Hey everyone, I just finished this chapter. And I have to say. I like the way it's been done. I'm not the best at action scenes but this one actually turned out okay. Thank You again to everyone that's commented so far. I wanted to let you all know that this might be the last chapter I'm going to post for the next week or so. Finals are coming up and I have to start cramming. I will post any chapters if I manage to write one while I'm procrastinating. Thank you again, Enjoy. :)
Three And A Half Months Later-
"Hey kid its me just wanted to check up on you. I know I've been busy but I want you to know that I'm proud of you and no matter what you do I'm with you." There was a pause followed by him continuing "I'm proud to be your Dad, I…"
"Hey just wanted to let you know I'm all right. I know you're probably panicking after seeing the footage of New York. Don't worry, I fine, I'm on my way to get schwarma with the rest of the team. Yeah you heard right, team. Led by the star spangled man with a plan." Dad said chuckling. "You're probably busy, I'll call you later."
"Nora, it's been a week. Call me."
"Hey I just stopped by your apartment and all your stuff is gone. Where are you?"
"Nora this isn't funny where are you? Call me."
"Nora Eliana Stark, pick up the phone." He sounded angry and worried.
"Kid it's been three months, please call me."
"Nora Where are you? Just answer the phone or send smoke signals. Why are you doing this?"
I shut my phone off and sat back in my chair. I wiped the tears from my eyes and took a deep breath.
"Nora I brought you…" Wren said as he walked in with a tray of food. "Food, You alright?"
"Uh yeah it's nothing." I said putting my phone in my pocket and picking up another chart.
"You sure?" He said. Over the past three months Wren and I had gotten to know each other. I wouldn't call us friends but we got along. Sometimes he'd let his guard down and actually crack a joke. We had gotten into this unspoken arrangement where one day he'd grab us lunch and the next I'd do it and we would eat in the infirmary office. We'd make small talk about things going on in the camp. I started going with him and one of the squadrons on patrol.
"It's not nothing." He said. "I've seen you stare at that phone when you're on break and not on duty everyday for the past three and a half months. Today's the first time I actually see you open it."
"Wren, drop it." I said
"I just want to check and see if you're good to go. If you want to sit this one out…" Wren offered.
"I don't want to talk about it, I'm fine." I answered putting the clip board down.
Wren just looks at me trying to see if I'll crack under his glare. I just stare back. He closes his eyes and sighs. "Eat your lunch. We leave in an hour." He said before sitting down at his desk to eat his own lunch. I didn't have much of an appetite but still ate anyway.
I finished eating and grabbed my pack. I met with Wren and the rest of the squadron. I hopped in the Humvee and we were off. It was pretty uneventful lucky for us. Wren kept looking over at me, giving me concerned looks. For a guy who tried to act like he was above it all and that nothing mattered he cares about people. Every once in a while there are cracks and I can see the Wren I know in the future but right now that didn't matter. The only thing in my head right now was dad's voice in those messages. He almost died and instead of being there for him I'm on the other side of the world.
'You're exactly where you are supposed to be' I heard the stone say.
I was so distracted I didn't notice when the Humvee stopped.
"We're going on foot from here." The driver said.
We got out and we were all armed. Wren and I were walking side-by-side just looking around. We were going to check in on one of the community clinics to see if they needed a hand or needed more supplies.
I was looking own and just minding my own business. I was snapped out of it by someone nudging my arm.
"Hm" I said. Looking to my side.
"Eyes up front. I have your six if you have mine." He said.
"Yeah sorry. How much further?" I asked.
"A few blocks." He said looking around.
"Come here often?"
"At least once a month. The clinic's run by missionaries from Spain, we lend a hand on occasion. They're short staffed so they'll take all the help they can get. Army sends us as a good will gesture." Wren said.
"Then why don't you sound happy to help?" I point out.
"It's not that. Just have a really bad feeling about today." He says looking around.
"I really hate when people say things like that." I say and we keep moving forward.
We kept walking down the street. We passed by a mosque just as a mass was ending and everyone started leaving. As we passed by everyone stopped their conversations and just stepped aside and kept their heads down as we passed.
"Times like this really must really make you miss home." Wren said. I didn't really know what to say to that. It's not that people hated us, they were just afraid.
