I'm so so sorry about the delay with getting this up, things just got a bit crazy with Christmas and everything but I'll do my best to have another chapter for you by next week at the latest... enjoy!
"Molly." Charles hissed, crouching down beside her. She'd been asleep on the sofa most of the morning, and also for the majority of the last two days. He shook her shoulder gently to wake her. "Mols, wake up. You've got a visitor."
She blinked at him sleepily. "You said Sam couldn't come today." She frowned, trying to get her bearings and work out what time and day it actually was. Surely she couldn't have been asleep that long?
Charles nodded, watching her as the frown on her forehead deepened. She looked exhausted. Even though she'd been sleeping for the best part of eighteen hours a day the dark circles under her eyes still remained and now that her afghan tan had strayed to fade her skin was so pale it was almost translucent. "He is coming tomorrow, but Captain Walsh is here. Said he wanted to check in with you before the funeral. Isn't it nice of him to come all this way?"
Molly felt her body stiffen, the adrenaline rushing through her body suddenly waking her up. "Here's here? Now?" She asked, suddenly wondering how the hell she was going to get out of this. "Charles I really don't feel well enough to be..."
He stood up, not letting her finish. "He won't stay long, I'll just go and make a cup of tea. An hour tops." And before she could say anything else he'd opened the door and let her captain in before he disappeared off in to the kitchen, closing the door behind him.
Captain Walsh hesitated awkwardly in the door way for a moment, before sitting himself down in the arm chair that was opposite the sofa Molly was laying on.
"So, how are you doing with your recovery Dawes?" He asked after a hesitation. He looked awkward and uncomfortable sitting in her living room in his jeans and a hoodie. She thought to herself that he seemed smaller and perhaps less intimidating in this setting than when he'd cornered her behind the toilets at their camp.
"Getting there. It's slow progress. " She answered politely, not volunteering anything else. She didn't want him there, and she wanted to make that very clear.
"Good. The lads were all worried about you." He said, shifting uncomfortably again. She wondered why he'd come. It obviously wasn't out of any real concern for her. Maybe one of his superiors had forced him too? At least he wouldn't be staying long.
"Is there a point to this visit?" She asked, glancing over at the kitchen door where Charles was yet to reappear from. She was done with all the niceties. "Because if there is how about you get too it and then get out of my house." She snapped.
He glared back at her, giving her one of those looks that she'd been on the receiving end of so many times while they'd been in afghan. "I'd like to remind you, Dawes, that I'm still you superior, even if you are lying on your sofa in your pyjamas and suggest you start treating me like it."
He paused, as though waiting for her to say something, but she stayed silent and returned the icy glare he was giving her.
"It was suggested by Major Beck that I come and pay you a visit before the funeral and see how you were doing. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that you're currently screwing his beloved Captain James." He smirked at her. "Driving all the way up to bloody bath to check on your pathetic ass wasn't exactly high on my list of things to do don't you worry Dawes."
"Well." Molly said, after a few seconds silence. "As you've done your bit I think you'd better leave."
"Do you want me out of the way so you can tell Charles what an awful man I am is that it?" He retorted. "Because lets face it, you obviously haven't told him yet so I doubt that you're about to tell him now. Probably for the best, it's only a matter of time before he realises that you're not good enough for him and finds himself someone much better suited to being an officers wife."
Charles poked his head out from the kitchen. "Sorry about the delay, had Major Beck on the phone and we all know that man can talk for England once he gets going. Shall I make you that cup of tea now?" He asked.
"Actually, Captain Walsh has to go now." Molly answered before the other man had a chance to say a thing. "Thanks for coming, I'll see you at the funeral." She added, noticing Charles frown.
Her Captain hesitated for a second, before nodding in agreement. "Sorry it's only a flying visit Charles." He smiled, heading for the door. "It would've been nice to catch up, but there's always next time."
"Yeah, okay." Charles agreed, looking a little uncertain. "Well, thanks again for coming to check up on her. I'll show you out." He said, and they both disappeared out in to the hallway.
As they closed the door behind them Molly but down on her lip, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. He was right, she hadn't breathed a word to Charles about what had happened. Why hadn't she told him? Did she not trust him? Was her Captain right- was she worried that this would finally make him see that she wasn't good enough to be Mrs James? What was it that was stopping her?
"Well." Charles said, coming back in to the room and leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. "That was a bit odd. He'd come all that way to see you and then he only stayed ten minutes."
"He said he had things to do." She answered, wondering how to change the subject.
"I couldn't put the face to the name until he turned up on the doorstep. I actually used to know him quite well." Charles said. "We did some of our training together, he was a good lad as far as i remember. You should do well with him as a Captain. Now, let me go and finally make this bloody cup of tea before anyone else turns up." He disappeared off into the kitchen.
She stared at him, watching as he filled the kettle in slight disbelief. Charles and her Captain had been friends? The fact that Charles seemed to like the guy made her feel nauseous. What was she supposed to tell him?
Or maybe that was the answer- she just shouldn't tell him at all.