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From: "Bill Morgan" <morg1058@chartervt.net>
Subject: {ASSM} rp/rev Susan Jennings complete by Morgan M/F rom
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 09:10:03 -0400
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<1st attachment, "Susan Jennings.txt" begin>

The following is a work of fiction regarding sexual
relationships.  If you feel that it is illegal, immoral, or
otherwise improper for you to read this, then *Don't Read It.*

*  *  *

*Susan Jennings*

(C) Copyright: Morgan 1988, 1998, 2001; All Rights Reserved.

Please note the original copyright date.  This story was
basically written 13 years ago and was originally posted in 1988.
 As a result, you will likely find obsolete references.  I'm
afraid you'll just have to live with it; it's too tedious trying
to keep up with the latest and greatest.

Incidentally, you will find occasional entries, _word_.  The
reason for this is that MS Word's Auto Format function puts a
word preceded and followed by an underscore in italics; that's my
intent.  Similarly, *word* results in the word appearing in bold
face.  If you use Word's Auto Format, it will take care of
things; if you don't, you at least know why it's there.

More of my works are posted on my site <www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Morgan/www> 
If you like it -- or if you don't -- please let me know at
morg105829@aol.com.

*  *  *

*Chapter 1*

Susan Jennings didn't know what to do when she regained her
senses.  She was now, she assumed, a prisoner of war.  She was in
a POW camp, but she didn't see any of her medical detail there
with her.  Sue had no idea how long she had been there.  The last
thing she remembered was an explosion in the OR -- the hospital's
Operating Room -- and then everything collapsed around her head.
She wandered around the compound inside the barbed wire trying to
get oriented.  Other women seemed to be bartering their clothing,
but she couldn't figure out what they were getting in return.

It was terribly hot.  On the other hand it was always hot in
Vietnam.  Eavesdropping on a transaction she found that the girl
was bartering for food.  Susan had never paid a great deal of
attention to the very occasional lectures on prisoners' rights
and obligations.  After all, as a nurse she was a noncombatant. 
Of what earthly good could such information possibly do her?  Now
she was finding out.

Feeling a little dizzy, she touched her scalp and discovered why.
 There was a lot of dried blood and what felt like a nasty
laceration on the back of her scalp.  The girl she had been
watching completed her transaction and Susan asked her about it.
The girl had taken off her bra, then put her shirt back on.  She
explained that there was only a tiny amount of rice given to the
prisoners each day.  Since she had been imprisoned for nearly
three months, her bra was hanging on her now-flattened chest so
it didn't make any difference to her anyway.  And it more or less
guaranteed a full rice ration for the next thirty days.

Then Susan asked about later -- after the thirty days.  The girl
pointed to a couple of girls on the other side of the compound. 
One was naked to the waist retaining only her skirt.  Others were
completely naked.

"What do they do?" Susan asked.  "The ones with no clothes, I
mean."

"They have a very stark choice.  They either trade their bodies
or they go without.  And if they go without for too long, they
have no bodies to trade with," the girl replied.  She pointed out
an emaciated girl crouched in the far corner of the compound.  "I
think she's been here for over a year.  She decided she wouldn't
sell her body and now it's too late."

Susan looked around and saw a guard watching her hungrily.  With
her golden-blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes, she was a true
beauty.  Going up to the guard, she started to talk with him
about rice.  When she asked what her bra would be worth he
replied that for her it would be a triple ration for two months.
Susan accepted his offer on the spot.  When he told her that she
would have to take it off right there, she unbuttoned her uniform
shirt, hung it over the wire and then took off her bra.  At the
sight of her full, firm breasts, the guard almost climbed through
the fence.

Before giving him her bra she asked him how and when she would
get her extra food.  After looking both ways the guard said she
could have some right away.  Taking her bra, he gave her a
handful of ration bars.  Susan immediately recognized them as
being from Red Cross parcels that should have been given to the
prisoners in the first place.

Taking the ration bars, she realized that the guard had been a
good-enough sort; there were eight of them.  Making her way
across the compound, she went up to the starving girl who had
been pointed out to her.  When she got closer, she saw that the
girl was a human skeleton.  Jennings doubted that she weighed
even seventy-five pounds.  The girl was hunkered down with her
head resting on her knees.

"Hi!  I'm Sue Jennings.  Who are you?" she asked.

The girl looked up with a very vague, unfocussed look in her
eyes.  Susan realized with a shock that the girl was dangerously
close to death.  Then her green eyes focused and remarkably she
even tried to smile.  "Hi, Susan.  I'm Ginny Cameron.  I would
shake hands, but I'm not sure I can even get up."

Ginny's body was the color of mahogany from being bare in the
tropic sun for so long.  Putting the girl's arm over her
shoulder, Susan helped her over to the side of one of the huts. 
Because of the time of year and Vietnam's closeness to the
Equator, the sun was now almost directly overhead, but she found
a little strip of shade under the hut's roof overhang.  After
gently easing Ginny Cameron down, Susan sat down beside her.

"Ginny, you've got to eat something!  You've really carried this
diet thing too far already," she said with a bright smile.

Ginny Cameron remarkably still retained a sense of humor.  "I
don't know...  Sue, is it...?  I think I can still spare another
pound or two."

Susan almost cried.  The girl's breasts had completely
disappeared and her ribs were so prominent she could count them
just by looking.  Even her thighs were now not much larger than
the femur bone itself.  Remembering what she knew about dieting
and starvation, Susan remembered that the body first uses its fat
and then breaks down and burns muscle tissue.  Clearly this is
what was happening to Ginny.  And there wasn't any muscle left.

Smiling at Ginny she said, "I brought you a gift."  Carefully
unwrapping one of the nutrition bars, she offered it to thegirl.

Ginny just looked at it without comprehension.  Finally she said,
"Are you giving this to me?  Sue, I can't take it.  You just
don't know what you're doing.  I made a choice and I guess it was
a stupid choice.  So now I'll die of it."

Ignoring the girl's words, Jennings broke off a small piece of
the very rich nutrition bar and put it between Ginny's lips.  The
girl just let it melt in her mouth.  As she did a near-rapturous
expression appeared on her face.  Susan just continued feeding
the starving girl small morsels until the bar was gone.  Only
then did Susan notice that Ginny's eyes were flowing with tears.

"Sue," the girl asked, "why are you doing this?  You know it's
too late, don't you?  I've only got a few hours left and I guess
I was almost looking forward to the release."  Trying to smile,
she continued, "Starvation is a hell of a way to die, though. 
But isn't there anything I can do for you?"

Smiling warmly at the girl Susan replied, "Yes, there is!  Ginny,
please keep fighting.  You were a beautiful girl before and you
will be one again.  Please?  Try to hang on?"

Virginia Cameron slowly nodded her head.

* * *

Over the next weeks and months Susan developed an abiding hatred
for three people, all Americans: Homer Black, Colonel, U.S. Army
Medical Corps, Charles Simon, Major, USA MC, and Judith Harrison,
Captain, U.S. Army Nurse Corps.  They were always well dressed,
clearly well fed and housed outside the compound.  She asked
Ginny Cameron about them one day.  Ginny by now had actually
gained a couple of pounds and now could even move around a
little.

When Susan approached her, the girl smiled and asked, "How's the
camp lifeguard today?"  Then she frowned, shook her head and
asked, "Susan, what are you trying to do?  I heard about the
episode with the guards and the male prisoners.  What was that
all about?"

Susan rubbed her crotch remembering how she had taken thirty
guards one after the other in order to try to save the lives of
some of the men who were dying for lack of medicine.  Susan was
the only operational nurse -- or medical person -- inside the
compound.  Black, Simon and Harrison did nothing.  Susan had
traded her body for units of antibiotics and she still felt
unclean.  Now she was only wearing her shirt.  All of her other
garments had been traded for food and medicine which she had used
for other prisoners.

After quickly telling Ginny about her experience she concluded by
saying, "It really wasn't too bad.  I have a pretty liquid cunt
which lubricated their entry pretty well.  I'm all right."

Looking at Susan, Ginny unbuttoned her shirt.  By now Susan's
tits had completely disappeared and her skin was almost as deep a
shade of mahogany as Ginny's.  "What are you doing, Sue?" she
demanded.  "I know you get enough food to keep yourself fit.  But
I think you're losing weight even faster than I did.  You're
giving it all away, aren't you?"

Susan only shrugged but did not reply.  Instead she asked,
"Ginny, what's with Black and company?  Why do they live so
well?"

"It's the shame of the camp," Ginny replied with a grimace.  "I
think they sign off for all the Red Cross parcels and the rest of
that stuff, certifying that everything's fine here in the camp. 
In return they get whatever they want."  Then she frowned at
Susan and continued, "Incidentally, I hear they hate your guts. 
Sue, you're a threat to them, and they'll get you if they can."

Susan looked at Ginny Cameron and realized she was truly a
beautiful woman.  Before she had not realized how glorious
Ginny's hair was -- a beautiful shade of auburn.  She said so and
Ginny gave her a skeletal smile.

"You're changing the subject," she accused.  Looking at Susan
carefully she added, "Susan Jennings, I want to swear a solemn
oath to you.  If I get out of here alive, I want you to know I
will do anything -- _anything_ -- for you that it is ever in my
power to do.  I owe you my life.  You know it, Sue.  I just want
you to know that I know it, too."

Over the previous days they had noticed that the guards had been
increasingly nervous.  Since the prisoners received no news of
any kind they couldn't identify the source of the nervousness. 
Just then a guard came along cracking a whip and ordered all the
prisoners to assemble in the center of the compound.

Susan started to help Ginny to her feet but the guard pushed her
away.  Ginny almost made it to her feet but failed, falling back
to the ground.  The guard stood over the prostrate girl and held
out both of this hands with all his fingers extended.  Ginny was
going to receive ten lashes with the bullwhip.

Knowing it would kill the girl, Susan stripped off her shirt and
covered Ginny with her own body.  The whip came down across her
five times.  Each stroke felt like a white-hot wire cutting into
her back.  After five lashes the guard made a rolling motion with
his hands.  Susan rolled over and bridged her body over the
fallen girl.  Again the lash came down, this time across her
breasts, belly and loins.  When the whipping was finished, Susan
rolled off the red-haired girl and just lay bleeding in thedirt.

Then the guard commander came up and pointed to her.  Looking up
she saw that a cross had been erected and it was obviously for
her.  Swallowing hard, Susan gave Ginny a quick thumbs-up sign. 
Then she threw her her shirt and said with a little grin, "It
doesn't look like I'll be needing this anymore."

Susan accompanied the guards to the cross where she was quickly
tied by her wrists to the crosspiece and left to bake in the
bright sun.  A guard was posted at the base of the cross to keep
other prisoners from helping her in any way.  Soon the pain in
her shoulders became unbearable and she had difficulty breathing.
 After hanging there throughout the day, by late afternoon she
was in a terminal stupor, very close to death.

Sounds of gunfire and nearby explosions partially roused her. 
Moments later American troops swept through the compound, routing
the guards who had already retreated into the surrounding jungle.
 Susan tried to raise her head which had been lolling against her
chest.  She could see helicopter transports supported by gunships
land and begin the evacuation of the liberated prisoners.

When she felt strong arms holding her, she was just slumped
against her bonds unable to move.  An American was holding her
while he reached and slashed the ropes holding her to the cross.
By the time he got her down the last wave of assault troops was
loading up.  Ordering his men to run for it, he said something
cryptic to them about "the supply point."

Rick Jackson was a major in the U.S. Marine Corps and was in
command of the rescue mission.  Watching the last of his men
mount up, he glanced at the girl in his arms and was shocked at
her condition.  As the last of the helicopters lifted off, he
picked the girl up and moved back the way his troops had come in,
climbing one of the very rare hills in that part of Vietnam. 
Meanwhile, several gunships stayed close to the camp to
discourage pursuit.

As he moved up the slope he felt a sharp sting in his left thigh.
 Although he fell, he was able to keep his body between the girl
and the ground.  Recovering, he put her over his right shoulder
in a fireman's carry and, using his weapon as a crutch, made his
way to the supply cave they had used earlier.

Rick hoped the shot had been a lucky one.  Since he had not heard
the sound of the shot, he assumed it was a stray bullet and he
had just been unlucky -- at least he hoped so.  If he and the
girl had been observed entering the cave it was all over.  He
knew the North Vietnamese had been driven back into the jungle
but had not been seriously hurt.

Putting the girl down on the floor of the cave, he limped towards
the rear where large piles of supplies were stacked.  Locating
the first-aid kit, he put it on the ground.  After using his
combat knife to slit his fatigues near the wound site, he poured
antibiotic powder on it and tied a bandage over it.  Remarkably,
the wound had not bled much.

Completing the first aid, he looked through the supplies and
found several things he was looking for.  After first spreading a
ground cloth and then a blanket, he picked up the girl and placed
her on it.  After pouring antibiotic powder on the vicious cuts,
he put antiseptic ointment over each one.  Although he couldn't
be sure, it seemed that the cuts had been made by a whip.

As he moved the girl, he was astonished at how thin and light she
was.  Carrying her -- even up the hill after he had been wounded
-- had been no trouble at all.  Finally, he thought to do
something he probably should have done much earlier.  Opening his
canteen he gently poured a small amount of water into her mouth.

She gagged, sputtered, but then swallowed.  Then he heard her
voice for the first time, very faint and rasping, say, "More,
please..."

With her eyes now open, he found himself looking into the most
vivid blue eyes he had ever seen.  Gently holding her head he
trickled more water into her mouth.  Looking around the cave he
spied a fatigue jacket which he grabbed and wrapped around her. 
She almost drowned in it.  After putting down the canteen he
opened a ration bar.  Then he did for her what she had done for
Ginny: He broke off small pieces and put them in her mouth.  The
first few she merely allowed to melt.  Then as she started to
become more aware, she slowly began to chew.

Rick found he liked holding this battered girl in his arms as she
methodically chewed on the food.  When he saw her jaws stop
working, he had managed to get nearly two full bars of the
concentrate into her.  Since she had fallen asleep, he gathered
her into his arms, drew her into a sleeping bag with him and then
held her as she slept.

That night one of the more-or-less regular torrential tropic
rainstorms lashed the surrounding jungle.  Hearing it Rick
breathed a prayer of thanks hoping the rain would wash away any
tracks they might have left during their escape earlier in the
day.  Eventually he, too, fell into a deep sleep.

When he awakened he found himself looking into those blue eyes
again.  Her head was resting on his shoulder, and he was startled
to realize that his hand had entered the unbuttoned fatigue
jacket and was over her breast -- or where her breast should have
been.  It was right on top of the worst of the lacerations across
her chest.

When he yanked his hand away as if it were on a hot stove, she
smiled weakly and said in a stronger, but still very husky
whisper, "Please don't.  Please put your hand back where it was.
It felt so good."

Gently he moved his hand back to where it had been.  Seeing her
eyes close he went back to sleep, too.  Later he was awakened by
her movements as she tried to reach their food supply without
disturbing him.  When she realized he was awake, she grinned,
scrambled for a supply of food, and brought it back to within
easy reach.  In spite of being in the jungle, Rick realized that
the dampness coupled with the cool ground temperature made it
feel chilly inside the cave.  The sleeping bag felt good.

When she clambered back into the bag, he caught a glimpse of a
shrunken and lacerated buttock.  As he watched, she very
carefully unwrapped a ration bar.  Only then did he realize he
was watching the movements of a person who was used to eating the
tiniest sliver of food.  Carefully she fed the bar to him in the
same way he had fed her the previous day.  Only after he finished
his did she open one for herself.  Then she repeated the process
with a second and then a third.  Finally she zipped up the side
of the bag, carefully positioned his hand on her chest and went
back to sleep.

They spent the entire second day together in the sleeping bag
just eating and sleeping.  When Rick awakened late in the day he
was startled.  Susan was out of the bag, had located a tarp and
draped it over the cave entrance to try to make it light-tight. 
Having also lighted a small gasoline lantern she was inspecting
his leg.  Only then did Rick realize he was feverish from the
bullet wound.

Susan had found a much larger first-aid kit which was now lying
open on the cave floor.  She was hunkered down going through its
contents when she felt his eyes on her.

Looking up at him she smiled warmly and asked, "How do you feel?"
 Then she came over to him with her pitifully emaciated hand
outstretched and added, "My name is Susan Jennings.  Thank you
for saving my life."

Rick took the hand and was astonished at the strength in the grip
of a hand that was almost skeletal.  "Hi, Susan.  I'm Richard
Jackson, but everyone calls me Rick.  Major, United States Marine
Corps.  I'm afraid I screwed up, Sue...  Is Sue all right, or do
you prefer Susan?"

"Sue is fine," she replied with a warm smile.

Then pretending to glare at him she demanded, "What do you mean,
screwed up?  The last thing I remember, I was playing the Christ
role in an Easter Pageant, and we had just come to the
crucifixion scene.  I thought it was the end of the play.  Now
I'm warm, cozy and loved."

Her face fell on the last word.  "I'm sorry, Rick.  I didn't mean
that.  Anyway, I'm about to fix you up.  I was just taking
inventory.  Although I'm certainly not a surgeon, I'm afraid I
will have to operate to remove the bullet.  If I don't, there's
some risk you could lose the leg.  I think I can do it, but you
can see I have been in better shape in my life.  It's your leg,
though, and it's your choice.  Do you want me to try?"

He smiled to try to take the sting out of what he was about to
say.  "Aside from being Susan Jennings, a girl with the most
beautiful blue eyes in the world, who are you?"

Susan was on her knees on the floor of the cave.  Although she
tried to jump to attention, she couldn't make it.  She made a
little face and knelt up straight, though, saluting as she had
been taught to do at Newport.  "Major, Susan Jennings,
Lieutenant, U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, certified as an OR specialist.
 Do I have your permission to operate, sir?"

Rick's heart flipped.  Never had he met a braver person than
this.  "Go to it, Doctor Jennings," he replied with a smile. 
"You'll make it.  Now what do you want me to do?"

Susan returned his smile.  "First, try to figure out the most
comfortable position for your leg.  I found some morphine
ampules, so I won't have to be probing with you screaming in my
ear."

She had all her materials and he watched in amazement as she
carefully cut away his pants leg and then very gently removed the
battle dressing that was still in place.  Rick was surprised at
the tenderness of her touch.  Taking an ampule, she fitted a
needle and injected his leg above the wound site.  Then she went
for more food for both of them, while she gave the morphine time
to work.  In moments they were companionably eating their
nutrition bars.

When she finished, she carefully scrubbed, then put her hands
into surgical gloves.  Even though the gloves were highly
stretchable rubber, her fingers had lost so much flesh they were
loose in places.  Then she carefully and painstakingly scrubbed
the area surrounding the wound.  She had even found a surgical
mask to put across her face and Rick admired how deftly she had
tied it into position.

Looking at him she asked, "Are you ready?"  Rick  just nodded.

Carefully, Susan used a probe to track down the bullet hole while
feeling for the slug.  He had briefly told her how he had been
hit, so she was not surprised when she reached the bullet just
below the skin.  As he had hoped, it had been a spent bullet
striking him at its extreme penetrating range.  It had been a
very lucky -- or unlucky -- shot.  Taking the forceps she
followed the probe down the wound.  Feeling the nose of the
plier-like instrument contact the slug, she opened the nose to
grip it.  Carefully she manipulated it until she could feel it
fasten on the bullet.  Slowly retracting the instrument, she
carefully eased the bullet out.

When it finally emerged from the wound it was followed by a flow
of blood mixed with pus.  Then she reentered the wound with the
forceps, reached the muscle tissue, very carefully locked the
forceps and retracted.  When the tip reappeared it held what she
had been probing for: a piece of his uniform the slug had driven
into the wound ahead of itself.  She allowed the wound to drain
while examining what she had extracted.

Meanwhile, Rick had been watching the process with interest. 
Susan had set up a plasma bottle beside him before beginning the
operation.  Now she opened the clamp to allow the fluid to enter
his vein.  Then she powdered the area with antibiotic powder and
carefully bandaged it.

Finally, taking off the mask she smiled and said, "You'll live,
Major.  The bullet remained in one piece and I got the bit of
uniform driven in ahead of it.  What do you think?"

"Lieutenant, when did you do your residence in combat surgery? 
That was as nice as I could imagine.  And Susan, I'm really
serious.  I'm not teasing you at all.  They couldn't have done a
better job at Pearl Harbor or Bethesda.  Thank you!"

"Rick, I guess I'm weaker than I thought," Sue said quietly. 
"Would you mind holding me again?  I would like us both to get
into the sleeping bag and sleep.  And if you can bring yourself
to do it again, I would really like it if you would hold my
breast -- or where it was when I had one.  Do you mind awfully?"

Rick held her in his arms in the sleeping bag.  Only then did he
realize that she felt hot to the touch.  In an instant she was
asleep.  As he began to doze off he only hoped the North
Vietnamese weren't pursuing too relentlessly.  His hand was on
her chest and gently he ran his fingertip over her nipple. 
Almost instantly it became turgid, and she gave a little murmur
of pleasure while she held his hand in place.  In moments they
were both asleep.

The next morning Rick awakened to find the sleeping bag empty. 
Susan was already up and about.  The tarp covering the cave mouth
had been removed and the gasoline lantern had been extinguished.
Cans of food had been gathered and something that smelled very
good was cooking on the gasoline stove.  Rick just watched Susan
move around.  In just a few moments she ladled the food into two
mess kits and came over to awaken him.  She smiled warmly when
she saw him watching her and gave him one of them.

Sitting down beside him on the edge of the sleeping bag she
slowly began to eat.  In spite of trying to eat very slowly, it
was no good.  Suddenly she jumped to her feet, ran to the mouth
of the cave and vomited up everything she had just eaten. 
Looking very chagrined she returned to the sleeping bag, sat
down, took a nutrition bar and very slowly and carefully ate it.

When he finished the food on his plate, she returned to the stove
and turned it off completely.  Bringing the pot back, she emptied
it into Rick's mess kit.  "I'm sorry, Rick," she said
sorrowfully.  "I thought I could hold some solid food, but I
guess I was too ambitious.  I'm sorry you saw it.  And I
apologize for ruining your breakfast."  Her face was crestfallen
as she spoke.

But then she brightened and said, "Rick, there are all kinds of
military things back in the cave.  I got some out, but I think
there's a lot more we could use if I only knew what they are for
and how to use them."

For the first time Rick realized that there was a light machine
gun now emplaced at the mouth of the cave.  Rocks had been
carefully piled around to provide some concealment and some
protection for the gunner.  The location she had chosen was
perfect, providing the broadest possible field of fire. 
Moreover, she had done it all quietly so as not to awaken him and
managed to do it in spite of her enfeebled condition.

"Susan, you are unbelievable!  But I thought nurses were supposed
to be noncombatant?  That machine gun looks pretty 'combatant' to
me!"

Opening her fatigue jacket, his heart sank as he saw the whip
cuts across her body.  He motioned for her to come closer to him
and she did.  "I thought we were, too, Rick," she said softly. 
"But I've been used and abused to such a degree I've become a
combatant.  Rick, what do I do with the rest of this stuff?"

"Right now you do nothing!" he exclaimed.  "Susan, I'm so sorry.
You operated on me like the skilled surgeon you are.  Meanwhile,
I knew that you were sliced to ribbons, but I didn't do a damned
thing about it.  Lieutenant, lie down on the sleeping bag," he
ordered as he opened up the zipper and spread it out flat on the
cave floor.

