Wash woke up from his sleep in a cold sweat, shaking and screaming. He quickly silenced himself and ran his hands over his face, trying to calm himself down. The nightmares had been coming more frequently lately, and he just couldn't cope with it. Feeling the amount of agony the AI had was horrible, he couldn't handle it, they had sent him to a medical ward. That had sent him more over the edge, he had never truly recovered, he just hid it better.
Wash heard a noise outside of his room and he froze, silently hoping that nobody had heard him. There was some shuffeling by his door and then it was quiet for a minute, Wash held his breath until he heard footsteps walking away from his room. He sighed relieved slightly that whoever it was had not come into his room asking questions, he laid back down on his bed with his arm over his eyes trying to calm down, contentrating on his breathing, in and out, in and out. A few more minutes passed until it was his normal time he got up at.
He slowly got up and got his armor out, he put his body suit on and thought, it wasn't really necesarry to wear the armor, but it made him feel safer. He had seen everyone else out of their armor, and he didn't really want anyone to see how young he looked, not that he was a kid of course, but they all expected him to look like Sarge but really his wasn't much older then them. But he kept that impression only to keep order and the shred of respect they had for him.
Armor on, he looked at his helmet a moment before putting it on and walked out of his room. Wash peered into his men's barracks to see Caboose peacefully snoring away with crayons and paper in his hand. He smiled slighly at that, Tucker was on his bunk facing the wall, away from Wash. He frowned slightly at that, knowing that it was him who had heard him screaming, he walked off to the top of the base and looked at the sun as it came over the moutain ridge and felt calm.
Tucker knew Wash hadn't been getting enought sleep, he and Caboose heard him waking up in the middle of the night screaming, Caboose wanted to go and ask Washingtub if he was hurt, but Tucker stopped him by saying he couldn't see him, but if he was a good soldier, Wash might stop making noises at night. Soon after that Tucker bought a pair of earplugs for Caboose who was very happy to have a new present and not to hear Washingtub. Tucker told him not to say anything to Wash about his present.
Tucker rolled over in his bed trying to figure out what he should do about it all when he heard Wash scream, he threw off his covers and ran to Wash's room, but stopped himself before he opened his door. Wash stopped screaming after a moment, and all he heard was deep, shaky breaths. Tucker shuffled his feet trying to decide what to do and then the noise in the room stopped and Tucker froze, he waited a second and then walked away, glad that Wash was awake now, but dissapointed he couldn't help him. A bit later he heard Wash walk to his room and he tried to breath normally, but failed, Wash walked away after a moment.
He sighed with relief, he knew he should either try to help Wash or stay away from his fucking buisness. Tucker didn't realize he had fallen back to sleep until he was face down on the floor with his mattress on top of him.
"I said wake up private!"
Tucker groaned and pushed his mattress off of himself lazily
"and for the love of God, Stop sleeping naked!"
Tucker looked up at the freelancer "oh come on Wash, I can't believe there's a rule against it. I think your just jealous."
Washington cocked his head to the side questioningly "..jealous?" he said disbelievingly.
"Yeah, jealous..that I've got such a beautiful body!"
Washington just continued to stare at him "..Right.."
"it's gotta be true! You can't even take your eyes off of it right now." "Everybody else in this canyon has gone around in casual clothes on the days we don't fight, but you don't." Tucker got off the ground and stood up facing Washington. "You must be really ugly or something, what, you get so old you turned bald?" Tucker snickered at that one.
"Tucker, that's enough. I wear armor because i feel perfectly comfortable in it."
"oh that totally explains everything! So why won't you even take off your helmet once in a while? huh?"
Washington sputtered "I..I do take it off! You just don't see me do it!"
Tucker looked at Wash condecendingly "Right.." he said crossing his arms over his chest.
"Alright look, I"m not going to stand here and talk to you when you aren't properly dressed yet, suitup and meet me outside in thirty minutes."
Wash turned to Caboose who was fully armored up and sitting on the floor coloring "Caboose, let's go."
"Alright Agent Washingtub, let me finish this and then we can go outside and play games!"
Wash sighed "sure Caboose." and he walked out of the room.
Tucker rolled his eyes and looked at Caboose "Caboose, don't you think it's weird we've never seen Wash's face?" asked Tucker as he started to get dressed.
"No, it's just because Washingtub is shy, and he doesn't want anyone to see how beautiful he looks!"
"Why the hell would he be shy? He's gotta be nearly as old as that Sarge on Red team, he can't be that good looking..and why am i even continuing this conversation." Tucker shook his head "I must be going crazy."
