We're a Wonderful Wife

Chapter 07

Dr. Sergeant Campbell

Grand Forks AFB

Home of the Bone

They both were beaming with joy over the expected arrival of the little one... imagine moving into your new housing unit at your first stateside assignment and find out that you're going to finally have a baby! They waited so long, four years of joyful unprotected sex finally came to fruition, sitting up long into the night discussing baby names, Don wanted traditional Vietnamese first and middle names, Lanh leaned toward Celtic or Nordic first and middle names. "How about Donovan Aloysius Campbell?" said Lanh as they cuddled naked in their bed on a warm summer evening.

"We already have a Donovan Aloysius Campbell," Don gave her a stern look. "If going through what I went through is associated with that name, then no."

"But I want to honor you!" she half rolled on him, her chin on his breastbone, their eyes met, but Don looked sad.

"What if there's no Lanh out there to save him? I wouldn't wish that on anyone." For a moment they both considered where they would be if they hadn't met. Lanh would most certainly be found dead in her mother's bathroom the day after the dance where they met. Don would have ended up another farm boy runaway on the streets of Minneapolis, most likely dead with a needle in his arm within a year. In the end they decided that if it was a girl, her middle name would be Tam, her first name is still under consideration.

Another controversy was how many children to have. Lanh wanted to have seven solely because her mother had six. Don insisted that two was fine, three was perfect, but he'd be happy with any number that they got.

Still unnamed, their little blip on the radar was visited by the future grandparents Mai and Duong shortly after Lanh's announcement to them that the baby was on its way. After a quick tour of the base and a B-1 bomber, "The Bone" (B-One, Bone, get it?) they retired to Don and Lanh's home for lunch. Lanh suddenly excused herself and ran to the bathroom, a strange look on her face. Don was startled by the sound of her weeping, he arrived when she came out of the bathroom, her face screwed up in pain and confusion. "Honey, I think there's a problem..."

The four of them raced to the base hospital where Don convinced Lanh over and over, "It's ok, it's ok, this happens quite often, it doesn't mean..." all the convincing and reassurance Don could come up with was no good when the ER doctor announced that she did miscarry.

Ever since that dark day when she lost the baby Don worked hard to make life better for Lanh, anything she wanted was hers, she spent a lot of time at home in Grant Valley with Tam and Kim-ly, and Don would commute to her on weekends. It broke USAF regulations to be more than an hour away from his duty station without taking leave but his NCOIC was a hunter who hunted in the western region of North Dakota which was a further drive than Grant Valley so he told his boss that he was taking his wife hunting. Just so his story wasn't a complete lie, Don set some cans on fence posts, and they took a couple of.22 caliber rifles and went hunting aluminum.

Six months after losing the baby, on Christmas Eve, Don and Lan were finally getting back into the Christmas spirit, house decorated, the tree was up, Lanh's beautiful German carved picture frames hung in places where they would be seen easily, Don was in the shop updating some technical orders when the shop chief whistled loudly then shouted, "Campbell, get your ass in here."

Don stepped into Master Sergeant Vanderhorst's office and gave a British style salute, palm facing Sgt Vanderhorst, "Aye, aye mate, What up?" It was Christmas Eve; they were going to shut down operations soon and military protocol was relaxed. The coke machine had become the mixer machine as illicit bottles of whiskey and rum began to emerge from desk drawers.

Dale Vanderhorst scoffed and said, "First, I'm a sergeant, you don't salute me, I work for a living. Second, aye, aye is naval, but that salute is Army, RAF, and Marine, a British naval salute is the same as ours. Third, your spousal unit is taking up my phone line," he handed Don the handset of the office phone and pressed the flashing button on the phone and said, "Speak!"

It was Lanh, she was excited, "The hospital called, Doctor Ismail wants to give us the test results before noon!"

Don looked up at his shop chief and didn't have to say a word, the look on his face said it all. "Go!" said Dale, "Just remember this early gift next year."

"I'll be there in ten minutes sweetness," said Don and he handed the phone back to his boss, "and thank you darling."

"Fuck you, merry Christmas, now get the fuck outta here," chuckled MSgt Vanderhorst.

Twenty minutes later, Don and Lanh were sitting in a small examining room waiting for Doctor Ismail. And they waited. They waited over an hour, twice Don went out to front desk where medical technicians worked. "We were supposed to talk to Doctor Ismail at ten AM, we were here at nine forty-five, it's now eleven fifteen, it's Christmas eve, it's our fifth anniversary, we're out of here. Call us Monday."

"Airman Campbell, Doctor Ismail will be with you momentarily," said an annoyed looking lieutenant.

"Five minutes, and then we're gone, and I will be filing a complaint through my commander." Don checked his watch then turned on his heel and started to head back toward Lanh but the lieutenant stepped out from behind her desk and tried to block his way back to the waiting room. Don took a small notebook out of his pocket and said, "Witaker? Did I get your name right ma'am?" His glare was poison, no one gets between him and Lanh.

"Airman Campbell, I'm sorry," she whispered softly, "this is all wrong, and if you want to..."

"It's ok Lieutenant, I have it," said a familiar voice behind Don. He turned and it was Dr. Ismail, "Follow me airman," and he led Don into the exam room. There he sat down and said, "The laparoscopy we performed last month determined that Mrs. Campbell suffered from an advanced case of endometriosis which is preventing..."

And then it was over, their dreams were gone, the little boys and girls they were going to raise on the farm in a sea of love, home schooling so no bully would ever break their hearts, it was all over. Lanh wept openly while a ringing filled Don's ears, it was all over.

It was a dark and horrible Christmas. They were both utterly shattered. They normally spend Christmas Eve, their favorite day, a Friday this year, the anniversary of their first expression of love, cuddled up together in Don's old wingback chair listening to Christmas music, watching their train circle under the tree, and make love in the light of the tree, their house aglow in candlelight and love. This year they huddled together for support, the house dark, the phone shut off, the only sound was their weeping and an odd echo of sorrow. Lanh said that it was her angel crying.

Late Sunday night found them still on the couch, huddled together, their only breaks were to go to the bathroom. The thought of eating or drinking only nauseated them, and sleep escaped Don while Lanh slept fitfully.

Don called his shop chief on Monday morning at ten minutes before roll call. "Hey Dale, I know that this is last minute, but I have three days of leave on the books, I need to take them. We found out Friday that Lanh can't... we can't have babies... I can't leave her right now... we need..."

Master Sergeant Vanderhorst responded "Take as much time as you need, if there's anything you guys need or want you call, ok?"

"Yeah, thanks Dale." Don's voice was choked with relief and sorrow. He needed a cry as much as Lanh, but it just wouldn't come out. That was ok, he had to stay strong for her.

"Wait... did you say you found out Friday?" Dale was incredulous.

"Yeah, you were there, the hospital called and asked us to come in and..."

Don's boss seethed as the gears in his head clicked, then he roared, "on Christmas eve? They told you about this shit on Christmas eve? Those sons of BITCHES! I am so sorry Don."

"It's ok, we'll get through it..."

"The bastard probably wanted to clear some crap off of his desk... Fuck me... God damn them... I know you will, you're good people and the whole shop is here for you." Dale was livid, how dare some "nonner" treat HIS people like that?

After he signed off Dale Vanderhorst called the first sergeant, nobody fucks with his people this way, then he called his wife who was quite active in the Enlisted Wives Club, she was shocked that a doctor would give a woman that kind of news on Christmas Eve. Cindy Vanderhorst took the news worse than her husband Dale, Lanh was a new and enthusiastic member who simply glowed for the short time she carried the baby that they lost, now this? On Christmas Eve? More calls were made...

Quick note to civilians: don't get some idea that soldiers fight to protect you. When the chips are down and the shit hits the fan, they fight to protect each other, you just enjoy the side effects of their loyalty to each other.

Before long it was known throughout the upper echelon of the squadron that something happened with Don and Lanh on Christmas Eve. Don was a good performer, in one year his evaluations were putting Don at the top of the list, he was being looked at for positions like Quality Control where only the best are considered. An airman of this caliber being treated like this was a shock to management.

Don was alerted by the movement outside the front window that they had visitors. He looked outside and saw a car parked in the driveway, he arrived at the door just as the doorbell rang. He opened the door and there stood a tall determined looking middle aged black woman bundled against the frigid North Dakota winter. Before she could say a word Don said, "Come in, please, you'll catch your death." It doesn't matter if you know the person on your stoop or not, when it's below zero you invite them in. You don't leave someone out in that kind of cold, it's just not done.

She carried a large basket full of things like fruit and cheese and several bottles of wine, Don could see that they were Spätlese and Auslese, Lanh's favorite wines. Don didn't recognize the woman, but he recognized the shorter black man behind her wearing a parka over his flight suit, Buchanan "Buck" Davis, known to everyone on base as "Sir" or General Davis. B-1 Buck Davis, also known as Bombs Away Buck is the wing commander of the three hundred and twenty first Bombardment Wing (Heavy) making him Don's boss's, boss's, boss's, boss's, boss's, boss's, boss.

"Here, this is for you," said Adel, and handed a stunned Senior Airman Donovan Campbell the basket. An officer in enlisted housing? It's just not done! Being part of Base Housing, this apartment is actually owned by Brigadier General Davis, he just lets Don and Lanh stay here, but officers aren't even allowed in an enlisted abode, at least not without the first sergeant... sure enough, First Sergeant Juan Sanchez followed General Davis through the door.

"Can I get you some coffee?" asked a stunned Don.

Just then Lanh appeared from the bedroom wearing Don's dull gray Turkish bathrobe, which is much too large for her, it comically drags the ground as she walks. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were red and sunken from crying and lack of sleep, her nose red and swollen from being blown so much. She looked like a morose laundry pile and seeing her like this broke Don's heart. Don didn't look much better, his eyes were bloodshot with dark circles, he hasn't slept in three days and it shows. "Who is it?" asked Lanh in a tiny voice. "I thought I heard someone..." she stopped frozen when she saw the small crowd.

"It's Johnny, he brought a couple of folks with to check up on us," said Don as he put his arms around Lanh.

"I can't..." Lanh started but Adel Davis swept in like a rescuing angel.

"It's ok honey, I got the same news about the same way you did... but not on Christmas Eve," she added with a sidelong glance at her husband. She grabbed the basket from Don's hands and led Lanh off to the kitchen.

"I couldn't keep them away," apologized "Johnny" Sanchez.

"That's why we're here," said General Davis, "We're in the same boat. Years ago, Adel came down with ovarian cancer..."

They watched Adel talk to Lanh at the kitchen table, it looked like they were inventorying the wine. "A baby is all we wanted," said Don. He didn't know how he got that out without crying. "Having a baby is almost all we talked about since we were sixteen."

"Same here," sighed Buck. "In Clairmont High Adel was a cheerleader, and I was the star running back, we've been together ever since. The military isn't kind to high school sweethearts, but if you can keep her, you have a true partner in life." A high divorce rate is just one of the sacrifices that military men and women suffer for the honor of serving.

Adel gave Lanh a hug and returned to the door. "All she wants is the phone number of a retired chief master sergeant," said Adel as she started to button up her coat.

"Chief Brown," muttered Don.

"Royce?" asked Johnny.

"Yeah, he was my maintenance chief at Spangdahlem. Lanh was friends with his wife."

Johnny took a small notebook out of his pocket, wrote on it then tore out the page and handed it to Don. "So SHE'S the one that Annie is always talking about. Annie will fix her up."

"You know Annie?" Don was shocked.

"I was on Royce's gun team in Panama," grinned Johnny. Don had only seen Senior Master Sergeant Juan Sanchez in his dress blues once, but he had wings and ribbons to rival Chief Brown. "AC-130 Gunships, sweetest ride in the Air Force," he grinned. "Much more fun than these bent wing blow torches that Buck drives." He gave the wing commander a slight punch in the arm.

"That's General Buck to you."

"Yes sir." But Johnny's grin clearly said "Bullshit."

"Ok, we're off," said General Davis as he zipped up his USAF issued arctic parka. He extended his hand to Don, and they shook. "If you need anything, you come to me, got it Sergeant?"

"Yes, sir." Seargent? Well, he's the "Wing King," he's got a lot on his mind.

"This is for you," said Johnny and handed Don a holiday card in an envelope as they left. As they approached the Commander's car his security escort, a Staff Sergeant, sharply saluted.

"Sir, your office called, the hospital squadron commander is still there waiting for you."

"Good, he can wait a little bit longer," Buck growled as he took a cigar out of his flight suit pocket and clenched it firmly in his teeth. Air Force regulation says that you can't smoke in a USAF vehicle, Buck hasn't lit a cigar in years, but he enjoys three a day.

Don sat down at the kitchen table next to Lanh who was winding up to lecture him on inviting stray generals into their house. He dialed the phone number Johnny gave him and in two rings he heard the voice of Chief Brown. "Hello!"

"Chief, it's Don Campbell."

"I'm sorry, there ain't no chief's around here."

Don was so confused, this whole weekend was a horrible nightmare, and he now has the wrong number? Then he remembered how much of an insufferable ass the chief could be. "Mister Brown, is the missus available?"

"Much better, let me see, she's either fucking a cabana boy or pruning the roses, it's hard to tell with her sometimes... let me find her..."

As Don heard Royce hand the phone to Annie, he handed his phone to Lanh. When Lanh heard her friend's voice on the phone a wave of relief washed over her, it's Annie! Annie can make anything better. "Oh Annie, it's so horrible..."

As they began speaking rapidly in Vietnamese, Don looked at the card that Johnny gave him, then he chuckled. "Buck called me sergeant," he thought, "I guess generals aren't too familiar with enlisted ranks." The card was indeed a Christmas card wishing he and Lanh a happy and prosperous new year. A handwritten note was included;

Don,

I truly wish I could fix this situation and fill your house with love and babies with a simple order, but there's some things that even a general can't fix. Don't give up, there are still options. Adoption is difficult, but we adopted three. Call on Adel or myself when you want to start the process and we will help.

I know this will not fix anything, but I hope it brings you some joy:

Your line number for Staff Sergeant is 1257

Congratulations on your promotion, you earned it!

B. Gen. B-1 Buck Davis

CMDR 321^st BW

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

They slowly rejoined life, luckily all this happened stateside, close enough to home where her mom and Kim-ly could come and support her. Don wasn't sure what would have happened if they got this news when they were in Germany. Annie showed up a few days later and the four women disappeared. They told Don that they were going on a "pub crawl" in Fargo, but they actually went to Grant Valley where Annie got a taste of the best Vietnamese food she's had in decades at Duong and Mai's restaurant. Tam stayed home with her own baby, Charles, or as everyone calls him, Chip, but Auntie Lanh would have none of that and spent her days carrying Chip around and even waited on tables at Nguyen's Pho with Annie and a baby in her arm.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Even though years passed, there were dark, black days, where the sound of an empty house was deafening but they felt that an empty farmhouse would be even more heartbreaking. Professionally these were salad days, work was rewarding and compared to farming money was easy. Lanh was waitressing at the Officers Club and making incredible money at tips and their college education was rocketing, Don earning a 3.95 GPA and Lanh with a 3.98. After several conversations with their parents Ralph, Sandy, Duong, and Mai they decided to re-enlist for four years when Don's hitch was up.

But the emptiness of the house echoed in their ears and in their hearts. Like last night, Lanh looked at a glass covered photo of their wedding head table, she took a grease pencil and started to circle the couples, "Rosa and Bao, they're expecting their second," she drew a little star over them. "Tam and Jake, they have Chip," she drew a little star over them, "Craig and Sydney, they have two and one on the way," she drew two stars over them, she sighed. "Huy and Ahnjong are expecting twins," she drew an exclamation point over their circle.

"Lanh, stop. You're not helping yourself," said Don looking up from his studying.

"Ralph and Sandy have five between them, her four girls and you, and má and ba, there's six of us."

Don came up behind her and put his arms around her. "You're making yourself crazy."

"I know, I know," she murmured. "I wonder if Trung and Angela are holding back out of pity for us."

"Trung said they don't want kids and can't even work sex into their schedule right now," Don reminded Lanh. Trung and Angela were both working for the USDA here in the Red River Valley area which has been hit with a horrible drought, followed by a horrible winter, and now by incredible flooding. They were pulled in different directions trying to help the stricken farmers of the area.

"Isn't that weird," Lanh muttered as she adjusted her glasses and looked at the picture again. All of her bridesmaids, and all of Don's groomsmen were married to the person they were seated next to in the picture, all except Lanh's sister Kim-ly. In the picture, Kim-ly is between Don and Lanh hugging them. Lanh showed Don the picture and pointed this fact out.

Don took the grease pencil and drew a circle around himself, Lanh and Kim-ly. "There, fixed it. She's here often enough." Which was true, Kim-ly practically lived with them. When her work is done at her firm and she's got the books up tight on Ralph's farm and Duong's restaurant, she's in Grand Forks living with her sister and brother-in-law.

Lanh looked again and with a Kleen-ex she erased the circle and re-drew it to include a blob over their shoulders. The blob was a flaw in the negative that the photographer couldn't explain, but the photograph was so joyful that Lanh insisted on getting an enlargement of it, blob and all. She called the blob "My Angel" because she could see a face in the blob, and with a strain of the imagination that gave Don a headache, he could see it too. "There, we can't leave out my angel."

"No, we can't," grinned Don. Lanh was smiling, which was rare, but starting to become more common.

"Kim-ly, my angel, and me, we're a wonderful wife," she smiled as his arms wrapped around her.

"Yes, you are," said Don, stressing the word "you."

"She'll be here Wednesday," said Lanh as she looked at the picture again and sighed. Someday this adoption thing will come through, their counselor told them that once they get their first child, it will be so much easier to adopt more babies later, but the first! Don and Lanh have never seen such a paperwork struggle. Thank God that Huy stepped in to help with the legal nightmare

She looked again at her angel in the circle, Don once kidded that it was Kim-ly's evil aura. The photographer hated it and almost destroyed the negative, but Lanh saved it because she thought everyone's smile in the photograph was perfect. She decided that the smudge was her angel who was posing with them, so that photo was framed, hung on the wall, and it followed them to Germany and then to Grand Forks AFB North Dakota where they are now.

With a sigh Lanh set the grease pencil on top of the frame. She looked around the room for something to do. Nothing on TV, no good books to read, she's studied her brains out and needs a break, Don went back to studying for his promotion examination to Technical Sergeant, he reports for the exam at eight AM. It's two AM right now and he's been cramming practically nonstop for three days, he even took a day of leave just to study for this exam. Lanh shook her head; she created a monster when she became his tutor years ago.

