Disclaimer: I don't own Our Girl. Everything you recognise was created by Tony Grounds and is owned by the BBC.
Chapter 6
"I've got to hand it to you Mols," Nan told her, "I couldn't 'ave handled that better meself."
Molly looked at her suspiciously, "Just how long were you standin' there Nan?"
Nan just grinned at her, "From when 'e told you why 'e let me call 'im Charlie!
"I woke up early and couldn't sleep so I thought I'd come in 'ere and see 'ow you was doing. I 'eard me name mentioned and wondered what you was talkin' about. I must say Mols, I've said it before and I'll say it again, but 'e's definitely a keeper." She looked pensive, "'e was bang on with everythin'."
Molly thought about what it would take to push her normally cheerful Nan to the edge, "I'm sorry Nan."
Her Nan looked up and gave her a small smile, "Don't you be sorry Mols. The important thing is, you're better now. Anyway, your Captain Gorgeous just keeps surprisin' me. 'E seems to be so posh, but under the surface 'e's really carin'. 'E's a real find. You done well there Mols."
She had, and she knew it.
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
"So what do you want to say to the cockwombles then Dawesy?" It was Saturday evening and he was back in Molly's room.
He had taken his leave from the Dawes women shortly after returning from grabbing his coffee and washing his teeth, and headed back to the flat for a shower. He had tried to hide it but he had felt a bit out of sorts since his conversation with Molly about his name and wasn't sure what was wrong. He supposed if he really thought about it, he was a bit hurt by her calling him a "stiff". He knew she was just kidding, but being told you sounded like a stiff by the woman that you loved and had put your entire life on hold for did hurt a bit. Plus talking of his mum in the conversation had brought up a little bit of homesickness. It had been a long six months and he had missed his parents and Sam a lot during that time. He supposed that now Molly was out of danger, he could take a bit of time for his life.
After his shower he had sat down to finish his paperwork, but the unsettled feeling hadn't gone away. He knew he was over-reacting, but just couldn't get rid of the feeling of hurt. He supposed it was probably a stress reaction. He had shelved everything when he feared that Molly might die but now she was not at death's door any longer, maybe his brain was telling him he could get on with some aspects of his life.
He had checked out train times from Birmingham to Bath with the plan of going next week, and found out that it would only take 2 hours on the train to Bath, and he realised that he could get over tomorrow to spend a few hours with his parents during the day if he wanted. The more he thought about it, the more he did want it, so he called his mother and asked if she and his father were free. To say his mother was in favour would be a massive understatement. To make the situation even better she told him that Sam was having lunch with them tomorrow, so if he wanted to come for lunch they could make it a family affair. It was perfect. He didn't think Molly and Marge would have a problem with it; after all it just meant he would be back a little later tomorrow evening, but he would still spend the night in her room.
Decision made, he set about booking the train tickets. He suddenly thought he didn't have anything for Sam so he would need to go into town and see if he could pick something up for him, and for his parents as well. He could get the card for Molly to send to the cockwombles as well, and maybe some magazines, since he was sure she would start getting bored soon as her attention span recovered.
Between grabbing lunch and enjoying being out and about and getting what he needed, it had taken a fair amount more time than he had intended and he had only got back to the flat at 16.30. He had thought about texting Marge to say he would be late but had concluded that she probably had her mobile off anyway since she was in the ICU. After dropping off his stuff (he had got a Lego set for Sam and a beautiful inlaid wood photo frame for his parents), he gathered up the magazines and the card he had got for Molly and set off for the hospital, arriving just after 17.00.
Knowing he was late he skipped his visit to Candy, assuming that he could go in a bit later for an update on Smurf's condition. He was still feeling a bit under the weather but, knowing he was over-reacting, was doing his best to fight through it. Molly and her grandmother were talking quietly when he got to the room and he greeted them with a quiet "Good evening, ladies" and received enthusiastic greetings from both.
"What sorta time d'you call this?" Marge wanted to know, to which he replied, "Sorry, just got a bit carried away," then, turning to face Molly he smiled at her, "I got your card and I also got some magazines just in case you're starting to get bored." As he sat down and took them out of the bag he didn't see the concerned look the two women shared over his head.
"Thanks Boss," she replied, and then asked slightly plaintively, "don't I get a hug Boss?"
Realising that he had been negating his responsibilities he grinned at her, "Of course Dawesy, your wish is my command!" and came round the bed to give her a quick hug. He enjoyed the feeling of contact and it went some way to making him feel a bit more balanced. He sat down in the second chair and asked how their day had gone.
Their conversation was interrupted 10 minutes later by evening rounds and Charles and Marge went to wait outside. They sat side by side in the chairs in the corridor in comfortable silence.
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
Marge Smith was concerned. Normally Captain James was, if not the heart and soul of the party, certainly an active contributor to a conversation. But this evening he was subdued, almost offhand. She had been surprised when he left so early this morning (especially since he didn't have to get to Barracks today) and was even more surprised to see him show up so late this evening. Then once he did come back he had been quiet, not really getting involved with their banter. It was like he was going through the motions. He had been such a rock for her and Belinda, and certainly for Molly, that she was worried. She knew Molly was as well. They had both noted his early exit this morning and his late arrival this afternoon and she knew Molly had been starting to worry about his non-appearance. Then when he had come in, he'd not made any attempt to hug either of them until Molly asked. Since coming out of Molly's room he had just stared at the wall and hadn't said a word.
Something was going on here. Something bad. She resolved to try and find out. "So what did you get up to today, Charlie?"
He answered her question, describing his shopping trip and noting in passing that he was thinking of going to Bath during the day tomorrow, but assuring her he would still spend the night at the hospital with Molly, and checking whether she had any issues with it, and of course she didn't. But he was different; he didn't react or respond to any of her teasing banter.
