Road to Tears
Chapter 11
They went to the leisure centre every evening when they got home, he wanted to teach her to swim, so she was prepared, she might have to on that exercise she was due to go on, although he hoped he would be back by then. She was actually quite enjoying being in the water with Charles, she got to hold him and loved the way his hands felt on her. Not only that, if she was being honest with herself, she got to see and touch what had been off limits when she was on tour with him in Afghan, images of him in his paddling pool frequently filling her mind and distracting her from what he was trying to show her, little realising he was having similar thoughts looking at her clad only in a bikini lying on her back as he held her up. He taught her to float on her back to trust she was safe, how to breath, keep herself streamlined so she didn't burn up too much energy. Once he had taught her the crawl and then breaststroke, she thought that she might come here sometimes while he was away, it was quite therapeutic, relaxed her, stopped her worrying and she was worried about those bloody GCSE's and wished she had never agreed to do them now. She would certainly be able to use the pool next time the girls got together for one of their Spa weekends.
It was only a week to go for Charles deployment with 2 section to Syria when he was called into the office of Major Beck "Charles come in, sit down" he started "I just need to run through some things with this deployment."
Charles sat down on the proffered chair waiting for Beck to tell him more about the tour to a refugee camp in Syria.
"I'm really sorry Charles but looks like we will need to extend this trip from 3 to 4 months" he sighed "UN want more feet on the ground, they are worried that it's not just refugees in this camp and they want it monitored more closely" looking at him "So you need to tell your men they won't be back until the end of July now" he grinned "Is it going to be a problem for you Charles?"
He shook his head "No Sir"
"Good" answered Beck "What about your medic, is she going to be ready or do you need a replacement, I believe she has had a pretty torrid time of late, with being a hostage and her wedding not taking place"
"She tells me she is OK and is looking forward to being on tour, keep herself busy Sir"
"I'll let you get off so you can tell the men" then grinning "and you better let your new wife know too."
Shit he thought as he walked across the grounds to speak to Sergeant King. Molly wouldn't be happy, he told her he would be back for her birthday and that they would go out and celebrate, by the looks of it he might just about get home for Spanner and Jenny's wedding, the invite sitting proudly on the mantel piece. It was up in Scotland and Molly was looking forward to going. Her and Jenny had become firm friends ever since they joined them one New Year. It wasn't just the fact he would miss her birthday after promising he would take her out it was that she was really worried about those exams. She hadn't said much about it but he could tell how worried she was, her eyes had always been an open book for him.
He got back to his office and sent a call through to ask Sergeant King to come and see him. He told him that the tour was extended and it was now the end of July before they got back and to let the lads know asap so they could cancel any arrangements they had made. He also asked if Kingy had an opportunity to monitor Lane and did he think she was up for the tour with everything that had happened in Kenya and since. Sergeant King thought she was.
-OG-
He drove home, opened the door and could see that Molly's shoes were by the door so she was home already. He sighed, they hadn't even been married a year yet and he was off again for 4 months. He snorted a laugh although he didn't find it remotely funny, hopefully there would be a bit of a break in tours and he would actually be home for his first wedding anniversary. He would do everything in his power to make sure he was, he had spent more time away than at home.
She was sat at the kitchen table with a mug of tea and flicking through a magazine when he came through. Lifting her head as she heard him her face breaking out into a huge grin as she saw him. He walked across the room putting his hands on her shoulders and kissing the top of her head
"How do you fancy a take-away tonight?"
"You don't fancy beans on toast then?" she giggled
"I think we can afford to push the boat out" he laughed kissing her head again before moving to the drawer with all the takeaway menus.
-OG-
He'd just put a prawn ball in his mouth and looked up to see her staring at him a slight frown on her face her eyes were searching his face, it made his stomach roll the intensity of her stare.
"So, you gonna tell me then?" still staring at him with narrowed eyes "Whatever it is you think I ain't gonna like."
