Chapter Two
The sun hadn't yet risen when Soldier awoke. Staring up at the bunk above him, he could tell Sniper wasn't lying on it, though Engineer and Scout were in theirs, both still asleep. Rubbing his face, the Kansan sat up and waited for his vision to clear, then as quietly as he could pulled on his boots and carried his perfectly folded clothes down the hall to the wash room.
Feeling renewed after splashing cold water on his face and getting dressed, he left the base via the main doors and set out to find his best friend.
He eventually found Sniper down in the waterway below the RED base and a huge feeling of relief lifted the fighter's spirit at the sight of him. The long tunnel was lit by long-life light bulbs at regular intervals along the ceiling, though two or three required Engineer's attention. They flickered above Soldier's head as he splashed through the five inches of water towards his friend. He was making a Hell of a lot of noise, but Sniper didn't look up from where he sat on the raised concrete platform at the corner where the tunnel turned. Soldier wondered if he was sleeping leaning against the wall beside the eternally locked supply closet door, but as he neared he could make out the Australian's open eyes, as they weren't hidden behind the usual sunglasses.
"You alright there, Sniper?" The look he received as the first sign of acknowledgement from Sniper answered his own question.
"Ah, uh- stupid thing to ask. I've been looking' for you for long enough to have thought of something' better, right? I'm not great at this sorta thi-"
"It's fine- just-just bugger off. Please. Soldier, not now- ok?" Sniper spoke to the concrete floor between his long legs rather than his team mate.
"You had me hunting all over the base for you yesterday and then all outside this morning. Nearly broke my neck clambering up onto that barn roof just now, and I'd be on top o'that Control Point down at the gravel pit right this minute if I hadn't thought of this place. Who'd think of looking for you underground? You picked the exact opposite of where we'd think to look!" Soldier tried to put a humorous ring in his voice, knowing as he spoke that it was a poor decision.
"Maybe there's a bloody reason for that?" Sniper's quiet tone was suddenly an angry one, though it wavered as though he were on the edge of a breakdown of sorts.
Soldier wasn't one to flinch when yelled at, but it coming from his friend made something inside twitch.
"Yeah, I'm sure there is," Acting openly obtuse, Soldier kicked off his wet boots and dropped down beside Sniper. "but I've found you none-the-less, an' you've been down here alone long enough, I think."
The Australian narrowed his eyes at Soldier, though not quite to his face, and ignoring his dead legs from being immobile so long, started to rise.
"Yeah, well done, mate. I'm going to go somewhere else alone and you can faff around here-" Sniper was cut off mid sentence by Soldier firmly yanking him by the belt back down into a sitting position beside him.
"Siddown, maggot. You don't want to be on some crumbling rooftop by yourself and you know it. Look, I-I've been worried about you all this time and I didn't come find you just so you can run off again." Sniper slid down the wall to show he wasn't going to leave again.
"Look, I know I don't… Just talk about it and we'll try an' get you through this."
"Through this?" Sniper bristled. "This ain't some illness I'll get over and forget about- he's bloody dead. Christ, he's never coming back…The last time I saw him was almost a year ago, and then it'll be two years and then three…"
He trailed off, staring beyond the opposite tunnel. They sat in silence for a few seconds, until he continued. "How do you 'get through' something like this? Know what? We're- we were practically the same age. But he's dead. Christ, who decided that was fair?"
As he spoke, Sniper twisted his sunglasses with his long fingers, the frame bending close to breaking point with each turn. "I mean, I'm out here fightin' and he's at home carin' for the farm, but look who ends up having a rushed funeral thousands of miles away- while his best mate can't even be there to say goodbye or look after his sister-" The glasses snapped clean in two and Sniper's shoulders jerked as he was unable to hold back a sob.
"S-sorry, mate. I've been down here tryin' to-to ah, think about other things this whole time and you come prancing down and I fall apart."
