Hannah and her ever-present shadow walked from the tropical edges of the island and emerged onto the sandy beaches.  They had been walking for miles in no particular direction until Hannah heard the sound of waves rolling gently onto sandy shores.  She had grown fond of all things ocean.  She took in a deep breath allowing the salty air fill her lungs.  The sights and the sounds brought a smile to her face.  She looked down at Professor who sat looking up at her with the typical pitbull smile on his face.
            She reached down and scratched the top of his head and massaged his ears, which he gladly accepted and laid his head in her hand to help the progress in just the right spot.
            “You want to keep going?  Or turn back?” Hannah asked Professor.  “Whatcha want, boy?  You tired?”  The moment she took her hand away from his head, his tail was wagging and he bounced around her legs.  “Okay, let’s walk the beach on our way back, okay?”  She clapped her hands and Professor took off running toward the waters edge.  He bounded into the water and back out creating a figure eight with Hannah in one of the loops.  
            Hannah slowly walked her way closer to the water, admiring its ebb and flow, but careful not to let the water touch her tennis shoes.  She’d learned that lesson.  Her now long black hair blew freely in the salty air, as she tried tucking it behind her ear only for it to unfurl again in seconds.
            Hannah looked up into the sky and shielded her eyes as a pair of Army helicopters flew over her head.  The side doors were open and she could see a few soldiers sitting along the opening.  One of the men who happened to be standing at the openings edge waved down at her.  She responded in kind while Professor barked at their intrusion of the gentle sounds of nature.  A third helicopter passed and a fourth was bringing up the rear. Hannah stopped and watched as they headed out over the ocean.
            She turned and looked when one of the copters made a popping sound.  It sounded like a gunshot and she saw the massive winged machine dip in the sky and pull itself back up again.  It was clearly attempting to stay airborne.  The engine growled and whirred as it struggled keeping it’s cargo in the air.
            Hannah gasped, as it began to spin.  She saw two bodies get thrown from the wide opening on its side.  
            She began rushing toward where she thought the uniformed soldiers could have fallen, but before she could get close, the helicopter was hovering over her head attempting an emergency landing.  
            She ran into the tree line as the propellers spit sand and debris in every direction.  Even though she was several feet away, she could feel the sand spray sting her skin.
            The noise was deafening as the motor growled and rebelled against the malfunction.
            The back wheels touched down on the sand hopped up and then back down making tighter and tighter circles.  Then finally it tipped more toward it’s right and could not straighten back up again, and the copter pirouetted on it’s one set of wheels causing it to spin out on the ground.  The propellers clipped the palm branches that got too close as the pilot desperately tried to maintain some kind of control.  The metal beast touched and bobbed down again on the sand and spun several times before rolling completely over on its side.  The top and rear propeller dug into the sand before screeching to a halt and spiting flames into the sky.
            The smell of fuel and hot metal choked the air.
            Two men crawled through the opening and stood on top of the mangled wreck.  They reached down into the smoking hole and pulled up another solider from inside.
            Hannah ran toward the wreckage not giving a second thought.  She reached out her arm and helped the men bring the injured solider to the ground.
            “Get back ma’am,” one called out to her.  “She’s gonna blow.”
            “I’m a doctor.  I can help” She shouted, over the screaming engine.
            He nodded and slid down the metal side bringing the injured soldier with him.
            The other solider called out, “Hey!  Cander,  Hernandez is caught!!”
            Cander looked at Hannah.  “I got him, go!” She called out over the noise of bending and twisting metal.
            Hannah immediately grabbed him under his arms and tugged him away from the wreck until suddenly he was able to run on his own.  
            Two soldiers were following close behind, carrying the wounded Hernandez.  “Where’s McCarty?”
            “I thought she was with you.  Robinson?”
            One of the others shrugged his shoulders.
            Only a second passed before the three men ran back toward the wreckage.  Hannah held back, torn between waiting to see what was going to happen here and finding the two missing soldiers that she knew were thrown.  Her answer was made for her when the helicopter burst into flames followed by a second explosion.  The three soldiers were blasted backward but they were unharmed.
            Hannah took off running into the tropical wooded area to search for the two that were missing.
            She heard someone trying their best to keep their screams quiet as he wrestled with the pain.  His helmet had cracked and blood soaked his short blonde hair.  His sunglasses still covered his face and his jaw was clenched tight. He growled through clenched teeth and waves of pain.
            When Hannah came up close to him, she said nothing but immediately saw the damages.  Both legs were broken, his spine and neck had collided.  His lungs were pierced and his organs were rearranged.
            Hannah approached him cautiously not wanting him to move.
            “Please be still.  I’m a doctor.  I’m here to…”
            “Tell my wife…” he gasped for air, “…and… and my mom…”
            Hannah knelt down beside him.  “Shhh… you tell them...”  She placed her hands, one on top of the other, on his blood soaked chest and closed her eyes.  She felt his erratic heartbeat become regular.  She felt his spine stretch back out to it’s regular length.  His vertebrae decompressed and the swelling in his brain subsided.  He drew in a deep breath as his lungs sealed back up and were once again protected by his spine and not pierced by it. 
            He lay still feeling as if he had been dreaming and watched her kneel silently over his mangled body and felt it rearrange itself under her hands.  His lungs took in another deep breath and he reached out to grab her hand on his chest. She tipped her head to the side, almost listening for something before opening her eyes.
            He stared at her in amazement and she smiled down at him. Her face was smooth and full of peace.
