A Soldier For Bella (Love Conquers Life #4) Read Online Free Page A

name is Sergeant First Class Derek Thompson, retired. I’m here checking in on the service of the center. How’s your stay been?”
    He looks down at the bed and just shrugs his shoulders.
    “May I have a seat?”
    He nods his approval as he continues to look down. Sitting toward the edge of the bed, I ask him, “Can you tell me the last time you’ve gotten a shower?”
    He shrugs his shoulders again.
    “Mr. Thompson, it’s so nice of you to join us today.”
    I look up to see Mr. Bentley at the door, but before I looked up the patient let out a slight gasp. I look back to the patient and he’s shaking as if he fears Mr. Bentley. This really pisses me off, but I need to keep my calm. I don’t want this asshole to realize that I’m on to the fact that he’s not taking care of our soldiers just yet.
    “Mr. Jones, has your nurse not come to give you your bath?” He shakes his head slightly. “I will take care of that right away for you.” He pretends to be pissed as he leans out the door and screams for a nurse to get Mr. Jones his shower.
    I stand from the bed and as I do, I whisper to him. “I’ll fix this, I promise.”
    He doesn’t move or make a sound. I walk through the door and past Mr. Bentley, who instantly follows behind me. I look into the next room. The man appears clean, and he’s sitting in a chair and staring out the window. I don’t stop. I just walk to the next room.
    “How are these patients doing, Mr. Bentley?”
    “Well, you know how it is. Some are more responsive than others.”
    I nod as I continue my stroll down the hall, making notes as I go. I walk into one of the bathrooms to find it acceptably clean. I make note of the areas I’m not happy with and move on.
    “I’d like to see the kitchen, please.”
    He nods. “Right away, Mr. Thompson. Please follow me.”
    He takes the lead, and now I can take a closer look without him stressing over what I’m going to see. We’re outside the doors of the kitchen when I spot cobwebs in the corners, which puts me on alert. The first thing I check in the kitchen is the fridge. I open it to find plenty of food and none of it’s outdated, so he passes there. There are also healthy options, so that’s another good sign. I’m about to bring up the minor cleaning issues when the cook walks in smelling like a smoke shop and starts handling the food without washing his hands. I turn to Mr. Bentley with my brows raised, clearly shocked by what’s happening.
    He clears his throat and says, “Hey Roger, aren’t you forgetting to wash your hands?”
    He looks over his shoulder. “Oh, my bad.” He puts the food down and ambles toward the sink.
    “This is Mr. Thompson from Veterans’ Affairs here to see how we’re doing.” The tone of his voice is clearly warning him.
    I stick out my hand. “Nice to meet you. Do you have any concerns?”
    “No.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Do you?”
    “Well, to be honest, I am concerned that you were just about to handle food without washing your hands. I am especially concerned since you smell like you just had a smoke break. However, let me be clear. It doesn’t matter what type of break you’ve had. You should be washing your hands prior to handling food for these good people.”
    “You are most definitely right. I’m sorry, sir. I won’t let it happen again.”
    “I should hope not.”
    I turn to Mr. Bentley. “Shall we step into your office?”
    We both walk to his office, and along the way I tell him that I have a bit of feedback for him. He ushers me into a seat across from his desk and closes the door behind us for some privacy. He looks nervous as takes his seat.
    “So Mr. Thompson, what are the recommendations you have for me today?” He looks genuinely concerned, but is he concerned about making this place better or saving his ass? Everything should be about the troops.
    “Well, I would like you to improve on the cleanliness of the building. I’ve noticed cobwebs in corners. There