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and the girls before her seemed more like recreation than relationship partners, a nice distraction from the hardships of long deployments. Just disposable toys for his own amusement.
    His initial plan had been to redeploy and let the relationship die on the vine, but Jessica was proving persistent. She was fully aware that Jake was married with a kid, but she assumed that, once home, he would leave his wife to be with her. That was the farthest thing from Jake’s mind. He had to handle this delicately, because if he hurt Jessica’s feelings, there would be no telling what she’d do. She might be inclined to tell his wife. Then again, she might be inclined to take out a full-page ad in The New York Times expounding on the details of their affair.
    “So, I just got off shift, and my roommate’s on leave. Want to come over?” Jessica asked.
    Any normal day, Jake would have taken the invitation without hesitation, but today he was dead tired and there was no time like the present to start distancing himself from his lover.
    “Jeez, babe, I’m beat. I need to get some rest, and then I have a bunch of stuff to do to make sure the platoon is ready to travel,” Jake said.
    “But you’re leaving soon,” Jessica said, pouting.
    Everything about her was sexy, even her pouting, but Jake refused to relent.
    “Babe, I’m not leaving for another week, and I’m done with missions. We’ll get together tomorrow, I promise,” Jake said. He was telling her what she wanted to hear, of course.
    “You promise?” she said, drawing him close, whispering in his ear. “I want you really bad right now. I can hardly wait to be with you.”
    “Try, Jess, it’ll be worth it,” Jake said.
    “It better be,” Jessica said, as she finally released him from the embrace and kissed him on the cheek.
    “So, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Jessica backed away from Jake, smiling like a schoolgirl.
    “You know it, wouldn’t miss it,” Jake lied again.
    “Okay, well, get some rest, you’ve earned it,” she said, as she walked away.
    She sent another loving look at Jake before rounding a corner. Jessica was about to be a big problem. What he had believed to be an enjoyable diversion might only add to his troubles. Jake decided to check on Doc Ramirez, who had gone to get an update on the condition of Captain Slater.

In the FOB hospital, Jake found Ramirez gritting his teeth in pain, as he scrubbed his hands in scalding hot water. He had forgotten to put on latex gloves before treating Captain Slater’s injuries and, as a result, his hands were covered in dried blood and grime.
    “Specialist, are you finished?” the doctor in charge asked. The likelihood of contracting a blood-borne illness was slim to none, but Ramirez was taking no chances.
    “Yes, Sir. I came to check on the status of Captain Slater and decided to get the bio off my hands while I was here,” Ramirez said, drying his hands with a paper towel. It was in Ramirez’s nature to see his job through, even though he didn’t know Captain Slater.
    “Captain Slater has been stabilized and is resting comfortably. He will be moved to Bagram and transferred to Germany as soon as it’s medically advisable for him to fly,” the doctor said to Jake.
    “Thanks for the update, Sir,” Ramirez replied, as if the doc had been talking to him.
    “Now, we can’t have you walking around in your filthy uniform and equipment. If you’re done here, Specialist, I’m going to need you to leave,” the doctor, his pristine scrubs showing not even a drop of blood, commanded. Ramirez glanced at the smears on his sleeve and nodded.
    Jake knew what he was thinking—that the doctor saw just another dirty Mexican soldier. Without saying a word, Ramirez walked away.
    “You’re all class, Doctor,” Jake said once Ramirez was out of earshot.
    “Dude, you got a pro—”
    “Get bent,” Jake said and walked away.
    Specialist Palo Ramirez had been born poor, but ambitious. After high