Spike Wakes, Grey's Decision, Evac Plans & Alex

Hospital – Spike's Room

Spike felt groggy and his limbs felt so heavy. It was a herculean effort to get his eyelids to cooperate and open. When he finally managed to get them to open it took a few moments to be able to focus. Using only his eyes he scanned around him.

He was in a hospital. How? Why?

His eyes landed on Lou lying on a cot against the wall. Lou was sleeping. Things started to coalesce as fragments of memories came back to him. He was in the Craig Hospital.

Spike's eyes widened. He was not dead. When the bullet ripped into him Spike thought for sure he was a dead man. He didn't even remember hitting the floor. All he remembered was he had to save Sam. Noah was going to kill Sam because the soldiers were there. And then searing pain that faded to darkness before he hit the floor.

Sam? Was Sam alive? He had to know.

His voice raspy because his throat was dry Spike called out as loud as he could but it was only half his normal voice "Lou, Lou."

Lou's eyes flicked open. Did he hear Spike or was he dreaming? He looked to Spike and saw his eyes were open.

In a flash Lou was up and at Spike's side "Hey bro. Oh man it is so good to see you awake. God, I thought I lost you brother. It was close. Too close."

He clasped Spike's hand and smiled "We are truly brothers now. You have my blood flowing in your veins."

Spike blinked at that and got "You gave me blood?" past his dry throat.

Lou nodded as his grin faded slightly recalling how pale Spike had been and still was "Yeah, you were running low. You sprung a nasty leak and Sam put pressure on you so you didn't go completely dry."

It took a minute for Spike to really register what Lou was saying. He wanted to talk more but his mouth was so dry. He managed to get out "Water?"

Quickly Lou poured a cup of water and put in the straw and held it for Spike while he lifted Spike's head enough so he could drink. When Spike released his hold on the straw Lou lowered his head down to the pillow and set the cup down.

Feeling less dry Spike asked "What happened? Sam was not with it. He was so feverish he was not lucid. How did he know to put pressure on and why did Noah let him?"

Then a thought occurred to him. "How did Sam put pressure on me?"

Wordy wandered into the room and was glad to see Spike awake and talking. He still looked awful but he was at least awake. Wordy heard Spike's question and answered before Lou could.

"We found Sam lying on top of you after the blast that killed the Barton brothers and injured the doctor, nurse and five of the unit soldiers. We are not sure if it was intentional or just where Sam ended up. Either way we are damned glad he was there. We would have lost you buddy" Wordy finished as he came alongside the bed.

His face was full of concern for Spike. He reached out a hand and squeezed Spike's arm "So good to see you awake and talking. But you should rest. If they can they are going to evac you, Scott and Sam today."

Spike's eyes were getting heavy again but he forced them open and asked "So Sam and Scott?"

Lou said "Both doing better. The General sent an emergency medical team along with the cavalry. Good thing too since most the cavalry needed attention too."

"Vanessa and Minna?" Spike said softly and his eyes showed he was really concerned.

"They are doing better. Both suffered concussions in the blast" Wordy answered.

The word blast finally registered in Spike's fogginess "What blast?"

Lou and Wordy took turns explaining everything to Spike. His eyes were blinking as they were finishing. Both could see that Spike was on the verge of sleep.

"Don't fight it bro. Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake again" Lou said.

When Spike's eyes finally closed Lou and Wordy looked at each other in relief. Spike had a road ahead of him to recover but he would recover. Wordy looked closely at Spike and saw the bruising around Spike's neck.

Wordy asked "How did Spike get bruising like that? It looks like someone tried to strangle him."

Lou sighed "I'm not certain but Spike and Scott both said Sam was really out of it. Remember when we all crowded around Sam and Jim told us to back off?"

Wordy nodded not liking where Lou's thoughts were headed.

"Also remember what happened when Ed startled Sam awake in the briefing room after that really long shift?

Wordy interjected with a small smirk "Ed learned not to do that. Hell we all learned Sam could sleep standing up. Quite a talent."

Lou grinned in spite of what he was thinking at that recollection. He finished his thought "I think Sam did it. I don't think he meant to. I think in his delirium he thought Spike was someone else and went after him."

Yep Wordy didn't like what Lou suggested. He said "I wonder if Sam will recall if he did. Should we ask Spike about it later?"