            “Am I dead?”  He furrowed his brow and couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
            She smiled again, “No.  You are very much alive.”  She suddenly picked her head up and scanned the landscape.  “Go to your people.  They need your help.”  She pushed off his chest and stood.
            “Wait!  Who are you? How did you…”
            “I have to go, I’m sorry.”
            Hannah took off running in search of the tiniest whimpers that came from the other fallen solider.
            Hannah could hear the healed man running but wasn’t sure if it was toward her or away from her, but she had no time to waste.
            She found the other soldier splayed out across a fallen tree trunk.  The legs were in an unnatural position and her spine was clearly broken in half.
            She could hear the whimpers but the body was otherwise still.  Her chest rose and fell in short, shallow bursts in an effort to breath.
            “It’s okay.  It’s okay.  I’ve got you.”
            “It hurts.”  The voice was tiny and weak.  Her pulse was faint and her skin was pale.  She didn’t have much time left.
            “Just a moment more, hang in there with me.” Hannah knelt down beside her broken rib cage and placed her hands on her chest. Before she closed her eyes, she noticed the name badge.  McCarty. “They are looking for you, don’t let go. Stay with me,” Hannah smiled, and closed her eyes.
            McCarty’s body began coming back together and as the bones reconfigured themselves, Hannah did not hear the approach of the other man she had just healed.
            The woman’s body slid off the log as it realigned.  
            Hannah heard the expletives coming from her witness and she opened one eye and looked at him.  “Shh,” she whispered.
            “Sorry, ma’am.” 
            McCarty opened her eyes after taking in a deep breath. She stared at Hannah in disbelief. “What did you do to me?”
            Hannah stood up and held out her hand to the solider. She accepted it and pulled herself to her feet.
            She looked down at her healed body and open and closed her hands.  She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.  “I… I don’t understand…  who…”
            McCarty opened her eyes and looked over at her comrade, “Holy hell, Robinson, what happened to you?”  
            He looked down at his bloody uniform and frowned. “I don’t even know.  But she does.”
            “Please, you can’t tell anyone what happened here.”
            “Seriously?  How are we going to explain this?”
            Hannah shrugged, “I… I don’t know, but I can’t…”
            Robinson looked her over, and nodded.  “I understand.”
            “Where’s everyone else?”
            “Hell if I know,” Robinson said, looking guiltily at Hannah, “Sorry, ma’am.  All I know is I’m walking and not even ten minutes ago, I was six inches shorter and barely breathing.”
            “Thank you.  I don’t even know what…” McCarty’s eyes filled but she swallowed down the emotion.
            “You need to go see if the others are okay.  Your helicopter exploded.”
            Both shouted out expletives and took off running toward the wreckage.  Hannah followed but stayed behind just in case she wasn’t needed, she could easily sneak away.
            Two of the soldiers were sitting on the sand with their heads down. The heat from the blast could still be felt.  A third was pacing trying to get his cell phone to work.  Hannah could see that they had burns but none of them were life threatening.  But there was another person.  Lying on his back.  She couldn’t see very well, but did see some head trauma.  She crept up closer to the trees edge.  The two that were sitting jumped up at the arrival of the two that were thrown from the copter.
            There were hugs and more cursing, before they questioned the blood on Robinson and McCarty.
            “Just lucky, I guess.  Nothin’ but a scratch,” Robinson lied to his co-hearts.  They looked skeptically at the pair.
            McCarty shrugged, and decided to stay silent.
            “You mean to tell me you busted your helmet and you come out without a scratch?”
            “I’m wearing my lucky sunglasses, what can I say?” Robinson laughed.
            Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hannah emerge from the thick underbrush,  “Where the… uh… heck are we?” he asked distracting the team to face out toward the ocean.
            “Only about forty miles from base.  I’m sure they’ll be sending…”
            And as if on command, the loud clacking of propeller blades rattled in the distance.  “Your chariot, First Sargent.”
            Robinson nodded and looked back over at Hernandez sitting up and rubbing his head.  He looked around him on both sides and jumped to his feet looking into the foliage.
            “Hey, Hernandez, you gonna siesta all day?”
            Hernandez said nothing but stared at his commander completely dumbfounded.
            “What the hell?  Hernandez!  How are you even standing?”
            “There was this girl…”
            “Man, he really bumped his head…” Robinson glanced over at McCarty who attempted a fake laugh.
            “No sir, you don’t understand.  We pulled him from the cock pit and his knees were shattered…”
            “And there was this girl…”  Another soldier rubbed the back of his neck suddenly uncomfortable with his next words. “At least I think there was…”
            “There was… she said she was doctor,” Cander added.
            “All I know is my lungs were on fire and my neck was barely keepin my head connected and when she helped me off the side of the helicopter, it was like I was fricken brand new.  I mean, my OLD aches and pains weren’t even bothering me.”
            Robinson stood there and listened to his story with his hands on his hips.  He nodded acknowledging that THEY believed it, but was letting them think that he didn’t completely buy it.  
            McCarty nudged her First Sargent and pointed to the landing helicopter with her head.
            Medics jumped from the helicopters while it was still a few feet from landing.  They tossed out first aid bags and stretchers.
            The team of five just stood by and let them come to the rescue even though the only rescuing they needed was a change of clothes and to get back to their mission.
            First Sargent JR Robinson separated from the hustle and bustle and walked to the edge of the beach and scanned the thickly shrouded South Carolina jungles for any sign of the mystery healer.  “Thank you,” he whispered out into the flora, and saluted before turning back to their ride off this island.
 
