Suzette was suddenly energized.
"Men - out." She commanded. "Mother - stay." She pressed a kiss to Andi's head. "You, chere. I had a bath drawn in
here for. Real hot water."
"I think I'm going to cry again." Andi managed and she was only half joking. Suzette straightened and pressed a quick,
surprise kiss to Hector's cheek.
"I was wrong about you." She whispered. "I am glad." Then she stepped back and ordered him firmly. "You. See Molly.
Then you can both loiter outside the tent."
"Did anyone forget to tell Suzette that I have a serious problem involving not listening to doctors?" Hector asked as
Sean easily shifted Andi's weight onto the bed so he could leave the tent.
"Now none of that." Sean said. "Come on, lad, you've got another girl to see then we can be bothersome together
outside." He even went so far as to tug on Hector. If he had to leave, so did the younger man. Not that Hector went
willingly, only when neither his arm nor Andi's arm were long enough to reach did he finally relinquish her hand as he
was shoved and nudged outside the tent.
"Come." Suzette said, taking both Andi's hands in hers. "Lets get you cleaned up and you can tell me if there's
anything you didn't want to say in front of the men."
Sean couldn't help the chuckle as he managed to get Hector outside. Seeing his baby so hurt didn't make him feel like
chuckling. It made him feel like tipping his head back and howling. But he also felt like tipping his head back and
howling his thanks for simply having her back too. But - because this wasn't exactly his home and people here weren't
used to that kind of thing he simply made due with the chuckle.
"Give 'er some time, lad." He advised. "Some things, much as we may hate it, only women can heal in other women."
He looked over at the younger man and his eyes held a great deal, as sharply intelligent and possibly even more
eagle eyed than his daughter's. But all he said was: "If I'd be handin' out advice, I'd go with you maybe wantin' to hit
the showers before you go see little Mol." He gestured at his own face. "You've a bit of grease paint."
Between Andi and Andi's mother and Suzette they managed to get her out of her clothes, which Suzette wanted to
burn and Andi supported entirely since she'd been wearing them since the - since the whole thing started and into the
tub. And - and she didn't want to talk about anything. So instead, while Suz examined her and made nonsense noises
for soothing effect and tutt-tutted over the abrasions and bruises and whatnot, her mother filled her in on all the
normal, mundane simple things that were happening with the tribe back home. It made her laugh in that choking,
coughing stutter several times but she didn't dare that too much. It was too close to tears right now and she never
cried. Suzette finally finished taking blood samples and declared her 'a mess. But healthy'.
After that all she had to do was concentrate on how good the hot water felt. And that was enough.
Hector had forgotten he was wearing grease paint. He wore it so often, sometimes he forgot he was wearing it. He
touched his face, and sure enough, his fingers came back black and dark green. "Just a bit." He said. "I'll probably
skip Molly's visit," there weren't any MPs to drag him to see her after all, "and vigil with you for a bit." he said with a
chuckle, but did head off to the showers, feeling so tired, that adrenaline crash that usually followed an op worse this
time, because of the emotional factor, which he recognized. But it didn't make him any less tired.
Suzette had clothes for Andi already, knowing and trusting Hector to bring her back. That's why the bath was ready,
all the blood drawing equipment on hand, clothes folded by the tub. She cast a glance at Andi's mother, hoping her
friend would be okay. "Sam's been overly solicitous to the military. I think we should have him exorcised."
Sean settled down on the bench outside the tent. Near enough to hear the reassuring hum of his wife and daughter's
voices even if he couldn't hear the words. But that was enough. He had very little in this world he prized. But his two
only treasures were in that tent. He settled back and closed his eyes, folding his hands across his stomach.
Remembering Hector's comment. Wondering how long he was going to be able to keep both his girls together.
Andi sat still as Suz poked and prodded at her. That was a Hector thought actually, she realized with a weak smile.
Suzette was much too gentle and professional to 'poke and prod'. But she let her friend work. And, once Suzette was
done, her mother took over. Washing her hair as if she was five again.
It almost made her cry.
"I'm sure he'll get over it." She managed instead. "Now that I'm back he'll remember why he hates them and demand to
know what they're doing in his camp."
All the fuss over her was really a bit embarrassing and she couldn't help but realize just how many people, that should
be doing other, more important things, had been put out for her. And yet saying anything would sound ungrateful. So
she was trapped uncomfortably in between.
"Molly volunteered for Hector's physical, didn't she?" She asked Suz instead, lips twisting as her mother's hands in her
hair sent soothing warmth down her back.
Suzette arched a fine eyebrow and smirked.
"She fought off all other comers."
Hector took his shower, stopping to get new non battle ready clothes first. He pulled them on when he was done and
noticed the new bruises and grimaced. They should be easy enough to hide though. He was stepping out of the
shower tent when he ran into, literally, the smaller more petite Molly.
"Ooh, just the man I was looking for!" Molly said. "And you went through all the trouble to get clean for me?"
"You're looking for the wrong guy." Hector tried as Molly forcibly took his arm.
"Come on, come quietly and I promise I'll be gentle." She said with a grin.
"And if I make a scene?"
"I'm sure there's at least one guy in the SAS waiting for some payback."