Sniper didn't start crying, he just hiccuped a lot, still forcedly focused on something beyond the tunnel ahead. Soldier felt relieved, but at the same time hated himself for doing so. He thought back to the short conversation with Spy in the break room and recalled his words about being there for his team and friends. His father's lessons were there too, but they seemed to be respectfully moved to one side now.
"Ah, the Hell with it. Here, Sniper." Soldier threw an arm around the Australian's narrow shoulders, pulled him sidewards and hugged him. "What're you apologisin' for?"
Sniper didn't resist or respond in any way, he just stayed fairly slumped against the older man, though his breathing gradually slowed and returned to normal again- the gesture apparently helping. After a while, he sniffed and sat upright, encouraging Soldier to remove his arm.
"Is this the end of classic tough-guy Soldier, folks?" His voice almost sounded completely normal as he mocked a radio commentator. "Will the rock-hard-Kansan be today-forth be known as the rabbit-soft-kitten in-"
Soldier laughed with his friend and shoved him playfully. "Knock it off, gawky. It ain't easy for me to hug another guy."
"I know mate. But ah…thanks. And fer comin' down here to sit with me. Just none of this 'gawky' crap- you sound like Spy and that bloke is one more comment about my height away from me decking him one." He half-heartedly raised a fist to emphasise his statement, but his hand quickly dropped and his face fell.
"Just…it's a blo- it's a let down. Dying. When you have no business t' be dead yet…But ya might as well not bother living if you could kick the bucket at any second…then you don't have to feel bloody awful any more…"
Soldier's eyes narrowed at the implication made in Sniper's depressed words and he replied in a severe tone that made Sniper visibly flinch.
"Don't you be sayin' anything like that again, y'hear? Don't you goddamn dare."
"I just-"
"No. Yesterday the doc' said something relevant to what you just came out with: just 'cause your cousin's life ain't happening any more, doesn't mean yours should stop as well. I think he meant being happy and all that, but it applies what you just said too."
"Soldier, I…"
The Kansan looked at the man beside him and his expression softened at how vulnerable he appeared, though Soldier was still angry. How could Sniper say that? His thoughts were broken by the Australian continuing.
"Sorry. I wouldn't, uh, not-not really. I was just saying anything that floated up.
Christ, I must be really pissing you off. You're the toughest bloke on the team and I'm sat in the dark sobbin' about topping m'self. Sorry."
It was easier for Soldier to provide a comforting hug this time, and Sniper didn't joke about it to make it awkward.
"Naw, just think about what Medic said. I get where he's coming from. Would your cousin or sister want you to be goin' off and giving up?"
Soldier felt the Australian's shoulder's tense.
"You-don't pretend you know my-"
"I don't know them, but they wouldn't, would they? And would you want either of 'em to quit and start talking like that if you died?"
Soldier puffed out a breath of air and watched the resulting cloud disappear in the cold tunnel, then spoke again.
"And you think I like seeing you like this, maggot? You got a right t' be sad, but I'm missin' the mad Australian who jumped out that landing chopper way too early while balancing all those beers for us, then acting like he'd meant to judge it wrong. Whaddo you say? Uh- 'he was a roight head-case.'"
His poor imitation was rewarded with a slanted grin from his friend.
"He'll be back, I'm sure. Thanks, Soldier." Sniper leant sidewards onto Soldier under his arm, which was a bit much for the American.
"Do I look like a sofa to you, sissy?"
He gave him another chummy shove to get him off, and Sniper was game and returned it, causing a short contest that Soldier emerged victorious from.
"You need to eat more apples and those vitamins Medic leaves on the counter for everyone, Sniper. Even the kid could beat you up."
"Oi, Scout's on steroids, it ain't a fair match!"
Both REDs laughed, though Sniper's went on far too long - trailing off into an unhappy whine.
"Ah, whaddo I say in my letter to my sis'? I am not looking forward to writing that, mate… I'll need to bug her for new glasses too, like."
"Cheer up, Engineer can fix them with tape. Just like a dork in school, right?"
"That's not-"
"Hellooooooo?"