It's nearly impossible for him to make it, he made staff sergeant on his first attempt at testing, his first attempt at Technical Sergent was mathematically impossible for promotion, but this time, the way the USAF counted points toward promotion, there's a slight glimmer of hope and Don has been wracking his brain studying. What he needs is a break, and there's only one thing to do. She stripped off her clothes and sat down at the dining table across from Don.

Don glanced up when he heard little familiar mews coming from his wife. She was sitting across from him, her chair leaned back to the wall, her eyes closed, tiny toes gripping the edge of the table. "What are you doing?"

"Masturbating."

"I'm trying to study."

"I'm trying to cum.

"Lanh, please?"

"I'll be quiet."

Don scoffed softly, no she won't. The only interruptions allowed when either one of them is studying is sex, and they both play dirty. She knows that there is nothing that turns her husband on more than the sound of her little gasps and cries as she has sex, and she plays to win.

The Air Force promotion system is a complex numbers game, you accumulate points based on your time in service, your time in your current rank, your annual evaluations, the ribbons and medals you've accumulated, and you take two tests, one is all based on general USAF knowledge such as dress and appearance, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), and procedural questions, such as what do you do if you miss your flight to your new assignment in East Jahunga? The second test is all technical questions based on your AFSC, your Air Force Specialty Code, in other words, your particular job in the Air Force. Once everyone's points are totaled up the Air Force promotes the top point earners based on Air Force needs. If they only need five new sergeants, only five get promoted, and this is all based on your AFSC. If they need a thousand cops promoted, they promote a thousand cops. If they don't need any bomb loaders promoted, they don't promote any bomb loaders. Better luck next year chum.

Lanh didn't know why Don was working so hard and putting so much effort into this exam, at the Wives club meeting they said NO ONE is going to make Technical Sergeant this cycle, the Air Force is "Rank Tight," meaning they have enough Technical Sergeants, no one gats that stripe, not unless they're wearing a Medal of Honor, the highest honor the nation can bestow on a soldier. But even then, that's only worth fifteen points, however you get salutes from officers and your kids can go to the USAF Academy if you have a kid.

A Medal of Honor is not in his future, but right now, Don could get an Oscar for his performance as he tries to ignore his wife.

Her little whimpers and gasps as she gently strummed her clit and eased a slim dildo in and out of her damp pussy started to get to get to him. "Girl, I'm about ready to jump over this table and fuck you sideways if you don't hush."

"I don't need help," she said between gasps, "I'm doing fine." She slid the dildo in deep and let her breath out in a shivery groan as she tickled her cervix with the very tip of the plastic dick.

She was well within her rights to make her noises, and she planned to get louder. The rules of the game are simple, the distractor can do almost anything as long as they stay on their side of the table. No screaming, yelling, or touching the person trying to study, and nothing mundane unless there is a real need like a broken pipe or work is calling. The distraction can only be sex. Neither can remember where the idea for this silly game came from, Don insists it was Tam, Lanh remembers it being Annie, but in reality, it was Sandy who came up with the idea. When Sandy heard from Lanh, then later from Don who at different times said, "My spouse studies too much," the idea was born. Both Lanh and Don were tearing up the academic world in their free time, Sandy simply mentioned that they need to allow a distraction for romance, and thus the game began.

Don knew he wasn't going to get much more quality studying done, he was exhausted, he's been through the Air Force study guide several times, along with the correspondence course for his maintenance specialty. It was a matter of pride that kept him at the books and his extensive handwritten notes, so what if he doesn't have a chance? He wants to get close, their decision to stay in the Air Force depends on this test.

Compared to farming this is easy money, and the benefits are incredible. Farming is hard, backbreaking work for little to no money. Ralph and Sandy are making it because they have Kim-ly there helping and doing their accounting in exchange for living in the apartment Don built for Lanh. Trung and Angela are constantly helping Ralph by coming up with great ideas and samples of different seeds, feeds, and chemicals that a farm needs. Those samples saved Ralph and Sandy thousands of dollars, and Trung's contacts will give top dollar for Ralph's cash crops, hay, and feed corn. As for Don, all he has to do is fix airplanes, keep his uniform clean and salute at the right time. For this he gets room, board, free medical, and 30 days paid vacation. There's a chance he can get himself killed, but that can happen on a farm too.

If he makes this promotion he'll reenlist again, if not, they're going home. They both have their bachelor's degrees, now they're working toward their master's degrees so either way, both Don and Lanh are excited about the future. They're hoping to go to Osan in Korea, or Misawa in Japan, or Kadina on Okinawa or maybe... dare they dream? Hickam AFB in Hawaii! Or they're going home to the land that they love, it's a big win-win.

But right now, Don has a test to ace, and he can't do it with a sexy, horny Asian wife sitting across from him fucking herself and moaning in ecstasy. The worst part is the things she was saying. She was speaking softly like "I wish I had a bigger dildo, or something like it," both knowing that Don's cock "Stanley" was thicker than the dildo she was now playing with. "My fingers are tired, I need help," she moaned, what finally got him was when she said, "I hope I didn't lube my ass up for nothing."

That did it. Don stood, tore off his t-shirt and dropped his sweatpants and walked around to Lanh's side of the table, his bobbing cock leading the way. Normally he would put his cock right in front of Lanh's face and she would start to suck him while she masturbated, but this time she hopped up out of the chair and dashed into the living room. It's going to be that way, is it?

Don followed her into the living room where she called out from behind the wingback chair, "Don't point that thing at me, it may be loaded."

"Oh great," thought Don, "If the neighbors heard that they'll call the Security Police." He could just imagine telling a young Air Force cop "Honest officer, she was talking about my dick!" Don had her trapped behind the recliner, she was bobbing side to side, her grin was huge as she avoided his grasping hands. Finally, he made a move to go right, but she ducked to his left and shot out of the living room and she was gone. He followed her into the kitchen, and she raced out the back door! "I am going to fuck that woman," Don vowed.

Quietly he eased out the back door, it was a warm, dark, moonless night, the stars were shining brightly but it was hard to see out there. Where the heck is she? Their yard is surrounded by a chain link fence so there's nothing to hide behind and luckily it looks like there's no neighbors up. Crouching he ventured out into the yard, staying low, letting his eyes get accustomed to the dark, completely naked as was Lanh. Suddenly she bolted from a dark shadow and streaked toward the door, he tried to turn and grab her, but she got in ahead of him and tried to lock him outside! He was able to get the door open a little bit before she was able to lock it. "Let me in darling, I won't hurt you."

"No! You're going to fuck me in my bottom!" She almost couldn't say it because she was laughing so hard.

"I'll make it there eventually," he said as he pushed against the door which slowly gave way. Damn! She really has been improving at the gym!

Realizing that holding the door back was a lost cause she dashed back into the kitchen and Don was right behind her, his cock hard and bobbing as he followed her. They danced around the table side to side, left then right, she avoided his grasping hands every time he lunged for her, finally she dashed back into the living room. He would have had her, but her hair is shorter now, just down to the shoulder blades, so his hand missed, and she ducked into the living room and took refuge behind the couch. Rather than try to crawl back there after her, he pulled the couch away from the wall allowing him to walk behind it with ease.

With a squeal of surprise Lanh dove from behind the couch but Don was quick and now he had her by an ankle. She squealed and giggled like a kid as she kicked at his hand with her free bare foot, but that was a bad move, and now Don had her by both ankles. "No fair!" she called, "You cheat!"

"I'm a cheater because I'm winning?" he asked as he tried to corral the little fireball who rolled from side to side trying to escape.

"Yes!" she gasped. She rolled over face down, but he still had her by the ankles and was moving up her body. She could almost feel his cock growing closer and closer to her unguarded ass and she knew how much he liked to fuck her there, especially when she was a "bad girl..." like now. She rolled back over on to her back and Don saw the wildfire in her eyes. "I dare you to fuck me!" she hissed.

"I'm going to do just that," he said and began to lower himself down, but she was able to kick her legs free and started to scoot back across the rug, away from Don. "Get back here," he said, and he grabbed her shins and yanked her back at him. She grinned and they started to wrestle. He now had her wrists and they wrestled and rolled around on the floor, soon both covered in sweat. He was able to get her back onto her back and he tried to kiss her, but she kept turning her head side to side.

"No! No!" she said from pursed lips.

"Ok then," he warned and began kissing her shoulders. She began to twist from side to side trying to throw him off, but he wouldn't let go, he began to kiss his way down to her left nipple. She shook as hard as she could, trying to make her boob wobble out of his way of his mouth, but her breasts were too small and firm for that and with a cry of anguish she felt his teeth snare her nipple. He held it tight between his teeth and flickered his tongue over it.

Lanh has never been so turned on in her life, she could feel the moisture seeping out of her pussy and spreading on her inner thighs. All the teasing and wrestling and now his teeth FINALLY nipping at her nipple as hard as she wanted, she's more than ready to cum. Don's teeth had her nipple trapped and she fought to get her hands free, but he held her wrists firm. She opened her legs up wide expecting him to plunge his cock into her unprotected pussy, but he just grinned at her, he wanted full capitulation before he plunged into her sodden pussy.

She somehow got her legs together underneath him, trapping his cock between her damp thighs, but he started fucking her thighs. "That's really nice!" he sighed, but she fought harder, trying to push him off. He reluctantly pulled his cock out of her slippery thighs and started kissing his way down, now he began to explore her belly button with his tongue. Instead of balling up in a fit of giggles, she groaned. "Yeah, she's turned on!" he said to himself. When Lanh gets hot, her ticklishness disappears.

"Oh, you little minx!" He exclaimed, "You shaved!" gone was the black forest he loved so much, she was completely as bare now.

"Yeah, Kim-ly shaved me, you should have been here to watch," she snickered knowing that it would cause his balls to ache. In retaliation Don now released her hands and was trying to kiss his way into her flower but her legs were crossed and clenched tight.

"Don't! I can't..." she gasped as she tried to push his head away.

"I'm going to eat you, then I'm going to fuck you," he growled.

Their eyes met and she suddenly got teary. "Don't, please stop." Her voice was weak and shaky.

Don knew she knew the safe word, she used it the other day when he was getting grabby but a friend of hers was stopping by for coffee. "I'm going to slide my tongue so far up your tight little ass..." he almost had her legs pried apart.

"Please..." she whined, then sadly said "Teddy..."

"Oh shit," thought Don, "I pushed her too hard, why do I do that?"

But Lanh never added "bear" to complete the safeword. She broke into a grin, "Nahhh, just kidding." She tried to take advantage of his confusion and wriggle free. Her subterfuge gave him the strength to pry her legs apart and she gasped, her pussy was wide open to him.

"You little piece of..." Whatever he said was muffled by her cunt as he dove face first into his wife's wet twat. The feeling of his tongue roughly assaulting her clit nearly made her cum immediately, as always, she capitulated completely. It's like her clit is an on/off switch. When he touches it, she instantly switches to sex mode regardless of what she was doing previously and when wrestling around, the wrestling comes to a screeching halt.

Her legs relaxed and fell wide open, her hands stopped trying to push him away and held the back of his head, urging him to lick and suck her juices. "Oh, Daddy, I love you," she gasped as his fingers began to squeeze and pinch her erect nipples. He pinched them hard, harder than he could imagine being pleasurable and pulled them straight out hard, just like she does when he puts her hands on her breasts as he licks her to ecstasy. She just arched her back and hissed "Yessssss!" The electrical jolts between her nipples and her clit drove her over the edge. "Eat me!" she gasped, "eat me em yêu."

Don loved and laved her clit, his tongue flickering over it driving her out of her mind, and now two fingers eased into her pussy while his little finger drilled into her super tight anus. "I'm cumming daddy! I'm Cumminggggggg!" she gasped, announcing her orgasm knowing that Don loves to hear her say those words. She began twisting side to side, her body shaking, fluttering like a leaf in the wind, and waves of sexual release crashed over her. As she was cumming, Don pulled out and rolled her over on her stomach and hoisted her ass in the air, then he eased his cock into her tight soaked pussy.

Feeling the invasion Lanh began to push back against the intruder. Her orgasm which was beginning to subside was rekindled as she felt her butt cheeks press against his groin. "So deep!" she moaned as she pushed back harder, savoring the stretching, loving the feel of her husband deep inside her body. Don clutched her tiny hips tightly and pushed her forward until only the head of his cock was in her pussy, then pulled her back again as hard and fast as he could. She groaned as she felt his cock plunge into her, her ass cheeks slapped against him. Then again and again and again, harder, and faster each time, using her tiny body to masturbate his swollen cock.

She rested her cheek on her crossed hands and surrendered her body letting Don drive her, pound her to another glorious orgasm. Sadly, when they found out that they couldn't conceive, it ended up being a liberating experience over time. There was no longer the nagging feeling that they had to be successful and implant a baby, now there was no pressure, just pleasure.

She used to hate doggy style, she can't see Don, she can't kiss him as they climb to their peaks of pleasure, but the penetration is different, his cock drags over her G-Spot with each stroke. And he tried to convince her that for him the view was beautiful. "You can't see me!" she insisted. In response, Don used a Polaroid and took a snapshot from his point of view, and he was right. She didn't realize that a woman's bare back is sexy too. From Don's point of view, she looked like a violin, her slim waistline, her round hips, her cute round ass, the junction of their sex, even her pussy stretched around his hard cock was sexy. You would think she's a hot, sexy woman in that picture instead of the skinny nerd girl she still pictured herself as. From that point on she learned to love doggy style and she began to wear backless dresses whenever possible just to drive him crazy.

As Don used her body to stroke himself to orgasm, he suddenly changed tactics. He pulled out and lined his cock up with her asshole. "No!" she cried, "Not there!" She had lubed herself up, but originally the plan was to use her butt plug because sex felt so different with that plug inside her. "Please don't Don, I'm begging you!" But she never used their safeword and she was the one that was pushing back on his cock. "Stop! I'll talk! Don't!" Don chuckled as he realized the game was still on. Lanh cried out for mercy as she pushed back slowly impaling herself on his fencepost hard cock. Oh God, that sexy/painful penetration! Why didn't they try this during their courtship? They could have been fucking in the hayloft every night yet keeping their virginity.

"I have you now Dragon Lady," said Don attempting a very bad Sean Connery.

"Uuuhhgghh, you got me Agent Double Oh Seven and Five Eights," she groaned as she felt his pubic hairs pushing against her ass. "Do with me what you will," and she relaxed and rested calmly, her head resting again on her crossed arms, her ass up in the air impaled on her husband's cock, her sphincter squeezing and clutching his cock. This game was so silly, yet over the years it has become a comfort knowing they can have fun with each other.

"I'm not done with you yet Dragon Lady," he chuckled evilly causing her to giggle, and he began to slowly saw his cock in and out of her. Again, that strange feeling of his cock probing her intestines, it felt like he was displacing her internal organs as he plunged deeper and deeper with each stroke, threatening to bruise a lung. Don looked and saw that the dildo that she was playing with was in reach. It was a long double ended dildo that she brought back from a "shopping trip" with Kim-ly. He asked her why a double ended dildo and she said, "Rosa is coming for a visit," and refused to expound on that statement. She meant nothing by it, she and Rosa are not lovers, she just wanted to see Don's reaction.

"Let's play," he whispered. Lanh's passion lidded eyes popped open wide. "Let's play" could mean anything. Sometimes she didn't like his "play" but other times it was incredible. He held her tight and rolled to his side, and before she knew it, she was laying on her back on top of Don, his cock still buried deep in her ass.

"Ohhhhh," her voice was shivery, he wasn't as deep as before but laying on her back like this pinned on his cock made her feel exposed, wide open. Don started pinching and twisting her nipples as he started to move his hips pushing in and out of her an inch, maybe two inches at a time. She didn't like this position at all.

"Here," he said as she got used to lying on him. He took her hands and guided them to her pussy. Her fingers explored the junction of his cock and her ass, then moved up to her pussy and soon she was gently massaging her clit, like she does too many times when they are separated by the needs of the USAF, most recently he was on a 90-day temporary duty assignment to Guam. As she brought herself closer and closer to a climax, she discovered that she could kiss her lover. They kissed long and passionately while she played with her pussy as he gently fucked her ass and pinched her nipples.

His hands left her nipples and she felt him fumbling around, and then she felt him hand her the dildo, it was lubed and ready to go. Lanh rubbed it up and down her pussy stroking her clit and labia, savoring the feeling, then without prompting she lined the head up with her vaginal opening and as Don spread open her pussy lips for her, she slowly pressed it in. She gasped as the dildo filled her, and as it stretched open her kitty it inversely tightened her ass around Don's cock. The feeling of being packed full of dick was incredible, more intense than anything she had ever felt before. It wasn't comfortable, it verged on the annoying, but it was exciting, and the sensual confusion was exciting too. She heard Don gasp "Oh my God!" as she moved the dildo in and out and realized he could feel it too, so she started moving it faster.

Through the thin membrane between her ass and her pussy, Don could indeed feel the dildo as it slid in and out of her sheath, its passage rubbed against the sensitive underside of his cock sending intense thrills through his body. "Baby, don't stop, it's incredible," he gasped breathlessly as he tried to fuck her in counter rhythm to her strokes with the dildo. Before he knew it, he was teetering over the edge, hung up on the apex of a huge cum. He pushed up with his hips, driving deep into her bowels, gasping wordlessly. Lanh could tell he was almost there and began moving the dildo in short, rapid strokes which set him off.

With a strangled growl, Don came explosively, spurting over and over into his wife's colon. She felt him convulse under her, his hips thrusting automatically with each pulsation of his cock. She slid the dildo out of her folds and squeezed her lover's cock with her sphincter as he came in her. Slowly, almost reluctantly, his orgasm released its grip on Don and his hips lowered; she felt his cock wilting and it slithered out of her ass. She rolled over on top of him and they kissed and murmured endearments. "That was a lot of fun," Don finally said between pants of breath.

"Let's do it again," smiled Lanh, their eyes studied each other's eyes looking for a way to transfer their feelings and emotions without resorting to clunky, inefficient spoken languages. They shared numerous little open-eyed kisses both wishing there was a way to be closer.

"You betcha, let me catch my breath," said Don. He was stunned, quite often their sex play gets silly, but wrestling in every room of the house? running around outside naked? and a double penetration? He never would have dreamed of this when they first made love years ago, God he loves this woman!