 
 
           Hannah leaned against a fallen pine tree to catch her breath.  Her heart was pounding in her chest.  Professor sat at her feet, his tongue flapping along with his heavy breathing.
            She smiled knowing that her gift saved at least four lives in that fateful moment.  She has stopped wondering how she just happens to be at the right place at the right time to heal people.  The true meaning of divine intervention.  Either He plans these incidents for wherever I’m at or He plans my steps to make sure I’m in the right place at the right time… or maybe both,she thought to herself.
            Hannah tried to keep a low profile but still help as many people as she can.  Still, money was tight again, and she was going to have to settle down for a little while to build up her stockpile.  Would this be a good place?  Her camp fees were paid for two weeks, she could go out and look for a part time job tomorrow.
            After having been introduced to the ocean, she could understand why people uproot their lives to own a piece of it, or become snowbirds to take the edge of the winter’s chill.
            Hannah scanned the path that she had just come from to make sure no one was following her.   Her heart was struggling to get back to it’s regular pace.   “You ready to go, buddy?”  Hannah reached down and scratched Professor’s head.  He looked up at her and responded with his smile and panting.  “Okay, fine.  If you insist, we can wait a couple minutes more.”
 
 
            About a week later, Hannah and Professor were walking through the tropical woods near the campground and the pitbull took off running out in front of her.  This didn’t alarm her because she was used to his taking off to chase one thing or another, anyway.  Besides, she thought to herself, technically he’s not my dog anyway.  He found me and he could just as easily find someone else. Although, instantly after thinking those thoughts, she hoped that he wouldn’t.  Never having been a “dog person” in the past, she was quickly seeing the appeal in having one around, to keep the loneliness at bay.
            She walked on enjoying the day.  She could hear Professor sniffing and snarking around at something that probably dove underground for safety.
            “And then she appeared…”
            Hannah started at the male voice and scanned the area for it’s source.
            “I was just about to give up ever finding you again.”
            Her eyes came across Sargent Robinson that she had saved from the helicopter crash.  He was leaning against a shattered tree stump with his hands folded in front of him. He wore his sunglasses, was in civilian clothing and his blond, tightly cropped hair was neatly brushed to the side, minus the caked on dried blood from their first interaction.
            Hannah’s fight or flight reflex warred within her but she couldn’t move.  Her legs instinctively braced for the slightest instruction to run.
            He held out his hands passively, “I am not here to hurt you or exploit you, in any way.”
            He stood up and took a potential step toward her and he could see every muscle in her tighten.
            “Please.  Please don’t run.” He stretched his hands out palms facing her.  “It took me a while to find you.”
            Her brows furrowed and he proceeded to answer the question she was thinking.  “Young woman, dyed hair, obviously trying to stay under the radar, but has an amazing gift that shines a neon light over her head…Hannah, isn’t it?  A couple different last names to choose from and a few social security numbers too?”  He raised his eyebrows, “It’s all good, your secrets are safe with me.  As for the rest, it was pretty easy.  I assumed you didn’t have a vehicle, so I followed your trail from the crash site to the campground a few hundred yards that way,” he nodded with his head, “ and decided to wait.”
            A flash of panic crossed her face.
            “Relax, it’s what I do.  Not many people have as much access… and time on their hands… and a penchant for finding the person who saved his entire team…”  he paused waiting to see if she would respond… or take off, when she didn’t he continued,  “I didn’t want to reallyfreak you out by knocking on your door, so I decided to wait out here in the woods, like a perfectly normal human would do.” He laughed at his own humor.
