Lympstone

Right so it seems this story exploded with positive feedback from the last chapter which I am immensely pleased about, and I will thank everyone who has read and reviewed it so far, I would like to give a massive thank you to Laura627 and Prettprincess45 for taking the time to ready it through and post their review, it really has spurred this story on. I really do appreciate the reviews and would like to get more feedback on the story and how you think it's going. But anyway I should probably stop rambling but I honestly an ecstatic about the reviews but as always I don't own COD but I do own Anchor.

"Stand by we're almost there," A mumbled voice shouted.

"Fuck, we need them here now!" Another voice shouted.

"Shit grenade!" I then heard just as s loud explosion occurred.

I shot up just after the explosion my ears still ringing from the bang, I looked around the room seeing that I was still at Ashley's and the loud bang was in fact her knocking the alarm clock off her side board. "Come on, up and at 'em," Ashley said to me as I squinted as the curtains were flung open.

"Jesus Christ," I growled as I rubbed my eyes from the intense light, "What time is it?" I asked her as I looked out of the window to see the sun just coming up over the horizon.

"Six thirty, your life is easy on the other side of the green curtain," she said jokingly.

I swung my legs out of the side of the bed and placed my stump into my prosthetic; I tightened the straps on my leg which now just felt normal for me. I then put on my clothes and we went down for breakfast Bailey was already sat at their small table which only had to seats.

"Well you can actually walk today?" Bailey asked Ashley sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Ashley said quietly as she put the kettle on. Bailey however jumped up next to the kettle on the worktop and stared at Ashley was, the both giggled to one and other uncontrollably, I took a seat at the table. "You want a cupper?" Ashley asked me as the kettle stopped boiling and they had stopped laughing.

"Nah I don't drink tea or coffee, how about just a glass of water?" I asked her as I looked at the collection of cereals that they had arranged in what looked like box size next to their fridge.

"I can get you that," Ashley told me as she looked at where I was staring, "You hungry?" She asked.

"Starving," I nodded as she place a glass of water on the table and sat down with her cup of coffee opposite me.

"Help yourself like fuck we're eating it," Bailey said over to me, I got up and grabbed the box of shreddies from next to the fridge.

"Can I get a bowl?" I asked Bailey causing them both to chuckle.

"Awww can't the big bad marine rough it," Bailey said from behind me as I looked at the box held in my hand.

"Just eat it from the box, no one's going to tell you off here," Ashley laughed as I reached into the box and pulled out a handful of shreddies, sitting down in the process.

I came to seven o'clock and Ashley went to grab her coat so I grabbed my bag from her room and waited for her to get to the door. "You ready for your last day in rehab?" Ashley asked me as I tightened the straps on my bag.

"Aye as I'll ever be," I told her as I looked out of the window and spotted the sun which had now actually come over the horizon and now had its full blaring light over the rooftops of the buildings in full view as Ashley opened the door.

The heat from the sun's rays broke through the chill of the morning, I was not fully aware of my surroundings yet though and bumped into Ashley was we exited the house. "This is very early," I said to Ashley as I walked forward down the driveway and I turned to walk towards the bus stop.

"This has been my every morning for the last few years of my life," She laughed as she locked the door behind us. It took a couple of minutes to get to the bus stop, which had more people standing around it than the night previously, but we lined up behind everyone and a few minutes later the bus arrived. When I tried to walk I felt my stump put a small amount of pressure on the prosthetic the cold shot up my leg which made me shiver as I managed to get on the bus.

Eventually after about thirty five minutes on the bus we arrived just outside the hospital, I took a deep breath in as I stepped out of the bus inhaling the smells that I had become so familiar with. I looked at Ashley as I stood looking at the front sliding glass doors and sighed.

"What's up?" Ashley asked as I took a tentative step forward.

"I think I'm going to miss this place," I replied as the doors slid open and we walked into the main foyer where the Doc was waiting for me.

"Come now, sergeant we have paperwork to do," He smiled as I to Ashley was she wandered down to her office.

"I'll come and find you after I'm done," I told her as she walked off to which she smiled and turned to continue walking.