Lou shook his head "No. If Sam did lash out and choke Spike while out of it I know Spike will not say anything to Sam about it. He would not want to hurt Sam like that. But if Sam recalls I'm sure he will try to make amends."

Wordy looked at the purple marks and sighed "Yeah, best to leave it between them. As you say Spike would not want to tell Sam something like that. Sam would never do that on purpose. It had to be the fever."

This was one hell of a ski trip Wordy thought. He shoved that aside and said to Lou "It's near noon now. Captain Tadman called a meeting for one pm. How about we head down and grab something to eat before?

Lou grinned feeling the emptiness of his stomach. He had not eaten anything since lunch yesterday and he was starving. "Sounds good. Let's go. But on the way I want to peek in on Sam and Scott."

Wordy said "Sam's out. Had one of his migraines and Dr. Parker gave him some strong pain meds that knocked him out."

"Probably for the best but I'm gonna just peek in anyways. I didn't get to check on him last night" Lou said as the two headed out of Spike's room.

Hospital – Grey's & Vinson's Room

Forbes entered the room staying close to the walls and walking slowly in deference to his still aching head and his occasional dizziness. That had been some blast. Five of seven men had been taken down. His Sarge and the new guy Vinson, had been hit harder by it being inside the surgery.

He had wanted to check on them earlier but it took time to get his sense of balance back with his ruptured eardrum. He lowered himself into a seat and looked at both of them. Forbes was glad that they were going to be okay. Dr. Parker had let him know that yesterday but he still had to see for himself.

Sergeant Grey opened his eyes sensing someone had entered the room. He spied Forbes and said "Hey Doug."

"Hey Sarge. How ya feeling?" Doug Forbes responded.

"Been better. Hell of a headache and the room spins when I try to sit up" Grey answered.

Forbes moved the chair closer so they could speak without waking Vinson. He said "The targets are dead if no one told you yet. The blast killed both. Poetic justice if you ask me. Vinson hit Noah Barton. From what Hinder says it would have been a perfect shot except for the blast. They are pretty certain Noah's bullet hit a tank of nitrous oxide and everything blew to hell. The RCMP Captain said that ballistics will be run just to make sure. He wants to ensure Vinson is cleared. But there is no doubt in anyone's minds. Just dotting the i's and crossing the t's."

Grey asked "The unit, anyone besides me and Vinson hurt in the blast?"

Forbes rubbed at his ear "Hinder and Welch are unharmed. They were upstairs. Me, Thorson and Ramos all had our bell's rung pretty good. But we are all doing fine. You and Vinson were hit the worst of us."

Turning to look at the new guy Grey said "One hell of a first mission with us for him. He did good. Gonna make a good addition to the team. I wish I could have gotten that damned door open sooner."

"Yeah, Vinson did fine. So did you. It just sucked timing wise that Scott coughed. Not that it was his fault. From what I hear all three of them did a lot to keep the Barton's from killing anyone" Forbes remarked.

Grey nodded "So what is the plan?"

Forbes said "I have to be at a meeting at one. Captain Tadman of the medical team is in charge of organizing evac. Our packages are all worse off than the unit. There are only two pilots with all-weather training and two helicopters. So I expect them to evac Scarlatti and the Braddocks first. Then return for the unit."

"Sounds about right" Grey said and then leaned back as he head swam and the pain reasserted itself. He raked his hands through is black hair and applied pressure to his head hoping it would reduce the pain.

He sighed. This mission had gone to hell. Men under his charge were hurt and so were the hostages he was trying to rescue. He realized it could be worse. The packages could be dead and so could hostages. But that didn't relieve his sense of responsibility.

Grey looked at Forbes. They had been together for many years. Hell he even trained Doug in basic. Robert Grey said "I think I'm ready to hang up my boots."

Forbes looked at Robert. They had discussed this several times since Robert married Kathryn. Being Special Forces and married was tough to do, especially if you wanted to start a family. There were so many risks and it kept them from their loved ones. Tours and missions were routinely extended for them. It was commonplace for JTF2 units.

Doug nodded and said "So when it comes time to reup what are your plans Sarge?"

Sergeant Grey responded "Not sure. Maybe go back to being a Drill Sergeant for basic training. I hear they are looking for a few good Sergeants for basic training. They've had a few losses in the last year of so. Jeff Braddock moved over to Special Forces a while back. Or maybe I'll just get out altogether. But whatever I decided I'm not reuping in Special Forces."

