*O's A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, feedback, and emails regarding this story. This chapter has a subtle touch of romance in it, and of course other issues. Thanks to DesertFox for beta-reading this - much appreciated.
*O's Disclaimer: General disclaimers apply. I do not own GI Joe or the characters. Hasbro/Sunbow/Marvel/Devil's Due comics created GI Joe. I make no money from this fic.
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Title: An Old FlameAuthor: Scarlett Storm O
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Scarlett deals with physical and emotional wounds.
Feedback: Always appreciated.
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Chapter 3 – Wounds
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On board the Tomahawk, Scarlett drifted in and out of consciousness. She had lost enough blood to make her lightheaded, and the pain in her shoulder was nearly unbearable. Doc tended to Snake Eyes' injuries, undeniably worse than Scarlett's wounds, while Duke held squares of gauze and padding over her shoulder wound, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. He watched her doze and frowned at the creases of pain depicted on her face each time she or the Tomahawk moved. Doc had given her a shot of Demerol to help with the pain. Duke had refused treatment for his wounds, stating that they were minor compared to his teammates' injuries; his wounds could wait until they were back to base.
Scarlett seemed to finally feel some relief from the pain courtesy of the Demerol kicking in. She looked over at Duke through her hazy, blue eyes.
He gave her a smile and said, "Hey beautiful. How are you feeling?"
"Like a million bucks," she responded through clenched teeth.
"You should be worth that after that battle. You have been trained very well." His tone was of admiration. He knew that she had been trained in almost all martial arts and fencing skills, but he had never witnessed the strategy and precision that followed the training. He had trained with her and watched her and Snakes spar, but it was different watching it unfold in a real life or death match.
"You can thank my dad for most of that. Although the sword play, I picked up from Storm Shadow when I spent time with him and Snakes." She looked away and remembered the haunted past that just would not leave her alone. She thought to herself that she really should not have survived the recent confrontation.
"So, I have a question." He observed her facial expression and quickly added, "Where did the name, Black Widow, come from?" Duke said with a teasingly evil grin on his face. He had other questions regarding the battle and the reasons behind what he had seen and heard, but there was a time and place for that; this was not that appropriate moment.
Scarlett's eyes narrowed at the name he used, but she relaxed when he made no mention of the past. She returned his grin with her own devilish smile. "On one condition."
"Which is?"
"Never, ever call me Black Widow again. That was my old codename I used when I tagged along with Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes, and I dropped it years ago. I'll take the 'Gone with the Wind' teasing any day compared to the memories associated with that name. How would you like to be known as a spider hunting a mate, only to kill him? I hate spiders."
Duke laughed at her hatred of spiders. For a woman unafraid of a sword battle and thousands of other deadly situations, she despised spiders. "Deal. Rest now. We will be at the base hospital soon and get you stitched up." He said as he brushed some stray strands of hair out of her face.
"Goody, more pain. Can't wait," she whispered as she closed her eyes and faded off into the blackness of oblivion.
(Hours later – back at HQ)
Scarlett sat on the hospital bed as the nurse prepared her arm for stitching. "This may sting, but I'll be gentle," the nurse stated.
"No pain, no gain," Scarlett murmured to herself. If she had made it this far, she could get through a few stitches. She was not as dizzy as earlier but still lightheaded from the painkiller and loss of blood. It took a lot of control to stay sitting in an upright position so she leaned against the wall for support. She would rather lie down but that would make the nurse's job impossible, and she had to convince Doc that she could go back to her quarters and not stay here for the night.
She had received her precautionary tetanus shot for the wound to the shoulder bone, and the stitches needed to be stitched at the back and front of her shoulder since the sword had gone clean through. The miscellaneous tests and blood work came back in good condition. The sword had not damaged any vital organs.
After what seemed an eternity, the nurse put some nice clean bandages over her stitches, and Scarlett was trying to put her tank top in place when there was a knock at the door. She glanced up to see Duke standing in the doorway.
