Where Are We Now

Chapter 21

Just to let you know that I am getting all your lovely reviews via email although they don't appear to be showing here yet. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the next part of the story which is in Afghanistan.

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Charles

He woke early on Tuesday morning knowing that they were all pulling out for Afghan today. He showered, shaved and dressed in his uniform. With his travel mug full of coffee in his hand he walked across the parade ground and saw the buses lined up ready and waiting to take the sections to Brize. He couldn't stay down here and watch Molly leave so went up to his office.

He looked down from the window into the quadrant and saw the hundred odd squaddies and medics all chatting and laughing waiting to get on the buses. Even in a sea of green he could pick out Molly, she was with Brains and Dangles chatting and laughing. They were loading their Bergen's into the buses hold and ready to get on.

He would do as he promised and make sure he saw Ted regularly he knew he was getting better and didn't want to go back to that pit of despair he felt over a year ago. But now that he was aware of what he was doing, what he could lose he couldn't take his eyes of Molly and desperately wished she wasn't the one walking away. He was willing her to know that he was watching her, to turn around so he could see her face once more before she left. She did, she smiled up at him and waggled her fingers in a cheeky wave. Then she got on the bus and was gone. He stayed at the window until he couldn't see her bus anymore. Then went to his desk to phone Ted.

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Molly

There was the usual excitement from everyone another tour and meeting old friends and new. There were quite a group of medics coming this time. She had her good friend Jackie with her, which should please Dangles, although they wouldn't be in the same unit they would get to see each other. There were a couple who looked really young Private Curry, who had already been nicknamed Ruby according to Brains. He knew him from when Bones was their CO and Bangladesh. Private Saunders they didn't know. Mimi as she found out her name had been on that last fateful tour where Fingers had been killed.

"Molls 11 hours of travel to look forward to, sat on our arses and no inflight movies" said Jackie and Molly laughed in response.

"We can have a catch up yeah?, what with you on light duties or down in Bath we haven't had much of a chance to chat since the funeral"

"Yeah I'd like that catch up on what you and Dangles have been up to lately"

"More like what you've been up to, the Major seems smitten" Jackie laughed and nudged her with her elbow. "Talking of which someone is looking very sad from an upstairs window"

Molly swung round to see him staring at her from his office window so she smiled and waved before getting on the bus. She was glad Jacks was here it would be nice to have a catch up and talk over what she was thinking.

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Kabul – Afghanistan

With the coach trip, the wait for planes and take off at Brize and then transportation via Mastiffs to Kabul it had been a very long day indeed. All of them just wanted a quick shower, some food and their pits. Tomorrow was another day.

"What the fuck is that" shouted Jackie

"Some fuckin nutbar by the sound of it" responded Molly. There was sniggering from Mimi who was also sharing quarters with them

"That's Reveille" she laughed "That will be Captain Hurst, he did that all through our last tour"

"Someone's so got to nick that bloody thing or stick something down the end of it"

Kinders one of their Colour Sergeant followed closely by Colour Sergeant King entered the quarters and said "seems like we have a comedian for a Captain this time, but wakey, wakey rise and shine. Shit, shower, shave and breakfast before a 5K run round the compound"

"Still a bit tired are we Cheese, Prof" continued King "When you are told now we mean NOW"

Molly whispered to Jackie "Now I know I'm on tour"

By 07.00 they were all lined up in full kit ready for their run. The heat was oppressive even at that time of the morning. "Looks like the septics are out as well" muttered Jackie "Why do blokes always feel they need to compete" she continued looking across at Dangles, Brains, Monk and a few of the other guys she didn't know puffing out their chests and increasing their pace.

"Dunno Jacks" Molly puffed back "Would've thought it was better if they let them out front…. safer" Jackie almost choked on her laugh "Molls, I'm going to enjoy being on tour with you again"

The mastiff came to take them to the Kabul Hospital. Private Saunders was able to update Molly, Jackie and Ruby about the ins and outs of the hospital as she had been there before. She told them about her mate Poya who had been shot by Dr Antonio, she reckoned he was an American Spy. Jackie and Molly just looked at each other out the corner of their eyes. Mimi was still very young maybe very early 20's. She also talked of Dr Bahil who was really lovely and trying to do the polo vaccines. Once she had updated them on the hospital she started talking with Ruby, he was looking a bit lost as he was the only one who hadn't been to Afghan before. Jackie and Molly nodded at each other at her thoughtfulness, they liked to think they were the same girls, they knew how to party, to have a laugh yet still be empathetic but they had both done more than one tour of Afghan and even if they didn't want to admit it had probably been changed a bit by what they had seen in the hospital at Bastion.

Upfront was Kingy and Brains both experienced hadd got them to the steps of the hospital. The locals were crowding round the truck and the order from Kingy was to wait out, let the ANA disperse the crowd. When they entered the hospital, it was hard to believe that this clean and air-conditioned hospital was in the middle of Kabul and that there had been more than 10 years of war here.

Doctors Antonio and Bahil introduced themselves and they were assigned their duties for the day. So, their 3-month tour was now underway.

At the end of a very long day, sitting on a bench outside their quarters Jackie and Molly were drinking tea and watching the sunset

"I don't think I will ever get over how beautiful this country is, even with a bloody war"

"Yeah and another couple of benefits we have proper quarters rather than tents, hot water and at least it cools down at night not so bloody hot" responded Jackie

"Look at them mountains they've even got snow on the top"

"Anyway Moll, you going to fill me in on the Major, you've been seeing quite a bit of him lately"

Molly laughed "Wondered how long it would take before you asked, Dangles reckoned you would have done it on the flight over but I figured you would leave it a day first"

"Well I wanted to but thought it best to leave it a bit" she laughed "Think we've been living together too long he knows me to well"

Molly chuckled "So think you will get around to tying the knot yourselves then?"

"With the line we're in and what happened to Fingers, we've been thinking about it, making it all legal. Don't expect an invite though, it will probably just be me and him going off and getting spliced … no fuss" she said "Come back and tell everyone after"

"Bloody hell Jacks what no one at all"

"Nah neither of us like all that fuss and we know we want to be together so may as well just go off and do it" she stated "And stop trying to change the subject Molly Dawes, I was asking about you"

"I dunno Jacks, I know I still love him, wish I didn't sometimes but I do. All the other stuff I can deal with, you know him shutting me out after Elvis and that but I just can't get it out my 'ead what they did. Every time I think did he do that to her?"

"Well Moll I'm no expert" and Jackie gave her a sideways glance "But didn't they both say that they weren't thinking straight and were both thinking of someone else at the time" Molly nodded and looked down

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm not sure I would want to be shagged by a bloke who was thinking of someone else, not much of a moral boost is it" she said with a smirk and Molly couldn't help but shake her head.

"So, are you saying I should get over it?"

"No, I'm not" she said carefully "I'm saying that neither of them considered it a life changing shag"

"You really do have a way with words don't you Jacks" and both girls laughed before getting up to go inside to their pits ready for another gruelling day at the hospital.