Nurse Linda Villani and Her Love For Preston Cunningham

An excerpt from the novel by Robert A. Chapin "Orphans Of The Mourning". The main character is Preston Cunningham assigned to Vietnam as a top secret cryptographer, but is nothing more than a "scrounge".In this episode he has just been rescued. Beaten and bruised he is recovering from his ordeal at a POW hospital in South Vietnam. The exploits continue.He falls in love with his nurse.Preston Cunningham has just been rescued from a group of North Vietnamese Army regulars in Cambodia where his helicopter made an emergency landing in forbidden territory - known as "over the line."Following an operation to repair his broken eye socket, teeth, ribs and third degree burns, he is under the care of Lieutenant Linda Villani who is assigned to Preston for the duration of his (30 day hospitalization).She nurses him back to health, but not before falling in love with him. She suggests that Preston work for her father at his construction company in San Francisco. In the meantime however, Linda is engaged to an engineer in her dad's firm ten years her senior.While recouperating, Preston is informed that he has been considered for The Medal Of Honor based on his conduct as a POW. Preston Cunningham a sergeant, and Linda a lieutenant are prohibited according to military rules from fraternizing. Her commanding officer turns a blind eye and deaf ear to their budding romance.On the day he is to leave the hospital and Lieutenant Villani behind it is a sad departure, but both look forward to fostering their relationship. This author will release additional chapters as short stories from the novel "Orphans Of The Mourning."