Author's Note: As usual, hope you enjoy, please review, and peace!
P.S. By the way, M., dads are allowed to be there for childbirth. My dad was there when I was born, and pretty much any baby show on TLC can tell you that much. ;-)
Chapter Thirty-Six: Survival Instincts
0350 Hours, February 25, 2552. Phase One, City of Cote D'Azur. "The Asthma Attack," Planet Sigma Octanus IV. Day Ten of the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV
Five more days went by like this.
None of the officers let their subordinates see their faces anymore---everyone was always hiding behind a tinted faceplate. We'd had two briefings since Captain Kingston was wounded, however, and it was at these meetings that the platoon leaders removed their helmets. That was when you could figure out the real feelings lurking deep in the officers' eyes.
I was no different. I could easily control my voice in front of my platoon, and offer words of encouragement and hope to my Marines. We hadn't been doing so bad, really, and we'd even finished up with Quadrant A. But losing Captain Kingston's leadership was a blow to Bravo Company, one we really didn't need. Lieutenant Graham was competent enough and even quite skilled; she just wasn't the captain we'd followed into battle without question.
And then there was the part during the first briefing where she'd said I would be her executive officer.
Leaning against a table with my arms folded across my chest, I'd given her a questioning look immediately. "What?"
"You'll be my XO, Cooper," Lieutenant Graham had repeated, turning her attention on me.
When I didn't reply, Lieutenant Lewis had glanced my way.
"I know what you're thinking, Natalie. But Graham here did everything by the book."
I'd looked at Lewis, surprised. "You're older than me though, Dean. Shouldn't you be XO?"
"He was commissioned a month after you, kid. I checked his CSV and then yours. Senior lieutenant gets the job."
I'd nodded slowly. Couldn't argue with that. "What do you want me to do, El-Tee?"
"Same thing I did when Kingston was in charge." She grinned. "Write up most of my papers and assure me that my orders are perfect for the mission."
A small smile had formed on my face. "You got it, Graham."
Four days had passed after that initial briefing, and we were now a third of the way through with Quadrant B. So what was the real reason why the three top officers were secretly worried?
Every minute we fought the Covenant was another minute the wounded captain spent in a dark, dank basement.
Lewis had told Graham and I that when Captain Kingston had gone to clear out the parking garage with third platoon, everything was going well. Covies were cleared out of the roof and street levels of the structure, and all that remained was the underground story. As soon as the platoon marched cautiously down the ramp, however, camouflaged Brutes had opened fire with a variety of weapons. A well-placed Brute shot round had exploded right against the wall near Kingston; the explosion knocked the captain backwards.
It took a moment for third platoon's medic to realize a pool of blood was forming beneath Kingston's helmet.
The captain had eventually been stabilized, but he was now in need of constant monitoring. And if we were really the only soldiers left on the planet, the medevac he desperately needed was obviously out of the question. The only thing Graham, Lewis, and I could do now was play down the captain's true condition and try to keep morale up.
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"Lieutenant?"
Strange. Where's that distant sound coming from? I wondered, shifting a bit in my sleep. Must be dreaming…
"Lieutenant Cooper, ma'am?"
Starting to become slightly more aware, I convinced myself that the voice was really just part of my subconscious oblivion. That is, until the "dream voice" prodded me in the ribs. I inhaled sharply, the action jerking the rest of my body awake, and opened one eye.
"What the---?" I cried. Or, at least, I intended to shout the exclamation. I was still half-asleep, and so the words came out in a low mumble.
"Sorry to wake you, Lieutenant, but you told me not to let you sleep more than three hours."
I opened both eyes this time, and forced myself to sit up. Three hours of sleep every few days wasn't my idea of a good time. "Thank you, Corporal Garian," I said, picking up my rifle, which I'd used as a pillow, and standing. I grabbed my helmet from a nearby shelf and gripped it with both hands.
"You're welcome, Lieutenant," Garian replied.
I lifted my helmet and held it on my head. Before pulling it down over my face, I looked at my aide. "You caught me just in time, Gary. I was about to go into a coma."
I watched through my visor as the corporal laughed. Sealing the helmet in place and strapping on my gloves, I looked around the library we'd cleared out a few hours ago. This had become first platoon's temporary rest area, but now it was time to hit the road again.
