Chapter 28

As Mac sat on the horse trying to balance herself, she pictured Mr. Super Marine in her mind. It wasn't hard after seeing him completely naked last night and then again this morning. She envisioned him in a skintight spandex suit…no she couldn't cover that magnificent chest! Skintight briefs in camouflage material, a brown leather vest, knee high combat boots with matching bracers on his strong forearms. His cape would be olive green and have the letters M. S. M. on it. Her giggles almost caused her to fall off the horse!

When Victor turned back to ask her what was so funny, she described in great detail what exactly what she found so amusing. Blushing to the roots of his hair, he turned back to the front and refused to speak to her until the next time she needed to take a potty break.

They traveled late into the evening before they stopped for the night, Victor wanted them to get as far as they could each day. He didn't want Mac to be on the road any longer than they had to be and he had to make sure that she didn't miss her plane ride back to the States.

That evening as they rested for the night, Victor took stock of their water situation and decided that he would have to start watching how much they were consuming. They made it through the next day without to much trouble; he even managed to keep the fact from Mac that he was rationing water. It wasn't until the third day they were on horseback that he was doing without water completely. Mac and Shami were both unaware of this fact.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

1300 EST

Somewhere in Iraq

Mac had waited for Gunny to stop for lunch and when he didn't she figured that he had a reason to keep going. After an hour had gone by and still he didn't stop she called out his name. She got no answer from him so became concerned. Calling out his name again and still getting no answer, she tugged on the main of the horse, stopping him.

Victor's hand had been grasping the reins so loosely that they slid from his fingers. As they did, they took the reins of Shami's horse as well, with both horses stopped, Mac was surprised that Victor still kept on walking.

This time she shouted his name and still he kept walking! Mac turned to Shami and asked her to get off her horse and stop Gunny. Mac was going to have to slide down off of hers as carefully as she could. Victor had been helping her up and down every time she needed to get on or off, and now she had to manage not to jar herself too much.

Shami having jumped down from her horse ran after Gunny calling out his name. She didn't understand why he wouldn't stop for her or Missy Mac. Finally able to get around in front of him, she held out her hands and when he walked up to her, she placed her hands on his waist and in tears begged, "Gunny please stop!"

Gunny was dehydrated and delirious from the lack of water, he was in a daze and hadn't stopped because he knew that if he did he wouldn't be able to go on again. Seeing Shami in front of him confused and confounded him. He stopped and bent over to pick the child up, but in his weakened condition, fell to his knees instead. Shami wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him crying because she realized something was wrong with her Gunny.

Not even able to remain on his knees with the pressure of the child resting against him, Gunny fell back onto his six, taking Shami with him. It was at that point that Mac had gotten off her horse and saw what was happening. She waddled over to the other two as quickly as she could.

Fear came into her eyes when she saw Victor's condition. He was flushed, warm to her touch, and dazed and disoriented. He wouldn't respond to her calling his name, but his cheek turned into her hand when she stroked it. Mac realized that he was suffering from heat stroke.

To Be Continued….