Susan looked at him with an unreadable expression on her face,
but then did as he asked.  Taking off the combat jacket she lay
face down on the sleeping bag.  Remembering how she had cleaned
his wound, he decided that he had to do the same thing for her. 
Retrieving the large first-aid kit he found the preoperative
cleaner and the surgical sponges.  Very carefully he started to
clean out the lacerations on her back.  As he worked he realized
how bad the cuts were.  Moreover, each cut now appeared to be
infected along its entire length.  Although they had all scabbed
over, he began to scrub anyway.  She involuntarily winced and he
knew that the pain must be excruciating, but still she made no
sound.

Carefully he kept at it, scrubbing each cut from end to end.  As
he removed the dirt, he felt like kicking himself.  The dirt was
probably the primary source of the infection and her resulting
fever.  The wounds should have been completely cleaned out much
sooner.  This time he did a good job and scrubbed them clean. 
Then he put more of the anaesthetic ointment on each cut after
carefully sprinkling antibiotic powder into the cuts.  Finally he
put a light dressing over each one to keep any new dirt out.

When he asked her to turn over, she did.  Again he found himself
looking into her beautiful blue eyes, now filled with tears. 
Obviously the pain had been terrible as he had worked.  Suddenly
it occurred to him that he was looking at a nude woman.  He
became aware of the small tight patch of curly golden pubic hair
below her emaciated body.

She looked at him as he looked at her body.  "It's really pretty
ugly, isn't it?" she asked softly.

"What is?" he replied.

"My body.  It's the sorriest excuse for a female body you've ever
seen.  Rick, thank you.  I know how hard it is to do what you are
doing.  It's really terrible to have to work on an ugly body, and
they don't get any uglier than mine.  Thank you for not laughing
-- or vomiting.  Either reaction -- or both -- would be entirely
appropriate.

"Rick, I think a couple of the ones in front are the worst. 
Particularly the one across my breasts -- or where they used to
be.  It's pretty bad with infection.  Why don't you let me do
them myself?  You already did the hard ones on my back that I
couldn't reach.  But I can reach these just fine.  And you have
to be getting sick just looking at me!"

Rick came closer to crying at that instant than he had since he
was six years old.  This girl who had nursed him was offering to
clean her own terrible wounds -- an extremely painful and nearly
impossible process -- just so he wouldn't have to look at them.

"Lieutenant, you are the bravest person I have ever met -- and
possibly the dumbest!  Now just lie back.  I found something for
you to bite on.  I know it hurts like hell."  Suddenly Rick's
face brightened and he exclaimed, "Wait a minute!  How about me
giving you a couple of shots of morphine while I clean you up?"

"Thank you, Major," Sue replied warmly, "but I would rather you
didn't.  I will take something to bite down on, though."  He gave
her a strip of leather he had cut off a bag in the back of the
cave.  She bit down on it, made a face, and then bit down again.
She nodded her head indicating she was ready and he began to
clean her wounds.

The worst cut was indeed the one across her breasts.  Where it
went over her left breast, he realized it was almost half-an-inch
deep.  After opening the cut he watched blood flowing down her
side as he scrubbed all the dirt out of the deep cut.  He
followed the same procedure he had on her back.  He scrubbed out
the cut, put on antibiotics, then ointment, and finally a
bandage.  He was shocked at how quickly the bandage across her
breasts became blood-soaked.  Although he had the plasma bottle
set up hanging from a forked stick, he didn't know what to do
next.

Susan took the needle from him and, to his amazement, managed to
find a vein in her left arm.  Carefully, she inserted it using
her right hand.  When it was fully in place, she fainted.  Rick
had watched the process so he released the clamp on the bottle
and let the plasma flow.  When it was drained he carefully
removed the needle.  Positioning her in the sleeping bag, he
climbed in beside her.  In just a moment he was also asleep.

The next days were spent preparing to defend the cave.  Susan's
fever was reduced but her temperature was still not back to
normal.  Nevertheless, she positioned a large number of Claymore
mines around the approaches to the cave, making trip after trip
in spite of her weakened condition.

Rick was amused.  She had looked for trousers but couldn't find
any. Similarly, although there were several pairs of combat
boots, there were none nearly small enough to fit her dainty
feet.  She told him that American women's boots were highly
prized by the North Vietnamese because only American women had
feet small enough for their boots to fit the guards' feet.

Susan set up a number of mines with trip-wire detonators and
others that would be fired from the cave.  She was meticulous
about concealing the detonator wires.

Their cave overlooked a roadway leading to the prison camp and
commanded a road bridge over a small gorge.  Rick showed her how
to apply C-3 plastic explosive to a bridge and how to wire in the
detonators.  As he watched, she scrambled around the structure. 
Suddenly he wondered if he had lost his mind.  Although he had a
leg wound, he could move around and realized he should.  Instead,
their perimeter defenses were being installed by a girl who was
lacerated, feverish, and emaciated.

Slowly but surely all the munitions in the cave except for the
small-arms ammunition were sited.  Although they had a radio, it
didn't work.  Rick suspected that it just needed freshbatteries.

Finally, Susan made her way back to the cave and just collapsed.
Smiling at him she pretended to complain, "I'm going back to the
OR!  There's no heavy lifting.  Rick, I'm sorry I'm so badly out
of shape."

He had regularly checked her over and was keeping his fingers
crossed.  It was clear even to his untrained eye that she was
going to have scars across her body from the whip marks.  He only
hoped the Navy had skilled plastic surgeons who could put her
back together again.

Looking at her, he gave her a full-bearded smile.  She just
smiled back, then unbuttoned her combat jacket exposing her
entire body.  Rick suddenly realized she was starting to look
more like a woman again and less like a skeleton.  Reaching out,
he felt her chest.  Now he could even feel a slight rounding
where her breasts should have been and felt her nipple harden
under his rough fingers.

Since there had been no chance to wash he knew that he stank to
high heaven.  Now his beard was only a little darker than Susan's
hair.  While his hair was brown with gold flecks, hers still was
liquid gold in spite of all the dirt.  He was startled to realize
that her pubic hair almost exactly matched the color of the hair
on his head.

Shaking his head to try to quell his sexual thoughts, he asked,
"Have you seen any batteries back there, by any chance?  I think
our radio would work if the damned batteries weren't dead.  As it
is our evacuation chopper is nearly two weeks overdue."

Susan got back on her feet and went to the back of the cave. 
After rummaging around in several containers she came back with
two handfuls of batteries.  "Are these the right size?  And do I
have enough?"

Rick glanced at the batteries, opened the battery box on the
radio and loaded in eight fresh batteries.  Going to the front of
the cave he extended the antenna.  When he spoke into the
microphone and gave his call sign he was surprised at the instant
response he obtained.  The reception was outstanding because
there was an AWACS plane on station almost directly overhead
which picked up his transmission and in moments patched him
through to headquarters in Saigon.

Rick quickly explained their situation, and a pickup was
scheduled for the second morning at dawn.  After having felt
abandoned, he was relieved to learn that the AWACS would maintain
position and monitor their radio frequency continuously until
they were picked up.

That evening Susan picked through their food supplies looking for
the very best of the remaining food.  Since they would only be
staying one more day, they could really feast.  She had now
recovered enough in just the few weeks so that she could eat
normal meals although she still could not eat very much. 
Carefully she cooked the food and then they sat side by side on
the sleeping bag -- she now thought of it as their home -- and
ate in companionable silence.

Rick had been watching her as she prepared their dinner. _Here is
a truly remarkable girl,_ he thought.  Try as he might, though,
she would not let him do any cooking in the cave, and he had to
admit that the food she served was far better than anything he
had ever eaten in the field even though it came from the same
containers.

Later that night they were lying together in the sleeping bag and
his hand was over her breast where she liked it to be.  Now there
was even a small bulge since she had started to regain some of
her lost weight.  Turning her head to look up at him Susan asked,
"Rick, would you do me a great favor?"

Looking down at her Rick was startled to see that there were
tears in her eyes.  "Of course, Sue!  Anything.  What is it?"

Swallowing hard and with her tears beginning to flow she said
softly, "Rick, would you please make love to me?  I know the
whole idea has to be repulsive to you..."

Then she proceeded to tell him how she had regularly been fucked
by the guards, including the time with thirty of them at once. 
She spared herself nothing and seemed to be trying to emphasize
how vile she had been.  Listening to her tale, it was all Rick
could do to keep from starting to cry himself.  She concluded her
tale of self-degradation all focused on trying to get food and
medicine for her fellow prisoners.

Finally she said, "I'm emaciated, ugly...  There's not a single
reason I can think of, except...  Rick, I really need to know if
I'm still a woman.  I need to know if I'm capable of pleasuring a
man.  Please take me!"

Taking her into his arms, he slipped off her combat jacket.  Then
Susan unzipped the sleeping bag and helped Rick off with his
clothes.  He made a wry face as he smelled the rank odor of his
body when she removed his underwear.  When he commented on the
stink all she said was, "It's a real man's smell."  Finally he
was undressed.

Then Susan looked down at herself and then at him.  Kneeling
between his spread legs she bent over, took his prick into her
very thin hands and began to kiss and suck it.  In just moments
his cock was in a raging erection which she kissed tenderly. 
Lifting her head she said softly, "Rick, I've been beaten on my
back and chest.  You have a bad leg.  May I be on top?  That way
might be less painful for both of us."

Bending over, she kissed him on the lips.  Trying to be careful
of her cuts he held her and returned her kiss.  Although he now
knew exactly where all of her cuts were, tonight she didn't care
about the pain at all.  It was clear that she wanted to be held
tightly and kissed with as much passion as Rick could muster.

As their lips met, Rick suddenly realized it was the first kiss
they had ever shared.  In spite of sleeping together with his
hand on her breast they had never kissed before.  The first kiss
was unbelievable for them both.  Initially it was filled with
warmth and goodness and love.  Then the passion increased and
just flowed in rivers between them.  There was a flow of
electricity that almost knocked Susan over, and ringing bells
that they both heard.  As they continued their kiss, Susan could
feel Rick's already immense cock get larger still.

Carefully she took it and positioned it at her vaginal opening. 
Slowly she lowered herself down on it, impaling herself on the
giant pipe that ripped her insides.  Even before they shared
their first kiss Susan's cunt had been flowing with her juices. 
Now they were flowing in a flood to lubricate the passage of the
ravaging cock.  She had never had an experience like it in her
life.

For his part Rick had never had such an experience either.  Susan
was still emaciated.  She had no tits, no hips, and no legs.  All
she had was skin and bones.  Her thighs were still like pipe
stems, yet it was almost as if she were worshiping him with what
little was left of her body.  The feelings she was able to create
with her cunt were utterly marvelous.

Although he could feel his cock stretching her insides, Sue
seemed to revel in it.  She made ecstatically happy noises deep
in her body as she just rose and fell on the impaling weapon.  He
felt her reach an orgasm with her pelvis moving by itself as she
let out a scream of pure joy.  Sweat was starting to pour off her
body as she regained control and then continued to fuck herself.
She reached a second orgasm, a third, and a fourth.

Now it was almost continuous but still, incredibly, whenever Rick
felt that he was about to release she would subtly change her
tempo so that his need to cum receded.  Finally she could control
it no longer.  Dropping all her weight on him she drove his cock
as deep into her body as it would go just as it began to pump his
cum into her.  Again she let out a wordless scream of pure joy as
she felt him flood her insides.

Then she could take it no longer as her nervous system shorted
out from the sensory overload.  She collapsed on his chest in a
dead faint.

Although his cock was still inside her, he pulled the sleeping
bag over them, zipped it up, and just held her close.  Gently he
rolled on his side while his cock continued to impale her.  In
moments they were both sound asleep.

Early the next morning the first of the Claymores exploded,
jerking them both awake.  Rick scrambled for the light machine
gun while Sue reached for her combat jacket.  Peering over their
homemade parapet of rocks they saw that a small patrol had been
wiped out by the well-placed mine.  Unfortunately, the patrol had
been on the path which led right to their cave.  Although the
mine had done its work well, the explosion had brought the prison
camp, less than half-a-mile away, alive with a rush.  They could
hear the sounds of heavy equipment -- presumably tanks --
starting up.

Rick picked up the radio, punched the "Talk" button and said,
"Mayday, Mayday.  This is Gopher One.  It looks like we shook up
the hornets' nest and the hornets are out in force.  Any
available air support would be greatly appreciated."

The AWACS controller responded immediately with the welcome
message that air support was on the way.  Both fighter bombers
and helicopter gunships were inbound and Rick was requested to
mark their location with smoke.  Locating a Very pistol he fired
red smoke flares in the agreed-upon patterns.

Meanwhile, while they were talking, Rick could hear the sound of
tanks moving down the road toward the bridge.  Susan had already
wired down the contacts for the bridge charges to the detonator.
While Rick scrambled to get dressed he could hear Susan saying,
"Come on...  Come on...  Just a little bit more...  a bit more...
 Now!"

She screamed the last word and twisted the detonator as the first
tank was about to clear the bridge and the second had just gone
out on the span.  There were huge explosions at both ends of the
bridge.  The span just tiredly collapsed in its center and fell
into the river below taking the tanks and accompanying troops
down with it.

Turning to Rick, Susan was beaming with pride as she asked, "Was
that okay, Rick?  Did I do it right?"

"It couldn't be better!" he exclaimed.  "But let's keep a sharp
eye out.  They almost certainly know where we are now."

After the bridge was blown, all hell broke loose.  Wave after
wave of assaults were launched at their positions.  The first few
were broken up by Susan's remotely-fired Claymores.  Others were
broken up by the fighters and gunships that were flooding the
area like angry hornets.  But still the attacks continued.  Rick
was utterly astonished at Susan's strength and stamina in spite
of her still-emaciated condition.  Watching her handle the
machine gun she reminded him of an Amazon. _An emaciated Amazon,_
he thought. _That's certainly a contradiction in terms!_  And yet
it was true.

While just snatching at the nutrition bars and sipping water,
they beat back attack after attack through the day and then into
the night.  Finally at dawn -- it was the day they were supposed
to be evacuated -- the North Vietnamese launched an all-out
assault preceded by heavy mortar fire.  Finally their luck ran
out.  A mortar round exploded inside the cave and shredded Rick
with shrapnel.

When she saw him hit and drop to the ground, Susan went berserk.
Grabbing an Armalite and a sack of grenades, she charged the
attackers, cutting them to pieces.  Although she was hit three
times herself, she neither knew nor cared.  All she knew was that
the man she loved more than life itself was dead.  Between the
Armalite and the grenades, there was not an enemy left alive when
the Marine Rangers arrived moments later.

Susan saw them arrive, motioned toward the cave mouth and then
collapsed.*Chapter 2*

Rick Jackson was passing his secretary's desk when he heard her
say, "I'm sorry, Miss Jennings.  Mr. Jackson is not taking your
calls..."

He stopped short and screamed, "Don't let that person hang up! 
Is that Susan Jennings?"

"Yes it is," Annette Richardson replied in a bored tone of voice.
 "The silly thing has been calling for weeks.  All she says is
that she knew you in Vietnam, but she would not tell me what she
wanted to speak to you about.  I told her you had no interest in
talking with her."

"You're fired!" Rick exploded.  "Collect your pay and get out of
here now!  And if you lose the girl on the end of that line, I'll
not be responsible for your safety. _Am I making myself clear?"_
he screamed.

Miss Richardson was stunned.  Holding the receiver in her
now-shaking hand she said, "Miss Jennings, Mr. Jackson will take
your call.  Please do not hang up!"  She murmured a small prayer
with the last words.

Before she had finished speaking, Rick, who had dashed into his
office and picked up the phone, was on the line.  "Sue, is it
really you?  Where are you?"

The voice at the other end of the line sounded tired and
defeated.  Speaking as if by rote she said, "Mr. Jackson, I don't
think you remember me, but we met in Vietnam.  Would it be
possible for me to make an appointment to see you someday?  Miss
Richardson has already told me how very busy you are..."

"Susan, my darling, where are you?" Rick interrupted.

He had remembered her voice instantly even though it had been
over four years.  But something was very wrong.  It was almost as
if she did not hear a word he said.  Susan sounded like she was
reciting memorized lines.

"I'm... I'm downstairs at a pay phone..."  Just then Rick heard
the characteristic sound of the pay phone collecting its initial
deposit.

Before the connection was broken Rick yelled into the receiver,
"Susan, I'm on the fortieth floor.  Please come up immediately. 
Please!"  The connection clicked off and he did not know if she
had heard him or not.

Rick immediately called the reception desk on the floor. 
Although he didn't even know the receptionist's name, he did know
she was like Cerberus at the gate.  No one ever got past her. 
She answered his direct line instantly, "Yes, Mr. Jackson, how
may I help you?"

"A Miss Susan Jennings is on her way up to see me.  First, you
are to escort her in to me personally regardless of how she may
look.  Second, call security downstairs immediately.  Alert them
to Miss Jennings' presence.  Have them bring her up here if, by
some chance, she did not hear my invitation."

After taking a deep breath he continued, "Miss Richardson has
just been fired.  She has been screening Miss Jennings away from
me for weeks. _There is nothing more important to me than seeing
that girl again!_  Am I clear?"

He could hear the receptionist swallowing very hard and then
saying that he was being very clear indeed.  Then he called
Personnel -- _Human Resources, these days,_ he thought with a
grimace -- and told them to send up a new secretary for him
immediately.  He also informed the director that Annette
Richardson had been fired for cause: gross misconduct.  He
slammed down the phone again as the receptionist escorted a girl
into his office.

Rick's heart did a somersault.  He met Susan at the office door,
thanked the receptionist and told her that he was not to be
disturbed under any circumstances.  Meanwhile Susan was just
standing at the threshold looking bewildered.  When he finally
focused on the girl, he was shocked.  Although it had been over
four years, she looked little better than she had in Vietnam. 
Her clothes were rags.  As he looked at her he couldn't even
talk.  All he did was gather her into his arms and hold her
tightly.  As he did he realized how frail her body still was.  It
felt like he was embracing a skeleton.  Still he tilted her chin
up and kissed her gently.  At least it was supposed to be gentle.
 Instead, the instant their lips made contact he again felt the
same incredible electricity flowing between them.

Releasing her finally, he helped her over to the sofa and then
picked up his phone.  A girl answered when he buzzed his
secretary's line.  He told her to have his car brought around
immediately and to cancel all of his engagements until further
notice.

As he was speaking to the woman, he saw Susan slump over on the
sofa.  Gathering her up in his arms -- she was now unconscious --
he carried her out to the elevator.  He was only dimly aware of
the shocked looks in his direction coming from company employees
to whom he had always been the soul of propriety.  Here he was
now carrying a ragamuffin -- a homeless woman of the streets --
in his arms.  When his private elevator reached the basement
garage his limousine was at the door waiting.  After gently
putting Susan into the back seat, he told his chauffeur to take
him back to his apartment as fast as possible.

As the big car started to move, Rick picked up a car phone and
called his private physician, Tony Burke.  When the doctor was on
the line he said, "Tony, it's Rick.  I'm on my way to my
apartment and unless you're in the middle of open-heart surgery I
need you right away.  Can you come?"

Tony was hearing a tone of concern in Rick's voice that he had
never heard before.  Sensing that something was very wrong he
said he would be right over.  After canceling the rest of his
morning appointments he ran out to his car.

When Rick and Susan reached the apartment, he carried her to the
bedroom and gently lay her on the bed.  As he did, he was again
astonished at how little she weighed.  She was as light as a
feather and apparently not much heavier than she had been after
starving herself in the POW camp.  He could not understand it.

As he began to strip off her clothes he found that she was
wearing next to nothing.  There was a ratty coat, a worn dress
several sizes too large -- and nothing else!  There were no
underwear nor shoes.  Her bare feet were filthy from walking the
Los Angeles streets.  From the callouses on them it was apparent
she had been doing it for some time.  Both garments appeared to
be Salvation Army rejects.

After disposing of the clothing remnants, Rick went into the
bathroom and ran the tub.  As it filled he had his first chance
to look at the girl he loved -- and he was appalled.  The scars
on her body from the whipping were still prominent.  But now, in
addition, he saw signs of at least three bullet wounds in her
right shoulder displaying the characteristic inward pucker.

After checking the temperature of the water he carefully carried
her into the bathroom and gently lowered her into the water.  The
contact with the water caused Susan to begin to revive.

He held her as her eyes blinked open and she asked softly, "Where
am I?" as if being naked in a bathtub was an everydayoccurrence.

"You're in my apartment, Susan Jennings," Rick said softly.  "I'm
Rick Jackson.  Do you remember me?"

Instead of immediately answering, she just held out her arms to
him.  Kneeling on the floor he again held her close and softly
kissed her.  Again he felt the same electricity but now that she
had regained awareness, it had far more power than it did
earlier.

After feeling her lips move on his he could hear a warm murmur
from deep in her body.  "How could I ever forget?" she replied
softly.

"Do you feel better?  Would you like to wash your hair?"  Rick
was beside himself, not knowing what to do.  "I'm pretty sure I
have some woman's shampoo and stuff," he added.  "I was going to
try to do it for you, but I'm sure I'm even worse at washing a
woman's hair than I am at cleaning out cuts.  Would you like to
try yourself?  Can you?  Are you strong enough?"

"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed.  "It has been _so_ long.  But
I'm sure I'll be able to do it."

After getting the shampoo and conditioner Rick started draining
the tub and then turned on the shower.  When she began to wash
her hair he left the bathroom but listened carefully at the door
fearing she might faint again.

He heard the shower shut off and the hair dryer start when the
doorbell rang.  It was Tony.  Rick quickly briefed him on what
little he knew of Susan's background and then took him into the
bedroom.  As they entered Susan was just emerging from the
bathroom wearing a terry robe that had been hanging behind the
door.

"Susan," Rick said brightly, "I would like you to meet Tony
Burke.  Tony is my personal physician and I asked him to come
over to examine you.  Will you permit him to?"

Sue just looked at him in a strange way, let the robe drop to the
floor and then stood up straight with her arms at her sides.

Tony took one look at the revealed body and pulled the covers
back from the bed.  "Get in here, young lady," he ordered. 
"Now!"

Susan was startled by the tone of his voice but instantly obeyed.
 Lying on the bed, she looked up at Rick sorrowfully.  He didn't
understand the significance of the look she was giving him.  What
she was trying to communicate was that it wasn't her idea to
dirty his beautiful bed.

Tony gave her a thorough examination, inspecting her body very
carefully.  Then he asked her to roll over on her stomach because
of what he had learned from Rick about her scars.  The five on
her back were nearly as prominent as those across the front of
her body.  Susan's skin color was shocking.  She appeared
jaundiced and was sickly pale.

After completing his examination he made sure the drapes were
drawn to darken the room.  After pulling the covers up over her
shoulders they withdrew from the room quietly closing the door
behind them.

Sitting in the library, Tony just shook his head and said, "Rick,
never in my professional career have I seen a girl in as bad
shape as she is.  She is suffering from dangerous malnutrition. 
She has wasted away to just skin and bones."  Looking at his
friend he said, "Rick, I have never seen you react like this in
my life -- to anything.  You really care about her, don't you?"

"Tony, I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for that girl.  She
saved my life -- twice!  And in less than three weeks.  I have
never met a finer human being in my life."  Rick paused and then
continued in a very quiet and near-reverent tone, "And I love her
more than life itself!"

