Medic looked up at the darkening sky. It looked like rain was coming. Maybe it was an omen of what was to come. The REDs have been suffering a recent string of losses. The whole team was down, and it wasn't helping the fighting spirit. The only one who still felt like fighting was Soldier, but that seemed a given.

The weary German brought his gaze back to the RED base. With a shuffling of feet, Medic walked back into the base. As soon as he went through the door, he could feel the sense of depression in the air. Heavy had been waiting for him.

"Are you okay doctor?" He asked, concerned. "Ja, ja." Medic said dismissively. Heavy's face fell to the ground and Medic felt a twang of pity. There was some internal fighting going on in the RED team. Heavy had gotten the brunt of a lot of it, as he was the one expected to get the most kills and support the others.

Medic sighed and left for the infirmary. He closed the door behind him and sat down in his chair heavily. The look on his face spoke volumes about his stress levels. Medic finally leaned forward over his desk and shuffled through the mail. One envelope in particular caught his eye. It was from Admin.

He picked it up and opened it with a scalpel that he used as a letter opener. Separating the parchment from the envelope, he opened it gingerly.

"To the Reliable Excavations and Digging Medic,

Eleven losses in a row is a poor performance. Redmond Mann has decided to bring in a new mercenary to even the odds. On the Twenty Second day of October, you will receive your new teammate. It will be your duty to introduce him to the team and the base. I trust you can handle this matter with the upmost professionalism.

The Administrator"

Medic's eyes widened as he read the paper. October 22nd was tomorrow. Then he became frustrated. There was no information at all about this newcomer, other than the date he was to arrive. What if the new mercenary became a liability? Medic frowned and closed his eyes, bringing his hand up to rub his temple. Tossing the paper back on his desk, Medic resigned to going to his bed. After changing clothes, he settled under the covers. An onset of rain started to pound on the windows. Given the night's events, Medic found it hard to sleep that night.

October 22 7:30 AM

The loud beeping of Medic's alarm clock brought the German out of his fitful sleep.The Medic's hand fumbled as it turned the alarm off. Dragging himself out of bed, Medic prepared himself for the day's battle. Stepping out into the foyer, that's when Medic remembered the new arrival. The foyer was abuzz with chatter as they all discussed who it might be. It seemed that everybody had gotten a memo.

Outside, the sounds of tires squealed to a stop and the room turned into a standstill. The bus doors opened with a hiss and out stepped a mercenary.

"Nein…" Medic whispered to himself.