Chapter 31

31

SARAH

I woke up disoriented in a strange hotel room. For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was. Then the headache hit me, a sharp reminder of the previous night's events. Images of Rolley beaten and bruised flooded my mind. Then I remembered calling Dean.

And of course, how could I forget the sex? My body was still humming after the way he kissed away all my bruises and aches. Being in his arms had been amazing. When I called him, I had no intention of anything happening. It just felt right. He was the one person I thought of when I was at my lowest.

My thoughts drifted back to Rolley. I knew I had to see him. I tried to sit up too quickly, and my head spun.

"Ow," I groaned and rubbed my head.

Suddenly, Dean was beside me, his hand on my shoulder, gently guiding me back down. "Easy," he murmured, offering me a bottle of water and some ibuprofen. I took them gratefully, swallowing the pills and gulping down the water.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Seven," he answered.

"Seven!" I gasped. "I have to get back!"

Dean handed me a breakfast sandwich and coffee. "Eat," he said firmly. "You need it."

"I don't have time," I said, suddenly feeling panicked.

"You're not training today. Everything else can wait. Eat. Drink some water. You're going to need all of your strength to get through today."

He was right. Today would determine my future. I had a feeling what I envisioned for my future was going to look a lot different than what it looked like yesterday morning.

I scarfed down the food, feeling slightly more human with each bite. "Thanks," I mumbled between mouthfuls. "Have you talked with my dad?"

He shook his head. "No. Should I have?"

"Definitely not," I replied. "I'm sure he's going to find out soon enough. I'd like to spare myself that drama as long as possible."

"I've already been out," Dean said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Submitted a report about what happened last night."

I nodded, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Okay. I'm sure I'll have to answer a lot of questions as well."

"And I checked in on Rolley," he added, knowing that was my next question. "Kylee was with him. He was awake and in good spirits."

A sigh of relief escaped me. "Thank God."

"But." He stopped.

"What?" I asked. "What's wrong? Is he okay?"

"He's fine, but they both wanted to know what I was doing there."

I searched his eyes, suddenly anxious. "What did you tell them?"

"That I'd heard about what happened and came to make sure nobody got away with it. I don't know if they believed me, but we have to do some damage control now."

"Damage control?" I repeated.

"Yeah, me here. You here."

I looked around the hotel room. "You're saying I shouldn't be here."

"No, you shouldn't," he answered quietly. "Neither of us should be."

I nodded, understanding the implications. "I need to see Rolley anyway."

"Then move quickly," Dean advised. "Officers will likely head to the med bay around eight or nine to get a report on what happened. They'll want to talk to you."

I bit my lip. "Will I be in trouble?"

"Maybe," he admitted. "You might get a punishment assignment, but it's better than being kicked out. Take whatever comes and move forward. Consider yourself lucky."

I nodded, appreciating his honesty. "I do. I am."

"I expected you to push back on that one," he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"Not this time," I replied, shrugging. "I know I'm in trouble. I might have done it for the right reasons, but that doesn't change the fact it happened. I just hope I'm not the only one that gets in trouble. Not Rolley and Kylee. They didn't do anything wrong. Rolley was only trying to keep me from getting my ass kicked. It was those other assholes."

"Just be honest," he said. "Tell your side of the story. Keep it to the facts. Try not to refer to them as assholes. You know their names. Use them. Be specific about who did what. Make it clear you were not the aggressor. Ultimately, you will still be held accountable, but if it is understood it wasn't you starting trouble, you might be able to help yourself."

"I will," I said. "Honesty is the best policy."

Dean stood up, heading toward the door. "I'll make myself scarce so you can get ready. Then I'll get you back to base."

As he reached the door, I called out, "Dean?"

He turned back to me. "Yes?"

"Thank you," I said softly.

He nodded, and with one last look, he left the room. I sat there for a moment, gathering my thoughts. Then I got up, ready to face whatever was coming. I dressed in the sweats and T-shirt I had been wearing before the altercation started. There were some bloodstains on my shirt. They weren't mine. They were either from Rolley or the guy that ended up with the broken nose.

I did my best to make myself look presentable. I wasn't sure how this would go. Would I be put in front of a formal hearing or just asked to give a statement? I couldn't worry about that. Worrying didn't change anything.

Dean was waiting for me when I exited the bathroom. "Ready?" he asked.

I sighed. "As I'll ever be."

We drove back to the base.

"Are you okay?" he asked when we got there.

"I will be," I assured him. "Are you flying back?"

"Yes. My flight leaves in an hour. I'm hoping I can get back without too many people realizing I left."