"Ah, hah!  A mystery solved.  Rick, you've done nothing much the
last few years except make money -- in enormous piles!  I have
never seen you socialize -- ever.  And you sure as hell aren't
gay.  What happened?"

"Tony, I was shot up in Vietnam.  You know that.  You've seen the
scars.  What do you think of my leg?"

"A competent surgeon extracted the bullet.  It's no big deal for
a modern hospital.  But why do you ask?"

"Because she's the competent surgeon and the 'hospital' was a
cave in the jungle.  She operated by lantern light, while running
a burning fever and weighing about ten pounds less than she does
now."  Shaking his head, Rick continued, "You see those scars
across her body?  They were open wounds that day.  The one across
her breast was nearly half an inch deep.  And she operated by
herself.  There was no one there except the two of us.  She is a
Navy nurse.  Then beginning the next day she started to play
Amazon.  I was the commander of a Marine Ranger unit.  But I just
watched while she set demolition charges and land mines while
being in even worse physical condition than you see now.

"After I took a mortar hit, my men tell me she absolutely went
berserk!  Although she took three bullets, she absolutely wiped
out the attacking enemy force.  My men counted seventy-seven
dead, but that's incomplete.  My sergeant carried her out along
with me.  I was still unconscious when I was evacuated back to
Pearl Harbor.  That was the last time I saw her until today."

He looked intently into Tony Burke's eyes, seeming to force the
man to understand.  "Seventy-seven enemy makes Sergeant York look
like a piker.  Do you understand, Tony?"

"I understand," the doctor replied softly.  "Look, Rick, there's
a guy I want to get on her case.  His name is Mike Chapman.  He's
the finest plastic surgeon in the world.  I want him to operate
on those scars."

Then Tony looked puzzled.  "There's one thing I don't understand,
though.  Those wounds are from enemy action and our military
people are very good at treating that sort of thing.  Rick, I
don't think she was ever treated.  In fact, from the way she
moves, I wouldn't be surprised if she's still carrying some enemy
metal in her body.  Whatever happened?"

Rick just shook his head and said, "That's the problem, Tony.  I
don't know!  I've been thinking of her every waking moment for
years, hoping against hope that she was still alive.  This
morning I fired my secretary.  She had been told repeatedly that
I wanted to see or talk with anyone from Vietnam in hopes of
getting some word about Susan.

"Apparently I didn't make myself too clear because this morning,
entirely by accident, I find out that Susan herself has been
trying to reach me for weeks but that idiot secretary was
intercepting her calls."

He just shook his head and then continued, "I think I know Mike
Chapman.  I'll call him.  But what about right now?  What should
we do?"

Tony checked the phone book for a number, placed a call, ordered,
gave Rick's address and hung up.  When Rick looked at him
quizzically, he grinned and shrugged.  "Rick, aside from surgery
to handle the scars and the apparent slugs, Susan needs to be
built up.  I just ordered a gallon of Jewish penicillin,
otherwise known as chicken soup with matzo balls."  He shook his
head and added, "And you know what?  I was reading an article a
short time ago that reported researchers have found significant
medicinal properties in the stuff!  Anyway, it can't hurt and
will probably help.  That girl needs to regain her strength
before anything else can happen."

Tony's face became serious as he continued, "Rick, can you leave
Susan alone for a while?  The operations on those scars are going
to be very time-consuming and painful.  Beyond that, though,
she'll look a lot worse before she looks any better.  What I'm
suggesting is that you get her on her feet and then leave her
alone for a while -- possibly as long as a year.  Could you do
that?"

Rick looked crushed.  "My God, Tony!  I've lost her for over four
years already.  I don't even know where she's been.  Why do I
have to leave her now?  She's going to need care.  You said so
yourself."

Tony looked very unhappy with what he had to say.  "Rick, I'm
assuming you're in love with her and she's in love with you. 
It's obvious that she has no regard for herself at all.  She acts
like her body is a trash can.  I think it would be much better if
you could stay away until she's back together.  I think she wants
to be physically attractive to you.  Will you let her be?  Do you
understand?"

Rick just nodded miserably.

When Tony left, he went into the bedroom and just sat on the edge
of the bed in the dim light just looking at the sleeping girl he
loved so much.  When the doorbell rang, he was still sitting
there.  The soup even came with instructions on reheating it. 
Rick tipped the man twenty dollars and made arrangements for
daily deliveries until further notice.

Then Rick heated up a large batch and ladled some into a soup
dish.  After carefully putting in two matzo balls he carried it
into the bedroom.  Turning on a light away from Susan's head was
enough.  He saw her eyes blink and then open.  Smiling at her
warmly he said very quietly, "Hi.  How are you feeling now?"

She tried to grin but her face dissolved into tears.  Only her
face was showing from under the covers.  "Mr. Jackson, why do I
always look like something the cat wouldn't touch when you see
me?"  She tried to get out of bed but he held her down.

"Susan, please just lie still.  I have something the doctor
recommended.  Do you feel like eating?  I don't know how it
compares in nutrition to those bars we had in Vietnam, but I'm
sure it tastes better."

He gently lifted her up to a sitting position and again almost
cried when he saw her scarred chest with her almost-vestigial
breasts.  Remembering Tony's comment about her self-esteem, he
noted that she made no effort to cover herself.  Carefully he
spooned the soup for her.  After she tasted the first mouthful he
was rewarded by a look of joy on her face.  After going through
three full bowls he could see her head nodding and her eyes
starting to close as exhaustion again overtook her.

Disposing of the soup dishes he undressed and climbed into bed
with her.  With his arm around her body he held her close.  As
she had done in Vietnam, she put his hand on top of one of her
scarred tits and immediately fell asleep.*Chapter 3*

The next morning Rick initiated a pattern that he continued for
the following week.  He just continued to heat more chicken soup
and feed it to her.  Between times she slept, often with him in
the bed beside her.  Although it might have been his imagination,
Rick felt that Susan slept much more soundly when he was lying
next to her.  He came to love the feeling as Susan would almost
awaken, rub her body against his, and then relax again back into
a deep sleep when she found he was still beside her.

After nearly a week spent in bed Susan started to take an
interest in her surroundings and Rick thought it was time to try
to find out what had happened.  He had ordered some clothing for
her from a mail-order house and she was now sitting opposite him
at the breakfast table wearing a blue flannel bathrobe with her
monogram on it that he had bought for her.  Rick was pleased to
see that her color had improved significantly.  She seemed to
adore her new robe.

"Sue, where have you been for the last four years?" he asked
softly.

She tried a little smile and replied, "I really don't know.  I
guess I started to figure out where I was a couple of years ago.
Between that point and the time we were together, there are just
brief episodes I can dimly recall.  For example, I think I was
court-martialed.  I must have been, because I was dismissed from
the service and that can only happen in a general court-martial.
I can't remember anything about it.

"I... I've been subsisting.  It seems there were a few antiwar
groups that wanted to make me a heroine but they found I wasn't
antiwar."  She smiled faintly and added, "As a matter of fact, I
was pretty bloodthirsty."

She looked at him and changed the subject, speaking very softly.
Her words almost killed him: "Mr. Jackson, could... could I be
your... maid?  I realize I don't know very much about
housekeeping and I certainly can't do very much yet, but if I
could just stay here with you, as soon as I'm able, I'll take
care of the apartment and cook and... and... perform any services
you might want."

She looked at him with an intensity that almost made him cry as
she repeated, _"Any services I am capable of performing._  Do you
understand?"

Rick's heart turned over.  Being very careful with his choice of
words and recognizing the sense of total defeat in the girl he
changed the subject and asked, "How did you find me, Susan?"

"I saw your picture in the paper a few months ago.  I just hoped
you might remember me.  How did you find me, Mr. Jackson?  The
last few days have been just a vague blur."

Again his heart lurched.  "Susan, you found me.  But I think you
just answered a question I had.  Do you remember talking to me on
the telephone?"  She just shook her head, no.  "I didn't think
you did," he continued.   "You did, though.  You sounded like you
were just reciting lines and weren't hearing my replies.  I guess
you weren't, were you?"

Again she shook her head.  Then she gave him a very small but
very warm smile.   "Thank you, Mr. Jackson, for the beautiful
bathrobe.  It feels so good against my skin.  It's the very first
clothing of my very own I've had since I was kicked out of the
Navy.  I'll pay you for it as soon as I can earn some money."

Again Rick's heart turned over when she continued, "Of course,
it's so much nicer than anything I would have bought for myself.
It's much too nice for a maid to be wearing."

Rick excused himself and went to the telephone.  First he called
his office and asked for his security chief.  "Brad, this is
Jackson.  I know you have great connections in Washington.  I
need a fast check run.  There was a general court-martial in the
Pacific -- I'm guessing it was between three and four years ago,
and probably in Subic Bay.  The defendant was Lieutenant Susan
Jennings, U.S. Navy Nurse Corps.  She was convicted and dismissed
from the service.  I want everything you can get on the trial and
its outcome, and I want it fast.  Understand?  Call me at home as
soon as you get anything at all."  The instructions were
acknowledged and he hung up.

Then he placed another call.  A voice answered, "Cameron
residence."  Rick identified himself and asked to speak to Ginny.
 Moments later she was on the phone.  Ginny Cameron was far
better known to the movie-going public as Marcia Matthews.  Now
rated the top female box-office star in Hollywood, she had just
received an Academy Award nomination for her latest film, a
motion picture that had been financially backed by Rick Jackson.

She had first contacted Rick nearly three years earlier as a
result of a search she had been conducting.  She, too, had been
desperately trying to find Susan Jennings.  Subsequently, Rick
had made tens of millions of dollars backing two of her films.

"Hi Rick!  What's new?" she asked brightly.

"Ginny, are you still... friendly... with that overpriced meat
cutter?"

He could actually hear her grin over the phone.  "If you are
referring to Dr. Michael Chapman, Fellow of the American Academy
of Plastic Surgery, the answer is yes.  Why?  Did you crack up
one of your fancy sports cars?  Need a little repair work on your
face, perhaps?"

Rick realized with a start that he had already relaxed.  He
realized it was the effect Ginny always had on him.  Moreover, he
realized that her incredible personal warmth that came across in
her films was, along with her incredible beauty, substantially
responsible for her motion picture successes.

"It's not for me," he replied.  "Do you remember a girl named
Susan Jennings?  I think I heard you mention her name once or
twice."

There was an immediate stillness on the line.  When Ginny spoke
again it was in a hushed and near-reverent tone.  "Rick, did you
find her?"

"Honey, believe it or not, she found me.  And Ginny, she's really
in very bad shape.  She needs help... an awful lot of it."

He took a deep breath and continued, "Look, I've been teasing you
about Mike for a long time but I know he's the very best there is
at what he does.  I know he's booked for fifteen years in
advance, but do you think you could get him to take a look at
Susan and try to work her in?  Money _is not_ an issue!"

Ginny remained silent for a few moments longer.  When she finally
spoke it was almost as if she hadn't heard a word Rick had said
other than Susan's name.  "How soon can I see her?" she asked in
the same reverent tone.

"Could I bring her over to your place sometime today?  Would that
be possible?" he asked.

"Could you bring her over right now?" she replied.  Again, there
was the same strange voice tone.

"We'll be over in less than an hour, if that's convenient," he
said.

"Any time would be convenient," she responded and then hung up.

Returning to the kitchen he found Susan still sitting patiently
at the kitchen table.  "Susan," he said, "this apartment is
really kind of small -- there's only one bedroom.  But I know a
big movie star named Marcia Matthews who might be able to use you
as a maid if you're willing.  Are you?"

His heart sank as he saw the light in her eyes suddenly die. 
Then she smiled very weakly and said, "Thank you, Mr. Jackson,
for caring.  I'll try to do my very best for Miss Matthews.  When
can I meet her and how do I get to her house?"

Suddenly Susan's face fell.  "Could I borrow some money?  Maybe
five dollars?  I'll ask Miss Matthews to send it back to you from
my very first paycheck.  It's... It's a little hard getting
around in Hollywood using public transportation."

Suddenly she began to weep in a hopeless-sounding fashion.  He
tried to take her into his arms, but she wouldn't let him.  She
just sat upright on the kitchen chair with tears streaming from
her eyes.  Looking straight ahead, she said, "Sir, that won't be
enough.  I need a lot of money.  Maybe even fifty dollars.  I
have no clothes.  I looked around, but I guess you threw out what
I was wearing when you met me.  All I have is this beautiful
bathrobe."

She immediately thought about returning it to the store and using
the money to buy a blouse and skirt.  But then she realized that
it was monogrammed and was probably not returnable.  To her the
problem was insoluble.  Fifty dollars was more money than she had
had in the entire previous year.

Meanwhile Rick was close to tears again.  The pain and
humiliation that this girl had suffered and was still
experiencing was inhuman.  Leaving the room for a moment, he
picked up some things and returned with three large boxes in his
arms.  "I think you'll find something here, Susan.  All of these
things are yours."

Susan opened the first box and found brand-new women's clothing
-- mostly sporty things -- in the smallest sizes available. 
Dropping the robe to the floor, she put on a blouse and skirt. 
Even though it was the smallest size the company made, the skirt
almost fell off her body.  She was slim-hipped, but all that
showed were her very sharp hip bones.  After he located a couple
of safety pins Susan was able to pin the sides enough for it to
stay on.

Then she looked up at him with tears streaming from her eyes. 
"There's no way I can thank you, sir.  No way at all!  These are
very expensive, I know.  Far more expensive than anything I would
ever think of buying.  May I return some so I won't owe you quite
so much money?  I won't ever be able to wear them all, anyway,
and it will take me years to earn the money I owe you already."

Rick could scarcely see through the tears that suddenly clouded
his eyes.  Instead he helped her pack a couple of small bags with
the things she thought she might need and then carried them down
to his car.  After helping her in -- and getting a curious glance
from Susan in the process -- he got behind the wheel and headed
over to Beverly Hills.  Soon they reached the gates of Ginny's
estate.  Rolling up the driveway, he stopped at the gracious
entry.

As he got out, the front door opened.  It was Ginny who stood
waiting as he helped Sue out of his car.  Tears were rolling
unchecked down her cheeks in twin streams as the girl was helped
up the steps.

Susan extended her hand and said, "Good morning, Miss Matthews. 
Mr. Jackson said you might consider hiring me as a maid."

Susan was dumfounded when the beautiful woman ignored her
outstretched hand and instead took her into her arms and just
held her close.  Sue looked into the woman's eyes and a light of
recognition went on in her brain.  She was looking into such
familiar brilliant emerald-green eyes and seeing hair that was a
glorious shade of auburn.  "You aren't...  You can't be...
Ginny?"

At the sound of her name, Ginny Cameron completely lost control
and started to bawl like a baby.  Susan could feel her head nod
as she just wept uncontrollably.  Susan wrapped her arms around
the woman and tried to comfort her.

This caused Ginny to forcibly pull herself together.  "Susan
Jennings, you haven't changed a bit!  You're still trying to
protect me and comfort me, aren't you?"

Embarrassed, Susan just shook her head.  "No, ma'am, Miss
Matthews."  With her face falling she added, "I do apologize for
the familiarity, though.  Maids certainly don't hug their
employers."  Then, with a small, very shy little smile she added,
"But, Miss Cameron, you look simply exquisite!  I'm so very happy
for you!"

It was only through an enormous effort of will that Ginny did not
dissolve into tears again.  Putting her arm under Susan's she
escorted her through the house and out onto the pool terrace. 
There a tall, very handsome man was standing waiting for them.

"Susan," Ginny said, "I would like you to meet Mike Chapman, a
very dear friend of mine."  Looking at him tears started to flow
as she said, "Mike, I don't know how to introduce Susan to you."
Her voice broke and she began to cry again.  "Darling, but for
Susan I would have been dead four years ago.  What can I possibly
call her?"

Susan extended her hand and said diffidently, "How do you do, Mr.
Chapman.  I'm very pleased to meet you."

Mike knew something of Susan's background and so was watching her
closely.  As a result, he was able quickly to grab her the
instant he saw her knees start to buckle.  Helping her to a
chair, he took a glass of water and held it for her while she
sipped.

Looking up at him gratefully, she softly added, "Thank you, sir.
I guess I'm not as strong yet as I thought I was."  But then with
a smile she continued, "But I'm sure to be ready to go to work as
Miss Matthews maid in just a day or so."

Mike's heart twisted listening to this poor tortured girl.  As a
plastic surgeon he was expert at judging bone structure and
unchangeable physical characteristics.  Looking at her closely he
instantly concluded that Susan should be a very beautiful woman.
He said, "Susan, I'm a plastic surgeon.  Ginny tells me you have
some scars that should be tended to.  May I examine you now,
please?"

Again his heart was wrenched by her reply: "Of course, sir, but
it's really very premature.  I had them looked at in a city
hospital once and it will take years and years for me to save
that kind of money..."  Suddenly her eyes widened and she asked,
"Are you Dr. Michael Chapman?"

He nodded and she just shook her head steadily.  "Thank you, sir,
but no.  I've heard of you -- I guess everyone has.  You are the
very best in the profession.  I couldn't earn enough in my
lifetime to pay your fee to remove even one of the scars.  I
am... I was... a nurse.  The scars are really pretty bad."

Then she brightened and continued, "But they don't show at all,
so there's really no need to bother."

Mike decided to try a different tack.  "Young lady, you are
coming with me to a bedroom to be examined.  I cannot accept no
for an answer.  Ginny introduced me as a friend.  Actually, I am
her live-in lover and am slowly breaking down her resistance to
the idea of marrying me.  Your reappearance will certainly help.
However, if I don't at least get to look at you, I get kicked out
on the street.  Since I can't live without being able to make
love to Ginny's glorious body, I'm afraid it's either you or me.
And I'm bigger than you are.  Now let's go!"

He helped her to a spare bedroom and watched as she took off her
clothes.  Rick and Ginny followed them into the room but stayed
in the background while Mike took out a pair of magnifying
eyeglasses and carefully examined Susan's scars.  Then he pulled
down the bed covers, motioned for her to get in, and then gently
tucked her into the bed.

When the three reached the terrace, Mike breathed a heavy sigh. 
"That is as bad as anything I have ever seen in my life," he
said.  "And that includes pictures in the medical books, as well.
 What happened?"

Although she was quietly crying Ginny looked up at him and said,
"That poor kid!  Mike, those scars should be mine!  We were both
prisoners in a North Vietnamese POW camp.  We were ordered to
assemble in the center of the compound for some reason.  I got
up, but fell down again.  I was in pretty poor shape at the time.
 A guard was going to give me ten lashes with his bullwhip. 
Before he could swing it, though, Susan covered my body with her
own.  First, the guard gave her five lashes across her back and
then motioned for her to roll over."

She looked at him with her green eyes melting with tears and
continued, "Mike, she turned over and bridged her body over mine.
 Blood from the cuts on her back was dripping onto me, but she
held herself above me with her arms and legs to keep from putting
any weight on me.  Can you imagine?"  Tears were pouring from her
eyes as she continued, "I could feel her shudder each time the
whip cut into her body.

When he finished, the chief guard motioned towards a cross they
had erected in the yard.  I suspect it was Black and his friends
that set that one up.  At any rate, Susan saw the cross, smiled,
and then gave me her shirt saying she wouldn't be needing it
anymore.

"They tied her to the cross in the morning.  That afternoon Rick
and his men raided the camp.  The last thing I saw was the cross
standing bare in the compound.  Rick had already taken her down.
It was the last time I saw Susan Jennings until this morning."

She looked up at him with hope in her eyes, but with tears
streaming down her cheeks and said, "Mike, if you will help that
girl, I will do absolutely anything you ever want.  Anything!  I
will be completely available to you for any purpose whatsoever."

With her eyes gleaming she asked, "Am I making myself clear,
Mike?  Absolutely anything!  Forever!"

Turning to Jackson she said, "Rick, how can I sign over all of my
rights to the films I've made to Susan?  If it weren't for her I
wouldn't be here and there wouldn't be any.  Can you do that for
me?"

Rick just shook his head doggedly and said, "I could, Ginny, but
I won't.  Believe me when I say she doesn't need money.  She has
all she could possibly use.  Mike, if you can make her whole... 
If you can even make her a little better...  There is no price I
will not pay.  I will give you absolutely anything!  Mike, for
the love of God, please help her," he cried.

Chapman had been looking from one to the other.  Without
responding directly to either of them he picked up the phone and
called his hospital.  He spoke to the hospital administrator and
asked for the surgery to be set up for a very special operation.
He ordered his full team to be ready for the first operation
beginning the following morning.  Surgery could take as much as
three successive days for the first phase alone.

After listening to the administrator's reply he said,
"Incidentally, there will be no fee either to me or to the
hospital.  I'll pay the rest of the surgical team myself."  The
administrator was obviously objecting, but Mike cut him off.  "I
have generated more revenue for your damned hospital than all of
your other surgeons combined!  And if you ever want me to operate
there again, this one is on you.  Is that understood?"

He hung up the phone and glared at the other two.  "As for you,
young lady, you can start preparing that trim little ass for our
wedding.  Clear?  We will be married in eight or nine months. 
Susan Jennings is going to be your maid of honor whether you like
it or not.  And her beauty is going to put yours in the shade! 
When I get finished with that girl, she'll be ready to be chosen
Miss Universe.  It could even me Miss Nude Universe if there is
such a thing."

Wheeling on Rick he continued, "And as for you, Jackson, I don't
want to hear one more fucking word about money.  With the
matrimonial concession I just won from my friend here, I'm more
than happy."

Looking back at Ginny who had brightened appreciably he added,
"I'm disappointed in you.  My darling, I don't think you even
knew it, but I did.  Susan Jennings has been the impediment to
our getting married.  There is one thing that bothers me, though,
and it bothers me a lot.  I'm almost certain there is still metal
in her body.  We're setting up a CAT scan to find out for sure. 
But why is it still there?  What happened?"

Rick had been watching and listening carefully.  Shaking his head
in frustration he said, "I don't know.  I did learn this morning,
though, that Susan was court-martialed and dismissed from the
service.  How, why, and on what charges, I have no idea.  I'm
still trying to find out.  I do know that it had to have been one
of the greatest miscarriages of justice in the entire military
history of the United States.  I am going to get her case
reopened as soon as possible."

After listening carefully to the two men Ginny reentered the
conversation.  "I have an idea.  First, though, Rick, could you
see if your guy has learned anything?"

Rick called his security chief again and asked, "Brad, what did
you find out?"

"Chief, you stepped into something.  Is it important?" he asked.

"It is the most important thing in my entire life," he replied. 
"Now what's the story?"

"The story is that there is no story," the man replied.  "I can't
find out a single thing except that it apparently did happen
about as you suspected.  Everything else is up for grabs.

"I can't even find out for sure where it happened, although I'm
pretty sure it was at Subic Bay.  But, Boss, these things are all
supposed to be a matter of public record."  He paused for a
moment and then continued, "I do know one thing, though.  The
name, Susan Jennings, is poison!  I started by playing dumb.  I
said it was a standard pre-hiring check and was told not to hire
her -- for _any_ position!  Christ, Chief, I never got that
strong a reaction when I was checking on a convicted murderer. 
Something is very odd... and for my money, very wrong."

Rick told the other two what he had just learned.  Looking at
Ginny he asked, "Okay, what's your idea?"

