt. Stevens." came a response after a moment. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, this is Dr. Keller. I need some food delivered to Dr. Samuels quarters. We're working with Col. Carter today, and won't be able to come down to eat."
"Yes, maam. What would you like?"
"Let's see, How about half a dozen eggs, half scrambled, half scrambled with cheese, six strips of bacon, six sausages, six biscuits, and six pieces of toast, don't butter it, but send butter up with it. Oh, and hashbrowns, or fried potatoes, whichever you have. Both if you have both."
"What kind of sausage? We have links, patties, and smoked."
"Six of each then, and gravy. Do you have any gravy today? If you do, send up a pint."
"Yes maam. Is there anything else?"
"Ice cream. We need two quarts of french vanilla, two chocolate ripple, one strawberry, and one rocky road. Can you read all that back to me?"