"How you doing sergeant?" the Doc asked as he led me to his office where I spotted a stack of paper to which I thought 'Fucking great.'

"Actually I think it's colour sergeant now, Doc," I told him knowing ful well that I would be on my way to Lympstone in a few hours.

"Colours, well haven't you done well for yourself," He chuckled as he sat down and pointed at the chair opposite him, to which I promptly put my arse in, "How's Ashley feel about it?" He asked politely as he reached into his desk for something.

"I think she'll be fine, well I hope so, she doesn't seem to want to stop me," I told the Doc as I heard him clanging some glass from inside his desk.

"She'll never try to stop you, you just promise me one thing," He told me seriously as I looked him straight in the eye, "You keep her safe," He glared at me, I just simply nodded, "Good, now onto the most important part of the day," He said as he pulled two small glasses out of his desk along with a full bottle of Glen Fiddich single malt, "how about a gulper?" he said in his most west country sounding voice yet.

"Oh yes," I told him as I watched him pour me a glass of the bronze liquid and passed me the glass, he then did the same and picked up his glass.

"To new beginnings," He told me as he raised his glass, to which I raised mine and clinked my glass against his.

"Amen to that," I said as I took a gulp of the whiskey and admired the burn and taste of the drink before looking back at the stack.

"Let's get to it then it's not going to do itself," The Doc said as he pulled out a pen and took the first wad of paper off the stack and placed it in front of me, "It's pretty simple, sign the dotted lines and tick the boxes," he told me as he slumped back in his chair and took a sip from his glass.

"So how'd yours happen?" I asked the Doc as I ticked and signed the papers.

"How'd what happen?" He replied sounding like he didn't know what I meant which was bullshit the Doc was a smart man.

"Your leg, how'd you lose it?"

"Is that a concern of yours?" He asked me.

"Yeah it is, I've known you two months and I don't actually know a thing about you," I told me as I finished the first booklet of signing and ticking.

"Well since you put it so nicely," He said with a big grin as he passed me the next set of papers, "I wasn't a Marine like you, I was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Army medical Corps, I was on MERT duty at that point, we had just received confirmation that a group of Coldstream Guards had gotten into a bit of trouble around Qats just North of Musa Quala, we rocked up with mastiffs and Vikings, however when we entered the AO, we hit a mine in the lead vehicle, I was commanding the second vehicle which went to check for survivors and as I did a command wire IED detonated and I woke up here just like you," He sat back still smiling, "now it's your turn," he nodded at me.

"Well I was a marine," I began but the Doc interrupted.

"Well that's bollocks, I know that you were a sasquatch," the Doc said to me as I looked at the glass of whiskey on the table.

"And what makes you think that?" I asked him as I looked up at him.

"Because no ordinary sergeant spends their first few weeks as with an armed detail outside their room guarding a HVT," He smiled, "So you've got to be a sasquatch," He laughed to himself.

"Alright you got me, I was SAS, I got booted for my injury though," I told him, to which he said nothing like he wanted me to continue, "It all started when we discovered that the civil war in Russia had the side effect of arming the middle east with nuclear weapons to which we had to put a stop to. My team and I were tasked with taking out Imran Zakhaev, the man who led the ultranationalist rebels, however it wasn't that simple and we got stuck on a bridge when we were exfailing from the AO with the USMC first recon, I tried to kick away a grenade and it went off, then I woke up here just like you apparently."

"And how much of that can I believe?" He asked me.

"None of it," I replied to him as I took another gulp of whiskey and handed over the stack of paper. It took another hour or so to fill in all the bits of paper I needed for my discharge but I finally got there.

As I got up to leave the office, the Doc got up too and held out his hand to me, "Well, it's been an honour colour sergeant," he said as I shook his extended right hand.

"That it has Colonel," I smiled and I saluted him.

I left the office and went to find Ashley who I had no idea where she would be, I did find her on the ward where they kept the wounded Marines. I told her that I had to contact the Marines at Lympstone to organise a pick up to which she looked a bit green but she said she was okay.

I found a phone and pulled the piece of paper out of my pocket which had been written on the bottom of my letter from the marines, the phone beeped twice before it was picked up by a gruff man on the other end.