"Gonna miss you when you go Sarge. But I understand. If I ever find the one I might consider leaving" Doug answered.

Robert grinned at that "You are kidding yourself Doug. They are gonna have to kick you out to make you leave Special Forces."

Doug cocked his head to the side. Yeah that or he would die on the job or get injured and not be able to return. Special Forces was his life and Doug could not see doing anything else. He needed to feel like what he was doing was valued. He would not want to feel useless.

He looked at his watch and it was near noon. It would take him a bit to navigate down the stairs with his equilibrium off. The last thing he wanted to do was fall down the stairs. That would be embarrassing. Forbes said "I should head to the café." Then to cover why he was leaving so early he said "Want to grab something to eat before the meeting."

Grey snorted "Take it slow and use the handrail so you don't face plant going down the stairs."

Doug chuckled "How'd you know?"

"A Sarge always knows what is up with his unit. When it is done come back and brief me on the decisions. Then you need to get some rest. That's an order kid" Grey stated.

Forbes nodded and then slowly headed out of the room using the walls again.

Hospital – Scott's Room

Lou and Wordy stopped in Scott's room and were happy to find him awake too. The first thing Wordy noticed was that they had switched Scott to a nose cannula from the mask for oxygen. That was good. Scott was alone and eating a light lunch.

The second thing he noticed was Scott was eating green jello. Wordy grinned and asked "Your favorite?"

Scott shook his head "Nah, just what they brought me. Sam's the one that likes green jello. Me I'm more of a strawberry or raspberry guy. Never quite understood what Sam liked about the green ones."

Lou grinned "Sam's just special."

Scott chuckled a tiny bit. He did not want to laugh outright or he would end up in a coughing fit.

Lou said "Sorry I didn't pop in and check on you last night. How are you feeling today?"

Scott's "I'm okay" brought skeptical raised eyebrows from both Lou and Wordy when it was quickly followed by a long hard coughing fit that left Scott gasping a bit for air.

Wordy shook his head "Damn you and Sam are twins. Both well versed in downplaying your ailments. You know Sam nearly died of bronchitis shortly after he joined the team because he hid his cough from us and didn't bother to tell any of us he was sick."

Scott looked up at Wordy at that "No he never said anything. Damn. Wish I could get him to promise to tell everyone the truth about his health. Glad he tells Jim and me the truth though."

Lou was stunned "Sam tells you the truth?"

Scott nodded "Yeah, got his word when he was a little kid." Then Scott slowly told them the story of when Sam had Scarlet fever. He stopped several times as coughing overtook him.

Again both Lou and Wordy saw that the person in the hospital bed was exhausted. It was time to leave so Scott could get some rest.

Wordy said "Scott we all want to thank you for what you did to save Sam. He is important to all of us on the team. We all hope that you get well quickly too."

"I did what I had to do. No less than any of you would have done in the same situation" Scott said dismissing that he did anything extraordinary.

Lou started for the door and said "Get some rest Scott. We'll check on you later."

Scott nodded and pushed the rolling tray away and lowered the head of the bed a bit. He could not go all the way flat because it made it too difficult to breath. He closed his eyes as his door closed.

Hospital – Café

Greg, Ed, Lou, Wordy and Jules sat at the table with Army Captain Tadman, RCMP Captain Lundgren and Master Corporal Forbes . Zach entered the café and headed straight for the table.

He chose the seat next to Jules and sat down. Zach gave her a small smile.

Zach had quietly opened Sam's door earlier this morning without knocking. He had seen Jules stroking Sam's hair while Sam rested. She did not see him and he just as quietly closed the door then knocked to alert her. Zach thought that Laura's advice was spot on. He should not say a damned thing and he should continue to treat Jules the same way he always had.

Upon entering Sam's room he found out from Jules that Sam had a migraine. As the morning wore on it had gotten so bad that Dr. Parker eventually had to add sedation again to give him relief. So Sam was now sleeping again. But at least he was not in pain and was not nauseous.

"Hey Jules" Zach said in greeting.

Jules looked at Zach and still wondered why he was being so nice to her after what Scott told him. It was a little disconcerting. If she had heard something like that about someone she cared about she would have lit into the offending party like there was no tomorrow. She would have spoken her mind and let them have it with both barrels.

