Holding On

Brock was in full Bravo Five mode.

The young dog handler, his canine partner and Bravo Six were holed up in their current location, a deep cavern settled high in a steep, rocky ridge of sandy burrows, small caves, and deep caverns located in the hot, dry Syrian desert. The two boys and their dog had been evading capture and waiting for their team to locate them for almost 48 hours. And Bravo Five was well aware that their situation was becoming more precarious every hour that passed without rescue.

The good news was that, utilizing their SEAL training along with everything their older brothers had carefully taught them, Bravo's young rookies had managed to find a suitable shelter in a strategic location. The steep climb had been dangerous and arduous in the dark, pre-dawn hours, particularly for Clay who was sporting a deep, increasingly painful leg wound and rising, infection-fueled fever.

Brock had considered choosing a lower-lying cave, closer to the ground to avoid forcing his exhausted and confused little brother to make the long, hard accent up to their current location. As his training dictated, Bravo Five sent Cerb up first to seek out a suitable shelter, free from any would-be kidnappers who might be looking for them in the area. He had ordered the dog to go high knowing that was the best option safety-wise. The higher vantage point would allow them to see any approaching danger while also watching for their teammates who Brock knew would be relentlessly searching for them.

Brock had learned from his team leader that water was a priority in the unforgiving desert, and it was more likely to be pooling under the lower-lying, groundwater-created crevices. They were both showing signs of dehydration, with Clay's fever making his health situation more dicey. It was also crucial to keep Cerb hydrated. Brock knew that his loyal partner might very well be their most valuable asset in locating their brothers if he and Clay lost consciousness.

Despite knowing the water would be easier to find closer to the ground, Brock strategized that the higher, safer cavern with the better vantage point for viewing the surrounding area was the better option. They currently had two full bottles of water remaining and four empty plastic bottles that Brock intended to climb back down, search for water and refill once he had Clay settled and safe in the higher location.

Brock had been taking as few sips as possible from their meager water supply, prioritizing Clay first, and then Cerb who they needed to keep healthy to ensure that all three members of Bravo survived to be rescued. But Bravo Five knew that Clay needed him alive and alert if his little brother was going to survive a situation that grew more dire by every passing hour.

Once they made it up to the cavern Cerb had found for them, Brock hugged and rewarded his partner with a half bottle from their precious water supply. He took a few sips for himself and held a barely conscious Clay against his chest while slowly and carefully tipping the bottle, allowing his little brother to drink the rest of the warm water before falling asleep in his arms.

Clay was burning up, despite Brock dosing him with Tylenol before leaving their last shelter and his brother's careful attempts to keep the boy's cut as clean as possible and covered with antibiotic cream and fresh bandages. Once he was asleep, the older kid stripped him down to his boxer briefs, and got him situated, laying on top of their safety blanket which Bravo Five had shaken out and spread over the dirty floor of the cave to keep his sick kid and his wounded leg as clean as possible in their current situation.

Cerb had led them deep into the increasingly dark cavern which was thankfully several degrees cooler than the surrounding desert where the sun was rising and soon to be blazing down. After settling Clay on his belly so that he had access to the infected cut on his calf, Brock sat down on the ground next to his baby brother, humming softly and gently rubbing his warm back just as he knew their caregiver Trent would do if he was with them.

Once he knew Clay was sleeping, Brock debated leaving Cerb to guard the kid or taking him to search their new home for a water source. Cerb was trained to sniff out water, and if it had been any of his other brothers, Brock knew that the best choice would be to take the dog with him. He would find any possible water much faster than his human partner, and Brock knew they were reasonably safe from the enemy suddenly appearing in their current location.

But this wasn't one of his older, very adult brothers. This was their underage rookie. Their baby brother who the boss had made clear should not be left behind alone. Bravo Five knew that his boss, hero and surrogate father figure would never leave Clay sick, wounded and unconscious unless the situation was dire, and it was the only way to save their lives. Brock was pretty confident that Jason wouldn't even leave him alone in this situation, so he ordered Cerb to keep watch of their kid, and went off in search of a water source on his own.

After using his flashlight to navigate as he walked deeper into the creepy cavern, Brock began searching along the rocks on the sides of the cave just as Jason had taught him to do when they walked through the similar caverns on his first mission in the area. The deeper he went, Brock noticed that the smell and feel of the dark nooks he searched became slightly dank and musty indicating moisture. In a large crevice, just big enough for him to crawl into, Brock used his knife to dig out and remove some loose rocks, discovering some dirty, brown water in small, quarter sized pools among the rocks.