We walked in silence until we reached a small park we had to get through.
"Doctor Spencer!" A girl around ten years old called out running up to Wren.
"Hey Fatima, how are you?" Wren said giving the little girl a big smile. In the three months that I'd known him this was the first time I'd seen him actually give someone a genuine happy smile.
"I'm good, my tooth fell out!" She said opening her mouth to show Wren.
"Wow, that's good. Did you put it under your pillow?" Wren asked the little girl.
"No my Papa made a necklace with it." She said pulling out a gold chain from under her shirt.
"That's so neat." He said. I couldn't help but smile at that. He was going to be a great uncle. Wren saw me smiling and said, "Fatima this is Doctor Martell." I bent down a bit to say hi.
"Hi sweetie. It's nice to meet you." I said.
"Hi." She said shyly. "Is she your girlfriend?"
Wren and I both started laughing at that. "Uh no she a work friend." Wren explained.
"Why not? She's very pretty." She said
"Aren't you the cutest?" I said making her laugh.
"Fatima." A man said running after said.
"Sorry about her Doctor Spencer." The man said.
"It's fine Sayeed, this is Doctor Martell." He said introducing me.
"Pleasure to meet you." I said with a nod.
"Likewise" he said. "We're heading to the clinic and I assume you are as well."
"Yes, monthly check in time. Time for Fatima's check up as well right?"
"Yes Doctor Spencer." She said skipping along happily.
We arrived at the clinic and the waiting room was packed.
"Time to get to work." Wren said.
We were there for hours. I saw people who were there for everything from prenatal care to respiratory infections. Some patients were easy a few basic check ups and the usual vaccinations. By the time we had to leave we were done with most of the patients.
Our squadron was waiting for us at the rendezvous point. We left the clinic and at the same time Fatima and Sayeed exited as well.
"Bye Doctor Spencer, Bye Doctor Martell." Fatima called out to us. The next thing I knew the clinic blew up. The force field came up and shielded both Wren and I but the force of the blast pushed us to the ground. There was dust everywhere, the building was on fire and people were screaming. My ears were ringing and I couldn't hear anything. I saw Wren run over to my side. He was saying something but I couldn't understand him.
"N…no…ra…Nora!" I heard him say. "Can you hear me?"
"Yeah, Ow." I said, my head was killing me and my ears were still ringing. I fell pretty hard on my side and I was sure I would have had a pretty nasty bruise if it wasn't for the stone healing me.
There were more screams.
"Can you move?" He said.
"Yeah, we have to triage everyone. Clear those we can and stabilize the wounded." I said.
"Yeah, back up should be here soon. Do what you can?" He said before we split up.
If I had to describe what being back in the field was like I'd have to say its like riding a bicycle. It felt natural, almost like I never left. I went around applying a tourniquet to a woman who broke her leg before having her son move her to a safe zone. I moved and checked a few people who were still unconscious and nope they were dead. I kept checking on people.
"Fatima!" I heard Sayeed yell.
I looked around and didn't see Fatima either.
"Nora!" I heard Wren yell. I saw him trying to move a fallen beam. I walked over and found a pipe. I got it and used it to leverage the beam off.
"Wren you push it off I'll get her out." I said. He nodded and we got to work.
"On three, One two three!" He said has he pushed the wall off and I pulled Fatima out.
"Shit!" I said putting pressure on her abdomen.
"Fatima, Wake up! Wake up!" He dad yelled out.
"Sayeed let us work." Wren said coming over and checking her out.
"Broken Pelvis and chattered femur along with what's probably a punctured lung and shrapnel wounds in her stomach." I muttered low enough so Sayeed didn't hear.
"Fuck." He looked up at me and I shook my head. Fatima was choking on her own blood. Sayeed hobbled over and rested her head on his lap. He brushed the strands of hair off her face. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Papa, I-I'm S-scar-red." She choked out before coughing up blood. Wren put his hands on mine and shook his head. There was nothing we could do.
"Shh you're going to be fine." Sayeed said crying. I was having a hard time keeping it together.
Fatima gasped for air until finally her body gave out. Back up finally showed up and they were left to clean up while we were sent back to base to get checked out and be debriefed.
