She is transported to the hospital, where she is put in the ICU for a couple of nights and when she is stabilized, transferred to the infirmary at the base. James refuses to leave her side and the rest of the unit backs him up. They all take turns watching over her. Day after day for the next two weeks they stay to let her know how much they care. They've sent and brought so many flowers so far that the room looks and smells like a jungle.
The next day, Grand Slam is with her, getting ready to turn the watch over to Mainframe as usual, and is tiredly slumping against the bed, laying his head down on it. He is asleep when Cadie awakens. She takes in the situation and then stealthily gets up and out of the bed, unhooking the IV's and monitors, and turning them off, slipping out of the room, thanking her lucky stars that her secondary MOS was as a medic.
She goes to her quarters and gets dressed. She then sits down at the desk in the corner and writes a letter to Hawk, a letter of resignation to go with it, and a letter for Grand Slam, trying to explain to him what she didn't have the courage to tell him to his face.
She silently slips into Hawk's office and leaves the notes on his desk. She then grabs her purse and jumps into her car, which was towed back to the base with James's truck after the kidnapping. She then leaves the base by one of the lesser used gates and heads for the highway. No one notices, and the few that did thought that it was an altogether different situation.
When Mainframe comes in to take his shift of the watch, James is still asleep on the bed and Cadie is gone. The search immediately commences. Hawk soon finds the notes on his desk and reads them, calling off the search afterwards.
Grand Slam storms into the office, slamming the door open. "What the hell is this about calling off the search? Have you found her yet?"
Hawk looks serenely over at him. He hands him the letter that was addressed to him. He sat down on the couch in the corner and read.
Dearest James,
I know that you will be very highly pissed off when you get this note. I can't blame you. I know that you will probably hate me for sneaking out like I did.
I have to explain and when I do, I hope you understand my need to get away from the situation.
These last few months, as we played husband and wife while we were undercover have been the happiest days of my life, wheelchair confinement notwithstanding.
I was never wanted as a child. I think the politically correct term for me these days is either "abused and neglected" or "One who fell through the cracks". As I grew older, I discovered that people would do anything to be rid of me. I tried suicide at least three times that I can remember, and probably more that I can't.
One of the reasons that I am so shy with you guys is that, for most of my years, I was an unwilling sex slave to a guy who lived down the road from my family. No one else knew or did anything about it if they did. No one cared.
I began to hate being around people because I was always looked down on and frowned upon. I never could figure out why. That's when I realized that if my own parents didn't want me, then no one else ever would. That is the reason that I was so happy to be so solitary.
I haven't been to a party in twenty years because the only reason people would invite me was to humiliate me in front of their friends and relatives.
I truly got to the point where I couldn't have cared less about people, and then I met you.
You made me feel like I was a human. One who could and should be loved. You made me feel like there was something to live for at last. You made me feel wanted for the first time in my life. You also made me feel safe and loved like no one else could. It scared the hell out of me.
I fell deeply in love with you when I first saw you standing there, in the dojo, with Snake Eyes, complaining because you thought that I was too small and perfect. I knew then that you were way out of my league, and that I had no chance with you, and I know it now.
When we were thrown together on this mission, I was ecstatic. And that night we made love, James, was when I felt the happiest that I have ever been.
Unfortunately, I was never meant to be happy. I just can't trust myself. My heart was telling me to just give in and love you as much as I wanted to, but my head was telling me to prepare for trouble.
Like the song from Evita says, "I don't expect my love affairs to last too long. Never fool myself that my dreams will come true. Being used to trouble I anticipate it, but all the same I hate it, wouldn't you?" I gave up dreaming years ago; there was no point in it. Especially when your dreams give you nothing but heartbreak. I don't even dream of one day having a home or family of my own. I know that it'll never happen.
I had to save you from getting too far involved with me. I'm poison. I want you to go on and find a girl who is perfect for you, someone who can love you the way you should be loved.
I will always love you from a distance, and will always remember that one magical night when, for a little while at least, you held me in your arms and made me feel like I was a princess.
Love always, Cadie
"I can't believe that she thinks so low of herself."
Hawk looked over at him, "She left a note for me as well, and also, she left this..."
"What is it?" Grand Slam asked.
Hawk looks at him with pain in his eyes, "It's a letter of resignation. It seems that she figured we were just taking her on the team out of pity. I know what you're going to do. You're going to find her, am I right?"
"If it's the last thing I do, sir." Grand Slam tells him.
"You really love her, don't you?" Hawk asked him.
"Yes, sir, I do. I had planned to propose to her about us staying married even now, but..."
"Then I've already talked to Beach Head, and you're cleared for leave as of now until further notice. Don't come back without her, James. You need her as badly as we do. We all love her, and I know that you are willing to die for her, and so are the rest of us. She's the best of the best when it comes to demolitions, and the team will always have a spot for her, and you, too."
James strides out of Hawk's office with pain etched onto his face. He doesn't fully understand the demons that she just revealed to him, but he understands enough. If he ever got his hands on the guy she spoke of being the slave to, he'd commit murder.
He stopped in the hall, suddenly knowing without asking where she had gone. Back to the one place where she had been the happiest. He runs for the door, jerking his keys from his pocket.