When the doctors came out they both went back inside and, as Charles moved to sit down, Molly sent her a questioning look. She just shrugged and raised her eyebrows, unable to give her granddaughter any idea what was wrong with her boyfriend. Interpreting Molly's expression, she told them she would take a short break for a fag, and to call Belinda. She closed the door behind her, silently wishing her granddaughter luck.
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
"Boss?" he looked up from unwrapping the card he had bought for Molly to send to the platoon. Two wide green eyes were staring at him intently. They were moist, "Are you OK? You seem a bit – off?"
He smiled sadly. He should have known he couldn't hide anything from her, "I'm sorry Molly. I'm just feeling a bit low today. You know how it is." Every soldier knew how it was. You were away from your family and friends for months on end. You couldn't be "up" every day and everybody had down days. That's why your section became like your family; because they helped you through days like that. But here he was away from that support. He had the Dawes women, and he hoped they'd be his family some day, but they weren't yet, and he missed his real family. Everyone else, including Molly and Smurf, had had the chance to see their family since getting back, but he was still to see his.
"It's nothin' I said is it Charles?" she asked tearfully, "Because I'd never want to 'urt you. You've been so fantastic. You've been 'ere for me and my family. You've been the best boyfriend ever."
She was in tears as she finished, and he cursed himself. How selfish was he? Was he lying in a hospital bed with three bullet holes in him because he'd fucked up? No. Was he wondering if he'd have a career to go back to? No. Was he going to have to spend the next four to six months in rehab? No. Yet he had succeeded in making her cry and all because of one silly little conversation. He needed to pull himself together and big time. What was he? A man or a mouse? He had never been so disgusted with himself in his life.
He put the card down, rose to his feet and closed the distance round the bed, so he could wrap her up in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Molly," he told her, speaking into her hair, "I've been a bit of a pillock. I just got a bit bogged down. You know how it is when you have a bad day? One small thing becomes the biggest thing in the world and you just can't leave it behind. But it makes no odds; you're "it" for me, Molly Dawes."
She noticed that he hadn't denied that it was something she'd said that upset him, and wondered if that was intentional, but she supposed she'd have to make do with a hug and, to be fair, it was a great booby prize. She was looking forward to getting some proper hugs off him because even the half hugs they'd managed so far were pretty damn impressive from where she was lying.
He surprised her and snapped her out of her thoughts by pulling back and kissing her hard on the lips. Pulling back and snagging the tissues he told her, "I'm sorry for upsetting you, Mols, I've just been a bit homesick today." He took one for himself and passed one into her left hand, "It's been a long time since I saw Sam or my parents and it's taking its toll. If it's OK with you, I thought I might take a run down to Bath tomorrow during the day while your Grandmother's here? It's only two hours each way and, if I leave at a reasonable time I can be back by late tomorrow afternoon."
"Of course it's fine with me you numpty," She was touched that he'd effectively put his life on hold for her. Here she was spending time with the most important people in her life, her Mum, her Nan and him, and he hadn't even had the chance to see his son or his parents yet. No wonder he felt a bit down; to be back in the country but not to have seen her family would have just about killed her. It must be even more difficult for him with a young son. She wasn't quite ready not to see him, but she thought she should offer anyway, "Why don't you stay over there, Charlie? Come and see me again on Monday evenin'. Get yourself a good night's sleep? You never know – by the time you get back they may've moved me out of ICU!"
After making such a fuss in his mind about her calling him Charlie, when she finally called him Charlie he was surprised to feel a flush of warmth pass through him. He decided there and then that he was willing to make another exception for Molly if that was how it made him feel every time, "Are you trying to get rid of me Dawesy? If so, you'll need to work harder than that! You're stuck with me I'm afraid. I probably will go and spend a few days with them when you're feeling a bit better but there's no way I'm going while you're still in this condition." He told her, reaching out and tenderly pushing her hair to the side and brushing her cheek.
She leant into the contact, "And just what condition is that Boss?" she asked quietly, mock-glaring at him.
"Why, Private Dawes, I thought it was obvious; the condition where you're lying flat on your back dreaming of being in bed with me, as opposed to the condition where you're lying flat on your back in bed with me!"
She stared at him in surprise. This was a welcome return to form, she thought, "Wow Boss, you proper rinsed me!" she exclaimed.
The words had just come out, surprising him as well as her, but he resolved to stick with it. "Indeed Dawesy," he told her grinning, "I thought you were getting a bit big for your boots!"
Then he pulled out a pen and picked up the card he had bought her, "So what do you want to say to the cockwombles then, Dawesy?"
She thought for a bit, obviously flummoxed, and he suggested, "Shall I start with "Dear Cockwombles"?"
She sniggered, "Yeah Boss, I think that's as good a start as any!"
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
Charles James walked into the Queen Elizabeth hospital on Sunday evening a totally different man. It had been a much better 24 hours for him and he felt much more balanced. Everything had started to come together, starting yesterday evening when Candy had come around for dinner and told them that Smurf's condition was much improved.
Apparently telling him that Molly was OK and not dead had really done the trick and Smurf had realised that his life hadn't totally collapsed around him. Candy said that she had told him that Molly was here and asking after him, and that Captain James had been to see him as well and that seemed to penetrate his mind. For the first time he stopped rambling and actually spoke to her and was a lot more with it. The doctors were very pleased as he was now responding to outside stimuli and they felt that they should be able to get a much better idea for his actual condition now. The only problem from Charles' point of view was that Candy now seemed to think he had saved Smurf for the second time. Molly and Marge had looked on with some amusement as she had wrapped him up in a big hug all the time tearfully thanking him. He had shot Molly a quelling glare just as she opened her mouth to make a comment.