But Zach was turning out to be just as hard to read as Sam. Did Zach not care? Did Zach feel it wasn't his business? Or did he feel this was not the time or place?

Jules felt like she was waiting for the shoe to fall. But she responded "Hi Zach. How is Scott doing today? I haven't had a chance to visit him."

It wasn't quite the truth. She could have visited Scott. But she was scared to. His words still pained her and she was worried that he would give her the cold shoulder. But then Zach was behaving as if nothing had happened, like Scott had not said anything.

Braddocks! They were all cut from the same cloth and were all difficult to read. She wondered if that was an ingrained trait after so many generations of being in the military.

Zach answered "He's doing better breathing wise this morning. The doctor says that it is a common cold a virus and it will need to run its course. When I left him to check on the weather conditions the nurse was just delivering his lunch."

Greg was listening and he said "That is good news."

Zach asked "How is Spike today?"

Lou smiled and answered "Pretty good. He woke up for a little bit this morning. He was really wiped out so didn't stay awake too long. But long enough for me to tell him that Sam and Scott and the others were okay." Then his grin got huge as he added "Oh and that we are true blood brother now."

Captain Tadman had listened to the group and knew from an update from Dr. Parker that all three were more stable today. That was good because the evac would be rough on them. He rapped on the table and called the meeting to order.

"I asked you all to come because we need to coordinate the exfil. We have both a Toronto and Ottawa contingent that need med evac and the SRU team to be returned to Toronto. I plan to exfil the most critical first, which would be the Braddock's and Constable Scarlatti. Early this morning Dr. Parker indicated that Spike is in the most precarious condition of the three. Therefore he will be evac'd in the ambulance sno-cat. Sam and Scott will be evac'd in the fifteen passenger sno-cat so that they may lie down on the bench seats. Depending on the weather the unit will remain here under my team's care until we have evac'd Sam, Spike and Scott" Captain Tadman stated.

Turning to Zach he asked "How does the weather look today?"

Zach answered "So far it looks like we have a go for take-off. The storm is lessening in Markdale. We have a go for Toronto for landing. However, Ottawa is a no go today. The storm has moved toward and is hitting Ottawa hard. All flights to Ottawa are being diverted to Toronto."

Ed stated "Then we take Scott to Toronto with Sam and Spike."

Zach looked at Ed and said "No. I've spoken with the General and he wants Scott and Sam flown to Ottawa when it clears."

Ed stated firmly "Sam lives in Toronto. He should recoup there, not in Ottawa."

"Dr. Parker says Sam needs to be looked after even after he is released. Sam lives alone. The family has decided that he should recoup with Scott" Zach explained. He was annoyed by Ed's overbearing assumption.

Ed was not letting go "What does Sam say about that?"

Zach was about to reply sarcastically that Ed had no say in Braddock family matters when Wordy spoke up "I think that might be best. Lou and I visited briefly with Scott and he said Sam is truthful with him about his health like he is with Jim. So, Ottawa might just be the best place for Sam."

Sitting back Ed crossed his arms. He did not like it. He had promised to help Sam rehab and that is what he wanted to do. If Sam was in Ottawa then he could not do that. But his posture relaxed somewhat as he really thought about what Wordy just shared. If Sam was honest with Scott, Wordy was right that Ottawa would be better.

Ed nodded then asked "So when do you think Sam and Scott will be moved to Ottawa and will it be the base hospital or a non-military one?"

Zach relaxed at Ed's change in tone. He really did not want to get into a pissing match with Ed but he would have if necessary and he would have won. He was used to dealing with mule-headed stubborn men. All his cousins were like that. However, his brother was a prime example. Adam could bluster and rage like no other and it was hard to get him to change his mind once Adam made a decision. But he was a master at doing that.

So Zach responded "The General and Scott's father want me to be conservative with the weather. It is most likely I will fly them out in two days, three tops. By then they may be able to go directly to Scott's home."

Then he chuckled "At least if we keep Sam here, he cannot sign out AMA."

All of Team One chuckled and both Captains and Forbes looked on confused.

Dr. Parker entered the café. She was not looking forward to giving this news to Spike's team. She approached the table where the meeting was taking place. Fiona heard everyone laughing and she hated that she would put a damper on that.

Fiona looked to her CO and said "Captain, I have a change in status. I am not comfortable with allowing Constable Scarlatti to be moved as he has taken a turn for the worse."