He continued chewing then swallowing his food, delaying as long as possible before he said the words "The Syrian trip, they've extended the dates, I won't be back for your birthday."
"Will you be back for the wedding?" and he nodded "Well that's something I s'pose" standing up "that's me done, I've had enough" as she picked up her plate and scraped the left over into a carrier bag and walking to the sink, rinsing her plate.
He got up and walked across to her turning her to face him enveloping her in his arms and holding her head against his chest "What about when I get back we extend our stay in Scotland, just the two of us" kissing the top of her head.
Molly pulled back a bit to see his face and he was horrified, she looked like she was about to cry, her eyes filled with tears "Don't say things like that" she whispered "Don't make me promises you can't keep, let's just see what happens nearer the time" as she pulled away and walked into the living room to switch on the TV leaving him open mouthed in the kitchen.
He cleared away all their rubbish and leftovers, stacking the dishwasher before joining her in the living room, looking at her watching TV but he could tell she wasn't really looking at it, just staring. He went and sat next to her putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer to him. Her hand instinctively resting on his leg.
"Do you regret this, you me" he felt her shrug "us?"
"God no Molly, what on earth gave you that idea" he said with conviction using his hand to tip her face towards him so he could see her. "I love you, will always love you" he grinned kissing her forehead "I married you."
She didn't return his smile, "you married Rebecca too, and you couldn't wait to get on tour" again he saw what looked like tears forming in her eyes.
"That was different you know that and you know why I married her" he sighed "I married her for Sam, I married you because I want to spend the rest of my life with you" he pulled her onto his lap her head buried against his neck and he could feel her warm breath "I'm sorry about this tour Moll, but I need to go prove that I'm still the soldier I was before I was shot, that what happened in Kenya wasn't because I'm not a fully functioning soldier."
When she went AWOL to visit him in hospital he told her that until he met her the army was important to him, there was nothing he loved more than living out of a Bergen and here he was preparing to go away again. He loved her, couldn't imagine his life without her in it, and missed her like hell when he went away, how she could think that he didn't.
She sat up and looked into his face, his eyes dark and sad that he was trying to make her understand why and she did, she really did. She did what she always did and what she would always do she wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling at him as she kissed him. He felt guilty that he was letting her down, broken the promise he made that he would be there for her birthday and to celebrate her exam passes, but it floored him that she thought he wanted to get away from her, that he was choosing to go. He would have a look on the internet tomorrow, book somewhere special in Scotland.
-OG-
The run up to this tour he had never felt so busy. During the day he was getting his men ready and in the evenings he was teaching Molly to swim and then they ran through some old test papers they found online for the GCSE's she was taking while he was away. He knew how worried she was about these exams and he wanted to help her, especially as he now wasn't going to be here when she took them. He could see it in her eyes, her shoulders seemed permanently hunched and he was forever taking her hand to stop her chewing her nails. He'd been the one to encourage her to take all those exams and he wasn't going to be here.
She told him the day before he was leaving not to worry about her birthday as he was apologising yet again for not being here like he had promised. She knew he would if he could she grinned. But Jenny wanted a hen do down here for all her friends so they decided they would have a combined event and Jackie had organised a top night out in London. They would delay her birthday celebration and have the hen night early. Because there were so many medics and Jenny had quite a few friends down this way, Jackie had got the coach company that took them to Brize to give them a good deal to take them into London and bring them back. She hoped he didn't mind but she was putting up Jen and a few of her mates as he was away. Of course, he didn't mind he laughed, it was her home too.
