Here's the next chapter.

For the past few hours, Tom only bitten down his nails or sipped cans of beers. The tv was switched on but he couldn't concentrate on the words people were saying because his mind was bombarded with his own thoughts.

Then, there was a sudden knock on the door which made his heart jump.

Had Fuller come to apologise?

He put down his can of beer on the coffee table and went over to the door. He opened it and found it was not Fuller, but Doug, standing on his doorstep.

"Hey" Doug greeted with enthusiasm but only after a few seconds, his eyes grew serious and his smile melted into nothing. "What happened?"

Tom grew concious. "What...what are you talking about?"

Doug pointed up to his own face. "You've got a bruise right there."

Tom clamped his hand over it. He didn't know there was a visible mark. "It's nothing."

"Nothing?" Doug questioned. "It looks as though someone had hit you."

Tom quickly frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to check if you were ok. You seemed a bit...off earlier." Doug replied. "And now I'm even more concerned." He looked directly at the bruise on his face that he wasn't hiding anymore. "Who did that to you?"

"No one did," Tom replied firmly. "I just bumped into the door."

Doug rolled his eyes. "We all heard that before. You're not fooling me, Hanson."

Without hesistation, Tom tried to close the door on him. However, Doug quickly stopped the door from shutting him out.

"Hanson!" He cried in surprise and disbelief. "What's the matter with you?"

"I just don't want to talk, ok?" Tom snapped.

Doug frowned at him. "You know, I'm not gonna leave until you tell me what happened."

Tom stood his ground, his chest rising with every breath. Doug didn't move. Realising that it was impossible to get rid of his friend, he moved aside to let him through.

Quickly, Doug moved into his apartment before he could change his mind.

Tom watched as his friend as he walked into the centre of the room and eyed the surroundings. His apartment was neat and tidy as always.

"See...nothing out of the usual" Tom said, as he walked past his friend and sat down on the three-seater couch.

Doug caustiously sat on the single couch oppsite his friend. "What happened?"

Tom lowered his eyes to the floor and didn't reply.

Doug tentively moved his head forward. "Hanson?"

"I don't know what to do," came tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"About what?"

Tom raised his soft brown eyes into Dougs.

"Today I... I told Fuller that he should give Harry some support because at the moment, he really needs it." Tom shook his head in disbelief, "but since we've been told that Harry illegally left his county and changed his name, Fuller seems like he's against him, like he can't trust him. I don't know about you but Fuller really seems to be out of character. Who cares if Harry lied? He did it for a good reason."

Doug nodded. "I guess, but Fuller spent fifteen months when the war was present in Vietnam. I can understand why he's taking it hard."

"But the thing is Doug, he's way out of line!"

Doug looked at his friend's face carefully. "Something happened today?"

"You're not going to believe this Doug, but he hit me."

Doug looked horrified. "He hit you?" He asked in disbelief.

Tom looked down and closed his eyes. He shouldn't have told Doug this. Why did he have to tell him everything? Even if they were best friends.

He heard a small shuffle of feet and then something heavy sink the cushion from beside him. He then felt a comforting hand place on his shoulder.

"Why did he do it?" Doug gently.

Tom opened his eyes but didn't meet his friends.

"He got mad because...I don't know, I guess because he thought I didn't understand what hell he went through."

"Are you...Are you going to report him?"

"I can't" Tom replied firmly. He turned to back at his friend. "He's a good captain...Even if he was in the wrong. I'm just hoping that he'll realise it was all a mistake."

Doug looked at him with a tender expression. "I hope so too..." he replied. "But he shouldn't have done that to you."

"Just - don't tell anyone ok?"

Doug hesistated for a second. "Ok... But if it happens again -"

"He wouldn't do it again" Tom interrupted. "Fuller isn't like that."

ummmmm :)