Thank you all for the patience you display. Here is another chapter. A bit graphic adult stuff. Not too much.
They'd been meeting like this for a few weeks now. Every time he'd be in base he'd find her, escort her back from the infirmary through the dark road to the staff quarters. She stopped pretending that each night was a casual thing. She even tried to open her eyes a few times when he kissed her in that all-consuming way of his. A few caresses. He'd touch her above her clothes. But nothing more than that. Up until tonight they'd watch T.V., talk and she'd fall asleep. He was an early riser, so she'd wake to receive a cup of coffee and a casual kiss before he'd leave.
At a point she asked herself why he did not try to get it any further. But she did not articulate her question to words.
He was gone for three days on a mission.
There were no wounded this time.
He was surprised to see her at the gates of the base waiting for them to arrive. They didn't talk much. He left his troops as soon as he could and simply wrapped his arm around her shoulder taking her to his quarters. For the first time she did not protest. She didn't care that the entire base saw her kissing him, then going with him, hugged in his arms. In his room he kissed her again hungrily and she responded in kind.
He had the special smell that soldiers get. Grease dried sweat and a masculine scent that she could never define. He undressed them both with haste and sure motions and began devouring her body with his mouth and hands. He left marks, she was sure. Her neck stung from his diligent pursuit, her breasts burned. She wondered if it was alright that she did nothing for him, when in fact she kept on rubbing his body with her movements unconsciously in a form that drove him insane.
"Stop moving, Scarlett. I won't be able to hold myself, and I've waited too long to have this end too soon."
She tensed.
He laughed.
"Relax, Honey. Just please stop these movements."
He opened her legs with his hands and for the first time murmured something about his dirty hands. It didn't matter. His head dove in. She lost herself. It was as if she was clay in his hands. She bit her lower lip and it bled. The metallic taste mingled with her cry. Then he stopped to look into her eyes - "Are you sure you want this. I don't want you disappearing on me again." She nodded.
He handed her a condom and smiled at her "Here, put it on me." Her hands were sweating and she cursed as she opened the small plastic square with her teeth.
He made love for what seemed like hours.
She fell half a sleep, and was startled when she woke to his voice.
-You waited for me.
She didn't bother to deny it. Instead she moved the palm of her hand on his chest drawing indistinct forms keeping to herself.
-What happened? You never wait.
-I heard the bombs and the shooting from the radio all night long.
Her voice was sleepy.
It came as a shock to him too when he heard the first words that came from his mouth-
-Did you love your husband?
The question caught her by surprise too, without much thought she blurted "Sure I loved him."
He was silent. She gathered all the courage she had and added "Charles and I weren't lovers."
"You had a child. At one point you must have been lovers. You even kept it. The baby."
She faltered and recalled "I realized there was a baby during an ultrasound. I could hear his heart. I was sure I had stomach issues and had no idea why they sent me for an ultrasound." After a pause she added "I don't like looking back."
She got out of bed and dressed quietly. He did nothing to stop her. She wasn't perceptive enough to realize that he wanted her to sooth his insecurities.
After that she avoided him. He saw her leave through the side door of the building realizing it was because she feared meeting him. He was tired and frustrated from chasing her. He's never had to go through so much trouble to have a woman in his arms. He missed her.
She was sent with special forces and she went missing for 12 hours till found by a rescue mission. Andrew Rogers was the commander of the rescue mission; his own regiment was under Roger's command too. They seemed at ease and he felt a pang of jealousy once again. She drove him to distraction.
He eavesdropped on them.
"I need to resign. We were nearly lost. I can't have Wade become an orphan."
He couldn't hear the other man.
"No, Andrew, and please don't try to talk me into doing that. I thought- Never mind what I thought. I tried. He is as dense as cement. It doesn't matter. I gave notice to headquarters.."
She seemed miserable.
"Why the sad face then, sweetie?" He was gentler than just a friend as he hugged her for a brief moment.
She looked at him angrily "Don't you know I'll miss this? When there are wounded pouring in or under fire there is absolutely nothing else, at the moment. The adrenalin is intoxicating. And you know what else - you are not daft - but now, after today I can't. I'd be terribly selfish if I keep this."
He said something quietly, he couldn't hear them.
She stood up and smiled at him "It's out of my hands, darling. Will you come to visit your God-Son?."
"Sure I will, love. You know I will. I see so much of Charlie in both of you."
"Oh darling! Really? I see him in Melly and in an odd way Wade got his eyes, hasn't he? He is so rooted in my heart. I bet we could have made it work, with all the oddity of it. The three of us."
"There isn't a day I don't miss him. You are the only one, from those who know, who doesn't try to persuade me to move on. God bless your heart for that."
"Why would I pester you? I'm as hopeless as you are."