Having escaped from Candy, and sent Marge to the flat for some rest, they had enjoyed a good evening together, filled with talk and banter. He had helped Molly finish off her short note to the section and asked whether she was ready for visitors when they released her from ICU. She had said that of course she would love to see anybody who wanted to see her, but in true under-confident Molly fashion that she was sure that given that they were heading off on leave on Tuesday she thought it was highly unlikely that any of them would want to see her. Charles thought that, given how upset they'd all been, it was highly unlikely that any of them wouldn't want to see her but he played along until he could ascertain whether and when people were willing to come.
He had left at 08.00 the following morning and was in Bath by 11.00. He had received a call from Marge while he was on the train to tell him that the consultants were considering moving Molly out of ICU and she had asked whether he could be back by 7pm to be with her and Molly for a meeting after evening rounds? Of course he could be and he confirmed; he had intended to be back by then anyway.
As the train drew into Bath Spa station a feeling of calmness seemed to wash over him and he started to relax for what felt like the first time in a long time. The weather was good so he decided to walk, and he enjoyed passing many of the landmarks he remembered from his youth. As he entered Royal Crescent and looked around at his surroundings he had to stop to brush the tears from his eyes. He couldn't believe everything that had happened in his life since the last time he had stood here. As he paused outside his parents' house he realised that he was finally, truly, safely home. He laid his hand on the front door, as if trying to soak up the feeling of security that this place brought to him.
He had had this moment after each of his tours, but he realised that it felt different this time. Before he had always felt trepidation and uncertainty over what the future held, now he was looking forward to the future. And that was all down to Molly. He hoped to bring Molly here one day in the not too distant future and he hoped that she would be able to feel some of the feeling of homeliness that he felt for this place. It would be a tough sell. She had already told him she didn't like big houses. Maybe it was just a feature of the fact that she'd never been in one before, a bit like her phobia of the countryside.
Realising he had been standing there for some time, he jerked himself back to the present, used the knocker to bang on the door to let his parents know he was here, and his key to let himself in.
His reunion with his parents had been very emotional. He had thought that his mother would never let him go and even his father had clung to him longer than usual. They had had 20 minutes before Rebecca dropped Sam off, and his parents had used it to ask about his reason for staying away. Knowing that this was going to come up he had resolved to tell them about his relationship with Molly regardless. In fact he really needed to get his mother's counsel anyway; as a renowned psychologist she had been an excellent sounding board and confidante as he was growing up and he really needed to talk some of his thoughts and feelings through with her, and ask for some advice. They had only got a little way through his recantation before Rebecca arrived to drop Sam off and he knew they would have to table the discussion for a later date.
Sam, of course, had been rather excited to see his Daddy. His mother had invited Rebecca in, but she had refused, smiling at him uncomfortably and telling him that she was pleased to see him back in one piece. They had arranged that his parents would drop Sam back at about 3pm and then Rebecca had smiled at him in that slightly fragile way one last time, and left. This was the first time they had seen one another since their divorce went through, but they had previously agreed to be as amicable as possible for Sam's sake and he was pleased that that still held, even if it was difficult for both of them.
He held no ill will towards Rebecca. They had had some good times together, but at the end of the day they had married too young and they had both found that as they grew up, they grew apart. They had only stayed together as long as they had for Sam's sake, but it had been clear two years ago that he was the only thing keeping them together and she had voted with her feet after he had returned from his second tour. They had had a trial separation but it hadn't worked and they'd finally acknowledged that at the beginning of the previous year. He had accepted the role with the Under Fives to allow her the space she needed to deal with everything at the house they had bought just outside Oxford and get it sold off. He had moved back to his parents (when he wasn't living on base) and she had bought a small house near Chippenham, just outside Bath, closer to her parents but within easy reach of his parents so that Sam could remain in his life. He was grateful to her that she was prepared to allow him to remain in Sam's life and had promised himself to do everything he could to be a good father to the little boy.
The day with his parents and Sam had passed in a whirl, and in no time at all, or so it seemed to him, he was back on the train to Birmingham. His parents had insisted on dropping him at the station in Bristol, despite it being a long way out of their way, after dropping Sam back at Rebecca's. He supposed it gave them longer to talk, and by the time they got to Temple Meads he had just about got through explaining to them about what had happened to Molly and his massive feelings of guilt. His mother had kissed him goodbye with tears in her eyes and told him that she was pleased that he was back safely, and then suggested that maybe she could come and stay with him in Birmingham and maybe visit Molly and meet her grandmother which, after a moment's doubt (well, panic he supposed would be a better description!), he agreed to.
It was 18.00 when he walked back into the hospital with a spring in his step.
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
"Evening ladies!" he greeted them, striding into Molly's room. He strode over to Marge as she rose to her feet and pulled her into a tight hug which was eagerly returned, and then walked round Molly's bed to hug her as Marge observed, "Well Charlie, ain't you got some lead back in yer pencil!" causing both him and Molly to laugh out loud.
"Nan!" she groaned, "I told you not to make me laugh – it 'urts!"
"Sorry Mols," replied Marge, not looking at all sorry, "But it's nice to see 'im back to 'is best. You look much better Charlie – it must've been a good day!"
He smiled at her, "It was great to see everyone. My parents sent their love," he told her, and then looking at Molly, "to you, and to your family as well, and my mum's dying to meet you."
Molly was stunned, "You told them about me?"
He grinned at her, "Well, why wouldn't I? We've got nothing to hide. Why wouldn't I tell my parents about my brilliant girlfriend who stole my heart? And her mad grandmother, of course…" he finished, grinning at Marge.
She glared at him as Molly blushed, "An' I thought you was such a nice young man! You're in fer it now, Charlie…!"
He continued to grin, "I'm quaking in my boots Marge. At least I would be if I was wearing any. Besides," and he winked at her, "I know you won't kill me when the doctor might come through that door any minute!"
"I think I preferred you when you was quiet." She muttered, but then she grinned, "But don't think I've forgotten this, young man. You'll pay fer that."
"If I were you, I'd run now, Bossman," Molly advised, grinning at their interplay, "Nan can be pretty scary sometimes."