Mike, strolling past to head into the showers himself, was no help. Just started laughing and kept walking.
Molly linked her arm cheerfully through Hector's and started walking.
"After all, when you go back in to see Andi she's going to ask. You know she is. And she always knows when you're
lying." She sounded as if she was speaking more from personal experience than any application to the man next to
her. "So you might as well just be glad it’s me and not Mike. He might insist on a cavity search and all I'm going to want
is for you to take off your shirt. See? Easy choice. Mike. Cavity search. Me. No shirt. In, in." She urged at the clinic
tent. "And sit down." Because, despite the cheerful chatter she had been worried to tears over her friend. And she
knew that taking care of Andi meant taking care of the Delta. Who looked like he might got to sleep on his feet. Which
just broke her heart and made her have to bite back on the mushy sigh. It was like a romance novel. The good kind
with an actual plot...
He was cornered. He knew it. Oh he could make a break for it, but it would eventually make its way back to Andi. And
he had no doubt that Baker would be more than willing to forcibly and roughly drag his ass back. And since he was
moderately okay except for bruising and fatigue, he didn't really have an excuse.
"Fine." Hector said with a sigh. "I'd rather skip the cavity search." He stripped off his recently applied shirt and sat on
the cot, shaking his head at the fact that everyone thought this was necessary.
"I think he'll be fine with Molly." Suzette said, knowing she'd just ogle and maybe make some comments that would
make her blush, but that was it. Molly was another one that Suzette was sure didn't know what to properly do with a
man.
"Hm. Nice." Molly commented and then actually got to work. She might tease but she knew her job and she was very
good at it. And she was very thorough. One, because, hell, he was nice to look at even when he was tired and a bit
banged up. But two - because her friend loved him. And so she was going to make sure that there was absolutely
nothing that she missed. Because she wanted to return him to Andi perfect.
Andi gave a weak smile as her mother gently rinsed her hair. It was easier to listen to Suz than cry. She didn't cry. And
wasn't going to start now.
"Molly loves him." She managed. "In one of those cinema star types of ways. I like it." She added softer. Hearing Molly
talk about Hector wasn't threatening. It was just nice to have a friend pointing out what she already knew.
Suzette smiled down at her friend. Broken hearted and yet so very glad to simply have her back. She'd examined the
English woman from the tips of her toes to the top of her scalp. Needing to know every little tiny scratch and bruise
and hurt. To make them better. The fingernail scratches on one of those elegant cheeks was what she found the most
disturbing. It spoke of things Andi wasn't. While her friend was lulled by the hot water and her mother's touch, Suzette
shifted to the other side of the tub. As far as she could tell, the ankle was the worse injury.
If she was religious she would personally thank Andi's God.
"Now, petite, let me see your ankle again." Andi dutifully lifted her foot and let Suz examine it.
"It’s actually a funny story about that." The woman in the tub suddenly volunteered.
Hector behaved with the impromptu physical until Molly stepped away and took her gloves off.
"First time I've examined someone healthy before." She said with a chuckle as he pulled his shirt back on. "Had to
remember that those were muscles I was feeling and not some new brand of tumors! But you're fine. You need a nap,
you need a good meal and you need a vacation." She said, able to see just physically, in his face, how this had taken
a toll on him. She was already mushy over those two, she was on the verge of tears, the way one would be in a
romantic movie.
"Definitely taking a vacation." Hector said with a chuckle. "Thanks, Molly." He said and returned to the tent where
Sean was still outside. "All clear?" He asked.
Sean shook his head. "Not in the slightest. They're talking women talk I'm sure."
Suzette raised an eyebrow. "Funny? I must hear this." She was sure there was nothing funny about any of this.
Sean gestured to the side of the bench he wasn't using.
"But if you sit right, you can hear the sound of their voices." He added gently. Knowing what that need felt like. He
looked at the young man that was suddenly a very real and solid part of his life and had the strangest feeling that, in
some impossible way, he always had been. "We're going to talk, of course." He stated. Tipping his head back and
closing his eyes again. "But I think it can wait a while longer." He smiled at the way the voices in the tent rose in a
comfortable point of the conversation. For now, this was more than enough for him.
Mike showed up about then and squatted down on his heels in front of the bench. Clean and tired looking but also
looking more like himself than he had in too long.
"So I've been talking to the girls Andi adopted while she was in the camp. Turns out our girl was busy. You want to
hear the highlights from me or wait for Andi to tell you?"
Sean didn't answer and Mike looked at Hector. Knowing this was probably the only chance because the Delta
probably wouldn't be leaving Andi's side again for a long time.
Suzette chuckled.
"All right, petite. It was a good use for a foot." She admitted. Andi, looking both pleased and vaguely embarrassed
managed a smile and then sobered.
"It would have been worse if I hadn't." She added softly and then didn't add more. Suzette moved back over to press a
kiss to the top of her friend's head. Which now smelled lightly floral and clean.
"But it wasn't. And it will never be now."
"When life gives you lemons..." Janette stated, brushing her daughter's cheek and Suzette almost snorted before Andi
answered with:
"Smile politely and throw them away when Life isn't looking."