Caboose put his crayons away and taped his newly drawn picture of a kitten on the wall and ran outside yelling "Washingtub! I'm ready to play games today!"
Tucker shook his head at that, and slowly did up the straps on his shoulders.
"Tucker! Get your ass out here! You better not be in bed!" Wash yelled
Tucker sighed he did not get Wash at all,Tucker walked out of the base casually after another few minutes of suiting up.
Caboose was running laps around the base, and Wash was doing push-ups while waiting for Tucker to show himself.
Tucker crouched down in front of Wash
"Hey, how on earth can you do that in full body armor? it's like 87 degrees out here! getting hot in there?"
Wash ignored him an focused on doing his last ten push ups, it was sweltering in his armor and he was starting to feel bile rise in his throat.
"Come on Wash, you've got to be dying in it."
Washington finished his push ups and stood up feeling shaky, but not about to let Tucker see that.
"alright private Tucker, one hundered squats, starting now."
"oh come on already! I already have glamorous calves!" Tucker complained standing up.
Wash leaned up against a nearby tree, and alowed himself a few deep breathes.
"Look, Tucker you need to coninue training, you need to have staminna, not just strength."
"Wash, I know you're talking to me, but no words are coming out of your mouth that i understand."
Washington put his hands up to his helmet, willing the heat to go away, heat plus lack off sleep did not mix well. Tucker watched Wash with a bit of concern "Hey dude, you feelin' okay?"
Washington brought his hand back down to his side, "i'm fine, nothing a little obedience won't cure." looking pointedly at Tucker.
Tucker raised his hands in surrender "okay, okay fine! You don't have to be such a bitch about it."
"Squats, now."
"Fine!" Tucker started doing leg squats "But don't expect me to help you ever if you get welded to your armor."
"I think I can live with that." Washington said relieved that Tucker had started working out and he could lean up against the tree, his AC for his suit had been acting up, thus it was a sweltering oven. 'All I need is to at least get some wind on my face' he thought, and he looked up to the top of the base.. He walks to the top of the base and makes sure Tucker and Caboose are still working out, he takes off his helmet with a pop and a hiss "oh hell yea, this is what i needed." Wash murmurs softly as he feels the wind on his face, and he runs a hand through his light brown hair that was getting a little to long, it sometimes got in his eyes. 'I'll need to cut it soon' he thinks as he sets his helmet down, but it rolls and falls off of the base. "Shit!" Wash says as he trys and fails to catch it.
"Fifty-three" Tucker said "I think I felt something tear Wash. Wash?" Tucker gave a quick glance around himself "hm, figures, as soon as i get excersising he leaves to take a nap or just do nothing."
"Agent Washingtub! Agent Washingtub! You dropped your helmet!" Tucker stops and sees Caboose running to pick up a helmet by the base, he looks up and sees Wash standing up there, he squints, but the sunlight won't let him make out what his face looks like.
"Toss it up to me Caboose!" Washinton says quickly
"Here you go!" Caboose says and throws it directly into the wall
"What's with you and throwing things?!" Wash yells aggravated
Tucker walks over to Caboose "It's okay buddy i got this." he says to Caboose. He picks up the helmet, "yo Wash! this what you want?" he says waving it in the air.
"Yes, now toss it up."
"hmmm...i don't know.."
Washington rolls his head "What the hell is that supposed to mean."
"Well..I'm pretty tired from all that work out i did today, and i bet Caboose is to, I might be to tired to toss this up."
"Tucker, I will fucking kill you."
Tucker just smiles up at Wash, still unable to see Wash because of the sun and Wash know it.
"So what do you say Wash, one day of relaxation from all this training? In exchange, we'll give you, your helmet."
Wash stands up there and mulls it over for a minute "you do know i could just come down and take it from you."
"Well yeah, but i could give it to Caboose and tell him it's a game not to let you have it, and i'm pretty sure you like to keep your helmet on at all times." Tucker says with a smile
"Fuck, fine, you win. One day of me not being in charge, happy?"
Tucker grins and tosses up the helmet, "see ya 'round Wash." and he took off for his bunk to catch a few more winks.
"Agent Washingtub..?" Caboose looked up at Washington "Are we done playing games outside?"
Wash puts on his helmet roughly "Yes Caboose..we're done, go do whatever you want."
"Okay Washingtub!" and Caboose runs inside excitedly
Washington just stands up there looking up at the sky "somebody up there must really hate me." He looks at the dark clouds forming "Shit." remembering that they had left some equipment over by some caves, and he really did not want to clean it up after the rain...
****It's gonna get more...exciting later on, may need another Authors help..but should I continue?***
Reviews would be very helpful