The entire car ride was silent. I still had Fatima's blood on my hands and overall felt like crap. We were checked out by doctors and of course I was given a clean bill of health except that there was a possibility of a concussion so I was suppose to stay awake the entire night. Wren had a few cuts and bruises and the same possible concussion so we were paired up and told to keep each other awake.
After I was cleared I was taken to an interview room, which is code for interrogation room. I was stuck there waiting for half an hour before someone finally came in.
"Doctor Martell, good to see you're doing well." He greeted even though for some reason I was sure he was just saying that because he was expected to.
"Um thanks?" I said.
"I'm General Thaddeus Ross. I have a few questions I wanted to ask you." He said. A general handling a debriefing? Something's off.
"I already gave my statement." I said.
"I know, I read it. I wanted to ask a few questions about that." He said not taking his eyes off of me. Classic intimidation tactic. I saw Colonel Philips use it a few times. The key is to not look away.
"I'll be happy to answer any questions you have." I answered politely.
"Given yours and Major Spencer's statements you were both a few feet away from the blast radius yet both of you barely have a scratch on you. Any particular reason why that may be?" He asked.
'I have a mystical energy that predates the universe that gave me the ability to create force fields and project energy that protected me' I thought.
"I guess we were lucky. I saw the blast and then I was on the ground. I couldn't hear anything. After a minute or two I recovered my hearing. Ears are still ringing though." I answered.
"Did you happen to see anything strange?" He asked.
"No everything was completely normal. Has the cause of the explosion been determined?" I asked.
"Not yet, report should be in in a few hours." He said. "According to Major Spencer's statement your work on the field was exemplary. You maintained your composure and kept a level head despite that being your first time. In a normal situation you would have been promoted but seeing as you've only been here a few months a notable mention has been added to your record. Is there anything you forgot to mention in your statement that you'd like to say now?" He said trying to stare me down again.
"No sir," I answered.
He was quiet, trying to see if I cracked but I just stared back.
"That's all for now. If you think of anything report to me at once." He said before walking out.
That guy gives me really bad vibes. As soon as I was given the all clear I got up and went back to my quarters. I was walking there when I was grabbed from behind and pulled into one of the storage rooms.
I was about to scream but whoever it was covered my mouth and then turned on the light. It was Wren. He put a finger over his lips telling me to be quiet. He took his hand off of my mouth and I took that moment to slap him.
"What the fuck Wren?" I whispered harshly. "You scared the shit out of me."
"What happened in there? What did they want to know?" He asked.
"Nothing. They just asked what happened and I told them about the explosion. They asked about how it was possible that we were so close yet hardly have any scratches on us. I said we were lucky. It was weird though." I said thinking about why a general would be handling an interrogation.
"What was weird?" He asked.
"Why would a high ranking General ask me about a random bombing I had already been debriefed on?" I said.
"You didn't say anything right?" He said looking a bit worried.
"There was nothing to say. We were leaving, the clinic exploded and the force of the explosion made us fall to the ground. That's all that happened." I said.
"Are you sure that's exactly what you said?" Wren said starting to pace.
"Yes." I said calmly. "Can I go? I still have blood on my hands."
He looked down at my hands and then looked away. "Yeah go, go to the infirmary after you get cleaned up. If we have to stay awake we may as well get some work done." He said.
I left without saying anything. I showered and scrubbed and scrubbed until all the dirt and grime and blood were off of me. I got dressed and went to the computer lab tent. I knew I had to go straight to the infirmary but it had been a few days since I called Jess and Sam and I felt like I really needed to talk to them. Of course I wasn't going to tell them what happened but I could still check in.
I sat down and logged in. Lucky for me she answered on the third ring.
"Hey." I said.
"Nora!" She greeted happily as always. "Connor it's your auntie." She said and I heard a baby giggle.
Sam passed by and handed Connor to Jess. "Hey Nora," He greeted.
"Hey Sam, how's school?" I asked.
"On my way there actually." He said giving Jess a kiss and then bending down to kiss Connors head. "Gotta go, take care of yourself." He said waving before leaving.
"Bye Sam." I said before turning my attention back to Jess and Connor. "So, how's everything?"
