I'd like to make it clear that although this story involves incidents in Iraq, I have no affiliations with any political group or any other concerned in that country whatsoever and anything contained in these pages is purely fictional, coming entirely from my imagination. I mean no disrespect to any organisation or people herein.
Thanks to all of you who did review – sophiedb; EternalStargate; Ilovesg1; Nighshae; Village-Mystic; and Froggy0319. All your comments were great and much appreciated.
Daniel will share in the fun to come, don't worry; his day is coming. Not dwelling on what they tell Jack, though it does have some bearing as you will soon see.
Please, please keep those reviews coming guys.
Title: Unity.
Author: LetitiaRichards.
Previously:
"Start at the beginning Scott. The Helicopter you were in was shot down...and…?"
Chapter 7
"It was supposed to be a mercy mission. Captain Gary Michaels was killed at the controls before we hit the deck..." he gulped, swallowing his tears. Gary...Gary was my best buddy..."
Jack allowed Scott to talk, barely interrupting him. Long minutes passed but Jack ignored the ticking of the clock and the passage of time. Scott needed to let it all out, knowing someone was listening and not likely to lock him up as a hopeless head-case.
During a lull in the conversation and when Scott had broken down in tears again. Jack opened the door and ordered the young guard to go and fetch some strong coffee for the two of them. After several minutes, he came back with a tray carrying two steaming mugs and they sipped slowly while Scott carried on with his harrowing tale.
OoOoOoOoO
Jack looked at his watch for the first time since he'd entered the room; they'd been talking for three hours, and he felt that Scott needed to rest and re-group before they went any further.
"Better?" Jack asked, seeing Scott blow his nose yet again and then thread his shaky fingers through his dark hair. He could see that the man's consuming anger had long since left his over-bright eyes and had been replaced with a modicum of relief. Relief that he was able to let go of some of the bitter tension coiled inside of him, unburdening some of the grief to someone who had shared the horrors and had come through it seemingly unscathed.
"How did you do it Jack?" Scott asked, wondering how Jack had managed to survive.
"Do what?"
"Get through this."
Jack sighed.
"I won't lie to you. It wasn't easy. I still have nightmares even now."
"But you're still here. You can talk about it..."
"No. No I can't; not even now. I've never told a living soul of what it was really like; of what happened out there."
"Never?"
Jack shook his head, then grimaced when Scott probed further.
"But you're still an officer. Still on the front line? Right? I can't imagine you flying a desk yet."
Jack nodded with a wry smile, yet was unwilling to admit to anything in words. Words that might betray his true feelings.
"I guess you had good folks at home too huh?" Scott prompted.
"I did," he reluctantly admitted with a deep sigh. "I had a good family but there was no way I could tell them and...it..." he trailed off with a shrug. Scott didn't need to know that it had driven a wedge between him and Sara, and that Charlie was the glue that had held them together. Once Charlie was gone, it was all over. The rift was too wide to breach.
"I got a kid," Scott enthused now his tongue had loosened. "He's ten next birthday."
Jack sucked in a sharp breath and closed his eyes, Scott's words fading into the background, as images of Charlie's last birthday came to him.
"Jack?"
Jack came to himself again.
"Yeah?"
"You got a kid at home?"
"Ah...no. No I don't."
"Geez, you don't know what you're missin'," he rambled, spent but happier to be talking of neutral things again.
Jack had to change the subject, there was no way he was going to delve into family life like this; it was too personal, too close for comfort; it was harder to relive than any torture he'd suffered at the hands of the enemy had been.
He stood up, quickly taking the empty mugs over to the little sink in the corner.
"Sorry Scott. I have another appointment today before lunch. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Same time!"
"Right..." Scott hesitated before shyly adding, "Thanks Jack."
Tears welled again but Scott managed to push them away and offered Jack a weak smile instead. Jack smiled back and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're gonna be okay Scott. No problem. You'll be back with your folks before you know it."
They shook hands again and Scott left the room a lot happier than when he had entered it hours ago.
Jack slumped down into the chair, trying to chase away his own demons that had reared their ugly heads as he'd listened to the endless rounds of torture and abuse that Scott had suffered. He relived every minute of it with him.
He had days, weeks damnit, a month of this yet to come; how the hell was he supposed to cope with it all?" he wondered. He felt drained already and that was after only one session. He glanced at his watch again. How come it wasn't lunch time yet. It certainly felt like he needed the break, but it was still only 10:30 hrs.
Rising from the chair he yanked open the door to find the startled young SF waiting for him still.
"Any chance of some more coffee before the next patient?" he asked.
"Yes sir. Right away sir." His salute was pure text book and Jack saluted back just as smartly. The young man hadn't failed to notice that Scott looked a lot better than when he'd entered and had been duly impressed with the Colonel's handling of him. The door was only a thin barrier to the conversation inside the room, and he'd heard most of what was said. His admiration of the senior officer had grown into respect during the session.
"Black, no sugar," Jack yelled after him as the guard hurried away.
He was reading through the next patient's notes when the SF came back minutes later with a tray, placing it down on the table.
"Thanks. Go take a break for...15, before the next session." Jack told him.
"Yes sir. Thank you sir."
Jack watched him go, seeing the kid's eyes light up with enthusiasm and appreciation. He grinned at the retreating form, then at the item of food sitting on a plate next to the coffee cup. "Sweet!" He said out loud to the empty room and reached out and grabbed the food; someone must have known how hungry he was, he mused as he bit into the Danish confection.
OoOoOoOoO
Jack had sat through five sessions today, and each one had seemed more harrowing than the last. He'd almost lost track of how many people he'd seen since his arrival a few days ago. He made his way to the mess hall and spied Daniel sitting at a table with his nose buried in a book as usual; the ubiquitous cup of coffee at his elbow. Jack grabbed a plate of watery looking pasta that was poorly masquerading as Macaroni cheese and headed back to join his friend.
He pulled out the chair opposite and sat down heavily with a groan.
"Daniel," he greeted his friend with a curt nod, trying to avoid Daniel's eyes.
Daniel jumped, not having heard Jack pull up a chair and sit down. He looked up quickly and his face clouded over with a sudden frown as he peered closer at his friend who looked away somewhat sheepishly.
"Jack. Hi. Um...ouch! Should I ask how you got that?" he enquired, pointing to the black eye and bruised cheek that Jack was sporting.
"No!" Jack replied tersely.
Daniel chuckled warmly, shaking his head.
"Let your guard down huh?"
"Daniel!" Jack warned with a growl.
"Fine. Fine. I won't say another word!" he said, holding up his hands in defence, warding off Jack's scowl.
He snickered instead.
"Oh for cryin' out loud. Daniel!"
"Why?"
"Why? Why what?"
"As in...Why did he hit you?" Daniel dug a little deeper.
Jack sat back in the chair, his appetite suddenly fleeing in the face of Daniel's evident probing and the unappetizing offering they'd called food. There would be no peace until he spilled the beans.
Jack mumbled a reply but Daniel only heard the first part.
"I was trying to subdue..." Propping his elbows on the table he trailed off muttering into his clenched fists.
"I didn't catch that Jack. Could you repeat it," Daniel asked over innocently.
"I said, I was trying to subdue her!" Jack replied in a fierce whisper, but Daniel picked up on it straight away.
"What's that? Seduce her?" Daniel gasped in mock horror.
Jack glared across the table at him with narrowed eyes and pursed lips.
"Don't give me that crap Daniel. You have excellent hearing so you heard what I said," he sighed, knowing Daniel wouldn't let it rest there.
"Really? A...a woman did that to you?" he squeaked incredulously, his eyes alight with gentle teasing.
TBC
