Page 2 of Marshall

Calhoun showed up just as the other man was trying his best to get comfortable in the most uncomfortable chair she’d ever sat in.Laughing at him again, she told him that he’d be better off taking the other chair, that a man his size would need more room.He nodded and changed to the other chair.He told them what he’d run into.

“The chopper will be here until dusk.Not long from now, I suppose.”DJ, her other granddaughter, told Marshall that it was her sister’s ride back to Washington, D.C.It was the most convenient way to travel as she didn’t stay all that long when she was home to check on things.“She is here only to check up on grannie and myself.She had surgery just a week ago.Grannie is doing so much better.But I’msure that you don’t care about that.”

“I do care.I really do.I remember being told about that from Calhoun.He also told me that your sister is a general in the armed forces.That’s quite impressive as well.I, too, served time in the armed forces recently.”He smiled at her.“You look young and spry for someone that’s only just had their chest opened up.”Mitzy told him that she did feel good.Better than she had in some time.“Good for you.I’ve never had anything that had to be operated on.I’m a wolf shifter, the first of my kind, and I don’t let a lot of things get out of hand any more.”

“Calhoun here, he’s the king of bears.He brought his pretty little mate over a few days ago so that we could meet her.My goodness, the women of your family, I’m assuming that you’re a part of that, too.They sure are pretty little things.Not that I think I’d want to tangle with the lot of them.”He agreed with her.When MJ finally came back out of the house, both men stood up and saluted her.“You’re going to get on her bad side if you keep that up.She’s a bit touchy about how much she’ll tolerate from people anymore.”

“I know just how she feels.”Mitzy looked at the man, the wolf, and could see that while he looked young, only about in his mid to upper thirties, there was an old soul about him that made her think, like the king of vamps that he’d seen and done his fair share of living.And not always in a good way.After Calhoun sat down, Marshall just stared at MJ for several more minutes while she told her sister good bye.“General Brandon, might I ask where it is that you’re headed?”

“No, you may not.Sit down before I knock you down, dumb ass.I’m going home.To work some more.As much as I’d like to stay here for a little while longer, duty calls.”The low growl that came from Marshall had her rubbing her arms.Whatever he was doing, it was having an effect on MJ as well.“What do you want?You know what, I don’t care.I have shit to do, and it’s gotta be done tonight.”

MJ kissed her sister again, getting a hug then she hugged and kissed her as well.Keeping an eye on Marshall, she could see that he was none too happy with Calhoun getting a hug along with the rest of them.But he didn’t move from the chair he’d been sitting in.And it seemed to be costing him a great deal to just sit.

Once the chopper was in the air, taking off quickly from the field, she looked again at the wolf and asked him what was going on.When he shrugged at her, she wanted to knock him upside his head and tell him to use his words, but just as she was thinking about using her cane, Calhoun spoke.

“Marshall?Are you all right?”The two men were staring at each other, and she knew just when Calhoun got an answer from his friend.The laughter, and there was quite a bit of it, came out of the man’s mouth like he was just as surprised at the answer as she would have been.It was on the tip of her tongue to demand they tell her when the chopper that had been gone only a few minutes landed in the field again.

Marshall took off running toward it, careful of the blades as they continued to rotate round and round.So did Calhoun, taking off toward the landed chopper after begging the two of them to stay where they were.Just as the ride that her granddaughter was in started to rise again, Calhoun stopped running and turned back to the house.He looked worried sick about something.

“MJ has been hurt.Marshall said that he’d get her to the hospital in the plane so that she doesn’t have to wait on an ambulance.”He told them what he knew and offered to drive them to the hospital.That was where Marshall was taking MJ to get the medical help that she needed.“I’m not sure of the details yet, Marshall said that she was bleeding, but he is a good pilot and will get her there safely.If you wish to go with me, I will get you there more than likely just after she is there.”

Mitzy had to be careful of her stitches.They had sealed up right fine, but they scared her something terrible.Using her cane, she made her way to the front of the house while DJ started locking up.Before they were able to get into the truck that Calhoun had, she noticed that there were several dogs, no wolves roaming around.She had a feeling that Marshall had done that for them.She liked the idea that no one could mess around with her home while they were gone.

“Do you want me to tell you what Marshall said?What I mean is his language is harsh.He’s pretty upset, so I can clean it up for you, but that will take me a—” She told him to just tell them.“Allright.She’s been shot.Twice, he thinks.He said that she’ll live, but she’s lost a bit of blood.”

“Does he know who did that to her?”Calhoun told them that he didn’t know just yet, but he would before too much longer.“I’m wondering how he’s going to get her in the emergency department, what with them being in that thing.Oh lordy, I have to call her boss.I nearly forgot.”

Mitzy explained how she had to make sure to call MJ’s boss if she was here and something happened to her.Or any of them, for that matter.She was so upset about having to make this call that she had to remember the codes that she was supposed to put in the phone to get through.

“Marshall said that he was making arrangements to land on the chopper pad, and the medics would meet him there.If you’re going to make that call, you should do it now.The cell phone service is terrible in and around the hospital area.”She thanked Calhoun and had to remember where she’d put the stupid phone again.