That got everyone's attention. Lou sat forward in his chair and asked urgently "What happened?"

Fiona looked at Spike's best friend. She had come to know this by her conversation with Lou and Greg. The nurse also told her about how Lou fell asleep next Spike last night. Those two were indeed good friends. It pained her to tell him.

Her voice professional Dr. Parker informed them "Spike has developed DVT in his right leg. We have started him on medication to help. But I cannot authorize evac for him until we have this under control."

Zach asked "What is DVT and why can't he be evac'd?"

Fiona explained "DVT stands for deep vein thrombosis. It is a blood clot that forms usually in the legs. It is a possible complication with surgery. Travel is out of the question until we can treat it. If the clot were to break loose and travel to Spike's lungs it could cause a pulmonary embolism which can be fatal."

At the stricken faces of Team One, Fiona quickly added "I am confident that with medication we can dissolve the clot. But I cannot chance moving him until that threat is alleviated."

Jules put her arm around Lou who had dropped his head at the news. She tugged him towards her and Lou did not resist. He leaned into Jules accepting the comfort she was giving him. There were times Lou was extremely glad Team One had Jules. It was easier for him to accept comfort from a woman than a man.

Lou was in need of comfort too. He had been relieved when Spike woke up this morning and talked to him. But now Spike was facing a blood clot that if it dislodged could kill him. Apparently Spike was not out of the woods yet.

A mirthless chuckle emitted from his throat.

Ed looked with concern at Lou and asked "What are you thinking Lou?"

Lou lifted his head and looked at Ed. Then he answered "I was thinking that Spike is not out of the woods yet. That caused me think of the fact that Spike hates being in the woods."

Small smiles briefly flashed on the team's faces as they all recalled Spike's animated explanation of why 'his people' did not do well in the woods. The smiles faded as they then recalled that day resulted in Spike's back and Lou's hands were burned when the RJ Strachan threw the homemade ammonium trilodide explosive at Spike and it burst into flames.

It was clear to the team how much Lou and Spike cared about each other.

Greg knew he had to be strong for the team. They had been dealt some heavy blows in the last twenty-four hours and all of them were on the emotional edge.

He gripped Lou's shoulder to get his attention. Then Greg held his eyes a moment before he said "Spike is going to come out of the woods. He has an amazing doctor and nurses caring for him. We need to stay positive. Both Spike and Sam will need our help to get back on the team. We will be there for them. Just like they were here for each other."

Wordy nodded and asked the doctor "So when do you think Spike will be ready to travel?"

Fiona answered "Hard to tell. Depends on how his body reacts. Maybe in two or three days."

Ed's sigh was almost a growl. The team had to get back to Toronto. They had shift tomorrow. Damn he did not like leaving Spike here as much as he did not like Sam going to Ottawa. But there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it.

Jules softly asked "Sarge have you called Spike's parents?"

A sad look crossed Greg's face as he answered "No not yet. I did not want to worry them when Spike was so far away. There is no way they can get here. I was going to call them once we got Spike home."

Lou looked at Jules. Only he and she knew Spike's situation at home with his father. Mr. Scarlatti was constantly on Spike and urging him to quit. Spike only lived with them because he was supporting his parents because his father was ill.

Spike never corrected anyone's teasing that he was a Mama's boy and could not stand to move out. He usually just said 'it's an Italian thing' or 'if your Ma cooked like my Ma you would not move out either'. The truth of the matter was Spike did love his Ma and his Pa a lot but if his father had not been so ill he would have moved out long ago.

The two of them had a silent conversation with their eyes.

Then Jules suggested "I wonder if Spike should go to Ottawa with Sam and Scott."

Ed sat up straight and his face and tone was hard "Why?"

Wordy thought about how Sam might feel responsible for Spike being shot and said "It might do both of them good to be closer together. Sam might feel some guilt about Spike's and Scott's injuries. They would not have been at the hospital if not for his infection. Not that I'm implying any of this is Sam's fault or that he should feel guilty. It's just …"

Lou interjected "It is just that Sam will feel that way. We've seen that reaction from Sam when things go sidewards. Like when Jules was shot."

Jules cringed. Sam had felt such a deep sense of guilt over that. It took her a long time to get him to understand he was not at fault. Hell Jules still thought that Sam still felt the guilt. That was something else that pained her. She wished he could see it was not his fault and accept it.

Greg added "Yes we have. But that might not be the best thing. Spike has no family there."

