"Crappers, do I even want to know where her room is?" Swanson remarked.
"No where near yours I would gather." Suzette said.
"Much to your dismay, I bet." Swanson shot back.
"Do you see what I mean, chere?" Suzette said.
"Oh so you're the anything warm men will sleep with? Good to know." Swanson said with a chuckle as he dumped
packets of sugar into his coffee. Suzette rolled her eyes.
"I'll be sure to pass that along." Mike commented dryly. Settling back down in his chair after he'd watched Hector
decide taking him and the MP on wasn't on the list of things to do today. Just as well. He'd have to hurt him then. Just
to make the point stick.
Still a little bit pissed the jerk had gotten himself shot in the first place. He'd forgotten what that felt like. The getting
pissed at friends getting shot. Not the way getting shot felt. Man didn't forget something like that.
"Sure." Mike added, stretching his legs out again. "Cause I've always wanted to visit new and exciting places like yet
another military infirmary and listen to yet another ingrate bitch and moan. Its way up there on the top of my list of
vacation destinations. Especially if I don't even get a change of scenery." He made a face. "Shit, how can you eat
that?"
"Oh don't doubt it. It’s shit." Hector said as he continued eating. "But I'd eat just about anything right now." It didn't
help that on ops they didn't eat much to begin with, then he had been barred from eating (not that he was in any
condition to anyway), so it didn't matter what it tasted like. He was eating quick enough that he didn't have to taste
that much of it.
"And I'm not bitching and moaning. Just politely pointing out that there are many other things I should be doing than
annoying all these nice people and wasting their time." He said reasonably as he drank the water on his tray then
went back to eating. "And its Mr Snuffles."
"Children." Andi reprimanded, pointing "Corners please."
She didn't understand relationships. Friendships she got. Family relationships she, unfortunately at times, got.
Whatever - this was with Suzette and Swanson - she hadn't a clue. They honestly did seem furious with each other
and yet they constantly sought each other out. When Andi was mad with someone she ignored them. Certainly didn't
go looking for them just to pick a fight because that meant she actually had to spend time around them. Whatever
was going on with Suzette and Swanson wasn't falling into any lines she was used to dealing with.
And she was glad of it.
"All I am saying is that men are not temptation resistant." Suzette stated. "You must guard against infringement by
other women."
"Are we talking about Hector?" Swanson asked suspiciously.
"Did I name names?" The french woman asked innocently. Swanson's eyes narrowed down and he turned his
attention on Andi.
"Fu - Screw that. He wouldn't notice a woman if you dangled her in front of him. And trust me, I've tried." Andi's
eyebrows rose. Swanson barreled ahead. "He doesn't trust people. And I've never seen him trust a woman enough to
open up about anything. But he trusts you. A man like that doesn't let go when he's got something good."
Suzette couldn't exactly disagree with that.
Swanson waited for Suzette to make some comment. And was beyond surprised when she didn't. So he just shook his
head and started to eat his meal. "I went to basic with the guy." He said. "I know him about as well as anyone can."
With the exception of Andi, apparently. "Believe me, if he was going to go out whoring with the guys, he would have
by now."
"Is it?" Mike laughed, looking at the little elephant standing guard on the side of the bed. Not sure which was funnier.
That Hector knew the ugly creature's name or that he'd felt the need to point it out.
"This was polite?" Potter asked. Looked at Cara. "He was polite? I missed this somehow?"
She held up her hands.
"He was when he was heavily medicated. Kind of." She added after some thought.
"Digging deep with that Southern charm?" Mike suggested.
"He was in deep something." Potter agreed flatly.
Suzette bit back a reply. Simply because she couldn't exactly argue. Either with the fact that her friend was a woman
worth hanging onto, or that Hector had exactly made any moves toward any other woman the entire time she'd known
him. It worried her in fact, the way he was so single mindedly focused on the English doctor next to her. That kind of
intensity led to no good when the woman decided it was time to leave.
Her opinion of men, and their fallibility however, remained unchanged.
But Swanson had surprised her with his angry defense of his friend.
Andi leaned over and gave Swanson a sudden kiss on the cheek. Surprising him enough to shock the zippy
comments out of him.
"Thank you." She told him. Meeting his eyes. "For standing by him." Then she gave Suz a kiss on the top of the head
and stood up, empty tray in her hands. It was amazing how quickly you could put down food when you expected blows
to start flying at any minute. "And thank you too. For worrying and yet not disagreeing." She told her friend.
"You going back?" Swanson asked, trying to drink down his coffee in a hurry without scalding himself in case she
wasn't. Hell if he'd let her loose in a camp full of teens. She gave him a smile.
"Not quite yet."
