-O's A/N: At this point in the game, anything can happen. This chapter is the afternoon of where Chapter 4 left off. Thanks for the continued reviews.
-O's Disclaimer: General disclaimers apply. I own nothing except my wild imagination and the next leg in this journey.
-My thanks to DesertFox for continuing to beta-read this for me.
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Title: An Old FlameAuthor: Scarlett Storm O
Rating: PG-13 – some minor languageSummary: Scarlett visits Snake Eyes; others visit Scarlett.
Feedback: Always appreciated
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Chapter 5 – Visitors
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Scarlett headed towards the sickbay, moving slowly, enjoying the nice, sunny day, and clearing her head. She was relieved that she had told Duke the whole story. At this point in their relationship, she had been a little apprehensive about telling Duke that the relationship between Snakes and herself was a little more than an old friendship. She didn't foresee Duke being judgmental and critical of Snakes, but there was that possibility. She decided that she had enough to worry about currently and would cross that bridge when or if they came to it.
As Scarlett approached the doors to the infirmary, Flint was just exiting the hospital. "How are you feeling, Red?" He asked, concern evident in his voice. Until yesterday, he had never seen her so weak and vulnerable. After Duke met with him last night and told him about the sword battle, Flint certainly carried a more profound respect for her actions and determination.
"I'm doing okay. My shoulder is achy, but the pain is under control." She hesitated and then asked, "Did you question Storm Shadow?"
Flint nodded and reported, "I turned him over to Blackwater Prison early this morning. He wouldn't talk. He just kept shifting his beady eyes around. I didn't want that loose cannon on base since he was trying to kill you and Snakes." He noticed her surprised expression. "Stalker told me that you, Snakes, and Storm Shadow worked together for a while, and Duke filled me in on the fight that took place in that Cobra room yesterday. It's a shame that you ended up in the crossfire, but you have to be commended for saving Snakes' life. In all probability, that maniac would have killed Snake Eyes."
Scarlett slowly nodded, relieved that he was no longer on base, and said, "Storm Shadow was ready to kill Snakes when I got there, but I'm sure that if he wants to continue his vendetta, I would be on his list now." She sighed at the thought of having to face the ninja again.
"Still," Flint said with a smile, "You did a good job yesterday."
"Thank you," Scarlett said and continued on her way to Snakes' room. As she knocked on his door, she could see that he was awake.
Snake Eyes turned his head towards the sound of the knock and motioned his visitor to enter. He lay there in the hospital bed with a few precautionary tubes and wires connected to his arms, while multiple bandages graced his lacerated arms and abdomen. His dark eyes followed her as Scarlett sat down on a chair next to his bed. Before she could speak, he began to sign, "Shana, I'm so sorry you got involved. I was ready for Tommy to kill me."
Scarlett replied in a soft tone, "Don't ever say that. You have no need to die at Tommy's hand. You did nothing wrong. Tommy is still bitter over Timothy's death. I know I wasn't there, but the other team members told me what happened. Even Jaysen visited me while you were in the burn unit and told me how sorry he was that you risked your life for him. The guilt that he felt was overwhelming, and he wished that he would have died with Timothy." Tears formed in her eyes as she somberly said, "Snakes, I would never be able to live with myself if Tommy would have killed you, and I hadn't even tried to stop him. I honor the same code that you do."
Snake Eyes grabbed her right hand and squeezed it before continuing to sign, "The code and honor apply to more than just fighting. I broke the code when I left you years ago. I would not have been surprised if you would have reciprocated the breaking of the code."
"How could you say that? One situation has absolutely nothing to do with the other. This was a matter of life and death." Scarlett tried to restrain herself from getting upset even though the tone in her voice raised a notch. Instead of continuing her argument, she said, "Never mind. I don't want to discuss this with you, and I definitely don't want to fight with you. I just wanted to check to see how you were doing. Duke said you were better." She shuddered slightly, knowing that that last sentence may have sounded like adding salt to an open wound.
Unwilling to change the subject, Snake Eyes signed, "You fought and beat an honorable man for me. I'm indebted to you."
Scarlett shook her head, got out of her chair, and began to pace the hospital room. These discussions with Snakes always left her struggling to contain her emotions. He was so hardheaded and stubborn. With a heavy sigh, she leaned against a wall across the room. "You are not indebted to me. I would have defended any of the team the same way. It was just harder knowing that you would not be covering my back going up against Tommy." She paused, letting her words sink in, then added, "And you're wrong! How can you still think that Tommy is an honorable man? He has joined forces with Cobra, and he tried to kill you. Tommy is no longer an honorable man in my book. He has broken several of the code of honor rules. I used to trust him with my life, and he almost succeeded in taking it from me yesterday. An honorable man does not kill for revenge."
Snake Eyes shifted his eyes away from her. Scarlett could see that he had turned his head away from her, an action that he did when he knew he could not back up his argument. She stayed against the wall, hiding in the shadows, lost in thought of what might have been. A rap at the door caused both of the occupants to look towards the door.