Duke had been released and was allowed to check on his team. He already checked on Snake Eyes, and now made his way to see how Scarlett was holding up. "They got you all sewn back together?" He said as he observed the large white bandages protruding from her top.
"Stitched, bandaged, poked, prodded, and still high from the drugs. What more could you ask for?" She quipped as she maneuvered her left arm into the sling that Doc was making her wear so that the stitches would not pull. "How are you doing?"
"Let's see: numerous abrasions, bruises, and cuts on my face and back, a sprained ankle, a gash on my leg from that damn throwing star, a very odd feeling that my legs have been replaced with Jell-O and may not support me, and two fractured ribs, which are taped so tight I can't breathe," he joked, as he twirled his cane that he had just in case he needed it for support.
She smiled at his attempt to make light of the situation and slid off the bed. Doc had released her from overnight observation on her word that she would go home and relax for the next few days. No using the arm! And she was to come back to see him in two days. If there was any pain or swelling, she should come see him immediately. She had agreed wholeheartedly. She had been very persuasive talking Doc into letting her go home. As long as she didn't have to spend the night in the infirmary, she would do whatever the good doctor said. She was on inactive duty until he released her, which meant that she would be bored to death; but once she felt better, she could at least catch up on the mountain of paperwork piling up in her 'in' box on her desk.
"How's Snake Eyes?" She asked a little apprehensively.
"Stable. He had some pretty serious cuts and gashes on his arms, legs, and chest, but he is stitched up and resting. The wound on his side luckily bypassed all major internal organs, therefore only cutting his muscles. It appeared that your friend got in a lucky shot early on in the match, and Snakes never recovered from it. Storm Shadow did a pretty good number on him with all of his 'slice and dice' escapades. It looks like the guy was just playing with Snakes' instead of finishing him off when he had the chance." He paused and then continued, "He can have visitors if you want to go see him; he was awake when I left him."
She shook her head. "I think I'll pass tonight. I'll stop by tomorrow." Her mood was solemn, and she diverted her eyes away from Duke's. She knew he had a lot of questions. Until today, no one except Stalker knew that there was anything more between Snake Eyes and Scarlett than some ninja training.
When Snake Eyes had appeared on the Joe team, Scarlett had not been sure how she would be able to handle the new working relationship after everything that had happened in their past. There had been tension between the two of them at first, and she knew that many of her teammates had noticed her avoidance of him. Slowly, she had come to trust him again in the battlefield and had conceded in training with him. He had told her numerous times that he was sorry for his actions all those years ago, but he defended his actions by arguing that it was a difficult adjustment period for him, and he needed time to himself. She had forgiven him but warned him that she expected nothing from him except his friendship and the peace of mind that she could trust him with her life. They had called a truce and started over, but the memories were still vivid, and on occasion, they were difficult to overlook.
And now, Storm Shadow had to air all of her dirty laundry and make it hurt again. Storm Shadow had said too much that Scarlett knew Duke had overheard and would have questions for her at some point in time. She had no problem telling Duke her past; it just had never came up before. She had not purposely avoided the subject of her past love life. It was a part of her, but a part that was painful to remember.
Scarlett and Duke both stopped at the nurse's station to pick up their pain pills for their various injuries. She was tired; no, she was exhausted. She never would have thought that she could fight Storm Shadow and live. She was proud of herself and the feat that she had accomplished. Most people, who go up against Storm Shadow or Snake Eyes, do not live to see the next day. It was out of pure luck and desperation that she lived.
As they left the hospital, a thought crossed her mind. "Hey Hauser, tell me something. What was all that 'lady is in pain and no longer a threat' crap?" Scarlett playfully teased him as they headed towards their respective quarters.
"Well, um, I was just trying to, you see, uh, buy you some time," he stuttered, remembering that horrible moment when Storm Shadow stood directly over her with his sword raised and ready to plunge it through her heart. He was truly afraid for her, though he would never outright admit that to anyone. He couldn't help the feelings that he felt for her; her attitude and stamina were like a refreshing breath of fresh air. He also felt this twinge of jealousy finding out that she and Snakes had a past that was more than just working together.
