Disclaimer – You recognise it, I don't own it.
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John vaguely saw another dust cloud approaching them, after a while.
Another motorbike, this time painted in desert camouflage pulled up next to the black bike. Its rider dismounted, pulling her helmet off to reveal flame red hair.
"Snake-Eyes?" She frowned at the black rider, "What's going on here?"
The black-clad man pointed at John, then tucked his right thumb into his palm and with the other four fingers spread held his right hand in front of his face, little finger towards John. Finally he tapped his index finger against his chin twice, keeping the fingers in their position.
"Captain John Watson, Commander of the Three Continents Division." John repeated, "Did you just call him Snake-Eyes?"
"Yes. What of it?" The woman asked.
"Then there's someone you need to see." John stated, "Make a hole, gentlemen, the lady needs to come through. I rather doubt she'll harm our lady."
The group split, only keeping the two men holding the stretcher near it. John led the woman past, until she could see the sleeping figure.
"Covergirl!" She exclaimed loud enough to wake the tank jockey.
"Wha?" Covergirl looked around, before laying eyes on the woman, "Scarlett!"
"How?" The appropriately named Scarlett stared.
"Put me down, boys." Covergirl reached behind her to tap Bryan as she spoke, "Scarlett's an old friend. We're safe now."
"This is Scarlett to Duke," Scarlett had reached for her radio, "Get a unit on my location, now! I've found Covergirl. Alive! I need Lifeline too."
Scarlett sank down to the ground, as Covergirl was carefully lowered. Scarlett moving to grab her friend's hand.
"God, Court… We thought you were dead." Scarlett breathed, "Your tank exploded."
"So I was told." Covergirl replied, "From what John said, I got hauled out, just before."
Snake-Eyes moved almost silently though the group, to kneel next to Covergirl. He tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention.
"Snake-Eyes!" Covergirl exclaimed in delight, "Its okay, guys. We're safe now."
"You are sure?" Jack frowned.
"Jack," Covergirl smirked, "I broke your nose, while asleep. Trust me on this one. Snakes can defeat any Cobra that are still chasing us. And if he needs help, Scarlett kicks butt like you wouldn't believe."
"Are you injured?" Scarlett asked.
"I was." Covergirl shrugged, "And John won't let me walk unaided. Not until someone else checks my stitches."
"John?" Scarlett pressed.
"He's RAMC." Covergirl declared, "And apparently the highest ranking here."
The group relaxed to a certain degree. Most of them choosing to sit and nurse their water containers.
"Sit down, Alan." John muttered to Alan, who was standing beside him, "You're exhausted."
"Only when you do." Alan countered, "You've been pushing yourself harder than anyone."
"Not until I formerly hand over my patient." John argued, "She's still my responsibility."
"You are too damn stubborn." Alan sighed.
A small group of armed jeeps arrived not long later. They circled the group and a man in a balaclava and body-armour jumped out and charged to Covergirl's side.
"What in tarnation?" The man yelled, "Scarlett. Spook! What the hell? You said Barbie-Doll was alive?"
"She hit me for that." Jack remarked idly, "Broke my nose."
"Hey, Beachhead." Covergirl grinned, "How you been?"
"Dang it, Cinderella!" Beachhead snapped.
"We didn't try that one." Sarah laughed.
"What were you thinking?" Beachhead carried on as if he hadn't been interrupted. It was entirely possible that he hadn't noticed.
"Nothing to do with me, Beach." Covergirl retorted, "Last thing I remember is fire… Probably my tank getting hit. Next thing I remember is John's ugly mug."
"How long were you out for?" A third man had managed to approach them in the chaos.
How he'd managed to approach without anyone really noticing was a bit of a mystery, given that he was dressed in a bright red and white jumpsuit and helmet.
"Thanks Snake-Eyes." The man thanked the black-clad walking armoury, who moved out the way, so that he could kneel next to the patient.
"Won't help you Lifeline." Covergirl shrugged, "I went into surgery, without waking up. And then John drugged me for about a week."
"Why?" Lifeline demanded.
"They wanted to send me to the Commander." Covergirl placed a placating hand on Lifeline, "If I was unconscious I looked too ill to make it. It was the best thing he could do for me."
"Can you walk?" Lifeline pressed.
"Technically, yes. With help. I'm a little unsteady. John said he'd tie me to the stretcher if I tried without help, before someone else checked my stitches. But I haven't fallen to pieces yet. And they're quite impressive."
"Medic Lifeline," John interrupted the conversation, "I would appreciate it, if after you've seen to Covergirl, if you could check my men. I've been their only medical aid for the last few days and I am of the belief that they require some medical attention. Though there is no rush."
"Of course." Lifeline smiled, "Was it really necessary to sedate her?"
"The guy in charge of the base was going to send her to the Commander right after surgery. I didn't feel I had a choice." John answered.
"Good call." Scarlett remarked, "Thank you."