"I take it that it will be a boozy affair" he grinned and she nodded smiling back at him
"Jac's says it's a top show, rave reviews apparently but she is keeping it quiet as a surprise for Jen, quite looking forward to it now, it's been a while since I had a night out in London"
-OG-
This had been a good tour he thought and they were nearly at the end. Only a couple of weeks to go. He knew all of the section and they had all worked with each other as a unit before, all they had to do was keep an eye out and support the aid workers in the refugee camp, similar really to what they had done in Kenya but this time with no incidence. Perhaps he should touch wood with it being so near to the end of the tour. He snorted a laugh, since when had he been superstitious. Molly probably, grinning at the memory of him cleaning his shoes at the table and the way she berated him to get them off the table it was bad luck, then when she made him stand in the street to let a black cat go past. He shook his head still grinning, he was convinced she had got all this from her Nan.
They had managed a few phone calls while he was away and he could hear that she was more relaxed now that the exams had finished, although she wasn't really sure how well she had done, but should have the results by the time he was back and it really couldn't come soon enough for both of them.
The sections were all in the ops tent and he could hear the chatter and laughter as he walked through the rows of men to the front turning to face them all standing next to Sergeant King.
"Looks like your misses had a good time on her birthday" called out Fingers.
"Yeah Dangles has just shown us a couple of pictures that Jackie has put up on Facebook" called Brains grinning. Charles looked across at them all grinning at him.
"Is there something I need to know Dangles?" he said with one eyebrow raised.
"No Boss but looks like they had a good night in London while we have been stuck out here."
"Yeah I wouldn't have minded being on that trip" giggled Georgie "Rather than here with you lot."
"We can always put on a show for you Georgie" laughed Monk
"Don't bear thinking about" shivered Georgie in response making the sections laugh
"You might need to work out more Boss" laughed Fingers passing Dangles phone over so Georgie could see what she had missed and she burst out laughing, saying she had already seen them when they came up on her Facebook feed.
"Settle down lads" growled Sergeant King "Let's get this briefing done shall we, you will be back home soon enough."
Charles had no idea what they were talking about, he knew Molly was out last night to see a show in London and was going to try and see if he could get a connection to ring home tonight to ask if she had a good birthday but seems the lads and Georgie already knew that she had. Seems like their Facebook group was awash with the news.
"Hello" she croaked and he couldn't help but laugh that her voice still sounded so husky a day later.
"I've had the lads going on about your birthday and this hen night in London all through our daily briefing" he laughed "Where did you end up going, by the sound of your voice you had a good time?"
"Blinding Charlie" and he couldn't help but grin, she sounded so happy "We went and saw the Dream Boys, they can't half dance" as she burst into peals of hysterical laughter "Poor old Jen got dragged on stage once they found out it was her hen night, would have just died if Jacs had told them it was me birthday and they done that to me."
"So, what exactly do the Dream Boys do?" although he was getting a feeling he knew exactly what and was grinning.
"Good dancing, great music" she giggled "and probably similar sort of thing if you went to a pole dancing club."
"I've never been to a pole dancing club" he laughed.
"Get Elvis to take you" and he could hear the laughter down the line and so wished he was home and could see her face. He missed her and hearing her laugh made him miss her all the more, although she hadn't gone out on her actual birthday she seemed to have had a good time when she did.
"Charles?" using her best wheedling tone
He could feel that she was trying to curtail her laughter but wanted something "Yes?"
"Will you put your dress uniform on, you know the one you wore when we got married?" he felt his face was splitting he was grinning so much.
"What for?" and he had to take his phone away from his ear she was laughing so much, "Molly?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"Love you too and I'll see you when you get back."
-OG-
Finally, he was home, it had been a good tour. He parked on the drive, opened the front door dropped his Bergen and kicked off his boots, and shot up the stairs two at a time. There she was just where he was hoping she would be.
"Do I have to do a strip tease to the music before I can get in" he grinned leaning on the door frame.
Molly burst out laughing "Just get in, I've been waiting for you."
He climbed in behind her, his arms encircling her as he leant his head back and closed his eyes.
"Good tour?"
"Yes it was" he took in a big breath letting it out slowly.
"You got what you wanted out of it?" a little apprehensive and remembering him asking her the same thing when she came back from her second tour.
