Army medic William Murray sat in front of his superiors, they wanted details of that attack, the one leaving several in the squad dead and injured. Bill was informed that the proceeding was being recorded to document his account. The army nurse, still felt numb from it all, the whole of it still fresh in his mind. He was signaled to begin, and his eyes went blank describing the scene, the situation of how they'd been surrounded almost immediately, they were a medical team in a caravan of soldiers in route to a post further into newly acquired territory.
He described how suddenly one of the trucks at the front just exploded and the one after rolled over from the IED blast. Then came the shooting, Captain Watson had sprung into action. Bill would remember how some of the medical officers followed his orders, and the injured were placed behind the last couple of trucks offering cover. Some of the men were caught or thrown and the Captain ducked the heavy enemy fire to pull those men into safety.
~0~
"Captain Watson! John!"
"We cant leave them out there! They aren't dead yet!" The Captain pulled free of the medics hold on his arm. Some men were stuck behind the rolled over Humvee. John had a way of making those around him want to be better to do better. So three others followed his lead bringing the wounded back with them.
"We need to draw fire away so those men can get clear!" he yelled and several of the others, the men listened carefully to his plan. And just like that they positioned themselves as instructed. A few minutes is all the Captain asked for. One of the injured men clutched his radio breathlessly calling for back up.
After three trips the four men had finally pulled the last injured over, the ones uninjured moved next to follow to the safer position. It was then that Private Wilson was hit, bullets spraying the sand around the younger kid.
"Damn it!" The Captain had the others tried to draw fire away, stepping out the Captain fired several shots before breaking into a run for the downed soldier, the Captain fired his wepon once more, making contact with all expected targets.
~0~
Bill took a deep breath now, Mycroft shifted in his seat in response. Tensing he knew what was next, and he almost hit pause on the downloaded video file. Why did he care, why was he even watching, hadn't that witch clearly stated her brothers feelings towards the Holmes brothers?
Her words rang in the government official's head and they were disgustingly familiar. He couldn't blame Harry Watson, he had been in the same place when it was his younger brother in the hospital bed.
Seeing his younger brother in that hospital all those years ago, had caused the usually unemotional man to verbally strike out. Something Mycroft Holmes hadn't done since childhood, he disciplined himself to measure every word. This made it easy to avoid hasty decisions, it also kept dirt off his hands, freed him of guilt or having to express an apology. He hated to apologize. This however would be his punishment for those cruel words and his childish actions against the injured soldier. Mycroft forced himself to listen.
"He wouldn't let anyone else go. His mind was made up and if you know the Captain once he's set on something there's no changing his mind." Bill smiled as another memory crossed his tanned face. Mycroft could read the man easily this medics whole life but he pushed the distraction away continuing to listen he would listen.
"He said 'It's ok Bill. I wouldn't order someone to do something I wouldn't do. Besides it's no big loss if it's me.'"
The dark haired soldier then cleared his throat and continued on with his account.
~0~
He headed back out, standing he hit two intended targets, then proceeded to stop the blood around the upper thigh of Private Wilson. Once wrapping the leg he fired again, the enemy was crawling closer and closer.
It was then the Captain was hit. Unsure at first, then a conformation when the Doctor's body tensed even from where he was the medic could see the blood pooling, staining the earth around the two men. The shot a snipers bullet, two birds one stone. Murry and two others rushed out as the second bullet hit the Doctor, that one had not penetrated his armor. But it had caused the pain of the first shot to register. Murry needed to get the doctor back the two men fired as Murry pulled the doctor from the dead kid. John fought to hold a hand to the boys chest as if trying to stop the bleeding.
"We can't help him John he's dead!" Bill pulled his Captain forcibly clear.
"We need the Doctor!" one of the men yelled as an explosion too close for comfort sprayed them with rocks, sand and Bill acknowledged body parts.
"He is the damn doctor!" Bill growled, hauling John up against the side of their useless humvee. His hands moved under the vest pulling the armor free, eyes wide.
"Christ!" one of the men behind him gasped. John tried to hold on to the pain, to stay awake. Bill was trying to stem the flow, to pack the wound to buy his friend some time.
"No!" The Captain knew his injury he wasn't a fool, and help was too far off. They needed to get out not stick around, he'd said as much. But what had caught Murry off guard was the Captains next statement "Don't waste supplies on a dying man!" He cringed trying to catch his breath.
"Doctor!" Bill growled "John! You stubborn git stay with me."
"No morphine save it for the others. S'in order." Murry than described the chaotic aftermath, the Captain shouting orders on how to wrap the wounds, finally blacking out from the loss of blood, the injured had been airlifted and as backup arrived neutralizing the enemy.
Mycroft had seen enough, he closed the window of the audio file, suddenly needing a drink.