John moved away from the small group.
"Okay, let's see these stitches." Lifeline instructed.
"You sure, Lifeline." Covergirl grinned, "They're pretty much all over."
"Eyes front, gentlemen." Lifeline announced to the area at large.
Every male studiously turned their back, apart from Lifeline. Though they didn't see anything, they all heard Lifeline and Scarlett.
"Good Lord, Court!" Scarlett breathed, "How'd you survive?"
"I need to up my estimate of Cobra's medics' abilities." Lifeline muttered, "This is excellent work."
"It wasn't them." Covergirl countered, "John was pressed into service. They'd lost their medic. So they took him."
"That must have been hard." Lifeline commented, "Did you get any idea how long this took? His stitches are closer together than I prefer, but to each his own. It's very good work. Double tied?"
"Triple, apparently." Covergirl shrugged, "And he said something about thirteen hours. But that was with Cobras assisting."
"He does nice work. But his speed needs work. I reckon these might not even scar badly. If you're really lucky, not at all." Lifeline smiled.
"Not too worried about that." Covergirl remarked, "I just want to know when I can get to work on fixing my baby."
"Total write off." Scarlett nixed that idea, "I'll get Hawk to order you a new one though."
"Okay, I'll have to get to tuning it up soon as it arrives." Covergirl conceded.
"No." Lifeline was firm, "You are getting two weeks of medical leave. At least. Depends on what Doc and I find with more extensive tests. All I can say for certain right now is that you're not going to expire on me in the next day or so. But you're dehydrated, so you're going on a drip. No arguments, or I'll extend the medical leave… And schedule all your missing shots."
"I'll be good." Covergirl surrendered immediately.
"Right." Lifeline finished putting her on a saline drip, "Scarlett, don't let her remove that. I'd best check on the rest of these men."
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It was about an hour and a half later that Lifeline stood up and looked at the collection of soldiers all now sporting heavy duty suncream, water canteens and basic ration bars.
"That's all of them." Lifeline sighed in relief, "Someone get transport here. I want them out of the sun. And preferably on rehydration drips."
"Hey," Covergirl looked around, "There's two missing… Alan and…"
"John!" The exclamation was firm, but slightly panicked, "John! Come on! Stay with me."
"John." Covergirl finished belatedly.
Lifeline dashed over to the side of one of the jeeps. It was out of sight of the rest of the escapees, and shaded by the shadow of the jeep.
John was propped up against one of the tyres. Eyes closed. Body slumped.
It was clear that he was only upright at all because of Alan's hand on his shoulder. The soldier was desperately patting his friend's face as he tried to garner a response.
"John! Come back to me. Stay with me. Please. John!" Alan was clearly getting more and more distressed.
"Out my way." Lifeline squatted down in front of the medic.
Alan hovered, clearly deeply concerned.
"Is he your friend?" Scarlett asked.
"We'd never met before." Alan replied, "But I was the prisoner who saw him the most… He's done everything. Masterminded the escape. Obtained the supplies… None of us knew we were even escaping, until he arrived at our cell door having killed the guards. We walked out of that base. Not a scratch on us. Never faced a single guard. Those we saw were already dead. I saw him kill three. Didn't even realize what he was doing until it was too late to offer to help… This wasn't us. This was all him."
"What else has he been doing?" Lifeline asked, as he continued his examination.
"He takes the longest guard shift at night. Always. Drinks last. Drinks least. We haven't had food, but he puts glucose in the water each day. He checks that we're okay at the beginning and end of each day. And at our midday break." Alan's words were flowing in a rush, "He's a friend. Someone I wish I'd met sooner."
"Well, I've got my diagnosis." Lifeline sank back on his heels.
"What is it?" Alan breathed, "Will he be okay?"
"It's a standard case of Cura te ipsum." Lifeline smiled.
"What?" Alan stared.
"Physician Heal Thyself." Lifeline laughed, "He's been neglecting his own care. Don't know how he's made it as far as he has… He must have some determination. Most people would have collapsed at least a day ago. I'll hook him up to an IV line, dress the few injuries he's accumulated and ignored. He'll be fine."
"Idiot." Alan muttered, "He's an absolute idiot!"
Not one of those close enough to hear Alan's words failed to notice how the word "Idiot" was said with the intonation one would normally give the word "Hero".
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When John came around, he was in what was clearly a hospital bed. A private room.
However there was another occupant.
A blond haired man in a bomber jacket sporting a General's Stars sat next to him. A warm friendly smile on his face.
"Sir!" John managed to pull off a salute, despite the IV in his right arm.
"At ease, son." The General smiled, "I came to thank you."
"You did not have to wait here, sir." John replied, "Someone could have reported when I awoke."
"That's true." The General shrugged, "But that's not my way. Not for men who risked everything to protect one of my own. Call me Hawk."
"Sir," John frowned, "I don't understand."