He kissed the side of her head "Yeah! Yes I did" kissing her again and holding her a little tighter "But what about you, have you got your results for your GCSE's?"
"Yeah" as she turned her head to look at him beaming one of those smiles he loved so much "I was right though, me maths is shit."
"Never mind, you can take it again go for a better grade" he smiled kissing her nose.
"Nah don't think so mate, done with that studying lark, just reminds me why I hated school."
"What does your CO say, you don't want to stay a private do you. You know you can be brilliant don't you?" kissing the side of her head again "I want you to be brilliant."
She screwed up her eyes looking at him through her eyelashes "He says he's gonna send me to Salisbury not Pirbright, 2 weeks training in August. Run a section see if I can hack it being a Lance Corp" she grinned.
-OG-
They went up to Scotland for Spanner and Jenny's wedding. Molly was in awe, it was a beautiful place on the outskirts of Edinburgh. With Spanner in Special Forces, they decided not to wear uniforms, but were in morning suits, the waistcoats a pale yellow to match the flowers in her bouquet. They had also hired a country house much like Charles and Molly had, so there was overnight accommodation for all their guests travelling up from the South. Spanners brother was the best man and the two little bridesmaids were Jenny's nieces.
Molly couldn't stop looking at the beaming faces of Spanner and Jenny and wondered if her and Charles had the same expressions when they were getting married, taking hold of Charles hand as he stood next to her, he smiled and winked giving her hand a squeeze. She remembered feeling that happy on her wedding day, everything a happy blur it went so quickly. Yes she thought they probably did.
Charles was true to his word and they did spend a few days touring in Cairngorm. This time in a lovely hotel close to the national park, it was only a short break as he wanted to get to Bath and see his son after having been in Syria for all those months and they even had the celebratory meal in Cloisters for passing her GCSE's. He had only been back a couple of weeks but they had reminded themselves why they got married, she had even convinced him on one spectacular night to put on his dress uniform for her. Her worries when he left gone and it all felt perfect again.
-OG-
Molly went on the two week training in August and it was bloody hard but at least the weather was good. Much worse than basic and she was a lot fitter these days. Charles had spent ages getting her fitness up, they both went for early morning runs and at the weekends they went to the gym and he continued with the swimming, she was so much better at it now. Told him she didn't mind the deep water so long as she could see the bottom, knew there was nothing dodgy lurking down there. Making him howl with laughter especially as she was pressed up against him and had her hands on his arse when she said it, one of her huge toothy grins on her face.
This time he was the one sitting waiting for her in the bath when she came back from the training exercise, a bottle of wine in a cooler and two glasses waiting on her return. It was the first time for him being left behind for two weeks and to say he had missed her even more was an understatement, to be in their home, their bed and her not be there made him feel incredibly lonely, the house just felt so quiet. It gave him a bit of an inkling about how she felt when he said he was going away. To say he was shocked at the amount of bruising to her legs and back surprised him, that she was unconcerned by them even more so, it made him want to protect her, keep her safe. Seems she had a fall but it was nothing to worry about, she told him she'd got through it as he massaged her shoulders and kissed every one of the bruises on her back.
She had finally got her promotion to Lance Corporal and he had taken her out for dinner in a double celebration with it being their wedding anniversary as well. Tonight though, she was out with her mates for an overnight at one of their favourite Spa's. Jenny, Lauren, Katy, Georgie coming with her sister and Jackie. Both Georgie and Jackie having just got promotion to Corporal. It was an opportunity for them to have a get together in celebration for all their efforts. Jenny long since back from her honeymoon and the girls all wanting to see the pictures and ask her what she thought of the Seychelles.
Elvis was coming over and they were going to go for a few beers and he would spend the night while she was away.
"So, she made it to Lance Corp" said Elvis taking a sip from his bottle of beer and Charles nodded grinning proudly.
"Yep, now to start the work for Corp"
"Is that what she wants?"