Looking at them very seriously she said, "I suspected something
like this.  Let's face it, Rick.  You and I have been turning
over every rock for years trying to find out anything.  We
couldn't even find out if she was alive.  Now you learn that any
employment check gets a flat no.  Your security chief is right,
too.  Hell, there are convicted child molesters driving school
buses, so when an official government agency -- the United States
Navy, yet!  -- says 'Hell, no!', who's going to argue?

"Mike, what is your professional opinion of Susan's health right
now?  Specifically, is she in shape to meet the press at a press
conference?  Could she take the physical strain?"

Chapman swallowed hard, shook his head and said slowly, "That is
the toughest girl I have ever seen.  The short answer is that I
believe she can.  But I don't know if she would be willing.  Why
don't you ask her?"

Entering the house, Ginny went to the guest room where Susan was
now sound asleep and opened the curtains slightly to admit a
little light.  When she sat on the edge of the bed, the slight
additional weight was enough to awaken the girl.  As soon as
Susan realized where she was, she tried to scramble out of the
bed.

Cameron held her back and, as she did, was appalled at how
emaciated the girl was.  "How do you feel, Sue?" she asked
softly.  "And are you up to meeting a few people this afternoon?
And following my lead with them, regardless?"

Susan just smiled and stretched.  "Ginny, this bed is so utterly
delicious!  And I feel so much better now.  Pretty soon --
tomorrow, maybe -- I'll be ready to go to work for you.  But what
would you like me to do?  I think I could be a pretty good lady's
maid.  I can bathe you and help you dress and... and... help get
you prepared to receive Dr. Chapman."  Her eyes sparkled as she
continued, "I'll bet he's just great with you in bed, isn't he?"

Suddenly Susan reddened as she realized what she had just said. 
In a subdued voice she finished, "Would you like me to wear a
uniform?"

Tears began to flow unchecked down Ginny's cheeks.  With a shake
of her head she exclaimed, "I don't know what Rick Jackson told
you or why!  But that's about enough of this ridiculous nonsense.
 You are my house guest."  She stopped, looked up at the ceiling
and shook her head.  "No, that's not right, either.  Let me say
it differently:  Susan, this place and everything in it are
yours.  I will sign over my bank accounts to you and give you
everything I own. _You_ work for _me?_  The very idea is
ludicrous.  What idiocy!"

With green flame coming from her eyes Ginny concluded, "Now, once
and for all, knock off this shit and answer my question.  Do you
feel able to meet with some people a little later this
afternoon?"

All the while Ginny had been speaking, Susan had just been
steadily shaking her head from side to side.  When Ginny
finished, she said, "You can't be serious.  The answer is that of
course I will meet with your friends.  Ginny, I belong to you.  I
will do absolutely anything and everything you ever ask of me. 
So the answer is, of course!

"Beyond that, we'll talk.  But I will not accept charity.  If you
will not allow me to work for you, I'll have to go back to the
street."

Ginny was still sitting on the edge of the bed.  Now the flow of
tears gave way to hopeless-sounding weeping.

Susan, remembering the starving girl in the POW camp who only
hours away from death by starvation could still joke, was
shocked.  With her eyes wide she asked, "What did I say, Ginny? 
I didn't mean to hurt you.  I've always tried as hard as I could
to protect you from any hurt.  What did I do?"

Ginny just yanked the covers off Susan's emaciated body exposing
the still-very-prominent scars from the bullwhip.  "You sure did,
didn't you?" she cried.  "Darling Susan, these scars should all
have been mine.  Of course, it wouldn't have made much
difference, because I would have been dead, right?  I could not
have survived, could I?"  Susan started to shake her head when
Ginny took her by the shoulders, shook her and screamed, _"Could
I?"_

Susan, totally bewildered, just shook her head as she looked at
her dearest friend with tears streaming out of control down her
cheeks.  "But you won't let me do anything for you, will you?"
Ginny demanded.  "Nothing!  All I hear is this... this
_insanity_... about being my maid.  My maid, for God's sake!

"Susan Jennings, you don't seem to understand that my life has
value to me even if it has none for you.  You gave me my life,
but you refuse to allow me the tiniest expression of my
gratitude.  Jennings, you are just incredibly selfish!  I just
want you to think about that."

With that Ginny stormed out of the bedroom slamming the door
behind her.  As the door closed, Susan was still sitting on the
bed with a totally bewildered expression on her face as tears
still flowed down her cheeks.

Ginny ran out on the terrace sobbing uncontrollably with tears
running unchecked down her cheeks.

Mike Chapman took her in his arms and held her close as she cried
like her heart was broken.  While he held her close he saw Susan,
now dressed, padding barefoot out on the terrace after her. 
"What's wrong, my darling?" Mike asked softly with his mouth
almost in Ginny's ear.  "What happened?"

Ginny's voice, although muffled by his shoulder, was still clear.
 "Mike, I love that girl so damned much!  Every time I look at
her I want to cry.  I want to do everything for her, because I
love her so much, but she won't let me do anything!  Nothing at
all!"

Then pulling away from Chapman's shoulder she glared at Rick
Jackson and declared, "And it's your fault, too, God damn it! 
Jackson, what was this idiocy of Susan being my maid?  She got
the idea from you, you idiot!  Now what am I going to do?" she
asked with her fists on her hips and green fire streaming from
her eyes in Rick's direction.

"Kick me in the ass, please?" Susan said softly from behind her.

Hearing her, Ginny spun around and saw Susan with her eyes wide
and a very sheepish little smile on her lips.  She continued
softly, "That's something you could do.  But please be careful. 
I'm so bony -- there's no padding left at all -- that you would
probably hurt your foot."  With a plaintive little smile she
concluded, "Ginny, can you ever forgive me?"

With an exasperated shake of her head Ginny gathered up the frail
girl and sat down beside her on a love seat.  "There you go
again!" she complained.  "Can _I_ forgive _you?_  Sue, please
just say that you'll stay here with me?  I'm not making a film
right now, and I have all kinds of time.  I will visit you in the
hospital after Mike operates.  He has already scheduled two sets
of operations."

Glaring at Susan she continued, "And right now he is so damned
mad he might carve his initials in both of us.  I've never seen
him as mad as you made him this morning.  You started it, too,
when you said he couldn't operate because he was the best and you
couldn't afford him.  I offered him anything if he would
operate," she said and then with a little grin, "Even my
no-longer-virginal body.  Then your friend, Rick Jackson, who, by
the way, made _Forbes_ top ten among the richest people in the
United States, said he could have anything at all."

Glaring at Susan she asked, "What do you suppose Mike replied?"

Susan's eyes were wide with wonder.  She could only shake her
head.

"I think his response was something like, 'Fuck you all!'" Ginny
continued.  "He's doing it for no fee.  Except one," she added
with a little smile.  "I am going to marry him, but I was hoping
to do that anyway.  Now, Susan Jennings, do you have any problem
with Dr. Michael Chapman, FAAPS, operating to remove those ugly
scars?"

With a kaleidoscope of emotions racing across her face, Susan
just slowly shook her head and finally said, "Do you mean to say
he was mad -- _at me!"_

Dr. Chapman spoke up.  "You're damned right I'm mad at you.  Of
all the stinking nerve!  You save the life of the girl I love
more than anyone in the world -- a girl I love more than life
itself.  A girl who wouldn't marry me -- and I'm not sure she
even knows this herself -- because she was trying to find you.

"If Ginny Cameron is more important to me than my life, you,
Susan Jennings, are similarly more important to her.  She utterly
adores you!  And then you have the nerve to refuse to let me
operate because I'm too expensive.  The hell I'm too expensive."

Wheeling around toward Rick he demanded, "Jackson, give me a
dollar!"

Rick looked bewildered but gave Mike a dollar bill.  "Okay," he
said, almost to himself.  "Now you're prepaid.  Jennings, you are
a nurse.  Do you think ten cents a scar is too much?  If you do,
I'll refund the difference."  Glaring at her he demanded, "Well?
What do you say?"

Susan could say nothing.  All she did was continue to slowly
shake her head as if she were trying to clear it.  Finally she
said softly, "I give up.  I seem to be insulting people left and
right this morning by refusing help."

With a very bright smile she continued, "So thank you, Dr.
Chapman.  It would make me very happy for you to operate on me
and remove these scars."  Her smile was the first real smile they
had seen.  Now Susan's face just glowed with pleasure.

Returning the smile, Ginny picked up the phone.  Reaching a
studio publicist, she announced a press conference at her estate
for that afternoon.  Then she gave the woman a list of the media
people she wanted to have invited.  When the publicist responded
that there wasn't enough time and, besides, she was booked for
the afternoon, Ginny acidly replied that it was fine because she
wasn't invited, anyway.  She slammed down the phone and just
glared at it.

Moments later it rang.  The woman had called the studio front
office in a panic and the studio president was on the line for
Marcia Matthews.  Ginny just passed the receiver to Rick while
Susan watched in bewilderment, not understanding anything that
was going on.

Taking the phone Rick said, "Charley, this is Rick Jackson.  You
know who I am, I hope.  Now what's the problem?"

"Well, yes, sir.  I certainly know the name," came the reply. 
"But what do you have to do with Marcia Matthews?"

"I don't have very much to do with Marcia, Charley, but I have a
great deal to do with you."  After a very slight but pregnant
pause Rick continued, "Who owns the studio, Charley?"

"Why... Why a conglomerate of some kind," the president
stammered.  "I see a vice president of the company nearly every
month.  I think it's called Arjay Enterprises, or something like
that..."

"It's easy enough for you to check, Charley," Rick interrupted,
"and frankly, I'm surprised you haven't done it long before now.
I would think you would be more than mildly curious about who it
is who's signing your paychecks.  If you did check, though, you
would find that Arjay is derived from initials...  Mine!  In
other words, Charley, I _own_ the joint.  Now what, exactly, did
you want to speak to Marcia Matthews about?"

"Well, sir, it's this press conference thing.  I mean we try to
humor our big stars, but..."

"Charley, you are humoring _me!_  If you don't, you're through,
effective immediately.  In just a few minutes your replacement
will be taking over your office and he or she will.  Am I making
myself clear?" Jackson demanded.

After a momentary pause he continued, speaking almost to himself,
"You know, one of the nice things about owning the joint is that
I can make things happen once in a while.  Now Marcia gave that
broad a list of people she wants to have out here this afternoon.
 I certainly hope she took good and complete notes.  Because,
Charley, if they are not all out here, you will _both_ be looking
for jobs."  After another pause he concluded, "You know, I think
today would be a good day for you and your friend to call in your
chits. _All of them!_  Understood?"  With that he slammed down
the receiver.

Susan's eyes were wide and she was shaking her head.  "Richard
Jackson, you were terrible!  You terrified that poor man.  I have
never seen you act mean to a living soul before, but you were
awful!"

"He's not poor," Rick replied with a grin.  "I pay him half-a-mil
a year plus bonuses.  On the other hand, your auburn-haired
friend here has made almost $75 million for me last year alone. 
Given a choice...  That's irrelevant, though.  Sue, you are more
important to me than life itself.  No one -- _no one_ -- is going
to get in the way of you receiving all the help you need."

Then with a wry grin he continued, "Besides, you haven't taken
the trouble to get to know me very well."  Looking at her with
love in his eyes he said, "Do you realize you have only known me
for about four weeks -- total!  And that has been spread over
more than four years."

The four sat on the pool terrace and discussed arrangements for
the afternoon press conference.  Before they got started in their
talk Rick was on the phone to his security chief who gave him the
information he was looking for before the press conference
opened.

While he was talking, Mike Chapman was studying Susan carefully
and began to feel better.  She had reflected on the things both
Rick and Ginny had said to her and already she was feeling
better.  To Mike she seemed to blossom like a flower in the
sunshine.

But then Chapman kicked Ginny in the foot and whispered, "Just
because you've started to brag about now being big enough to
start thinking about a diet, there are others here who need to
eat... and eat often!"

Ginny Cameron was chagrined.  Going out to the kitchen she asked
Maria, her Mexican cook, to prepare huevos rancheros -- a spicy
Mexican egg dish.  Susan tried it and liked it very much.  When
Ginny asked her if it wasn't too spicy, perhaps, Susan's response
was that she was used to eating anything edible and more than a
few things that weren't.

Maria served Susan another small meal just before the press
conference was due to begin.*Chapter 4*

The press began to arrive at the estate shortly before the
appointed hour.  Ginny was pleased to see that two of the
network-affiliated Los Angeles television stations had sent out
film crews.  Moreover, in addition to the usual motion picture
industry reporters, there were a few from the regular newsdesks.

Chairs had been set up on the pool terrace for the conference.  A
rostrum with a microphone was set up in front.  Taking her
position there, Ginny opened the session.  "Good afternoon,
everyone.  Thank you so much for coming.  I am Marcia Matthews,"
she said with a warm smile.  "The reason for this press
conference has nothing to do with motion pictures, but a great
deal to do with me.  As many of you know, my real name is
Virginia Cameron, known to my friends as Ginny.  I'm a newcomer
here to Hollywood.  In fact, aside from believing myself to have
been incredibly lucky, I'm still not sure how I got here.

"Before arriving in Hollywood, I was an officer in the Army
serving in Vietnam.  Over five years ago I was captured by the
enemy when a helicopter in which I was traveling was forced down.
 I was held in a prisoner-of-war camp for over a year.  Near the
end of my stay I met a person who I want you all to meet today."

Ginny paused, backed away from the rostrum and stood with her
head up straight.  Only then did the reporters realize there were
tears flowing in twin streams from her eyes.  Then she said,
"Before I continue, though, I am going to do something I have
never done before.  I am going to rely on your discretion about
what you see and how you might use what you see and hear here
today.  Of course, the news judgment is entirely in your hands. 
I cannot and will not stop you from using it in any way you see
fit.  I have been candid with you in the past," she said with a
warm smile, "and you have never let me down.  I am counting on
you again today."

Ginny took a deep breath and continued, "Now for the 'first'.  I
am going to pass out the first nude pictures ever taken of me. 
In a sense they are pornographic -- what they depict is obscene.
I will come back to that after you have a chance to see them."

Then she passed out full-color photographs of herself -- front
and side views -- taken in the hospital immediately following her
rescue from the POW camp and return to Saigon.  All that was
recognizable as ?Virginia Cameron was the hair color and the
intense emerald-green eyes.

Mike Chapman, as a plastic surgeon, could recognize Ginny in the
pictures but even he gasped.

"That's sort of how I looked when I first met the person I
referred to earlier," Ginny continued, "Except, thanks to her, I
weighed about five pounds more in the pictures than when the two
of us first met."

Looking around the group of reporters she asked rhetorically,
"Are these pictures pornographic?  I think they are.  They
certainly depict man's inhumanity to man.  But God knows I was
not in a sexy pose.  In fact, it's no pose at all.  Although it's
been quite awhile since I saw these photos last, I can still
remember when they were taken.  The photographer wasn't sure I
could even stand up unsupported.  I could.  At any rate, after I
was released from the hospital, I slowly regained my weight, and
then -- as we love to say here in Hollywood -- the rest is
history.

"Now I want to tell you about the other person.  Her name is
Susan Jennings.  While I was waiting for you to arrive, I was
thinking about my remarks, and so I was trying to think of
appropriate words to describe my relationship to her."

Ginny's eyes were flowing with tears now and her voice broke, but
she recovered enough to continue, "All I could come up with was a
line from the Gospel of St. John, 'Greater love hath no man than
he who lays down his life for a friend.'  Well," Ginny continued
while using every ounce of her remaining willpower to continue to
speak, "I guess Susan must be my friend.  She literally laid down
her life to save mine.  Susan, would you please come up here?"

Susan walked up to the front of the area and joined Ginny.  Rick
brought up a chair for her to sit on since Mike had urged her to
remain seated as much as possible.  "This is Susan Jennings,"
Ginny Cameron continued.  "When I first met her, I was literally
hours away from death.  I remember vividly what happened next. 
Susan had traded her bra to a guard for food bars.  The bars were
taken from Red Cross parcels we were supposed to get but never
did.  You see, the way things worked in the camp was that girls
traded their clothing for food.  When there was no more clothing,
they traded their bodies.  A couple of us were probably fools. 
We decided it was better to go hungry.

"I am here to tell you that starving to death is not a pleasant
way to go.  I didn't go the sex route.  When I realized I was
going to die and changed my mind, it was too late.  By then I no
longer had a body left to sell.  Since all the prisoners were in
the same boat -- starving -- it was live and let live.  Or, more
accurately, die and let die.  The only way someone could help
another was by going without.

"That is exactly what Susan Jennings did for her entire stay in
that prison camp.  She went without so that other prisoners might
survive.  To put it into perspective, I was imprisoned there for
more than a year, while Susan was there less than three months. 
Nonetheless, when we were rescued, she weighed even less than I
did.  On the other hand, there were probably at least fifty more
prisoners still alive than there would have been without her."

Although tears were still flowing, Ginny had now regained
control.  Standing up as straight as she could with her shoulders
back and her tits upthrust she looked incredibly beautiful.  The
news people were all hanging on her words.  Clearly, this was a
very different Hollywood press conference.

"On that first day, Susan Jennings brought a nutrition bar over
to me.  She fed it to me a tiny piece at a time.  She just put a
tiny piece in my mouth, let it melt, and then did it again.  She
continued until the bar was all gone.  Susan saved my life.  And
there was so much more.  One day Susan took on thirty camp guards
sexually one right after the other.  Why?  To get some medicine
to try to save the lives of some of our dying men.

"Finally, there was the last day.  The guards ordered us to
assemble in the center of the compound.  I never did know why. 
At any rate, I fell trying to get up.  The guard indicated I was
to get ten lashes with his bullwhip.  My thought was that at
least it would be a faster death than starvation.  But the next
thing I knew, Susan's body was extended over mine, covering it. 
She was doing what amounted to a pushup to keep her weight off
me.  I could hear the whip crack and slice into her body.  After
five lashes the guard ordered her to turn over.  Then she bridged
her body -- sort of an upside-down pushup -- and held it while
the whip cut into her five more times.  She cringed at the cuts
but didn't fall on me as the whip sliced into her flesh. 
Meanwhile, I was below her with the blood from her back dripping
onto my body.  When it was all over, she was ordered to be
crucified!"

Now Ginny's eyes were blazing with an emerald fire.  The TV
cameras were rolling and the still photographers were taking
their pictures.  Ginny looked like an Amazon warrior at that
moment.  "You heard me right. _Crucified!_  Sue looked at the
cross and knew it was for her.  She gave me the last item of her
clothing, the shirt off her back, with the comment that she
wouldn't be needing it any more.

"They hung her from the cross.  They did not nail her to it the
way the Romans did it two thousand years ago.  They tied her to
it.  For reasons I won't go into, it is just as lethal with rope.
 That was the last time I saw Susan Jennings until this morning,"
Ginny concluded.  The tears were now uncontrolled but she was
able to gasp out, "She was hanging on that cross, dying for me!"

Ginny took a couple of deep breaths to try to regain control. 
Then she reached below the rostrum, pulled out a khaki uniform
shirt and opened it out.  "I found this in the back of one of my
drawers today," she said.  "It is the shirt Susan Jennings was
wearing that day.  You can even read the name inside the collar,
neatly stenciled in indelible ink, JENNINGS.  This morning I
found something else I had never noticed before."

Opening the shirt, she spread it over the front of the rostrum so
the reporters could see more clearly and pointed out marks on the
shirt that appeared to be rust stains.  "These look like rust
stains, don't they?" she asked.  "They are not.  It is Susan's
blood.  It dripped off her back onto me as I lay on the ground
beneath her.  Then it must have been soaked up by Susan's shirt
when I put it on as she was being hung on the cross."

Turning to Susan she said quietly, "Sue, please take off all your
clothes."

Without a moment's hesitation, Susan dropped her skirt, shrugged
off her blouse and stood before the group completely naked. 
There was an audible gasp as the reporters and cameramen saw the
vivid scars crisscrossing her body.  "You see the scars from that
bullwhip," Ginny continued.  "I am asking if there is a
photographer here today who can photograph her body better than
that sailor was able to photograph mine in Saigon.

"You see, beginning tomorrow, Susan will have a series of
operations to try to erase those scars.  But I don't want them
forgotten.  There is some unfinished business here.  I heard
gasps from many of you when you first saw Susan's body.  I don't
know if you were reacting to the scars, to her emaciated
condition, or to both.  You see, Susan Jennings is the reason I
invited you all out here today.  There are a number of unanswered
questions.  I will list some and my friends will add to thelist.

"First, why is she still scarred?  Why wasn't she cared for in a
naval hospital after she was rescued?  We just learned today that
she was dismissed from the service.  That is the equivalent of a
dishonorable discharge but applicable to officers.  How, when,
where, and for what reason was she court-martialed?  Only a
general court-martial can order dismissal, but we cannot find out
anything.  Keep in mind, the record of trial is a public
document.  Why is it hidden?"

Turning to her side where Mike was now waiting she continued, "I
would like my fiance, Mike Chapman, to speak to you.  As some of
you may know, Mike is a plastic surgeon practicing here in Los
Angeles."

One of the reporters asked, "Is this Dr. Michael Chapman?"  When
Ginny nodded agreement, the reporter spoke for the benefit of his
colleagues, "For those of you who may not know it, Dr. Chapman is
generally regarded as the finest plastic surgeon in Southern
California, and many believe he is the finest in the world. 
Doctor?"

"Thank you very much.  With my surgical team I am going to begin
operating on Susan Jennings tomorrow.  I can't tell you how long
the whole process will take nor how successful it will ultimately
turn out to be.  But we are going to try like hell.  On the other
hand, I will also say that this surgery should have been
undertaken years ago, almost immediately upon her release.  What
should have happened was she should have been physically built up
from her starvation and then operated on.  The probability of
successful surgery was much greater then than it is now."

Mike Chapman took a deep breath and continued, "There's much
more, though.  In addition to the scars that are so visible, I am
almost certain that she is still carrying enemy bullets in her
body from the day of her rescue years ago.  We have scheduled
Susan for a CAT scan later today to confirm, but I am virtually
certain right now what they will reveal.  We know Susan was hit
by enemy fire just before she was rescued.  It now appears that
the enemy bullets were never removed. _Can you believe that?"_
Mike nearly screamed.  "They don't do that with murderers, for
Heaven's sake."  His gray eyes were fiery as he exclaimed, "Do
any of you care!?"

There was a growling sound from the assembled news people. 
Evidently they did care, and some of them cared a great deal. 
Meanwhile, a photographer had taken Susan away to arrange lights
and reflectors to properly photograph the scars on her body.

When Mike introduced Rick Jackson, a newsman muttered to a
colleague sitting beside him, "She may not have many friends, but
the ones she has have enough horsepower to move an army!"

Rick got up in front of the group and said, "I first met Susan on
the day Ginny -- Marcia Matthews -- just described.  I commanded
the rescue unit that assaulted the camp.  It was I who cut her
down from that cross.  At the time I thought I was retrieving a
dead body, but when I reached her I could feel her heart still
beating and then her eyes opened.  Since the evacuation was in
its last stages and there wasn't time to get her to a chopper, I
carried her to a cave we had found and had used to store supplies
before our assault.  On the way back up to it I was hit in the
leg by a nearly-spent bullet.  We reached the cave, I put a
combat dressing on the wound and then spent the next couple of
days just feeding Susan.

