A/N: Yay almost there! And to let you know I'm getting very serious with this climax. I'm even bringing my kung-Fu friend, who likes to beat up on me whenever I ask questions on self defense. She'll go "And this is the wrist lock for if they're grabbing you from behind" She'll twist my arm this way and that! How painful!
And this is kind of two chapters in one. Also my sister who edits I think is going on strike because she hasn't edited this even though it's been done since forever so I edited it myself so pray to God you can understand it!
Projected
Riza kicked a piece of burnt wood out of her path as she wandered the research site. One hour down three more to go, for her being of no help to the smart scientists, who were there for a reason, it was going to be a long day. Listening to Geoffrey's orders she tried to look for any human evidence. Alls she saw were burnt trees, brush and ground. Any evidence for Riza would've been burnt. She wished she had the Colonel's experience with fires. When he went to a burn site they could give him a body and he could write a novel about it.
Riza wandered into the un-burnt forest punishing her for thinking of the colonel. She followed a well used animal trail and journeyed further into the forest. Noting nothing strange she decided to start her trek pack to the group, until she smelt a whiff of smoke in the breeze. Was there a new fire?
Following her instincts she followed the smell of wood burning. When the smell became stronger she found her self traveling on a wide even trail. She looked closer and even saw wheel indents and footprints that were recent. She wasn't alone in the forest. She followed the trail for about three quarters of a mile she almost decided to head back when she heard a crude voice up ahead.
"You want food? You're going to have to pry it from me little man!"
"Come on Vic!" whined a higher voice "not fair!" Riza crouched low to the ground and crept closer for a better look. After 40 meters the trail curved for another 30 meters and overlooked a small camp. This is where the smoke was coming from. She saw the two men, one taunting the other holding a cooked fish above his head.
"Come on that's my dinner beside I had to walk three miles to catch that fish." He accidentally kicked one of the smoldering embers toward the small shack. The bigger man looked angrily at the now frightened man. He stuffed the fish in his mouth and lifted him up by the collar.
"If that shed catches on fire you know who will go up in smoke?! We will, a hundred plus gallons of gasoline we will go up in smoke!" Were these the men starting the fires? Obviously they were doing something illegal, Riza was about to creep away to call for back up when she hit something solid. Was there a tree there before?
"Ah Johansson you're back," Vic said in her direction. It took all of Riza's strength just to turn around, but she didn't even get that far, the man behind her whacked her in the back of her head knocking her unconscious.
"Glad she's light?" said the shorter man. Was she still alive, Riza thought groggily? The last thing she remembered was getting hit. What was she sitting, no, lying on? It felt like clothing, in fact it was clothing on a person.
"Yeah, women in the military, what a waste they should be at home cooking," Vic said grudgingly, "Or in bed." If Riza would've been in her right mind she would've blown a bullet hole right through his ear, but she wasn't. "She must be with other people; if we follow her footprints I bet they'll lead us to them. The bosses said we can cause as much havoc as we wish. Some more fire related accidents will do the trick." Riza had to do something, now realizing that her crew was in danger she started to devise a plan but…
"Hey Vic watch out for that tree—," Riza was once again knocked out.
Riza awoke seeing the pretty face of Everett staring sadly at her. "Oh my, you're alive." She said smiling, "We were quite worried about you."
Riza sat up a bit too quickly and felt the blood rush in her brain, causing her to be slightly dizzy. She held her hands up and noticed they were bandaged. In fact parts of her arms and legs were also bandaged. She quickly remembered the camp "What happened? Was it—?"
"There was some type of accident, all of the scientists are either missing or found dead." She said sadly, "Most found in a newly burnt clearing. We found you close; you seemed to have crawled away. Major Smith is away at the moment, but his orders were strict if anything was to happen to you, you would be sent back to Eureka. I talked to him on the phone, he says it is best if you go take a break and not concern yourself for a week or two. These fires will defiantly have blown over by then."
"But," Riza said hopelessly tiring to argue.
"You are so lucky to have people who care about you. I've never had such a luxury. I here you've been practically adopted into the Smith family. Not to mention the doctor Warren follows you around like a puppy."
"I'm sure you've been loved," Riza said uncomfortably. She had never been attacked like this.
"Once, but people like you. Wait exactly you take that one thing away from me." She said showing anger, or was it fear on her face. "You served under that stupid Brigadier General who started a rebel; while the idiotic government was concerned with that they forgot those on the frontline." Her voice started rising "Especially those commanding it, half of our troops died of frostbite or killed by those barbarians! Especially my Lieutenant Colonel!
"Captain," Colette said sternly from the opening of the tent. The Captain looked frightfully at the private then stood up. "The Lieutenant's train is here. She needs to dress and get ready."
"Safe journey," Everett said quietly before leaving the tent Colette and Riza saluted.