"Things are busy. I started working from home again. It feels nice to have someone other than Connor and Sam to talk to. How about you? How's work?" She asked.
"Work is work. Changing bedpans, redressing wounds, a few surgeries here and there. The usual." I said.
"What's really going on?" She said.
"I've been going out into the field for a few weeks. Today it just got a bit intense that's all." I said giving her a small smile.
"Are you alright?" She asked concerned.
"Yeah." I said.
"That's good. I really hate doing this to you but I have to go change Connor's diaper and I have a conference call in half an hour." She said sadly.
"Oh no it's okay. I just wanted to check in, I'll call you over the weekend." I said.
"Looking forward to it." She said before ending the call.
I walked out of the tent and headed over to the infirmary. Wren was still not there so I sat at the desk and pulled out my phone. I turned it on and saw that I had a new message from Dad.
I played it and listened.
"Nora, it's been almost four months. I've looked everywhere, checked every database and tried tracking your phone. I don't know what to do kid. I don't know where you are or why you left but… I need to know you're okay. Please…" And the message ended.
I opened his contact information and was about to dial.
'Don't do it' the stone's voice echoed.
'He needs to know I'm okay' I thought.
'It's not the right time' It said louder.
'He's my dad. He's not okay.' I said getting closer to calling. Just as I was about to press the call button green energy formed around my finger and when I touched the phone the screen cracked and my phone broke.
"Ahh." I said frustrated and angry. I got my phone and threw it against the wall breaking it to pieces.
"What did that phone ever do to you? Or was it the wall?" Wren said as he walked in with two trays of food.
"Don't want to talk about it." I said.
"Trouble with a boy back home?" He said.
"Stop." I said.
"Or is it a girlfriend?"
"Shut up Wren."
"Daddy Issues?" He asked.
"Shut Up!" I yelled.
"No! You have been off all day. Even before the clinic. You let your guard down at least three times for at least a minute. You're getting sloppy and I can't have that. Whatever the hell is going on, deal with it. Because if you keep slipping up then you'll end up dead and you're parents get a visit from the marshals and a folded flag at your funeral!" He yelled.
"My Dad won't get the flag at my funeral because he doesn't know I'm here." I said.
"What?" Wren said.
"I never told my Dad I enlisted. The only people who know are my two best friends and that's cause I left my dog with them. The messages I've been listening on the phone are all from him begging me to talk to him. I haven't spoken to him since the day before I left and I can't call him because if I do he will move heaven and earth to get me back to the states and I can't be there right now. So yeah Wren he won't get the visit from the marshals or the folded flag at my funeral." I said.
"Nora…"
"I could have died today. It could have been me instead of Fatima but it wasn't. Maybe my dad would've cried over my casket the way Sayeed did but chances are he'll never know if I do end up dead so I'll probably just end up in an unmarked grave or dead in a ditch somewhere and he'll never know" I said tearing up by the end.
We were quiet after that. He just stood there and I sat in my chair wiping my tears. Wren moved to the other side of his desk and opened a drawer. He pulled out a false bottom and pulled out a bottle of vodka and two glasses. He poured some into each glass and pushed one towards me.
"Drink." He said taking a drink of his.
"We're on duty." I said looking at the ward.
"No we're not. We have the next three days off. Cleared it with headquarters. Mental health precautions."
"Then why are we here?" I said.
"Because you needed to be put in check. It may not seem like it but I'm a bit fond of you. You're stubborn and hard headed, aggravatingly sarcastic, but you are the best partner I've been assigned to. Like I said before I have your six and you have mine. Not just out there but everywhere else." He said. I nodded that I understood.
"We're supposed to stay up the entire night even though we both know we don't have concussions. Figured we may as well keep each other company. You ever played gin?" He said pulling out a deck of cards.
"No but I'm guessing your going to try and teach me." I said.
"Drink up its going to be a long night." He said finishing his drink. I picked up my drink and swallowed it in one gulp.
A Month Later-
We had three days off and then we were back to work. The first few days we were back we were stationed at the base in an effort to ease us back in. That and I had a feeling General Ross wanted to keep a close eye on us. Wren had the same hunch so we decided to request full time field service. They were shorthanded and despite the fact that it was dangerous it was better than being constantly watched.