            She looked down and away, identifying with his description and the peculiarity of the present situation.
            “You’re doing a pretty good job… keeping low profile.” He shrugged, “But you’ve also done some pretty amazing things.”
            “What… what now…?”
            “No… you misunderstand.  I need your help.  Not… me personally.  You have given me more than I deserve and have, without a doubt, shown me that I am on my correct mission.  Not professionally… well,” he stumbled, “I mean, yes, professionally, but also personally. “
            Hannah held her ground, not wanting to give up the space between them.  Where is that stupid dog?  So much for protection.
            As if on cue, Professor bounded over the plants and fallen bits of trees to sit at Hannah’s feet.  Immediately he sensed the presence of someone else and turned his entire body to face off with the stranger.  A low growl escaped uttering a warning for the human to keep his distance.
            Hannah relaxed her stance a bit and cocked an eyebrow in a show of confidence.
            First Sargent Robinson bent at the knees and held out his hand toward the terrifying pitbull that squared off before him.
            “Hey boy… how are ya?  What’cha say?  Huh?”
            Professor broke his stance and lopped over to the man, tail wagging and smiling away.
            Hannah couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
            As the man and beast were becoming fast friends, Robinson asked, “What’s his name?”
            Hannah shrugged at first.  “I call him Professor.”
            Robinson looked up at her, “You found him?”
            “He found me actually.”  Hannah couldn’t help but smile at the memory.
            JR got back down to business, “Uh… my wife and I would like to invite you over for dinner… You and Professor, here…” He made baby noises in the dog’s face who wagged his tail even harder, that it almost made him fall over.
            “Your wife… she is sick?” Hannah asked, tentatively.
            “No.  Not at all. Probably one of the healthiest people you’d ever meet,” he laughed, and settled back on his ankles.  “In fact, after…” he nodded up to her, “my uh… new lease on life, I went home and threw out all my junk food and beer…” he nodded again, affirming his decision and keeping his emotions under control.  “I… have … a second chance at life.  I don’t know why I was chosen, but I don’t intend to squander it.”  He looked away from her and squeezed Professor’s face and flopped his ears about.
            “What is it you need from me?”
            “Oh yeah, so… at dinner, I was going to give you all the details, but the BLUF, sorry, bottom line up front is…  I’m running a mission to Brazil and I’d really like for you to come along.  It will be an exclusive mission, so that, for your safety, only the personnel that.. uh… you have already been in contact with, so to speak, will be there.  You won’t have to worry about anyone else finding out about… uh… that thing you do.”

          “Brazil?” Hannah questioned, warming up to the idea, “I have never been out of the country!  Wouldn’t I need like, a passport or something?”
            JR stood and put his hands on his hips.  “No ma’am.  You will not have to worry about any of that.  I will be flying this mission and…”
            “Hang on,” there was a sense of teasing in her voice, “I’ve seen what you do to a helicopter… no thank you.”
            He laughed, lifted his glasses, and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist.  “Uh, THAT won’t happen again, and technically I wasn’t flying the craft, and plus, we have youin case anything goes wrong.”
            “Sure sounds great for you, but what if something happens to me?”
            He furrowed his brow.  “You mean, you can’t… on yourself?”
            She shrugged.  “Don’t know.  Haven’t needed to yet.”
            He put his hand over his chest.  “I promise I will protect you with my life.  This mission means a lot to me and I know it will to you, if you just give me a chance to explain it.”
            Hannah nodded her head yes, before she could talk herself out of it.  They made arrangements for his wife to pick her up at a nearby gas station and then bring her back again.
            You direct my steps…
 