I would say it's been fun and that I'll miss this place, but then I'd just be lying, I thought to myself.
"Rise and shine, first platoon. Get your gear together and be ready to move out in five," I said over the platoon-wide channel.
I heard a few isolated groans and mutterings come over the radio as my Marines woke up. If they only knew how much I hate doing this to them, I thought. What we all need is a regiment of reinforcements and a month of shore leave.
"Cooper, this is Graham."
"What's up?" I replied.
"Third platoon is coming back from clearing out a few surrounding blocks, so they're going to need the library for some rest. Second platoon and I will continue to maintain a perimeter, and I need first platoon rotated out."
"Say the word, El-Tee."
"A restaurant, bordering the Lumiar River. I'm pretty sure it's La Rose Something-or-other, and---"
"Jesus, Graham. You don't mean La Rosa Bianca, do you?" I asked, incredulous.
"That's the one." There was a pause. "Should I ask how you know?"
"My husband took me out to dinner there when he visited," I answered, almost in a state of shock. I wasn't sure why I was surprised that I had to keep clearing out familiar places; after all, the city hadn't changed since Willis had been here. I guess it was just weird going into combat in the same places you'd spent your leisure time.
"That's a helluva coincidence, Cooper. But I still need those Covies gone."
"Don't worry, Graham. I'm already on it."
"Good. Graham out."
Only a few minutes passed before first platoon was ready to move out, and we did so quietly. Creeping through the streets in the early morning darkness, I ordered my platoon to activate their night vision if they hadn't done so already.
When we came within several yards of La Rosa Bianca, I had my platoon halt behind me. I told second squad, the snipers, to maintain position here; the mix of buildings and trees would keep them from being seen. As with the other places we'd cleared, I had first and third squads split to take the building from opposite sides. So far, these tactics had been working to our advantage.
I took a deep breath, wondering for just a fraction of a second if it would be my last. Then, I unhooked my final plasma grenade and used it to blow open the door.
Surprised alien shrieks came through my helmet's audio pick-up, and I unconsciously placed a hand to my ears. The skirmish began instantly, though I doubted anyone could see what he or she was shooting at. I had to put a stop to this chaos, or first and third squads might end up shooting each other.
Friendly fire was one of the most awful misnomers in the English language.
"First squad, check your fire! Hillburn, make sure third knows where they're aiming before they let loose!" I ordered over the COM channel.
"Friend-or-foe tags activated on our HUDs, Lieutenant," the officer radioed back. "We see you, ma'am, and we won't fire in your direction."
"Good. Take those bastards out!"
Out in the dining area, there were only Grunts and Jackals. Marines with mid-range weapons were quickly causing the Jackals' shields to flare red, making them easy prey for those with assault rifles. The Grunts were taken care of using a combination of head snipes and shredder rounds from submachine guns. By the time we were done in the dining hall, the place looked more like a butcher shop than a five-star restaurant.
Trying not to step on any dead alien bodies and wincing when there was a crunch under my boots, I led my Marines to the back rooms. A quick glance showed that only a kitchen and a large freezer room lay beyond. The situation looked easy enough, so I pushed through the swinging double-doors without hesitating.
I immediately realized what a serious error I'd committed when I bumped right into an Elite.
I inhaled sharply and tried desperately to move back, but the alien was fast. It grabbed my throat in a flash of motion, and lifted me off my feet with ease.
First and third squads entered through the door one by one, but there wasn't enough room for all; a hidden group of several Elites emerged from the freezer storage room and pinned down my Marines. While all this was going on, I could feel myself getting blue in the face from lack of oxygen.
The alien shoved me against the wall so hard that I saw stars for a good minute. And, of course, the action did little to ease the lingering pain in my ribs and back. The Elite ripped off my helmet just in time to catch the latter part of my pained grunt.
"Get to the lieutenant now!" I heard Hillburn yell from somewhere. The voice sounded distant, though she must have been near for me to hear her without a helmet.
Placing a hand on the Elite's massive fist to try to get air, I moved my other hand to where my combat knife was hidden. The Elite seemed oblivious, as he was busy staring into my eyes.
"You fear death, do you not, human?" he asked.
"Who doesn't?" I croaked, finally grabbing hold of one of my knives. "But I sure as hell won't die here." I used my last reserves of energy to stab the alien in the neck with all my might. The Elite roared, but it came out more like a gurgling because of the blood pulsing out of its throat; I'd managed to hit its carotid artery.