I asked Wren about Ross and he told me that he had only been in Afghanistan for a little over a year. Turns out he was part of some super secret task force and they had been disbanded after a mission that went wrong. It led to a ton of casualties and collateral damage. Rumors said it might have had something to do with Harlem and the Hulk.
The plus side of being in the field, I got a ton of hands on surgical experience. I had logged in more surgery hours than I would have as a resident in the states. Wren believe it or not was a good teacher/mentor. Yes there was a bit of yelling and arguing over best method to use but at the end of the day we were good. We saved the lives we could and lost some.
One day things got really slow which was really rare for us.
"You're time's almost up." Wren said.
"What do you mean?" I said confused.
"When you signed up it was only for six months. Finish up what would be considered a year in the states. You only have a month and a half left. What are you thinking of doing?" He asked.
"I don't know. I can sign up for another year if I want to or I can go home." I said. "What about you? How much longer do you have?"
"I signed up for two years. I didn't sign up with the medical corps I signed up with the British Armed Forces. Two years was the minimum. My time's up at the end of February."
"What do you think I should do?" I asked.
"The choice is yours to make. You've come a long way since you got here, you've learned a lot faster than most new recruits, probably the only one of your lot that can actually perform a surgery on their own. You have a lot of potential but I don't think you should extend your stay. You can do more and you should do more." He said.
"What are you saying?" I asked.
"Go back to the states and ask to take the boards early and then do a second specialization." He said.
"What? Is that even allowed?" I said.
"Under normal circumstances no but given your track record and the unbelievable amount of hours you've logged they might consider it. Plus you served in the military, that's bound to open some doors for you." He said.
"I always finish early." I said.
"I've noticed."
"What are you doing once your time is up?" I asked. "Got family or a girlfriend waiting for you?" I kind of already knew the answer.
"Don't know, Came straight here after Oxford and there's really nothing for me back in England. Might travel." He said.
"If you're ever in Texas look me up. I think its time to go back home. Don't have anymore school and as much as I love Boston it might be time for a change. Besides I want to be there for my godson and friends." I said smiling.
"Sounds nice." He said.
"Major Spencer, Doctor Martell!" One of the soldiers from our squadron said running over to us.
"What's wrong?" Wren asked.
"Were need to head out. One of the patrols requested back up and medical assistance." He said.
"Let's go." I said as I stood up and grabbed my pack.
We drove as fast as the Humvee could go. The closer we got to one of the towns the louder the gunshots and explosions sounded.
"Keep your head down." Wren said.
I looked up at the sky and saw what looked like two giant birds flying around dropping things on the enemies. Their flight patterns weren't exactly normal. It looked like the rebels were firing at them.
"Nora let's go." Wren said.
I nodded and got out of the Humvee.
"Stay alert" one of the soldiers told us.
We ran through the buildings. We were getting closer and closer to the gunshots. We turned a corner and three rebels ran toward us about to shoot. Before they could they were each taken out. I didn't even see where the shot came from.
"Snipers, they're stationed all over." One of the soldiers said. He waved his thanks before leading us forward.
We finally got to the outskirts of the town. The town bordered on a mountain canyon range. The Special Forces were running an op that went wrong. The base they were trying to take out was more fortified than they thought. Reinforcements were brought in and so were we. The rebels were firing what I believe were RPGs at the weird birds. We got to the site and saw that there were a few wounded soldiers. A couple of broken bones and bullet wounds. One was shot in the abdomen and was a clean shot. And entry and exit wound. Another was shot in the leg; he was evacuated first chance we got. Just as things were starting to settle down one last RPG was fired and one of the birds was shot down.
"Shit." One of the sergeants on the ground said.
"Echo two this is Echo one, need status on Falcon two." He said.
"Echo one this is Echo two, Falcon two was shot down bringing him to you. Have medics ready." They answered.
"You heard him." He told us.
"Sterilize everything and get the gowns," Wren said as we got in the tent they had set up prior to our arrival.
I put my hair up and put on a scrub cap. I put on an apron and used the sanitizing solution to wash my hands.
"Incoming," We heard someone say as they brought him in.
