A/N: Any medical errors are mine. Well, any regular ones are mine, too. You can't have 'em.
Four-Hell's Obstacle Course (Wednesday noon)
"MOVE IT! I want to see you MOVE! The bad guys aren't waiting for us to show up so we need to be MOVING! Pick. IT. UP!" The Ranger watched the group of thirty grunt and strain through the maze of barbed wire, high ropes, beams, swings and general chaos. "Jaye! Stop playing in the mud and MOVE! Dash, catch up with Trip before he KILLS all of you. Wreck! There ISN'T a short cut! Follow the path!"
Groans of pain and loud murmurs abounded. Only Beach enjoyed PT, and everyone knew it.
Block went running past Tech who was trying to keep his computer gear high and dry. The slight blond watched as the heavily muscled man lifted his MA-Deuce overhead and jumped into the muddy water. "Come on, Geek. Lift your gear, and cross this creek," came the poetical man's encouragement.
Just as Tech was about to jump, Wild Bill went flying by with a loud "Geronimo!"
"Hell's Bells, Bill! You TRYIN' to give away all our positions to the enemy? Clam. It. UP!"
The chopper jockey waved a select finger at the Ranger.
"Tech, what ARE you waiting' for? AN INVITATION? You have it! Now, GO!"
The computer geek waited no longer. He hit the water and slipped under, but managed to keep his gear out of the water.
Behind his balaclava, Beach smiled. He turned as heard noisy chatter approaching the climbing beams. Sprinting over, he hid behind a set to listen.
"Come on, ya newbies, get a move on." Wreck was frustrated with the slow bunch of trainees. "Frog, you and Flipper, here, have to move faster."
"Ah, chill out, man. Ol' Beach ain't here to bark, so you can lay off the 'tude, dude."
"Don't 'tude me, little man. If you aren't gonna speed up, then move. I have better things to do than wait on your slow butts." The sailor pushed by the pair and shinnied up the pole to walk the crossbeam.
"Whatever, dude." The twosome lingered by the pole. As other team members came by, they would offer to give a lift. Older, more experienced soldiers passed on the offer, knowing that Beach would surely find out. Half of them suspected he had hidden cameras. Newer members would pause to think about it. Most ignored the pair, but one or two took them up on the opportunity to 'cut a corner.'
Those unfortunate few were shot off the beam with a paint ball gun. Beach waited for Frog and Flipper to make their own ascent. Each climbed their own pole and began to cross, chatting about girls. The Ranger rolled his eyes. Newbies. They'll learn. A snatch caught his attention.
"…the nurses in the Med Ward. I wonder how many patients they've played 'doctor' with?"
Flipper laughed. "And what about Greg and Eric? Those who can't, become nurses? 'Hi, I'm Gweg and thith ith Ewic.'"
The Ranger pushed down his revulsion. Stupid comments. They will learn. He took aim, squeezing off shots to their feet. Frog fell, landing on his side, while Flipper managed to keep his balance.
"Hey, we're being attacked!" The diver looked down at his friend. "Frog?"
The shorter man rolled on the ground, groaning. "My arm. My arm."
Paint balls splattered near his head. "Get MOVING, newbie! The enemy is coming and you are sitting DUCKS!"
The injured man stood to his feet. "But my arm…"
"MOVE, dammit! They DON'T CARE!" Beach squeezed off a few more shots, forcing Frog to move toward the end of the course.
Flipper stood on the other side, yelling, "Come on, man, we have to get going!" He reached a hand down to help his buddy out of the ditch. Paint hit all around him.
"The enemy won't MISS!" A bright blue ball hit the diver in the back as he hauled Frog up.
"Come on, buddy," he whispered. The twosome double-timed the rest of the maze, cursing the Ranger the whole way.
Beach radioed ahead, asking Doc to send Eric to HOC along with I'Lee. He grinned to himself remembering the medic's query.
"Why Eric?"
"Teaching some greenies a lesson."
Hefting the paint gun, he headed toward the exit. This will be fun. I love my job.
