Set in Afghanistan 2015, Bernie Wolfe is a trauma surgeon with the Army that is training younger medics to work in the field. She works alongside Alex Dawson an anesthesiologist. The two develop feelings for each other even though Bernie is a married woman.

Exhausted and filthy from a day of training in the dust and heat of Afghanistan Dr. Berenice Wolfe uses her left hip to thrust open the door to her barracks and leans back against it for a moment. She lets her entire body relax for the first moment since 0600h, she hadn't intended for this day to get away from her like it had, but sometimes the unexpected happens. She had made plans with the unit commander to take the five medical doctor trainees on a road trip to see some more of the country and interact with some friendly locals that day. Bernie wanted them to get a feel for the people and the country to which they'd been posted, not every day could be medical drills and tests. This latest bunch of medics just seemed so green to her that she had wanted to shake them up but not like this, not like today. Bernie sat on the edge of her bed to unlace her army boots but halfway through unlacing the first one she stops and drops her head into her hands exhausted.

She runs her hands through her blonde hair feeling sand in it and chuckles to herself 'oh god I need a shower and to sleep' as she resumes unlacing her boots. The door to the barracks opens and Alex goes through the same motions Bernie had moments ago leaning against the door, "Well that was a complete fuck up".
"I know that's exactly how I would describe it too" Bernie says smiling up at her team mate. "Remind me next time I want to take medics into the field and it's not for an emergency that we're still in a war zone and to just stay put." The trip had not gone at all as planned but the results from it in terms of training opportunities went had been beneficial. The five new doctors had experienced their first real trauma cases since they'd landed there two months ago, and they'd had to improvise in the field while doing it. Bernie was proud of how most of them had handled themselves in the situation they'd found themselves in. Dr. Brown was her only concern he'd spent more time jumping at his own shadow than being useful in a medical situation. The convoy two trucks ahead of them had hit an IED and been turned over on the road, the rest of the trucks had stopped quickly and Bernie had been the first one out to help. The soldiers had taken up posts to protect the medical team as they pulled the injured out of the trucks to assess them. The plan was assess and move as quickly as possible back to where they could treat them properly. Bernie was at her best when she was in the thick of it, barking orders at her medical team, assessing on the fly and making the tough decisions. As she looked up from the soldier she and Dr. Kelly were working on to see how the rest of them were doing she remarked that Dr. Brown was missing from the action. Bernie looked over to the 2nd convoy and yelled out to one of the soldiers, "Tell me Dr. Brown isn't still in that truck". The soldier didn't even turn around to look as his eyes were busy making sure they were safe, "yes Ma'am he ducked to the floor and he's still there." How the solider had managed to disguise his disgust was amazing to her, Bernie jumped to her feet barking "Stabilize that arm and get him ready to move" to Dr. Kelly as she moved around to the far side of the truck and yanked the door open. She reached in and was about to grab Dr. Brown by the shirt collar and pull him out but she loosened her grip on his collar and took a deep breath instead. The young doctor was white as a ghost and shaking, his eyes frighteningly wide as he stared at her. "Ok Dr. Brown, you're ok, but we could use an extra pair of hands out here loading these wounded into the vehicles. Can you do that? Can you help us please" she said with as much empathy as she could muster. She stood back while he got out of the truck and pointed for him to join two of his colleagues. 'He is not going to live this down among his team mates and worse yet among the soldiers they'd always remember this moment' she thought and suddenly felt badly for the young man.

But that mess had been hours ago now back when it was still daylight outside and Bernie was tired of even thinking about it. She'd have to sort out Dr. Brown and his potential future in her hospital tomorrow, right now it was quiet and she was with Alex. Alex Dawson was the one person in this place that Bernie felt equal to. Competent, trust-worthy and fun to be around time with Alex was by far the best part of her job and Bernie was very glad to call her a friend. The two women had become very close over the last few years working side by side daily in training the new doctors and spending hours in theatre together fixing the wounded. As they shared barracks too they'd spent many a night sitting in their bunks chatting about medicine and life in general.

"I heard you were a softy in the field with Dr. Brown that surprises me" Alex said as she made her way to her own bunk to remove her boots. "A softy eh? That's one word I've not heard used to describe me before, I think I'm a little insulted" Bernie said with a funny look. "I guess he'll be the wash out from this group then. I feel bad for him that it happened though, I think he has a crush on you Bern," Alex she said as she tugged off a boot. "A crush on me?" Bernie she said incredulously, "You can't be serious, and he's so very young". "Oh c'mon Bernie don't even try to pretend you don't know how gorgeous you are, I bet every man and maybe even a few women in this base are hot for you, "Alex replied with an intense stare. Bernie suddenly got very self-conscious, she suspected there was something more than friendship in the way Alex behaved around her lately but she assumed she was reading into things. Nothing had ever happened between them despite the lingering touches now and then, the sexual jokes that maybe weren't just kidding around, the way Alex always stood too close to her and gravitated towards her every chance she got. All these things made Bernie's skin tingle just thinking about them, all those micro moments they'd shared that were charged with electricity.