He grinned at her, "Don't worry Molly, I've been in the Army for 8 years and I've done four tours of Afghanistan; I reckon I can deal with whatever she throws at me!"
"Well don't say I didn't warn you, Boss…" she told him, as Marge smiled at him scarily.
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
Dr Matthews had come in right on time at 19.00, but this evening he was accompanied by a second consultant. Dr Matthews greeted them warmly and introduced the other man as Mr Sharpe. It transpired that Mr Sharpe was the senior orthopaedics consultant on the Military Ward where Molly was due to be sent after being discharged from ICU and he and his team would take over Molly's care. If Mr Sharpe was happy with Molly's condition when they examined Molly tonight then she would be transferred to the new ward during the day tomorrow.
Having visited the hospital before Charles knew that rooms in the Military Ward were either single or four person rooms. Molly, as a private, would normally expect to be in a four person room, but he wanted to try and secure a private room for her so that she could have more flexibility in the number of visitors she could have. He knew the boys would be keen to see her and he was also hatching a plan to get her family up to see her as well. All of that would be much simpler if she were in a private room, and it would also be easier for the two of them to be themselves as well. If she were in a ward with other soldiers it would be difficult for them to interact naturally. He resolved to buttonhole the consultants as they left. He would play the MC card if he needed to but he reckoned he should be OK; he didn't think that there would be too many female military patients in the hospital at the moment.
As it happened, his concerns were for nothing. When Marge and he were called back into the room after the specialists' examination of Molly, they were all informed that Molly would be transferred out of ICU tomorrow. Mr Sharpe took his leave after telling them that he looked forward to seeing them tomorrow.
Dr Matthews then winked at Charles and Molly and informed them that Molly would be in a private room since there were no other female patients currently. He took them through some of the other changes associated with her being out of ICU, the primary issue being that visiting hours were restricted to between 2.30pm and 7.30pm. He noted that he had had a word with the ward staff and they were happy for Molly to have family visitors between 8am and 8pm, which produced smiles and thanks all round. He also noted that Molly's physiotherapy would start tomorrow as well. He asked if there were any more questions, and took his leave when there were not.
Charles, realising that this might be the last time he saw Dr Matthews, suddenly realised that actually he did have some more things to ask. Making a quick excuse to the two Dawes, he headed out, catching Dr Matthews just before he left the ward.
"Oh Captain James, don't worry – I included you as family for visitation purposes," the consultant told him.
Charles smiled, "That's good to know thank you sir, but that isn't what I wanted to ask you."
"Oh? Do go on then, Captain," the consultant told him raising an eyebrow, interrogatively.
"Actually sir, there are two things. The first one is – will Molly be able to receive phone calls when she's moved? There is someone who is desperate to talk to her and can't get to Birmingham."
"Oh?" the consultant looked interested, "Then the answer is yes, there are pay phones next to each bed for the patients' use. They would need to pay to make outgoing calls but incoming calls are free."
"Even international calls?" Charles queried.
"Oh yes, we often get a soldier's unit wanting to check up on them so yes. Also, once she's fully stabilised and off life support monitoring she should be able to use her laptop and phone as well. That will probably be three to four more days or so." The consultant told him.
"That's great, thank you sir," replied Charles, "The next question is a bit personal and I wanted to apologise if you feel it's too personal, but I wondered when your wife might be coming home?" Seeing the consultant's look of surprise, he hastened to add, "I promised myself that I would buy her a bunch of flowers or something to say thank you for saving Molly and for keeping me updated with her condition, and I wondered if I might be able to deliver them in person or would need to send them?"
Dr Matthews was amused. You didn't get this every day, but he supposed that Nicky had gone out of her way to help the Captain, and she had certainly saved Molly's life. It was interesting though; very few patients or their families actually followed up on thanking the people who had saved their lives. Clearly Captain James was a bit different. He looked forward to seeing Nicky's face.
He suddenly became aware that Captain James was looking at him nervously and smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry Captain. It's very nice to hear that you feel that strongly. Actually we're expecting her back towards the end of May, so it's very possible that Private Dawes will still be here when she returns. If you are planning on getting her something, could I suggest however that chocolates may be better than flowers? You know what they say about the way to a woman's heart?! I don't know how high your budget stretches but there is a very good chocolate shop in London that she loves that I always buy from when I go down for conferences. It's called Artisan du Chocolat. The shop I buy from is on Lower Sloane Street, just down from Sloane Square tube station, but they're on the internet as well. Keep in touch with me and I can let you know when she's back. If your budget doesn't stretch that far, I'm sure she would be delighted to receive anything from you and Molly though." he told Captain James, smiling.
"Thank you sir, I know the area. One of my best friends from university lives near Battersea Park so I'm sure I can find the shop. It would be a real pleasure for Molly and I to thank her in person." They exchanged e-mail addresses, and then all that remained was for Charles to tell him, "Thank you for all that you and your team have done for Molly, Dr Matthews. We all really appreciate it."
"It was our pleasure, Captain James, and now that we do not have a professional relationship, I would hope that the next time we meet that you and Molly would call us Richard and Nicky."
Captain James thought that that request might be more difficult to honour.
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
"Mols, there's something we need to talk about."
She looked at him, concerned by his serious tone. It was 21.30 and they were alone in her room. They had kicked Marge out but he had stayed, despite her insisting that she wasn't likely to peg it during the night and that he could go and get a good night's sleep on a proper bed. He had insisted that he would stay with her on her last night in ICU and he wouldn't be moved. She had thought her Nan was stubborn but he really was something else. Not that she wasn't grateful, mind; she wasn't looking forward to being on her own in the hospital one bit. Since she woke up, one of her family or him had been with her all the time and that had made her feel so safe and loved, she couldn't describe it.
"It's about the boys." He told her, smiling at her questioning look. "Well I'm pretty sure that they're going to come and see you, even if you don't think so," he half glared at her, mocking her lack of confidence.