The alien fell, grasping its throat helplessly and convulsing on the floor. He released his hold on me, and I was finally able to take in a ragged breath. Oxygen was just about the best damn thing at times like this.
Realizing I was in the middle of a firefight at the moment, I picked up my helmet and put it back in place. Unfortunately, I was just in time to hear Lieutenant Hillburn's panicked voice come through the COM.
"Watch out, El-Tee!" she cried.
A Brute who'd remained in the shadows earlier suddenly appeared on the far side of the room. Apparently, it had chosen to focus on first squad and I; the round it launched from its Brute shot was aimed right at us.
I tried to get out of the way, but the effort was too much for my overtaxed body. The round thankfully exploded well above my head just as I went prone, but I still blacked out for an instant.
When I came to about thirty seconds later, I woke to find that everything was in a smoky slow motion. I could see a Marine that seemed to be shouting orders---Hillburn?---and two dark-clad figures running towards me.
My vision was so blurry I got dizzy just by moving my arms. Finally, though, I was able see the shotgun in my hands---it was now in two pieces. I looked down at the armor plating on my arms and saw that they were all scorched and scratched.
The two uniformed Marines I'd seen seconds earlier reached me, and I barely felt them grab my arms and drag me out of the restaurant.
Wait, I wanted to protest. My men are still fighting in there. I'm supposed to be with them. For some reason I couldn't understand, my words failed to come out in speech.
The two Marines finally set me down in the grass, and I found myself staring up at a starry night sky between the treetops. Am I dying? I wondered. God, please don't let me die here. I want to see Gabe and Will, just one last time…
I suddenly realized my helmet had been removed. One of the Marines lifted his faceplate, and he looked like he was talking to me. Corporal Garian, right? Yeah, I recognize those emerald eyes. If it hadn't been for that damn ringing in my ears, maybe I would've been able to hear him.
"Lieutenant? Lieutenant Cooper?"
I began to hear my aide's voice, but it sounded like it was far away. Definitely not the volume his voice should have been when he was right in front of my face. That stupid, incessant ringing was driving me crazy…
"I'll go get Doc Reynolds," a second Marine said. Slowly, I recognized the voice as Corporal Simmons.
"N-no," I said, finally able to talk. "I-I think I'm ok. No need to bother Doc."
The two corporals exchanged looks, and then Garian turned back to me.
"Are you sure about that, Lieutenant?" he asked.
"All due respect, ma'am, but you nearly took a grenade to the head," Simmons added.
"My helmet protected me from most of the blast. Anyway, I think I can finally hear now…"
"Simmons, get Doc," a third voice ordered. "The restaurant's clear, and there's only one other casualty."
"Who? Who's hit, Hillburn?" I questioned, worried.
"Dandh," the second lieutenant answered, helping me sit up.
"He's not---?" I started to ask, but I found I was unable to finish the sentence.
"Thankfully, no," Second Lieutenant Hillburn said. "He just took a piece of that Brute shot round in the arm. He'll be fine."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I'd better report to Graham right away."
"No, ma'am. What you'd better do is stay put, Lieutenant," Reynolds said as he approached.
"Aw, come on, Doc. I don't need a fucking show, all right? I got hit, I blacked out, I got over it. Ok?"
The medic made a face. "You blacked out?"
I shrugged. "It was only for a few seconds." I looked up at him angrily. "And I'm not going to sit here and be a good little patient while Covenant take over the city." With my vision back to normal and the ringing subsiding, I got to my feet. The ground started spinning fast, but Petty Officer Reynolds was at my side before I could fall.
"I really think it would be best if you took it easy, Lieutenant," the medic said.
"We don't have time, Doc, and you know it," I retorted, looking him in the eyes. He stared back, determined not to back down. In the end, however, my rank overruled his medical expertise.
He sighed. "All right, El-Tee. You win. Just be sure you can at least stand straight before you make your case next time."
I shot him a glare as I shook off his stabilizing arms. Once again, he was walking a fine line between exercising his medical authority and sounding insubordinate. And this time, he was doing it in the presence of others.
"I appreciate the concern, Doc, but you'd better start learning when to follow orders," I said as I walked past him, making sure the others heard.