“It… wasn’t whatIwas expecting atall, for sure.Honestly,Iwas a little afraid to try it, but it was pretty good!”
Hechuckles. “Welike to keep visitors on their toes.Nexttime we’ll have you try the pickled herring.But,I’mguessing you didn’t ask for a call so we could chat about the wedding and food.”
“Ididn’t.Iwant to talk to you about your flight.Whenare you heading back to theStates?”
“Thisevening.Why?”
“Whatis the possibility of you taking a detour toAnkaraon your way?”
Theambassador andIchat for a couple of minutes before we end the call.WhenIget back into the room,Ican tell just by looking atZoethat she has come out of the anesthesia fully.Nehiris telling her, “You’rein good square, so you’ll heal fast,” andZoeis looking super confused.Thenurse looks up, her eyes moving back and forth quickly as she thinks as if the answer is written on the top of the wall. “Square, circle, square….shap…Shape!You’restrong.Ingood shape.You’llheal fast.”
“Youdo really well with yourEnglish,”Isay to her. “Wheredid you learn?”
Thewoman beams at the compliment. “Thankyou!I’mmuch better atArabicandGerman.Ilearn those fromDuolingo.Youknow it?”Inod, impressed that she knows at least four languages, and she says, grinning, “ButIlearnEnglishfrom watchingGrey’sAnatomy.”
“Impressive!”Isay, and hold up a hand to give her a high-five.Itamazes me when someone can learn alanguage by watching aTVshow.Andespecially to be able to communicate as well as she is.
“Thanks.Iowe myEnglishtoMcDreamy.”Shesighs. “Hekeeps me coming back.That, andCristina’sandMeredith’s…”Shemakes hand gestures as she searches for the word she needs, butIcan’t tell what they mean.
“Friendship?”Zoesays.
“Yes!That.”
NehirchecksZoe’sblood pressure one more time, then says she’ll be back to check on us later.Zoe’seyes stay on the nurse as she walks out the door.
Themoment it closes behind her,Zoe’seyes fly to mine. “Didyou finish the mission?”
Ipull back my head in surprise at the question.Ithought our surroundings and her injuries kind of told the story itself. “No.Yougot hurt.”
“Ledger, you weren’t supposed to sacrifice the mission for me!”
“So, what?Youexpected me to just leave you on the ground in the dark, during a downpour, passed out from the pain, and just go finish the mission?”
“Yes!That’sexactly whatIexpected!”
Ishake my head. “Thatwas never going to happen.Iwould choose to save you every time.”
“Beforewe got there, you agreed to finish the mission no matter what.”
“Zoe,Ididn’t even know how bad your injuries were.Orif you had internal bleeding.Luckilyyou didn’t, but you could have.Andeven ifIknewyoudidn’t have internal bleeding, there isn’t a chanceIwould’ve left you there in so much pain that you weren’t even conscious.”
Ican’t fathom why this would make her so upset.Doesshe worry that her director won’t be okay with us not being successful? “Listen,”Isay, “Italked to both of our directors while you were in surgery, and all they care about is your safety.Theycare about thatsomuch more than the mission.”
“Thosemen trying to be heirs toAragundi’snetwork and resources are bad guys.Stoppingthem is more important than my safety.”
Iflinch.Becauseas much asIwant to stop them,I’mhaving a hard time right now thinking anything could be more important than her.
Ina quieter voice, almost a whisper, she asks, “WastheTrustpiece stolen?”
Ipause a beat, wishingIcould give her a different answer. “Yeah, it was.”
Shecrosses her arms over her chest, andIcatch the wince she tries to hide.Themotion has to hurt with that broken rib and the bruised ones around it, but she seems too mad to care.Shegrits her teeth and looks away.She’sbreathing heavily, too, which makes one of the machines hooked up to her start to make a loud noise.
“Zoe,”Isay, “the operation isn’t lost.Itdidn’t all hinge on this one piece.Westill have the trackers on theTrustpieces inDublinand inBelgrade.Eventually, theBarnoBrotherswill steal them, and when they do, we’ll catch them.”
Shegives a curt nod, still gazing at the wall, asNehircomes back in to see whyZoe’sheart rate spiked.
I’veknownZoelong enough to know that she’ll finish a mission at any cost.Partof the reason, of course, will always be because we don’t get missions unless a lot is riding on their successful completion.
