Chapter dedicated to Rick May. RIP.
:::
It was May when Lieutenant Bites got sick.
Soldier jumped out of Engineer's truck before it even came to a stop next to the Badlands' base. He whooped in excitement, plastic bag in hand, and left his disgruntled coworkers to unpack. Merasmus' old castle, now a nature preserve, wasn't too far from base, and Soldier practically ran the entire way there.
He easily scaled the fence that surrounded the castle. As soon as his boots hit the ground, raccoons started popping up from various spots. From under the dirt and piles of leaves, tree tops, broken windows, and between untrimmed hedges, the cute furry creatures emerged.
"Boys!" saluted Soldier, happily strolling through the garden and assessing his troops. They scampered around him, chittering with familiarity.
"Private Oranges, looking good. Corporal Beady Eyes, excellent form!" The mercenary scooped out cups of dog food from his bag, leaving a trail as he traveled through the preserve. The animals scurried to eat up the kibble, fluffy brown and black coats creating a seemingly indistinguishable dark mass as they crowded together. As Soldier continued on, addressing each raccoon by their name, he caught site of the raccoon he was closest with.
"Lieutenant Bites!" Soldier squatted next to a bush on the castle grounds where a gray raccoon was nearly curled into a ball. The American dumped some dog food nearby with a grin. Lieutenant Bites was a tough one, with scars and a penchant for leaping into action. Kind of like Soldier himself.
"Look what I brought you!" Lieutenant Bites lifted its big dark eyes to look at Soldier, but otherwise didn't move. Soldier frowned, reaching to scoop up the animal. He held Lieutenant Bites close to his chest, and the raccoon trilled quietly. Soldier gently pet the creature, large hand gliding along Lieutenant Bites' head and back. The raccoon dug itself closer to Soldier's chest, and the American grabbed a handful of kibble from his bag.
"Eat up, Lieutenant," Soldier said gruffly, cradling the raccoon in one arm and attempting to feed Lieutenant Bites. At first, Lieutenant Bites turned his face away, but with gently nudging of the food under his nose by Soldier, the animal opened his mouth. Little by little, Lieutenant Bites ate. Soldier settled against a tree, the other raccoons now digging through his bag of food for more, some standing on their hind legs and others halfway inside the bag itself.
Lieutenant Bites seemed to perk up as he ate, and the anxiety that had started to creep up in Soldier's heart vanished. His friend was just hungry.
:::
The next day, Soldier returned to the castle with fresh fruit and jug of water. This was typical for him after battles when they were stationed at Badlands. He would gather some kind of food for his team of raccoons and eagerly make his way to the preserve, no concern for the questioning looks of the other mercenaries. Scout had once followed him, only to be mobbed by the curious horde of raccoons when he hopped over the fence. His tale quelled everyone's curiosity, and built a unhealthy fear of the creatures of Scout.
Soldier found Lieutenant Bites at the same bush he was yesterday, curled in on himself with half lidded eyes. Soldier offered him a palm full of strawberries, Lieutenant Bites' favorite. The raccoon didn't even seem to notice, tucking his head under his arms. Soldier scowled, nudging Bites' with a finger.
"C'mon, maggot. You need to eat if you're going to keep up with the other soldiers." He didn't need to look around to know the other raccoons were feasting on the fruit and playing in the garden, chattering and barking in excitement. As yesterday, Soldier settled Lieutenant Bites into his arms, and gently prodded the animal's mouth with the berries. After a moment, Lieutenant Bites began to lick the fruit, then slowly bite off pieces. With control that Soldier seldom exerted, he talked quietly to the animal, recalling the day's battle, and praising the raccoon with every berry he managed to finish.
The third day, Soldier was back at the castle with a large bag of table scraps. Like Christmas, he hopped over the fence and held the bag up with a huge grin. The raccoons immediately scrambled on top of him, the smell of scraps irresistible. Soldier laughed as the animals knocked him to the floor, their fur tickling his nose as they trilled and chittered. He managed to free himself from the sea of raccoons and dump the contents of the giant bag, revealing partially eaten fruits, vegetables, seeds, skins, nuts, and shells; food typically the team would toss in compost. As the raccoons dug through the buffet, Soldier scanned the furry bodies for a particularly distinctive coat.
Just as Soldier feared, Lieutenant Bites was not among the excited raccoons. Rather, he was at his bush, eyes closed. Soldier immediately ran over and dropped to the animal's side. His heart had gone from calm to racing in a matter of seconds, and his hands felt shaky as he scooped up his friend.
"Lieutenant Bites?" Soldier rocked the raccoon in his arms. He started grumbling out frantic orders when Lieutenant Bites didn't respond, perhaps hoping he could frighten he animal into attention by demanding multiple pushups.