"Well it'll be lovely if they do Boss, but why would they want to be with me when they can be with their families?" she asked.
This time he did glare at her, "You don't think they might be worried about you?" he enquired sarcastically, "After all, the last time they saw you, you were covered in blood and being rushed into a rescue helicopter with no heartbeat. I mean it's not like they just spent five and a half months on deployment with you in a war zone, or that you were part of their section, part of their family, that you depended on one another every day or anything?"
He took a deep breath as she looked down, "Anyway, that's by the by. What I'm getting at is when, that's when, not if by the way, they come here, they're going to be a bit surprised to see their Platoon commander spending all his time here. I mean they're probably already wondering why I'm spending so much time here anyway. I suppose maybe they think I'm sharing my time between you and Smurf but that's not going to hold when they're actually here."
She looked at him confusedly. For a minute she had thought he was saying he couldn't be here when the boys were here, but his statement that they would wonder what was up confused her. She told him, "I don't see where you're goin' with this Charlie?"
"It's quite clear, Molly," he told her calmly, leaning over and taking her hand in both of his, "I need to tell them about us."
"What?!" They were just seven words and he said them so calmly and quietly that it took them a moment to percolate through to her. She stared at him as though he were mad, but he just sat there calmly and carried on massaging her hand, as if to give her time to calm down.
His light brown eyes held hers. "Think about it Molly. The Army already knows, so we won't serve together again and you would probably have been re-assigned anyway after this tour, relationship or no relationship. You'll probably go off to a medical regiment or something like that to further your training and so you can share what you've learnt. If you're not in the Platoon any more, what does it matter if the boys know? I mean they'll probably take the piss out of me, but they'd do that anyway. We both know they'll be too scared to take the piss out of you!" They both grinned, "And think about it from their point of view. They'd be pretty upset if we weren't straight with them and they found out about it afterwards, wouldn't they? You would be if you were in that situation, wouldn't you?" he finished, his brown eyes boring into her green ones.
And he was right. Putting herself in their position, she would be pretty pissed off. She hadn't thought about where she would serve after this deployment, but he was right about that as well. She would almost certainly have another stage of medical training. He had obviously thought about this a lot.
"Are you sure Boss? Once we tell them, there's no going back."
His eyes continued to focus on her, but now they were warm and loving, "I am Molly. The Army knows officially already, so there really is no going back. I will inform Major Beck tomorrow that you are my girlfriend. After that you will be re-assigned anyway. It seems right to tell the guys. They all care about you. They've been worried about you and I know they'll want to see you. It's a lot to take in, I know, but think it over tonight and just tell me in the morning if you're alright with it."
She gazed at him. He was right, she knew it. "I don't need to think about it Boss, you're right. I'm just a bit sad because I wanted to be there to see their faces. Have you thought about how you're going to do it?"
He grinned and his eyes crinkled, "Well, now you mention it, I was thinking…"
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
Major Roger Beck was unpacking his stuff in his quarters at Bicester when the messenger arrived asking him to call the Colonel.
Grumbling to himself he switched on his computer. It was 18.30 on Sunday and he had only been back in the country for 5 hours. He'd spent a wonderful few hours at Brize Norton with Jean and his two little boys, Mark and Fred, but it had been all too brief, before he'd had to get back to Barracks. At least he'd be able to spend more time with them over the next week before he'd be on leave for a few weeks. Normally one's CO would give one the evening to settle in before calling, so he supposed it must be urgent. He enabled his camera and pressed the icon for the Colonel's connection. "Sir." He reported, sitting at attention. "At ease, Roger" replied Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Smith, "and welcome home."
"Thank you sir," he replied, wondering what the call was about. The only possible reason to accelerate matters would be for bad news. Oh God, he hoped it wasn't about Private Dawes. As it happened his hopes were about to be dashed; it was about Private Dawes but not quite in the way he had expected.
"Roger, sorry to call you when you've just got back, but I wanted to check out this medal citation you sent through and particularly the "special circumstances" associated with it."
Ah, now it became clear, he thought, the Colonel was performing the CYA manoeuvre!
"Yes sir, I guess I can understand that." He replied, inviting the Colonel to continue.
"I just want to be totally clear about the order of things. Your understanding is that there was nothing between Dawes and Captain James until a few weeks ago?"
"Yes sir, Captain James was quite clear about that. And they haven't actually done anything sir. He just told me that they have feelings for one another but that they had agreed to wait out until they got back to the UK because of his duty of care."
"OK, so there's no possibility of wrongdoing with the MC citation, Roger?"
"No sir, I can confirm that they were not on good terms at the beginning of the tour. In fact sir, he nearly washed her out."
"Really, Roger?" the Colonel sounded surprised.
"Yes sir, they had words at Brize and she froze when she was called in to work on an emergency at Bastion. They were not on good terms at the beginning of the deployment. But as he worked with her, particularly following her actions with Private Smith, he realised that she was an excellent medic and had a lot of potential as a soldier."
"So there's no issue with the medal citation or the Annual Fitness Report?" asked the Colonel.
Bloody Hell, thought Beck, how many ways do I have to put this? "No sir, I am convinced that whatever happened, only happened over the past 4-5 weeks. Captain James is one of my best officers sir, and he has always acted extremely professionally, even in this instance."
"OK Roger, and the Mention in Dispatches?"
Bloody Hell, the Old Man must be really worried about this. "I put her in for the MiD sir, and I can assure you I have no feelings for Private Dawes beyond admiration for her as a damn fine medic and soldier and an excellent human being."
"OK Roger, so the only issue then is their behaviour in the compound before the contact on the bridge…? I don't want to subsequently find out that they were banging and that's what set Smith off."