Stalker stood in the doorway and was stunned to see Snakes' visitor. "Sorry, Red. I didn't see you in here. I can come back. Don't want to interrupt anything," he stammered.
Scarlett stepped away from the wall, grateful for the interruption, and quickly remarked, "No. It's okay, Stalk. Come on in. I think we are done." She approached Snakes' bed and said, "Take care of yourself. I'll come back tomorrow to see how you're doing."
Reaching out, Snake Eyes grasped her hand and gave it a firm but gentle squeeze. It was his way of saying thanks. Scarlett nodded and left the room.
Outside of Snakes' room, she leaned against the wall for a moment. God! What I wouldn't give for a strong drink right now. But that was out of the question since she was on pain medication. Mixing prescription drugs and alcohol would be a toxic combination. These discussions with Snake Eyes always left her so emotionally drained.
Walking out of the hospital, Scarlett felt a hand tap her right shoulder. Startled by the action, she whirled around to face three of her good friends. She flashed a smile and teased, "Okay, who got close enough to tap me?"
Ace held up his hands in a sign of surrender and gave her a wink.
"Hey, Darlin'. How are you doing?" Wild Bill asked as he tipped his cowboy hat to her.
Scarlett laughed at Ace's gesture and answered Wild Bill by saying, "Okay. My shoulder is still pretty sore."
Gung-ho interjected, "I can't believe what that bastard did to you and Snakes. He made me nervous the entire trip back here, and Flint was just itching to beat the shit outta him." The Cajun stopped momentarily before inquiring, "Forgive me for askin', Red, but how did you get involved? It was pretty obvious that the ninja creep was after Snakes, not you."
They all headed towards the mess hall as Scarlett explained, "I had the opportunity of meeting Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow one summer before I enlisted in the Army. I had traveled to Japan for some extensive martial arts training. While I was there, an unfortunate accident occurred, and Storm Shadow jumped to conclusions and decided to take revenge on everyone that was part of the horrible tragedy." She paused then continued, "You are right, GH. Storm Shadow was after Snakes, not me. I got involved because I was simply defending an innocent man and teammate."
Ace eyed her suspiciously. Scarlett glared back at him and the other pairs of prying eyes. "Guys, I would have done the same for any of y'all."
"Shoot, Darlin', we all know that, but next time let Gung-ho and me tan his hide for ya. We don't like our favorite redhead fightin' any sword battles. I'd rather see him hanged," Wild Bill drawled in his deep Texan accent.
Inserting some humor, Ace piped up, saying, "Yeah, but next time, give me advance warning so I can get the proper wagers started."
Scarlett chuckled and shook her head while Gung-ho attempted to thump Ace in the back of the head for his comment. Of the three guys, Gung-ho was the only one who had seen the severity and end result of the battle firsthand. He remembered her pained-stricken voice as she warned them to be watchful of their prisoner. He wasn't about to let that maniac near her again, if he had any say in it.
The foursome entered the mess hall to get a bite to eat. They chatted and joked throughout their meal. Even though Scarlett appreciated the distraction and comradeship, she started to feel tired and excused herself from the group so she could retire to her quarters. The guys bid her goodnight and headed for the recreation room for a little game of pool.
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Cover Girl was headed towards her quarters when Scarlett came out of the mess hall. "How are you doing, Shana? I heard you gave that ninja a run for his money," she said as she fell in step with Scarlett.
"Hi, Courtney. I wouldn't actually say that, but I guess that's the version running around base," she replied.
Cover Girl nodded and then hesitated but offered, "Well, just remember I'm right across the hall. If you need anything, let me know."
Scarlett gave her a smile and thanked her for the offer. The two women didn't always see eye to eye, but they still looked out for one another since they were the only two women on the team.
"Oh, by the way, I heard a rumor that a new Covert Ops Specialist may be joining the team. I hope it's another female. I think we need another woman to help handle these guys. We are so outnumbered," Cover Girl joked. She took an awful lot of crap from the guys in the Motor Pool.
Scarlett chuckled and said, "I saw a memo on Duke's desk last week about that. There is certainly enough work for me to do that a Covert Ops person would be greatly appreciated. As for the guys," she joked, "I think we have them wrapped around our little fingers just fine."
"Oh yeah, you just pull some ninja moves on them and land them on their backs so now they come an' harass me."
"I told you that I'd teach you a few moves to get them off your back, other than the knee in the groin."
Cover Girl rolled her eyes. "I've only done that twice, and Clutch deserved it both times."
The girls both laughed. Scarlett stopped outside her door, and Cover Girl said, "Have a good night, and remember, just holler if you need anything."
"Thanks, Courtney," Scarlett replied and entered her quarters.
It had been a long, tiring day. The diversions created by her talk with the guys and Cover Girl had relieved some of the stress she had felt from this whole Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow mess. Her shoulder was starting to throb again, so Scarlett popped a pain pill and downed a glass of water. Sleep would find her soon, and she would welcome its relief from the day's events. She had dragged her emotions through the wringer countless times today.
The darkness enveloped her as she slipped into the unconsciousness of sleep, unknown to her that a pair of eyes was watching her from the shadows.
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-TBC – Chaos