"Hello, this is RM Lympstone, Warrant Officer Pitching speaking, how can I help you?" They asked in their smoky voice.

"Hello, this is sergeant Jacks, I'm calling about my new role as the DI at the base," I told him not quite knowing what to say.

"Ah, yes, sergeant we've been expecting your call, we can send a snatch to come pick you up at a time suitable for you."

"How about try and get here for half five? I still have to sort some things out."

"That would be fine, I'll tell the lads and the OC and we'll see you then. He signed off I put the phone down and turned around seeing Ashley running towards the toilets, she looked even more green than before.

I looked around the hallway and saw that no one was coming so I opened the door and heard heavy reaching from within the cubicles, "Ashley, are you okay?" I asked as I opened the cubicle seeing her hunched over the toilet.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She said as she hacked up another load.

"Really?" I asked her as I lent down next to her and placed my hand over her shoulders, I could feel her shaking which I knew something was up, as if the vomiting wasn't enough.

"I'll be fine," She said as she stood up and I passed her some tissue to wipe her mouth.

"Come on, let's go get some fresh air," I told her as I helped her stand up, and walk out of the toilet. I got her to the front desk, collected a kidney dish just in case and we went outside to sit on a bench. When I got her sat down she stopped shaking but she was still shaking so I took off my hoodie and wrapped it around her. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine just came over really faint," She replied as she hunched over so I passed her the kidney dish.

"Why'd you come over faint?" I asked her.

"I don't know," She told me as she looked up to me and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Hopefully it will pass pretty quickly," I said as she rested. We sat there for about half an hour, not really doing much but as we sat there the sky came over black and started to piss it down. I helped Ashley inside and we sat in the Café of the hospital. I got Ashley a coffee to calm her down and I got myself a full fat coke.

After we sat there just talking as she got better, I could see her getting less green, she finished her coffee and stood up, "I should probably get back to work." She said to me as I stood up too.

"Alright, well I don't leave until half five so you wanna get another coffee before then?" I asked her as I walked with her towards the ward.

"I'd like that," She smiled as we walked towards the ward.

It came to around four o'clock so I went to find Ashley only this time I came prepared for her, I bought a take away coffee and a large chocolate chip cookie from the café. When I found her she still looked a little unwell but when she was handed the cookie and coffee she brightened up quick and returned to her normal self.

We decided to sit in her office until around five at which time she could officially clock off, but as soon as we could we went to sit outside for a bit just to get a last half hour together before I had to leave and I would not know when I would be able to get back to see her.

I kept an eye on my watch and had my bag ready under my feet with all my combats in along with some of my personal belongings like the duck on the rope and the monopoly money which I still didn't know who sent.

As it approached half past I heard the distinctive sound of a Snatch Land Rover, I looked at Ashley who was almost in tears as I looked at her. I held her close and the Land Rover came around the corner and I looked Ashley in eyes which were filling with tears.

"Look at me," I told her as she tried to look away, "I will come back for you, I will be with you again eventually, I'll call you when I get there." I nodded at her as I embraced her but as I did I heard the door on the Land Rover open.

"Sergeant Jacks?" The man climbing out of the truck asked.

"Yeah, that's me, I take it woz Pitching sent you?" I replied as he walked towards me.

"Yeah you could say that, I am Warrant Officer Pitching, here to get you to the barracks," He nodded as he offered to lead me to the Rover.

"Aye, gimme one minute," I told him as I turned to Ashley and was now putting on a brave face but I could tell she wasn't doing too well. I reached behind my neck and unlinked my old SAS dog tags and placed them in her hand, leaning forward I whispered gently in her ear, "I'll be back for those, keep them safe for me." To which I felt her nod, then I simply ended with, "I love you," and a gentle kiss on her cheek.

I heard her faintly say, "I love you too," as I pulled away and she pecked me on the lips, just before scarpering off with my chain dangling loosely from her hand.

"Right after you, wozzo," I told Pitching as I slung my bag over my shoulder and climbed into the back passenger seat of the Snatch Land Rover.