Beck grimaced at the Colonel's statement, "Yes sir, and I have interviewed all the members of Two Section, and they all confirm that Captain James was alone with Private Dawes for no more than 3 minutes and that the section was in an adjacent room. They would have heard if anything untoward happened. They confirmed that the Captain spoke to Dawes but did not hear the conversation or anything else. I would like to re-iterate that I spoke to Captain James about this on several occasions and I believe him."
The Colonel obviously realised he'd gone too far and hurried to make amends, "OK Roger, but you understand why we have to make certain? I've seen the citation and you're clearly aiming for a CGC. She would be the first woman to receive the award. And we're not supposed to have women in frontline combat; having them as medics is bad enough for some. If she gets the CGC, and from what you've written and told me she certainly deserves that award, then the press are going to swarm all over this like flies on shit and if there's even the smallest accusation of impropriety it will be a fiasco for both the Army and for the cause of having women in the Army, particularly with the discussion about allowing women to serve on the frontline going on at the moment."
He hadn't thought about it in quite those terms, but the Colonel was right. But he was right as well. She damn well deserved that award. "I understand sir, but I believe Captain James and I truly believe that Private Dawes deserves this award."
"OK Roger, I just wanted to check. I agree with you. I will endorse the citation and send it up the line. I don't expect you've heard the end of this, though."
"No sir, I suppose not."
"OK Roger, enjoy the rest of your evening and we'll talk tomorrow."
"Yes sir, Good Evening."
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
Captain Charles James paused outside Major Beck's office and straightened his uniform and his beret. It was 09.30 and he had been on the base for only about 30 minutes but had received an e-mail asking him to report to Major Beck as soon as possible. He rapped on the door and received the command to "Enter!"
Striding into the office, he braced to attention and told the Major, "Captain Charles James, reporting as ordered sir!"
The Major rose from his desk and came around to shake his hand, "Ah Charles, good. At ease. In fact, why don't you have a seat? I just wanted to chat a few things over with you. First things first, how is Private Dawes?"
Charles was a bit surprised to be invited to sit in the break out area of the Major's office, but wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. "She's making good progress sir. It was very touch and go for a while but she's fully conscious now. In fact they're going to move her from ICU to the military ward today."
"Oh, that's excellent news, Charles," replied the Major, smiling in a relieved way, "I've been requesting the reports but they don't generally tell you unless something has changed, generally for the worse. I'm pleased she is doing better, and please pass on my regards when next you see her."
"Certainly sir" he confirmed, surprised that the Major was concerning himself with Molly's condition.
The Major must have picked up his surprise because he volunteered, "Don't think that you're the only one that has a healthy respect for Private Dawes, Captain. Many of us admire the soldier she's become. However, there is something you need to be aware of. Major Morley told me that he told you that he has nominated Private Dawes for the Silver Star – is that correct?"
"Yes sir"
"OK, and you know her MC and MiD were both approved?"
"Yes sir"
"Then you should be aware that, following your after action report, and interviews with the rest of your men, I have submitted a citation for a second award."
"Sir?" He was stunned. It was unprecedented for one person to receive two major awards during one tour. Normally they would just lump the event that justified the second award into the first one.
"I believe that, based on the reports, it would be unfair to Private Dawes not to treat the two incidents as separate. However, there is the possibility that Higher may disagree, so you shouldn't communicate the MC to Private Dawes as yet. It is possible that the MC will still be subsumed into a second, higher award."
Charles gulped. The Military Cross was the third highest decoration for gallantry under fire available to Army personnel. A higher award could only mean either the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross or the Victoria Cross. For Molly, as either a woman or a medic, to receive either of those two awards would be an event of massive significance for the British Army.
"Wow, sir"
"Wow, indeed Captain. I've kept you out of this until now for obvious reasons, but I wanted you to be aware. The Colonel has approved the citation and it is going up the Chain of Command. It is highly likely that, given your relationship with Private Dawes there will be quite a lot of focus on this award, so you should expect to be called for another interview."
"I don't know what to say sir, except thank you. Irrespective of our relationship, what Private Dawes did on both occasions was absolutely awesome and I am delighted that she will be honoured for it."
"Agreed, Charles, agreed. Now, onto other things. I've seen your leave request and I've approved it."
"Thank you sir," That was a weight off from his point of view, but there was more news he needed to tell the Major, particularly in light of this new revelation. "Sir, I'm not quite sure how to broach this, but I guess I should just tell you straight out. I asked Private Dawes to be my girlfriend and she has agreed. We've discussed the situation and I would like to request a transfer for Private Dawes."
The Major smiled. "Not to worry, Charles, I had been expecting this anyway. Private Dawes was due to be re-assigned to 4 Armoured Medical Regiment after her tour anyway. I will just move that assignment up. Since you are officially on leave and she is on medical leave there should be no ramifications. I'm pleased for you, Charles."
"Thank you sir." He replied, "Is it OK if I tell the men today? Obviously I wouldn't ordinarily but they are worried about her and now she won't come back to the unit. I think they have a right to know why."
Major Beck was surprised, but thinking about it he supposed it made sense. Private Dawes would not return to the Under Fives and her section, in particular, would want to make sure she was OK, he supposed. "Yes Charles, you can tell them today, if you want to."
They attended to some Company and Platoon business and Charles noted that he had handed over the Platoon paperwork to the Major's admin team earlier. They left with Charles checking and the Major confirming that he would attend the Platoon's homecoming parade tomorrow. The Major brought the meeting to a close and they stood. Charles braced to attention, they exchanged salutes and he left. One down, one to go he thought.
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
Sean Addy, who now thought of himself as Brains, his nickname since he had been in the Army, followed his mates from Two Section as they filed into the room, surprised to see their Platoon commander standing at the front. Captain James hadn't been around too much over the past week and had looked pretty tired and strung out when he had been there. He supposed that having two soldiers in Intensive Care would do that to a commander, especially one who seemed to care about his people as much as Captain James.