Five- Bullpen (Wednesday Afternoon)
Myles Leland walked into the Bullpen, a smug grin on his features. One of his snitches had come through with an important meet on a current case. He walked over to his desk and sat, opening a file on the computer even as he pulled the phone to his ear. Dialing as he checked email, the Bostonian was surprised when his phone went dead.
"Where is Sue, Myles? She was supposed to come in with you." Dark brown eyes stared at him.
A blond brow raised slowly. "Surely, you don't mean Thomas? Last I checked, she was talking to Howie…in the conference room."
Jack visibly relaxed, leaning on Myles' desk.
"Anything else I can do for you, Hudson?" Blue-gray eyes narrowed.
As if from a trance, the brown-headed agent snapped to movement. "No." He smiled a tight smile and walked back to his desk.
Leaning back in his chair, Myles crossed his arms, putting a finger to his chin. What was that about?
He knew the team leader had feelings for the blond analyst but this was…He's just adjusting to not being with her almost twenty-four/seven… A slight frown marred the aristocratic features. He'd better get used to it quick, though…
The desk phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. "Leland… Yes…" His feet slammed to the floor. "What? Are you sure?" During the pause in conversation, he was writing fast and furious. "We'll be there in twenty." The phone was barely in its cradle when the Harvard grad had his coat and was almost out the door.
"Whoa there, Myles. What's the hurry?" Jack stretched back in his chair.
"One of my snitches just got a hot lead. I'm taking Sue, and we are going to check it out." The taller man made for the office door.
"Just be careful…out…there," the words died on his lips, as the blond agent was already gone. I am not going to get used to this… Chagrined, he noticed both Tara and Bobby staring at him, questions in their eyes. Tara's, he could understand, but Bobby…he's playing close to the chest…I wonder… His musings were interrupted when Sue came bursting in to the Bullpen.
"Forgot my Blackberry." Like a blond whirlwind, she too was gone.
Once at the meeting site, Myles suggested leaving the Golden in the car. "My instincts tell me this isn't…" He tilted his head, looking for the best word.
Sue drew a shape with her pointer finger. "Square?"
A nod. "Good enough. Keep your eyes open and stay close."
She smiled tightly. The pair stood next to the car, each taking note of the surroundings. They were near an old playground. Myles was watching for his snitch while Sue tried to take in the entire scene. 'Just because you can't hear doesn't mean you can't know. Watch the trees, the birds…feel the wind'. She could see James telling her these things in her mind's eye.
With a narrowed gaze, the blond analyst took note of the approaching figure. Myles was just abreast of her so she couldn't see what he was saying, but the body language of the man was screaming danger. She took a deep breath and relaxed into step behind her partner. Out of the corner of her eye, a couple of pigeons took flight. Someone else is here. A bit of brush moved, and she knew then where the hidden man was.
In front of the tall New Englander, a grungy-looking male was shifting nervously. "You alone?"
Blue-gray eyes took in his mannerisms. "The question is, are you?"
"Don't play with me, fed. I have the info, and if you want it, you have to do what I say."
Feigning nonchalance, Myles stepped back, hands raised. "If you don't want to cooperate, then I won't stop you."
The snitch scratched his chin, anxious to complete his deal, but not understanding the turn of play. "Don't you want the information?"
"Yes, we do." A seemingly frustrated sigh came from the agent. He took another step back, only to be met with a body.
"We? You said you were alone." The grungy man looked puzzled.
It took a second for Myles to realize that Sue was directly behind him. She's hiding. He tilted his head toward the snitch. "My mistake."
Sue was watching the brush. 'You don't have to hear to know if someone is moving. Watch the movement of the environment.' She placed a hand on her partner's back, letting him know she was there.
Myles felt the touch just as the snitch made a feint toward him. The New Englander had to back up, giving Sue no warning of his motion.
She wasn't there. A flash of metal from nearby had her pulling him down as a shot rang out.
Seconds later, he was back on his feet, crouching with gun drawn. Sue was behind him, her attention now on the grungy man directly in front of her, reaching into his coat.
"Myles!" A second of hesitation and a hand with a gun was moving outward. Swallowing her fear, she lunged for the snitch's arm, grabbing it in a tight grip, pushing it down.