Then, Lieutenant Bites' dark eyes fluttered open, just barely, and Soldier sighed. He nearly flopped down to the floor, relieved and somehow terribly exhausted from just those few minutes.
"Scared me there, soldier," he said, hand running along the raccoon's back. Lieutenant Bites' eyes were closed again. Soldier tensed. He cursed, tightened his hold on his friend, and began running back to base. The rest of the raccoons peered after him before returning to the quickly dwindling scraps he'd left behind.
:::
"Doc!"
Soldier kicked open the infirmary door. Medic yelped at the sudden intrusion, nearly dropping the box of vials he was organizing.
"Herr Soldier, you cant just keep doing zat. I could have been in the middle of an important project!" Medic scowled, then noticed the furry gray and black creature the mercenary was cradling. Soldier ignored him and rushed to the infirmary table, gently lowering the sick raccoon onto it.
"There's something wrong with Lieutenant Bites!" he said, urgency clear in his voice. Medic adjusted his glasses, making his way to the table and peering down at the raccoon.
"And you came to me?"
"Aren't you supposed to be a doctor?" Soldier barked out, and Medic's eyes widened for a brief second. Soldier sounded angry - really angry, unlike the typical baseline temper that came along with his excitable personality.
"For humans," said the doctor.
Soldier growled and picked up Lieutenant Bites in his arms. In less than a second, he was out the infirmary and running through the base, looking for the person he typically went to for advice about what he considered to be "smart things".
"Engie!" He barged into Engineer's workshop, hoping that the genius was there. Thankfully, he spotted the mercenary in the back, tinkering with something Soldier did not even bother to look at.
"I have an emergency," Soldier yelled, making his way to the workbench. Engineer had stopped his work and looked a bit peeved at the sudden intrusion, but otherwise did not move from his spot at the back of the room. Soldier suddenly ran his arm across the workbench, knocking off everything. Blueprints and tools scattered to the floor.
"Hey!" snapped Engineer, stomping over. "What in Sam Hill is going on?"
"Lieutenant Bites is sick," exclaimed Soldier, setting the raccoon onto the table. Engineer frowned in confusion, lifting his goggles to indeed confirm that there was a raccoon on his workbench.
"I need you to fix him!" demanded Soldier, reaching across the table to shake Engineer by his shirt's collar. The Southerner slapped Soldier's hand away and shot him a glare from behind his dark goggles.
"Me? I don't know a darn thing about animals, let alone raccoons!" he said. Nonetheless, he removed one of his gloves.
"Well, what are all those degrees for then?" snapped Soldier.
Engineer ignored him, gently laying a bare hand across the animal. Lieutenant Bites was curled into himself, eyes closed and body subtly rising with each breath. His gray fur felt warm, and a light shake by Engineer didn't seem to alert the raccoon.
"You're going to have to go to a vet, Soldier," Engineer finally said, putting his glove back on. "The closest town is about an hour and a half away, and I'm not even sure they have-"
"Take me!" demanded Soldier, voiced strained. Engineer hesitated, for a moment trying to discern the other emotion in the patriot's voice.
"Please," pressed Soldier, taking the hesitation for rejection.
Engineer nodded, and led Soldier to his truck without another word.
:::
Soldier cushioned Lieutenant Bites in his coat as the truck rumbled down the highway. As if a mother holding her baby, Soldier rocked the raccoon, mumbling about training and drills. The raccoon occasionally opened his eyes, seemingly making contact with Soldier's gaze behind his helmet.
"Don't worry, maggot. You're going to be fine," whispered Soldier, tenderly petting the animal.
Engineer tried not to act surprised, allowing Soldier some silence to comfort his friend. The Texan had never seen his fellow merc like this, and had figured that any softness or sensitivity in Soldier was either nonexistent or hidden away for only a privileged few to see. He knew the patriot had taken a liken to the raccoons in Badlands, but didn't realize how close he was to them. Likewise, he didn't anticipate Soldier to be so suddenly hung up on one of them - it was nature after all, animals died. To Soldier, however, Engineer realized, these raccoons were both friends and allies. Almost like the RED team. He glanced from the road, now dark as the sun had almost set completely, to Soldier and Lieutenant Bites. Soldier had removed his coat and created a makeshift bed to swaddle the raccoon in. He was quiet now, head still down as he watched the animal.
"Soldier," started Engineer, returning his gaze to the road. "I'm sorry this is happening."
Soldier huffed.
"He's a bit sick, is all. Just needs an animal doc to give him some animal medicine."
Engineer was quiet for a moment. He didn't know a thing about raccoons, but as far as he saw, the animal was looking extremely unwell when Soldier had initially accosted the Texan.
"Yeah...he just...he just ain't looking too good, pardner," said Engineer softly.