"Don't expect you to, son. But know this, you protected Covergirl. Stuck your neck out on the line for her. She's one of mine. I appreciate that. You saved her life. Doc and Lifeline both agree… They also say that your stitches could have been double tied, not triple. And if you spaced them a little more you'd save cramping your fingers. But it was a good job."
"Good." John relaxed slightly, "I was worried."
"You're a good man. A fine soldier. And an excellent doctor. Though if you ever neglect yourself like that again, you may find my medics chasing after you. With tranquiliser rifles… They're getting very good with them. Your leg wound was starting to get infected. Much longer without treatment and you might have developed a limp."
"I didn't have time."
"Next time, make time, son."
"What about the other escapees?" John pressed.
"They're a-okay." Hawk replied, "Annoyed at you for not taking care of yourself. But they're a-okay. Some might be by later on. Once you've rested a bit more."
"Sir," John ducked his head slightly, "When I was captured, my patrol was injured…"
"Duke owes me ten bucks." Hawk laughed, "I told him you'd ask about your original patrol… They're all fine. All got shipped home. Patel was medicalled. The other two they're not certain about…"
"But they might still get their tickets." John sighed, "They shouldn't have done that. I'm not worth it."
"They thought you were." Hawk countered, "So you have to make it true, son."
"How?"
"Just be you." Hawk stood up, "Get some more rest, soldier. Someone will be by to debrief you later on. I hope to see you again."
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John wasn't too surprised that he ended up being debriefed by two men he'd never seen before. It was a Staff-Sergeant Ben and a Lieutenant Stone.
Normally a debriefing would be led by a more senior soldier than the man being debriefed, but John wasn't insulted. He got the impression that this was a rather unusual situation he had managed to land in the middle of.
And both men carried themselves with confidence and an attitude that indicated a much higher rank than the one they claimed.
John gave them every detail that he could without breaking his Hippocratic Oath. Though both of them seemed to understand that limitation and didn't press him.
They did, however, ask a few questions.
"Why did you feel it necessary to perform medical evaluations?"
"Gave me information about personnel numbers, shift patterns and the sort of guards I would be facing."
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"Vitamin capsules and superglue?"
"You try turning a key in an old lock gummed up with that. Trick I learned at Uni… Plus vitamin capsules stink something horrible. Nobody would be willing to poke around for long. Only way to open the doors were to break them down."
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Once the debrief was finished, the pair looked at each other, before nodding.
"We have an offer to extend to you." Stone spoke calmly, "We are part of a unit. We require a medical officer… A doctor to be precise. We are of the belief that you might be suitable. What do you say?"
"You would, of course," Ben carried on, "Receive all the benefits that your rank allows. However in our unit rank and position are a little… Fluid."
"Fluid in a way that allows a Staff Sergeant and a Lieutenant to debrief a Captain." John acknowledged.
"Precisely, my dear chap." Stone smiled, "Would you be interested?"
"I take it further details are classified." John stated instead of asked.
"Unfortunately, yes." Ben nodded, "However you would be part of something great."
"But I'm nobody. Nothing interesting ever happens to me… I'm not even a trauma surgeon. I don't see what help I could be."
"My dear chap, you are achieved something that nobody could do." Stone laughed, "So in that respect you could consider yourself nobody. However I rather believe that you are Captain Watson. Owner of a rather impressive reputation that is quickly spreading."
"What?" John blinked.
"You weren't mentioned in dispatches." Ben shrugged, "However… Well, you know how rumour spreads in the Army."
"Like wildfire." John sighed, "I'll think about it."
"Will two days be long enough?" Ben asked, "Just… We really need a doctor."
"I'll give you my answer then." John nodded, "Thank you for the offer and the time."
"We understand this is a big decision." Stone remarked, "And we are not exactly able to give you all the information you desire. There will be further training, of course. However at the end, you will be making a significant difference to the safety of the world. My dear chap, I rather doubt we could find ourselves another doctor so eminently suitable."
And with that, they left.
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Please Review.
This is the penultimate chapter. And I'm having a whale of a time.
I would like to thank my followers and reviewers. Thank you.
IzzyDelta – Ah, that would explain why my translation came out as: "It's not beautiful"… Thanks.
Keltic Cat – Glad you enjoyed. And e-brownies for being the first person (of two) to identify Snake-Eyes.
Pyro-Neko-Isis – Thanks. Nice to know this is appreciated.
Grey-shadow-horse – Well… He is slightly tired.
The Owl Mage – Thanks. John loves you too… (But he's still mine! *Gets possessive again*)
YYHfan-KB – Thank you. Hope you liked.
Tai-writer – Okay, welcome to the story. How'd you find us if you're not a member of these fandoms? Just curious.
photo100 – Hope you didn't wait too long.
FlameingWings – E-cookies to you for being one of the very few (read: two) to identify Snake-Eyes.
Johnsarmylady – You do my ego proud. Thanks for reviewing.
Once again thank you.