Coffee always seemed to be my constant companion. I found myself drinking more coffee as Riqy's absence grew. "It's better than alcohol." I joke with my brother.

"Well, that's true, but it has the same effect and you know it." He smiled as he sipped his.

"Well, I will certainly keep that in mind, dear kettle." I laughed. It was becoming rare for my younger brother and I to be close to the same shifts and whenever we managed to be close to the same shift, we always took coffee breaks together if we could.

"Hear from Tariq?" He leaned back.

"He's doing well. I got a letter from him the other day. I guess he's pretty stoked about RIP. His captain, Captain Baron, from Iraq is the Commanding Officer and Sergeant Silas is his instructor."

"Wonder how that's working out." Gianni stood up. "More?" Before I could answer, he took my cup and refilled it. "I mean, we know how close those two are."

"True." I sipped the hot coffee, nearly burning my tongue. "But, they also have a professional relationship that, according to both men, has Tariq running more ragged than the others. But, that's not all. Apparently, there's someone else that Silas knows in Riqy's platoon."

Gianni looked up. "Anyone we know?"

I smiled. "Avery King."

"Isn't that..."

"Angel." I cut Gianni off. "We met him at the homecoming. Apparently, because of his shooting skills, they've got him in RIP and will send him to Sniper school once he's done with RIP."

"I vaguely remember him." Gianni scratched his head. "He's the really soft spoken one, isn't he?"

"Yeah, I think so." I looked at the clock. "Well, time to get back." I stood up and started to leave, but faced Gianni again. "Do you remember Gideon Green?"

"Yeah. Skinny white boy who thought he was, how'd he say? 'Da bomb." Gianni smiled.

"Yeah. He's in RIP." I closed the door behind me.

I felt Gianni grab my arm. "Gangly Leg Green is not just in the Army, but becoming a Ranger?" He was just as shocked as I was when I read the letter from Riqy.

I laughed. "I know. Hard to believe, isn't it? What do you think he's got to prove?"

"I can't say for sure." Gianni shrugged "Here's what I know. There are patients waiting to see me." He sighed. "Sometimes I wish I been a paramedic and didn't have to see this side of it."

"It's not too late." I sang.

"Yeah it is. I've already spent thousands of dollars on med school. Do you think Mam and Pap would appreciate me becoming a paramedic after all that money?" He smiled. I knew Gianni well enough to know that he wanted always to be a doctor and only spoke of being a paramedic when the patients got too much.

I smiled. "Spare time?"

Gianni laughed as he grabbed a chart. "Spare time? Remind me again what that is?"

Taking him literally, a young intern smiled. "It's time you have when you're not at work."

Gianni looked at the young lady. "Ah. Again, when am I not at work?" He smiled. "Dr. Gianni Byrne. You are?"

"Heather Lachey. I'm a second year." She smiled at him.

"You want ER rounds?" He motioned her to follow the two of us.

"I've always wanted to be an ER doctor."

"Can't help you there. I'm third year." Gianni flashed his trademark smile.

The young lady seemed to feel her spirits fall. "Oh."

I hit Gianni's shoulder. "I think you qualify, don't you, to take on a new intern and show them the ropes?"

Gianni seemed to catch what I was saying and smiled. "I will certainly look into it." His eyes never left the young lady.

I smiled as Gianni and the young lady left. I headed to the staff lounge when our receptionist caught me. "You have a call."

"From?" I questioned.

"Tariq." She smiled.

"Thanks. I'll take it in the lounge." I practically ran into the lounge. "Hey! I was just thinking about you."

"Really? You must have known I was thinking about you too." I could almost see his smile. "I wanted to call to talk to you."

"About?"

"Anything. I miss your voice. All we get around here are a bunch of hardened Rangers yelling at us."

"How's Green?"

"He's fine. He's the one they pick on the most though." I could hear a tone in Tariq's voice I wasn't used to hearing and it bothered me.

"You sure you okay?" I pressed.

"Just a little tired and hungry." He responded almost distantly.

"Why'd you call?"

"I wanted to hear your voice."

"I know. I want to hear yours too, Riqy, but you sound distant. Like there's a barrier up and I don't know what to do."

"I'm sorry. I know how it must be for you. But trust me. You're all I think of to get me through all this. If I can get the Ranger tab, it'll be a better life for us."

"I don't want a better life, Riqy. You know that. All I want is you." I could see him smiling on the other end of the line.

"I know. But, I want to be able to provide you with a good life. Hey, listen. They're calling us for muster right now. I'll call next shot I get, okay?"

"Okay. Riqy?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

I hung up the phone, still bothered by Riqy's tone of voice. Had he discovered my one night stand with his Staff Sergeant? Did he think I finally found out about his? I sat heavy on the couch and covered my face with my hands.

"You alright?" I heard Gianni's voice.

"Yeah."

"Well that was unenthusiastic and totally unbelievable." He sat next to me. "Talk to me, Sis."

"I found out something about Riqy and I want to talk to him about it, but I'm not upset or mad by it because I made the same mistake. But how do I talk to him about his mistake when I'm guilty of the same one?"

"But you're not mad at him?"

I looked over at my younger brother. "No. What he did was a mistake and I made it too, so how can I be mad at him for it?"

"What did you do?" Gianni's voice was now serious.

"Gianni, don't..." I pleaded.

But Gianni didn't listen. "Ciara. What did you do?"

"I slept with his Staff Sergeant." I softly replied.

"Shit." Gianni whispered. "Tariq sleep with him too?"

I could tell Gianni was trying to make me laugh but I only rolled my eyes. "No. It was an embedded reporter named Tiana and I only found out about that by threatening Chris with stitches." I looked over at Gianni. "Don't ask."

"Seems to me you have to talk to him. Did you sleep with his Sergeant before or after he asked you to marry him?"

"Before."

"You still want to marry Riqy?"

I shot up. "How DARE you Gianni!"

"How dare I what? Think you may have second thoughts?"

"I'm not having any second thoughts. For as long as I can remember I wanted to marry Riqy. It's now more complicated than I wanted it to be." I sighed. "I can easily forgive him for Tiana, but can he forgive me for Chris?"

"If you're both guilty of the same crime, you should both forgive each other."

"But she was a fembed and he is his Staff Sergeant." I stood up. "That complicates far beyond the both of us being guilty of the same crime."

"But does it or are you allowing it to?" Gianni opened the door. "Which is it, Sis?" I watched as he left, angry that he was as enigmatic as everyone else.