"Shut up, Engie," growled Soldier, glaring at him.
"I'm just saying," said Engineer, bracing for the mercenary's rage, "When we get to the vet, it may-"
"Don't say another word, maggot," snapped out Soldier, voice clipped yet quiet. Engineer pressed his lips together, resisting the urge to prepare Soldier for a bad outcome. Then, quietly, he heard Soldier sniff.
Engineer did not dare to look over at his fellow mercenary. He pretended Soldier was just having a bout of allergies.
:::
The two mercenaries sat in the silent waiting room of the pet hospital. The only other person was the receptionist, a kind man who had set up the two with coffee after the veterinarian wheeled Lieutenant Bites away for an xray. By pure luck, the first people Engineer had pulled up beside in the town pointed him in the direction of the animal hospital, saving them much needed time. Before Engineer's truck had even stopped beside the small building, Soldier was out, running to the entrance with Lieutenant Bites in his arms.
After Engineer parked, he joined Soldier and the vet in one of the examination rooms. Lieutenant Bites was the only patient tonight, and the vet was quick to assess the raccoon given both Soldier's urgency and the animal's weak responses. It was only after gathering history of the last few days from Soldier and some specific physical maneuvers, eliciting soft mewls from Lieutenant Bites, did Dr. Fry order an xray, sending the two men to the waiting room in the meantime.
Engineer sipped on the lukewarm coffee, taking in the bland and tidy waiting room. There was a tv in the corner, though the Texan was not in any mood to watch, especially given the anxiety spilling off of Soldier. The other mercenary was bent over in his seat, arms resting on his knees and hands clenched. He hadn't stopped tapping his foot since they settled in the waiting room, and his coffee remained untouched on the chair next to him. Engineer wasn't one to fill silence, like Scout, and figured it was best to allow Soldier some space until they got a better idea of what was wrong from the doctor.
Finally, Dr. Fry entered the waiting room with a clipboard and grim expression. Engineer clenched his coffee cup, and stood up with Soldier as the doctor made her way toward them.
"Well?" pressed Soldier. "What medicine does he need?"
Dr. Fry shook her head.
"Lieutenant Bites has something stuck in his intestines. I can't tell what exactly it is, but it seems like it's caused a block. He needs surgery," she said, voice firm with the seriousness of the situation.
"What? Why?" yelled Soldier, glowering at the woman. "Can't he just poop it out?"
"No, whatever it is hasn't managed to pass through, which is why he hasn't been eating and has been so lethargic."
"So you just need to take it out," clarified Engineer, before Soldier could start up again. "That shouldn't be too difficult, should it?"
"Not entirely. But I need to call in some other doctors so we can set up the operating room," she said.
"Okay, then do it!" demanded Soldier, resisting the urge to shake the woman by her white coat. She held out her clipboard and a pen.
"You need to sign these. There are some risks associated with this surgery. First-"
Soldier snatched the clipboard and pen away from the woman, then furiously scribbled his signature everywhere there was a space.
"Sir," started Dr. Fry, "I need to tell you the risks so you can make an informed decision."
"Do what you have to," said Soldier, voice gruff, sticking the clipboard back into the woman's hands. "Just take care of Lieutenant Bites."
Dr. Fry glanced at Engineer, who gave her a nod.
"I reckon my friend here wants everything possible to be done for his pet, and I trust you'll do your best, doctor," he said. Dr. Fry gave a small smile.
"I will."
:::
Soldier puffed on his cigar, exhaling smoke into the cool night air. It had been an hour since he talked to the veterinarian, and otherwise there was no news. Soldier wasn't the type to sit still, and the waiting room felt stifling even if it was just Engineer and the receptionist there. It was probably around 10 PM he figured, staring up at the clear sky. Few cars drove by on the street the hospital was located, and otherwise there was a stillness around him, as if everyone had settled in for the night.
Sometimes Soldier would stay just as late with the raccoons once they had taken over Merasmus' old castle. They would prepare for an unknown yet forthcoming war, with Soldier yelling out tactics and formations to the playful animals. Seldom did they seem to actually do what Soldier said, but the patriot either didn't care, or notice, and both praised and scolded them on perceived actions. They would climb trees and scale the walls of the castle together, all part of Soldier's "training". Then, if they were lucky, Soldier would throw in some treats with the typical food he brought, congratulating them for a job well done. Lieutenant Bites was the mercenary's best soldier. Strong and resilient, he usually coming out on top after the typical roughhousing between the raccoons. Often, Lieutenant Bites would be perched on Soldier's shoulder, trilling in his ear with recollections of the day's events. Soldier would similarly tell the raccoon about his day, and the two would sometimes develop battle plans and training regimens together for the troops around them.
And now, Lieutenant Bites was sick.