It wasn't drinkable, but it was a start. The presence of water in this high cavern let the well-trained SEAL know that if there was water here, there was definitely water to be found in the area. Brock used his knife to cut a hole in the side of an empty water bottle. Bending back the plastic to make a small slide to move the pooled water into the bottle. The dog handler was able to fill about a quarter of the bottle with the dirty water. Despite not being good for drinking, Brock knew he could strain out the dirt and sand with a piece of cloth and use the strained water to wipe down his feverish little brother.

When he returned to check on Clay and Cerb, Brock had managed to collect enough of the murky water to fill one whole plastic bottle. It was late morning, and he wanted nothing more than to lay down next to his restless brother and sleep. Bravo Five was still with it enough to recognize that was a sign of the dehydration, and he needed to keep lucid and moving. Deciding to walk up to the entrance of the cave to survey the area, Brock once again left Cerb to babysit their sick kid.

The sun was blazing down, and once Bravo Five's eyes adjusted to the bright light after being in the dark cavern, Brock was pleased to find that he could see for what seemed like miles in all directions. He smiled to himself knowing that Jason would be proud of him for getting both himself and Clay through the storm and to this relatively safe and strategic location. And he knew his most loved big brother Trent would be proud that he was staying calm and doing everything in his power to take care of their sick kid.

Anxious to find a source of drinkable water, Brock thought about taking his empty water bottles and climbing down to search the lower caves for fresh water.

Smart. Resourceful. Calm.

Brock said the words out loud to himself. As he looked out across the desert. He knew his brothers were out there looking and that he would be able to see them soon if they had found and successfully interpreted their clues. Bravo Five asked himself what Jason would want him to do in this situation.

Panicking and leaving the safety of their cavern in the daylight was a rookie move. When he took a breath and tried to clear his foggy head, Brock knew that. Sonny had warned him that it wasn't smart to come out of a secure shelter during the day in the enemy's backyard. "Wait until dark," he heard the voice of his gruff but secretly loving protector in his head.

So, Brock went back inside to wait.

Inside, he woke Clay. After forcing him to swallow more Tylenol, Brock gave him several small sips of water before changing his bandage and wiping him down with the cave water, careful to keep the brownish liquid away from his open wound. The younger boy was squirmy and confused which the kid knew was not a good sign.

"Okay, runt," Brock said calmly. "How about you and me sit up here against this nice hard wall and chat for a bit?"

"I want Trent," Clay said pitifully, looking up at Brock with confused eyes. "When is he coming?"

"He's on his way, shorty," Brock said, lifting his arm like he'd seen his older brothers do countless times to allow the kid to curl up against them seeking comfort and protection.

As expected, Clay snuggled close to his brother's side, grabbing hold and clutching his dirty t-shirt. "How come I don't have any clothes on, Brock?" he whispered. "I'm cold."

"You think you're cold, but you have a fever, honey," Brock said gently, kissing his filthy hair. "We need to try to keep you cooled down until the grumpy uncles get here."

"Can we have some more water?" The kid's voice was scratchy. "I'm really thirsty."

"I know you are," Brock said softly. "But we need to be really careful with our water. I have an idea where I can find some good water to drink, but I can't go look until it gets dark. It's still morning outside."

"Can I go with you?" Clay asked, sounding all of ten years old. "I don't want to stay here alone."

"We'll see," Brock said, rubbing his arm to warm him up and channeling Trent who he knew would not argue with the kid. He would wait until Clay was settled and sleeping to go for water rather than trying to reason with him when he was sick and risk upsetting him. "I need you to try to stay awake and focused for a little while, kiddo. So how about we each have three sips of water, and we share a few sips with Cerb. Then we can take turns reading some of that book Uncle Trent hunted down for you last Halloween. How does that sound?"

"Okay, Brock," Clay said quietly, still burrowed into his side. "Do you think Jason is looking for us right now?"

"I absolutely know he is looking for us right now," Brock said, reaching over to take a water bottle from his bag. He poured a small amount in the dog's bowl before peeling the kid off his side and sitting him up to take his promised three sips.

"How do you know they're looking?" Clay asked, still clutching his shirt. "What if Blackburn or Ms. Ellis made them come back to the base?"

Brock snorted, looking at the kid confidently. "Runt, there is zero chance Jason is going anywhere without us," he said. "Not Jason. Not Trent. Not Sonny. Not Ray. And since I'm confident that the boss has called in his number one trusted back-up, I'm gonna add that Alpha isn't going anywhere without us either."

When Clay looked unconvinced, his big brother lifted his chin to make eye contact.