Even though Scarlett gave him a hard time for his comment, she seemed to understand and accept his attempt at prolonging the final blow. She still remembered the look in Tommy's eyes when he prepared for the final strike. It was cold, bitter, and unrelenting. The look in his eyes horrified her and would haunt her for many days to come.
Duke was rambling about the fight and innocently asked, "Don't I get an 'A' for effort?"
She smiled at his childish request. "I suppose you would, if I was grading on a curve." She paused and then more seriously continued as she replayed that final confrontation, "I almost gave up after that strike. Then I saw you move and prayed you wasn't going to get yourself killed."
"I'll admit that I had no idea what I was thinking. I suppose let you catch your breath and see what harm I could get myself into. I didn't even see him throw anything until I felt the pain."
"Tommy's calling card is the use of those damn poisoned throwing stars. He is just as good as Snake Eyes. Sometimes I think he is better, but it depends on the battle. I have seen Snake Eyes with the upper hand, and I have seen Tommy wrest control of the situation. Mind you though that these were all in practice sessions. Those two would spar for hours and hours." She was quiet for a bit, lost in her thoughts and the realization of what had just transpired. "I don't know how I beat him. I probably would not have if you would not have distracted him a time or two. I suppose it's a blessing that Storm Shadow likes to torture and taunt his victims before the final kill, otherwise, I..." She couldn't finish her sentence and let her thoughts wonder off into the night sky.
It was late at night, and they were out of sight from most prying eyes. Duke, mindful of their respective injuries, gingerly gathered her into an embrace and whispered, "You did great."
She murmured a thank you into his shoulder, brought her uninjured arm up to his back, and enjoyed the closeness of his body heat. There were times that she was afraid that she would never get to feel his arms around her again. Today was one of those days.
Duke kissed her forehead and held her a little longer. It was so pleasant and comforting to have her in his arms, even if they had to be so cautious and secretive.
Scarlett enjoyed resting in his arms, but she was starting to get woozy again from standing too long. She pulled away and told Duke that she had to get some rest. He continued to walk her to her quarters.
"Shana, you know that if I could have, I would have helped you. There was no way I would have left you to fight that man by yourself." His guilt weighed heavily upon him because of his inability to help in the fight.
"I know, Conrad." She reached out and linked her arm around his, "Please, don't fret about it. It is over and done with...for now at least. Maybe the next go-around, I'll hand you the sword," she smirked at him.
Duke laughed, trying to picture what would have happened had the tables been turned. His laughter subsided quickly; he didn't like the picture. That would have meant that she would have been the Cobra prisoner and on the receiving end of Destro's torture chamber. No, everything turned out for the best, especially factoring in the hell he experienced while a prisoner of Cobra, Duke concluded.
The conversation found its way back to the final moments of Cobra's hideout, and Scarlett asked if Ace and his team had succeeded in destroying the snake pit. Duke nodded but remorsefully informed her that the Commander and most of the sneaky serpents got away. Ace had seen their jet trail.
She shook her head knowing that once again, Cobra escaped but that was to be expected anymore. She asked hesitantly if they were able to make it back with Storm Shadow or did he perform a disappearing act.
"As far as I know, Gung-ho, Grunt and Stalker kept guns and knives on him the entire trip. Flint will have a good time with him though, don't you think?"
UGH, she thought as she imagined Flint's temper flaring as he tried to deal with Storm Shadow, who would surely become the strong, silent type. The odds of getting a peep out of him were nonexistent. "Don't let him talk to that creep alone," she warned. "Flint should be sure to have two or more guns on him at all times. If Tommy senses any minute chance of a possible escape, he will take it, injury or not."
They arrived at Scarlett's quarters, and Duke asked her if she would be alright. He told her that he thought he should go find Flint and check on the situation and prisoner. She told him to stop worrying about her. They gave each other a goodnight kiss, and she disappeared into her quarters. It had been a very tiring day: physically, emotionally, and mentally. She was looking forward to her bed and some rest.
*TBC – Chapter 4 – Truth & Consequences