"Ow! Ow owowowowowowow!" He followed his hand to the ground where Sue held on to the gun, pinning his arm with her knee.
Quickly, the blond man scanned the area for signs of the other man. Nothing. This was a set up. He frowned to himself as he turned to Sue.
"Myles, I can explain."
He waved her off as he took control of the now fussing man. "Wait," he said. Within minutes, a call was made, the snitch carted off, and the two were in the Bureau's car.
He turned to face the blond analyst. "That was…"
"I'msorry,Myles,Ishouldn'thaveputmyselfintheway,buthehadagun," came tumbling out. Sue pulled back, expecting a reprimand.
Myles had the grace to look confused. "Thomas, did I miss something?" A blond brow rose, puzzled.
Taking a deep breath, she answered, "It's just that you were angry with me a few moments ago. I thought you would…"
A single finger went up, halting her flow of words. "Are you saying you think I am…was angry with what you did?"
She nodded slowly.
He tapped his chin, thinking about the course of events. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "Am I mistaken, or did you not take basic defense courses?" At her confused look, he rephrased. "You were required to take basic defense, yes?"
"Oh, yes."
"And you used it."
"Yes."
"I see." He studied her carefully. "You think I was angry?"
She made a face, mimicking the one she had seen on him. "It's much like the face Jack would make when I put myself at risk."
The Harvard grad thought for a moment, a switch going off in his mind. "When I turned to see if you were okay, was that when you saw me?"
'Yes.'
"Ah." Slowly, he signed SORRY "I apologize, then, for my demeanor. I was…concerned with our predicament and did not realize that you might misread."
A puzzled look came over her features. "I don't understand."
"I believe we were set up. It was not…'square' as you so elegantly stated."
Sue rolled her eyes at his use of what her mother referred to as 'ten-dollar' words. "So, you aren't mad at me?"
Taking care to have his look match his tone of voice, the blond-headed man spoke. "Thomas, I realize I gave you a very hard time when you first started with this unit. But I want you to remember two things very clearly."
"What's that, Myles?"
He held up single finger. "First, I will never be angry at someone who saved my life." THANK YOU
Sue took a deep breath. "And the second?"
He gave her a sideways look as he started the car. "I'm not Jack."
Six-HOC still (Wednesday afternoon, a bit later)
The tired group at the exit waited for the Ranger to arrive. It was with narrowed eyes that he surveyed the muddy, wet crew. "SOME of you did okay. Kept to the course, doing your part. SOME of you did the usual, and you KNOW who you are. And some of you, NEWBIES, don't know that I SAY WHAT I MEAN! MOVE MEANS MOVE! If you want to die or just get your buddies killed, then you are free to LEAVE! Any takers?"
A few of the trainees shifted uncomfortably, but no one made to walk away.
"GOOD!" He paused for effect. "It has come to my attention that some of you new people don't yet…UNDERSTAND the value of ALL the different members of our different teams." As if on cue, the two nurses from the Med Ward came running up.
The shorter, strawberry blond nurse stood there holding a twenty-five pound field kit and carrying a seven foot long rolled stretcher that weighed in at ten. The larger, black-headed nurse stopped just behind his partner. He, too, carried a field kit, two stretchers, and in addition, a forty-pound fire zone back pack.
Beach turned back to the group. "We're gonna run a field drill, NOW! You, you and you…water pit, broken leg, be creative." Bill, Clutch and a newbie named Dart took off. "You five, cross beams. Fall, broken bones, concussion. You pick. GO!" Wreck, Flipper, Block, Trip and Courtney left. "I need two volunteers…you and you…to be medics with Sparkplug and Hulk." Frog and Dallas moved to stand with the two. "The rest of you, start the course over. Move fast."
The Ranger watched the group head out, then faced the two nurses. Neither Sparkplug nor Hulk had moved, waiting for directions. Frog whispered to the female nurse, "Can you look at my arm?"
Beach was in his face instantly. "Did I TELL you to move or TALK?"
The smaller diver hopped back, ramrod straight. Silence descended as they waited for contact. It wasn't long before Sparkplug's radio squawked.
"…HQ… This is Wild Bill. Man down, possible break to left leg. Over…"
"Copy that, Bill. How does the leg look? Over."
