Mixed Blessing

Characters: String, Dom, Cait

Category: gen Warning: none

Challenge:# 11 Disasters Word Count: 499

"Mayday, mayday," Caitlin spoke into the radio, ignoring the sound of the two men working frantically to keep the helicopter engines from stalling out. The radio remained silent.

"Cait," String's voice was rough, worn. He turned in his seat and his eyes met hers, communicating his worry and regret. Then he faced forward again, whatever he had intended to say silenced.

"String, if we can manage another ten miles," Dom's voice was tinged with desperation. "I've found an island where we can set down."

"Give me a heading," String growled tersely.

"Go to heading 18..." Dom read off the directions.

Around them, the sleek black helicopter groaned as the failing engines affected the aerodynamics. The aircraft bucked in the turbulence created by her wounded flank. Inside String tightened his grip on the collective while Cait grabbed her chair arms, whispering a prayer under her breath. She could hear Dom doing the same in the back of the cabin.

Somehow, against all odds, against all normal sanity and engineering facts, String managed to nurse Airwolf to the beach. The landing was rough, the roughest she had ever experienced with him as pilot. But she was not complaining, she was too busy rejoicing over their survival.

"Dom?" String asked curtly, turning and looking over Cait, his blue-gray eyes expressionless through his visor.

"I'm fine," the irrepressible Italian replied. "Dio, that was close!"

"Cait?" This time, String's voice was gently, not quite as sharp as it normally would be. And his eyes narrowed at the pause following his unspoken question.

"I'm fi-un," Cait drawled, settling back into her seat. "Just a bit woozy," she managed a small smile for him. She was not going to tell him she hurt all over or that the world was spinning about her. She had the sneaking suspicion that he already knew.

After a long moment, String nodded. Then he turned his attention to Dom. "What did you get before we landed?"

"It's not much," Dom said quietly. "I got coordinates for a small stream to our north, but otherwise there's nothing but trees. No buildings, no boats, no landing strips." The older man sighed loudly. "It'll take at least a week to fix the damage - if we have all the parts and tools we need."

"Well, I guess we get that vacation the Firm's shrink said we needed," String quipped straight-faced. His eyes were the only part of him that joined in the rueful laughter.

"Well, then, I guess this whole thing wasn't a total disaster after all," Cait murmured tiredly as she shifted to get her battered body more comfortable. She would survive - most of her injuries were bruises, not wounds that needed medical attention. "We went on Archangel's mission. String flew rings around the bad guys. And ... we get an enforced vacation."

"You forgot something," String spoke quietly as he leaned over Cait, checking the bandage on her temple. "We're all alive."

"Told ya it wasn't a disaster," Cait whispered.