Grand Slam slams his truck into gear and squeals out of the parking lot spraying gravel. The rest of the unit understands where he's going and why he's doing this and gets out of his way.
The next day, Grand Slam is with her, getting ready to turn the watch over to Mainframe as usual, and is tiredly slumping against the bed, laying his head down on it. He is asleep when Cadie awakens. She takes in the situation and then stealthily gets up and out of the bed, unhooking the IV's and monitors, and turning them off, slipping out of the room, thanking her lucky stars that her secondary MOS was as a medic.
She goes to her quarters and gets dressed. She then sits down at the desk in the corner and writes a letter to Hawk, a letter of resignation to go with it, and a letter for Grand Slam, trying to explain to him what she didn't have the courage to tell him to his face.
She silently slips into Hawk's office and leaves the notes on his desk. She then grabs her purse and jumps into her car, which was towed back to the base with James's truck after the kidnapping. She then leaves the base by one of the lesser used gates and heads for the highway. No one notices, and the few that did thought that it was an altogether different situation.
When Mainframe comes in to take his shift of the watch, James is still asleep on the bed and Cadie is gone. The search immediately commences. Hawk soon finds the notes on his desk and reads them, calling off the search afterwards.
Grand Slam storms into the office, slamming the door open. "What the hell is this about calling off the search? Have you found her yet?"
Hawk looks serenely over at him. He hands him the letter that was addressed to him. He sat down on the couch in the corner and read.
Dearest James,
I know that you will be very highly pissed off when you get this note. I can't blame you. I know that you will probably hate me for sneaking out like I did.
I have to explain and when I do, I hope you understand my need to get away from the situation.
These last few months, as we played husband and wife while we were undercover have been the happiest days of my life, wheelchair confinement notwithstanding.
I was never wanted as a child. I think the politically correct term for me these days is either "abused and neglected" or "One who fell through the cracks". As I grew older, I discovered that people would do anything to be rid of me. I tried suicide at least three times that I can remember, and probably more that I can't.
One of the reasons that I am so shy with you guys is that, for most of my years, I was an unwilling sex slave to a guy who lived down the road from my family. No one else knew or did anything about it if they did. No one cared.
I began to hate being around people because I was always looked down on and frowned upon. I never could figure out why. That's when I realized that if my own parents didn't want me, then no one else ever would. That is the reason that I was so happy to be so solitary.
I haven't been to a party in twenty years because the only reason people would invite me was to humiliate me in front of their friends and relatives.
I truly got to the point where I couldn't have cared less about people, and then I met you.
You made me feel like I was a human. One who could and should be loved. You made me feel like there was something to live for at last. You made me feel wanted for the first time in my life. You also made me feel safe and loved like no one else could. It scared the hell out of me.
I fell deeply in love with you when I first saw you standing there, in the dojo, with Snake Eyes, complaining because you thought that I was too small and perfect. I knew then that you were way out of my league, and that I had no chance with you, and I know it now.
When we were thrown together on this mission, I was ecstatic. And that night we made love, James, was when I felt the happiest that I have ever been.
Unfortunately, I was never meant to be happy. I just can't trust myself. My heart was telling me to just give in and love you as much as I wanted to, but my head was telling me to prepare for trouble.
Like the song from Evita says, "I don't expect my love affairs to last too long. Never fool myself that my dreams will come true. Being used to trouble I anticipate it, but all the same I hate it, wouldn't you?" I gave up dreaming years ago; there was no point in it. Especially when your dreams give you nothing but heartbreak. I don't even dream of one day having a home or family of my own. I know that it'll never happen.
I had to save you from getting too far involved with me. I'm poison. I want you to go on and find a girl who is perfect for you, someone who can love you the way you should be loved.
I will always love you from a distance, and will always remember that one magical night when, for a little while at least, you held me in your arms and made me feel like I was a princess.
Love always, Cadie
"I can't believe that she thinks so low of herself."
Hawk looked over at him, "She left a note for me as well, and also, she left this..."
"What is it?" Grand Slam asked.
Hawk looks at him with pain in his eyes, "It's a letter of resignation. It seems that she figured we were just taking her on the team out of pity. I know what you're going to do. You're going to find her, am I right?"
"If it's the last thing I do, sir." Grand Slam tells him.
"You really love her, don't you?" Hawk asked him.
"Yes, sir, I do. I had planned to propose to her about us staying married even now, but..."
"Then I've already talked to Beach Head, and you're cleared for leave as of now until further notice. Don't come back without her, James. You need her as badly as we do. We all love her, and I know that you are willing to die for her, and so are the rest of us. She's the best of the best when it comes to demolitions, and the team will always have a spot for her, and you, too."
James strides out of Hawk's office with pain etched onto his face. He doesn't fully understand the demons that she just revealed to him, but he understands enough. If he ever got his hands on the guy she spoke of being the slave to, he'd commit murder.
He stopped in the hall, suddenly knowing without asking where she had gone. Back to the one place where she had been the happiest. He runs for the door, jerking his keys from his pocket.
Grand Slam slams his truck into gear and squeals out of the parking lot spraying gravel. The rest of the unit understands where he's going and why he's doing this and gets out of his way.