April 2019
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
Royal Centre for Defence Medicine
Edgbaston, Birmingham
United Kingdom
"Corporal Dawes!" my Commanding Officer, Captain Philippa Anderson, called out to me across the Orthopaedic Ward.
"Fucking Hell," I muttered to myself. Here I was, finally about to go on break after putting up with a demanding Sergeant for the past several hours who thought nothing of treating me like his own personal dogsbody. All I wanted, in the knackered state that I was in, was a bloody cuppa, and not to be ordered about by my C.O.
"Ma'am," I stood at attention in front of Captain Anderson.
"You have a visitor, Dawes," my Captain announced, causing me to stare back at her with a perplexed look. Not once during my year working as a Staff Nurse with QARANC had I had a visitor, let alone one who would warrant the attention of my C.O. I hoped for my own sake that trouble hadn't once again found me. As Jackie likes to say, trouble always seems to have a way of finding me.
"The Captain is quite insistent that he speak to you now, and he doesn't seem like the type to be kept waiting, Dawes. I suggest you go and greet your visitor before he writes you up on a charge, and then take your break," Anderson recommended with a small hint of a smile. "I suggested he wait by the family consult rooms."
"Ma'am," I acknowledged Anderson, trying to maintain a calm exterior as my heart started racing and my hands become clammy.
It didn't matter that eighteen months had passed. Eighteen months since that dreadful day at the Registry Office. Eighteen months of agonizing silence. Eighteen months since he had destroyed all of my hopes and dreams. Eighteen months... Yet, he still had the power to mess with my nut.
No matter how much I loathed him, how much he disgusted me, his betrayal had permanently burned itself into my soul, to a degree that left me ashamed to admit that no matter how desperately I wanted to forget and move on, I worried that I might never recover from what he had done to me.
As much as the adrenaline surging into me at this very moment made me want to bolt, and run as far as humanly possible, I knew that I needed every ounce of what little self-respect I had left to face him. After everything he had done to me, the last thing I wanted was for the bloody bastard to have the satisfaction of knowing he could still generate such fierce emotions in me. I also did not deserve for him to come to my workplace and disrupt everything I had accomplished in the last year as a Staff Nurse. With this in mind, I took a deep breath, summoned my remaining grit and determination, which had seen me through my darkest hours, and set off towards my fate.
-X-
"Sir," I stood at attention, not even bothering to look at the man in front of me. Seeing the familiar camouflage and Captain's insignia out of the corner of my eye had been more than enough. Standing at attention and saluting the bastard had me internally cringing as he was no longer worthy of even the slightest bit of my respect.
"As you were, Dawesey," a familiar London accent caused me to nearly jump out of my skin. While recognizable, it was certainly not the cultured, posh accent I had anticipated hearing. "You know I don't stand on that ceremonial bollocks," he chuckled.
"Christ, Captain McClyde?" I looked up into a knowing pair of green eyes in shock.
"Cut the Captain McClyde crap, Dawesey. You know it's Bones. As much as the lasses love me, Dawesey, I wasn't expecting my presence to leave you gobsmacked," he observed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at me.
To say I was relieved that it was Bones and not him was an understatement. Yet even with Bones, I still could not help but feel a bit unwieldy. We hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms when we had left Sierra Leone. It hadn't helped that at the time, it had only been 6 weeks since I had suffered one of the most humiliating betrayals possible, had fled said betrayal by joining a humanitarian mission that went all Pete Tong, and then, to add insult to injury, acted like a complete muppet in front of Bones, after he had gone to great lengths to save my life. He also happened to be one of the most bad-ass Officers in the SAS. So much for being a Military Cross winner… I wouldn't blame Bones if he thought I was total rubbish, which is why I am a bit surprised he asked to see me.
"W-what are you doing here?" I stammered like an idiot. So much for grit and determination.
"I had an appointment earlier with Major Richards. He wanted to make sure his handiwork on my ACL survived my recent return to training exercises."
"O-oh," I somehow managed to sound like a prat again. I really needed to get my shit together. "I, uh, take it, it survived?" I managed to ask, in an attempt to pull myself together. It didn't help matters that I somehow seemed to miss the fact that he must have been at Queen Elizabeth at some point within the last year, if Major Richards had operated on his ACL. It made him seeking me out now seem even more bizarre.
"It's top-notch. Although, I do have a massive grievance with you, Dawesey," Bones declared.
"Y-you do?"