"I'm really sorry if I got you into any trouble," I said.

"I'll be fine." He smiled. "Good luck. I'll see you back in Columbus."

I longed to kiss him, but no way was I pushing that boundary with so many witnesses. I climbed out of the car and waved goodbye. He drove away without another look. I knew I had put him in a compromising position. I seemed to be on a roll getting everyone tangled up in my disaster.

I walked into the med bay and found Rolley in his bed, looking much better than he had last night. Kylee was sitting beside him, holding his hand. Her face lit up when she saw me.

"Sarah!" she exclaimed, rushing over to hug me. "How are you?"

"Bruised but okay," I replied, glancing at Rolley. "How are you?"

"Been better," Rolley said with a wry smile. "But thanks to you, I'm still here."

I squeezed his hand gently. "I'm so sorry, Rolley. I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

"Don't apologize," he said firmly. "You did the right thing."

Kylee nodded in agreement. "We're all proud of you, Sarah."

"I don't know if pride is going to get me very far," I muttered. "I'll make sure your names are cleared. Rolley, you were only trying to protect me. Kylee, you left before it really popped off, right?"

She grimaced. "I didn't fight. I saw the way things were going and knew we needed help. Hoffman was knocked out and you two were outnumbered. Those guys were assholes."

I sighed. "I know, but let's not refer to them as assholes, okay? We have to stay professional and focused on the facts. I'll tell them that you were trying to help and left when it got too intense. I appreciate your help, Kylee."

"Of course," she said. "Just promise me you won't get yourself into any more trouble."

I smiled weakly. "I'll try, but I can't guarantee anything." I turned my attention back to Rolley. "Are you sure you're okay? You look better but last night you scared the hell out of me."

"I'll be fine," he assured me. "Thanks to you, we've got a lot more information now. Just make sure to stick to the facts when you talk to the higher-ups, okay?"

I nodded solemnly. "I'll do my best. Thank you both for standing by me. I'm really grateful. I am so sorry I got you guys into this at all."

Kylee squeezed my hand. "We've got your back, Sarah. Always."

"Have you guys seen Hoffman?"

Kylee pointed down the row to a curtained area. "He was meeting with a couple of officers earlier," she whispered.

"Is he okay?" I asked.

Rolley nodded. "He's good. I talked to him this morning at the crack of dawn. He's roughed up but he's okay. He wanted me to tell you thank you. He knows it could have been a lot worse."

"And the others?" I asked.

Rolley grinned. "You broke one dude's nose."

"The guy with the crewcut." I nodded. "He tried to hit me with that stupid water pitcher. I didn't have a choice."

"I know," Rolley said. "He deserved worse."

"I'll talk to him later," I said, determined to make things right.

"I wouldn't do that," he said. "I don't think he is interested in an apology. Not yet. Thankfully, we won't have to be around him again unless we somehow end up at another base with him."

"I don't see how he can remain in the program," I said. "How many times has he done this? He's a bully. His little merry band of misfits are all criminals. I hope they get thrown in the fucking brig."

Just then, the door opened, and two officers walked in. They approached us with stern looks on their faces. My stomach knotted with nerves. I wasn't sure if they were here for me or Rolley. I got to my feet, prepared to take my punishment.

"Sarah Thomas," one of them addressed me.

"Yes, sir."

"You'll need to come with us," he said. "We need to speak with you about last night's incident."

I took a deep breath, reminding myself of Dean's advice. "Of course, sir."

As I followed the officers, dread gripped me. I had to stay calm and focused during this conversation. I also had to make sure my friends were still okay and that they knew I was doing everything in my power to protect them. In the back of my mind, I wondered what my father was going to do when he found out about the situation. If I did get kicked out, he was going to be furious. I was probably going to be disowned. I didn't know how to do life without the Air Force.

In a small office, they closed the door behind us and took their seats. I stood there, waiting for them to speak.

Finally, one of the officers began. "We understand that you were involved in an altercation last night. Have a seat."

I sat down, feeling a little nervous. I wished I would have been dressed in my uniform. Wearing the evidence of the fight was not the way I wanted this meeting to start.

"Yes, sir," I started, taking a deep breath. "That is correct. I was involved in an altercation last night. I'd like to clarify that it was not my intention to instigate the fight but to defend myself and my friends against three individuals who were harassing another airman."

"We are aware of the situation," the officer replied, leaning forward in his chair. "However, we need to know the details of what happened. Can you provide us with a full account of the incident?"

I recounted the events of the night, from the first indicator there was something wrong to being dragged out of the room.

All I could hope was that they believed me.