 
            It was literally only two days following the wonderfully homecooked meal, that she was staring at the huge military helicopter that was going to carry her to Brazil.
            Sargent Robinson walked up to Hannah and gave her a jumpsuit to slip on over her clothes.
            “You may want to bind your hair back.  We leave in fifteen minutes.”
            She nodded.
            “Yes, I checked and double checked.  We are a go for a boring, uneventful flight to Brazil,” he smiled.
            “My first helicopter ride?  Boring?  I hardly doubt that!”
            He laughed at her and flagged Sargent McCarty with his fingers in the air, who came up and hugged Hannah.  “It’s so good to see you again.  I’m super stoked that you’re coming with us.”
            She held out her hand leading the way toward the helicopter.
            “Oh, wait… I have to…” Hannah held out the coveralls she had just been given. 
            McCarty nodded, not wanting to compete with the deafening motor.  She helped Hannah balance while she stepped into the jumpsuit and then zipped up the front folding the zipper under the flap.
            McCarty asked her with a thumb’s up and Hannah responded in kind.  
            Her first helicopter ride.
 
            Luxurious was not a word to be used to describe her first helicopter ride.
            Hannah stayed buckled in her seat with her hands holding tight to the handles on either side of her seat.  Even with the headphones they had her wear, the noise was deafening.  The wind whipped around the inside and caused her ponytail to whip her cheeks whenever it freed itself from the headrest.  She tried to listen closely whenever instruction was given to her but could only nod her head in replay.  Words just wouldn’t come.
            They invited her to unstrap and look out the gaping doors on either side, but she had no intention of doing so.  Instead, she made an effort to stay calm and enjoy the blues of the skies, passing through clouds and the massive mass of water underneath them.  
            They landed on a rectangular shaped clearing that was marked with a big red “X”.  The six person team jumped into action even before the motor stopped whirring and the propellers stopped spinning.  They unloaded boxes and backpacks and Hannah waited patiently until she was literally unloaded as well.
            The variety of green, tropical trees and plants made her feel small.  The twisting branches and vines stretched up to the skies and were bustling with activity.
 They stood in a small clearing and next to the helicopter were a few tents, and trucks.  Stacks of black boxes lined the inside and outsides of the heavy canvas tents.  Tables and wooden folding chairs were haphazardly set about.  Hannah could only see about three or four other people, all wearing camouflage and busy doing… things.
 
            While everyone bustled around her Hannah looked on with awe.  Sargent Robinson came up behind her and grabbed her arm moving her closer to one of the tables.  He tossed a backpack on the table.
            “See if you can carry this.  It has water and food and few other supplies that we may need.”
            Hannah obediently threw it over her back and tucked her arms in the straps.  She nodded her head, words, obviously still not functioning.
            “Alright then,” First Sargent Robinson raised his military voice.  “Let’s move out.”
            He came back over to Hannah and again tugged on her arm to lead her down a well worn path.
            “Stop manhandling her, Robinson!” McCarty scolded as she came up behind him,  “She’s our guest… our guest of honor, I might add.”
            JR pulled back and looked shocked.  “Ma’am. I am so sorry.  The job just took over.  There’s a military side and a human side.  I get the lines blurred every now and again.  I’m sorry.  Please,” he held his hand out for her to follow two soldiers ahead of them, “after you.”
            The openness of the airfield and Army base was quickly replaced with the looming tangled darkness of the overgrown jungle. 
            
            The path was relatively short, but it felt longer to Hannah having never carried a backpack before, and the humidity and heat was sweltering.  Her hair was soaked and she could feel drips of sweat trickle down her back.  She adjusted the backpack to find a new spot where it didn’t ache, but that was short-lived as well.
            “Almost there,” Hannah heard McCarty call out behind her.
            True to her word, the stifling jungle opened back up to reveal a very lived in village.
            The dirt under her feet was soft and there was not a single speck of green within the outline of this small village.
            Small huts were scattered about in no particular order, some were in disarray with pieces of the roof missing to gaping holes in the walls.  People were everywhere.  They were standing and sitting, leaning against the American trucks or sitting in circles talking.
            The soldiers set to work right away setting up tables with supplies.  Hannah stopped dead in her tracks.  Her eyes saw so much and it was troubling to her brain.  She had trouble taking it all in.  So much disease, malnutrition, weak organs, and joints… she didn’t know where to begin, but she saw her purpose immediately.
            Her vision of grey and weak organs was interrupted with a pink, healthy, beating heart.  She looked up to see the face of Sargent Robinson.
            “You can see it, can’t you?”
            She nodded.
            “They are hurting and we can only do so much.  Can you help them?  Any of them?”
            A broad smile spread across Hannah’s face.  “I can.  Yes, I can.”
​

... to be continued

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