"While I was laid up here at Queen Elizabeth, dossing about, you were mucking about in Sri Lanka as part of some bloody flood relief effort. You would think, Dawesey, that after I went to great pains saving your life, the least you could do was nurse me back to health. Instead they stuck me with every minging nurse they have on staff here."
"Perhaps your reputation as a 4-Star Manwhore, precedes you," I smirked, knowing full well that had to be the reason he had been given 'minging nurses'. The man was a womanizer of the highest rank.
"Ah, there's the Dawesey, I know. I was wondering when you would show up. This stammering nonsense you've been spouting at me doesn't suit my favourite short-arsed Cockney," Bones smirked at me.
"Oi, watch it, toss-pot," I warned, not about to let him best me. "You should consider yourself lucky, Bones. I've been told my bedside manner is utter crap. In fact, just this morning, one of my patients was more than happy to comment on the fact that I'm total rubbish as a nurse," I retorted.
"I'll take your shit bedside manner any damn day, Dawesey, especially when my torn ACL was down to a bloody Rupert who completely lost the plot. It also doesn't help that I find him bloody repugnant and still want to shove my C8 Carbine permanently up his arse."
"Remind me not to get on your bad side," I laughed. Bones certainly had a way with words that one could not help but find entertaining. I also didn't doubt that if given the opportunity he would stick his assault weapon up said Rupert's arse.
"Somehow, I don't see that happening any time soon Dawesey, unless of course you refuse to do me the favour I'm about to ask of you," Bones declared in all seriousness, putting aside his standard cockiness for a moment.
"Taking the piss out of me again, Bones?" I asked, doubting his sincerity.
"Oi, that's no way to talk to the man who saved your life. Let alone an Officer of Her Majesty's Armed Forces." Bones gave me an angry look.
"Fine, you've got me there," I smiled, shaking my head at his utter arrogance. "Now what's this about a favour?"
"I have a special op in mind for you, Dawesey. It's still in the planning stages, but the way I see it, this one is custom made for you," Bones revealed, full of his usual swagger.
"You want me, a former CMT, and now a Staff Nurse, whom trouble always seems to find, to help you with a Special Forces operation?" I laughed out loud. He clearly had to be having a laugh at my expense. "Even I know that you are not that much of a numbskull."
"I see you still haven't gotten over selling yourself short. We might gonna need to work on your confidence for this op, Dawesey," Bones couldn't help but throw some of my Cockney into the mix. "I don't have all day, Dawesey, so here's what you are going to do. After your shift ends at 19:00, you are going to go home, change into a nice frock, I assume you have one somewhere in the back of your wardrobe, do something with your hair, and actually apply some cosmetics," he instructed taking in my unflattering uniform, plait, and make-up free face. "Then you are going to get your short-arse to the Edgbaston Hotel, where you are going to meet me in the Cocktail Lounge at 21:00 sharp. Once there, I will brief you on the op. Do I make myself clear?"
"Isn't the Edgbaston a bit posh for the Army?" I questioned, wondering why Bones would be staying at a luxury boutique hotel. "And why can't I just wear my uniform?"
"It's part of the op. I should also add it's an undercover op. Hence the need for the posh hotel and civvies. Do try to dress smart, Dawes. While I may tolerate you, more so than others, I do have my reputation as a 4-Star Manwhore to uphold," Bones smirked.
"And why am I even considering this?" I wondered aloud, annoyed that he automatically assumed I would go along with whatever type of op he was planning.
"As I reminded you earlier, you owe me and I am calling in your debt. So, go be a good little nurse, and be at the Edgbaston Hotel no later than 21:00. I abhor lateness and you do not want to see what I am like when I put someone up on a charge," He warned. "Now piss off back to work, Dawesey. Consider that an order," Bones commanded before exiting and leaving me wondering what the hell had just occurred.
In typical Bones fashion, he had somehow managed to throw me into a complete whirlwind in just a matter of minutes. The guy was a complete nutter, and required me to be on my game at all times.
I suppose I should look on the bright side, at least it was Bones who had dropped by and not him. As much as I had mentally prepared myself to face him, I knew that in reality I was nowhere near ready. He had hurt me so profoundly, that no matter how hard I tried to move on, there was still a deep wound inside of my heart that would never heal.
Perhaps a special op with Bones might be a welcome distraction. It would at least spare me from wondering about him, and whether or not she's living the fairy tale ending that should have been mine…