Sniper's reply was interrupted by a bright greeting from down the tunnel, where Soldier had entered. A familiar, pale red lab coat clad figure waved from the stairs and was joined by shorter figure in an unmistakable black rubber mask.
"Medic? Hey, Pyro." Sniper made a wobbly rise to his feet, leaning against the wall when he did to wait for his circulation to return to normal.
"Don't get wet, we'll come over. Come on." Soldier pulled on his boots, picked up Sniper's broken glasses and stood too.
Pushing his friend in the right direction, they sloshed along the tunnel to an enthusiastic welcome from both team mates. Pyro pretended to be scared to embrace Sniper, but then locked him in a bear hug, which the Australian spoke through.
"I was out of order yesterday, Pyro. Sorry, mate."
"Mfffdhhkk."
Pyro released him after a forgiving squeeze and gave Soldier a high five as a greeting while Medic turned to greet Sniper.
"Hello friend. We're truly sorry about your cousin, but we'll all try and help the best that we can." Medic then hugged him, which surprised Sniper as the expression on his face revealed, but the doctor stopped suddenly and studied him at arm's length.
"Sniper, you are freezing! You haven't been down here on the concrete floor all night have you?"
"Uh, I was comin' back in the afternoon, but I couldn't… I just ended up down here. So, yeah. Yes."
"Well, you're fortunate Pyro heard you laughing down here, because you could very well have developed hypothermia if you stayed longer."
"He-" Medic promptly cut off Soldier's defence attempt.
"And you should know better, Mister American! Sniper is not emotionally well and allowing him to sit on a damp floor will make him physically unwell too!"
Soldier blinked at the German's wrath and Pyro gave him what he assumed was a sideways glance.
"C'mon Doc, I'm my own person, not a little kid, you know. Soldier only found me a while ago. Besides, I'm tough as Pa's old boots as you all know and respect, eh?" Medic didn't seem to agree and span Sniper around, giving him a firm shove in the direction of the stairs up to the alley at one side of the base. Pyro followed with Soldier, pulling the door to.
"You look like a panda and are as cold as a polar bear, you need to rest somewhere warm right away."
"I'm gonna start talkin' like Teddy-"
"Do you feel very hot at all, Sniper? Or like you might have a cold coming on?" Medic spoke as he walked beside Sniper a few paces ahead of Soldier, so the Kansan didn't hear most of the medical questions being thrown at the Australian. He joked about, miming the doctor with Pyro until the group of four reached the bedroom belonging to Scout, Sniper, Engineer and himself.
Medic led Sniper in and didn't object when Pyro followed and Soldier leant on the door frame, watching.
"Ok, I'm just checking your eyes." The doctor sat Sniper on the left lower bunker, which was Soldier's, and shone a small pocket flash light into each of his eyes in turn, making Sniper blink a lot afterwards.
"Alright, now lie down, please."
"This is Sold-"
"Lie down; I'll go get a thermometer. Pyro, could you fetch some hot tea?"
"Tea? I'm not English, doctor-"
Medic removed Sniper's hat with one gloved hand and placed the other on the Australian's chest, gently but firmly pushing him down onto the blanket.
"I said lie down for now, Sniper. The drink will make you feel better and warm you from the inside. "
Sniper made a complaining sound as he often did around Medic, but obeyed. Satisfied his patient wasn't going anywhere, Medic nodded and shooed Pyro towards the door and Soldier stepped back from the doorway so they could get past, then turned back to the bed, chuckling.
"I'm sure if one of us had a paper cut, that doctor'd quarantine him-"
Sniper's eyes were closed and his head resting to one side of the faded pillow; an untroubled expression on his unshaven face. Unresponsive to a few testing pokes in the leg, he was indeed asleep, so Solider sat on the edge of the bunk and moved his friend's hat to the bedside cabinet, then carefully pulled off his boots. Medic returned shaking a thermometer as Soldier pushed them under the bed.
"You love him, don't you?"