"Of course, she does"
"Have you actually asked her Charlie" raising an eyebrow and taking another sip of his beer, looking at his friend and he could see that he hadn't without him having to answer the question verbally. Shaking his head and grinning.
"She could be brilliant Elvis, if she had the rank of Corp she could probably move into one of the training roles" grinning "She'd be good at that, she loved training those medics out in Afghan, she could do it here in Aldershot"
"So, this is you trying to look after her, keep her safe" he laughed "Wrap her up in cotton wool."
"Indeed" he huffed a frown on his face as he looked at his friend "She needs me" narrowing his eyes "and I'm not about to take relationship advice from a mate with a record like yours."
Elvis burst out laughing "Or it could be your mate with experience of losing one of the best things he had trying to make sure you don't make the same mistake" sighing again "All I'm saying mate is ask her what she wants from time to time, don't assume you can make all her decisions for her." He took another sip of his beer "She's in the Army, she might not necessarily always need you to hold her hand"
"and what is that supposed to mean"
"Just that half pint is a lot stronger than you give her credit for" he shrugged "Not needy like Rebecca" and raising his glass and grinning at Charles "but clearly thinks the sun shines out your arse"
-OG-
The rumours were flying round Keogh, there was a small outbreak of Ebola in Sierra Leone. Nothing like the outbreak a few years ago but enough for the powers that be to keep an eye and deploy a task force as soon as the request for help came in from their government.
Molly told him of the rumours as soon as they started. She had volunteered along with a number of nurses, doctors and medics including Jackie, that if they needed support they would go.
"If it's only a small outbreak they probably won't send anyone" Charles said while they were having their evening meal.
"We're having extra training just in case" she replied "So they know we are ready to go"
"Did you volunteer?" he had a frown on his face "Is that why you are being trained now?"
"Course I did, so did Jacs, well loads of us did" she smiled "It's our job ain't it, as medics I mean?"
"Well, if you've only volunteered Molly, you can say you've changed your mind, it's too risky and you don't want to go" he shrugged "no one will mind if you are only being selected on a voluntary basis" sighing "Hopefully they have enough volunteers they won't need you anyway."
She narrowed her eyes and sucked in her bottom lip, standing up and taking her plate to the bin to scrap her food away, no longer hungry.
"So, it don't matter if I stay on the list and get the training then does it, if I might not get picked anyway."
"Look Molly" he sighed "Its Ebola, you can't see it, can't smell it, it's an enemy you can't see and shoot" he tried to laugh "Has no one told you never to volunteer?"
She turned to face him leaning against the sink folding her arms over her chest and raising her eyebrows "So did you volunteer to go to Syria?"
"That was different, you knew I needed to do that tour after the shooting and then Kenya, prove myself."
"And I haven't done a tour to prove myself since I came back from Afghan and that's a long time ago now."
"But you don't need to."
Standing up straight and shaking her head at that remark "Don't I" sighing "I'm a Lance Corp now, haven't set foot out of Keogh for ages, married to a Captain, got an MC for doing my job. People expect me to be brilliant, you keep saying it all the time and now you don't want me to be."
"Of course, I do" standing up and walking to stand in front of her at the sink looking down into her frustrated eyes "I just think that this might not be a good idea, not there and not Ebola" putting his hands on her shoulders "and it's not as if you don't have a track record for getting into trouble" he grinned.
"I do not get into trouble" she shrugged a shoulder looking down at her feet "I just did things you didn't like much" looking up at him searching his eyes "So if you get asked to go, you gonna say no then?"
"Molly you are being unreasonable, I won't get asked" sighing "I'm a Captain we will be called into a meeting and told who is to go and then we will look at what sections might be available."
"But you still said you wanted to go to Syria didn't you?" looking at him with tears of rage starting to build in her "You could've let one of the other Captains go, stick his bleeding hand up."