"Bring him over here." Wren said. I grabbed a pair of scissors and cut off his shirt.
There were burns all over his body and a giant gash across his stomach, gushing blood.
"We have to move. Pressure's building in his abdomen. We need to get in there." Wren said. He gave the patient a sedative to make sure he didn't feel anything.
"Ten blade." I said. I made a small incision and Wren retracted as soon as he did a spurt of blood shot up.
"Crap, we need to get that spleen out." Wren said.
"I need to put a patch on that intestine." I said. I moved to feel the wound and find the source of the bleeding. "I can't find the source of the bleed." I said.
"That's because everything's bleeding. It was a huge drop." Wren put his hand in and felt something that made his face pale.
"Wren?" I said.
"Nora put your hand in." He said. I did as he said and I felt it. Tear in the liver. Too big to actually heal on its own but worst, the bile duct was severed.
"Shit." I mutter. I shook my head. And he nodded. There was nothing we could do.
"Riley!" We heard someone outside yell.
"Sam…" we heard our patient mutter.
"Wren," I said.
"Pain killers must not have kicked in. He's losing blood too fast." Wren said.
"I'm … numb" We heard him whisper.
"Close him." I said.
"Nora…" Wren said.
"Wren there's nothing we can do. Don't make it harder on him." I said. I walked over to his side and held Riley's hand.
"Hi, Riley, I'm Nora. It's going to be okay." I said.
"S-aa-am." He choked out.
"He's okay. He's right outside." I told him. Wren looked over at me and nodded before looking at the outside.
"Wren's going to get him okay." I said.
"Tha-tha-a-nk, yo-you." He choked out.
"Riley." A man in his mid twenties came running in with tears in his eyes. Holy crap that's Sam. The same Sam I met when I got turned into a toddler and showed up in the future.
I looked over and saw Wren holding the flap open so I could wait outside.
"Why?" He said. I knew what he was asking.
"Because they deserve a chance to say goodbye." I answered. Ten seconds later we hear loud sobbing.
I opened the tent and walked in. I put a hand on Sam's shoulder and he looked up at me. "I'm very sorry for your loss." I said.
"What am I supposed to do now?" He sobbed.
"You mourn, you cry, you yell, you do whatever you have to do, and you remember all the good times you had with him and you take it one day at a time." I said.
"It hurts." He said.
"I know it does." I said. Wren walked in and leaned over to whisper in my ear, "We're heading out, they need to take the body."
"Sam, we have to go. They need to take him." I said. Sam sniffled and squeezed Riley's hand one more time before leaving. Wren and I packed up. It was quiet until he finally couldn't take it anymore.
"How did you know?" Wren asked.
"Know what?" I said.
"You know what? That those two were soulmates." He said.
"Slightly below the incision site. Sam Wilson, in messy block writing. He kept calling for him. And the way the wound was slanted. Defensive wound, He was trying to hide the mark." I said. "He probably didn't know he was doing it."
"You got all that from just looking at him?" He said curiously.
"Yeah, I was taught to always pay attention to the little thing. The devil's in the details." I said.
"How did you know what to say to him? It was like you spoke from experience."
"That's cuz I lost both my soulmates." I said grabbing my pack and walking out.
Wren walked right behind me. "Nora wait." I said looking back. At that minute we heard a whirling sound and explosions started. Then another rocket landed by me.
"Nora!" I heard Wren. I felt him put an arm around me and then the world spun and the ground went out from under me. When it stopped I was on the other side of the camp hidden behind a boulder. What the hell? I turned and saw Wren.
"Don't ask question just run." He said pulling me with him. We ran until we made it closer.
The explosions had stopped and everyone was looking around.
"We got to move! Now! Go! Go! Move!" Someone was shouting. We hopped into one of the Humvees and drove out of there. Once we got back to camp we we're sent to write up our statement. I went with the usual. Explosions ran for cover, met up with Wren and then we got out of there response.
After we were done, I went to grab a bit to eat and I was grabbed from behind.
"We need to talk." Wren said.
"Yeah we should." I answered and at that moment I started getting the chills. "Shit, not good." I muttered.
"What's not good?" He asked this was the first time in months it happened.
I started glowing. "Talk Later." I said before I was gone.