"You ain't gonna be ready for that again for a long, long, time old man," teased Lanh as she snuggled up tight against Don. Both her ass and her pussy ached, both a physical ache from the fucking, but she already misses Don's presence inside of her. "Stay here while I call you an ambulance," Lanh kissed Don then got up and left the room, but soon came back with a warm damp cloth to clean themselves up with, a blanket, and a pillow, and a tall glass of ice water. They snuggled on the floor in the living room until the sound of the automatic coffee pot gurgling in the kitchen told them that they had one hour before Don had to leave for his test.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Thanks to his "hobby" of taking college classes as much as he can, Don has sat exams at several colleges, but none of them took exams as serious as the Air Force takes promotion exams. Two pencils, one piece of scratch paper, one answer sheet, one sealed test booklet, one proctor, two observers, and a room full of promotion hopefuls. No one in the room dared peek into the booklet or even look around the room, cheating will get you ejected from the test and possibly a court martial.

After an agonizing wait, the proctor took her seat and conducted roll call, then read the instructions which included several admonishments against cheating or giving the appearance of cheating, how to be excused from the room, time limit, and what to do when you are done. With the instructions complete, the proctor said the awaited words "You may begin."

Don was exhausted, he didn't sleep at all last night, yet at the same time he felt so relaxed and loved, he knew he was going to do well. He looked at the first question, it concerned the disposal of a weather worn US flag. He knew that one. The next concerned riding in a staff car with a high-ranking officer, who gets in first? He knew that one too, he also knew the next one, which article of the Uniform Code of Military Justice covered absence without authorization. It was a great feeling opening the test and knowing the answers! He still remembers those dark days before meeting Lanh when a test was just a torturous way of reminding him how stupid he is. Now an exam is a reaffirmation of the knowledge he gained, but he still remembers the gut twisting horror he used to feel as a C- student whenever final exams rolled around.

Completing the first test he reviewed it double checking his answers and found two that he had mismarked on the answer sheet, then he checked his test again and found one more that he mis-marked. Then he waited patiently while someone else turned their test in first. No one wants to be the first to turn in their examination. The PFE is complete, now a break and time for the SKT, the exam on his technical prowess.

While Don took his exams, Lanh went to her only class of the day at UND, then hurried back to base for a lunch meeting of several of the new members of the Enlisted Wives Club. Lanh normally despises women's groups and coffee klatches seeing them as a waste of time, but in the military, they serve a real need. There were girls from all over the country that suddenly found themselves in a situation that very few civilian women could ever identify with let alone understand.

Picture yourself as a young mother, three children, and suddenly your husband comes home and says, "We're moving to Turkey." You have two choices, go to Turkey, or divorce the man you love. Your husband has two choices also, go to Turkey or go to jail. Going to Turkey may be traumatic, but it doesn't have to be the end of a marriage, Lanh looks back at her trip to Germany and her mental melt down on Day One and decided that if someone else was going through that emotional trauma, she was going to be there for her, and for an 18-year-old girl from Los Angeles, North Dakota could be worse than an overseas assignment. 100+ degrees (38 degrees C) in the summer, -40 degrees (-40 degrees C) in the winter with nowhere to go, no beach, no amusement parks, comparatively few restaurants and shops, no mountains, no forests, nothing to do, nothing to see. For many people it's mind shattering.

Adel was a new member of the EWC and was going through a tough time. She was a tall, heavy set, blond girl from Tavola Alabama, and her first baby was due in two months, and she found herself trapped on foreign soil, North Dakota. The idea of sub-zero temperatures terrified her to no end. "What am ah gonna do?" she wailed at the meeting, "Ma baby is gonna freeze to death!" she was met with a tsunami of pity and "There, there, you'll be ok," from the assembled women.

"Babies don't freeze to death unless you let them," said Lanh. When she spoke the room went silent, for some reason Lanh's voice became the voice of authority among the wives' club. Even Chief Hanna's wife, Lola, deferred to Lanh.

"How many children do you have?"

Lanh ignored the question; the asker was a bitch who knew exactly how many children Lanh and Don have. "I was born prematurely in Minneapolis, and I wasn't allowed home until I weighed five pounds, which means I couldn't go home until January when I was six months old, it was twenty-five below zero. I survived just fine with simple receiving blankets and quilts. You are going to have a happy, healthy baby who is going to be just fine and when she's sixteen you're going to tell her all about the winters in North Dakota and how the three of you survived."

"Ah don't know."

Lanh smiled. "Adel, you said that you're a farm girl, I am too, and one thing we farm girls have in common is common sense. We know when to milk the cows and feed the chickens, we'll know exactly when to wrap up our babies."

"You're a farm girl?" Adel was shocked.

"Dairy farm," Lanh nodded. "And we also raised hay, feed corn, and vegetables for my father's restaurant."

"But you look so..." Adel was searching for a word.

"Scrawny?" said Lola who was constantly ribbing Lanh about her weight.

"Sophisticated!" said Adel.

Lanh was shocked, but she was dressed nicely, long skirt, blouse, cardigan sweater, and severe ponytail. But she had to dress nicely, she gave a lecture at class today regarding a child's ability to learn languages before the age of one. If Adel had seen her eight hours ago pegged on her husband's cock and fucking herself with a dildo, if Adel knew that Lanh was wearing a pad in her panties to catch Don's cum as it seeped from her anus, she was sure that Adel wouldn't use the word sophisticated. She gave a smile and dug her miniature photo album out of her purse and flipped to the picture of her and Don on the John Deere tractor. "Here's my wedding photo, a couple of country virgins heading back into the woods for their first time."

Adel flipped through the album in shock, a fancy lady like Lanh Campbell driving a tractor in a wedding gown. Covered with all forms of goo wearing a huge smile as she held a newborn calf, it was too much to believe. She found the picture of Lanh in her tiny bikini with her smallmouth bass that she caught by herself while Don was in basic training and realized that Lanh is real people after all.

"Don and I talked for two years about getting married and joining the air force, and we couldn't wait to go, but our first assignment was Germany."

"Ramstein?" someone asked.

"Spang," said Lanh using the familiar nickname for Spangdahlem Air Base, and most of the women attending winced, they knew how tough on a marriage it could be there. "I was in country for maybe twenty-four hours when I suddenly realized that I was the only Vietnamese in a hundred miles, maybe more. I was five thousand miles away from everything I hold dear, and we couldn't afford a plane ticket back. I spent weeks staring out the window, I didn't talk, I didn't change, I didn't shower, I didn't do shit. I put myself and my husband through hell."

The assembled women nodded, they've been there, they knew the feeling. "What did y'all do?" asked Adel.

"Don dragged me to a function on base, and I actually met another Vietnamese girl, and she read me the riot act, told me to pull my head out of my ass, and then informed me that there was an air base full of women who are there to help. She hauled me into the bathroom at the Top Three club and redid my hair and makeup so I could go apologize to Don in front of everyone at the top three dining out."

Adel was shocked, she was still new to the Air Force, but she knew enough to know what the top three meant. "What did your husband do?"

Lanh thought and chewed on her salad a moment. "When we got back to our room, he gave me a spanking." There were several shocked looks around the table, including Adel. Lanh winked and said, "It hurt so good."

"That's just silly," said Adel finally smiling, "Mah husband would never do that."

"My point is, you married an airman, you knew he was an airman and what he did when you married him, now you're demanding that he become something else?" Adel was dumfounded, she was expecting tea and sympathy and here was a tiny Asian girl reading her the riot act. "He took a sacred oath to obey the lawful orders of his officers, he also took a sacred oath to love and honor you, you agreed to help him do both, but now you want him to choose one or the other? Why?"

Adel looked like she was going to cry, she tried to answer but there were no words. Every woman at the table knew what she was going through, it sucks a lot.

Lanh took one of Adel's hands in hers and asked, "You took one sacred oath to honor him, is undermining his career honoring him?" Lanh squeezed Adel's hand, the big girl was near tears. "This isn't the civilian world; you can't look at life here with civilian eyes."

"What do I do?"

"You come here to us, and you ask for help." Lanh dug a pamphlet out of her purse that described the benefits and programs available to military families, it's one of those things that everybody sees, but nobody reads. "Here, look through this, all of these programs are real, don't be afraid to use them, it's not charity, it's a benefit." Lanh had learned that many people will refuse charity no matter how badly they need help, but they will snap up a benefit in a heartbeat. "Don't forget, you have a table full of sisters here to help you, especially when the baby comes."

Adel looked through the pamphlet, she heard of some of these programs, other were a revelation. "Ah didn't know we could git furniture!"

"Honey, if you need something, let us know," said Lola, "That's what we're here for."

Adel was suddenly filled with hope, "Can I get a ride to the commissary when I don't have a car?" and now the wives club did what they did best, they closed ranks to help a member of their squadron that was in need, they just had to get her to admit what her real problems were.

As Lanh leaned back and sipped her coffee the girl to her right leaned over and said, "You must have been a fireball in high school." She was impressed with the way Lanh was able to get Adel to face her problems and realized that there was help available.

"Me? Fireball?" Lanh scoffed. "I was just an outcast nerd girl with an outcast nerd boyfriend."

"Oh?" asked Lola, "Then why does Annie call you dragon lady?"

Lanh started laughing, even Lola knows Annie.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

It was months later, and Don was in the orderly room submitting a leave request, he and Lanh wanted to spend Thanksgiving at home with the whole clan. The family is getting bigger and bigger, and they practically fill the restaurant now. Cold weather celebrations are being held in Mai and Duong's restaurant, warm weather celebrations at Ralph and Sandy's farm. As he used a filing cabinet top as a stand-up desk and made sure the leave form was exactly right, the first sergeant, SMSgt Sanchez stuck his head out of his office and said, "Staff Sergeant Campbell, could you step in here a moment?" Johnny was using his no nonsense tone of voice.

Don stepped into the office and there was Johnny, Master Sergeant Olevo, his shop chief who took over for Dale Vanderhorst a year ago, Colonel Smith, the bomb squadron commander, and Lanh. Lanh looked terrified. Don was in shock, his commander, his first sergeant, his boss, and his wife all in the office together and they don't look happy, this could be a bad situation. He felt his mouth go dry.

"Staff Sergeant Campbell," started Colonel Smith, "the morale and welfare of my men and women is of the utmost importance to me, so when this situation came to my attention, I ordered your shop chief to clear this matter up. Master Sergeant Olevo, could you bring Staff Sergeant Campbell up to speed?"

Paolo looked uncomfortable. "Look, I don't like this any more than you but..."

Lanh interrupted, "They're accusing me of kissing a tech sergeant!" she was nearly in tears.

Don was a little shocked and a whole lot confused, Lanh wouldn't do such a thing. "Lanh wouldn't lie to me," he put his arm around her. "Did you do this?" he asked.

"Yes," she said in a tiny voice. Don went white, all the blood drained from his face, he thought he was going to faint. "It was..." then she mumbled the name.

"What?" Don leaned over. "What did you say?"

Lanh kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "It's you!" It took Don almost a full minute to understand what she was saying. "Congratulations em yêu, we made it!" With a squeal of joy, she threw her arms around him and kissed him long and hard.

The office filled with laughter and from the orderly room Don could hear clapping, through the open door he could see the faces of the entire orderly room staff watching. "Oh, damn you guys," he said blushing and shaking hands and receiving pats on the back. It's a tradition to tell noncommissioned officers that they have been promoted with practical jokes whenever possible. For folks passing the promotion exam on early tries the pranks are especially brutal.

"That's quite a little actress you married," said Colonel Smith as he shook Don and Lanh's hands.

"Yeah, she is. She's got a special role to play tonight," Don said pulling her tight to his side. Lanh shivered in anticipation.

Colonel Smith pulled two presidente length Romeo y Julietta cigars from his flight suit pocket and handed them to Don, "A gift from General Buck."

Don was shocked, General "Buck" Davis has been flying a desk in the pentagon for the past year, but it was rumored that he kept his eye on "his" airmen. Lanh snatched the cigars from Colonel Smith. "He chews this label? These are good cigars!" and she put one in her purse and handed the other one to Don to the chuckles of all. A wife that's an amazing actress and knows a good cigar is a rare find indeed. After shaking hands all around and walking over to his office where his team awaited him with more ribbing and congratulations, Don and Lanh headed out to their truck. "So what role am I playing tonight?"

"I was thinking the bathhouse geisha and the tired GI."

"Ooo, I like that one!"

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Don and Lanh had remained at Grand Forks for quite a few years, Don had listed himself as a non-volunteer for overseas assignments so they could stay close to friends and family as Tam, Huy, and Bao's children were born and learned to climb all over "Unka Don" and make lefsa with "Anty Lanh." It was not unusual to see Don and Lanh milking the cows on a Saturday evening assisted by their oldest nephew Tam and Jake's son Chip, and their oldest niece Bao and Rosa's daughter Chau. Sleepovers were the order of the day when Uncle Don and Aunt Lanh was at the farm. They didn't want to displace Kim-ly who permanently rented the Bunk House apartment now, but Kim-ly insisted they stay there because Don built it for Lanh.

Don no longer worked directly on the aircraft, as soon as he got a line number for Technical Sergeant he was trained as a maintenance expediter ensuring that the right technician was on the right airplane doing the right job. It could be exhilarating but compared to fighters, bombers move in slow motion, and a job that would take fifteen minutes on a "Lawn Dart" (an F-16) could take hours on "The Bone" (a B-1), due to the complexity of the systems. Don pushed his men and women hard, and in return the squadron got the best maintained aircraft they had ever enjoyed.

Don and Lanh had a couple of years left before they returned home, they had re-enlisted based on a large re-enlistment incentive bonus giving them a nice chunk of change, which they turned over to Bao and Kim-ly who invested it for them. But now it was time to put some stamps in Lanh's passport. Don went to the personnel office and changed his status to volunteer and listed Asia as his preference. Korea, Japan, Okinawa, Hawaii, they're all good. Even Guam would be interesting, they could get tours of Philippines from there, learn to scuba dive, relax on the beach.

Weeks later Don returned home with a large envelope and dropped it on the dining room table. Lanh looked up from her classwork, her glasses at the tip of her tiny nose. "What's wrong honey?"

"FIGMO," he said sadly.

"FIGMO?" with shaking hands she slid the stack of orders out of the envelope and read their new home. "Eighth fighter wing, eightieth fighter squadron, Kunsan Airbase, R.O.K." She looked and reread it again. The words didn't change. "Shit."

"Roger dat," said Don as he crouched behind Lanh and hugged his disbelieving wife from behind. Kunsan was the ONLY base they didn't want, it's an isolated remote assignment which meant that Don was going to go alone and live in the dorm. There were no facilities for what the military calls "dependents." No school for the children, no housing for the spouse, medical facilities are designed for the needs of the programed number of military personnel on base, and not a soul more. It's a rough and tumble base, ready for war, and limited in amenities.

Sure enough, Annie called a few hours later and helped talk Lanh in off the ledge and put the seed of an idea into her head. It's unclear how Annie gets her information sitting on her pool deck sipping her iced drinks, but she does, and she invited Don and Lanh down to Florida for a little vacation before Don ships out to "The Kun."

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Like many airports, the Jacksonville Florida airport has a poorly designed departure area, it's crowded and congested and a nightmare to navigate. To make matters worse, folks looking for a taxi or a bus to the rental cars all get dumped in the same place that folks waiting for a ride, folks looking for a cab, and folks trying to get to the parking lot end up making the crowd trying to get away from the airport a seething mass of confusion.

Lanh thought that having grown up in a city she would be better at fighting her way to the rental lot bus, but her diminutive size prevented her from punching a hole through the crowd. Don on the other hand could get through the crowd but navigating in an airport was not his forte. When you fly on USAF cargo planes exclusively you don't have to fight your way through an airport, they pick you up in a secluded area and drop you off right where you need to be. But acting as a team they were unbeatable and were soon at the Avis desk and ten minutes later they were in a convertible winging their way south toward Beverly Beach Florida.

"This sun is glorious!" cried Lanh, she's never been in a tropical area before, April in Florida is akin to high summer in Minnesota. She looked around and seeing that they had the entire road to themselves she took off her blouse exposing her breasts to both the warm Florida sun and the arctic blast from the car's air conditioning vents. The effect was quite spectacular.

"How am I supposed to drive like this?" complained Don.

Lanh just rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand and placed it on her tit. "Gawd! You're worse than you were in high school!" she insisted as he began squeezing her boob.

"I was a virgin in high school and there hadn't been a breast in my life of any caliber since third grade." Don rolled her rock-hard nipple between his fingers. Third grade is when his mother died leaving Don and his father alone with no women of any age in their lives until Don's freshman year in high school when he started stalking Lanh and his dad and Sandy Robertson began to admit they had feelings toward each other.

Lanh fumbled around in her carryon bag and found what she was looking for, a bikini. This one is a bit more modest than her tiny bikini she wears when fishing on Lost Long Lake. She eased off her knee length skirt to reveal the secret that Don discovered not long after taking off from Denver, she wore no panties under her skirt. They cuddled and necked like teenagers all the way to Jacksonville asking only for a blanket to cuddle under and Don masturbated her to several hushed orgasms, in return she swallowed one load of his cum.

Lanh got herself dressed in time for them to catch up to traffic on US A1A south. As they made their way south toward Beverly Beach, they stopped for each public beach entrance they saw and got out to play in the surf like children. Eventually they reached Royce and Annie's house, a beautiful little three-bedroom house with an inground pool taking up a large portion of the back yard. Royce had turned the rest of the yard into a garden full of flowers of multiple colors.

While Annie and Lanh hugged then went to sit by the pool and catch up and chat in Vietnamese, the retired chief and Don sat down in their Florida room to talk Air Force. "Son, I have good news and bad news for you," he said as he handed Don a small glass containing whiskey.

Don sighed, "What's the bad news Chief?"

"To start with, I'm going to kick your ass if you don't stop calling me Chief," said Royce as he glared at Don.

"Sorry Chief, force of habit." He had said Chief on purpose that time and he grinned at Royce when he said it.

"Fuck you sergeant," muttered Royce who was also smiling. He looked exactly like he did years ago on active duty, tightly cropped hair, clean shaven, and a bushy mustache which conformed to USAF requirements but still looked larger than it should. The only difference between now and then is the Hawaiian shirt, the cargo pants shorts, and the neon green flip-flops. "Son, I hate to tell you this, but you've been shanghaied."