"…Roger. No break in skin. Feels like a clean one. Over…"
"Copy that. What's your twenty? Over."
"…Roger that. Water hazard. Over…"
"Copy that. Anything else? Over."
"…Roger, Sparks. We think he swallowed some water. Doin' a lot of coughing. Over…"
"Copy that, Bill. Keep him awake and let him cough it out. Radio if he starts changing color. Over."
"...Five by five, HQ. Bill out..."
Hulk had already unslung the fire zone pack, pulling out the portable O2 and a suction pump. While he was working, a second call came in.
"…HQ, this is Courtney, at the cross beams. Over…"
"Copy that, CG. What's your status? Over."
"…We have two men down. Male, possible concussion. Over…"
"Roger that. Is he awake and responsive? Can he see clearly? Over."
"…Copy that. Affirmative to the first. Negatory on the second. Over…"
"Roger that. Keep him still and talk to him. Don't let him pass out. Over…"
"…Copy that, Sparks. Second male, broken forearm, skin distended. Over…"
"Roger that. Clean break? Over."
"…Copy that. Negatory, Sparks. It's bad. Over…"
"Roger, CG. Keep him still and calm as you can. ETA in…" the nurse looked at her watch, "ETA in five. Over."
"....Five by five, HQ. We'll keep a light on. CG out..."
Hulk had the kits sorted into two groups. One field pack along with a single stretcher. One fire zone kit with one stretcher. He picked up the first group of supplies and took off toward the water hazard, Dallas hot on his heels. Sparks pulled on the backpack and hefted the stretcher, heading to the crossbeams with Frog in tow.
"Why are you going to the crossbeams? They have the heavier men. We're too small to handle them. Block is huge." The small diver was surprised.
"First off, we don't know who is injured. Size isn't my concern. Second, I'm more qualified to handle the head trauma. Third, shut up and move."
Frog nodded and followed quietly, not offering to help with the equipment. She didn't expect him to.
Coming up on the area, they were met by Courtney who gave a run down of the patients' current status. They could hear Trip before they ever saw either. Standing at the edge of the beam pit, the nurse saw Block laying prone, moaning about his head with Wreck trying to keep him still. The demolition expert was off to one side, howling about his arm. A nasty looking 'angle' showed where none should be. Flipper was with him, trying to divert his attention from the break.
Sparkplug let the stretcher slide down into the ditch and carefully followed, letting the heavy backpack be her counter balance. Courtney ran ahead, picking up the stretcher and placing it next to the dark skinned man. Dropping beside him, the nurse unslung the pack, zipping it open, laying it flat beside her. Out came her stethoscope and she began to check his vitals: heart, breathing, eye response. It appeared that he could see fine, but complained of a dull headache.
"FROG!"
The newbie stumbled forward. "Wha- What?"
"Unstrap the stretcher, and lay it out while I prepare him to move." Her tone brooked no argument, much like the Ranger's.
He fumbled with the straps, getting them tangled before finally getting them undone. Setting the device close to the large man, he waited as Sparkplug finished stabilizing the patient's neck with a brace.
"Wreck, Court, Frog, on three. And don't drop him, he's a big one. One, two, threeee…"
Block barely cleared the ground as he was eased onto the stretcher.
"Strap him in tight, Wreck." She grabbed the pack and hurried over to the still frantic Trip. Flipper looked fairly spooked at this point. The nurse gently grabbed the demolitionist's chin, forcing him to look at her straight on. "Stop." She pulled out a lightweight thermal blanket from the pack, motioning the larger diver to wrap it about his shoulders. 'Shock' was setting in. A pair of shears made short work of his 'sleeve'. Picturing the injury in her mind, she proceeded to follow the steps for field dressing a rough break. Trip tried to struggle and Sparks had Flipper hold him to keep him still. Once the break was 'set', she gave him a 'pain killer.'
"There you go, Trip." They needed him to be able to walk out. She clicked her radio. "Come in, Hulk. Over."
"…Roger, Sparks. All ready, here. Moving out. Over…"
"Copy that. Same here. Over."