"Bravo has never once let me down or left me behind," Brock said firmly. "Has Bravo ever once let you down or left you behind?"

"No," Clay said, wiping at his wet eyes. "Bravo has never left me alone."

"And you're not alone now," Brock said, moving his hand to the side of the boy's head and using his thumb to gently stroke his cheek just as Jason had done many times for both of his boys when they needed comfort or settling. "I'm here with you. Cerb is here with you. And we are staying together until our brothers come to get us."

"Okay," Clay said, leaning back into his trusted brother's side.

"Say it with me, runt," Brock said. "The grumpy old men are coming to get us."

"The grumpy old men are coming to get us," both boys repeated together.

After managing to keep the kid awake and fairly lucid through the first two chapters of Frankenstein, Brock listened to him whine and complain that he was cold through another wipe down with the brown cave water before finally getting him settled back on the blanket. Neither one of them had been able to pee all day, another bad sign, Bravo Five thought as he helped Clay turn on his belly and rubbed his back until he fell asleep.

Looking back over at their comms sitting on the other side of the cave, Brock considered trying to call for help.

Smart. Resourceful. Calm.

Brock heard Jason's voice in his head. He said the words out loud to Cerb who was resting next to his favorite kid.

No. Brock remembered Trent telling him not to panic and use the radio if he wasn't sure that his brothers could hear and get to him before any enemies who might be jumping on their frequency could find him.

"Don't use the comms until you know we are close," Trent had told him.

So, Brock sat back against the hard wall of the cave and cleaned both his own weapon and Clay's sniper rifle before taking both guns out to the entrance of the cavern to survey the area before the setting sun went down and he could go in search of water.

Brock returned to their own cavern at just past 2:00 a.m. after spending the previous several hours since the desert had gone dark again climbing down and searching for drinkable water in the lower-lying caverns below them. He was happy to be returning with four filled bottles of water he had miraculously been able to collect from a pool of water he almost tripped over in the dark just as he was getting ready to start the steep climb back to his fellow cave dwellers empty handed.

The pool was narrow and not deep, but it was relatively cool, and the water was almost clear and tasted like literal heaven when he drank from a filled bottle. He had emptied almost half of the standing pool filling their plastic bottles, but when he used his flashlight to search the wall of the cave that was connected to the pool, he could see a small drip coming from a crevice that told him the pool would slowly refill. Bravo Five knew he had located a small but viable water source, and if necessary, he could return again the following night to refill their bottles.

When he entered the cavern and began walking back toward where he had left his little brother sleeping, he was greeted by an anxious Cerb who had heard him approaching and was alerting him of a problem. Running behind his loyal partner, Brock dropped his bag and went immediately down on his knees next to his baby brother who was clearly in distress.

Clay was not fully awake, but he was writhing around on the blanket which was currently bunched up allowing his now bleeding leg to touch the dirty floor of the cave. He was burning hot to the touch, but not sweating which told Bravo Five that he was very dehydrated. Brock pulled the restless boy onto his lap, turning him to try to get a better look at the leg which was a mess when Clay went suddenly stiff and unresponsive.

Clay's eyes were open but not looking at him or responsive in any way, and his body was completely stiff and unmoving. For a horrifying few seconds, Brock thought his baby brother had died before he desperately found a rapid pulse and realized that he was having a seizure. Laying him gently back down on the blanket, Brock reached in his bag and pulled out their last original store bought bottle of water. The panicking kid, whose own heart was pounding in his chest, was just about to pour it on the kid in an attempt to cool him down. When he suddenly stopped himself.

Smart. Resourceful. Calm.

Jason's voice was there in his head again, warning him not to panic. Turning the still, unresponsive boy to examine his leg, Brock remembered Trent giving him and Clay additional first aid training, telling them all the important things they hadn't learned in their formal SEAL training.

"Soap and water to clean infected cuts if you don't have access to medical disinfectants. But the water needs to be clean. Dirty water will worsen the infection," Trent had told both him and Clay sternly.

Brock took a breath. He put the store bought water off to the side to save for recleaning the leg wound his little brother had reopened in his fitful sleep. He opened a bottle of the water he had just collected and used that and the t-shirt he had taken off the kid earlier to wipe down his entire body, attempting to cool him down.

Brock recognized that Clay was having a febrile seizure caused by his rapidly rising temperature. This had happened once before.

They were in the cage room packing up to head home. Jason was pissed off because the kid had been annoying and grumpy all day for seemingly no reason, which was not like him to be at work. The boss had enough when Clay got sarcastic with Sonny and he gave the boy a couple loud, hard warning smacks to the seat of his pants before his grouchy old uncle could reach over and save his naughty ass.