"Shanghaied?"

"Shanghaied, poached, stolen. You were programmed for Osan, but someone in PACAF saw what you did for the three two one up in El Forko Grande and snagged you for the eightieth at Kunsan."

Don frowned, Osan was Lanh's dream. Osan is where Royce and Annie met and in Lanh's imagination it became the Land of Romance. Don's tenure as expediter at the 321st Bombardment Wing (Heavy) was highly successful, maintenance was never better. When Don arrived from Germany the squadron had been almost a joke because of lackadaisical maintenance, but when Don became tech sergeant, he ensured that the technicians working on HIS bombers did the job right the first time, every time. The improvement of the quality of maintenance was noticed throughout the Air Combat Command, and apparently the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) subscribed to the same news source. Don was depressed that he was denied the chance to go to Osan with Lanh. "What's the good news dad?"

"Dad?" Royce glared at him.

"Well, you call me son," shrugged Don.

"I was abbreviating!" Don got it, he was abbreviating the term Son of a Bitch. The chief pressed on. "The good news is that someone in PACAF saw what you did for the three two one and snagged you for the eightieth at Kunsan."

"How is that good?" Don never liked whiskey, but his drink was suddenly exactly what he needed.

"It means that you're doing an incredible job and people are watching you. Do not be surprised if your BOP gets turned down and you end somewhere shitty that needs someone with their head pulled out of their ass, like Cannon."

Don scoffed, he wanted to go nowhere near Cannon AFB. Cannon was a dry, dusty left-over World War II Army Air Corps base stuck in the ass end of nowhere whose only claim to fame was that it was a dry, dusty left-over World War II Army Air Corps base stuck in the ass end of nowhere. Cannon was located on the Texas border, exactly one hundred miles from Lubbock to the southeast, one hundred miles from Amarillo to the northeast, and two hundred miles from Albuquerque to the west. That was a place you threaten to send an airman who was fucking up, "Airman, I am going to send you to Cannon if you don't pull your head out of your ass..."

"Don't laugh," warned Royce, "You can make your career at a place like Cannon, same as Kunsan. The Kun is actually a great assignment, it's the last bastion of the Real Air Force." The term "Real Air Force" is an unofficial term that applies to any base or unit that concentrates on the mission of conducting arial warfare over the mission of polishing boots and saluting pretty, guessing someone's pronoun du jour, and fiercely obeying every stupid fucking idea that flows out of DC. Also known as "sucking political dick." Kunsan is still in a state of war, there is no armistice between north and south Korea, there's simply an uneasy cease fire. Kunsan contains two American F-16 squadrons and one Korean fighter squadron, plus a US Army air defense artillery battery. All units on Kunsan were on war time footing, this was not like Osan air base on the outskirts of Seoul where Americans brought their families and life was easy. People in Osan go shopping, people in Kunsan go to war.

"Hawnee?" called Lanh from the pool. The Vietnamese lilt to her voice comes forward on certain words, and honey is one of them. She was laying on a lounge at pool side, she turned and looked at Don. "Annie says that there's a bus from Kunsan to Osan so you can go shopping for me any time you want!"

Don gave Lanh a thumbs up and quietly said "Lucky me." Lanh seemed resolved to get this year apart over with as soon as possible and almost looked cheerful at the opportunity, Don was nauseous over the whole thing.

Royce handed Don another whiskey. "What's really bothering you?"

Don didn't want to say it, but it came out anyhow. "When I was eight, we lost my mom, we knew for almost a year cancer would take her, and somehow I feel the same way now as I did then."

Royce leaned back in his chair and puffed his cigar then said, "Awww, you don't have to worry about that little girl, she'll be with you till the day you die."

KUNSAN AB, ROK

The Wolfpack

Propagation tonight sucked, Don found himself having to "lip read" the radio at times, the whistles and hissing of static and occasional voices from far away interfered with the MARS morale calls normally, but tonight it was exceptionally bad. It was a couple of weeks before Christmas ten years ago that a terrified Don Campbell asked a petrified Lanh Nguyen to dance. "Ok Kunsan, we have your number three, go ahead Lanh," called Eric, the MARS operator at station AFC6RI the MARS station in San Diego at the Rockwell International Plant.

"Good evening hawnee! Happy anniversary! Over."

Don grinned and picked up the microphone, he was there in the MARS shack at Kunsan Air Base. He needed something to do on the weekends, something other than going downtown and drinking himself blind, so he biked over to the MARS shack and volunteered to help with the phone calls. Long distance was insanely expensive, and the internet was still dial-up, so the five-minute MARS calls were a godsend to the lonely, isolated airmen at Kunsan. Don found out that the five-minute limit was very flexible, if the call was going bad, where it sounded like more embarrassed silence than conversation, the calls were short. If the call was good, a marriage proposal, or the sound of a newborn cooing or crying, the calls went longer. "Good morning chi yêu, how is the weather there? Over."

"Cold and lonely, both of our dads went to a legion convention in Fargo, so Sandy, Mom, Kim-ly and I have been making sure that the wine doesn't spoil. Over."

Don could picture the four of them together by the Christmas tree, Kim-ly topping off glasses, Lanh sloshed to the gills, Sandy not far behind, Mai asleep in Ralph's recliner, and Kim-ly drinking straight from the bottle. "Save some for New Year's Eve. Over"

"Did you decide what to do on leave? Over."

Don had a few days of "use or lose" leave so he applied to take the time off. He plans to use it to catch up on sleep, they've been flying like crazy over here. "Negative, I'll probably just study and go see a movie at the base theater. Over."

"Good, you have a special package coming and it needs to be opened right away, copy? Over."

"Copy, open the lefsa ASAP. Over."

"Listen em yêu, I have to cut this short, Kim-ly needs my help, we have to go swing by Tam's house. I love you, talk to you next week. I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words. Over."

"How wonderful life is, 'cause you're in the world. I love you, over." Don quoted their song and fought to keep the tears of loneliness from overwhelming him. With luck he'll be back in his room before it hits.

"You can tell everybody. Love you forever, over," said Lanh, adding to the song lyrics

"She remembered!" said a surprised Senior Master Sergeant Jim Jorgenson, the station master of AGA8KU, the Kunsan MARS station. He handed Don a crisp ten-dollar bill.

"Of course she remembered," said Don as he smugly put his winnings in his wallet. "We go ice skating every year on this night and skate to the song we danced to as sophomores."

"Even in Germany?"

"Even in Germany, there was a hockey rink in Bitburg that we went skating at, they had a lot of public skating."

Jim grinned. Being a "Yooper," a native of Michigan's upper peninsula, ice skating is part of their holiday tradition too. "Looks like I'll have to volunteer for Spangdahlem."

As they signed off and closed down the shack, the four volunteers made plans for Christmas. They were going to spend the day at the MARS shack eating Yaki Mandu (stuffed and fried Korean dumplings) and playing on the HAM bands now that they all have their HAM licenses. Don looked at his little handheld ham radio, his stateside call sign KB0LVZ would not be used until he gets home, here in Korea he has to use a Korean call sign, so for now he's HL9LVT.

Don and his friends left the shack, made sure it was locked up, then hopped on their bikes and headed for the rec center for a burger, it was the only place left open this late at night. Meanwhile, the sun was rising in Minnesota. "Thank you, Eric, it wasn't all that bad of a call," said Lanh as they ended their side of the MARS call, "I could hear him quite well."

"I'm glad you could hear him, and you've been married ten years now?" the MARS operator asked.

"It will be eight years when he gets back, we met ten years ago at a high school dance, and this is the longest we've been apart."

"Stories like that make this all worth our while," said Eric.

"I have to go, I'm working on a Christmas surprise for Don," said Lanh as she zipped up her jacket. Kim-ly was looking at her impatiently from the French doors to the main dining room.

"Ok, Lanh, and thanks for the cookies, and the tortillas."

"They're lefsa, they're made from potatoes. Try them with butter and a dash of sugar or salt. Talk to you next week!" Finished with her goodbyes, Lanh turned to an impatient Kim-ly. "Ok, let's go."

"It's about time," said Kim-ly as she picked up Lanh's small duffle bag and they headed for the door. Lanh has a lot of flying to do.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~ ~~

Technical Sergeant Alice Griffin, a short, athletic, black woman strolled down the hallway of her dorm, building 936 was the newest dorm on Kunsan Air base and it was for tech sergeants only. She navigated by memory mostly as she was reading a letter from her mom describing all the hijinks her kids were up to while their mom was in Korea. Sylvie, Jamal, and her husband "Griff" were staying with her mom until this tour in Korea is over and they are trying Grandma's patience daily. Alice almost tripped over a small Asian girl sitting in the hallway, she was sitting on a small duffel bag leaning up against the door of the room next to hers, Don Campbell's room.

Thinking that the Asian girl was part of the cleaning crew, Alice said "Taking a break?"

"Waiting for my husband," came the response in perfect, only slightly accented English.

Alice looked at the girl again, she knew her. "Lanh?"

Lanh looked up with a surprised look on her face. "You know me?"

"Lanh Campbell? I should say so! Your husband's room is like a museum of everything Lanh! What are you doing here?"

"It's our tenth anniversary," said Lanh as she eased herself to her feet and showed Alice her ID card. "Do you know when he gets off?"

"It's only ten AM, he won't be home till after sixteen hundred hours. I'm playing hooky myself, but he'll be along, it's Mongolian Barbeque night at the club, he won't miss that."

"No, he won't," said Lanh as she sagged down to sit on her duffel bag again. "We like Mongolian Monday."

"Get yo ass up girl! You're not sleeping in my hallway, this ain't no flophouse," Alice scolded. Then in a softer tone of voice "You need a shower and a nap before you meet your man." She led Lanh into her own room, there was a small room with a counter and a sink against one wall, beyond that was a larger room with the bed, a desk, lockers, and two comfortable looking chairs. Alice opened a door which showed a room with a shower and a toilet, "You go take a shower to freshen up, then go out the other door and take a nap ok?"

"K," said a sleepy Lanh. She went into the shower room with a towel loaned to her by Alice, dragging her duffel bag. Before she started the shower she peeked through the other door and found herself in Don's room.

The dorm rooms were set up as suites with a shared shower and toilet. She wandered around in Don's room a bit, the furnishings were set up differently than how Alice set up her room, the bed was next to the wall and the lockers were alongside the bed with their backs to the bed making a little alcove for the bed. She smiled seeing one of the pillows covered with a pillowcase that showed a stick figure boy blowing kisses. Lanh pulled her own long distance love pillowcase out of her bag and recovered the second pillow.

After a quick shower Lanh crawled in the bed and smelled her man on the sheets and rubbed her naked body on the insanely soft "mink" blanket on top of the bed. She turned on the reading lamp and found that the back of the lockers were covered with pictures of her. Pulling the mink blanket over her naked body she was soon asleep.

She awoke to the noise of someone bustling around the room, her clothes that she dropped in Don's laundry basket were washed and folded and sitting at the foot of the bed. She was still naked from her shower so, expecting that noise to be Don, she began to warm herself up for the reunion sex she had been dreaming about. She began to gently run her fingers over her clit and pinched a nipple as she waited for her husband to step into the room... here he comes and OH MY GOD!

A middle-aged Asian woman stepped into her line of sight! "Who the hell are you?" shrieked Lanh as she covered herself up with the mink blanket.

The woman turned to Lanh and shouted something in a foreign language, probably Korean, but it freaked out Lanh even more because it's been years since she heard a language she didn't understand. "I'm Lanh! I'm Don's wife! What are you doing in here?" she yelled in Vietnamese hoping the woman understood.

The woman said in horribly accented Vietnamese, "I'm Viet too! I'm Pham Lanh Xuan, I clean these rooms. You have a funny accent."

Lanh shocked herself when she realized that they had switched to Vietnamese, and she hadn't noticed. "I am Nguyen Huong Lanh, I was born in America, my mother's name is Pham My-Duyen Mai." Lanh reached to the headboard shelf and put on her glasses, the woman looked to be in her fifties, maybe older.

"Now I see!" said Xuan and pointed to a picture of Lanh and Don in the snow back in their teens. "It's the glasses."

Hearing the commotion Alice popped her head through the door "Is everything ok in here?"

"Yeah," called Lanh, "I may have found a relative."

"Ajumma? A relative?" Ajumma is the Korean pronoun for middle-aged woman, it's the term that the USAF members at Kunsan use to address the cleaning lady, although most don't know what it means, they think it's a form of address. A younger woman is Agashi, a middle-aged man is Ajeossi. These three pronouns are about all an airman learns of Korean on his tour at Kunsan. Mispronunciations abound with the GIs and the Korean employees of Kunsan airbase take it in stride and try to teach the young Americans a bit of the language before they return home.

"She's a Viet too, Her name is Xuan Pham, my mother is Mai Pham, we could be related." Lanh looked at Alice who was looking back at her oddly in that "maybe I should call the police" kind of oddly. "Ummm, sorry, when I get excited, I speak in Vietnamese," said a totally embarrassed Lanh who just realized that she was speaking to Alice in Vietnamese. "I used to get in trouble on MARS calls, only English is allowed."

"Don told me about that shit," chuckled Alice. Lanh repeated what she learned about Xuan, and Alice said in her best mom voice "Ok, look, it's just barely past noon and Ajumma has work to do. You grab a nap and when you wake up, come on over." Lanh didn't think she'd be able to get back to sleep but she was out like a light in minutes.

Don returned to his room after an arduous day, compounded by a couple of deadhead technicians who fucked up their work orders almost as bad as they fucked up Don's airplanes. He dropped his mail on the counter and considered if he should make a cup of coffee or have a soda before checking to see if Alice was coming along for Mongolian. He decided on a Pepsi and headed for the fridge, noticing out of the corner of his eye that his clean laundry was stacked on the foot of the bed, but the bed wasn't made. What was up with Ajumma today?

Reaching into the fridge he noticed that his bottle of wine was missing, maybe Alice had helped herself? The shower room doors have locks on both sides to ensure privacy, but like many "suite mates" Don and Alice only used the locks when using the showers or toilets, allowing the other party access to their room for necessities like snacks and booze. He was about to go ask Alice if she snagged his wine when he thought he heard Lanh's voice speaking Vietnamese in the next room. It was then that he noticed the pillows on the bed, his second pillow had a pillowcase with a stick figure girl catching the blown kisses from his stick figure boy. Stick figure Don was reunited with stick figure Lanh.

He went into the shower room and knocked on Alice's door and the door was opened by Lanh, who pushed him into the shower room and locked the door behind her. Reunions with husband and wife on Kunsan air base are incredibly rare especially in the dorms. Lanh dropped to her knees and tore open Don's uniform and attacked his cock with a savage hunger that he's never experienced.

For her part, Lanh has only had Don's cock in her mouth when it was soft once before, back when he won his first race in high school. Every other time he was always hard and ready for her whenever she wanted him, but today she caught him off guard. His soft cock was so cute! But it started responding rapidly growing hard in her mouth, and suddenly she stopped!

They kissed feverishly, her mouth hot on his, her lips swollen from her workout on his cock, then she said, "Come on, pull your pants up, you're taking Xuan and me to dinner."

"Wait, who, what?"

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

It was crowded at the club when they got there, Lanh had invited Xuan to come along with them as Alice had to work. The club was festooned with Christmas decorations, Christmas trees, garlands, artificial snow, ornaments of all types, and lots of Christmas lights. The Korean waitresses were dressed as Christmas elves, but none were as cute as Lanh who still dresses like an elf during the holidays. Mongolian BBQ is a favorite among GIs because of the star ingredient: meat. With Lanh explaining to Ajumma how the system works, they filled their bowls with their favorite ingredients and carried them over to the grill where the cooks grilled the food.

They sat at a six-setting table and two master sergeants joined them while Lanh chatted back and forth with Xuan and Don. One master sergeant, a shorter blond man was obviously drunk, and his buddy was enjoying the show he put on. Don introduced the tall dark haired master sergeant as Mitch, and the drunk blond as Eric.

"Wow, two hot chicks. Your wife is going to be so pissed when she finds out," slurred Eric.

"Ignore him," said Mitch as he shook Lanh's hand. Lanh returned to her conversation with Xuan. At one point the squadron's first sergeant came up to Don and spoke to him for a few moments then walked off. "What did he want, em yêu?" asked Lanh.

Don smiled and leaned over and spoke quietly, "How would you like to live in Korea for two years?"

Lanh had thought about living in Korea for a long time since Annie told her that she met her husband up in Osan. "Well, duh! We've only talked about it for ages."

"Here's the deal, I can get a follow-on assignment to Osan, but I have to extend for at least two years."

Lanh thought about it for a few moments then asked, "When do we have to decide?"

"By next Friday," replied Don.

"Hmmmm, do we have an SRB?"

Don nodded, "It's a two."

SRB stands for Selective Reenlistment Bonus a retention bonus to entice airmen to reenlist. It is their monthly salary times the number of years they reenlist for times a multiplier in this case it's two which is actually pretty good. For Don it would be his monthly salary of $2891.40 times four for the number of years he would reenlist, times the multiplier of two = $ 23,131.20. That's a fair chunk of change for a young couple.

"So, if we reenlist for six that's..." Lanh rolled her eyes skyward as she ran the numbers in her head, "Thirty-four thousand seven hundred?"

"Wow, you're dead on, thirty-four six ninety-six." Don had already run the numbers when the SRB was announced months earlier. This was a tough decision, they're both aching to go back to the farm, when they get the chance to go home, they spend every minute on the land that they love, but where else are they going to get a thirty-four thousand dollar signing bonus? As previously mentioned, compared to farming life in the air force was easy money. "Let's do this, I'm taking the rest of the week off so let's explore the local area tomorrow, then Wednesday we take the wheels up to Osan and take a look around, then we MARS call Dad and Sandy and see if they can hold the farm for another hitch."

"I need to talk to Kim-ly also, I want to see where we are," said Lanh. Kim-ly was the manager of their budget and finances. Naturally a part of their income goes to the farm, but they want to maintain a war chest for a rainy day.

"If you're going up to Osan you need to let your shop chief know," said Mitch.

"I'm on leave this week," insisted Don.

"Don't matter," said Mitch and he began waving his chop sticks around like a teacher pointing out words printed on an imaginary black board "All travel outside the local area must be approved by your manager."