If the question had come from anybody else, Soldier would have probably floored them, but he knew exactly how Medic meant it.
"Well, somebody has to, Doc…"
The older man gave him a small smile and removed a glove, stepping over to feel Sniper's forehead with his hand.
"I am sorry I was irate, but I think I share your fondness for Sniper. In another life I knew someone he could almost be a long lost Australian brother to." He removed his hand and snapped the shiny red glove back on.
"Uh, ok. We really don't need another Sniper out there. The world couldn't handle it."
Both men shared a small laugh, but Medic stopped when Soldier did, appearing worried.
"What's wrong? He's just sleeping- he'll feel a lot brighter when he wakes if he gets a few hours."
"No, Doc, he said somethin' about-uh, he assured me he didn't mean it- but he implied that…he thought about…"
"Ah. Well we both know he wouldn't really mean it. As for his health, he does seem alright, but I'll have to take his temperature tomorrow and see. Now let's find Pyro and that tea, there wasn't much left and I'd enjoy a mug. Would you like some?"
"Heh, no thanks, Doc."
Medic seemed to brush off the suicide talk almost instantly and though Soldier was sure he did so intentionally as to not worry him, he was a lot less worried.
*******
"The knight piece is the horse, Scout, that's a bishop, move it back."
"This game is too fiddly, Doc. Here, this move is alright, yeah?"
"Right! You're getting this, see. Can you stop bobbing your foot, please? You need to sit still, this is a respectful game."
"Pshh, the day I get respect for playing with little bits of wood is the day Heavy says he's giving up steak."
Soldier sat with Engineer on the tractor wheel outside the RED base, watching Medic trying to teach Scout to play chess on an upturned supply crate. The pair were waiting for their own turn, but watching because neither had played in years and needed to catch up on the rules. Pyro sat on the ground next to the tire, though he was reading one of Spy's crime novel books.
"So, uh, should I get Sniper up when I make lunch in a while, or did Medic pump him full of Z-pills?" Engineer asked Soldier, though Medic apparently heard.
"He is just emotionally exhausted, Engineer. Though he might soon have a cold too," Soldier looked down and pretended to clear his throat to avoid the accusing glance. "Don't wake him, but please let me know if he seems unwell when he does- or anyone, actually: no one ever tells me anything until they're on death's door and then expect a medical miracle!"
"Sure, Doc. Poor kid, though. I'll have to make him that dang cake if ya'll don't mind a smaller omelette."
"Httt knnd ffmmhhtt?" Pyro raised his head.
"Bacon."
"Dmmgtt..."
Soldier sat with his team mates in the yard all day, talking and getting closer to each one than he had done in all the time he had been a RED; until the sun set and they eventually turned in, the peace of the day undisrupted by BLU attacks.
Sleeping lightly, Soldier awoke later that night to the sounds of movement in the room. Engineer was snoring and Scout was breathing deeply from under the tangle of sheets he ended up forming in his sleep, but he could not hear Sniper's usual breathing pattern. Almost forgetting he was on the top bunk, Soldier rolled to the edge of his bed and peered down to make out Sniper's lanky form sitting on the edge of the lower bunk, pulling on his boots.
"Maggot?"
Sniper started, and looked up. His expression was hard to make out in the dark, but he looked better than earlier. The "panda-eyes" Medic had commented on were gone at least.
"Hey, Soldier. I'm getting' some-getting some air, mate- don't worry, I'm coming back this time…" His lowered voice sounded sleepy, but not quite as unhappy. "What you said, about him not wanting me to mope and all that crap… Made sense, you know? Thanks. I guess I still actually have a best friend."
"Ah, it's…" Soldier's response drifted off as Sniper quickly left the room, forgetting his hat.
Sighing, the Kansan turned and tried to return to sleeping, feeling as if he had actually been there for someone who really called him friend, for the first time he could recall.
THE END.
Okaaaay, I know this is quite cheesy, but I can't even remember what I was thinking at the time, heh.
Reviews are always welcome, TF2 fans.