"Warrant Officer!" He demanded after me as I shut the door on the Land Rover and he climbed in next to me on the driver's side.

"How long is it going to take to get back to the Stone?" I asked as the driver pulled away in the Land Rover, navigating the maze of one way streets and lanes around the hospital.

"About three hours, we'll get there around half eight to nine," Pitching replied as I looked under the seat seeing a box of 5.56mm.

"Can we stop in a drive thru to get some food on the way through then?" I asked as we eventually managed to leave the Hospital.

"Yeah there's a macky D in Cheltenham which we can stop off at in about an hour," he said to me as I looked out of the window as we approached the M5.

"Cool, I'm gonna catch forty winks before I get my ass run into the ground by you assholes," I laughed as I laid back in my seat and closed my eyes.

"Sergeant, we've just got off the M5," Pitching said as he knocked me in the shoulder.

I opened my eyes slowly seeing the motorway services at junction eleven of the M5, I could see the colossal sign of the McDonalds. "What we getting?" I asked as we swung the front end into the drive through and just about fit in between the curb and the building.

"Erm….. you want a legend?" The driver asked as he turned around.

"Yeah with bacon, cheese and chilli," I said to him, "oh and make it a large meal," I then told him as I leant forward whilst we approached the ordering window.

"Fine," The corporal who was driving said calmly as he ducked to look through the window from the high position which he found himself in.

"May I take your order," the young woman who could have only been around sixteen asked us as we all looked through the window. The Corporal ordered out food and we rolled through the drive thru to the waiting position. It took about ten minutes for all our food to get there but when it did I pretty much devoured the whole thing before we got back on the M5.

It took about an hour and a half to get to Devon and from there it didn't take long to get to the train station outside Lympstone, where Pitchings and I climbed out of the Snatch and entered the base.

I was met by a huge admin room filled with the potential candidates for Commando School which I would be drilling down over the next few days but the wozzo just led me through the room to a small office which had Cpt. Carter written on a bronze plaque on the door.

The wozzo let me knock on the door, which I had a few second pause before I heard a voice from inside the room shout, "Come in." I opened the door and saluted the officer who foreboded me, his figure was huge he must have been at least six foot six tall and just as broad. "Ah, you must be our new colour sergeant?" he quizzed as he held out his huge paw.

I shook his hand and nodded telling him, "Aye that's me, Sir."

"Good, here's your tab and Pitchings can you show him around get him reacquainted with the place it's been a while since he's been here after all," The Lt. said to wozzo to which he saluted and led me out of the room.

"So you remember the drill right?" Pitchings asked me as we returned to the sheer chaos of the initial ten minutes of Commando School.

"Yeah I remember this like it was yesterday," I told him as I looked at the terrified candidates who were having orders barked at them by the corporal who was lining them up and taking them through the process of being stripped of the things that made them human, they were becoming Commandos.

I walked past the line of candidates and nodded to the corporal who nodded back at me, I was led to where I would be sleeping at the end of the barracks, "Here you go," Pitchings opened the door revealing my desk, bed and wardrobe.

"I like it, its homely," I laughed as I looked at my watch seeing that it was nearly half nine, "So am I needed tonight?" I asked.

"You can come down for the introduction but you shouldn't be needed for much else," He nodded as he walked out the door, "Oh, there are new fats in the wardrobe an iron and board down the side and a laptop under your bed."

"Cheers, when's the brief?" I asked.

"Ten past ten," He said simply as he left me to it.

I placed my bag on the desk and pulled out my old fatigues and placed them on coat hangers from the wardrobe. I then pulled out the soap on the rope and hung it across my curtain rail then placed the monopoly money in a separate pocket in my wallet.

I looked down and saw a small card in my bag, I pulled it out and saw it was from Ashley it just had "I love you," written on it I didn't know when she would put it in there but she obviously had at some point.

I looked over at the phone which was sat on my desk and thought for a second, I picked it up and dialled the hospital, it toned for several times but was picked up eventually by a familiar voice, "hello," the voice said as they picked up.

"Hey Doc, it colour sergeant Jacks, I was wondering if you had Ashley's home phone number?" I got straight to the point.