"Ok," said Don in a chastised voice. He then gave Eric an elbow in the ribs which woke him up. Don snagged a shrimp out of Eric's dinner with his chopsticks and said, "I'm taking the wheels to Osan on

Wednesday," then ate the shrimp he took.

"Ok, cool," slurred Eric. "Check the price of a steelers jacket at Bobbies for me," then he started eating again.

"I'll make sure he remembers," said Mitch. Mitch was babysitting Eric who had received a "Dear John" letter from his wife of seven years a few days ago. Don sighed and nodded. Some marriages don't survive a year in the Kun, and some airmen don't survive the tour either. The suicide rate at Kunsan far exceeds any other base in the air force.

Later Don and Lanh walked back to his dorm and a light snow began falling, it was almost Christmas but there were very few lights on any of the buildings like Lanh saw at Spangdahlem and at Grand Forks. "These guys are grinches," she remarked.

"We have to be able to go to full blackout in a matter of moments. When they turn the lights off here, it's completely dark. There are more decorations downtown, Christmas is more like Valentine's Day here."

"How often do they go blackout?"

"About once a month, we just had an exercise a few days ago."

When they got back to Don's room, Don excused himself for a quick shower and hurriedly washed up and dried off, and when he got to the bed, he found Lanh fully naked and sound asleep. He shook her shoulder and she just muttered then rolled over to her other side. He had a choice, be a gentle loving husband and let her sleep, or be a horny GI and follow his throbbing cock's desires and fuck her now. Several years ago, she had told him that if he needed her and she was asleep to go ahead and "do it" just be sure to use some lube. Oh, the joys of shift work.

In the end he and his aching balls chose option B and Don gently spread her legs and began licking her pussy hoping she would respond, but she was sound asleep, the poor girl had been up traveling for over 36 hours. Her fluids did start to flow a little, or was that his saliva? He wasn't sure, but he got out the lube, lubed his throbbing cock and her pussy and eased himself into her depths.

Having been separated so long he almost forgot how good her pussy felt as his cock slid in and out of her depths. She is so beautiful when she's sleeping, he often sat up at night looking at her sleep. Her features relax and she even smiled in her sleep, and as he moved inside of her, her smile grew. Her lashes are naturally long and even closed her eyes are beautiful. He wasn't going to last long at all, and he was glad that she was missing this poor showing on his part. She never woke up, but she smiled in her sleep, and when he gurgled "I'm cumming baby," she murmured something that could have been "Cum in me."

He went and got a warm washcloth and cleaned up their fluids from himself and her. Lanh sort of woke up and whispered, "What are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning you up," he replied

"Thank you... did we have fun?"

Before he could say "I did, but I'm not sure about you," she was asleep again. Dousing the light he cuddled with her in the absolute darkness of his light-tight room. The tiny little sleeping alcove he created reminded him of the nests they would make in the hayloft back home, just lest scratchy. As he snuggled close to his wife, he asked himself for the thousandth time "What would I do without her?"

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Lanh stood in front of a twelve-story tall apartment building gasping at its size, it was one of three tall structures, but this was the one they would be moving into if they took the assignment to Osan. "No lawn to cut," she muttered, she and Don both love a nice lawn. Back at the farm they practically fight to see who gets to drive the lawn tractor and manicure the lawn. Then something caught her eye, "Ewww! What is that?" she pointed to what looked like several squids hanging from a laundry line on one of the patios of the towering building. The cephalopods were cleaned of all inner organs and were hanging flattened, their tentacles where wiggling in the breeze.

"It looks like someone married a Korean," replied Don and explained to Lanh that dried squid was a favored snack in Korea and traditional minded Koreans dried it themselves rather than spending money on pre-dried squid.

"Eww," said Lanh abruptly. "No... just NO!"

Lanh's introduction to Korea began with a tour of Gunsan city yesterday, the area they saw was filled with shops that cater to the airmen of Kunsan air base, selling leather jackets, custom embroidered jackets and hats, sneakers, custom made dresses and men's suits, even wedding dresses. There were small mom and pop stores with all forms of merchandise and groceries, and most had aquariums filled with eels swimming madly about in their windows. And the bakeries! Such delicious baked goods, her favorite became a dinner roll filled with a sweet bean paste. She even found sweet beans in deserts, one looked like an ice cream sundae, but it turned out to be shaved ice covered with fruit, sweet beans, heavy cream, and whipped cream.

The sights and smells were both exotic and strangely familiar to Lanh, Vietnamese cuisine is far different from Korean, but oddly similar at the same time. She did find it exhilarating to be an Asian and not stand out in a crowd, she was just another smiling face in a sea of Asian faces. True, she was short in a country of tall Asians, but she was among her own people! That is, until they started speaking to her rapidly in Korean assuming she was Korean also, her fumbled apologies told them that she was just another American with a pocket full of dollars.

"What's the polite way of saying I don't speak Korean?" she asked Don.

"Hand them a ten-dollar bill." That earned a swat from Lanh, then he said, "Tell them you don't speak Korean in Vietnamese, there's probably more Vietnamese here than just Xuan."

She tried it the very next time a Korean shop keeper started speaking in rapid fire Korean, Lanh responded with "Tôi không nói tiếng hàn" which was "I don't speak Korean" in Vietnamese. It didn't help a lot, but she did meet two more fellow Viets as they strolled through the city. After lunch they went to a coffee shop to meet with Mr. Park and some of his students. Mr. Park is an English teacher at the local university, and he often sends his students to this coffee shop to meet and talk with Americans. Don keeps in touch with Mr. Park by talking with him on the HAM radio he carries in his pocket. Mr. Park's face brightened with he saw Lanh, and he started speaking Korean to her, so she said "Tôi không nói tiếng hàn."

Mr. Park's face brightened, and he said "Oh! Very good!" and started speaking Vietnamese with Lanh. His Vietnamese was elementary and filled with stutters, but on par with what Don could speak. As they spoke, Don sat down and spoke with some students of Mr. Park. Normally Mr. Park wouldn't come along but this was their first outing with Americans, so he came as moral support.

The first hurdle was the name, having lived with Lanh and her family for so long, Don was used to Asian pronunciations, but for obvious reasons Asians had problems with his name. In Korean there is no equivalent for V or even B, so Donavan was impossible, but Don kept coming out Dum or Dun or Dan. He wrote it out phonetically in Hongul, the Korean alphabet, which looked like a squared letter C, a sideways T followed by the letter L. The students looked at it and one said "Oh, it's Don, why didn't you say that?" It happens every time.

The next topic was always, where are you from? The coffee shop had a huge map of the US on the wall next to a map of South Korea. Don took a blue map pin and put it near Bemidji Minnesota, the students nodded and asked what the weather was like there and what he did, they were happy to find out he was a farmer. Then they asked where Lanh was from, expecting Don to put a pin on the Korean map, but he took a map pin and put it on Minneapolis. The Korean students were stunned to realize that Lanh was not Korean, but Vietnamese yet just as American as Don. In one conversation their views of America changed drastically, it never occurred to them that an Asian could be an American too.

Nightfall found Don and Lanh in a higher income area of town, an area that Americans rarely visit. The streets were broad, and the people were out in force enjoying the cool evening and the gentle snowfall. The area was covered in Christmas decorations and lights and the vendors were selling all sorts of foods from their little stalls, and fewer of them could speak English. Don and Lanh shared pieces of meat with different sauces cooked and served on wooden skewers and Lanh wondered if there were a way to incorporate these flavors into her father's menu. There were also large vats of what looked like boiled bugs and smelled like boiled dry dogfood being served, which they passed over.

The next morning the Wolfpack Wheels, a chartered bus also known as The Wheels, took them the eighty-five miles north to Osan where many Kunsan airmen did their Christmas shopping for family and friends back home. Lanh was amazed at the hundreds of rice paddies that terraced the land, land that has been planted and harvested for a hundred generations or more. Lanh saw that there were fish traps in every pond or lake they passed, even ponds so small that she would never think of trying to fish. As they traveled north, she saw little villages hidden behind ancient defensive walls, and spreading cities with their towering apartment buildings springing up like giant beehives. Don explained that in the warmer weather the Korean farmers grew vegetables wherever they could, which included the very edge of the road.

Finally, they arrived at Osan air base and stepped off base to check out the stores and shops just outside the main gate, there were easily ten times the number of shops near Kunsan. Then they returned to base and sought out the housing office. "We are considering a follow-on assignment from Kunsan and want to see what the housing is like," Don explained to the woman in the office. She handed them a map and a series of floor plans, and they walked over to look at the nearest tower.

"On-base housing for accompanied enlisted is in one of three towers here, this is the Seorakasan tower which has the smaller units," said the housing representative.

"Do we have to dry squid on the patio?" asked Lanh. "I can learn if we have to." Lanh was in a feisty mood for some reason, and she was just being a wise guy.

"Generally, our tenants prefer to barbecue out on the patio," smiled the housing representative. "How many children do you have?"

"We don't..." Lanh's voice caught; she still has problems when she tries to answer that question.

"We're trying to adopt," said Don.

"Oh," the housing representative, a middle-aged woman from somewhere in the Midwest looked saddened. "Look, don't take my word for it, but you know the adoption probably won't happen while you're over here, right?"

"What do you mean?" asked Lanh.

"Talk to your lawyer, you have an adoption lawyer, right? Talk to them first," implored the woman. "I heard that an accompanied tour overseas would set you back and you have to start the process all over again from square one."

It wasn't fair! They were here, falling in love with a foreign country with the means to stay here, and suddenly, now that they're making headway on the adoption, it was all unraveling. Lanh buried her face in Don's chest and tried not to cry. The rest of the day in Osan was miserable for her. They did some shopping and found a tailor that could make jackets with an American Legion patch for Ralph and Duong along with their names and their post number, they had them made in less than an hour. However, the joy was sucked out of the day for Lanh, and they returned to Kunsan quietly, cuddling together on The Wheels, thinking of what might have been.

Later that night Don emailed their adoption attorney who responded before Lanh flew back home, yes, the lady at housing was correct, their best bet was to come back home, get their baby and then go globe hopping.

CANNON AFB, NM

On the Ass End of Nowhere

They were still unpacking their hold baggage as they settled in base housing in the one place they didn't want to be, but they needed to be stateside to finish up the adoption before they could travel again, maybe England or Italy next. Lanh had sent her new phone number to everyone she knew and the first person to call was a complete shock.

"Doctor Lanh Huong Campbell! I can't believe it!" gushed Sydney as she and Lanh talked in their first gab session in years.

"That's me, doctor of speech pathology, now I know exactly why my English and my Vietnamese get mixed up!"

"Can you fix it?" asked Syd.

"Yeah, but what would be the fun in that? Don submitted his thesis months ago; we're still waiting for word from on high."

"How did you two fast track it so much?"

"It was the book!" exclaimed Lanh, "the university wants their doctoral candidates published, and when they found out we published our book right out of high school it was huge brownie points for both of us."

"What about the baby? Did your two years in Osan set you back that far?"

"Nah, we're good, Huy acted as our legal representative, and everything kept moving along." Then in a conspiratorial tone Lanh added "I had Don assembling baby furniture before he shipped out." Right now, Don was on Temporary Duty in Saudi Arabia with a detachment keeping eye on the middle east.

"You're that close?" Sydney practically squealed.

"Maybe," Lanh couldn't hold back anymore, and she let the secret out, "a little Thai girl, nine months old, her name is Sue Lin."

"I'm so happy for you! So, what made you change your mind, what made you decide to take the follow-on to Osan?"

"When we got back to The Kun," said Lanh using the popular nickname for Kunsan, "Don told me "Look, we're spending money faster than we can make it on this adoption and there's no guarantee. We can do a tour in Osan, the paperwork is ready to sign. Let's see what Huy can do for us," so we emailed Huy, and he said he'd represent us in the adoption. In the end, Don serving in the Air Force was a plus."

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Athens, GA

University of Georgia coed Karole Krigbaum woke with a start. The beautiful, tall, buxom blond was being shaken awake by her roommate. "What? Was I snorin'? Ah'm sorry if I were." Karole's southern accent was so thick you could mortar a brick wall with it.

"No, you were talking about HIM again in your sleep," said her roommate Norma Rodriguez. Norma is a junior like Karole, and like Karole is a strikingly beautiful woman, but she is almost Karole's polar opposite. Where Karole's figure is lush and curvaceous, Norma is athletic and firm with B cup breasts that never needed a bra. Karole's breasts are large and heavy, and her nipples are always erect, and she often thought of breast reduction surgery. The only thing that came between her and the knife, besides the cost, was Norma talking her down off the ledge.

"Who is HIM?" demanded Karole.

"You know, Reggie? Your mystery man?"

"Oh shee-it. Reggie is an imaginary baby. Ah always wanted ta name mah baby after mah daddy, 'cept ah don't know who he is. Hell, the way my bitch momma slept aroun', mah daddy coulda been HER daddy. So, when ah were a kid ah decided ah'd name my baby Reggie and tell everyone that was mah daddies name."

"You're so fucked up," said Norma shaking her head, "I knew better than to get involved with white trash."

"Beaner!"

"Fuck you!" snarled Norma.

"Eat my pussy," demanded Karole.

"Only if you say please."

Karole looked into Norma's deep brown eyes. "Por favor mi amor?"

Norma smiled and settled down between Karole's long legs which spread wide invitingly. "I love it when you talk sexy," she sighed and took a slow gentle lick of Karole's pussy. Norma and Karole were indeed lovers, or more accurately LUGs, Lesbian Until Graduation. Both wanted sex, but neither wanted entanglement and pregnancy, neither was a lesbian, in fact most of their best sex was fired and inspired by a hot new guy that either one saw, or by a particularly hot actor on the movie they were watching. It was an arrangement of convenience that both enjoyed but both knew that it wouldn't last.

Karole propped herself up on her elbows and watched Norma tease and flicker her clit with her long, practiced tongue. Damn! If only Mickey Fields, the boy who took her virginity, could have done her the way Norma does her, maybe he'd still be around. Norma looked up and saw Karole looking down on her, feasting on the sight of Norma's beautiful brown skin against Karole's wintertime classroom pallor, Gawd! If she only had a dick! Norma winked at Karole then suddenly launched an attack on Karole's clit that had the statuesque blond throw herself back on the bed in boneless ecstasy. Sucking hard Norma tongue lashed Karole into delirium. While Karole writhed in ecstasy, Norma shifted around and was now crouching over Karole in the classic 69 position, but she didn't force herself on Karole, that's not how they play.

When Karole finally opened her eyes and saw Norma's moist brown pussy perched above her Karole reached up through her euphoric delirium and pulled Norma's hips down to her so she could get to that delectable pussy. Norma's pussy was an entire pallet of colors, her beautiful tan skin darkened as it got closer to her labia which were so dark they were almost black, but when you spread them, her pussy was a pretty, glowing pink. Unless she was really turned on, then her labia were quite swollen and there was a flush red undertone to her skin color... like now.

Karole sucked on two fingers, getting them good and wet, then slid them into Norma's hot, steamy pussy then began finger fucking her slowly, steadily, all the while suckling on her trembling clit. "Ohhh, fuck me you bitch," groaned Norma as Karole began her assault on Norma's pussy and clit. Karole felt Norma slide two fingers into her pussy, and they began fucking each other as they sucked and slobbered on each other's clits. Soon both girls were gasping and shrieking into each other's cunts, their bodies shaking and trembling as they came on each other's tongue, waves of elation and sexual release crashed over them as they came explosively.

Exhausted from their workout, Norma and Karole curled up in Karole's bed, their bodies trembling with aftershocks. "Gawd dawg, that was a good one girl!" Karole finally gasped. She loved their quickies.

"You ain't so bad yourself," Norma said as she kissed Karole's large breast.

"Don't you go getting' me all riled up again," Karole warned, "Ah'll have ta whup your skinny ass."

Norma ignored the threat and kissed Karole's nipple. "What got you thinking about Reggie?"

"Ah don't know, ah ain't thought 'bout him in two... no... three years now." She thought about it for a long time. "There was an ol' witch that lived out in the Okefenokee swamp, Grandma Noah she call herself. Ah don't know if she were a witch, but she said she was and she were plenty spooky, so that were good enough for me. Ah'd row out there in an ol' wooden boat fishin' for catfish and ah'd bring her some, and she'd tell me things. She tol' me that ah was gunna have five childrens total, four of 'em before I were thirty, and my first-born boy I'd call Reggie, which really freaked me out because I had already decided I was going to call my baby Reggie an ah never tol anyone." Karole also remembered that the old woman told her that the real pain would start and end long before she was pregnant with Reggie.

"Is that true?" asked a skeptical Norma.

"Honest injun," said Karole holding up three fingers in a boy scout salute.

"That's not very politically correct... did she tell you about me?" Norma asked.

"Oh, hell no!" said Karole, hoping her lie was convincing, Grandma Noah told her all about Norma years before Karole met the leggy Hispanic beauty.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

The doorbell rang and Lanh answered it, she was just finishing up painting the nursery a perfect pastel pink, a color she and Don agreed upon years ago, before she found out that she was... that she couldn't... before they started the adoption process. She opened the door and saw a full bird colonel and a lieutenant colonel standing there both wearing flight suits along with the first sergeant, Senior Master Sergeant David Olson. Dave's wife was a good friend of Lanh's at the Enlisted Wives Club. "Mrs. Campbell?" the colonel asked in a polite tone of voice.

"It's ok," she told herself when her heart started fluttering, "they're smiling. People who tell you your husband is dead don't smile at you."

"Doctor Campbell," she corrected. She loved doing that, and she was beginning to wonder if she went through all that schooling just to be able to say that.

"Yes, that's one of the things that we're here about Mrs. Campbell," the lieutenant colonel said.

Lanh pointed to herself and said "Doctor Campbell if you don't mind lieutenant colonel. We have both earned our titles."

The full colonel's eyes opened wide, "I'm sorry, we didn't realize that you were a doctor also."

"Also..." her eyes suddenly brightened, "also? You mean my Don made it?" She squealed with glee and threw her arms around the colonel and kissed his cheeks.

"May we come in ma'am... sorry, doctor?"

"Yes, please, come in..." As they entered, they took off their flight caps and stuffed them in their leg pockets. She gave sergeant Olson a good-natured fist bump, both of them ended the bump by spreading their fingers out wide to simulate an explosion. "Can I offer you some coffee?"

"Only if you have some made, otherwise we're good," said the full bird.