He could feel the frustration with her building up inside him "Molly" he sighed and she pushed him out the way walking to the table and picking up his plate of forgotten food "Whatever Charles, one rule for you and another for me" walking back to the bin and scraping it away.
"Well, you clearly don't want to talk about this like a rational adult so there is obviously nothing else to discuss" and turned on his heel walking out the room picking his keys and phone up and stomping out the house.
He walked to the pub still furious with her that she had volunteered. Bloody hell they had only had their first wedding anniversary a couple of months ago he huffed, seemed they were out the honeymoon period already.
After a few pints and realising this wasn't solving anything, he walked back home again. The hall light was on but the rest of the house was in darkness, she had obviously decided to go to bed as he sighed. This was their first row and he didn't like it one bit as he slowly walked up the stairs to their room.
Assuming she was asleep he used the main bathroom so as not to disturb her and crept into bed next to her. His back to her not sure how he could make this right, did she not realise just how important she was to him? That he needed to keep her safe.
It wasn't long before he felt her arm come over him and she kissed his back "Sorry" she whispered.
He lifted his arm trapping hers under his as he picked up her hand and kissed it "Me too, I'm sorry Molly" as he rolled onto his back and pulled her into his side kissing her head when she put it on his shoulder. "I just want to look after you, keep you safe" and he could hear her giggle in the darkness before she lifted herself onto her elbow "You know I'm as hard as nails don't ya?, I can look after myself."
Charles could feel her hair tickling his chest as he used one of his hands to push it out the way and held his hand behind her neck "I think I could be about to find that out" he laughed "But if you do get called to do this, please follow orders, keep your head down, stay safe."
Her hand moved up to his face stroking his cheek "Course I will Boss" and he could feel her smiling as she kissed him. His arms going round her waist and their argument was over, but that didn't stop him worrying and hoping that call for support never came.
-OG-
They weren't able to make Elvis' pre-Christmas dinner again this year, not because he cancelled but Molly was on the Ebola induction course, preparing them for if the call came for support.
Then they were in Bath for Christmas and again took Sam to London to see the New Year fireworks and a Pantomime with the Dawes boys, Belinda and Nan.
Charles was called into HQ in late January for a meeting. He sat down with Major Beck, seemed there had been a major earthquake in Nepal and they were sending support all over the area, he and 2 section were to be sent to one of the mountain regions that had been cut off. The engineers were out there at the moment clearing a path and they would go in behind and help with the clear up.
He went across to North Camp to meet with Sergeant King. "Do you think that 2 section are up to the task, have they kept up their fitness over Christmas and New Year?"
Sergeant King grinned at him, "Think so Boss, Brains, Fingers and Monk are old hands now after Kenya and Syria but we have two new members who might need a firm hand, still think the army is a bit of a laugh"
"Well prove to them it's not and being the class clown could get them killed" he grinned back "We're leaving in 2 days" he sighed thinking he had to tell Molly when he got home, the memory of their argument before Christmas playing on his mind, he was going on a humanitarian mission and there was still no word on whether she would be too.
-OG-
He had told her when he got in, and now they were lying in bed, her head on his chest "You will be careful won't you Charles, it's an enemy you can't see" She rolled onto him her arms folded across his chest as her chin rested on them and he raised an eyebrow at her remark, the words from their argument coming back to him.
"No Charles, I didn't mean it like that, but it is ain't it earthquakes?" she took a huge breath "You don't know when the next one is coming or the after-shocks, you will be careful won't you?"
"Of course," he grinned kissing her nose his hands moving down to her backside "You make sure you phone if you get called to Sierra Leone so I know where you are."
"Do you think we will be able to talk on the phone with you out there?"
"Don't know, hope so" he sighed "but write to me if you can't."
"Well, I've got a juicy bit of gossip for you" she giggled "Fingers has started dating Marie, Georgie's sister, apparently he's quite keen."
"Bloody hell, Fingers" he laughed.