Four days later.....
Jason Martinez was keeping a close eye on his patient as Major Hawthorne put him through the tasks. To see if Sgt
Garrett was really as healed as he kept professing to be.
"One forty, one forty one, one forty two..." Maj Hawthorne intoned. "One fifty. Up."
Hector got to his feet off the infirmary floor, after another calisthenic exercise and looked at Maj Hawthorne with almost
a grin.
"Easy." He said.
Cara and Andi were sitting off to the side at the nurse's desk. Supposedly going over reports that Mike had brought
Andi from the other camp. The major and the Red Cross doctor were acting as if the other wasn't in the room since
both of them knew she was here 'unofficially'.
"I can't believe he's popping those out." Cara muttered and Andi laughed quietly as she looked back down at one of
the papers and scribbled a notation.
"I'm feeling girly and proud myself" Andi admitted softly just for the other woman's ears and Cara grinned.
"I'm feeling all professional and pleased." She stated in a low voice as she leaned over Andi's shoulder since she was
standing and looked at one of the papers. Amazed, despite being here as long as she had, by some of the cases that
Andi dealt with and how obsolete they would be back home. "After all, that's about a week he's been in my infirmary
without a single black eye or bloody nose or the need for restraints."
"Mm." Andi rested her chin in her palm and glanced at the men as Jason made comments about Hector's progress and
cautioned taking things slow. Which no one in the room believed was going to happen. "I suppose I'll be going back
now." Andi added softer, as much to Cara as herself. Cara looked at the woman sympathetically. Not missing the
loneliness in her voice.
"He's somebody else when you're around." The nurse told the tall doctor and Andi chuckled quietly, going back to her
work.
"So am I." She whispered.
Potter, a hold over from the 'just in case', was standing nearby and watched at the Delta breezed through another
round.
"So does this mean I get to sleep in my own bed for a change?" He asked Martinez.
"I guess in the end it doesn't matter, you're still sleeping near him." Jason said, laughing. The officers had their own
barracks, the medical staff had theirs off the infirmary, of course the women had their own. But the rest all slept in that
converted warehouse.
"He's obsessed with me." Hector said, taking a drink of water. He'd done everything they'd asked of him with the
minimum degree of discomfort, laying to rest any speculation of 'muscle atrophy' or other teasing in his lounging
around for the week. He looked over at Andi, their own time here was coming to...he didn't want to say end. More like
intermission.
But any more time in the infirmary and they'd send him home.
Andi's eyes met his across the room and she gave him the soft, private smile that only he ever managed to pull up in
her.
She wasn't looking forward to sleeping alone tonight...
"How you stand it when his eyes go dark like that, I'll never know." Cara commented under her breath. Entirely
excluded from that little world that snapped up around just the two of them whenever they seemed to make direct eye
contact.
"You've still got leave time coming." Hawthorne commented. "If you want it."
Those were papers he hadn't signed for Garrett in known memory. But he stated it as a reminder anyway. Not entirely
blind to what was going on in his infirmary after all.
"Nah, I'm good." Hector said, shaking his head. Hawthorne nodded, it was the answer he'd expected, knowing the
sergeant. That's why he didn't even have the papers ready, though he usually did after one of his men sustained an
injury.
But it was men like Garrett that kept him out of retirement. The ones that gave all for all, all the time. Even though
Rangers and Deltas were not sections for slackers by any means, there were always a few that were more dedicated
that most.
Hector, on the other hand, wasn't ready for a vacation. One, he didn't want to deal with the normal family shit right
now. Two, if he left Africa for a time, he'd take Andi with him, and she couldn't leave right now. She'd already missed
enough time at her own job.
But it was required his next of kin be informed whenever he was injured like he had been. So his sister knew, and told
his father. They had an acrimonious relationship to begin with, and he was probably just waiting for his son to come
home with his tail between his legs. Something he'd never give his father the satisfaction of. He even refused to read
his letters that had come in since he was injured.
Hawthorne turned to Martinez.
"So is he ready for duty again?" He asked. A formal question. Jason nodded.
"Cara's got the discharge papers." Because the military, like most large conglomerates, ran on paperwork. "He's ready
for duty again. Though I'm still recommending that it be kept from being strenuous duty for another week or two at
least, sir."
"I'll keep that in mind." The major nodded. Even though all three men knew Hector would be out on the field the minute
anything came up. Which Hawthorne was expecting to be tomorrow if the intel that was coming in was right. The major
thanked Martinez and then shook Hector's hand.
"Welcome back, sergeant." He stated with a smile. "I expect you to be ready for duty by 0500 tomorrow."
"That looks like that then." Cara stated, going back to reading one of Andi's reports as the English doctor shuffled the
papers into three piles so that she could sort them back out again once she was back at her own camp. Cara let out a
sigh and had Andi stifling laughter as she stated wistfully: "I'm going to miss his big, beautiful, bulgy veins though."
"Oh yeah you will." Hector said, coming over to the desk, pretty much in uniform. Boots, camo pants, brown shirt.
"Because that was the last you'll see of them." If they thought being in love with a doctor would soften him up to all
things medical concerning him, they were wrong.
"Well it was nice while it lasted." Jason said with a shrug and finished signing off the paper work Cara handed to him,
then handed them to the general.
"I'm going to get out of here myself." Potter said. "Spent way too much time here as a non patient."
"You hear him threatening me?" Cara asked Andi and Andi chuckled.
"You're just jealous." She teased the other woman and then grinned up at Hector. "So you're free to run amuck again,
yeah?"
Cara rolled her eyes.
"Just wait." She threatened the Delta. "This little incident doesn't get you out of your physical this year."
"Next time you come." Potter instructed Andi. "You bring food. We're counting on you not letting us starve you know."
Major Hawthorne took the papers with a chuckle and a shake of his head before heading out. If he'd been inclined,
most of his fellow base commanders would never believe half the stories he could have told them.
"It should, y'all have poked and prodded every single inch of me. Still blocking it out, by the way." Hector said.
"Yup, he's working his way back to complaining, I'd say he's healed." Cara said with a shake of her head.
"Come on." He said to Andi. "I did promise you the anti air craft missile range."
"He complained when he wasn't well too." Andi reminded Cara who snorted. But she left all her papers to the side of
the desk and stood up, slipping her hand into Hector's. She'd hoped she wouldn't have to go back right away even
though she knew she was taking advantage of the situation by stealing extra time. But if there had ever been time
worth stealing...
"I'll see you later." She promised the people that had practically been roommates this past week. Cara watched them
go.
"Well," she stated into the silence. "What are we going to do for entertainment now?"
Potter shrugged.
"I'm going to finish my book." He stated. Shooting the other two a wink and heading out as well.