"…Five by five. See you on the flip side. Hulk out…"
While the nurse was busy, Courtney and Wreck had found a place to haul the stretcher out and keep it relatively smooth going.
Making quick work of re-packing and clean up, Sparkplug directed Frog to assist Trip as she re-slung the pack. Flipper and Wreck moved to the head of the stretcher as she and Courtney took the foot. On a three count, they began the slow march to the HOC exit.
The group met up with Hulk's crew and paused while Sparks checked Clutch's breath sounds. On her clear, Hulk, Wreck, Flipper and Dallas resumed carrying Block. Courtney, Bill, Dart and Sparkplug hauled the grease monkey while Frog continued to escort Trip.
Only two or three had completed the course when the injured made their exit. The nurses set their patients to the side, 'tending' to them, waiting for the 'fly out' to arrive. As more people finished, they could hear Beach yelling at the lagers and slackers. He came into sight, pointing and generally hounding the last few.
"SEE? Even the Med team is faster than you. And they had to carry BLOCK! My momma runs faster than you!"
"She'd have to, to get away from you."
Everyone stopped; silence was deafening. The Ranger did a slow turn. "You think so? You think you're funny?" His eyes narrowed in the slit of his mask. "You just earned the whole group a third pass through HOC as a timed drill."
A chorus of groans started, but Beach quickly squelched them with a glare. "Any more of that and I'll add an extra hour of PT." Motioning to the nurses, he told them, "Cut 'em loose and drop your gear. You get to take the course as well."
Hulk grinned, looking at Sparkplug who frowned. Flipper stood behind her, whispering, "Can't handle it, can you?" He received a sharp elbow to the chest for his comment.
Beach pretended not to notice. The nurses had never formally trained for this, and he was tossing them in to the middle of it. Bellowing loudly, "You have thirty. If you don't make the limit, you DO IT OVER!" Some of the vets grimaced. Thirty wasn't impossible, but most made it in thirty-five. The Ranger knew what they were thinking. He also knew that incentive would drive them to be faster. "GO!"
Seven-Bullpen redux (Wednesday late afternoon)
It was close to five when Myles and Sue made their return to the Bullpen. The blond analyst sat heavily at her desk, spent from the afternoon's activities. Levi curled up next to her feet, sighing a doggie sigh.
D came in, stopping next to her. "You okay?"
"Just tired." Her smile barely reached her eyes. Watching as the man walked on to Bobby's desk, her gaze came across to Jack. He was looking her direction, a tight smile on his lips. Sue turned away quickly. Many thoughts were churning in her mind. What will he say? What will I do? Why God, why do I feel like this? Her hazel eyes closed, and she rested her head on her hand.
'You are capable. You have the instincts. You can do this.' It was as if James were in the room, speaking into her mind.
I know, but…it's so hard…I just don't know…
A hand on her shoulder caused her to look up into a pair of steel blue eyes. "It's okay, Sue." He gave her arm a small squeeze. "I'll be around." She nodded, and he sauntered off to the coffeepot to fix him and D a cup of joe.
As quickly as she could, Sue finished her reports for the afternoon. The sooner she was done, the sooner she could leave and find some peace. So determined was she, that it took several minutes to realized there was a body perched on the edge of her desk.
"Rough afternoon?" Dark brown eyes stared down.
"Um, yeah, you could say that."
"Myles taking care of you?"
Sue bit her lip, anxious to say the right thing. "Oh, yes. We have come to an agreement on being partners."
A dark brow rose in question. "Partners?"
"I believe you heard her correctly, Hudson. Ms. Thomas and I have decided to work together. I teach her my skills, and she teaches me hers." Myles stood next to Jack's shoulder so Sue could see both of them. He schooled his face to remain calm.
Disbelief colored the shorter man's features. "You? Learning from Sue?" He snorted.
"Three years, Hudson. I have, as they say, grown accustomed to her face." Blue-gray eyes danced merrily at the other man's discomfort. He put a finger to his chin, contemplating what to say next. "Ah, yes, and contrary to popular belief, I do recognize the value in learning, no matter its form."
"Took you long enough, mate," came the call from across the room.
Myles turned to face the Aussie, a blond eyebrow quirked in annoyance. "Touché."