Mitzy nodded pulling out the cell phone that she had been given when her MJ had been promoted to her current rank.It was answered on the first ring and she was asked to wait for one moment when she told the operator that MJ Brandon had been hurt.Before she could tell the person who answered that she wanted to get to the hospital, someone spoke.

“Mrs.Brandon, it’s Michael Lowery.Can you tell me any more than she’s been hurt?”Mitzy had to think for a moment who the man was that was talking to her.When it occurred to her, she sat up a little straighter and told him all she knew was that she was en route to the hospital and had been shot.“I have the name of the hospital that’s local to you.I’m sending out my best men to make sure she’s well protected, as well as you and DJ.We’ll make sure that she comes home to us all, Mrs.Brandon.I give you my word.”

“Marshall, I don’t rightly remember his last name.He is taking her to the hospital in her chopper machine.He’s a good friend to those people who helped me fix up my will.Hamish something.”He asked her if it was Retired General Marshall Morton.“I don’t rightly…do you think that she’ll be all right, sir?She and her sister are all I got.”

She hated to cry.No matter what was going on but this hurt her to her core.One of her girls had been hurt, and it had more than likely been one of her sons who did it.Listening to the man at the other end of the line, she heard him say that he’d have heads if she wasn’t, but he saw no reason that she’d not be.

“She only just took off.And then she came back here right away after being hurt, I’m guessing.I don’t know what I’d of done had we had to get her out of that contraption if not for Marshall being here.As for him being army, too?Well, I don’t know.He didn’t say.But he just took off again, and that’s all we know for now.”Micheal told her that she would get the upmost best care that he could have provided for her and she needn’t worry at all.“Thank you, sir.You have no idea how much that means to me.”

They were nearly to the hospital when she put her phone back in her bag.She could see the chopper machine sitting on part of the parking lot reserved for that.Getting out as soon as the truck stopped, a wheelchair was brought for her, and she smiled at the pretty doctor who said she was going to be taking care of MJ but wanted to talk to her first.

“She’s going to be just fine, Ms.Brandon.I’ve had a chance to check her out, and she’s told me what she knows about being hurt.The president called me directly, so I’m going to go in and remove the two bullets that hit her high in her arm and in her thigh.She’ll be down for a bit, but I’m to understand that you two will be taking good care of her when she’s released.”Mitzy told the woman doctor that they would.“Good.My name is Rosie Phelps, I’m with the FBI crime labs.Like I said, the president called me in especially for your granddaughter.Now you get settled here, and I’ll be back when I’m finished.”

The room that they were taken to was plush.The office, because that was what she realized it was had lovely pictures on the wall and nice seating.The name on the front of the door said that it was the office of the young lady who said she was going to operate on her MJ.There were so many initials on the door under her name that she wondered what they all meant.

She was just getting settled when she saw two men in suits make their way down the hall to the operating rooms.Mitzy only knew what was beyond here because she’d been here getting her own surgery done just a bit ago.Open heart surgery was something that she’d needed for a good while, but she’d been putting it off in favor of not dying on the operating table.It had scared her that much.

“Ms.Brandon?My name is Michael Lowery.We spoke on the phone a little while ago.I’ve spoken to the surgeon, Rosie Phelps, and she said that things are going very well and that she should be finished up in about an hour.In addition to her being shot twice, it seems that General Brandon had a bit of glass in her head from when the glass shattered on the chopper.Do you need anything?Anything at all?”She shook her head, so happy that her little girl was going to be all right.“I’d like to tell you that the General means a great deal to us all and we’ll make sure that she’s getting the best of care while here and when she is able to go home.I believe, just for safety reasons, they’re going to keep her for a couple of days longer.There is an investigation going on right now, and we can keep her safer here rather than out in the open public.You understand.”

“Yes.I do.When she comes home, I’ll do my best to keep her rested, too.”They both laughed, knowing that if MJ didn’t want to sit, she’d not do it.“That Mr.Marshall…I don’t remember his last name right now.Do you know where he might have gone off to?I wanted to thank him for being so quick on the go to get her here.”

“He’s…I guess you could call it assisting Agent Phelps with the surgery.”She didn’t know what that meant, but before she could ask him, the president changed the subject.“I’ll be heading back soon.Can’t be out of the office for too long, as I think you’d understand.But I’ll keep tabs on your little family, Ms.Brandon.If there is anything you need, don’t hesitate to call me.I’m also going to leave a couple of agents here, too, so that when the General does come home, you’ll be safe there as well.”

After the president left, she dozed off and on.It had been a hell of a couple of weeks and she was easy to tire.As she was getting up to move around, sending DJ to get something for them to eat, Marshall came down the hallway.My, she thought, he was a large man.Good looking, too.

“Mrs.Brandon.”She told him to call her Mitzy.“I can do that.There are a couple of things that I’d like to talk to you about.It’s nothing terrible.At least it doesn’t seem so right now.But you’d know Maggie better than I do.”