"Keep it up, Clay," Jason had scolded him sternly, clearly meaning business. "And when we get home you'll get yourself an actual spanking and a trip straight to bed. Because you clearly need a nap."

Ray knew that Jason was completely stressed out over a situation with Ellis and upper brass demands that had absolutely nothing to do with the kid, but his boss and brother was about to lose it with the runt who was officially on his last nerve.

Jason's 2IC recognized the look in Clay's eye that said he was in stubborn mode and ready to dig in his heels for a fight that every adult in the room knew would end with a headache for the boss and a sore backside for the kid. Ray was just about to intervene and offer to take Clay home with him for dinner and family fun with Naima and the kids when Sonny beat him to the punch.

"Don't do it, half-pint," Sonny warned Clay calmly.

The Mighty Quinn made eye contact with his longtime friend and brother over the kid's head to let Jason know he had this. Jason nodded and took a breath.

Uncle Sonny took the brat, who had somehow managed to weasel in and turn him soft, by the arm and turned him toward his own cage. Indicating that the kid should enter, Sonny gave him a light swat on his just smacked sore bottom to get him moving.

"How about you come help your handsome uncle straighten up his cage? And then you and I can go grab ourselves some burgers at the Bulkhead. Uncle Sonny will chat up the pretty waitresses, and you, shorty, can get in some video games. We'll let your boss-daddy have himself a hot shower, a cold beer, and a few hours in the naughty free zone."

"Can I go?" Clay asked quietly, suddenly not feeling like a fight with his adopted dad who he had not wanted to make mad.

Jason scrubbed his hand down his face, sorry he had lost his temper with the kid.

"Go ahead, Sunshine," he said, tiredly. "Don't let Uncle Sonny forget he has a wingman with him tonight. And behave. Both of you."

"I will," Clay said, walking over and tightly wrapping his arms around Jason. "I'm sorry I made you mad."

Jason held his boy protectively and kissed his head quickly before releasing him and making eye contact. "I'm not mad at you, Clay," he said honestly. "It's been a crazy day, and I lost my temper. Go have fun with Sonny. I'll see you when you get home."

A few minutes later, Clay was sitting on the floor of Sonny's cage rambling about some new game Corey had gotten for his Playstation, when all of a sudden he went silent. It took Sonny a minute to notice the background chatter had stopped before he turned to look at the kid.

"Clay?" Sonny said, looking down at him. "Clay?"

When he didn't respond, Sonny crouched down to get a look at the kid who was silent and still. Clay was staring at the wall, not responding. When Sonny reached out to touch him, the kid was completely stiff and unaware.

"Boss!" Sonny yelled, standing and moving to the door of his cage. "Jason - there's something wrong with the kid."

Sonny was clearly panicking, and he didn't panic. Ever.

Trent had been away at some training with Bravo's support medic in another part of the base all day, but the rest of Bravo were immediately at Sonny's cage.

"What happened?" Jason said, kneeling down next to his kid and gently shaking him.

"I don't know," Sonny stammered. "He was talking to me about some game, and then he just went silent. I turned around and he was like that. What the fuck is wrong with him?"

Ray knelt down next to Jason. "Clay?" Both men called his name.

"Should I call Trent?" Brock asked anxiously, standing in the doorway looking like he saw a ghost.

"Call Derrick," Ray said, calmly. "He's probably right across the hall in Alpha's cage room. Tell him to get over here ASAP. Then you can call Trent."

"What do you think is wrong with him?" Jason said, trying to remain calm. He put his hand on his boy's forehead. "He's really hot, Ray."

"I think he's having a seizure," Ray said, reaching up to feel the kid's head and face. "Clay! Can you hear me, honey?"

"A seizure?" Sonny said, pacing. "Why the fuck would he be having a seizure. He was fine a minute ago."

Brock already had the door to the cage room open and was looking across the hall when Derrick came running over, followed by Josh who had just been getting ready to head home.

"What's happening?" Derrick said calmly. Ray moved out of the way to let the medic kneel down by the kid. "Clay? Can you hear me buddy?"

"He was fine a minute ago," Jason said, anxiously. "Ray thinks he's having a seizure. He feels hot."

"Ray is correct," Derrick said, all business. He took out an ear thermometer and inserted it. "He's at 104. It's a febrile seizure, caused by the high fever. I take it you didn't know he had a fever?"

"No, Derrick," Jason said, "104? I don't know how the fuck I missed that. Should we call an ambulance or something?"