Alex broke the stare and jumped to her feet pulling her shirt over her head, "I don't know about you but I am not sleeping until I've had a very hot shower and you should take one too to get all that sand off you before you crawl into bed". Bernie looked into her eyes trying hard to focus on them and not the long tanned torso of her friend who stood so close to her now. When Alex started to unbuckle her pants though Bernie stood up and walked to the other side of the room flustered, "Yeah you go ahead I'll be there in a few". She stiffened suddenly as she felt Alex's hand on her arm, "You alright Bern? Look I know it's been a hell of a day for you, I mean what if that IED had hit your truck and you'd been one of the ones dead or injured and spending hours on a table in theatre today. I don't know what I'd do if it had been you injured, if anything ever happened to you, I'd be lost. Alex trailed her hand down Bernie's arm and taking hold of her wrist she turned her around to face her. Bernie looked into Alex's eyes and saw that they had tears in them; she reached her hand to Alex's face to touch her cheek. Alex smiling a sad embarrassed smile at her places her hand over Bernie's on her cheek and moves it to her mouth to kiss her palm. Bernie's breathe catches at the feeling of the soft lips on her skin and she takes a step instinctively closer to her. Bernie is about to speak but Alex cuts her off moving Bernie's hand to her chest between her breasts she holds it there. "My heart Bernie, that's what you are, and that's where I hold you; I've tried to not feel this way because I know you're married but when I think of what could have happened to you out there today I can't not say it any longer. I love you. I've been in love with you for a while now and I know you feel something for me too, I can see it when you look at me when you think I'm not noticing." Bernie could feel the pounding in Alex's chest and the look in her eyes was so intense it was frightening. Bernie tried to pull her hand away but Alex steps closer yet and holding her hand in place she leans into Bernie and brushes her lips across her lips ever so gently. "Please Bern", she pleads with her, "I know you feel something, it's ok to feel things". Their foreheads are touching and Alex is still brushing her lips across Bernie's creating that electric charge that Bernie loves between them. "Oh Alex", Bernie sighed finally giving in. With those two simple words as encouragement Alex reaches up and putting her hands into Bernie's blonde locks draws her friend in to a long deep kiss.

Bernie hadn't been kissed by anybody but Marcus her husband in twenty years; she'd forgotten how intense the curiosity could be of kissing someone new. And the heat she felt from kissing Alex was unlike any other she'd experienced before, her entire body felt flushed and on fire. She could feel all of Alex's emotion and the intensity of her feelings for her in each movement of her mouth and tongue, the longing was intoxicating. Alex moved her hands to Bernie's green t-shirt and tugging it from her waistband she roughly pulls it over Bernie's head and discards it onto the floor beside them. Alex takes a second to look at Bernie to make sure she's still with her knowing she's moving fast but she's too afraid to slow down, afraid to give Bernie time to think about what's happening. Bernie smiles at her recognizing the 'check in' look she's gotten from Alex before in theatre when things get intense, "for the love of God we're not stopping now are we?" Alex gives a little laugh before wrapping her arms around Bernie's neck and kissing her again.

"God Bern you feel even better than I imagined you would", Alex breathes into her neck between kisses. The make out session was still going strong Bernie's breathing was getting faster already and they were both still semi-clad. 'Who knew just kissing could be this erotic' thought Bernie as she for the first time in her life she reached up to unclasp another woman's bra. She let her fingernails trace the bra's path as she makes a little distance between their bodies to let it fall away from Alex's breasts and with that movement Alex unhooked and dropped Bernie's bra in one expert motion. Alex's breasts were slightly larger than her own and the sensation of their nipples touching made Bernie gasp slightly. Alex kissing Bernie's throat trails her kissed down to between her breasts before she decided on her left nipple first. Alex cupped both breasts in her hands flicking the left nipple in her mouth while kneading the other slowly. Bernie put her hands into Alex's short hair holding her head to her breasts as her own head involuntarily falls back. Alex makes sure to pays fair attention to her other breast before moving her kisses down Bernie's tight stomach pausing to bite playfully at her belly button. "Alex, I think we need to move to a bed my legs are becoming a little too unsteady", Bernie admitted to her. Alex stood and kissed Bernie hard on the mouth not wanting to stop them dead as she pulled Bernie towards the closest bed. Bernie broke the kiss to get onto the bed but Alex pulled her back towards her to undo the buckle of her pants first, she stared deeply into Bernie's eyes as she pulled the buckle open and unzipped the pants while slowly moving her hand inside Bernie's underwear. Bernie gasped at the unexpected move and her hand catches Alex's wrist only she doesn't pull her hand away she keeps it there guiding Alex further inside her. Bernie was slightly embarrassed by how wet she was but Alex certainly knew what she was doing. Bernie moved rhythmically against Alex's hand wishing for her legs to hold on as she couldn't bear to think about stopping right now. Alex clamped a hand over Bernie's mouth when she started to moan, "Ssh sweetheart, we don't want everyone to hear us". Bernie had to bite the inside of her own cheek and bury her face in Alex's neck when she finally came to keep herself quiet. She could taste a little blood in her mouth as Alex kissed her again and they climbed into the bed together. Bernie finished tugging her pants off and they covered themselves with a blanket while they lovingly gazed at one another kissing each other gently. Bernie stroked Alex's cheek as Alex nuzzled her head in under Bernie's chin, "I love you Bern, I love you so much". "I know", Bernie replied giving her forehead little kisses, "I could feel it every day growing between us, and I just didn't know what to do with it". "I love you too, but you already know that don't you", she said as Alex turned her head upward to kiss her, "And now it's my turn to make you try to be quiet when it's never been harder" she said and with a devilish smile Bernie's head disappeared under the covers.