Soldier frowned, holding the cigar between his fingers. He should have gotten him to the doctor earlier! He noticed the raccoon's behavior was odd from the first day he arrived, and yet he waited. Soldier felt like punching himself, for Lieutenant Bites. His oblivious nature had gotten him and his team into trouble before, but not like this, not with something so important.
"How you holding up?" Engineer walked up beside Soldier, taking in the cool air and quiet night. Soldier grunted, and went back to smoking. Engineer didn't mind, and instead peered up at the stars.
"Sure is quiet out here," he said. "Base's probably loud with some arguing, as usual..."
They stood in comfortable silence, though Engineer could not help but peek over to Soldier. The patriot was stone-faced, as least as far as Engineer could tell given his helmet.
"Soldier," started Engineer, "You know you can talk to me. I'm here to listen."
"About what," grumbled out Soldier, continuing to stare at seemingly nothing.
"About whatever, I suppose. You've known Lieutenant Bites and those raccoons for quite a long time, right? Since our first run in with Merasmus. So, a few years then," said Engineer. Soldier nodded, breathing in smoke.
"When I was a kid, I had a golden retriever named Porkie. We played all the time, and he followed me everywhere," said Engineer. "He, uh, got hurt one day. Followed me out into the road when I was playing with some friends..."
Engineer trailed off.
"Lieutenant Bites isn't dead," said Soldier, shooting Engineer a glare.
"Neither is Porkie. Well, I mean, he is, but not because of that. He just got old," elaborated Engineer with a sigh. "All I'm saying is that it's really hard to experience that. I loved Porkie, and I'm sure you love Lieutenant Bites."
Tentatively, Engineer placed a hand on Soldier's shoulder.
"It's okay to be upset and just allow yourself to feel that. Ain't no shame or weakness in that."
Soldier looked away but did not brush him off.
"There's nothing to be upset about," he said. "Doc's gonna fix him up real good, and we'll be back to base soon after."
Soldier couldn't remember the last time he lost someone. Perhaps he never did. Growing up in the system as a troublemaker meant he was shuffled around often and it was hard to get close to anyone. It never particularly bothered Soldier - he had a specific way of connecting with people, and was somewhat aware that he didn't quite fit in with normal society. He had friends, sure, those he met on his journey across Europe, but they grew apart after the war, and then lost contact. His teammates were the longest group of people he's been friends with, or at least what Soldier considers to be friends. Likewise, they were some of the few people in the world that understood him (though they would all deny it). The raccoons understood him too, especially Lieutenant Bites. They had fun together, they listened to him, and were great soldiers when they wanted to be.
And dammit, he didn't want Lieutenant Bites to die.
Engineer allowed Soldier to lean into him, arms coming up to weakly settle against the shorter man's back. The patriot placed his forehead onto Engineer's shoulder, and the Texan wrapped his arms around his teammate. Engineer did not say a word, holding Soldier while he wept.
:::
"Aye, where have you two been?"
Demoman and Pyro were lounging on the couch when Engineer and Soldier returned, watching television. Engineer gave the two a wave and small smile.
"Just had something to do. What are you two doing up so late?" he asked, trailing into the room with Soldier behind him, the latter holding his coat in his arms.
"Mmphee mphr mphreed," admitted Pyro, dressed in his unicorn onesie.
"Pyro was worried," stressed Demo, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table. "Not me though. Was just watching tv, is all."
"Right," chuckled Engineer. "We're both fine, nothing to worry about. I'm going to head to bed."
"Mpnt mphee mmpho mpheet mphoo mmhmp mphom mphnr?" asked Pyro, following him out of the room.
"Ah, dinner would be good. Maybe something small," Engineer said, voice growing quieter as the two walked down the hall. Demo gave an exaggerated yawn and stood up, walking over to Soldier who seemed preoccupied with the coat in his arms.
"Ye okay, lad? Yer a bit quiet," said Demo with a grin, though eyes clearly concerned. Soldier shushed him, one finger to his mouth.
"Lieutenant Bites is sleeping," he said, shooting his friend a glare. Demo blinked, peeking over to see the raccoon curled up in Soldier's coat.
"Ah, right, yer raccoon. Cute little fella, yeah?" said Demo watching the animal take quiet breaths. Soldier nodded. Demo's eyes flitted to the quiet Soldier who was entirely focused on Lieutenant Bites.
"Ye didn't answer my question," said Demo, patting Soldier on the shoulder. The patriot looked up.
"What question?"
"Are ye okay?" Demo asked softly, no hint of teasing in his voice. Soldier looked back down at Lieutenant Bites.
"Yeah, I am."
:::
I hope Soldier wasn't out of character!
I sincerely apologize for the long wait since my last update. Thank you so much for your continued support! I am aiming to get another chapter out in May, and hopefully update more regularly.