"Calm down, Jase," Derrick said. "Brock, get me a wet cloth. Cool but not freezing cold. And call Trent back and tell him not to lose his shit. Tell him it's a febrile seizure and I'll call him as soon as he's settled."

"Too late," Brock said. "When I called, he said he was on his way here and hung up on me. I think Trent's shit is officially lost. Is he gonna be okay?" He handed Derrick the wet washcloth.

"It's scary to watch," Derrick said, gently wiping the kid's face and neck. "But he's going to be fine. It usually happens to babies and younger kids, but older kids can have febrile seizures as well if they spike a high fever. He'll come out of it soon. They usually don't last more than a few minutes."

"Clay?," Alpha's medic stroked his cheek. "You in there, Trouble?"

Clay suddenly sat back against the wall, startled to see everyone staring at him looking upset.

"What's going on?" he said, confused. "Jason?"

"I'm right here, honey," Jason said, rubbing his head. "Are you okay?"

"What happened?" Clay looked at Derrick. "Where's Trent?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be barrelling through the door shortly," Derrick smiled at the confused kid. "How are you feeling there, shorty? You cooked yourself up a pretty good fever."

"A fever?" Clay asked, still confused.

"How about we get you on your feet so you can come take a seat at the table and have yourself a cool drink?" Derrick said, motioning Jason to help get him up.

Once he was seated at the table, Derrick gave him a blue gatorade and took his temperature again, orally. "Sorry, squirt," he said, ruffling his hair. "But when Uncle Trent arrives, there is most definitely a trip to the infirmary in your future. You're at 104.5 orally. That needs to be checked out."

"No, Derrick," Clay whined. "I hate the infirmary. Every time I go I get my butt jabbed. They don't like me there."

"Well, tough guy," Derrick chuckled. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you most definitely are getting your sorry little butt jabbed tonight. You need something to bring down your fever. And since apparently no one here was aware you are sick, we're going to need to find out why you are working on self-combusting. Have you felt bad today?"

"I don't know," Clay groaned. "I don't think so. Can't we just go home, Jase? Please?"

"No way, Kiddo," Jason sighed. "You have an almost 105 degree fever. We are not going home until that is under control. And don't bother fussing."

"Look on the bright side, sweetheart," Derrick said, chuckling and rubbing the kid's back to settle him down. "You and I and Josh here get to watch the show that will be starting any minute when your Uncle Trent arrives and hauls your daddy, your big brother Brock, and your two clueless uncles to the barn for a verbal whuppin' when I tell him you have been sick with a 105 degree fever at work all day and none of them noticed. He might even be pissed off enough to take you into protective custody and spoil you rotten at his house."

Brock remembered that Derrick was correct in his prediction that Trent was royally pissed off at everyone but their kid when he arrived. The medic and team caregiver had taken Clay home with him to give Jason a much needed break after an unhappy visit to the infirmary. Their boy had been diagnosed with an ear infection which he used to get often back before he had his ears cleaned out during a later infirmary stay.

Clay had been given the dreaded shots and a prescription for oral meds before he was allowed to spend the night happily eating pancakes and drinking a big, blue slushie curled up with his best caregiver on Uncle Trent's couch.

Months later in the dark, dirty cavern, Brock took a breath and stopped himself from losing it.

Smart. Resourceful. Calm.

"Some kids have febrile seizures when they spike a fast fever," Brock heard Derrick's voice in his head. "It's scary to watch, but he'll be okay."

Brock cooled the kid with a wipedown before using the water he knew was safe and the small bottle of antibacterial soap he dug out of his bag to clean Clay's leg. He removed the old, dirty stitches which the kid had broken in his fitful sleep and restitched the infected wound before covering it with more antibacterial cream and a fresh bandage. It wasn't as professional as Trent's work, and the kid would carry a jagged scar, but Brock smiled, knowing his older teammates would be proud of him for getting them this far.

Now that he had secured a precious water source, Brock gave Cerb a much needed drink. He held Clay against his chest and allowed him to take slow sips of the fresh water he had located until the kid fell back asleep in his arms. After getting him resettled on the blanket, Brock leaned back against the cool wall of their temporary home and slept lightly for the next few hours until dawn.

Knowing Cerb had their backs, Bravo Five was able to relax, holding his weapon in one hand and wrapping the other around his little brother's ankle to help keep him settled.

His last conscious thought before he fell asleep was of Katie back home in Virginia Beach. Brock knew his young wife had no idea what he was going through so far away, and he said a little prayer to anyone who might be listening that he would survive and get back home to the girl he loved so much.