She had too many secrets.
He saw his superior officer crush to the small chair and cover his face with his hands. He saw her hug his head to her chest, caressing the dirty hair on his scalp. Rhett turned and left.
But she was denied. The red cross asked her to remain till they find someone capable of what she was doing. He found her there a week later.
"Good afternoon" he gave her a shining smile.
"Oh. It's you."
"What a sour welcome."
"Leave me be, Rhett. Please." her shoulders were slumping and she looked sad.
In a tender voice she hardly heard him use "Won't you tell me what's wrong? I thought you'd resigned."
"I resigned but they won't release me. My mom is sick. I have to go home. My son needs me and a stable environment and I'm stuck here. And -"
Andrew came into the room "Scarlett honey, are you all right?"
She began sobbing. The two men shared a glance at each other. To his surprise Andrew signaled to him to step towards her, and did not try to touch her. Rhett saw him drift out of the room and wondered at the scene.
Some time later he asked "Weren't you and Andrew-"
"GOD ! Have you no eyes in your head? Besides, he's practically ancient!"
"Don't get upset. I saw you together, just before I was called away. By the way, I think he's my age."
"Called, my foot! You volunteered." after a pause she added "I told you you're ancient too, haven't I?"
"That's more like it" he smiled "if you can throw insults you are on the safe road to a food-mood."
When they reached the staff quarters she closed her eyes and whispered to the unasked question "I shouldn't. You left me shattered twice already." But she came anyway.
This time she undressed of her own volition. It wasn't as wild as the other time.
She whispered in the midst of it "Promise you won't ask me questions about my past Rhett. I can't handle it."
After that he felt content. He wondered what it was that haunted her so, but for a few days they were there. A couple of sorts.
A week later came hell. She was assigned to a mission from the Red Cross and found him with three dead soldiers. In the midst of the shooting he witnessed her crawl in defiance to his orders to stay put, so foolishly to the fire zone to grab the bleeding body of her friend and pull it with a force he wouldn't guess she had. When the firing came to a halt she saw his chest heaving. Without talking she put an infusion to his vain.
"I don't need that."
"Yes you do. You're dehydrated or in shock, Rhett - maybe both."
"The others?"
"Three dead. They were caught in direct fire."
After 30 minutes he realized she was right. His mind was still fuzzy. She was holding another infusion bag over Melanie, cursing quietly.
"Where the f- is Wilkerson? He was supposed to cover . And Andrew's -"
"Dear old Andrew…"
"What's that?" she began chuckling " I asked you a few days ago - don't you have eyes in your head? He's gay. Just like-"
Rhett was baffled "I usually know."
"You are blind."
"You seem close."
"We are. He is Wade's God-father."
Melanie opened her eyes and smiled weakly "He was my brother's lover. Scarlet and Charlie had us all fooled for years. She was their cover-up"
"Don't speak Melly. Rhett - you have to promise me you'll keep your mouth shut."
"Who's your son's father?"
She closed her eyes "Charlie chose to be his father."
"Obviously" Melanie whispered and began coughing.
The radio caught his attention as she tried to stop Melanie's bleeding.
He dozed off for a time that seemed like forever. In the twilight he felt his strength return and wondered how much of it was a dream. There was no trace to the infusion she had given him and shoved the notion of being hurt to the back of his mind.
"I have to go there."
"Go where?'
"To the North side, as planned."
"You can't go on your own. Let's return to base and have you all sorted with men. Besides, we can't go with Melly in this state."
"Not we, my dear. I am going. You head back when it's dark. It's less than 2 miles, she'll come through."
"Are you utterly insane? You can't leave me here with Melanie. I can't shoot, I'll be defenseless with a dying woman in my arms - she won't be able to walk. She lost too much blood"
"You defenseless" he laughed without mirth. Is it even possible?"
"Rhett, don't be daft! You can't leave me here."
He caught her shoulders "Scarlett - there is a whole squad behind that mountain that will die if we don't go there! What would you have me do?!"
"It's plain suicide - for yourself and for us!" she was exasperated.
-Please Rhett - Ghosts do not say, "Come, what was your record when you drew breath?"
He held her in his arms inhaling her hair "You read poetry?"
-You're leaving me? You can't leave me here.
- The whole squad will die if I don't get to them. Take this gun and shoot straight. Don't hesitate Scarlett. If there's doubt, there's no doubt. Just shoot.
She got to the base at dawn and one dead Taliban soldier later, if that's what the bearded man was.
She wouldn't tell the medics that she too needed to be checked after the encounter with the man she eventually killed. She dived to saving Melly, and a dozen men or more. She wanted it to disappear. The protocol was meant to protect her from her foolishness but the masses of wounded soldiers that arrived that afternoon made them forgetful.