Disclaimer: The Rat Patrol is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.
Author's note: After giving it some thought, I decided Troy needed to clear the air.
Guardian Angels
By Suzie2b
After a couple of days in medical at Akko, Tully was transferred by ambulance to the base hospital in Ras Tanura. It had been a long, rough trip for the young private. The roads weren't smooth and even with pain killers every bump that was hit sent pain flaring through much of his body.
Tully had just settled into bed when Moffitt arrived with Charley. Even though he hadn't received the promised morphine yet, and his body ached terribly, Tully smiled when he saw her. She fussed around him until Vicky arrived with the shot and Tully was finally able to relax.
The next day Troy was having an early breakfast alone. He hadn't been sleeping too well since the accident. He kept thinking about what Tully had told him. As he downed the last of his third mug of coffee, Troy made a decision.
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Troy found Tully sitting up against a couple of pillows. He sat down on the wooden chair next to the bunk and asked, "No Charley this morning?"
Tully smiled. "She came in to have breakfast with me, but left to go to work a few minutes ago."
"You're starting to look better. How's your back?"
"Soar … stiff. I'm told it's a lovely shade of purple. Can't move around too easy yet." Tully saw a look on the sergeant's face he knew all too well. "What's going on, sarge? Is Captain Boggs looking for a permanent replacement for me?"
Troy smiled slightly. "No, nothing like that. I just think we need to have a talk."
Tully looked at him a little suspiciously. "About what?"
Troy shifted in the chair. "When we were waiting for help from Akko … do you remember what you told me?"
Tully thought for a moment, then shook his head slowly. "I don't remember much of anything other than your voice until I woke up in medical. What did I say?"
"You were talking about our early days as a unit. You said you were afraid of me … afraid of doing something to make me mad. Afraid that you'd get me killed."
Tully looked down at his lap and started to pick at the fuzz on the blanket. "I've got a big mouth when I'm not feeling too good, don't I."
Troy couldn't help but smile, then he said seriously, "I just want to make sure you understand … we were new then. We didn't know each other yet. You and Hitch were both just out of basic training, and Cotter hadn't been there much longer. I was hard on all of you in the beginning … I had to make sure we acted as a team. I had to learn what you, Hitch, and Cotter were thinking at all times and you had to know what I needed from you." He waited for Tully to look at him before he continued, "I have no problem saying this again. You're the best damn driver in North Africa, Tully, and if I'd have gotten killed while you were driving, it would've been because I did something stupid, not you. Understand?"
Tully nodded. "Yeah, I got it, sarge. I guess being new in the war and all had me tryin' to second guess things. I don't do that anymore though. I trust you, Hitch, and Moffitt without question."
Troy gave a nod. "Good. Now, there's this thing about me putting you with Moffitt…"
Tully frowned a bit. "I really did have a big mouth out there."
"Yeah, you were a bit talkative. I suppose I should've explained this at the time, but I didn't and I'm sorry. The only reason I put you and Moffitt together was because I trusted you to get him up to speed on what we were doing as a unit. I'd learned that you have a great deal of patience when you put your mind to it and that's what Moffitt needed in the beginning. It was going to be temporary, but it wasn't long before I realized there was a bond starting between you two. So I chose to leave things alone."
"I didn't really like Moffitt at first. I guess because we'd just lost Cotter and he didn't know how we did things. But he listened to my suggestions, and it didn't take long before I was learning what he was all about. He's taught me a lot."
Troy sighed. "So we're good?"
Tully smiled. "Yeah, we're good, sarge. Like I said, I don't remember much, but I remember hearing your voice on the radio and you sending down things that I needed. Thanks." He hesitated, then said, "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"I do remember one thing very clearly. I think it was near the end … just before I was pulled out. There was this really bright light and I could see two shadowy figures coming down outta the sky towards me. Was that heaven?"
Troy grinned and gave Tully's uninjured leg a pat. "No, it wasn't heaven, Tully. What you saw were your guardian angels."