He supposed that saying that Captain James was the best officer he had ever served with was a bit nonsensical given that he had only had two officers in his career so far, but Captain James was head and shoulders above Captain Carmichael as an officer, and as a man as well, and he counted himself as really lucky that he had been deployed with Captain James. He had kept everyone alive and that was a pretty good return as far as Brains was concerned.
Kinders was last through the door and nodded at the Captain, "All present, Sir." Then he faced them, "Ten-hut!" They all braced to attention and the Captain told them, "At ease. Take a seat boys, we've got a bit of admin to talk about regarding leave and tomorrow's parade, but before that there's a couple of important things we have to talk about."
The Captain was looking a bit nervous and Brains wondered what was going on.
"I visited Molly and Smurf at the hospital over the weekend. You'll be pleased to know that Smurf is a bit better and that Molly is now out of danger and will be moved out of ICU later today." He paused and smiled as everyone cheered. Dangles leaned over to give Nude Nut a High Five. Those two had been particularly concerned for Molly, given that they had seen her up close and personal after she had been wounded. They hadn't been able to talk about how she had been for a few days afterwards and had just said that she had looked "horrible".
It was strange to think how they had all come to rely on Molly. He thought back to the beginning of the tour and how cruel they had all been to her. It was one of his biggest regrets. The Boss had told them that the thing that set apart the British Army was that everybody looked out for everyone else, but they hadn't looked out for Molly. But she'd looked out for them. It made him feel small just to think about it. Smurf had been a real bastard and then she'd gone and saved him. Crawled across a fucking minefield to do it too. And faced down the Captain. That wasn't easy to do either – he remembered the two or three times the Captain had given him a bollocking. He was one scary man when he was pissed off!
When they had all got back to the FOB from the Mountain CP and Molly had still been at Bastion, the Boss had asked what they'd learnt from the mission. Various members of the team had volunteered points to him until the Boss had swung around and shouted at them, "Did any of you listen when I told you that you needed to look out for the other members of your section?" Stunned, they had all replied that they had, "Did you really?" the Boss had asked quietly, "because from where I'm standing only one member of this section looked out for everyone, and SHE'S NOT HERE NOW!" As they all shrunk away from his anger, he had continued, "You fuckwits isolated her for doing her job. YOU ISOLATED HER! I have never been so disappointed in you as I am today. She came to me with a concern and based on what happened today she was right! I don't know what Smurf said to you, but if he had a problem with her it was up to him to deal with it. You had no business getting involved. You all need to have a good look at yourselves and decide whether you're kids or soldiers, because from where I'm standing you're well named as under-fives! You need to fucking grow up. Kinders – with me!" And with that he had strode out. The Boss had been right as well. In the cold, hard light of day what they had done, what he had done, was just wrong.
And it was made even worse because when they had given Molly a chance to fit in, she had been great. She had great banter, was supportive to all of them and was a great comrade. Despite the fact that she was probably one of the youngest in the group she had been there for all of them at one time or another, supporting them through bad news from home, homesickness and arguments, calming them down and generally helping the section and the whole platoon to function better.
Brains knew that she found the physical requirements tough sometimes, but she never complained, always did her best. When she had been on double patrols because of heightened Taliban activity around Christmas she had been shattered but was still there for everyone in the evenings.
Over time the section had become like a family and Molly was like the elder sister. You could talk about your problems to her and she gave advice. When someone was low she was first in line to help pick them up. One minute she would be taking the piss and the next she'd be there for you.
And for a time they thought they had lost their elder sister. And for Brains, who had lost his elder sister in real life as well, that was horrific.
So this news was very much appreciated, but it seemed Captain James had more to say.
"I've spoken to Major Beck this morning, and I'm sorry to tell you that Molly will not be returning to the Under Fives."
They all looked at each other, their faces falling. Did that mean that Molly was so injured that she would have to leave the Army? The Captain had obviously noticed the reaction because he immediately told them, "Sorry, let me re-phrase that. Molly is expecting to return to active service, it's just that as of today she has been re-assigned."
This was a little bit like pulling teeth, so Brains spoke up, "I'm sorry sir, I don't understand. Why would she need to be re-assigned while she's still in hospital?"
The Captain was doing that lip biting thing he did. This was strange because he really only did that when he was nervous. He replied to them all, "It's what the Army does when two people in a relationship are in the same chain of command."
That made him think. Did the Boss mean Smurf and Molly? Smurf had certainly been trying it on, but nothing had changed there. Smurf was still supposedly out of it, so how could the Army have found out they were an item, unless Molly had told them. But Molly always said she had no interest in Smurf. Maybe the Boss had found out on one of his visits to the hospital. Hang on, the Boss had been at the hospital an awful lot… His thoughts ground to a halt and he looked up, just as Mansfield jumped to the wrong conclusion, "But we already knew that Smurf fancied Molly, Boss – why is that new news?"
If possible, the Boss looked even more uncomfortable. Brains looked round the room. Everyone else looked perplexed. Was he the only one who got it? What about Kinders? Nope, he was looking puzzled too. He decided to put Captain James out of his misery, "How long Bossman?"
All their heads swung towards him, and Captain James looked at him piercingly, "I should have known you'd be the first to get it Brains!"
"Get what?" Fingers just about exploded. The Captain raised his eyebrows at him interrogatively, so he looked at his section, "It's not Smurf and Molly you muppets, it's the Boss and Molly." He told them.
He reckoned he couldn't get a better reaction if Prince Harry had tap-danced around the room naked. Everyone just stopped. Mansfield had just taken a breath before speaking and sort of deflated, Kinders backed against the wall and there were about five exclamations of "What?!" They all swung towards Captain James. The Captain smiled nervously, "Brains is right. Without going into details, we'd been aware for a while that we had feelings for one another but resolved to wait out until we got back to the UK. Obviously what happened accelerated things a bit, and since we are now back in the UK I asked her out and she agreed.
