Baron nodded at Scream, who gathered his thoughts. He felt the tears in his eyes as he spoke. "Dim, we were told to tell you here because there are doctors everywhere and they can take care of you instantly." Scream choked back more tears. "Tariq didn't make it. We were on the helo and he spoke his final words to Smoke and..." Scream stopped as the heart monitor beeped.

"Out of the way!" Captain Callahan pushed the small fire team aside. He grabbed the paddles. "Charge to 250. CLEAR!" The heart monitor never varied.

"I swear that it gets hotter out here every day." Dim wiped some sweat off his brow. "When they told me I'd be going to Iraq, I didn't think they meant hell."

Tariq smiled. He put the letter down he was writing and took a sip of water. "We've only got a couple more months, Dim. Then it's back to the United States and hopefully some cooler weather. If not, at least a hotel with a swimming pool."

Scream poked his head in. "We've got a shit mission again, boys. Let's go."

Tariq and Dim grabbed their gear and headed out.

Scream stood still, praying even though he didn't believe in prayer. Angel was biting his thumbnail. Smoke and Captain Baron were pacing and pleading while Mrs. B and DoubleWide held hands, choking back tears.

The heart monitor continued to flat line and the paddles were charged higher. This time, the heart monitor showed a beat. A slow beat, but a steady beat nonetheless. The group sighed a short breath of relief and gathered once more around Dim's bed.

Mrs B. sat on the edge of Dim's bed. Her soft Southern accent soothed the rest of them. "You have to stay, Dim. We can't bear to lose both you and Tariq in the same day. Not today or any other day." She softly kissed his forehead. "We need you. Angel needs you. You're his rock, he told me one time."

Mrs B. and Angel watched the stars. They sat in silence until Dim sat next to Angel. "It's hard to believe that the stars can be so beautiful and so full of gas."

Angel grinned. "Then there's you. So full of shit."

Dim laughed. "That's me. Didn't you know that's why my eyes are brown?"

"Your eyes aren't brown." Mrs. B softly spoke. "They're green."

Dim smiled and Angel threw a small rock at him. "Told you."

Dim laughed. "Well, I love you too, Angel." Dim adjusted his Kevlar and walked off, exchanging taunts with Angel.

"He's something else, Angel." Mrs. B's voice was still soft.

"Yeah. Surprisingly, with as much as a shit as he can be, he's my rock. When we had to kill that guy so the toilets could get here...well, when I had to kill that guy...Dim was right there, a part of it. Kind of like a guardian kill angel." Angel smiled.

Dim's heart monitor seemed to respond to Mrs B's voice and touch. Mrs. B softly stroked his forehead. "We'll all miss Tariq. He was valuable to us and you're just as valuable. You need to come back to us, Dim." She felt the tears form.

She had been so used to being used by men that Dim's soft nature towards her always made her feel like she was worth more. He made her want to change. She remembered the night they night they had stayed at the rich man's house, so full of money. When she told him she went AWOL, she was expecting him to lecture her. Instead he smiled at her and said "But you came back." It was as though her mistake didn't matter to him.

Scream leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. It was no secret that he and Dim were often at odds, but Dim was smart and knew how to push the elder Soldier's buttons.

Scream looked at the cigar box. "Dare I open a cigar box in some bizarre party house in Iraq?" Tariq shrugged.

Without heistation, Dim opened the box, causing Scream and Tariq to jump back. Scream ran into Dim, causing the younger man to stop acting and start thinking.

Captain Callahan kept an eye on Dim's vitals. Baron knew that the best thing was to get the team back out on the line, but he didn't have the heart to send them. Not with one of their men here.

He stood up and grabbed Captain Callahan. "Kevin, these men and women need to stay here until Dumphy's transported to Germany."

"I was thinking the same thing, John." Callahan looked back at the group. "I've seen the injured and their friends, but I've never really seen a bedside vigil like this. How close is this group?"

"A band of brothers." Baron lowered his head and rejoined the group.

"Come on, Smoke. It won't hurt you." Tariq laughed.

"I ain't going near that thing, Ahab." Smoke backed away.

"You mean to tell me you're this tough guy from Compton and yet you won't go anywhere near a camel spider." Dim laughed. "It won't hurt you."

"It'll eat you alive, Dimwit." Smoke snorted.

"Myth." Tariq looked back at Smoke. He started laughing and threw the spider at Smoke, who jumped. "Some tough guy!"

"That ain't funny, Ahab. Now he's pissed off and going to eat our skin." Smoke looked frantically around for the spider.

Tariq and Dim laughed. Angel, having walked in as Tariq threw the spider, smiled. The camel spider made its way to the shade under Smoke's cot. "Looks like he'll be waiting for some dark meat tonight." Angel laughed.

"I ain't sleeping there tonight. You threw it, Ahab, you sleep in my cot, man."

Tariq continued laughing at Smoke's fear and crawled under the cot. He retrieved the spider and placed it outside. "There. The big bad flesh eating spider's gone, Smokey-wokey." He teased.

"Haha. Very funny." Smoke snorted, even though he found humor in the situation.

Any ideas of what happens to Dim? Is the story going to claim him too or will it let him live? I await the story's answer...like you all!