It's been a long night. Full of crime-fighting and rump-saving action. Well, the second part was from the North Wind. It is their job to help protect the top agencies that are, well, becoming bigger targets.
Skipper was in the hospital bed, room shared by his three younger brothers. No one was in any serious condition, just some blood loss here and there, maybe a broken bone, maybe a stabbed organ.
Maybe a long gash going across their little Private's face.
Ever since he had woken up from the tranquilizing darts, not only had he been in pain from the gruesome thing, but he'd been quite heartbroken on the new feature on his face.
It was a hard scene to watch, Private was always the peppiest one, always cheering the others up. But now, he's hardly cracked a smile, barely looked any of them in the eye.
Skipper couldn't take it. He got up, despite doctor's orders, and pulled up a chair besides Private's bed. He showed Private his hand, and unwrapped the bandages.
"Private, look. I know you don't.. It's not the best thing to have on your face. But think; scars are definitely something. Look at my hand. These three scars here from that incident. It will never leave me, and I don't want them to. Wanna know why?" Skipper looked at Private, who listened intently but did not respond.
"I don't want them to fade because they're a reminder to me. They remind me how, on that day I got them, I was able to save you, Rico, and Kowalski. They remind me how I was able to do something great, how I survived it and got past it that it's now just a scar," he continued. He took hold of Private's hands. "You get what I mean yet, soldier?"
Before Private could utter his words of protest, Skipper moved the youngster's attention to Kowalski.
"Look. Kowalski has scars too. He may not be too proud of them, but aren't we? We're proud because he was able to get through extremely difficult times and situations, and they show how strong he is, how capable he is to do so much more."
And then to Rico.
"And Rico. He's got a scar on his face, just like yours now. His scar shows just as much, how, at a young age, he put someone else's life before his, and saved them from their death. We're all proud of him for that, because that someone just so happens to be you, Private. Do you see what I'm trying to tell you here, soldier? I- Oof!"
Skipper grunted slightly at the sudden pressure on his bandaged chest as Private hugged him tightly, but he eased up just as quickly as he gave a small laugh.