"Then, in spite of her own emaciated and feverish condition, she
noticed that I had a fever.  Under the circumstances, I must have
had a pretty good one.  Anyway, she examined my leg and prepared
to operate.  You saw the picture of Ginny.  That is roughly the
way Susan looked except that those whip cuts across her body were
new.  There is one you may have noticed that runs across her
breast that was nearly half-an-inch deep.  Nevertheless, she
operated on me one night using our first-aid kit and a gasoline
lantern.

"When I asked a surgeon about the wound later, his reaction was
that it should have been reasonably routine for a well-trained
surgical team in a military hospital.  When I explained the
circumstances of the surgery, he said that under such conditions
successful surgery was impossible.  It flat-out could not be
done!  But of course it was."

Rick turned, looked towards Susan and winked at her.  He was
overjoyed to see her wriggle with delight and grin back at him. 
_God, I love this girl!_  he thought.

Turning back towards the news people he continued, "I spent the
next few days explaining to Susan how our demolition toys work. 
She put out all our Claymore mines and wired a road bridge with
demolition charges.  Just before we were due to be extracted, a
patrol triggered one of the Claymores.  The next thing we knew,
we were under heavy attack."

Rick stood back from the microphone for a moment and shook his
head as he remembered.  Then he continued, "What does Susan
Jennings do?  Well, she blows the bridge.  As neat a job as I
have ever seen, by the way.  She blew off both ends and the span
just dropped into the river.  She timed the explosion so she
could take two enemy tanks along with the span itself.  Then she
opens up with machine-gun fire.  I didn't keep my head down the
way I should have, so I take a big hit with shrapnel from a
mortar round.  My sergeant told me later that she went berserk
and charged the enemy with grenades and an Armalite.

"When the detail arrived, they counted seventy-seven bodies, not
counting the tank crews and the infantry carried away with the
blown bridge.  When the choppers got us all back to Saigon, Susan
was whisked off and I was evacuated back to Pearl Harbor.  That
is all I know -- from back then.

"Today, I found out a few more things.  Someone in Washington is
out to make Susan Jennings' life miserable.  If you try to check
her references -- as one of my people did earlier today -- the
word is, don't hire her... for _anything!_  In fact, one guy
tried to substitute an ex-con with three felony convictions.  So
Susan is worse than a felon who is a three-time loser.  But why?

"Another thing," Rick Jackson continued.  "How was she
court-martialed?  Who certified her as medically fit to stand
trial and participate in her own defense?  What were the grounds
for the court-martial?  Marcia has given you that list.

"What I would like you to do is this: There is a toll-free
telephone number that we would like to have broadcast across the
entire country.  We would like to hear from anyone who was in
that prison camp over the range of dates when Susan was there. 
The dates will be given to you.  We want to hear from absolutely
anyone!  There is another phone number at which we will accept
collect calls from anywhere in California or from overseas.

"We are trying to rectify a terrible miscarriage of justice.  I
have here a sheet of paper with all of the relevant names, dates,
and telephone numbers.  I hope you will use them in your stories,
and I certainly hope that you do a story on today's events and
that the stories run.  Thank you for taking the time," Rick
concluded.

While he was concluding his talk, Susan had rejoined the group
and was sitting behind Rick.  When he sat down and Ginny rose to
close the session, one of the reporters asked if Susan would
answer a few questions.  Ginny looked at Susan who smiled and
nodded her head vigorously.  Susan rose and took Ginny's place
behind the microphone.

One of the reporters asked how she had been captured.  "I was in
our operating room and something hit the roof," she replied. 
"The next thing I knew I was in the POW camp.  I don't even know
how long I was there before I regained my senses."  Looking
around the area she asked, "Any more?"

Another reporter rose and asked, "Miss Jennings, Mr. Jackson says
you were reported as going berserk.  Do you remember it?  If so,
what happened?"

She grimaced and said, "I remember some of it.  I remember seeing
Rick hit with the shrapnel.  I immediately decided that I didn't
care to go on living so I might as well take as many of them with
me as I could.  I may have been out to avenge Rick as well.  It
was really a pretty stupid thing to do, I'm afraid."

A reporter from a TV station asked, "Susan, it's pretty obvious
that your friends are working very hard for you.  In light of
their efforts, what are your thoughts?"

"I don't really have any," Susan responded.  "Until a couple of
days ago I was just wandering around LA, being rousted
constantly.  Finally I was able to contact Mr. Jackson and
suddenly everything changed.  It appears that I have some very
good friends who want to take care of me.  There is really
nothing more I can say."

The reporter followed up with another question.  "Miss Matthews
believes you saved her life in the prison camp.  Do you feel that
you did?"

"No, I really don't," Susan replied in a decisive tone of voice.
"She saved hersef.  I did a couple of little things to try to
help her, I suppose, but that's all."

Then Susan smiled an incredibly warm smile that instantly won
over the audience and continued, "I remember vividly the first
time I met Virginia Cameron.  She was in terrible shape --
professionally, I gave her only hours to live -- yet she could
still crack a joke.  I said something stupid like, 'Haven't you
carried your diet a little far,' and she came back with, 'I think
I can still lose a couple of more pounds.'  That is an
indomitable spirit we cannot afford to lose.  I just helped a
little," Susan concluded.

The reporter persisted, "Did you cover her body with your own to
protect her from the guard's bullwhip?"  Susan nodded.  "Why?"

"Because a whipping would have killed her," Susan replied.  "I
thought I could make it.  And as you can see, I did," she
concluded with another smile.

At that point the entire group rose to applaud while the TV
announcers spoke quietly into their microphones.  There were few
dry eyes in the crowd as they did.  In a short time the press had
left and Ginny asked Maria to bring out more food for "the
starving one."

Maria, who was close to two-hundred pounds, took it as a personal
challenge to put some meat on Susan's bones.

The four were now sitting around the table beside the pool when
Susan looked longingly at Rick and then said sadly, "Rick, could
you do me a very great favor?  You have only seen me as a
physical wreck.  Would it be possible for you not to see me for a
while?  I've seen some of these plastic surgeons' work and it
usually gets much worse before it gets any better.  I... I... I
don't want to lose you forever, Rick."

She smiled at him warmly and he could see that her eyes were full
of tears.  She was just moments away from breaking down
completely.  Nevertheless, she continued, "I must admit, though,
you're awfully hard to discourage."

Before responding to her request, there was one question Rick had
to ask: "Susan, girls have been making a living on their backs
for a long time.  You used your body to help others survive in
prison.  Why did you starve here in Los Angeles, now?"

Looking steadily directly into his eyes Susan replied, "There are
two reasons.  First, I kept hoping, 'Today will be the day.'  I
had no such hope in Vietnam.  Second, I have not been with a man
since you."

As Rick remembered their one time together, his eyes misted and
he could scarcely talk.  He just shook hands with Mike and kissed
Ginny Cameron on the cheek.  "Take good care of her, please?  But
I'm sure you will."

Then he crouched beside Susan's chair and took her head in his
hands.  Turning her face toward himself, he could see the tears
now streaming from her eyes.  Then he kissed her tenderly on the
lips.  It was a kiss full of love and promise, and again he heard
the bells.

Jumping up, he went through the house and out the front door. 
Sitting behind the wheel of his car, he waited for the tears to
abate enough for him to see to be able to drive.*Chapter 5*

That evening Mike and Ginny drove Susan to the hospital where the
CAT scan was scheduled.  When they arrived, Mike was joined by a
friend, John Roberts, a top general surgeon.  The two doctors met
the radiologist-CAT operator in the control booth and Mike told
him where to start looking.  Almost instantly the CAT revealed
three imbedded bullets in Susan's right side and shoulder.

Roberts did not believe his eyes.  "Mike, I was wondering what
you have been smoking when you called me," he said.  "These
bullets are easily operable -- or were.  I have never seen or
heard of anyone leaving military service with removable enemy
metal still in them. _No one!  Ever!_

Turning to the CAT operator he said, "Hal, can you get me the
exact coordinates on those three?  I want to look at her and then
maybe get some x-rays."

Chapman had arranged for the best room in the hospital for Susan
now that she was his patient.  Although the administrator had
screamed, Mike had merely pointed out that his patients were
always in the best room so there was no problem.  When Susan was
wheeled back into her room, Mike and Ginny were waiting for her.
Ginny had already taken charge.  After checking Susan's hospital
schedule with Mike she had made some special arrangements.  A few
minutes later one of her friends, Jim Reading, a top Hollywood
hair stylist came in.

Like Mike Chapman, he was used to recognizing raw material.  He
could see that Susan could be even more beautiful than Ginny when
she recovered, and he said so.

He thought he might provoke a reaction from Ginny and did, but
not the one he expected: "Oh, Jim!  Do you really think so?" she
exclaimed.  "I do, too, but I'm prejudiced."

The hair designer was baffled but Mike whispered to him to watch
the late news on TV or read the papers in the morning.

Then Jim took Susan over to the sink and his assistants descended
in force.  Mike thought they were trying to drown his patient but
Ginny said, "It's good for you to see this, Mike.  It's some of
the garbage you are going to rescue me from."  She looked at him
lovingly and said, "Michael, darling, I am going to be making
babies for us as fast as I can.  Do I have to keep on working in
films, too?"

Mike took her into his arms and melted his lips on hers.  After
easing away and regaining her breath, Ginny looked over at Susan
and said, "She'll live -- through that, anyway."  He kissed her
again, more hungrily this time.  She whispered, "I thought I took
good care of you already today."

"But that was this morning," he complained.  Then he whispered in
her ear, "And in the meantime I've made all kinds of warm cum to
flood your insides.  Interested?"

Ginny made warm noises deep in her body and rubbed her body
against his now-engorged cock and muttered, "Yum!  I can hardly
wait."

"I adore you, my darling," Mike said.

Then he told Ginny about the bullets in Susan's body.  "Honey,
that girl must be in continuous agony.  And yet she almost moves
as if there is no problem.  You only notice it if you carefully
look at her movements on each side independently."  Shaking his
head he continued, "You know, John Roberts admits he only came
over to humor a friend.  He just flat could not believe a veteran
could be discharged with removable bullets still in her body. 
Now he believes, and it's not at all funny.  He is going over
some x-rays that were just taken and then will be joining us.  We
are going to go in together.  Given where the bullets are, I'm
assuming he'll be going in from the front.  That poor girl is
really going to get a working over."

Jim Reading and his people left to be replaced by Penny Watts, a
senior makeup artist.  The woman looked over Susan very carefully
and finally nodded her head decisively just once.  Turning on
Ginny she pretended to glare and said, "Marcia Matthews, for
chrissakes will you quit wasting my time.  This girl could use a
manicure.  She needs some sunshine -- she's too pale.  She could
wear a little lipstick if she wants to really go hog-wild.  Full
stop!"  Penny just shook her head and continued, "Marcia, she is
going to be utterly gorgeous.  I thought you were the last of the
makeup artist's dreams, but now there's another: her.  But where
in heaven's name did you find her?  And what are you two playing
in?  I assume you're both starring in the same film, aren't you?
And could I please get the assignment?  Please?"

Ginny just smiled and replied, "Susan is not even in the
business, Penny.  She is here for some very serious surgery.  But
could someone give her that manicure you mentioned?  I think it
would cheer her up."  The woman smiled and made a thumbs-up sign.
 Moments later a manicurist came in and started to work on
Susan's hands.

By the time she finished, John Roberts had joined them and
waiters from Maxim's produced a catered dinner for the foursome.
They were seated around a rolling table with Susan wearing her
new bathrobe.  She looked beautiful with her hair now glistening
with its natural highlights.

"How do you feel, Sue?" Ginny asked.  "Is there anything else you
want?  Anything at all?"

Susan smiled warmly and slowly shook her head.  "Ginny,
everything is just perfect.  I can't thank you enough."  Then the
smile turned into a very cute grin as she added, "Miss Cameron,
could I make a short video tape?  With me kneeling on the floor
and bowing until my forehead touches, thanking you?  That way
when these things come along, one right after another, I can just
point to the VCR, roll the tape, and save a lot of wear and tear
on a bod that can't take a whole lot more right now."

Ginny just delighted at her good spirits and the return of her
sense of humor.  Susan continued, "I have just one question,
though.  How much did you have to pay those people, and how much
rehearsal time was required for them to get their lines down? 
That is the right phrase, isn't it?  'Getting the lines down'?" 
Ginny looked at her puzzled.  Susan explained, "You know, Ginny!
All that garbage about my hair, makeup, and the rest.  It was a
real hoot!"

Finally realizing what Susan was talking about, it was Ginny's
turn to shake her head and laugh.  "I hate to ruin your day,
honey," she said, "but it was all honest.  Jim Reading was in
absolute raptures over your hair.  When he was leaving he asked
me to tell you that he would consider it a personal favor if you
would allow him to continue to handle your hair styling.  That's
not bullshit, either.  You're not in the trade, so you may not
know that Jim has four or five Oscars for hair styling.  He's
considered the very best in the business.  Oh, it's all free, by
the way.  He says women like you are great advertising for him."

Ginny laughed again as Susan's jaw dropped.  She exclaimed, "You
can't be serious!  If you are, he's crazy!  He's nuts! 
Certifiably insane! _Me?"_

Ginny was now laughing so hard she could no longer even talk. 
All she could do was to vigorously nod her head up and down while
she howled with laughter and tried to regain control.

Finally she was able to say, "My darling Susan, that is the
highest praise there is.  Honest.  Ask Mike.  Those people know
heads and faces.  They are real pros.  They see the structure and
the raw material.  If you ever want to really roll on the floor
laughing, just get a group of hair stylists and makeup people
together talking about the stars they have worked on.  Talk about
seeing it warts and all!  And they will be delighted to tell you
exactly were every wart is and describe it in detail."

Susan just shook her head in disbelief and turned to the other
doctor.  Her face grew serious as she asked, "Dr. Roberts, what's
the word?  I guess the bullets have to come out, don't they?"

Roberts was developing an appreciation for the incredible courage
of this girl.  "Miss Jennings," he replied, "they have to come
out.  You're in constant pain, aren't you?"

In response Susan shrugged her shoulders.  When she did Ginny saw
what Mike had seen earlier.  Her right shoulder moved differently
from her left.  "It's okay, Doctor," Susan replied.  "I'm used to
it, anyway."

Roberts raised an eyebrow and looked at her skeptically.  "Young
lady, you are lying.  Should I get a dolorometer?"

Susan's eyes widened and she said softly, "No, Doctor.  Please
don't waste your time."  Then she tried to grin and continued, "I
give up.  I guess it does hurt pretty bad.  But I really am used
to it, though."

Hearing of a dolorometer, Ginny whispered a question to Mike
asking what a dolorometer is.  He explained it was a machine that
measured pain.  It was attached to a part of the body away from
the suspected pain source.  Then the pain was increased until the
patient could feel the machine-induced pain rather than the
internal -- or external -- pain source.  Based on Susan's
reaction, the pain must be continuous and agonizing.

Mike turned to John and asked, "Which way are you going in?  From
the front?"  Roberts nodded.  "Okay," Mike said, "How do you feel
about it, Sue?  You're a nurse so you know what's coming up."

Susan smiled ruefully, nodded her head and said, "I guess I'll
manage.  And thanks, guys."  Turning to Roberts she said,
"Doctor, I haven't had a chance to even talk to you.  I guess
you're going to take out the metal, but I really don't have any
money yet.  So... So could... could..." Susan stammered, "Could
you submit your bill in sort of bite-sized pieces?"

John Roberts looked at her with tears forming in the corners of
his eyes.  His voice cracked when he asked, "Susan, do you have a
penny?"

She was puzzled but looked in her purse.  It was part of a
brand-new outfit Rick had given her.  There was a loaded change
purse in it.  She took out a penny and gave it to him.

Looking at her solemnly, he carefully put it in his pocket.  "Do
you need a receipt for tax purposes, Susan?" he asked.   "You are
now prepaid in full for the surgery.  Thank you very much for
your prompt payment."

"Dr. Roberts, you can't be serious!" Susan exclaimed.  "You...
you're famous!  I owe you," she insisted.

"Like hell you do!" he instantly responded.  "I happen to know
what you're paying Mike Chapman.  I just scaled my fees to his. 
If he's getting ten cents per scar, even one cent for a few stray
bullets is much too much."

Looking at her intently now he asked, "How did you get them, by
the way?  They have obviously been there for quite a while."

Ginny quickly told him the story of the prison camp, the
crucifixion, the breakout and the aftermath.  She watched his
tears start to flow uncontrolled as he realized his patient had
carried the bullets in her body for almost four years.  Reaching
into his wallet he took out a ten-dollar bill and gave it to
Susan.  "I made one of my usual billing mistakes, Miss Jennings.
This is your overpayment, refunded."

Looking at her closely, he nodded his head and said, "Susan, I
owe you more than mere money.  You are a credit to this country,
to the nursing profession, and to the human race.  I consider it
a great honor and privilege to be allowed to operate on you. 
Believe me when I say it is worth a very great deal to me."

Susan studied his face very carefully and finally realized that
Roberts was totally serious.  Tears started to flow down her
cheeks and she stammered, "Thank you, Doctor.  I don't know what
to say except thank you.  It's inadequate, I know, but... but...
Thanks."

He kissed her on the cheek and said he would see her in the
operating room the next morning.

* * *

While Ginny was waiting for Susan to be brought back to her room
from the recovery room the next afternoon, Mike came in looking
for her.  When he entered, Ginny was scared and gasped in dismay
when she saw tears running down his cheeks.

"What happened, darling?  What went wrong?" she asked while a
sense of pure panic threatened to overwhelm her.  Something had
gone terribly wrong with the operation.

Mike just shook his head and said finally, "Those bastards!  And
I'm talking about my surgical team, darling.  Susan is fine.  But
those idiots saw the TV news last night that we missed.  Anyway,
there was a big story about Susan and her wounds.  When they
learned that she was our patient today they refused to submit
bills or to accept any payment at all.  They are working for
nothing -- every damned one of them!  Even Carmen Garcia, for
God's sake, and she is supporting three children.  Even though
she desperately needs every penny, she flat refused!"

At that, Mike completely lost control.  He was on his knees with
his head cradled in Ginny's lap while she stroked him and made
soothing sounds to comfort him.

Later Ginny was sitting in a chair beside Susan's bed.  The
girl's body was bandaged like a mummy's and she was just coming
out from the anaesthesia.  When Ginny saw Susan blink and open
her eyes, she went to the bedside with a glass of water and gave
her some through a straw.  Susan just smiled her gratitude.

"How do you feel, sweetheart?" Ginny asked softly.

"Since you ask," Susan replied hoarsely, "I feel like I've just
been run over by a truck.  And, Virginia Cameron, I am giving you
fair warning right now.  Your fiance is a sadist."  With her eyes
wide and with a completely straight face, she continued, "It was
painful for me, Ginny, but I found out in time.  You should
immediately throw Michael Chapman out in the street and have
nothing further to do with him.  Why... Why a man who would do to
me what Mike just did would be whipping you every week.  He would
tie you to a whipping post and stripe your back and your chest. 
I have saved you again, Ginny.  Aren't you glad?"

_"Do you really think he will?"_ Ginny exclaimed eagerly.  "Boy,
I can hardly wait.  Just think!  Those lovely stripes on my
body...  The joy of feeling him crush my wounds..."  With her
eyes as wide as saucers, she repeated, "Golly, Sue, do you really
think he will?"

She had to hold Susan carefully as the girl began to laugh but at
the same time aggravate her surgical wounds.  The two young women
were both crying and laughing at the same time.  When she
regained control, Ginny carefully stroked Susan's forehead with a
cool cloth and watched her fall asleep.

* * *

A week later a limousine pulled up in the hospital's driveway to
pick up Susan and take her back to Ginny Cameron's estate.  Once
there she began a program of exercise, diet, and sunshine after
the bandages were removed.  Meanwhile, Maria continued to feed
her many times each day.  A few weeks later, after the worst of
the surgical cuts on her chest and belly were sufficiently
healed, she returned to the hospital where Mike operated a second
time, this time on the scars on her back.  Both operations were
completely successful, as was John Roberts' operation to remove
the Vietnamese bullets.  Susan even had the bullets in her top
drawer.  Periodically, she and Ginny would kid about what she
might be able to make out of them.

As the long recovery process began, Susan was delighted and gave
thanks to God for her association with Ginny.  The girl was a
tower of strength for Susan who realized that she loved Ginny as
a beloved older sister.  The girls had become utterly inseparable
to such a degree that one evening Susan asked with her eyes wide
if Ginny wanted her to keep her company in bed and give her
advice while Mike Chapman was plowing her vaginal canal.  Both
Ginny and Mike cracked up with laughter while Susan just looked
from one to the other with a puzzled look on her face as if she
could not understand what could possibly be so funny.

Meanwhile, the press coverage of the Susan Jennings story
increased in intensity.  There had been intense public interest
and an outcry aroused by the first stories.  Responding to the
public reaction and interest, the media maintained the pressure.
Rick Jackson got a call from an Orange County Congressman wanting
to know what had happened.  The representative, a member of the
House Armed Services Committee, talked with his chairman.  The
Navy Department was contacted by a committee staffer and then all
hell started to break loose.

In addition to his masterful job feeding new information to the
press, Rick was also following up on all the contacts coming in
on the telephone lines in response to the stories.  In addition
to recording their stories, Rick also fed juicy tidbits to the
press to maintain the media pressure.  Within three weeks of the
first story breaking, he had talked to virtually every person who
had been held prisoner in that compound.  The stories he heard
merely confirmed what he already knew from Ginny and Susan.  To a
man -- or woman -- they offered to go anywhere to testify in
Susan's behalf.  Many refused any offer of payment, insisting on
paying their own way.

Finally, Rick put in a call to the White House.  A couple of
hours later he was speaking to the President who had returned his
call.  Quickly he explained the situation.  The President was
aware of the Congressional inquiry and had already determined to
be out in front.  This man took his role as Commander in Chief of
the armed forces seriously.  After hearing the story, the
President asked Rick if he would come to Washington to head up an
investigation on his behalf.  Rick immediately agreed and was on
the red-eye to Washington that night.

Rick found the subsequent events amusing.  Or they would have
been had they not had such a terrible impact on the woman he
loved.  When a colonel is burying a captain -- or a lieutenant in
the Navy, the equivalent rank -- it is not difficult.  And if the
cage starts to rattle a little, everyone just holds on tight and
waits for things to quiet down again.  But when the Congress and
the White House become interested, the rats begin to run for
cover.  Because of the mixture of services, Rick's was a
Department of Defense investigating team.

He derived bitter amusement from the events.  Because of his
shrapnel wounds Rick Jackson was now a major, United States
Marine Corps, Retired.  But as chairman of the special
presidential investigating committee, he outranked the Chief of
Naval Operations and the Army's Chief of Staff.  As a result,
Susan's "lost" court-martial file was quickly found.  He and his
people carefully reviewed it, interviewed a number of the
witnesses Rick had previously located, and then reported back to
the President.

The Secretary of Defense then ordered that a special Court of
Inquiry be convened.  Miss Susan Jennings, Brigadier General
Homer Black, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Simon, and Major Judith
Harrison were named as parties to the inquiry.  Black, Simon, and
Harrison were frozen in place.  They were not allowed to change
their military status in any way pending the findings of the
court of inquiry which was scheduled to convene in Los Angeles at
the call of its president, a Navy vice admiral.  The court panel
was composed of two- and three-star flag officers from both the
army and the navy.