Zach grinned "Spike is an honorary Braddock and Laura is expecting a Braddock invasion to deal with our injured ones. One more would be no problem. That way the three of them can recoup together. It is easier when you have others pushing you. It will be like when my brother and cousins and I helped Sam recover his lungs."

"I know that the guys have all probably put in for emergency leave by now. Not sure who's gonna get it but Scott's sisters Vicky and Amelia will be there along with my mom and all three of my aunts. Scott's dad will be there for sure and quite possibly Uncle Will. Although he might have to leave again soon, Uncle Will has been gone almost continually lately."

Warming to the idea Ed grinned "Sam and Scott are gonna be mother-hened to death."

Zach laughed "Sure are. Not gonna get away with a damned thing. So there will be more than enough help around to handle one more guy. Hell, Scott and Sam will probably like having another guy around to pawn off the girls on."

Wordy chuckled as he looked at Ed's grin. He wondered what was going through his mind.

Ed thought that for once Sam would not be able to get away with not taking care of himself. With so many women around to mother him, Sam would never stand a chance of getting away with not taking his meds and not resting. Sam would not run the risk of their ire. From what he recalled while spending time with the Braddock cousins when Sam was in the coma, not a single Braddock male dared disobey a Braddock female.

He thought that Spike would be taken care of too. Braddock's were tight knit and once they learned Spike took a bullet for Sam he would be treated like a king. Spike could also benefit by Sam's positive outlook on rehab. And if Jeff Braddock showed up he would deal with both Sam and Spike in a no-nonsense tough love manner designed to get them back to fighting shape.

The more he thought about it, the more Ed liked the idea.

Greg asked "If Spike goes to Ottawa what should I tell Spike's parents?"

Lou responded "Leave it to me. I'll call them and make them aware of the situation. Right now they think Spike is still on vacation. I'll wait until we see how he responds to the meds before I call them."

Feeling slightly badly about pawning off the duty to Lou, even though he offered, Greg nodded "Okay."

Zach turned to Captain Tadman "So it's set. I fly Team One back to Toronto later this afternoon and come back. Then when the weather clears enough we can move everyone else to Ottawa."

Captain Tadman nodded in agreement "When do you want to leave?"

Captain Lundgren said "We can take several of the sno-cats back to Marksdale. If you and your team will be here another two or three days we can bring more supplies. My men need a bit to prepare. We will take the Bartons with us in one of the flatbed sno-cats. The Marksdale morgue will take care of the autopsies."

Turn to Greg Lundgren said " We will be ready to leave in say two hours."

Greg tilted his head slightly to Captain Lundgren. He knew that Lundgren's men could be ready to leave in fifteen minutes. The Captain was giving his team an opportunity to check on their guys before they left them. It was very considerate. Greg replied "We will be ready. Thank you"

Captain Lundgren became very serious "No thank you. Your men saved my little girl Minna. I owe all three of them more than …." He choked up and he had to take a moment to steady his voice "I'm glad they were here. I'm sorry they were hurt. They saved so many."

A young RCMP officer approached Captain Lundgren. His face was grim and there was a suspicious glistening in his eyes. He reported "Captain, we located and retrieved Alex's body. Do you want us to take him to Marksdale too?"

Lundgren's eyes closed a moment as he breathed in deeply. Alex. He was such a good officer; a good friend to everyone. Many people would grieve Alex's passing for a long time. Pulling himself together, the Captain say "Yes. When the weather clears we can bring him home and bury him with the honors and respect that he deserves."

The young officer that reported nodded and then quickly wiped at his eyes. He turned to let the others know that Alex would be going with them. But he was stopped when Jeremy approached the three.

Jeremy looked at Captain Lundgren and said softly "I have something that belongs to Alex." He opened his hand and held out Alex's name badge.

Captain Lundgren took it slowly and reverently. Then he said "I'll make sure Alex get this back."

He then looked to Greg "Take your time with your officers. If you need more than two hours just find me when you are ready to go. We will wait."

Greg softly said "I'm very sorry for your loss. If there is anything me or my team can do. Please ask."

Captain Lundgren nodded "Thank you." Then he and his officer headed out of the café together.

Watching them leave Greg saw the Captain pat the young officer's back and overheard him say "Alex was a good man and friend. You are no less a man when you shed tears for him. We will all miss him very much."