"I save the Southern charm for special occasions, otherwise you get used to it and it loses its efficacy." Hector said as
he wolfed down the food and the water provided to him. "It’s better that way." Besides, he was always difficult with
medical people once he was put in a 'patient' position. Because he didn't appreciate it, and now that he was fully
awake, truly felt like he was fine and they should just leave him alone.
"When can he go back to the barracks?" Potter asked with a chuckle as he went back to his book.
"I wish." Cara said with a roll of her eyes.
"No, the important question is when can I get some clothes? I bet I can pee on my own now too."
"Thought Hector gave you the illustrious tour?" Swanson asked. No way was she cutting a path other than from the
infirmary to the mess hall and back alone. Hector would have his head, even if the man fell into a coma first. He just
knew it as he drank his coffee as fast as he could and stood up.
Mike didn't point out that most men would kill for the chance to be naked in bed with Andi. Though most of those
ideas also involved her without anything on as well. Instead he shrugged and shook his head.
"Not my call." He stated. "I'm not even here in consulting form. You want any of that and you'd better talk Southern to
your pretty nurse and hope she takes pity on you." He looked over at Cara. "And considering the shit you've already
put her through I wouldn't be surprised if she makes you pee in a bag for the rest of the month. Hell, I would just for
the amusement value."
Andi laughed at Swanson.
"He did." She gestured him back down with a hand. "I can figure out where I'm going."
"Yep." Swan agreed, chugging the last of his coffee and figuring Hector owed him two now as he pushed back and
stood. "But I was done anyway."
Andi raised her eyebrows and looked at the tray he hadn't even had a chance to touch yet.
"Mm." She commented. Swanson gave her his most charming smile and she shook her head with another laugh.
"Come along then." She surrendered and he shot Suzette a grin before falling into step next to her. Suzette, more
than able to handle herself in a room full of men, went back to her meal. She had some things she wanted to check
into as well but she would wait until the 'coast was clear' as they say.
Andi meanwhile took Swanson on a tour of everything from the kitchen to the supply tent. Impressing on him that,
apparently, Red Cross workers were very good at getting what they wanted when they set their minds to it. He
chalked it up to having to deal with African dealers so much.
"I could just rip it out." Hector said casually.
"Wouldn't do that if I were you." Cara said with a laugh. "Its got a balloon in there filled with saline holding it in."
Hector grinned.
"Really?" He asked and peeked under his sheet, examining how it was set up and reached for a forgotten syringe,
and drained the balloon himself. He winced when he removed the catheter then wound it nice and neat and threw it in
a near by garbage pail.
"I can't believe you fell for that." Mike said to Cara, shaking his head.
"So what's our destination?" Swanson said as he walked beside Andi. Besides acting as a body guard, walking with
Swanson made her 'official' and less likely to be stopped for trespassing. This was a military base after all.
Andi rolled her eyes at Swanson's protectiveness.
"I need a toothbrush for one." She stated. "Or two because Hector would probably like one too. And a razor too. He's
a bit scruffy in case you didn't notice. And food. Did you see what they were bringing him? It was - frightening. So the
kitchens last before I go back. A pillow wouldn't be bad either" she added wistfully.
Swanson stifled a grin and settled in to helping her find what she needed.
Mike chuckled at the look on Cara's face and then looked back at Hector.
"Well, I won't use the word 'desperate.' " He commented dryly. "So I'll just think it instead." He gestured toward the
straps. "Now put your hands back where they belong and I'll see about getting you some pants." Keeping the Delta
nude might cut down on the chances of escape he knew the man was working toward. Or it just might traumatize a lot
of people when Hector made his run for it. Hard to tell but he was going to believe the second. "Besides, Andi ought
to be back soon and it won't look good if we're wrestling a naked man to the ground."
"Well, they took his pillow away when he threatened to smother himself or others if that was the only way he was
going to get out." Swanson said, chuckling. It truly was funny, once one figured in that he couldn't lift his own head at
the time and was just blowing hot air at everyone before the drugs kicked in. "He was getting scruffy before we came
back here, so its been a gradual thing for me. Not that I even pay much attention." He said with a laugh. "Let's see
what we can dig up." He said, leading her to the supply warehouse.
"Pants would be nice." Hector said, settling back against the bed. He remembered why he didn't have a pillow, and he
wasn't going to labor that point. He was hoping to not be here long enough to complain about that.
Cara looked at Mike. He was just as bad as Sgt Garrett. "I'll see what we can do."
Mike shot Hector a look after Cara left.
"Now see what you've done. The pretty girl's pissed off at me too. All this trouble I'm going through, you'd better not
get shot again if this is the routine." He moved the tray off to the side. Counting the silverware and thinking it wouldn't
be past the Delta to try crafting a deadly weapon out of something in his escape attempt. Or at least something that
would inflict blunt trauma. "Cause my bed's a lot nicer back at the Red Cross camp."