Rick had occasion to meet with the court's president, Vice
Admiral Charles F. Adams, at the Pentagon.  Admiral Adams was
surprised to see that the head of the investigating committee --
about whom he had heard so much -- was only in his early
thirties.  Adams also knew that Jackson was a highly-decorated
combat Marine, and was also one of the richest men in the
country. _A very interesting combination,_ he thought.

Rick sat down across the desk from the admiral.  "I'm Rick
Jackson, Admiral Adams," he said.  "I understand you wanted to
see me."

The admiral looked at him thoughtfully and then said, "Mr.
Jackson, what are you after?  Why are you involved in this
affair?  What are you trying to do?"

Adams saw Jackson's eyes turn steel grey -- and become as cold as
an iceberg.  "Admiral, my interest is to see that justice is
done.  From our investigation, the defendant in the
court-martial, Miss Susan Jennings, was in no condition to do
anything -- least of all, participate in her own defense.  The
defense counsel appointed to serve was the most junior lawyer on
the base."

Adams recoiled from the piercing look in Jackson's eyes as he
continued, "It wasn't a trial, it was a railroad!  They
railroaded a girl out of the service who deserves medals for
gallantry, heroism, and selflessness.  She most assuredly did not
deserve a court-martial.  Admiral, I don't want to prejudice you,
but I'm sure it will all come out.  We have located everyone
concerned and have taken steps to ensure their availability. 
When do you intend to convene the court?"

"Why... in two weeks," Adams replied in some surprise.  "But of
course I am moving the trial back here to Washington."

"Wrong, Admiral!" Rick exclaimed while shaking his head.  "You
will convene your court in Los Angeles at the Federal Court House
on February 1, next year."

The admiral was stunned.  He was being contradicted by a mere
major.  "Why... Why that's ridiculous!  It will be here in two
weeks..."

"Wrong!"  Rick was glaring at him now as he continued, "I'm
afraid you didn't read your letter of appointment too carefully.
For if you had, you would have seen that convening the court is
dependent upon the availability of Miss Jennings.  She will not
be available until February 1, and then only in Los Angeles, the
site named for the court in your orders.

"Admiral, this girl was railroaded once.  It will not happen
again!"  With fire still in his eyes, Rick regained control and
asked in a calmer tone, "Now why don't you reread your orders?"

The admiral did, slowly.  Then he read them again.  His blood
pressure was rising as he said, "But this is ridiculous!  She...
She's only a civilian!  This cannot be."

Rick shook his head again and said, "It can be and it is.  You
noticed that the order is signed by the Secretaries of the Army
and the Navy and countersigned by the Secretary of Defense.  Do
you care to argue?"

Adams now looked thoroughly defeated as Rick said, "I thought
not.  I look forward to seeing you again in Los Angeles.  Good
day, Admiral."  Rick left a very deflated vice admiral sitting in
his office as he quietly shut the door behind him.*Chapter 6*

It was mid December now, and Susan's bandages had long since
disappeared.  She was moving freely now that the pain from the
embedded bullets was gone.  Moreover, she and Ginny had
continuing competitions in everything from weight lifting to
tennis, to swimming, to golf.  The love and mutual respect
between the two beautiful young women was a delight both to them
and to everyone with whom they had contact.  All of Ginny's
friends knew the story well and they all rejoiced in the way
Susan had blossomed.

When the two young women went out together which was often, they
attracted the stares of everyone around.  First, at five feet
eight, both women were quite tall.  Beyond that, though, their
figures were utterly perfect and they were incredible beauties,
Virginia Cameron with her magnificent auburn hair and
emerald-green eyes, and Susan Jennings with her hair like
newly-minted yellow gold and the most brilliant blue eyes anyone
had ever seen.

Moreover, the two women truly adored one another and took every
opportunity to exchange kisses.  Whenever their lips met, the two
both felt an incredible flow of the purest love and joy. 
Finally, both women were very intelligent, well read and very
well informed.  Before long the two found themselves temporarily
in demand for appearances on daytime talk shows -- until it was
learned that neither woman was at all "politically correct."

Late one afternoon Ginny said, "Let's go inside, shall we?  In
spite of almost being Christmas, it's awfully hot."  With a
grimace she added, "In fact it reminds me of that late,
unlamented POW camp."

Going into the cool house they went on to Ginny's bedroom.  Once
there, Ginny suddenly stopped in front of a full-length mirror. 
Susan had to stop suddenly to keep from walking into her.  Since
both women were nude having been soaking up the sun, Ginny just
said casually, "Take a look.  You don't really look half bad,
little sister."

The two girls had been tanning nude, Ginny because she liked to,
and Susan because Mike was concerned that the tiny scars from the
surgery might be revealed as white lines on a tan.  They were
not.  His work had been utterly perfect: There were no marks of
any kind showing on Susan's now-perfect body.

Susan looked at her reflection in the mirror and was stunned. 
She did not recognize the girl looking back at her.  The girl in
the mirror had perfectly formed tits with tiny up-thrusting
nipples.  Her stomach was flat, her hips were slim, her buns were
small and tight, and her long legs were feminine perfection. 
With her golden tan, and hair the color of newly minted yellow
gold, Susan was a vision in shades of gold.  The only color was
the incredibly bright red of her lips -- even without any
lipstick -- and the brilliant blue of her eyes.

Susan Jennings was now utterly exquisite and, in a whisper, Ginny
told her so.

Then to Ginny's surprise she could see tears forming in the
corners of Susan's eyes.  Turning to Ginny she hugged her tightly
and exclaimed, "Oh, God!  Thank you.  Ginny, do you think he'll
like me now?  Do you?"

"Who's 'he'?" Ginny asked professing ignorance with a puzzled
look on her face.

"Virginia Cameron, I will cheerfully kill you right now," Susan
said in a flat tone of voice.  Then folding her arms on her chest
she cocked her head and looked at Ginny thoughtfully.  After a
few moments she nodded her head firmly just once and said, "Yup.
I knew it.  I should have eaten the damned nutrition bars myself
instead of wasting them on you.  This is all it got me."

Dropping the act, Ginny enveloped Susan in her arms, hugged her
tightly and then melted her lips against hers.  There was an
instantaneous two-way flow of pure love as the two women poured
out their hearts to one another.

In a whisper Ginny said, "My darling Susan, I adore you.  I hope
you know that."  Then pulling away she pretended to glare at Sue
and said in her normal tone of voice, "Susan Jennings, what _is_
your problem?  He loved you in Vietnam when you were cut to
ribbons and as thin as a rail, didn't he?"  Susan just nodded
once.  "He's not blind," Ginny continued.  "You are one of the
most beautiful women alive in the world today.  I know he will
love you!"

Apparently changing the subject, Ginny said, "Incidentally,
before I forget, Mike and I are going off to the Islands --
_without you!"_ she said with her nose in the air.

She sniffed and interjected, "This is to show that I can too make
love to Mike Chapman without you giving me directions!"  Then she
just hugged Susan tightly and kissed her again murmuring, "I
adore you, Sue."  Back to her original line she said, "It will be
a sort of pre-wedding honeymoon.  Since we want to give Maria
time off to visit her family in Mexico over the holidays, the
house will be sort of empty.

"Anyway, I checked with Rick Jackson and he said his apartment is
empty.  He has been traveling a lot and he would be very happy to
have you use his apartment while we -- and he -- are gone."  With
her eyes wide she asked, "Sue, do you mind?"

"Of course not, silly!" Sue replied with a grin.  "When can I get
into his apartment?  And where is the key, for that matter?"

Ginny swallowed hard, reached into her purse, and pulled out a
ring of keys.  "This is the key to the apartment," she said. 
Pulling out another she continued, "This is the key to the BMW,
and this is the one for the Porsche.  I would drive the Bimmer
myself -- it's much easier to handle.  Both are ready for you
now, though, and the choice is yours."

Going through an envelope she had produced she added, "Oops, I
forgot something.  This is for you, too.  Rick said you should
open your own bank account."  Then she passed the very fat
manilla envelope to Susan.

The girl opened it and found a stack of one-hundred-dollar bills.
 It contained five hundred -- there was fifty thousand dollars. 
Susan looked at the money and then up at Ginny, utterly
bewildered.  "I can't take this, Gin.  Really, I can't."

Ginny just slowly shook her head and said, "Sue, you really can't
appreciate how much money Rick Jackson has.  Suffice it to say a
lot more than this just spills off the edge of the table every
day.  To him, that is a couple of days' grocery money.  Okay? 
Please use it like it is.  Please?"

Susan packed her things, kissed Ginny and Mike, and remembered to
wish Maria Merry Christmas in Spanish.  Maria smiled broadly when
she heard, _Felices Navidad!_ and gave Susan a warm kiss.

"The senorita is very beautiful.  You always very beautiful, but
now..."  She gave Susan another warm kiss and retreated to the
kitchen with tears streaming down her cheeks.

When Susan Jennings arrived at Rick Jackson's apartment, she
didn't know what to expect.  She found it had been completely
redecorated from the time she had been there before her
operations.  It was spotless.  Since there was only one bedroom,
she unpacked there.  Finding a whole empty chest of drawers, she
carefully unpacked her new clothes.  Now she was wearing sizes
she had last worn just before going to Vietnam.

Susan spent the next few days stocking the apartment.  While
doing it she found a note from Rick suggesting that she open an
account at the bank branch across the street from his apartment.
The manager's name was Mr. Smith.  He turned out to be very nice.
 He told her that there was already money at the bank waiting for
her.  Moreover, he said, the headquarters branch was transferring
money to her account at the rate of $50,000 per week and Susan
had not even signed the bank's signature cards yet! a Poor Mr.
Smith was terribly upset.  After Susan carefully signed all of
his forms he felt much better.  Finally he gave her all the
charge cards and bank ATM cards made out in her name that had
been waiting there for her.

Susan decided to buy a Christmas tree.  She could not even
remember how long it had been since she had had the last one. 
After calling several places listed in the Yellow Pages, she
finally found a place that claimed to have a lovely blue spruce.
At least they said it was lovely, and when she saw it, she agreed
it really was.  After buying lights, ornaments, tinsel and a
Nativity set, she was about to return to the apartment when she
saw something else.

On a whim she bought a set of Lionel electric trains.  It was
complete, so over the next few days she worked on her tree and
her electric trains.  It was truly a labor of love.  Sue managed
to assemble the train with its switches and men and dumping cars.
 Then she spent hours on her knees playing with it under her
now-beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

Finally she went food shopping.  With all of her preparations
complete, she even spent two full days making and decorating
Christmas cookies.  Susan was delighted to find that the
apartment now had a fully-equipped gym she could use for her
daily workouts.  Otherwise, she thought, she would have blown up
like a balloon.

Shortly before Christmas, acting on a whim she called Jim
Reading, the hair stylist who had worked on her in the hospital.
He remembered her instantly and asked when he could work on her
hair again.  Susan told him that was why she had called him.  He
told her to come right down to the studio, so she did.

When she arrived, he looked at her and just shook his head. 
"Susan Jennings, you are incredibly, utterly beautiful!  It is a
real pleasure for me and my people to have the opportunity to
work on you.  Come on in!"

He worked on her for three hours.  When he finished, he spun the
chair around so she could see herself.  Susan looked at her
reflection and was disappointed.  "Jim," she said, "It.... It...
It still looks like... me.  Aren't you going to do something
dramatic to make me look beautiful... or something?"

Reading just smiled and slowly shook his head.  "Susan Jennings,
we do that a lot.  Sometimes, even, because the role requires it,
we might even cut off all the hair and shave a skull.  Far more
often, though, we work to draw attention away from something. 
You are as genuinely beautiful a girl as I have ever seen. 
Incidentally, that includes Marcia Matthews who had the
natural-beauty record around here until you appeared."

He shook his head and continued, "Just look at your hair.  It is
full, full-bodied, naturally wavy...  It is just exquisite.  I
hope you like the way I styled it.  I think you should have a
little more than ordinary length, but I guess I am prejudiced.  I
would like to see you as Lady Godiva naked with only your
glorious hair falling all the way down to your waist!"

Reaching out her hand, Susan took his.  "Thank you, Jim.  It
really does look beautiful.  And thank you for the kind words." 
Then with a little smile she asked, "Now how much do I owe you?"

"Not a penny!  It's been a real pleasure for both me and my
people.  Incidentally, speaking of pennies, Penny Watts, the
makeup director you met at the hospital, knows you are coming in
today.  She asked me to ask you to do her a big favor and please
stop by her place before you leave.  Do you have a few extra
minutes?"

Susan told him that she had no plans at all.  After thanking him
again and wishing him a merry Christmas, she went off to find
Penny.

Following Jim's directions, a few minutes later she knocked on
Penny's door.  The woman opened it, took her hand and then set
her in a makeup chair.  One of her people started giving Susan a
manicure while Penny worked on her face.  There were hot towels,
cold towels, packs of every kind -- in short, everything.  Susan
decided that this time they were really going to do a job.  She
giggled as she felt her shoes being removed so she could be given
a pedicure.  There was a great deal of discussion regarding the
precise shade of nail enamel to be used.  Of course, Susan was
not consulted.

Finally they finished and Penny whipped the sheet off Susan's
body with a flourish and spun the chair so she could see herself
in the mirror.  Susan's face fell when she looked at herself.  It
was the same face she always saw in the mirror; there had been no
change.  Looking down at her fingertips, she saw that her nails
were a beautiful Christmas red, and there was a tiny bit of the
same color on her lips, but that was all she could see.

"But...  but what did you do, Penny?  Why don't I look
different?" Susan asked.

The woman just smiled warmly and said, "I cleansed your face,
freshened it, dried it, put a tiny bit of powder on the tip of
your nose and tinted your lips.  You're done."

With a broad smile she continued, "I understand you had a similar
conversation with Jim.  All I can say is women wear makeup
because they have to, not because they like to.  Susan Jennings,
if everyone who came in here was like you, I would be out of
business.  Fortunately, almost none are.  There are only two that
I know of: you and Marcia.  And I suppose it's only right that
the two most beautiful women in Hollywood are best friends..."

Suddenly Penny interrupted herself.  "No!" she exclaimed. 
"You're not friends.  You're... you're... sisters!"  With a
delighted look on her face, the woman clapped her hands and
exclaimed, "That's it, isn't it?  You adore each other, don't
you?"  Then she shook her head slowly and continued, "You know
what?  Even sisters doesn't quite do it.  The intensity of your
love for each other is truly remarkable."

Taking Susan's hands in both of hers, Penny just looked intently
into Susan's eyes.  "You offered your life to save hers, didn't
you?"  Susan tried to demur but Penny insisted.  Finally, with
the greatest reluctance Sue nodded her head just once.

Changing the subject dramatically, Penny asked innocently, "By
the way, who is the poor guy?"

Pretending ignorance, Sue just shook her head.  This, in turn,
caused Penny to archly raise an eyebrow.  "Young lady, I should
have said it earlier.  You look utterly spectacular right now. 
We were all so delighted to hear that the operations were
completely successful.  Now the perfection of your body matches
that of your face."  Shaking her had sadly, Penny said, "The poor
guy!  He doesn't have a chance."

"What poor guy?" Susan asked.

The poor guy you're getting all fixed up for.  Will you see him
on Christmas?" Penny asked shrewdly.

Susan's face fell as she replied, "I don't know, Penny.  Honest.
I really don't.  I desperately hope so, though.  But why do you
ask?"

"Because the poor slob doesn't have a chance."  Then she gave
Susan a small bag and said, "I have some more lipstick and nail
enamel for you to take home.  I'll see you in a month or so. 
Just call Jim Reading and he'll let me know you're coming.  And,
Susan, have a very merry Christmas!"  Like Jim, Penny waved away
any payment.

When she got home, Susan looked at herself carefully in a mirror
and decided she looked very good.  Only then did it occur to her
that she was pleased with her appearance and really had not been
for years -- since before she had been sent to Vietnam.

* * *

Finally it was Christmas eve.  Susan was curled up in a chair
reading a book -- or trying to.  Although it was a very good
book, she was unable to get into it.  Instead she found that her
eyes were just moving across the lines of type while her brain
was preoccupied with thoughts of Rick Jackson. _Please, dear
God!_  she prayed, _Make him come to see me._  Checking her watch
she found it was already after eleven o'clock.  She had just
about given up hope when there was a knock at the door. 
Catapulting herself out of the chair, she ran to the door and
threw it open.  Rick was standing there in the hall.

When the door was thrown open, Rick could only stare at the
golden-blonde apparition standing in front of him.  Then there
were the most brilliant blue eyes Rick had ever seen on anyone. 
_Thank God that the hair and eyes don't change,_ he thought. 
_Otherwise I would never recognize her._

With a little smile he said, "Hi, Susan.  Do you remember me?  I
know it's awfully late, but may I come in?"

Instead of stepping back to welcome him in, Susan hurled herself
at him, threw her arms around his neck and began to kiss him.  As
she worked her lips on his and the electricity flowed between
them, he could feel her trying to mash her body against his.  He
almost fell over from the power of her unleashed passion. 
Finally they separated to breathe.

With her lips only inches away from his ear she whispered,
"Welcome home, my darling.  Merry Christmas!"  Suddenly Susan
completely lost control and started to cry like a baby.  "Oh, my
darling, I love you so!" she cried.

Rick lifted her up in his arms, carried her to an easy chair and
sat down with Susan on his lap.

Immediately she began to undress him, throwing his clothes on the
floor.  Then she stripped off her own things and moved as far
from him as she could while still sitting on his lap.  "Do...
do... do you approve, my darling?" she asked.  "How can I be
better for you?"

Rick just looked at the utter perfection of Susan's fully
revealed body.  Reaching out, he began to just lightly run his
fingertips all over her.  For her part, she just closed her eyes
and reveled in his wonderful touch.  Now Susan was completely
naked while Rick only had his pants on.  Again he picked her up
and carried her, this time into the bedroom.  With a giggle,
while still being held in his arms, Susan pulled the covers off
the bed.  Rick laid her down on it but then, to her dismay,
disappeared from the room.

A few minutes later he reappeared, this time with a bottle of
champagne in an ice bucket along with two flutes.  He had also
shed his trousers so now he was only wearing his shorts.  Setting
down the beverages, he stripped off his shorts and just stood
beside the bed with his cock now huge and proudly erect.  "Do you
approve, my darling?" he asked, repeating her words from a few
minutes earlier.  "How can I be better for you?" he asked.

"If you really want to know," she replied with a wonderfully
salacious grin, "you can make love to me right this instant!"

He jumped onto the bed, took her into his arms and began to kiss
her soft lips.  As he did, Susan maneuvered her body to enable
her to ease his cock into her sopping wet sheath.  When he
entered her, she increased the intensity of her kisses and made
wonderfully satisfied noises deep in her body.  In spite of their
shared desire to prolong their initial lovemaking, their passion
was too great.  In just moments, both were in the throes of
uncontrollable orgasms.  His cum flooded her vaginal cavity and
the power of her own orgasm caused her to lose consciousness. 
Still wrapped in each others arms, they went to sleep with the
champagne sitting untouched beside the bed.

* * *

Susan was awakened on Christmas morning by a wonderful sensation.
 Although the couple had fallen asleep wrapped in each others
arms -- or, more accurately collapsed from sexual exhaustion --
as she became more aware she realized that again her head was on
Rick's shoulder and his large hand was cupping her right tit. 
Her breast, now very firm and full, was being gently squeezed. 
Her hand was on his so she pressed down causing him to squeeze
her breast even harder.

Looking up at his face she whispered, "My darling, this is a
first for you.  There is really something there to squeeze this
time.  Do you like it?"

"My darling, I love you," Rick said softly.  "I have from the
very first day.  You are so incredibly beautiful, but you always
were.  I remember a girl who was so badly cut up she couldn't
bear any physical contract, yet wanted to make love with me. 
There has never been anything like it in my experience," he
whispered.

"Sue, the operations were really for you, not for me.  I now know
that you have been in intense pain from carrying those bullets
around for years, and I'm so happy for you that they -- and the
continual pain -- are gone.  But, darling, as far as appearance,
I love you however you look."  Then looking deeply into her eyes
he asked, "Do you remember what you did that time in the cave?"

"You mean getting on top?" she asked lovingly.  "Impaling myself
on that gigantic thing between your legs?  Splitting myself in
two?  Is that what you mean?"  Rick was concerned about her
characterization of the size of his sex.  He knew he was large,
but now he was concerned.  Before he could say anything, though,
she said, "Of course I remember.  How could I ever forget?"

Then sweeping off the covers she knelt astride his body and
asked, "Would you like me to do it again?"  Without waiting for a
reply, she slid down on his body so she could take his cock into
her mouth.  Kissing it and sucking it caused it almost instantly
to extend to gigantic proportions.  Meanwhile his fingertips were
roving all over her incredibly smooth skin and feeling her
muscles right below the surface of her satin skin respond to his
touch.  Moving back up on his body she carefully positioned the
red head of his raging erection at the mouth of her vagina and
then eased herself down on it.  She could feel her cunt being
stretched to accommodate his huge girth, and later, as she took
its great length inside her, Susan could feel it stretching her
cunt in length as well.

"Darling," Rick exclaimed, "I'm ripping you in half!"  With that
he tried to lift her off him to relieve her pain but she wrapped
her legs around him and refused to budge.  "Please stop, Sue! 
You'll be killed."

"I will like hell!" she exclaimed.  "Richard Jackson, when I was
starving and was tempted to try to sell my body, I remembered
this.  If I could take you when I was nothing but a torn-up bag
of bones, I sure as hell can take you now.  And I did!"

She wiggled her internal muscles and just reveled in the feelings
in her cunt.  "My darling, I can't tell you how wonderful this
feels."  Then she leaned forward and kissed him softly.  Again
there was the electricity flowing between them.  "Merry
Christmas, my darling," she whispered.  "Can my body be my
present to you?  You've been running your fingers over me, but
you haven't really felt the merchandise.  I think it's pretty
nice now.  I just hope it's nice enough for you."

Sitting up straight while still impaled on his raging cock, she
cradled her tits and said, "My boobs are nice and firm, although
you probably want them bigger.  Do you?"

Rick caressed her body, moved her hands away, and cupped her
beautiful tits in his own.  As he seemed to weigh them in his
hands he looked thoughtful.  "These are pretty good.  In fact,
Sue, they are utterly perfect.  I love you this way."  Then he
smiled softly and added, "But I love you any way."

Then his face grew serious and he looked up into her eyes. 
"Darling, there was something else you said at the press
conference.  You said you went berserk when I was hit by a mortar
round because you didn't care to go on living.  Did you really
mean what you said?"

"Yes, I did," she replied softly.  Then she leaned forward with
his cock still splitting her insides so that she could hold him
close.  "Rick, I love you more than life itself.  When I saw you
hit and go down, I thought you were dead.  At that point, life
was no longer worth living.  I had lost you."

Raising her head again, she looked into his eyes and said, "I
asked you before, Rick, but I was a wreck, then.  My darling, may
I continue to live here with you?  Could I be your cook and
housekeeper and maid and..."

He just sadly shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Susan, but my
wife wouldn't like it, I'm afraid."

At that instant, Susan almost died.  Rick's heart turned over as
he saw her eyes instantly go dead.  "But... but... I could be her
maid, too," she said slowly.  "I could prepare her for your
glorious cock.  I could clean out her cunt with my mouth... 
Ginny says I am really very talented..."

"Susan," Rick interrupted, "did you say you would do anything to
make me happy?  Anything at all?"

"Of course, Rick," she replied, puzzle.

