A Raven Comes Calling

The Lieutenant

The next day was both better and worse. The pain in Anna's head had lessened to a dull thud, even after the doctor had come in and removed the gauze to check the damage. That had been an event she could have gone the rest of her life without living through, but what was done was done. At least he was sure the threat of infection had passed, and she was healing well.

Once he was gone, the nurses tried to get her to sleep more, but she could not stay in bed. Despite their protests, she finally managed to convince them that she needed to get clean more than she needed to sleep. They did not have showers available, but they were able to help provide her with a bath. It was better than nothing.

The only problem she had was trying to keep the water off her face. She had been told to not allow it to soak her eye. She was given a patch, but it was only somewhat helpful when she washed her hair. She tried not to think about what else would be affected by her carelessness while she put on a clean hospital gown. Not that she wanted to wear one, but it was the only option for the moment.

When she was finally back in her room, she was restless. She felt less gross, yes, but had too much on her mind to settle, no matter how many times she was reprimanded. Every time the nurses came in, they found her near the window instead of in bed.

It was afternoon when the door opened once again, and Anna turned with a sigh. She was getting ready to defend her need to get out of the hospital when she froze at the sight of a new but recognizable person. The woman gave her a small smile as she entered and closed the door.

"Hello, I am Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

Anna knew she had been staring, so she shook off her shock and walked to shake the other woman's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Anna Stephenson. Was there something else you needed?"

Riza shook her head. "Not at all. I was asked to check and see if there was anything else you might need, or if you might remember anything else. I was the one to find you, so I'm glad to see you are already up and around."

Anna unconsciously reached up and touched the patch that had taken the place of the gauze before she shook off thoughts of that night. She managed to return the smile. "Thank you. I appreciate the help. Honestly, I have already given the Colonel all the information I can remember, but I am ready to get out of here. I'm not sure where I can go exactly, but I'm going stir-crazy."

The lieutenant smiled a little wider and held up a bag that had been behind her back. "Well, I can't say anything about when you can leave, but I was asked to bring this over. From what I heard, we doubted you would have clothes, so the Colonel asked me to bring something appropriate. I hope these fit."

Anna took the bag with a grin. That was the best thing she had heard all day. "Thank you! You have no idea how frustrating it is to only be able to wear this thing."

Riza chuckled as Anna disappeared behind a curtain for privacy. A few minutes later, Anna emerged wearing a plain pair of black pants and a light blue button-up shirt. It wasn't the most feminine thing she had ever worn, but she preferred it to a dress, and it was worlds better than the hospital gown.

She grinned at Riza. "Thank you! Seriously. And, just for the record, I'm glad you brought pants."

The lieutenant shook her head with a smile. "I hoped it would work well enough for now. I didn't have time to go shopping, and I thought we were close to the same size. You look a little taller, but not by much."

Anna looked down in shock and then back over. "These are yours?"

Riza nodded once. "I hardly have a chance to wear much more than my uniform, so don't worry about it for now. You can return them as soon as you have the chance to get something else."