It had been a long hot day. Bernie and Alex had been called to an injured soldier on the side of the road, who had been blown up. He had nasty chest injuries from the impact and an abdominal bleed. They had had no choice but to operate on the side of the road to make him stable enough to transport. The solider was still alive and on his way back to the UK for further life-saving surgery. However, Bernie felt physically and emotionally drained. Once back at the compound Bernie sat herself down on one of the wooden logs they'd sit round a fire on. She knew she should go and have a shower but right now she couldn't find the energy to move. She was mentally running through the case and reflecting on whether she could do anything differently when Alex sat down beside her.

"I think maybe we should go inside. You need a shower and to go to bed before you fall asleep sitting her," Alex concluded staring at her colleague and lover.

"Hmm, tempting," Bernie replied in a very tired sounding voice resting her head on her lovers shoulder.

"Come on you!" Alex peeled Bernie off her shoulder and encouraged the older women to her feet. Alex could see how exhausted Bernie was and that a shower was potentially a step to far for the energy she had left. But both of them were sweaty and dusty and couldn't go to bed like that, so Alex guided them inside.

Stood in their small room with 2 beds against the longer walls, Bernie stood in front of Alex. All she wanted to do was crash out asleep but she felt disgusting and knew a shower was needed. Alex disappeared into the bathroom only to reappear with a bowl, a towel over her arm, and Bernie's toilet bag. She placed the items on the bed closest to her, moved so she was stood directly in front of Bernie and began to peel her Khaki green t-shirt off.

"If this is some foreplay technique, I'm too tired," Bernie replied.

"No it's not. You'll see, and you'll be clean and in bed before you know it," Alex smiled.

Bernie conceded, too tired to argue. She lifted her arms above her head and let Alex pull of her smelly t-shirt to reveal a plain black bra. Alex undid her big army boots were undone and she went to pull her feet out of them but paused.

"Are you sure you want to be down there when I pull these off? By how they feel they are going to stink," Bernie warned referring to her feet.

"Just get them off," Alex replied in a teasing voice.

She slowly lifted each foot out of the boot and let Alex pull her socks off. The fresh air round her feet had never felt so good. Alex stood up and looked at Bernie who then felt the button of her trousers being undone and them sliding to the floor. She stepped out of them and kicked them out of the way.

Although the exercise had a very practical purpose and Alex wanted to help her lover, the sight of her standing in front of her in her underwear was still a beautiful sight. She squirted a splodge of shower gel into the steaming water beside them and then submerged a flannel.

As she gently ran the flannel over Bernie's skin, starting with her face, Bernie let out a sigh. Whatever Alex had put in the water smelled amazing and the feel of the warm damp cloth against her skin was blissful. She felt her whole body relax as the grime, sand and sweat was softly and gradually removed from her skin. Despite her exhaustion it was the most sensual thing anyone had ever done for her or that she had done with another person. As Alex finished a section of her body she would towel it so it was dry, even though there wasn't really a need to. Once she was completely washed and dried Alex helped Bernie into a pair of pyjamas. Bernie sat on the edge of her bed just enjoying the clean, relaxed feeling she currently felt.

Alex ferreted around in her rucksack pulling out her pyjamas and heading into the bathroom. On her return she found Bernie curled up in bed, "I assumed you'd be asleep."

"Will you lie with me?" Bernie asked quietly.

Alex smiled, she didn't need to say anything. She walked across to Bernie's small single bed and lay down beside her lover. She lay with her back to Bernie and allowed Bernie to put her arms round her.

They lay there for a few minutes just enjoying the feeling of the other against them. Just as Alex though Bernie had fallen asleep she heard a quiet voice.

"I love you Alex."

Alex was stunned into silence. Had she heard her right? Was she dreaming? Had the women, her best friend, who she was besotted with, just admitted having the same feelings in return. Though she had hoped and wished one day that Bernie might feel the same as she did she never quite imagined it happening. So she was now cautious of what she was hearing.

"Really?"

"Yes," Bernie confirmed.

Alex smiled and pulled Bernie's arms round her closer. Within a few minutes, with no more words needing to be spoken, the 2 women were asleep curled up in each other's arms.