"That's what I thought you said," he continued.  "That's why
you're going to be my wife.  We will get someone else to be the
maid, the cook, and so forth.  You, wench, will spend all your
time in bed with your legs spread wide!"

Pretending to glare at her he said, "And for that matter, young
lady, I think you have something of mine inside you.  Are you
just going to sit there?"  Susan grinned and began to move her
pelvis slowly.

For Rick it was as if his cock were enclosed in a very tight,
very moist glove.  He could feel the walls of her vagina
rhythmically squeezing his trapped cock and creating the most
marvelous sensations as she did.  Continuing, she reached one
orgasm, and another, and still more.  Yet at the same time,
whenever Rick would get close to achieving his own release, she
would subtly change her tempo to prolong her pleasure.  Each time
Rick felt he was going higher and higher.  He felt he had to
obtain release or he would internally explode, but she kept him
from it, although his internal pressures continued to build
reaching intolerable levels..  Finally, even her changed motion
could no longer control him and he exploded inside her.  When he
did, the incredible sensations caused both of their nervous
systems to short out.  Both Susan and Rick lost consciousness,
with Susan just collapsing on top of him.

Later they regained consciousness but remained the way they were.
 The two giggled as they reached down to try to rescue some
bedcovers and finally recovered enough to cover and warm them
both.  At that point they went back to sleep with Rick's cock
still inside her.

When they awakened, they were still wrapped in each others arms.
Without moving, Rick said, "I'm waiting for my answer."

"What answer, darling?" Sue replied.

"If you will marry me," he explained.

"But darling, I gave you my answer, or at least my cunt did.  Of
course I will marry you.  Anytime at all."

Finally he withdrew and they rolled on their backs.  Susan took
his hand, placed it on her favorite location cupping her tit, and
with her hand on top very lightly stroking the back of his.  In
just moments they were both back to sleep.

When Rick next awakened he realized that the bed was empty. 
Going into the bathroom he showered and shaved, then put on a
bathrobe and went in search of Susan.  He found her in the
kitchen naked, just putting the finishing touches on a breakfast
feast she had prepared.

When he came in she just stood up straight and put her shoulders
back to cause her tits to thrust upward.  Taking her into his
arms, he melted his lips to hers while he ran his fingers over
the satin smoothness that was her body.  Then holding her face
between his hands he whispered, "Susan Jennings, you are beyond
belief.  You are so beautiful, it's sinful!"

Again they kissed and he could feel the love just flowing between
them.  When he saw that her eyes were shining with tears, he
asked her what was wrong.

"Nothing, my darling," she replied.  "I am just so happy I can't
stand it.  It almost hurts!  I love you so much I'm afraid my
heart will burst from sheer happiness."

Pushing him away she smiled warmly and said, "On the other hand,
I'm afraid you might think that I'm trying to starve you.  Since
I know firsthand how painful that can be, I took steps.  I hope
you're at least a little bit hungry."

When he replied that he didn't want food, he just wanted her,
Susan grinned and said, "But, sir!  I am the dessert course."

They spent an utterly delightful Christmas day.  At Susan's
insistence they got dressed and went to Mass.  As they walked
toward the nearby church, Rick realized it was the very first
time he and Susan had ever walked together.  With her long legs
and naturally long stride, she maintained his natural pace with
ease.  In fact, it appeared to be hers as well.  It was amusing
to see the reaction of people they passed on the street.  Both
men and women were utterly dazzled by Susan's incredible beauty,
heightened today by the great love she was feeling for Rick which
made her more beautiful still.

For her part, she was utterly oblivious to the looks she was
receiving.  All she cared about was the man whose arm she was
holding.  During the Mass at the point where the priest asks the
congregation to exchange a sign of peace, Susan turned towards
Rick who had his hand out.  Ignoring his hand, she rested her
hand lightly behind his head, cocked it slightly, and then kissed
him with all the power she could unleash.

Poor Rick almost passed out.  When she removed her lips she
continued to hold him until his eyes focused again.  Then she
asked innocently, "Was that peaceful enough?"

Returning to the apartment, Rick discovered the electric trains
and spent most of the rest of the day playing with them.  He
claimed it was the greatest Christmas gift he had ever received
since he was eight years old.

"But, darling," Susan protested, "they're mine, not yours!"

Rick just grinned.

Whenever she could pry him away from the toys, Susan took him
into the bedroom to make love.  Once, though, she just lay with
her back on the floor and her pelvis supported with a couple of
pillows.  While Rick continued to play with the trains, she eased
his cock into her cunt and murmured, "Now we can both play."

Later Susan served the dinner she had planned in her mind for
weeks.  Although she had originally intended to wear a beautiful
dress she had bought just for the occasion, she ended serving the
dinner nude.  Rick found he adored being able to look at her
gorgeous tits with their tiny pink nipples staring at him from
across the table.

Finally late that evening they were in bed together after the
most exquisite lovemaking of the day.  Susan had her head on his
shoulder and his hand was cupping her breast while they both
regained their breath.

Finally Rick said, "Sue, you didn't even ask me what I was going
to give you for Christmas.  Aren't you even interested?"  He
sounded like his feelings had been hurt.

Susan was now sufficiently confident in his love that she teased
him.  "I am interested, Richard, but I am no longer speaking to
you.  You stole my electric trains!"

"If you're not speaking to me," Rick replied skeptically, "What
was that action a few minutes ago?"

"That," she said with her nose in the air, "was my cunt."

Turning her head to be able to look directly into his gray eyes
she said, "And I'm mad at you about that, too.  Before you came,
Richard Jackson, my cunt was a nice, sweet, petite size.  Now, in
only twenty-four hours, it's extra large.  You are stretching me
completely out of shape!"

She sniffed and then returned to his original question. 
"Regardless, I do not talk with my cunt, I talk with my mouth. 
And in spite of being stretched out of shape, my poor cunt is on
very warm, close, and loving terms with your magnificent cock. 
It feels utterly glorious, even though I probably won't even be
able to walk tomorrow."

With her nose in the air, Susan sniffed loudly and continued,
"Nevertheless, you stole my electric trains!  I don't think I
will ever speak to you again.  They are the only electric trains
I've ever had."

Rick just grinned, slid towards the side of the bed and took a
gaily wrapped little box from the drawer in the night table. 
Giving it to Susan he said, "My darling, I am still speaking to
you, and I have something for you.  I hope you like it."

She opened the box and found an utterly magnificent diamond
engagement ring.  Slipping it on the third finger of her left
hand, it fitted perfectly.

Then he kissed her passionately and asked, "Will you join me on a
trip to Hawaii?  I thought we might go out for New Year's and
spend a month or so.  Interested?"

"My darling," she replied softly, "I am interested in absolutely
anything as long as you are with me.  It sounds utterly divine."

Then she pretended to glare at him again and added, "I'm still
not sure I forgive you for stealing my electric trains,
though."*Chapter 7*

The special Court of Inquiry convened on February 1 at the
Federal Court House in Los Angeles.  Vice Admiral Adams was
annoyed to find that the press was present in force.  This was
beyond his experience because first, military courts usually
convene on military posts to which civilians do not normally have
access, and second, because there is usually no civilian press
interest at all.  After Adams called the Court to order, the
letters of appointment were read and the Law Officer announced
that the Court was in session.

The first witness called was Lieutenant Commander Warren Judkins
who had served as trial counsel at Susan's trial.  The trial had
been held at the naval base at Subic Bay in the Philippines.

Susan's attorney, Jack Smithson, began the questioning.  Each of
the parties could be represented by individual counsel and all
were.  "Mr. Judkins," Smithson began,  "What were the charges and
specifications under which Miss Jennings was brought to trial?"

"She was charged with consorting with the enemy," Judkins replied
proudly.  "Specifically, she used sex to obtain special favors
while held in the prison camp."

"Who preferred the charges?" Smithson asked.

"They were preferred by the other parties sitting over there,"
Judkins said.

"Commander, who were the supporting witnesses?"

Judkins looked surprised at the question.  "There weren't any. 
It wasn't necessary."

"I see," Jack said thoughtfully.  "Tell me, what was the physical
condition of the parties in this court?  How did their appearance
then compare to their appearance today?"

"Well, Miss Jennings looks like she's gained a little weight,"
Judkins replied, "and the other three look like they have lost
some."

"So Miss Jennings was thinner at her court-martial four years
ago," Jack continued.  "How much thinner?"

"Oh, a lot," Judkins replied with some enthusiasm.  "Actually,
you see, she caused us a problem.  The accused has to appear in
court in uniform, and because she was so thin, they had to race
around and have one specially made for her.  There was no
standard size small enough to fit her.  That's around, sir," he
explained.  "Not up and down."

"I see," Jack continued.  "How much did Miss Jennings weigh at
the time?  You said she was very thin."

"I think I remember hearing she weighed seventy-five or eighty
pounds.  Something around there."

"Do you know how tall Miss Jennings is?" Smithson asked.  Turning
to Susan he asked her to stand.  She looked utterly magnificent
as she stood facing the court.  With her deep golden Hawaiian
tan, coupled with her perfect physical condition, she was an
unbelievably beautiful girl.

"I guess she's five seven or eight -- around there," Judkins
replied.  Jack indicated for Susan to be seated again.

Smithson had initially appeared to be almost bored with the
proceedings and Judkins replies to his questions.  Suddenly his
demeanor changed totally.  Now there was fire in his eyes as he
said, "Judkins, where is your brain?  You have just testified
that the charge against Miss Jennings was 'consorting with the
enemy' to obtain special favors!  Then you tell the Court that a
woman five feet eight inches tall -- her correct height, by the
way -- weighed seventy-five to eighty pounds.  Judkins, that is
about twenty-five pounds or so below the _minimum_ weight for
that height.  You then say that the complaining witnesses were
all _heavier_ than they are now."

Barely able to control the disdain in his voice, Smithson
concluded, "I ask you, man, who looked like they had been
receiving special favors?  Miss Jennings or the other parties?"

"The others?" Judkins replied with the question mark obvious in
his voice.

Jack was now disdainful.  "I am not testifying, Mr. Judkins.  You
are.  What do _you_ think?"

"The others did, sir," Judkins stated firmly.

"Thank you, Mr. Judkins," Smithson said.  Then, changing the
subject he asked, "Is it not a part of the responsibility of the
trial counsel to ensure that the accused is capable of standing
trial?  Of participating in her own defense?"

"Yes, sir, it is, although we don't pay much attention to it.  It
has sort of become a part of the defense counsel's job -- at
least it was out at Subic," he replied.

"And who was the defense counsel?" Jack asked.

"I believe it was William Devers, sir."

"What was Mr. Devers rank at the time?"

"He was an ensign, sir.  I think he had been at Subic for about a
week when he received the appointment."

"Did Mr. Devers raise a question about Miss Jennings' capacity to
stand trial?" Jack pursued.

"Yes, sir, he did," Judkins answered.  It was obvious that he was
now becoming very nervous as the significance of his own
testimony sank in.

"What did Mr. Devers say?" Jack asked.

"He said that Miss Jennings had three untreated bullet wounds and
was suffering from extreme malnutrition.  He said he was unable
to interview her.  She just kept saying the same few words over
and over," he replied.

"What were the words?" Jack asked.

"She just kept saying, 'He's dead,'" he replied.

"As trial counsel representing the government, what did you do?"
Smithson asked.

"I took it to the staff judge advocate and asked for an opinion,"
he answered.

"And what was his expressed opinion?"

"He said it was the usual stall.  He pointed out that she was
merely a nurse lieutenant and there was testimony from both a
colonel and a major.  I was ordered to proceed with the trial. 
Devers was ordered to shut up or face court-martial himself for
insubordinate conduct."  At the end of his statement Judkins was
speaking slowly and softly as the real meaning of his own words
finally sank in.

"Did you get a medical opinion, Mr. Judkins?" Jack pursued.

"No, sir, I did not.  I was ordered not to by Commander
Henderson, the staff judge advocate.  He said we had to wrap up
the trial quickly because he had a pigeon in Colonel Black and he
was going to take him to the cleaners.  And he did, too," Judkins
concluded.

"You said, 'take him to the cleaners.'  What, exactly, do you
mean?"

"He -- Commander Henderson -- was going to take him on the golf
course.  And he did, too!  He took him for almost five bucks!"

"In other words, Mr. Judkins, Miss Jennings was railroaded to
allow Commander Henderson to win less than five dollars from
Colonel Black. _Her life_ wasn't worth five dollars?  Is that
what you are saying, Mr. Judkins?"

Jack Smithson, a very experienced trial lawyer and court-martial
specialist, was almost screaming.  He had never encountered such
inhumanity in his professional career.  Wheeling around to
address the court, Smithson requested that Judkins be named as a
party at interest.  Adams curtly nodded while Judkins turned
white.

Smithson called Commander John Henderson as his next witness. 
After being sworn, Smithson asked him about the Jennings trial. 
The officer, acting bored by the whole thing, claimed it was
strictly routine.  It was similar to dozens of other cases.  Jack
asked him to name a single similar case but he could not.  Then
he asked if Henderson had asked for and received any medical
input.  The commander could scarcely control a yawn when he
replied that doctors were always bleating about something.

Jack then asked about the bet and Henderson said he had taken the
colonel for almost five dollars.  "You mean to tell me that a
girl's life is worth less than five dollars?  Commander, what
kind of man are you?"  It was all Smithson could do to control
the rage that was seething inside.

Turning to Adams he said, "Admiral, I am formally requesting that
this court name Commander John Henderson as a party in this
inquiry."

Henderson suddenly went white as Admiral Adams, with scarcely a
glance at his fellow court members, immediately named Henderson
as a party at interest.  Henderson was not reassured when he
looked into the eyes of the members of the court.  All of their
eyes were as cold as death.  It was obvious that the Admiral and
his fellow members were utterly appalled at what they had heard
that morning.

Next, Jack called Dr. Oliver Wainwright, the physician at Subic
Bay who had examined Susan.  He testified that he had been
forbidden "by higher authority" to operate to remove the bullets
from Susan's body.  He was ordered to prepare her to stand trial
immediately.  Citing professional ethics and The Uniform Code of
Military Justice, Wainwright had refused.

Jack asked the doctor about Susan's physical condition at the
time.  He replied that she weighed seventy-two pounds and was
suffering from extreme malnutrition.  In addition, she had severe
lacerations front and back that he was also forbidden to treat. 
Finally, there were the new bullet wounds.  All he was allowed to
do was the bandage them while the bullets remained in her body. 
His commanding officer, Captain Warren Holmes, had taken over the
case.  Wainwright had resigned his commission as a result of the
Jennings incident.

Captain Holmes was then called as a witness.  When Jack asked him
if he had examined Miss Jennings, he replied that he had not. 
Jack then asked how he could possibly refuse permission for Dr.
Wainwright to operate.  Holmes said that Black was a friend of a
friend and told him that Jennings was a malingerer.  That was the
basis for his action.

"In other words, Captain, you took the work of a friend of a
friend -- who is not even a physician, by the way -- in
preference to the word of a doctor on your own staff who had
examined and was treating Miss Jennings."

"But Wainwright was only a reserve officer," Holmes protested. 
"What could he possibly know?"

Holmes, too, was immediately named a party to the court.  Hearing
the Admiral, Holmes suddenly went as white as a sheet and glared
at General Black.

When Admiral Adams recessed the court for lunch, Susan met Rick
at the back of the courtroom.  Pulling his head down to hers, she
melted her lips against his and then began to work her tongue
into his mouth.  Again there was a jolt of electricity and the
beautiful bells.

"Hello, future husband," she whispered, as she supported herself
with her arms around his neck.  As usual, her knees had been
turned to water by their kiss and Susan was not sure her legs
would even support her weight.

"Boy, do you ever lose on that deal, lady," Rick replied with a
grin.  "You get a beat-up, shot-up, ex-Marine for a husband,
while I get the world's most beautiful woman as my wife." 
Pulling her body close to his, he could hear the wonderfully warm
and happy sounds Susan always made deep in her body whenever her
body was being crushed to his.

While she mashed her tits against his broad chest, she moved her
pelvis against his private parts that were vainly trying to
become erect in spite of being trapped in his shorts.  Lifting
her chin up he kissed her softly again and again their love for
each other just flowed between them.

"How do you feel, darling?" he asked.  "I guess I have to be
appalled.  About the only guy who is looking good is Wainwright,
but I sure wish he had been able to blow the whistle on the rest
of these creeps.  I suppose that's asking too much, though."

They met Jack Smithson and went to a nearby restaurant.  Susan
shook her head sadly and said, "The thing that makes me so mad is
to think that I spent four years in misery for less than five
dollars.  Jack, you're experienced in this sort of thing.  What
happens now?  And what's likely to happen to these people?"

"There are going to be a stack of courts-martial coming out of
this one, Susan," he replied.  "Their answers are utterly
appalling.  I think you probably could see that at least a couple
of members of the court were physically sickened by what they had
been hearing.  I think I'll jump back to Vietnam this afternoon.
My plan is to start with Ginny Cameron, follow with a number of
ex-prisoners, and then close with your testimony.  I guess you
will be testifying in a few days."  With a little smile he asked,
"How does that sound to you?"

"It sounds okay to me, Jack," she replied.  "But, Rick, I have
shown terribly poor judgment where it comes to taking care of
myself over the last few years, so what do _you_ think?"

"Honey, I think the whole thing is coming apart on them," Rick
answered.   "I agree with Jack.  Your case couldn't have started
out any better.  Already it has been established that you were
seriously wounded, cut up, and down to only seventy-two pounds,
for chrissakes.  Their big problem was getting you into a
uniform.  It has been established that you were seriously wounded
and no one did anything.  Finally, by Judkins own admission, you
could not assist in your own defense.

"Taken together, the testimony so far is utterly disastrous for
the others, particularly Black's Navy friends at Subic.  A number
of careers are going to crater on this one, and some people are
headed for prison.  But I think a great many other people are
going to have a hard time living with themselves when they
realize the significance of what they have done, or allowed to be
done."

Back at the courtroom, when the court was called back into
session, Jack asked for Virginia Cameron to be called to testify.
 After she was sworn and took her seat, Jack began his
questioning.  "Miss Cameron, when, where, and under what
conditions did you first meet Susan Jennings?"

Ginny told how she had been a first lieutenant in the army and
the circumstances of her capture.  She explained in detail how
the camp operated -- the grossly inadequate rations, the trading
of clothing and then sexual favors for enough food to survive on.
 She told how initially she had been unwilling to make such a
trade.  By the time she realized she was headed for death from
starvation, she no longer had a body to trade with.  She first
met Susan after she had been a prisoner of war for over a year.

"Miss Cameron," Jack asked, "what was your physical condition on
the day you met Miss Jennings?"

"I was dying of starvation," Ginny said flatly.  "I would have
been dead in a matter of hours, had it not been for Susan."

General Black's lawyer was on his feet at that point.  "I
object!" he exclaimed.  "That is an uninformed conclusion of the
witness.  She has no basis for making such a statement."

Jack told the court that the medical basis would be established
by subsequent medical testimony.  He pointed out that at the time
of her rescue Virginia Cameron weighed only seventy-one pounds. 
He was allowed to continue the questioning subject to it being
stricken if the basis for it were not established later.  He
continued, "What did Miss Jennings do that first time you met?"

"She gave me -- or, more accurately, fed me -- a nutrition bar
from a Red Cross food parcel.  I told her she shouldn't.  I had
made what was by then an obviously poor choice and I would have
to die with it."  Holding her head up straight, there were tears
flowing from her eyes as she concluded, "Susan Jennings forced me
to go on living!"

"Miss Cameron, did you know Colonel Black, Major Simon, or
Captain Harrison at that time?" Smithson asked.

"Yes, I did.  More accurately, I knew of them.  They were never
in the camp itself.  They lived outside the wire.  I hated them
all, and I still do," she said flatly.

"Why is that?" Jack asked.

"Colonel Black -- now General Black -- was the senior POW
officer.  In that capacity he had the responsibility to try to
obtain humane treatment for the prisoners.  As far as any of us
could see, he did nothing!  The only person who did anything --
and she did more than everyone else combined -- was Susan
Jennings."

"Would you please tell the court about the events of the last day
you spent in the prison camp?  The last time you saw Miss
Jennings in Vietnam?" Jack asked.

First, Ginny told about the guard preparing to lash her with his
bullwhip and how Susan had shielded her body with her own and had
been cut to pieces.  Finally, she told how she had been given the
shirt off Susan's back when she was about to be crucified.

At this point Admiral Adams interrupted.  "Miss Cameron, really!
This is a Court of Inquiry, not a court-martial.  As a result, a
broader latitude for questioning is permitted, but there are some
limits.  This is clearly beyond those bounds!"  Shaking his head
he concluded, "Crucifixion, indeed!"

"You heard me correctly, Admiral!" Ginny exclaimed with green
flame flashing from her eyes.  "Crucifixion!  As in being hung on
a cross until dead.  I saw her put on it, and I watched her
hanging from it while slowly dying, all day long.  Neither I, nor
any of the other prisoners, could do a thing to help the girl who
had saved so many of our lives.  Another witness will testify
that Rick Jackson cut her down from the cross, thinking he was
recovering a corpse.  You heard me correctly, Admiral:
crucifixion!"

"But Miss Cameron," the admiral protested, "This is ridiculous! 
There are rules.  There is the Geneva Convention."

"That is correct, Admiral," Ginny responded.  Then with the green
fire again in her eyes, she glared at him and asked, "Does the
Convention permit starving prisoners?  Does it permit slicing
them to ribbons with a bullwhip?  Does it require them to sell
their bodies to get Red Cross -- yes, Admiral, Red Cross --
medical supplies for dying prisoners? _Does it Admiral?"_  By
this time Ginny had nearly lost control and was screaming.

Adams called for order as attorneys for the three parties from
the prison camp -- Black, Simon, and Harrison -- all objected. 
Jack Smithson waited for the uproar in the court to die down. 
When it finally did he asked for and received permission to
excuse Miss Cameron in order to call other witnesses to testify
on the same points.

One after the other, the witnesses Rick had located were called
to the stand.  The testimony ran through the afternoon and
continued for the next three days.  It was obvious that the court
members were being sickened by it.

Perhaps the most memorable testimony was given by Donald Clinton,
formerly a sergeant in the Marines.  After being sworn and taking
his seat, Jack Smithson asked, "Mr. Clinton, did you know Miss
Jennings in Vietnam?  If so, when, where, and under what
circumstances did you meet her?"

Clinton was a big man, standing six feet three and weighing 220
pounds.  He had brown hair and warm brown eyes.  "I met Miss
Jennings when I was a prisoner in the same POW camp where she was
kept.  She saved my life," he said simply.

"Would you please tell the court how she did that," Jack asked.

"Yes, sir, gladly!" Clinton replied.  "You see, sir, I had been
wounded before being captured.  There was an infection that was
killing me.  The only way to handle it was with antibiotics, but,
of course, there were none available for the prisoners."  Tears
came to the corners of his eyes as he continued, "Miss Jennings
learned about me.  She offered her body for antibiotics.  But to
punish me, they made me watch."

Turning to the Admiral he said, "Sir, can you imagine?  I am
laying on the bare ground beside Miss Jennings.  The first guy
comes up and she extends her hand.  After he gives her the
medicine, she spreads her legs wide and welcomes him inside. 
This repeats for three more.  Each time she received the
antibiotics first.  Each time while they are taking her she is
holding my hand and squeezing it.  When they are finished, with
their cum still dripping from her vagina, she takes the
antibiotic and gives me the first injection."