"What was up with that?" Riza said looking shocked at Colette.
"Just get dressed," she turned to leave the tent
"Wait," Riza said confused, "You're coming with me?"
"I was also asked to return to the fort."
Riza solemnly stepped off the train and looked at Eureka. I hadn't changed at all. She was surprised though not to be greeted by Molly, but Doctor Jim Warren. She waved and gave him a slight smile, she had missed him her past weeks away from him. She walked up to him and he patted her promptly on the head.
"Poor, poor Riza always getting into trouble." He said empathetically.
"Nice to see you too," she said brushing his hand off of her head.
"Now I'm going to bring you back to the Smith's mansion, but on the way we're going to stop at the clinic to get some ointment for those nasty burns."
"But, Warren the military doctors already gave me some."
"No doubt mass produced powder where you just add water, I'll give you real medicine." Like many of the conversations with Warren she had he started babbling on about the poor quality of Military medications.
"Lieutenant!" yelled the private as she ran up to Riza, "Don't forget your sack." She handed Riza the few things Riza had brought with her.
"Thank you Colette," Warren said grabbing the bag "Do you have a ride?"
"Yes Jim, they'll be showing up soon. Go ahead and treat Hawkeye." She saluted towards Riza "Get those burns treated so we can practice together soon."
"It's a promise," Riza said after snatching her bag from the imposing Warren.
"Come, now Riza." Warren said pushing Riza down towards the parking lot.
"What's with the rush?" She said as they hurriedly headed down Main Street.
"It was announced a person with a projector will be heading out here latter tomorrow night. People come from all sort of small towns just to see a movie." He turned right onto the street where the clinic was, "Unlike in the city where we could watch every day, they only get to see movies once every other month if they're lucky."
"So it'll be busy?"
"Exactly," He said as they walked into the clinic. She waited in the lobby and he went to a back room to get the ointment.
"Riza?" said a voice behind her. The voice was familiar when she turned around she saw Nurse Caitlin, the nurse who cared for her first few days at Eureka. "You look so much healthier!" She couldn't see the bandages on her arms since Riza wore gloves to cover them up. "What are you doing here?"
"Just stopping by with Doctor Warren," Riza said replying politely.
"You're in your uniform, how is the military life receiving you?"
"Just splendid," she said still smiling.
"Oh Riza!" arms enveloped Riza in an awkward hug from Molly, "I was so worried, they called saying you would be returning for health reasons and had the most terrible imaginings. But you seem perfectly fine."
"That's because she's covering up all of her burns," Warren said behind her "And quite badly, who wears those types of gloves in September? Here" warren grabbed her hands gently and pulled to gloves off so they wouldn't hurt her burns, "you need to let this burn have air, not suffocate it. Also get out of that uniform and into something light that won't irritate the burns. Once you get settled I'll show you how to put on the ointment."
Riza did as the doctor ordered and changed into her black dress and white jacket. When she came down he shook his head, confused she sat down in the chair in front of him. When he was in the process of putting on the ointment it hurt her, but a few moments later the ointment cooled and soothed the aching burns.
"Since you have second degree burns on your hands you have to make sure you keep circulation, if they fall asleep for no apparent reason give me a ring." He handed her the medicine tube and asked her suspiciously "How did you get these burns, I mean I know you were at a wildfire but I thought you wouldn't be fighting it."
"I didn't fight it." She said simply looking at the tube.
"So how did you get the burns?"
"I don't know, and it's the truth." She said.
"How can you not know you weren't just burned in your sleep" he said laughing.
"I think I was." She said seriously, "I haven't told this to anyone but I went with a research group to get soil samples and I having nothing much to do wandered into some type of terrorist camp. I think they were the ones starting the fire." She looked at her burnt hands folding them in her lap "But I was found out and taken away, and I woke up like this and the rest of my group was dead. I didn't even get to say a word before was sent back here. I don't know if mutiny's going on or just ignorance." He furrowed his brow in concentration.
"I have a lot to think about now…" Warren said drifting off for a few seconds, "Like I said before I suggest you wear loose clothing like a dress. That black ones to tight and harsh on your skin. Stay out of the sun it will only irritate you more." He stood up and patted her on the head. "Use the ointment it'll help with some of the pain."
A/N: Sorry I do have an excuse for my tardy update! Remember the mentioning of my broken ankle and how I had some hardware in it? Well on December 13th I got it out! YAYE! No I am recovering and I haven't had enough time to edit and I've been bugging my Editor to edit this chapter( it's been written for almost a week now!) I have been writing though the next chap is finished! And there is a solid outline up for the last chapters except for the Epilogue. ARGH since I started this story I've been working on the Epilogue but I don't have one I love yet! It has to be perfect! I promise to you all this story will be done by January 1st. And hopefully I won't be as flaky as Shigure Sohma in Furuba.
OvEr and out!