"Normally we wouldn't have told you guys, but with her being injured she's going to need support and I hoped that some of you might be prepared to go and see her while she's in hospital, and obviously I will be there for much of the time, so we wanted you guys to understand why. It's going to be a long recovery and she will really need support from you guys, and I know she'd be really grateful. Also, with her being re-assigned I thought we both owed it to you guys to tell you since I know how close you all are.
"OK, you'll have a chance to chat among yourselves later, but now I want to give you an update on the arrangements for leave and the homecoming parade tomorrow…"
As the Captain droned on, there was just one thing going through Brains' head. They'd failed Molly once before, and there was no way they would do it again. He would be there for her this time and he was sure the other boys would as well. Half of the section lived in the north of England and between them they could make sure that Molly had a visitor, if not every day, then most days. He was dying to get back and see his family again, and maybe take some time away as well, but they would make sure that Molly was taken care of while she needed support.
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
As Charles James walked into the Queen Elizabeth hospital that afternoon, he reflected on an amazing day. As he had hoped, the boys had come to the party in a big way for Molly. He couldn't wait until she saw what they had in store for her. There was no way he was going to let on to her what they were up to before it happened though.
After his briefing he had given the note he had written for Molly, and she had signed, to Kinders and returned to his quarters to get his kit squared away for tomorrow and start to pack, since he would be leaving Barracks as soon as the men went on leave tomorrow.
He had been surprised, nearly two hours later, by a knock on the door. Kinders and Brains stood outside and he had invited them in, wondering if anything was wrong. Kinders had started off, "Sir, on behalf of the section we'd like to thank you and Molly for telling us about your relationship. We realise that it's very private and we are really grateful you've confided in us. No-one will hear of it from us."
Well, that was very nice. He hadn't even thought about them spreading the news around, but it was a weight off that they didn't seem to hold anything against Molly and him. He replied, "Thank you Kinders."
Brains was next, and what he said practically brought tears to Charles' eyes, "Sir, as you know we're very close together as a section and Molly is really important to us. We look on her as a kind of elder sister," his eyes teared up and Charles, knowing that he had lost his elder sister, exchanged sad smiles with him, "We all know we failed Molly at the beginning of the tour and that will NOT happen again. We've arranged a rota for the next few weeks so that one of the section will visit Molly every day, starting on Wednesday. I'll co-ordinate the rota and I thought that if we could exchange e-mail addresses then I could co-ordinate the visits with you, if that's OK, sir?"
OK? OK? As far as he was concerned it was bloody brilliant. He had thanked them profusely. They had exchanged e-mail addresses and Kinders had handed over a few more letters and cards for Molly and then the two had braced to attention, saluted and left. He had stood staring after them for several minutes before he had recovered himself.
On the journey to the hospital today he had co-ordinated Molly's afternoon call and was ready to get it sorted as soon as he arrived. He hoped she'd be awake.
Arriving at the hospital, he strode around to the Military Ward, hoping she had already been moved, and asked at the Nurses' station. A tall nurse with dark brown hair and warm brown eyes greeted him and confirmed that Molly was already in her room. He asked for the number of the phone in her room and after receiving it, pinged off a text message along with two words, "10 minutes". As the nurse guided him along the corridor to the new room, his phone vibrated with a message, "OK".
Walking into Molly's room he got another shock. The ever present drip in her neck had been removed and replaced with a stick on plaster, and she was sitting up a bit higher on the bed. She was still connected to the muted life support monitor, but there were significantly fewer wires connected to her.
As he walked through the door he observed, "Wow Mols, you look much better!" He hugged Marge, and then walked round the bed to hug her. It was much easier with her back supported. Her right arm still hung down and was tied to her body, but she looked much more comfortable. She grinned at him, "It's nice to lose a few wires Boss. Still a few more to go though!" she noted, looking at the life support machine.
As he looked around the room, he noticed that it was pretty nice, if sparse. It was a rectangular room with a window, an ensuite bathroom and boasted a small table and a few chairs. "Nice digs, Mols," he observed, "I didn't know you had friends in high places!"
She grinned at him, "Stick with me Boss, I'm full of surprises!"
They made small talk for a few minutes, and then he suddenly remembered the phone call. "Where's the phone?" he asked Marge. They looked around for a few seconds and found it attached to the wall behind her bed. The receiver was on a long lead and could easily be pulled over.
Molly looked puzzled, "What's goin' on Boss?" to which he replied, "Well, Dawesy, one of your fans has been pestering me for updates for the whole time you've been here and since they can't get to the hospital, I thought I'd arrange a call for you. I checked the number at the nurses' station and they're due to call in…" he looked at his watch, "oh, about 2 minutes."
She looked at him questioningly, "Who is it Boss? Is it one of the boys?"
He smiled, "Well that's for me to know Dawesy, and you to find out…" He and Marge shared a grin.
She gave him a black look, "We might gonna need a discussion about this Boss…"
He gave her a shit-eating grin, "You've only got to wait 30 seconds Dawesy, is it really so difficult? Besides, I can guarantee you that you'll be pleased."
Just then the phone in the room started to ring. He leapt up and answered it, "Hello… Yes. Oh great. Yes, she's right here. I'll just put her on, bear with me…"
He turned to her, "Are you ready Dawesy?"
"Just give me the bloody phone Boss!" she growled, glowering at him.
"Ah, the impatience of youth," he teased, grinning at Marge who grinned back at him, enjoying the banter. He pushed the phone into her left hand and then waited by her to make sure she could move it up to her ear.
She managed it, and spoke into the receiver, "Hello?" she asked.
A/N 1 Hope you enjoyed it. If so, please review!
A/N 2 Any guesses as to the mystery caller? I think I made it pretty obvious.
A/N 3 I will be on holiday for a while so I don't know when the next update will be, but hopefully by the middle of January.
A/N 4 For any of those wondering, "CYA" means Cover Your Arse (or Ass as our American cousins like to call it)!