At that point Clinton lost control.  "Can you believe it?  While
she is injecting the lifesaving medicine she's apologizing to me
for being so morally filthy.  She wouldn't have even touched me
except there was no one else who knew how to administer the
medication.  Can you believe it?  She saves my life, and then
apologizes!"

Leaving the witness stand, he went to where Susan was sitting,
knelt down on the floor, took her hands and kissed them.  While
he was on his knees, a lovely woman with twin girls about seven
years old joined them.  Clinton had his head on Susan's lap,
unable to control his tears.

One of the little girls -- they were identical twins with
gorgeous blonde hair and blue eyes -- said, "Good afternoon, Miss
Jennings.  My name is Cathy Clinton, and this is my twin sister,
Christine.  We want to thank you for saving our daddy's life.  If
it hadn't been for you, he would not have come back alive.  And
since our mommy loves Daddy so much, if he had died, we are sure
she would have died very soon, too.  So you see, Miss Jennings,
you saved four lives, not just one."

Looking into Susan's beautiful eyes she said, "Could I give you a
kiss?  Please?"

In the meantime the woman had helped Clinton to his feet.  Susan
reached out her arms and took both of the little girls in her
arms together and then melted her lips against theirs.

When they finally parted each girl was sitting on one of Susan's
legs while facing the other.  Chris Clinton said, "Sister, Miss
Jennings is a saint.  No human could possibly kiss like she does.
 Her kiss is just pure love, grace, and goodness.  She is a
saint!"

"No, sister, she is not," Cathy replied.  "She is one of God's
angel's come down to earth.  Not even a saint could be as pure
and sweet and wonderful as she is.  She is an angel!  Did you
look into her eyes?  All you can see is purity and love."

Her sister thought for a moment and finally agreed.  Susan was an
angel.

Susan just hugged them both tightly, kissed them again, and then
very gently set them back on their feet.  The two little girls
were utterly glowing with joy.

At that point their mother, Claire Clinton, gave Susan a check. 
Susan almost choked when she saw that the check was for more than
one million dollars. _"What is this?"_ she exclaimed.

"It's your dividend check, Miss Jennings," Claire replied.  "You
see, Don has been very successful since he was discharged from
the Marines.  Since none of us would even be alive if it had not
been for you -- my daughter was correct, I'm afraid -- Don and I
have given you one-third of the shares in our corporation.  This
is just your dividend check for the last two-and-a-half years."

Although Susan tried to resist, the Clintons would not hear of
it.  She still had their check in her hand when they left.  Jack
Smithson said nothing.  He just looked at the members of the
court who were all in a state of near shock.

More witnesses were called to testify.  Several of them had to be
forcibly restrained from attacking the former senior camp
officers.

Finally Jack addressed the court and said, "Gentlemen, I have
here a list of seventy-three additional witnesses who are
prepared to testify similarly.  Admiral, you did not believe
Susan Jennings could have been crucified.  There are thirty-five
more witnesses who will say that she was and testify that they
saw her dying on that cross all day long.  Of course, the
testimony is highly repetitive."

With a deprecating little smile he asked, "It may be presumptuous
of me, but may I ask the Court if it needs to hear any additional
witnesses testify to the pattern of prisoner abuse?"

Adams looked at his colleagues on the court.  All were senior
officers with extensive combat experience.  All looked ill. 
Every officer shook his head, no.  "Mr. Smithson," the admiral
replied, "You have made your point.  Do you wish to recall Miss
Cameron at this time?"

"No, sir," Smithson responded.  "Before I do that I would like to
introduce testimony on her physical condition at the time she was
liberated and testimony bearing on her starvation.  I would like
to call the senior medical officer who examined the freed
prisoners when they were returned to Saigon, Lt. Col. Douglas
Evans."

Colonel Evans was called and sworn.  Jack asked him about the
general condition of the repatriated prisoners.  His reply was
that, with three exceptions, all were emaciated.  He took out a
table from his pocket and said that, based on the time of
imprisonment compared to estimated weight at the time of capture,
the prisoners were losing five to ten pounds per month of
captivity.

"Doctor, you said there were three exceptions.  Who were they,
and in what way was their condition exceptional?" Jack asked.

"The exceptions were the three people sitting over there: General
Black, Colonel Simon, and Major Harrison.  They were all, to a
significant degree, overweight.  There was one other factor. 
Those three were quite pale.  The fact stood out because all of
the other ex-prisoners were sunburned.  If their skin tanned,
they were burned nearly black.  If it did not they were severely
sun blistered.  Several required lengthy hospitalization for burn
treatment."

"Doctor," Smithson asked, "did you examine Lt. VirginiaCameron?"

"Yes, sir, I did," he replied.

"What did you find?"

Consulting his notes Evans said, "Miss Cameron weighed
seventy-one pounds when she returned to Saigon.  Her normal
weight is in the 115 to 120 pound range, and it could be more."

"Doctor, did you inquire about her condition?  And how was her
morale?"

"Her morale was incredibly good," he replied.  "She had a single
all-consuming interest: the whereabouts of Lieutenant Susan
Jennings.  She told me how Susan had 'fattened her up' -- her
words, sir.  Her physical condition, though, was appalling.  She
said that she had gained perhaps five pounds in the few months
prior to her rescue and there were medical signs that supported
her statement.  If it was so, however, I find it hard to believe
that she remained alive."

After questioning Evans about his education and professional
qualifications to establish him as an expert witness, he asked,
"Doctor, in your professional opinion what would Miss Cameron's
condition have been had she weighed five pounds less -- or
sixty-six pounds?"

"She would have been dead, sir.  Or so close to it, it wouldn't
make any difference.  The short answer is that she would have
been dying.  Death would have been a matter of minutes -- at most
a few hours -- away," he replied.

"Thank you, Doctor," Jack said.  "There is just one more
question.  I show you a uniform shirt and ask if you recognize
it?"

"Yes, sir, I do," Evans replied.  "It is the shirt Miss Cameron
was wearing when she was returned to Saigon.  I remember the
identification, JENNINGS, marked inside the collar."

"Doctor have you seen this shirt since that day in Saigon?"

"Yes, sir, I did.  "I saw it again a few weeks ago when you
brought it to me.  You asked me to have tests run on some stains
that I had not noticed before."

"Doctor Evans, did you have the tests run, and, if so, what did
you learn?"

"The tests were run, sir.  These stains -- he showed the inside
of the shirt to the members of the court -- are human blood.  It
has been tested by the FBI laboratory in Washington.  There is a
positive match and a positive identification.  The blood is Susan
Jennings'.  The lab dated the stains to a period of time centered
on the date of the prisoners' release."

"Thank you, Doctor.  Are there any other questions?" Jack asked.

A member of the court asked, "Doctor, is there any doubt about
this identification?  What is the chance for error?"

"Essentially none, sir," the doctor testified.  "The FBI lab is
certain the blood is Miss Jennings'."

Next, Jack recalled Ginny to the stand.  She testified how, while
Susan was being whipped while shielding her body, she was aware
of blood dripping onto her body from Susan's lacerated back.  "I
didn't realize until a short time ago that the shirt had mopped
up the blood that dripped from Susan onto me."

"It has come out in previous testimony that you weighed
seventy-one pounds at the time of your rescue.  Could you
describe for the court you appearance at that time?"

"I can do a lot better than that," Ginny replied with a little
smile.  "Photographs were taken of me at the time and I have
copies with me."  She produced a set which were labeled for
identification and then accepted into evidence.  "If the court
wishes," she continued, "I am willing to strip here now so the
members can see the difference in my appearance, then to now."

The pictures were passed from hand to hand among the court
members.  Jack could see the looks of revulsion as the officers
saw the pictures of Ginny as just skin and bones.  Jack asked if
there were any other questions.

After checking with the other members, Adams shook his head. 
Then he said, "Thank you, Miss Cameron.  On behalf of the court,
I want to thank you for coming in to testify.  I also want to
express our pleasure that you have recovered so well from your
experience.  There is just one more thing: When did you next see
Miss Jennings?"

"I saw her early last year, sir.  Mr. Jackson brought her to my
home."

"What was her condition at that time?" the admiral asked.

"There will be medical testimony on that point later.  However,
she weighed eighty-five pounds.  She was still heavily scarred
from the whipping years earlier.  And she was the person who save
my life and almost lost hers in the process.  She was abandoned
on the streets!" Ginny wailed.

Witness followed witness.  Mike Chapman testified and introduced
the photographs of Susan taken at Ginny's by the press
photographer.  The pictures clearly showed both the lacerations
and the bullet wounds.  He stressed that it was over four years
after the event.

John Roberts told of the operation to remove the bullets form
Susan's body and how the bullet removal had been greatly
complicated by the length of time they had been allowed to remain
there.  Finally, he stressed in his testimony the continual
excruciating pain Susan had been living with because of the
bullets' presence.

Finally Jack called Rick Jackson.  After being sworn, he
testified that, as a Marine major, he had been in command of the
Ranger unit assigned to free the prisoners in the POW camp that
reconnaissance had finally located.  He described how he cut
Susan free from the cross and carried her to the cave.  He told
how he had been hit in the leg during the escape, and then how,
in spite of her appalling physical condition she had operated and
removed the slug.  Then he told how Susan had mined the bridge
and the approaches to their cave, located their other defenses,
and then how she had fought off repeated attacks.  Finally he was
excused.

The next witness was Marine Senior Master Gunnery Sergeant Horace
Brown.  Brown was now serving in the commandant's office as the
senior noncommissioned officer (NCO) in the Marine Corps.  He had
been the senior NCO on the raid to free the prisoners and later
on the pickup mission.  He was the man who had carried Susan to
the helicopter.

"Sergeant," Jack Smithson said, "would you please tell the court
in your own words what you saw on the mission to pick up Major
Jackson and Miss Jennings?"

"Yes, sir," Brown began.  "We came in low in the choppers, in
from behind the hill in which the cave was located.  As we
cleared the ridge, a person came charging out of the cave and
attacked the enemy massing further down the hill for a final
assault on the cave.  But she hit them first.  She -- it was Miss
Jennings, of course, sir -- hit them with an Armalite and
grenades.  By the time we got on the ground it was all over.  The
enemy were all dead."

"Did you count the enemy casualties?" Smithson asked.

"Yes, sir, we did," he replied.  "There were seventy-seven enemy
dead at the location of her firefight.  Then there were lots of
other casualties all over the place.  She had emplaced a light
machine gun at the mouth of the cave that did a lot of damage. 
Then there was the characteristic pattern of exploding Claymores
that took out a bunch more.

"I reached Miss Jennings as she started to collapse.  The right
side of the combat jacket she was wearing was just soaked with
her blood.  She was losing consciousness, but I could hear her
say, 'Get Rick's body.  It's in the cave.'  A couple of my men
went to retrieve the body, but then we found he was still alive.
Anyway, we bailed out as fast as we could to get them both back
to medical care.  After all, sir, our primary mission was to get
them out, not waste time counting bodies.  So we did."

"What happened to Miss Jennings when you got back to Saigon?"
Jack asked.

"She was rushed off in an ambulance.  We thought she was being
rushed to the hospital.  It's certainly where they should have
taken her."  Brown shook his head like a bear and continued, "I
expected to be a part of a big award ceremony for her, sir.  We
never saw or heard of anything like what she did that day."

Looking over at Susan he smiled and said, "Miss Jennings, I guess
I'm not supposed to say this, but over the last few weeks I have
heard from almost all of the men who were with me that day on the
pickup mission.  They all asked me to give you our very best
wishes, and to express their pleasure that you look so goodnow."

In spite of his dark complexion, everyone in the court could see
Horace Brown blushing as he added, "And, Miss, begging your
pardon, convey our love."

Brown was a very big man -- nearly six fee four inches tall and
weighing 245 pounds.  He joked about his name, claiming that it
should be Black because he was as black as the ace of spades.

"Aside from her wounds, what sort of condition was Miss Jennings
in?" Smithson asked.

"She was emaciated, sir.  I swear, she didn't weigh much more
than one of our combat packs.  I didn't realize how light she was
and almost threw her into the air."

Taking a chance with the court, Smithson asked, "Sergeant Brown,
are you a good judge of weight?"

"I think so, sir," was the reply.

"Then, Sergeant, would you be willing to pick up Miss Jennings
now and estimate her weight?"  Brown looked at the admiral who
looked back and forth at his colleagues.  Then he shrugged and
indicated it was all right.  Brown got up from the witness chair
and went to where Susan was sitting.  She rose and smiled at him.
 Then he picked her up effortlessly in his arms.  It was so
effortless, he even bounced her a little.

Then Susan wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "I
never had the chance before, Sergeant.  Thank you for saving my
life."  Then she melted her lips against his.  The power of her
kiss almost caused the huge man to fall over.

Brown put Susan back on the floor, handling her as if she were
made of the finest china.  Then he just ran his fingers over his
lips and stared at her.  He put out his hand, Susan took it
firmly and looked up at him.  "Miss Jennings," he said, "Thank
you for coming back to us.  And I'm so happy you're looking so
well.  You are the most beautiful woman in the whole world!" 
Brown returned to the witness chair.

"How much do you think Miss Jennings weighs now?" Jack asked.

"Well, sir, she is in utterly perfect condition now!  I would
estimate about forty pounds heavier than she did then -- between
110 and 115.  I would estimate 112."

Susan grinned at him and said, "It was 112 this morning -- but
that was before lunch."  Brown was excused and Jack proceeded
with his presentation.

Stacks of signed forms from the Red Cross were introduced in
evidence.  They were forms certifying receipt and distribution to
the prisoners of various parcels that had been flowing to the
prison camp in an uninterrupted stream.  All were certified by
Black with either Simon or Harrison concurring.

Finally he called Susan to the stand.  She told of meeting Ginny
and other events in the camp.  Then Jack brought the questioning
around to the court-martial charges.  "Miss Jennings, you were
found guilty by a General Court-martial of 'consorting with the
enemy.'  Did you ever have sexual relations with the guards?"

"Yes, sir, I did," Susan held her head up straight and said
quietly.  "I did it frequently."

"For what purpose?"

"Usually to obtain medical supplies.  Sometimes it was for food,"
she replied calmly.

"Mr. Clinton was made to watch while you had sex with the guards
to obtain his medicine.  Was that a common occurrence?"

"For the last half of my stay it was," Susan said calmly.  "One
of the guards said it was Judith Harrison's idea.  She wanted all
the prisoners to be able to see my filthy cunt."

If anything, she held her head up even higher as she continued,
"I believe it backfired, though.  Mostly, I could see the men
crying as they realized what I was doing.  And in spite of my
filth, mostly they wanted to kiss me to thank me," she said.

"How much did you weigh when you were taken prisoner?" Smithson
asked.

"I'm not sure, sir.  I guess between 115 and 120.  That was my
normal weight range at the time."

"Therefore, Miss Jennings, you were convicted of 'consorting with
the enemy' to obtain preferential treatment.  Yet when you were
rescued you weighed seventy-two pounds, a loss of at least forty.
 Moreover, your body was cut to ribbons and you carried three
bullets in your body.  In your opinion, Miss Jennings, is this
preferential treatment?"

Susan just shook her head.

"What do you remember of your court-martial?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing at all, sir," she replied.  "I was not aware of
anything.  I guess it was a year or so afterward that I learned
it had happened."

At that point Admiral Adams abruptly adjourned the court.  While
the rest of the people left, he asked his fellow court members to
stay for a few minutes.

* * *

The next morning when Admiral Adams called the court to order,
Jack prepared to resume his examination of Susan.  Instead, the
admiral held his hand up in a signal to stop.  "Mr. Smithson," he
said, "We would like to interrupt these proceedings."

Turning to the others he said, "General Black, do you, Colonel
Simon, or Major Harrison, have anything you would like to say to
this court?  If you do, this is your opportunity.  However, it is
my duty to warn you now that anything you say may later be used
against you in court-martial proceedings.  Do you understand?"

Black looked thoroughly defeated.  He looked at his partners,
then told the court that he understood his rights and declined to
make a statement.

After asking the other parties if there was anything they wished
to add to their testimony and receiving negative replies, Adams
looked at his colleagues and received an affirmative nod from
each of them.

Then looking at Jack he said, "Mr. Smithson, thank you for your
excellent presentation and for all the help you have provided to
this court.  We have heard enough.

"It is the finding of this Court of Inquiry that Brigadier
General Homer Black, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Simon, and Major
Judith Harrison be held for trial by General Court-martial. 
There will be an array of charges beginning with consorting with
the enemy and including the attempted murder of Lieutenant Susan
Jennings, U.S. Navy Nurse Corps and First Lieutenant Virginia
Cameron, U.S. Army, retired.

"General Court-martial charges will also be brought against
Lieutenant Commander Warren Judkins for dereliction of duty,
obstruction of justice, and attempted murder.  Similar charges
will be filed against Commander John Henderson, along with a few
more.  Similarly, charges will be brought against the
then-Medical Director of the Naval Hospital at Subic Bay, Captain
Warren Holmes.

"This brings us to Lieutenant Susan Jennings.  It is the
unanimous finding of this court that Miss Jennings' conduct was
exemplary.  But words fail the court.  Exemplary means, according
to a dictionary we consulted last night, 'worthy of imitation,
commendable.'  That definition does not do it!  It does not fit
the circumstances of Miss Jennings' actions.  One cannot expect
anyone to sacrifice her life for others, and yet that is exactly
what Miss Jennings did.  Dozens of witnesses listed hundreds of
vivid examples of her doing just that.  We can only stand inawe.

"Then there is the episode at the cave and her attack on the
enemy forces.  Standing alone, it is worthy of the highest honors
this nation can bestow.  Taken with the other events, and coupled
with her ruined physical condition, words fail us.  They are
totally inadequate to the task.

"Finally, there is the disgraceful series of events including the
court-martial and its aftermath.  We can only accept it for what
it is: a nation's utter disgrace!  We have already named several
people who will await trial by courts martial.  There will be
more:  The people who prevented you from being treated, and those
who prevented you from getting any kind of job.  The people who
so obviously wanted you dead, buried, and forgotten.  I promise
you, we will bring them to justice."

Sitting up as straight as he could, Adams continued, "The
findings and sentence of the Subic Bay court-martial are hereby
set aside.  The court will urge that a Presidential pardon be
immediately given to Miss Jennings.  You are hereby immediately
reinstated in your former rank with all back pay and allowances
to the time of that court-martial.  We can only offer our deepest
personal and professional apologies to you for the incredible
pain you have been made to suffer for so long.

"Finally, Susan, we humbly beg you to forgive us for what has
been done to you.  We cannot ask.  We have no right even to
mention it.  And most certainly, you should never forgive us." 
Adams looked into her brilliant blue eyes and smiled.  "We
believe you will, though.  You should not, but you will.  Why? 
Because of the person you are: A person who cheerfully sacrifices
her life for others.

"Miss Cameron -- who, as Marcia Matthews has achieved brilliant
and well-deserved success in the films -- said it best: 'Greater
love hath no man than he who lays down his life for a friend.' 
She is right, of course.  Susan Jennings, on behalf of myself,
the fellow members of this court, and the people of the United
States of America, I can only say humbly, thank you."  Tears were
streaming from his eyes and it was all he could do to say, "This
court is adjourned."

Tears were streaming down Susan's cheeks as she was mobbed at her
table by well-wishers.  Finally she was able to get free.  Going
up to the court she thanked each member individually.  In each
case the officer blushed.  Finishing with Admiral Adams, she
said, "Thank you, Admiral.  I cannot thank you enough."

Adams looked at her and just shook his head.  "Susan, you are
doing exactly what I expected you to do.  However, my dear, there
is one more thing.  You can sue the government for millions of
dollars, and you should.  What happened to you was truly a
national disgrace.  You suffered to a degree and in ways that are
utterly barbaric."

He smiled warmly and continued, "Now you are the most beautiful
woman any of us have ever seen.  You are utterly exquisite.  I
want to wish you every possible happiness -- happiness few people
have ever so richly deserved."

When she kissed him full on the lips, Adams almost fell over from
the incredible power of Susan's love.*Epilogue*

Susan Jennings was standing on the reviewing stand at the U.S.
Naval Base at San Diego.  The stand was draped in bunting and
faced with the seal of the President of the United States. 
Wearing her new white dress uniform as a Commander in the U.S.
Navy Nurse Corps, she looked gorgeous with her glowing tan,
golden hair, and brilliant blue eyes.  The President had just
awarded her the Purple Heart.

Then he smiled at her and addressed the crowd.  "Ladies and
gentlemen, we are her today for a unique event.  The rarest award
for valor in our armed forces is the Medal of Honor.  It is the
highest award for bravery in combat our nation can bestow.  In
modern times a tiny handful of people have received it twice. 
Never in our entire history had anyone received two of these
medals at once.

"History is being made here today.  It gives me great pleasure to
award to Commander Susan Jennings, U.S. Navy Nurse Corps,
retired, two Medals of Honor.  The first is for her work in a
prisoner-of-war camp in which she saved the lives of hundreds of
her fellow prisoners with a total disregard for her own.  Facing
me this morning are over 300 people who were her fellow prisoners
in Vietnam.  They have come here on their own to pay tribute to
the woman to whom they owe their very lives.  There is nothing
more I can say.

"The second medal is for bravery and gallantry in action against
the enemy in which, again with a total disregard for her own
life, she singlehandedly attacked and wiped out an enemy force of
seventy-seven men.  Commander Jennings, please step forward!"

He hung the two medals around her neck side by side.  Then he
took her in his arms and kissed her on the cheek whispering,
"Susan, I read the entire transcript of the trial.  I can only
pray that you have many children and just a tiny bit of their
mother's incredible courage rubs off on each of them.  Thank
you."

The band struck up and the command was given to pass in review. 
Susan saw the first detachment was from the Marines.  Tears
flowed down her cheeks as she realized it was commanded by Rick,
back in uniform for the day.  His chest was also shining with
medals, including the Navy Cross.  In the first sergeant's
position was Horace Brown who gave her the most impressive salute
she had ever seen.  Then she was stunned to realize that the navy
contingent was being personally commanded by Vice Admiral Charles
Adams.  Tears started to stream down her cheeks as she realized
the extent of this personal tribute.

Finally, it was over.  She met Rick Jackson who was with Sergeant
Brown.  When she came up to them, Brown again gave her a
meticulous salute to convey the depth of his respect for her. 
She teased them by saying it was a good thing they were together,
because all she had to do was look for the biggest person present
and there the sergeant was.

After giving Rick a very warm kiss, she said with a big grin,
"Guess what?"

"What?" he responded, returning the grin.  "Except that the
Commander looks absolutely gorgeous -- and, of course, now
outranks me."

"I just got my check," she said.  "The President brought it out
with him.  Apparently they backdated a couple of promotions so I
got over $200,000.  Now, along with the Clinton money, I can even
afford a wedding dress.  But darling, are you sure you still want
to marry me?"

"Are you kidding?" Rick asked incredulously.  "Wait till I get
you home!  Damned right I'm sure."

The End

* * *

Comments and constructive criticism are sincerely welcome.  Let
me hear from you.  morg105829@aol.com

*Susan Jennings* Copyright (c) 1988, 1998, 2001 by Morgan. 
<morg105829@aol.com>

All rights reserved.  No part may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any electronic means, including photocopying,
recording or by any information and retrieval system, without the
written permission of the author. <1st attachment end>


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