"It's a shame, I was just getting ready to make Vietnamese coffee."

"We will all take some," said Dave as he sat down at the dinner table. The colonels looked at him in shock, but he said, "Believe me sir, if you like coffee, you can't miss this."

"Dave and Lydia have been here before," said Lanh.

"Her Vietnamese fried noodles are outstanding!" said Dave.

"My folks have a Vietnamese restaurant up north," she said. "Don's the real cook, they put him in the kitchen because he can't wait tables."

"You guys wait tables?"

"Everyone works. In my family, counting the spouses, there's two lawyers, a psychologist, a doctor of agronomy, an agronomist, two accountants with MBAs, a doctor of speech pathology, and now a Doctor of Education. We all work for má and ba unless we're on the farm working for Don's dad." She sat a cup in front each of the colonels then bustled back into the kitchen saying, "We also have a professor of ancient English literature, but he's blind so takes care of the kids when we're working."

"And you all work at the restaurant?" asked the full bird colonel.

"Uh huh, my folks are semi-retired now so my oldest sister Tam, she's the chair of the psychology department at Bemidji State, she's the official manager, but my sister-in-law Rosa is the real driving force there now." Lanh put a cup in front of Dave and sat down. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your names."

"Lanh," said Dave, "this is Colonel Daniel Gilliam, the wing commander, and this is lieutenant colonel Joseph Dawson, our squadron commander."

"So, they accepted Don's doctoral thesis? He's going to be so happy," smiled Lanh. "I knew writing that book was going to amount to something!"

"Book?" Lieutenant Colonel Dawson looked perplexed.

"Don and I are published, hang on a second..." Lanh got up and went into a storage room and came out with two copies of Journey to Freedom, then autographed each copy and handed them to the colonels. "It was a high school term paper that he wrote. We had a teacher that didn't like Vietnamese and he wrote this paper to show her what my family went through to get here." She smiled a dreamy smile as she sat down. "He called all of my relatives, my siblings helped him with translations as he took down their stories and he did it all as a surprise for me. Our school was so impressed that they made enough copies for my family at our wedding, and it was in such demand they went ahead and published it. I helped edit and bump up the narrative while he was in basic training."

"Wow," said Colonel Gilliam. "Just wow." He read the back of the book's jacket, "State record in 200 freestyle?"

"It still stands," nodded Lanh as she pointed to Don's medal and certificate on the wall.

"And you were his coach?" said Lt. Col. Dawson as he read further down on the back of the book.

"Yeah, unofficial, but Coach Mach asked me to help coach him and another swimmer, she won gold too and is now running my parent's restaurant. She ended up marrying my brother Bao."

"Just wow," agreed Lt. Col. Dawson.

"So why are you two gentlemen here? Just to tell me that Don's doctoral thesis has been approved?"

"Well... no. That is part of it, however. Doctor Campbell, in the past, did they ever prank your husband when he got promoted?"

At eleven thirty that evening, Dave Olson showed up to drive Lanh over to the Wing command post where Colonel Gilliam has his office. The colonel met her at the door and escorted her into his plush office. "Thank you for joining us in this little game doctor," he said as he opened the door for her.

"I was part of the prank when he made tech," she said then gasped as she saw the crowd in the office, along with herself, Col. Gilliam, and SMSgt Olson, there was Lt. Col. Dawson, Chief Master Sergeant Jackson the chief of maintenance, Colonel Winston the deputy commander for maintenance SMSgt Donaldson, Don's flight chief, and others that Colonel Gilliam introduced but Lanh was so overwhelmed she couldn't remember their names or positions. "We got time," said Dan Gilliam, "Let's line up for a photo for Doctor and Doctor Campbell."

As they lined up with Lanh in the front holding a certificate her head swam, the colonel said, "Doctor and Doctor Campbell," a dream she could barely imagine on that cold Minnesota evening fifteen years ago at the truck stop where she agreed to tutor Don has come true. She looked at the photo on her phone when they were done and almost wept with joy and pride. Chairs were brought forward, and the group crowded around the commander's desk as Don's shop chief SMSgt Donaldson explained to Lanh what was happening in Saudi Arabia at the moment. "Don was called into the detachment commander; Major Highway's office and the major is treating him like he's in trouble."

"Hershey?" asked Lanh.

"You know Major Highway?"

Lanh nodded, "I know his wife, Melissa."

"Ok, all you have to do is tell the truth, tell Don that you were driven to the wing commander's office at midnight and you're worried. Ok? That's when Major Highway will tell Don about his promotion and then the colonel will tell Don about his degree."

Lanh smiled, "ok, but I have good news for him too, is that ok?"

Just then the phone rang, and Colonel Gilliam put it on speaker. "Sir, this Airman Cross at Det 37, Major Highway has Sergeant Campbell in his office, and they are waiting for you to come on the line."

"Thank you, airman, go ahead and transfer us when you're ready."

Soon Lanh heard the familiar voice of Major Highway "Ma'am, this is Major Dale Hershey, commander of Det 37 of the 4404^th provisional wing here at King Aziz-Abdul Airbase, please standby for Sergeant Campbell." Then in the background she could hear Dale say to Don "At ease sergeant, take this. It's your wife."

Don came on the line as the phone was handed to him, "What the... Hello? Honey?" He was clearly unnerved by whatever was going on over there.

Now it was Lanh's turn. The assembled officers and NCOs were unprepared for the transformation that came over Doctor Campbell's voice. "Don! What wrong? They drag me to wing commander office to talk to you at midnight! Are you ok?" Her voice now had a deep Vietnamese accent, her words were barely discernable English. They didn't know, but Don knew that when she was upset English became difficult for her to speak.

In the background they could hear Major Highway hand a note to Don and told him to read it. There was a slight pause then "Oh you sons of... you got me."

"Baby what!" cried Lanh.

"I made master sergeant baby; I'm getting promoted."

Lanh whooped and said, "Oh I'm so happy for you! And let Highway know that this was the best trick yet!"

"You were in on this too?" he asked.

"Oh yes, we had a long talk this afternoon." Lanh finally dropped the excited accent, "they visited me today and told me what they would do, I'm on the autovon phone in Colonel Gilliam's office, he has news for you too, but not as good as mine. Here's Daniel..."

The Wing Commander leaned into the speaker phone and said, "Sergeant Campbell, this is Colonel Gilliam."

"Yes sir," Don sounded both nervous and relieved.

"I've been in the Air Force over twenty years," said Colonel Gilliam, "and in my entire career I've never, ever had the opportunity to say the following words, so here goes. I received notice from the base education office that the University of New Mexico at Portales has approved your doctoral thesis. Congratulations Doctor Campbell, you are a PhD. Major Hershey will hand you a copy of the notice I received."

Don sounded choked up when he finally said, "Thank you, sir, this is exciting news."

"No, thank YOU Doctor Campbell, I want to see you in my office in seventy-two hours. Let's talk bootstrap. Here's the other Doctor Campbell."

Lanh was trembling, and bootstrap? That's the USAF program to promote enlisted airmen into the officer corps. But her news was better. She leaned into the phone and said, "Honey, we only have a few minutes, but I got the call yesterday from the adoption agency, everything has been approved! On Christmas eve the agency will come to our house to sign the final papers and Sue Lin will be our baby!"

A sudden surprised cheer went up in the office at her announcement that almost drown out Don's howl of excitement. After a series of protracted goodbyes Colonel Gilliam hung up the phone and said "Wow, that was good news!"

Lanh grinned her impish smile, "I was painting the nursery this afternoon when you stopped by."

"That makes Don the first man off the airplane in a couple of days!" said Don's commander. It was tradition that the father of any baby born during a deployment is the first off of the transport when they return to home base. "One more day of flying and they pack up to come home. Our relief plane takes off in a few hours."

Lanh nodded, "We've been waiting so long."

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

"REGGIE!" shrieked Karole Krigbaum. It was five o'clock in the morning and she and her roommate don't have classes today they're on Christmas break, but she needs her sleep, Norma has to get up early to catch her flight home for Christmas vacay.

Her cry woke Norma who turned and kneeled over her panicked roommate. It has been over a month since the last time she dreamed of Reggie. Previously she just mutters and murmurs his name, but this is different, this is a gut twisting nightmare. "Karole, wake up, it's just a dream," she said as she tried to rouse Karole. But Karole put her hands on her flat tummy, her head rocking from side to side, her eyes open wide in terror.

"I'm losing Reggie! I'M LOSING REGGIE!"

"Karole, please, it's just a dream baby." She tried shaking Karole's shoulders which seemed to help. She got up and wet a washcloth with bottled water and returned to the bed and wiped Karole's sweat soaked face.

"It hurts... it hurts..." she groaned then sank back into a fitful slumber.

"What the fuck," whispered Norma as she got in bed and held Karole tight.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Both the doorbell and her cell phone woke Lanh, it was still dark out! She thought it might be time to milk the cows, but she wasn't in her cozy apartment in Minnesota. She pulled on Don's huge Turkish robe, the one that still smells like him, and shuffled to the front door. A bleary glance at her phone showed three calls in a row and several unread messages, she shouldn't have had that wine when she got home. Opening the door, she saw it was Colonel Gilliam again, and the first sergeant Dave Olson, and the chaplain Father Carl, their faces were gray as ash and set hard. "No," she gasped.

"Lanh, can we come in?" asked Dave softly.

"NO!" she screamed, her plaintive cry echoed across the houses and startled early risers as they prepared to head in to work. She sagged to her knees weeping "No... no... no..."

Their neighbor in their duplex apartment saw who was at the doorstep heading in for a day of early flying saw the men at Lanh's door and ducked into the house and called to his wife, "Darcy, there's a colonel and a first sergeant next door," his wife was almost back in bed when he added "They have the chaplain with."

Darcy's eyes flew wide open. That only means one thing. "Shit!" Darcy threw on her robe and slippers "Oh god damn it, Shit!" she raced across the lawn to her neighbor's front door and barged past the first sergeant and crouched down with Lanh who was chanting "Không phải Donovan của tôi" (Not my Donovan) as she wept.

"Lanh, it's Darcy, I'm here for you," but Lanh was unresponsive.

Another woman also wearing a robe appeared, "Honey, it's me, Lydia Olson, we're here for you." The first sergeant's wife looked at Darcy, "Let's get her inside, it's freezing out here." She looked up at her husband who gently knelt down and scooped the shuddering tiny Asian woman into his arms and lifted her up out of the light snow. She weighed almost nothing. He carried her into the house and sat her on the couch where Darcy and Lydia could sit on either side of her. Colonel Gilliam knelt in front of Lanh who was a thousand miles away emotionally.

"We just got a call, we don't have a lot of details, but there's been an accident. Your husband is alive, but he's been injured and is going to be airlifted to Wiesbaden hospital in Germany." The colonel suddenly looked incredibly old. "If you want, we can delay our flight and reroute in into Germany and drop you off so you can be with Don, would you like that?"

Lanh wordlessly nodded; her hands knotted into a ball on her lap.

"We had several people injured," the exhausted looking Colonel said, "I have more calls to make, but I will fly with you to Germany."

But Lanh wasn't registering what the Colonel was saying, her angel was in the room now. Tall and beautiful and definitely a woman her angel had long platinum hair that became purple at the tips "Come on honey, let's pack, we're going to go see Don," said the angel. Lanh has been seeing this angel on and off for years, but this was the first time she ever saw the angel clearly.

"Go see Don," repeated Lanh.

"That right," said Darcy as Lanh got up off the couch and moved toward the bedroom, almost sleep walking.

"Get your bag," whispered the angel, but Lanh froze.

"He's dead," she gasped in terror.

"No!" the angel crouched and looked in Lanh's eyes, the angel has pale green eyes, "He's alive, he's hurt, but he told me to tell you he's ok, and he loves you." That cheered the shattered little Asian a bit and she reached in her closet and pulled out her duffel bag, the one she took to Korea. For her part Darcy saw Lanh start to panic, then suck it up and start packing.

"That girl is made of iron," Darcy said to herself, "she got up and she's doing it right."

"Ok," said the Angel, "we have underwear, shirts, skirts, slacks, what else?"

"I don't know," Lanh muttered, her brain was numb, she couldn't think.

"Let's get a nightgown, something Don will like, but not too sexy, don't want to get his doctors all hot and bothered." Lanh finished packing clothes and the angel guided her on packing her purse, "Get your passport, that's right, wallet, make sure your ID card is in in there, get your address book, good. Now change, you're in your pajamas still." She dressed in white stockings, a knee length dark plaid skirt of green, blue, and black, the Clan Campbell tartan, a white blouse with a notched collar, and a black cardigan sweater. With her reading glasses and her hair pulled back in a severe ponytail she looked like a sad Asian schoolgirl.

A black woman with blond hair in long cornrows was in the living room with Darcy, the Enlisted Woman's Club had sprung into action. Word went out and everyone knows what to do, luckily there's no children or pets, so the closest member raced over to Lanh's house, she is Laquisha Washington her husband, a tech sergeant, is heading out on this next deployment, she dropped him off at the air terminal over an hour ago. "Oh honey," wept Laquisha and smothered Lanh in a huge, motherly hug. "He's alive! If there's life there's hope, so he's going to be fine!"

"Listen to her," said the angel, "she's right."

"You go to Germany and be with your man," continued Laquisha holding Lanh out at arm's length. "He needs you now, more than he needs those Army doctors. And when he's all better, you whup that boy's ass for giving us all such a scare, ok?"

Lanh sniffed and nodded, then said, "I got something for you." Her angel had reminded her what's in the freezer. She walked into the kitchen and returned with an armload of lefsa, folded, wrapped, and frozen. She gave some to Laquisha and Darcy and put some in her purse.

"What is this?" asked Darcy.

"Oh girl! You made me lefsa? Oh, you are so sweet! I ain't never gonna talk trash about you behind your back again for a whole week!"

Darcy looked shocked that Laquisha would say something like that to Lanh, but Lanh just shrugged and said, "She's just trying to cheer me up."

"Ats right," said Laquisha, "Ain't no way to talk smack about my girl Lanh no matter how hard you try. When I grow up, I wanna be just like her." While Laquisha expounded on Lanh's lefsa, or as Laquisha called them "tater tortillas" Lanh wandered back into the main bedroom and reached into Don's top dresser drawer where all sorts of interesting things slept and extracted a switch blade knife. The blade is razor sharp, sharp enough to shave a frog's ass, as Don would say.

"Awww honey, you won't need that," whispered her angel, "he's going to be ok."

"I can't take that chance," sniffed a shattered Lanh as she slipped it in her purse. In case the angel is wrong, and Don doesn't make it, that knife is for Lanh's wrists so she can join him right away.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Swan 207, a charter DC-10 taking air force personnel from Holloman and Canon air force bases to King Abdul Aziz air base in Saudi Arabia and Incirlik air base in Turkey, sat at the end of runway 27 for over an hour. There was nothing they could do, when the "wing king" says "wait" you wait. Folks groaned and complained, but that's what enlisted people do. In fact, enlisted people believe it's their right to "bitch and moan." Finally, the plane's engines spooled up and the plane began to move, but only to taxi back to the ramp in front of the control tower and the building known as Base Ops where it shut down all three engines.

A large fuel truck pulled up to the plane and hooked up. The entire compliment of airmen groaned; the truck meant another delay. After what seemed like forever the truck disconnected and another truck pulling aircraft entry stairs pulled up to the plane and three people got on. Now the groaning started for real, they were held up for a bunch of misfit no-shows.

Colonel Gilliam, Lieutenant Colonel Dawson, and Lanh took seats in the forward center section of the aircraft where the traveling pilots were all sitting. Lanh's angel took a seat in front of her and occasionally turned around and peeked over the top of the seat back at her. "Call Ralph," her angel whispered, "before you take off and put your phone away."

Lanh nodded sadly and took her phone out and hit her number two speed dial. The phone rang twice and now Lanh heard her mother-in-law "Hello?"

"It's Lanh." That's all she could get out.

"Good morning, Doctor Lanh," said Sandy cheerfully.

"Momma," sniffed Lanh trying to choke back the tears. "I need to talk to papa. It's important and I don't have time."

"He's right here sweetheart, Ralph?"

Sandy handed the phone to Ralph, "It's Lanh dear, and she doesn't sound well, something is going on."

"Hello? Are you ok Lanh?"

"It's Don poppa, he's been hurt. I don't know how bad it is. They're flying me to Germany right now to see him."

The cold pit of ice that fear builds in your stomach suddenly burst to life in Ralph's gut. The first time he felt this terror the marine barracks in Lebanon was bombed killing 241 of his brothers. He still carries a wound from that day, but the fear is there and he prayed that he would never feel it again. But he felt it when he was told his Emily had cancer and he felt it every day of that horrible year that it took his Emily to die, and now his boy! His only child dying in another country, Ralph never felt so helpless in his life. But he's got to buck up for his beautiful daughter in law, she's counting on him. "I'm sure he's ok," said Ralph unconvincingly, he had to get off the phone before he puked, but this was Lanh, "You give him our love and tell him to get home soon, ok darling?"

"I will, thank you poppa."

"Lanh... baby girl... I love you."

"I love you too poppa."

With a shaking hand Ralph slowly hung up the phone, but he ended up dropping it on the floor... he's never felt so old and so useless in his life. He's a marine! He should be better than this, stronger, he should shake this off with a laugh and get back to work. When he turned around and looked at his wife, she knew it was bad, whatever it was.

Just then Kim-ly strolled into the dining room full of vim and vigor, flexing her arms like a body builder putting on a "gun show." She just came in from the barn where she hauled down a couple of bales of hay for this evening's milking. "All done! I moved two hundred and fifty tons of hay in five minutes!" She flexed her arms like Hulk Hogan and tried to imitate Randy "Macho Man" Savage. "Oh yeah! Them cows is gonna eat good tonight!" Then she noticed Ralph's face, he was ashen, he looked like he aged fifty years in the past five minutes. "What's wrong poppa?" she said in a small voice.

"It's Don, he's been hurt," he said in a shaky voice. "Hurt bad, Lanh is flying to Germany now to be with him."

"Oh shi..." The room went dark, and her eyes rolled back in her head, Kim-ly never finished her expletive as she fainted, her secret love for Don still a secret.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

As the big three engine passenger/cargo jet taxied out to the end of runway, the flight engineer came back and leaned over the seat back and said to Colonel Gilliam, "Sir, we may have to delay eighteen hours, with the temperature rising and our fuel load we may not have enough runway..."

