An Officer but No Gentleman Read Online Free PDF Page B

strip.
    “It’s off,” she whispered, her eyes shut tightly.
    She heard the rustle of his clothing as he turned. “Have you seen this?”
    “No.  I don’t need to, I can feel it.”
    None too gently, he pushed through the tender flesh trying to feel the bones.  She fought to keep from wincing with every poke and prod. 
    “Did you get thrown against a bar counter?” he asked trying to understand the injury.
    “I got hit with something—a board or chair leg, I think,” she admitted.
    “Your father is going to tan your hide when he finds out,” the doctor said, sternly.
    “There’s no reason he has to know,” she said quickly, hopefully.
    Brody Kirk sighed.  “We have to explain why you’re not working for the next few days.  I want you in bed, on your stomach with a poultice on this.”
    “No!”  Panic raised the timbre of her voice.  “It must look worse than it really is.  I’m fine. Really,” she tried to convince him.  “I was fine all day long—I’m just a little sore. Tomorrow I’ll be even better than today,” she said, though in truth, she suspected she would feel worse before she felt better.
    “I’m not going to argue with you, Charlie.  You know when it comes to this sort of thing, my word is law.  Just stay like you are.  Your father is going to want to see for himself why you’re not working.”
    “No!  Please….”
    He strode out the door before she could argue leaving it slightly ajar. She heard him knock on her father’s door. “John, Charlie’s been in another fight. I think you need to see this,” she faintly heard the doctor say. A moment later, her father stood behind her. He had an immediate visceral reaction and cuffed the side of her head with an open hand. Charlie didn’t see it coming , but somehow managed to suppress her reaction to only cringing slightly.
    “What are these marks?” he asked his fingers touching Charlie below the bruise.
    “Uh,” the doctor hesitated uncomfortably. “Charlie wraps his chest. Those are just marks from that.”
    Keeping her elbows tucked into her sides, Charlie lowered her face into her hands. She didn’t think she could possibly be more humiliated , but she was wrong.
    “Oh,” the captain said. “Of course, I—uh. I mean, uh, I just hadn’t thought about it. Francine had…. Of course, Charlie has…. Criminy! That won’t damage… anything , will it?”
    The doctor chuckled. “No, I shouldn’t think it would hurt anything.”
    “Good,” John Sinclair said tersely then marched forcefully to the door and stopped with his hand on the knob. “Get dressed and come to my cabin.”  And then he was gone.
    The doctor gathered a few things then vacated the room as well.
    Charlie thought about taking her time getting dressed just to put off the stricture she knew was coming, but decided dawdling would just give him time to mentally add points to his lecture.
    “Be a man about it,” she said to herself aloud before leaving the docto r’s quarters.  She stepped into her father’s cabin closing the door behind her. She stood at attention, her eyes fixed on the opposite wall.
    Her father paced the length of the room several times before stopping in front of her and rolling up on the balls of his feet. It always made her feel like he was getting ready to pounce when he stood on his toes and she felt herself shrink back a fraction. 
    “I told the doctor I’m fit for duty, Captain,” she said before he could speak, hoping to just make it go away.  “I’m sorry to put you through this.”
    “You told me the last time you got in a brawl; it would be the last time.  Now, here we are again.”  His face was livid, the veins on his forehead bulging.   “I didn’t let Yori teach you to fight so you would go around starting donnybrooks.  You were supposed to use it to protect yourself if you were ever attacked.  By God, Charlie,” he dropped his voice to hushed tones. “When are you going to accept that