Bobby just grinned as he and D watched the exchange.
Shaking his head, Jack turned his attention to the blond analyst. "You ready to call it a day?"
A slow nod was his answer.
"Good, then let me take you to dinner." He turned away, cutting off her opportunity to respond.
The move prompted narrowed eyes from both Myles and Bobby, glancing at each other as if by some unseen signal. The Aussie's raised double brow was meet with a slight shrug from the Bostonian.
Dimitrius sighed. "You two need to let them work it out. They are adults." He had to pause at the snort from the dark- headed agent. "I know, I know. There are times when it doesn't seem like it, but they will work it out." He stood and motioned them away. "I am ready to go home. You guys can stay if you want." He walked out.
Manning didn't wait to be told twice. He grabbed his jacket and was gone.
It was a minute before Sue registered that Bobby had touched her temple as he passed her desk. A slight smile flickered before disappearing as Jack glanced over at her. Her nerves were about to shatter from the tension in her system. He knows better. She looked back at him, and he gave that famous Hudson smile, the one that would normally light her day. What is he thinking? A new trainer? The constant hovering this week and now dinner? Files slid off of her desk as she tried to figure out what she needed to do, too many thoughts wreaking havoc to allow her to leave quietly.
Myles watched her slowly come unglued, some thing he had only seen a few times. He heard Jack's response to the files falling and moved to intercept him. "I think it would be in your best interests to stay back for the moment."
Brown eyes frowned up at blue-gray. "I'm just going to see if she needs help."
"Jack." There was no mistaking the tone. "I am her training agent. I will help her if she asks for it. Step back."
Unaware of the conflict, Sue laid her head down. Tears squeezed out between the lashes, hot and salty. Her sobs were silent, as the internal conflict wound tighter. Levi pushed his nose to her hand, but she didn't acknowledge him at all.
Both men stood stock still, neither knowing what to do. One wanted to hold her and make it all go away. One wanted to help, but wasn't sure how to without making it worse. The sound of violent buzzing broke the standoff.
"Sue's blackberry."
Levi tried again to get his mistress' attention. With a huff, he pushed a bit harder.
Not raising her head, Sue pulled the device to her, holding it like a lifeline. She dropped it to her lap where she could see it and tried to smile at the Golden, to let him know she was okay. A warm doggy kiss to her hand set the world to rights again. A glance at the text had her head up and fingers typing madly.
The two agents remained standing near the middle of the room, looking like a cover for GQ causal. Afraid to move, to break the moment, neither dared twitch.
With a deep sigh, Sue turned off her screen. Purse and coat in hand, she attached Levi's lead and stood up, surprised to see Jack and Myles standing so awkwardly together. Determination set in and she spoke.
"I am afraid I can't have dinner this evening, Jack. It seems I have a prior engagement. Myles, I have the reports finished and will turn them in tomorrow. Good night." She spun on her heel and left the pair lingering in the Bullpen.
A slight smirk played across the Bostonian's face. Nice fire there, Thomas.
Next to him, the brown-headed man sputtered. "But…did I just miss something?"
"Apparently so. It seems our eagle-eyed analyst was rudely denied the opportunity to refuse your dinner invitation earlier. And now, she has." He picked up the fallen files, setting them neatly on her desk.
"Furthermore," he walked back toward his desk as he carried on his speech, "I believe that my partner has completed her work and is leaving the building for the evening. As am I."
He stopped only long enough to tap the shorter man's desk, getting his attention one last time. "Decide what it is you want, Hudson," he said, a warning in his eyes, "and then let the rest of us know." With that shot, Myles was gone as well.
Leaning back in his chair, Jack laced his fingers behind his head and sighed. How had the day gone wrong?
It seemed as if the short week was crashing around his ears. His decision to have Myles train Sue…he didn't know what to think. It certainly wasn't how he had done it. And then dinner? He wanted to show her how it could be for them outside of work, as more than just best friends.
Why did she say no? He buried his head in his hands as he played back events. Oh, no, I can't believe I made THAT mistake. No wonder she was upset. He grabbed his keys and jacket. Maybe he could catch her at home before her "other" thing.