Colonel Gilliam dismissed the flight officer with a wave of his hand. "Use the overruns, both ends if you have to." And that was that.

The warmer the temperature gets the less dense the air becomes, and an airplane's wings are not able to generate as much lift. Cannon AFB has a very short runway, 4,295 feet and has traditionally supported fighters and C/AC/MC-130 aircraft which do not need a long runway, but a DC-10 needs a lot of concrete ahead of it to take off, even in December it can be too warm for a loaded DC-10 to take off, especially with a belly full of fuel.

The flight officer returned to the cockpit with Col. Gilliam following. The pilot was reviewing his revised flight plan. "What the fuck is this crap, Ramstein? Who authorized this mess?"

"I did," said Colonel Gilliam and very softly he explained that he was transporting Lanh to Ramstein Air Base to be with her husband who was gravely injured. "Any questions?"

"Not a one," said the pilot, a retired USAF B-52 driver. He turned to his co-pilot, a recently retired Navy P-8 Poseidon flier. "Let's get that lady to Germany."

"Aye, aye skipper," and soon the big plane pulled onto the runway and turned to face into the west, ready to take off. The engines revved, their pitch growing higher, the scream getting louder, the engines started to roar and the plane started to roll... backwards.

The pilot had engaged the reverse thrusters and began backing the plane onto the soft overrun as far back as he dared while the Control Tower counted the distance to the edge of the runway.

"Ten feet... five feet... two feet... that'll do." There the giant plane stopped, its tail hanging out over the desert and inches from striking the approach lights.

Again the engines began to roar, the passengers, all flight savvy technicians and air crews looked at each other in excitement. They knew they were on the overrun, this was unbelievable! The engines began to rev up until the plane was shaking roughly, the roar of the engines was tremendous and occasionally a shout of excitement could be heard from the passengers, then with a jerk the plane lurched forward and began its takeoff roll.

Every bump and expansion joint on the ancient runway could be felt and heard as the DC-10 rumbled along going faster and faster, gaining speed and momentum. The pilots and Electronic Warfare Officers that sat around Lanh knew this runway intimately, so they knew every bump and thump of their progress, and each one of them knew in their soul that they weren't carrying enough speed to get airborne. But 4,350 feet later the big old bird clawed its way into the air and struggled upward finally holding a steady altitude of 300 feet. There, with the landing gear retracted and a little bit of downward angle it gained speed. Engines continuing to shriek, the big jet began a wide sweeping turn toward the north, howling as it now began to show her speed and muscled her way into the sky. It proudly gained altitude moving faster and faster it began to lift her nose and leave New Mexico in her wake.

When finally at long last, the seatbelt light went off Lanh's angel popped her head over the seat and said, "You have to go potty."

"Ok," Lanh said aloud and unbuckled, her seatbelt.

"Pardon?" asked Colonel Gilliam thinking she was talking to him.

"I have to use the bathroom," she said and stood up. The colonel let her out and she walked forward to the toilet. In there she simply reveled in her privacy, completely alone for five minutes, then she was surprised to find out she really did have to go. She's been so sick with worry over Don she began to ignore her bodily clues. She washed her hands, splashed some water on her face, and walked out to bump into Jenny Dolan.

Jenny is a bouncy, cheerful southern belle, a supply specialist senior airman, she is married to a Staff Sergeant in the squadron orderly room. Jenny indirectly works with Don, he's constantly running to her supply section picking up the bits and pieces they need to work on the aircraft, and she's also a member of the Enlisted Wives Club, and she was shocked to see Lanh step out of the bathroom. "Miss Lanh? You can't be on this airplane! Somebody might see you!" She honestly thought that Lanh was a stowaway.

"Oh Jenny," Lanh cried and wrapped her arms around the startled airman.

At the same time, Lieutenant Colonel Dawson got on the intercom. "Men and women of the four twenty nineth, this is Colonel Dawson. Several hours ago, some men and women were seriously injured in a jet blast incident at King Abdul Aziz airbase. Most were enlisted maintenance folks; others were contractors. Many of the details are still coming in, there's a lot we don't know, but what we do know is that the aircraft was not from our unit, but three of the injured are from the 429th Electronic Combat Squadron."

He paused for angered murmuring, but the airplane went silent, three of their own were down. Jet blast incidents, also known to the ground troops as "getting rolled" and "Rag Doll" are generally single item or single person incidents almost always caused by a maintenance person's inattention to the effects of jet exhaust, a piece of equipment left in the wrong place, a person standing in the wrong area. The fact that there were multiple people from multiple organizations told the stunned airmen that this was bad, people don't just line up behind an airplane, this had to be the fault of an inattentive pilot. At King Abdul Aziz there were units from numerous USAF squadrons flying out of there, as were British, French, German, and Saudi Arabian units. There were occasionally "Black" planes which were not actually black, but they carried no markings which distinctly smelled like CIA.

Now Lanh started crying on Jenny's shoulder as Lieutenant Colonel Dawson continued. "What we do know is that the incident was not due to the actions or inactions of any of the injured personnel and that the injured are now being medevacked to Wiesbaden Medical Center in Ramstein Germany."

Now the men and women of the 429th knew their first suspicions were right, some airplane driver fucked up bad.

"Aww, honey," gasped Jenny, "it was Don, wasn't it?" All Lanh could do was nod as she tried to choke back her tears. "Come on, we'll sit down right here," then Jenny glared at a lieutenant that was sitting where she wanted Lanh to sit. "Outta the way, dumbass." The lieutenant scrambled to get out of the way, if you want a plane to fly, you don't mess with supply. Jenny and Lanh took two seats next to a window and another captain, call sign Zoomer had watched where Lanh's carryon was placed. He opened the overhead bin and pulled out a hand stitched quilt that Lanh had carried onboard with her. It was a quilt that Don's mother made for him before she succumbed to cancer. She brought it to comfort Don, and if needed, to be buried with him.

As Jenny covered herself and Lanh with the quilt, Lieutenant Colonel Dawson continued. "We will not be stopping at Shannon Ireland our traditional fueling stop. Before takeoff we took on extra fuel so we could fly to Ramstein, I will be getting off there as will the family of the injured. Our wing commander, Colonel Gilliam is with us and will be flying to Saudi Arabia to lead the investigation." Lieutenant Colonel Dawson handed the microphone to Colonel Gilliam.

As the colonel was about to speak someone from that back of the plane shouted, "Who was it?" another shouted, "Who got hurt?" then someone who saw Lanh board the plane shouted, "It was Sergeant Campbell, wasn't it?"

Colonel Gilliam, commander of the 27th Fighter Wing, clenched his jaw and keyed the mike. "I'm saying this now, so you know what facts we know, keep in mind, we are still learning the details of this incident. The injured from the 429th were Staff Sergeant selectee Wendy Addams, Staff Sergeant selectee Cynthia Daniels, and Master Sergeant selectee Donovan Campbell." A stunned silence fell over the men and women of the 429th, all of the injured were well known and well-liked specialists, all had just found out this morning that they were selected for promotion.

"I can't take it," gasped Lanh softly, all she could picture was a flag draped coffin for her husband.

"It's ok baby," whispered her angel. "You're here among Don's people. You let them love on you some, ok? 'Cause you're going to have to take all that love to Donnie."

"He hates being called Donnie," sobbed Lanh.

"Then I won't never call him that," said Jenny who was confused as to why Lanh would say that. "Now you hush and get some rest. We got a long flight."

Col. Gilliam didn't want to name the injured airmen, but their teammates needed to know and mentioning their names had the desired effect, the plane was silenced, and every ear was listening to him. He needed to say, "Let this be a lesson to you" but this wasn't the time. He wanted to say, "everybody is going to be fine," but the note he received from the flight engineer of Swan 207 made that a lie. He couldn't read it over the intercom, not now, not with Lanh on the plane, maybe after she exits at Ramstein. The note informed him that one of the McDonnell Douglas contractors had died of his injuries. The "Mickey D" contractors were men who worked on aircraft for the McDonnell Douglas corporation. They maintained aircraft for contracting nations like Saudi Arabia and contracting agencies like the DHS and the CIA and had been on King Abdul Aziz for a long time, most of the 429th people knew them because the 429th Electronic Combat Squadron had been on King Abdul Aziz for a long time also. Engine troops like Wendy Addams cycled in and out of King Abdul Aziz twice a year.

The Wing King raised the microphone again and said "If you wish to give Doctor Campbell support, please respect her wishes if she desires privacy. Air crews, top three, on me. Now. Wing Commanders Call." A commander's call is a briefing from your commander, and the term "commanders call" is considered an order to attend his briefing. Although the squadron commander speaks to his people quite often, a wing commanders' call is rare, a wing commander is busy, he's in charge of the entire base and will leave it to his subordinate unit commanders to pass the word on down, many airmen will retire having attended no wing commanders calls in their twenty plus years because they are so rare.

The term "wing commanders call" doesn't simply carry weight, it carries tonnage.

Twenty men in flight suits and seven men in stripes rose and gathered around their wing commander who stood in the open area between seating sections on the wide body jet. "I don't know who did this, and I don't know why," he said without the microphone, "but I will find him, and I will cause him as much pain as that woman is feeling right now." He pointed over to Lanh who still shuddered as she fought back the tears. "Look at her... Any one of us could have done that. And woe to the man that did... what is it lieutenant?" The colonel glared at a young lieutenant who had his hand half raised. "If you're going to tell me that as an EWO you're just a passenger, I will make damn sure that you become a pedestrian for the rest of your life." The commander's outburst was to emphasize that the Electronic Warfare Officer who has no control over the movement of the aircraft is also responsible for ensuring that ground personnel are clear and safe before the aircraft moves. "What do you want?"

"No sir, I was going to say, if there were McDonnell Douglas people injured, that means there were Saudi planes involved." The lieutenant could be correct, McDonnell Douglas contractors performed almost all of the maintenance on Saudi F-15's including end of runway inspections. If the accident were at the end of runway and there were "Mickey D" contractors involved, it could have very easily been a Saudi pilot at fault.

"We will let the investigation determine who or what was at fault before I sink my claws in," frowned the Colonel. Then he pointed at Lanh again and spoke forcefully yet as quiet as he could so she would not hear. "Eight hours ago, I got to tell her husband that he is now a master sergeant. Eight hours ago, I got to tell her husband that his doctoral thesis was approved and he's now a PhD. Eight hours ago I got to tell her husband he was a shoo-in candidate for a commission. Eight fucking hours ago, that woman got to tell her husband that he was going to be the first off the plane when he came back."

The men could almost smell their commander's anger, he was literally trembling with rage but when he said that Don was first off the plane they suddenly deflated. The first man off the plane is that guy whose wife gave birth while he was serving his country, or the guy whose wife tested positive and is waiting to share the news of the new life in her womb. Now he may come off the plane in a flag draped box.

"Now I can't tell her with confidence that he's alive," he said softly, "because some stupid cocksucker didn't look around before he opened the throttle." He made sure he had eye contact with his men, "I will find him, and I will fuck him up. I will disembowel that motherfucker, I don't care whose air force he flies for, I don't care what rank he wears."

His fliers looked completely disheartened. Col. Gilliam finally said "Zoomer, do you know Doctor Campbell?"

"Yes sir, she's quite active in the wives' club. She's like a guardian angel for the new airmen and their wives..." Zoomer words trailed off as he started to run out of gas, the phrase "first off of the plane" was getting to him. He got to be first off the plane once, it was the happiest day of his life when he met his newborn daughter after returning from Operation Allied Front. The little doctor didn't look pregnant, so he didn't understand what was going on. Sometimes it's best not to question.

"Good, she needs a guardian angel now, and it's going to be you. Your orders will be given to you at Ramstein. Whatever she wants, whatever she needs, you will provide, and the same goes for Sergeants Campbell, Daniels, and Addams."

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE HOSPITAL

Wiesbaden, Germany

Captain Allan Zimmerman, call sign Zoomer, tried to keep up with Lanh as she practically sprinted down the long hallways of Wiesbaden hospital. Jenny wanted to accompany her also, but the needs of the 429th outweighed Jenny's desires, she was needed more urgently in Saudi Arabia, even more urgently than Captain Zimmerman, a command pilot.

Lanh hit the ground running when the bus from the Ramstein air base reached the Wiesbaden Air Force Hospital. It was like she was guided by an internal GPS or something as she navigated the winding corridors. She soon found the Intensive Care department, shoved open the door and breezed right past the reception desk. A startled Staff Sergeant behind the desk stood and said "Hey you can't..."

Right behind her, Zoomer called out "Doctor Campbell! Please slow down!" Experience told him two things, one - that she wasn't going to slow down just because he asked, and two - when he said "Doctor Campbell" anyone in the hospital who heard him say that mentally gave Lanh a free pass to do whatever she wanted for at least a few moments. A captain called her a doctor, right? This is a hospital, doctors work here. No one bothered to notice that the badge she was wearing backwards was a visitor's badge. He had no idea how she knew where to go in this maze of hallways and corridors, but she did.

For Lanh it was easy, she just followed her angel, a translucent figure of a woman with purple tipped platinum blond hair. "He's right up here darling," said the angel, "He knows you're coming." Her angel turned and she followed the angel into a room containing four beds that were surrounded by curtains, and for a moment Lanh swore there were two angels, her angel and another one, they looked identical, but the new angel didn't have the purple in her hair. The new angel was standing at the foot of a bed looking forlornly at its occupant. And then they were gone, but Lanh didn't notice their disappearance because she was solely focused on the occupant of the bed, her husband Don.

"Oh baby!" gasped Lanh as she began to cover him with a quilt. "It's ok, I'm here now. I didn't bring our pillowcases, I was afraid they'd get lost, but I brought your mom's quilt, I know how much you love it." she took great care to avoid the multitudes of monitor leads attached to Don, and the respirator hose, not to mention the bandages around his head, chest, stomach, even covering his left eye, and the big ugly cast on his left arm from knuckles to shoulder, the big plastic splint on his right arm, the metal bars bolted to the bones in his hand, it looked like they tried to attach a small leaf rake to his hand.

Once she had him covered, she kicked off her sneakers then shucked her jacket, skirt, and blouse and wearing just panties and a bra she climbed into bed and snuggled under the quilt with him. At this point the staff sergeant from the desk finally caught up with them and demanded in a fearful voice. "Ma'am, you can't be in here!" He was terrified that there would be paperwork for this incident.

Zoomer picked up the clipboard from the end of his bed and looked at the documents that were indecipherable to him, but he stared at them like they were written in plain simple English. He began to decipher that his doctor's name was Ortiz, and that he was running a fever, after that he was lost. He pulled a pen out of a sleeve pocket and stood ready to sign a document should the need arise.

Clipboards are amazing things. If you carry one and review the documents on it, people think you're working and tend to leave you alone. Clipboards make you look smarter than the occasion demands, and they give you an air of responsibility and maybe even an air of respectability. Sometimes, if you play it right, it makes you look like you're getting ready to put people to work which ensures that everyone of lower rank leaves you alone. Clipboards are asshole repelling devices, and Zoomer knows how to wield one like a calvary saber. Having been enlisted prior to becoming an officer, Zoomer could play the game, he looked up from the clipboard and gave SSgt Shaw a look of equal parts boredom and disgust. "Sergeant, if I were you, I would leave the doctor alone."

"Sir! She can't be here!" The sergeant's voice cracked. Lanh heard everything that went on, but she was in bed with Don, and that was more important than anything that the squeaky sergeant had on his plate. Lanh lay on her side on the edge of the bed, her back to the sergeant, the quilt pulled up to cover all but the very top of her head. She wasn't touching Don, but she could feel his warmth, she could smell him, she kissed his bare right shoulder and could taste him.

Staff Sergeant Shaw had enough, he grabbed Lanh's shoulder and shook her. "You need to get out of that bed NOW ma'am." He detected movement under the quilt and thought that Lanh was getting out. He smiled at the victory, but all that happened was her slim arm appeared and raised up, her hand clenched in a fist. There was a loud click and a slim, gleaming blade shot up from her hand pointing straight up. He squealed in shock and stumbled to get away from the evil looking stiletto switchblade. "Y-you saw that, right sir?"

Captain Zimmerman advanced on the panicked sergeant. "What I saw, Staff Sergeant, was you manhandling Master Sergeant selectee Campbell's wife, Doctor Campbell, then I saw you shit yourself when a four-foot, ten inch, eighty-five-pound girl had to defend herself from you."

"I'm four foot nine," came a muffled voice from under the quilt.

Zoomer continued, "What I suggest Sergeant Shaw, is that if you don't want your next promotion to be to Airman First Class, you get Doctor..." he glanced at the clipboard again, "Doctor Ortiz in here ASAP."

Now, truly panicked the sergeant fled from the room, and as he did Captain Zimmerman heard a female voice say, "Is that you Zoomer?"

Another female voice said "Damn Zoomer! When did you grow some balls?"

Zoomer investigated the voices and found Wendy Addams and Cynthia Daniels in two of the beds in the ICU room also. Both were in rough shape, Cynthia was in traction, both women were bandaged heavily, and what parts of their bodies that weren't bandaged were covered in bruises. Beautiful Wendy had both arms broken, a hip smashed and when she hit the rocks her face was fractured, and when that happened, she lost a beautiful blue eye. Cynthia was blown against one of the shelter uprights, breaking her back before she was thrown down onto the rocks with Wendy. The heavy wooden picnic table landed on her smashing her legs. Both had serious internal injuries and have more surgery scheduled tomorrow.

Zoomer thought he was going to throw up. Wendy is one of the greatest engine troops in the Air Combat Command and Cynthia was an Avionics technician who knew the entire auto-pilot system like the back of her hand. When Lieutenant Colonel Dawson arrived with the hospital commander to check on his troops, he found Captain Allen Zimmerman close to fainting from the shock of seeing the people that he depends on to keep him flying shattered like discarded China dolls.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Soon after Lanh arrived Don had improved enough to where they could take him off the ventilator. Lanh never left his side, and she whimpered in sympathy when they extubated him, she couldn't believe how deep the tube went down his throat. With her hand on his shoulder, the only patch of skin she could find not covered by bandages, Lanh held her breath with the nurses and Doctor Ortiz until Don took his first gasping breath. Only then did everyone else in the room realize that they too were holding their breath.