"Ah, sergeant yes we have it here, give me a minute," He said as I heard him put the phone down and flip through pages. "I have it here," he said as he read out the number, "is that all you wanted to know?" He asked me.

"Yeah that's it Doc," I told him as I thanked him and hung up.

I then quickly dialled the number he had given me for Ashley which this time I got a much fast pick up, "Hello," I heard Ashley sniffle as she answered the phone.

"Hey," I paused before continuing, I had already decided that it was probably not the best idea to call as instantaneously I wanted to go back to the hospital and see her just one more time for five minutes longer but I knew that I couldn't, "It's me," I said calmly as I heard her gasp and weep.

"Why did you call? I thought you'd be busy tonight?" She sounded very confused.

"I have about half an hour to myself and I didn't want to be by myself," I told her trying to clarify, "I miss you," I sighed to her as I felt myself becoming over run with emotions.

"I miss you too," I heard her now in complete emotional breakdown she was weeping and crying openly down the phone at me.

"Listen to me," I said quietly to her t which I heard her sniffle and then try to hold herself up a bit.

"Yeah."

"I am here for two months on this stint then I have a week to myself which I will be back in Staffordshire with you if you want that?" I asked her with a smile on my face not that she would see it.

"I would like that," she replied trying to clear her throat obviously she had been crying for a long time.

"Good, now I have to go soon but I want you to promise me that you'll be okay," I said to her.

"It will be difficult you not being here, but I will be okay, I just need to adjust to it," she told me calmly I could tell she wasn't just saying it, she really did mean it.

"I know it won't be easy, I don't think I've ever cared for someone as much as I do for you, which is strange considering we've only known each other for about four months," I sniggered to her.

"yeah it is strange isn't it," She laughed too.

"Are you feeling any better now?" I asked her.

I could hear a distinctive clinking sound which sounded like small metal plates colliding together, "Yeah I am," I heard her say with genuine enthusiasm, which made me feel better but it didn't stop me wanting to get in a car and go back to see her.

"Good, now I have to go now to get ready for my big entrance," I laughed as I looked at my fatigues in my wardrobe, "I don't know when I'll be able to call you again," I told her.

"That's fine I have spoken to you now and I know you're alright which is good enough for me," She replied.

"Okay then, so I love you and I'll call you when I can," I smiled at her.

"I love you too."

"Goodbye."

"Bye."

I put down the phone and started to put on my fatigues which took slightly longer as I had to stick the bottom of my trousers into my prosthetic. I placed my light green t-shirt on and pulled my jacket over that and slid my colour sergeant tab over the slide in the centre of the jacket. I put the one boot I needed on my left foot and did up the laces.

I left my room at precisely ten o'clock, and made my way across the parade square to the lecture theatre where the latest role of candidates, were to receive their initial indoctrination into the Royal Marine Comandos.

I stood outside the door and waited for five minutes and waited for someone else to come along but no one did. I looked down my watch seeing it was ten past so I opened the doors to where the candidates were all sat in rows chatting amongst each other. However as soon as I walked into the room, it fell silent, I could hear my prosthetic and my boots stomp as I walked to the front of the theatre to where the Lieutenant and Warrant Officer were standing.

"Right now we can begin," the Lieutenant said as he stepped forward and introduced himself and left it to us to introduce ourselves.

When it came to me I felt my heart pound in my chest, I stepped forward and stood tall, "I am Colour Sergeant Jacks, I'll be doing the field craft and PT here, I will also be responsible for Alpha section," I nodded as I stepped backwards into the row of NCOs.

The Lieutenant continued to explain what their next few months would entail for them, he then asked them to stand up and swear their oath.

'I Arthur Jacks swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her MajestyQueen Elizabeth II, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will, as in duty bound, honestly and faithfully defend Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, in Person, Crown and Dignity against all enemies, and will observe and obey all orders of Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, and of the generals and officers set over me.'

I hope you've been enjoying the story up to this point and I will try and update it soon but I have got a lot of uni work on at the moment most importantly a bit of work on Zirconium-89 and Positron Emission Tomography which is a mouth full but it shouldn't interrupt too much. Anyways until the next time…. PEACE!