Staff Sergeant Shaw was ordered by Doctor Ortiz to round up a set of scrubs that would fit Doctor Campbell, he searched high and low throughout the hospital under threat of court martial until he found two sets of scrubs that were extra small. "Thank you, sergeant," Lanh said with a haughty attitude. Then she said "I need a stethoscope and a lab coat. Please round those up for me."

"Is she always nasty like that?" Shaw whispered to Zoomer.

"No," said the pilot, "It's just that she never had to threaten to kill someone before." Sergeant Shaw ran off to find a stethoscope for Dr. Campbell.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Colonel Gilliam arrived days later, his investigation angered him, he heard over and over how Don Wendy and Cynthia had End of Runway duty performing final checkout of the last six sorties they were flying followed by a quick safety inspection after they land. It's considered to be vital, exciting, and easy duty and much preferable to cleaning up the duty area before they head back to New Mexico. They were selected for the task because they had just been informed of their selection for promotion.

He cringed every time he heard how a mystery F-15 turned far too soon and opened its throttles, killing one man and injuring over a dozen more. He heard how Don had climbed into his van to speak to somebody on the radio and the jet blast blew Don's truck off the edge of the ramp and down a 15-foot embankment onto huge sharp rocks, then blew another truck down on top of him along with a 150 lbs. fire extinguisher filled with Purple K, a potassium-based fire extinguishing agent. The extinguisher exploded causing Don's rescue to take longer than expected. The cloud of extinguishing agent almost suffocated Don, but it put out a fire that would have killed him.

Mystery F-15s? The airmen he interviewed that were on the end of runway ramp when the incident occurred all said it was an unmarked airplane that did it, the McDonnell Douglas crew would know who was flying them, but they were all in a Saudi Arabian hospital right now. Compounding the problem was that there were aircraft from several units flying that day, and the End of Runway was as crowded as a Walmart parking lot on Black Friday. When Col. Gilliam walked into the Intensive Care Division, he found Don still under sedation and Lanh dressed up in scrubs with the face of Sunshine Bunny! embroidered on the shirt over the pocket, they had located a set of scrubs that were made for a child which explained that annoying rabbit. She was napping in an industrial strength recliner next to Don's bed and she also wore a lab coat and had a stethoscope around her neck. He found that Cynthia Daniels was in surgery and Wendy Addams was a bit loopy from pain medication but willing to talk.

"How are they treating you Sergeant Addams?"

"Ok, I guess. That one doctor we have, she orders Zoomer around a lot, she's pretty awesome. She's trying to get me a laptop so I can email my babies." Wendy smiled, "I have a two-year-old boy and a two-year-old husband," and she chuckled at her joke. Then Wendy gestured the colonel closer "I think the doctor has a thing for Sergeant Don, she's always over there," she gestured toward Don's bed.

"Doctor Ortiz?"

"No, the other one." Wendy looked around then whispered, "The Chinese one."

"That's Don's wife, sergeant."

"Noooo, her name is Doctor Campbell, Don's wife's name is Lanh... uh... wait," realization dawned over the drug addled Wendy. "No fucking shit! I didn't realize that... ooops, sorry sir I meant to say... uh... I meant to say no kidding."

"That's ok sergeant, you're allowed to speak pilot lingo any time you want." Colonel Gilliam sighed, poor Wendy, he remembered her from multiple award ceremonies, she was a beautiful young woman, now her face looks like it had been softened and partially melted, that poor, poor girl... she was in so much pain and so loopy from the medications, he was sure he wouldn't get any good information from her. "Can you tell me what you saw when you got hurt?" he asked as Lieutenant Colonel Dawson and Captain Zimmerman joined him.

Wendy nodded, "A whole bunch of fucking rocks come up and kicked the shit outta me... sir."

Colonel Gilliam tried to remain patient, "before that, sergeant. What caused the accident?"

"It wasn't an accident sir, some useless fucking stick actuator did it on purpose."

The colonel winced, that was a pretty vicious accusation, and the term "stick actuator" was a nasty description of a pilot. "Tell me exactly what you saw, sergeant." He got his notebook out and got ready to write.

"Just before our last two were due at EOR a flight of four F-15GX came up to the end of runway..."

"Wait, F-15GX?"

"Yeah, fifth generation, factory birds, the only marks on them were their tail numbers. Conformal fuel tanks, really stubby weapons pylons, and Pratt and Whitney F115 engines. And each plane was carrying four live bombs..."

"Live bombs? Are you sure?" Colonel was shocked, there was no scheduled live ordnance that day for any unit, including the Saudi air force

Wendy continued, "Yeah, live, you know, green body, yellow stripe around the nose, safety pins on the nose and tail fuses... those inflatable tails... BSU-49 tail fins... the works."

Colonel Gilliam nodded, that's what live bombs look like, she just described the Mk 82 Air, only the USAF and the Navy flies the BSU-49 tail fin. "Why do you say F115 engines?"

"For one thing, the engines on all four planes had turkey feathers." Turkey Feathers are technically called Divergent Nozzle External Segments, they're panels that streamline the exhaust nozzles, but to save weight and remove unnecessary moving parts, the F-15s don't have Turkey Feathers. The F115 engine is still in development, but engine geeks like Wendy have scraped together every detail on the engine as soon as the details leak out, and everything she read says that the F115 engines all have Turkey Feathers. "Second of all, I was looking straight up the burner can when he blew me onto the rocks, I know exactly what the asshole of F100 and F110 engines look like, it weren't neither one."

The wing commander was crushed, even buzzed out of her skull on pain and pain killers, Wendy knew her job better than any sober jet engine mechanic that he has ever met. He has lost a great asset.

"Tell them what happened Wendy," said Zoomer, "tell them what you told me."

Wendy deflated; her buoyant attitude failed her as she brought up the memories. "There were four of these birds and three "Mickey D" factory reps on the EOR crew. They inspected and armed all four birds, but one had a problem. They were there forever, finally three of the planes pulled down to the end of the ramp and turned right to go to the runway while the McDonnell Douglas crew worked the last one. Finally, they buttoned it up."

Wendy's voice caught; her broken face screwed up in pain. "Mac, Don's buddy, the McDonnell Douglas crew chief directed the guy to pull forward, but he didn't, he turned right and opened the throttles. Mac ended up right behind the exhaust when he turned... he went up in flame... Cynthia and I were sitting on the table in the pavilion, we were blown off it... I saw Don's truck crash way past where we landed... I saw another truck land on it... I saw the extinguisher slam into it and explode... I remember hoping that he went quick..." She looked up through her tear-soaked eye and saw Lanh standing next to her, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

The officers stood uncomfortably while Lanh held the weeping young sergeant. She cried for a long time and all three men wished they could join her; hating themselves for forcing herself to relive the trauma. This was the most emotionally painful week they've ever experienced. All three men have been through war, they know what it is to be shot at, but when someone does something this thoughtless and causes this much pain and injury, it's beyond comprehension. Finally, Lanh pulled out her phone and showed Wendy a picture that Don had sent her. It was Don standing next to an older man in front of a big gray F-15, the tail of the plane was clearly blank of insignia but it had a series of numbers. The text message was the words "My next boss?"

"That was Mac," said Wendy, her voice hoarse, "he was always trying to poach Don away from the Air Force."

"Here's your mystery plane," said Lanh and handed her phone to Colonel Gilliam, then went to find a nurse, Wendy needs something for the pain.

KING ABDUL AZIZ AIR BASE

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

98 Hours ago

Don remembered getting in the step-van and closing the door so he could hear what the person on the other end of the radio was trying to tell him. He sat in the driver's seat and reached for a pencil to write down the info that was being sent to him and suddenly he was weightless. The truck filled with hot JP8 jet fuel fumes, and he and the truck were flying sideways through the air. The ramp is built up high off the desert floor and the edge of the ramp is a steep drop onto huge sharp edge boulders.

Instinctively he gripped the steering wheel, and he remembered thinking "I asked those kids to clean out this truck" because all manner of loose objects were floating in the air inside the truck, including him. He almost got back in the driver's seat when the driver side of the truck slammed into the ground, he slammed into the side of the truck and the sharp rocks that came through the window. Then something very heavy hit the truck, bending it causing the steering wheel to clamp him against the door. He felt bones in his chest, shoulder and his left arm break, and in his blurry vision he realized that the truck he was parked next to had been blown over on top of him, and then came a soft explosion which drove the passenger door down on him breaking even more bones and breaking his right arm, then everything went purple. It was Purple K - firefighting agent. Someone was trying to put a fire out... or a Purple K extinguisher exploded.

Now a woman appeared through the purple fog. She had platinum blond hair and a kind face... was this mom? God how he missed his mother, almost as much as he missed Lanh. Through the searing pain and the choking purple dust he gasped "Tell Lanh I'm ok," she'll forgive him this little lie. It got hard to breath, the steering wheel was crushing his left lung and ribcage, his heart ached with every beat, not romantically, something was stabbing his heart. He realized that he was in a steel coffin. At least he wasn't alone, the blond kept telling him that Lanh loves him, and she reminded Don of the good times, fishing out on the pond, milking the cows together with Lanh, the joy on Lanh's face when she birthed her first calf.

"I'm tired, I'm going to go to sleep," he muttered as everything grew dark.

"NO!" shrieked the lady, "Stay with me Don! Lanh needs you! Krissy needs you! I need you! Don, I love you!"

Don tried to claw his way out of the pit he was sinking into, only three women on earth has ever told him "I love you," his mom Emily, his wife Lanh, and his sister-in-law Kim-ly which she immediately said was because she had been drinking, but she never recanted. Who was this woman? It hurt so much to breath, "maybe I should just stop..." but he heard voices. He tried to call out, but he couldn't inhale, he couldn't fill his lungs to shout. It hurt so bad, and only NOW did he realized how stupid his suicidal thoughts in the past were.

The blond was shouting at the voices Don heard but he didn't think they heard him. He started sliding down into that pit again and the blond started pleading with him, "Please Don, stay with us, I'm going to have a baby and you're going to love her, she's going to be so cute, she's going to call you "My Mister Don" and you're going to read her books and teach her to count, and Lanh will love her so much too but you have to stay with me Don... I can't do it alone..."

He was almost gone when his coffin began to open up, he could see the sun and he could hear voices around him, the pretty lady continued telling him about Lanh, and he relaxed as he was cut free and strapped to a stretcher. The weight was finally off his chest, and he could breathe but it was like his lungs weren't working, he was panting but still out of breath. "Deep breaths Don!" called the blond, "In through the nose, out through the mouth!"

"Oh two is at fifty five!" shouted one voice.

"Give him oxygen! Ten liters!" shouted another.

A mask was put over his mouth and nose and it became easier to breathe as he was carried back up to the ramp. He remembered the sky above him, the sun burning down on him then he was put in the back of a truck, all the while the pretty blond kept telling him about his beautiful wife and a cute little girl he will care for and love, but he hasn't met yet. Every now and then he decided to relax and let go, maybe go find his mom, but the blond lady would scream at him, plead with him, and wake him up. A mask over his face made it easier to breathe but hard to see, people came into his blurry line of vision, and he tried to ask about Wendy and Cynthia, but everyone told him to relax and not to worry.

He talked with the blond, he decided she was Lanh's angel because she knew all about his life with Lanh, from their first kiss, to their first handjob, to their first time back by the pond on the picnic table in their wedding finery. She even knew about the kinky stuff, how he loved it when Lanh eased her finger into his anus and tickled his prostate as she sucked his balls and stroked his cock, how Lanh loved to be tied up and fucked savagely on occasion, how they loved to play the Dragon Lady and Agent Double Oh Seven and Five Eighths and how they loved to make gentle love in front of the fireplace on Christmas Eve.

Most of all she knew about their love, and she reminded him over and over how rare and beautiful their love was, and that he needed to stay with her so she could lead him back to Lanh. Was he on an airplane? It was hard to tell, was that ringing in his ears? Or was it aircraft electronics? He decided it didn't matter as long as his friend, Lanh's angel was with him. The airplane landed with a gentle bump, but Don could tell that the airplane was taxiing fast, the big rear door opened before the plane came to a halt and cold moist air poured into the back of the airplane. After an ambulance ride, the angel still wouldn't let him sleep, a worried looking nurse had wheeled him into a room where there was so much equipment and so many people. They shifted him onto a table, put a mask on his face and then it was time to sleep.

He woke up a few minutes later and there was Lanh and a pregnant Tam. Lanh was snuggled next to him on a bed and Tam was sitting in a recliner next to them. Don was surprised that someone as slim as Tam could carry a baby, and here she was with number three ready to pop. There were curtains all around the bed and there was the sound of a radio, the news cast ended, and suddenly he heard the words come from the radio "This is AFN, Kaiserslautern." It was AFN Germany... he was in Germany?

He blinked his eyes, they seemed all gummy and only one was working, the other was covered? He couldn't raise either arm to check. He tried to sit up, but he felt like he weighed a thousand tons. Lanh noticed his movement and her head raised and she looked at him, "He's up!" she gasped.

Tam sat up in her chair and looked at Don, the look on their faces was both one of joyful relief. One of the curtains moved back and Kim-ly stepped into the area holding three of those weird skinny, soft drink cans that you get in Germany. "Get Doctor Ortiz!" gasped Tam.

Kim-ly's face lit up with joy and she set the cans on a bed table and disappeared while Lanh started to cry. Don tried to tell her he was ok, but it just came out as a croak, so he turned his head and started to kiss the top of Lanh's head.

"You're back!" She cried and kissed him gently, weeping with joy.

"Take it easy lover," scolded Tam, "wait for the doc."

"I got one right here," Don tried to say referring to Lanh, but all that came out was a hoarse croak. His throat hurt like the rest of his body.

The curtain opened and a cheerful Hispanic woman with major's oak leaf cluster on her collar entered the area. "I am Doctor Ortiz, I helped bolt you back together. Next time you drive a truck, keep it on the ground," she said as she began poking and prodding. "Doctor Campbell, can you raise the patient's head for me."

"I would be happy to, doctor," smiled Lanh as she slowly raised the head of the bed with the controls. Kim-ly, Tam, and Lanh watched, almost fascinated, as Doctor Ortiz listened to his heart and lungs, and palpitated specific areas of his body.

"Does it hurt here? Does it hurt when I do this? Can you feel when I touch here?" Finally, she wrapped her stethoscope around her neck and exhaled, kind of a sigh of exasperation. "Ok, I'll give it to you straight, you're not in good shape, but you're better off now than when we first met."

"Will I ever play the violin, doc?" Don finally was able to croak.

Dr. Ortiz just closed her eyes and shook her head. "Doctor Campbell, if you can find a part of him that's not broken, you can hit him there for me."

"Yes doctor," Lanh was wearing that cute smile that won Don's heart so many years ago.

"I'm going to go get my notes, then I'll be back, and we'll talk about your current condition and your road to recovery. I'll send down some ice chips for that throat." And she was gone.

Don tried to reach out to hold Lanh, but he couldn't move either arm. "I... I can't..." he was starting to panic, and he couldn't see that he was heavily bound and bandaged because of the quilt on him.

"Stop!" ordered Lanh, "relax. Wait for Doctor Ortiz. You have serious injuries, and she needs to discuss them with you."

"Okay," he groaned. Lanh wriggled as close as she could to him. "Ok, I know I got a little banged up, but why is everyone here?" he thought to himself. He tried to talk again, "Why..."

Just then the curtain pulled back and a staff sergeant holding a Styrofoam cup and a plastic spoon stepped into the curtained off area. "Happy New Year Sergeant Campbell!"

All the smiles faded; this was not information Don was ready for. Kim-ly whirled on Shaw and took the cup "Get the fuck out of here," she hissed. As Staff Sergeant Shaw left in terror, she handed the cup and spoon to Lanh, "I can see why you almost killed him," she whispered in Lanh's ear.

"New Years?" all the color drained from Don's face. "Sue Lin..." Oh dear God NO! Please God, not that...

"Shhhh," hushed Lanh gently and she spooned him some shaved ice. It took some convincing to get it in his mouth, he didn't want ice, he wanted information. They were supposed to leave Saudi on December 15, their last day of flying was the fourteenth. December twenty fourth was the day...

"Two weeks?" he finally said, his voice a harsh rasp. I've been laying here two weeks? he thought.

"You have to tell him, em gái," Tam implored her little sister as she put her hand on Lanh's shoulder for support.

Kim-ly came up on the other side of the bed and gently placed her hand on Don's head, praying it didn't hurt. "Everyone thought you were dying," she said, then she whispered in his ear, "I thought I lost you."

"What?"

Lanh swallowed and told Don the story of how Colonel Gilliam came and got her just hours after their phone call and how they didn't know he was alive for sure until they landed at Ramstein.

Don didn't know what to say, he wanted to ask about Sue Lin, but he knew the answer, they lost their last chance for a baby. "Oh no," he gasped. His eyes closed tightly, and his head drooped, "Sue lin," he groaned.

"It's ok," said Lanh through her tears, "You're alive!"

"But the baby..." he suddenly felt very ill, the adoption was to be final on Christmas eve, and they were both here in Germany because of him. They lost another baby and it's all his fault. There will be no more babies. "I'm so sorry honey," he whispered, "I didn't mean to..." and he broke down in deep uncontrolled sobs.

"Shhhh," hushed Lanh, "I have you, and that's all I need," and she began crying too. Kim-ly gasped and fled in tears herself while Tam placed her hand on her stomach feeling her little boy kick and felt guilty for her joy. Unseen, two blond women, one with purple hairtips joined them in their tears.

Doctor Ortiz came through the curtain with a grim look on her face and saw the couple crying. Her heart just melted for them. Before she could say a word, Don leaned his cheek on Lanh's head and said in his hoarse voice, "I'm done playing soldier doc, we want to go home."

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Don and Lanh's story is not over, Chapter 8 picks up their story as they return to Minnesota and try to restore their lives.

Note on Jet Blast Incidents. Jet blast injuries are rare, but they happen, the vast majority are due to ground crew personnel not paying attention to what they are doing or which direction an aircraft is turning. Air Crews and ground crews are trained over and over to prevent them. Has this ever happened to me? No, close but no cigar. After de-arming an F-4 Phantom II turned the wrong way but the pilot got off the throttles in time that we didn't "rag doll," but I have seen a 150 lbs. Purple K fire extinguisher get blown over.

Note on Military Education. Can enlisted personnel attain a doctorate while on active duty? In the USAF Yes. It's rare and it's difficult especially for aircraft maintainers, but it happens.