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Chapter Text

Clay enjoyed these evenings. Times when he could hang out with Bravo and wind down from a difficult spin-up. When the only thing that mattered was who was taking home a drunk Sonny, and how early Jason would call for training. When the struggles of life, family, and the job faded away into the background and friendship shone through the brightest.

These were the nights Clay looked forward to on the lonely nights, the long stretches in a sniper perch, the never ending days filled with hostiles and threats. When he could enjoy being a part of Bravo and the worries of life fade away for a time.

Tonight they were at the Bulkhead, celebrating a successful mission despite minor injuries. Sonny’s right arm sported a white bandage where a stray bullet decided to leave it’s mark. Clay had already put away the guilt he hadn’t dropped the tango before he got off a shot. An easy task as it barely even slowed Sonny down. Didn’t change the fact he felt a hint of guilt each time one of his team was hurt because he wasn’t fast enough.

Speaking of his team, Clay’s gaze roamed the Bulkhead. Sonny was at the dart board, proving to Brock that despite his injury he was still as accurate as ever. Clay smiled at the Texan’s antics. Clay was aware Jason tasked Sonny with keeping an eye on him, and he was thankful. The loyalty, humor, and general orneriness of Sonny Quinn made him easy to get along with and the man had quickly become Clay’s best friend. Something he wasn’t sure he’d find after Brian fell to his death.

Brock was the silently strong type. The man had incredible skill that was only accentuated by his partnership with Cerberus. The two moved as one in the field, often without words. Cerberus’ devotion to his handler spoke volumes about Brock as a person. Clay knew if Cerb didn’t like Brock, the world would know.

Cerberus had been a welcome surprise. The Malinois seemed to have adopted Clay as part of his pack. When the flu hit him mid flight on the way to a mission, the K-9 was tasked with watching over him and ever since Cerb often checked in on him. Clay loved watching him train with Brock and often volunteered to be the tango in the padded suit.

Ray was at the table chatting with Jason. Clay had learned their 2IC was the strongest supporter of him being drafted to Bravo. Ever since, Ray had proven to be an unending well of knowledge and experience. They would often take time to meticulously clean their rifles together and go over missions, discussing the in’s and out’s of being a sniper, and breaking down missions to the last detail to see where the overwatch position could be better, do better. Ray was proving to be a mentor to Clay, something he hadn’t had since he achieved 2IC on Team Three.

Jason Hayes, Bravo One, had proven to be a bit of a mystery from the beginning. It was clear he hadn’t wanted to draft Clay to the team, but he did anyway. Clay still hadn’t figured out what made up the Master Chief’s mind. He was thankful, though. In the short amount of time he’d been on Bravo he learned so much from their fearless leader. Jason had clearly worked hard to put together the best team and then bring them together to forge tight bonds which brought them through impossible situations. Bravo was the best of the best, and it was due to the incredible leadership of Master Chief Jason Hayes.

Spotting Trent at the bar ordering another round, Clay smiled. The medic had slowly become Clay’s second best friend on the team. Their time together was spent on the range together with Clay behind his scope and Trent acting as spotter. Or with Trent and Clay bent over medical textbooks as the medic taught Clay new techniques for the field, and Clay quizzed Trent for his most recent trainings and certifications. Trent was constantly bettering himself and his knowledge so that when one of them went down in the field, he would know what to do to help. Although he’d lost brothers in the past, it seemed to only fuel Trent to be and do better. A trait Clay admired in the man. They also spent many hours in the gym together, ensuring they were in peak condition for their next spin-up.

As Sonny’s laughter carried across the Bar, Clay realized the group of five operators and a dog had quickly come to mean more to him than Team Three ever did. He truly felt as though he was accepted as one of the brothers, treated with respect, and appreciated for his skills.

Someone bumping into Clay brought him out of his thoughts and he realized how crowded the bar had become in the last few minutes. Wanting a breath of fresh air, and considering calling it a night, he stepped outside.

Closing his eyes and lifting his face to the night sky, Clay drew in a deep breath. However, his serenity was soon shattered as an all too familiar voice reached him.

“Ousted by your team? Doesn’t surprise me since you constantly let them down.”

Clay swallowed hard before turning his gaze to the left. Ash Spenser stood at his side with an expression of disgust on his face.

“What are you even doing here? They let just anyone in the Bulkhead now?”

“It’s a free country, last I checked.” Clay answered, doing his best to appear unphased.

“Can’t believe your team wants to be seen in public with you. Such a disgrace.”

Fighting back the emotions Ash brough forth, Clay squared his shoulders and faced him. “What do you want?”

“Me? I just want a drink.” Ash stepped closer, “But then I come to my favorite watering hole and find my good for nothing son, banished by his team to wait for them out of doors while they enjoy a celebratory drink.

“I will never understand what Hayes sees in you. You’re nothing but a liability in the field, couldn’t even pull yourself out of a little hole in Iraq without Hayes coming to your aid.”

“How do you know about that?” Clay was sure Ash didn’t have access to classified mission details.

“Doesn’t matter. You’re are a poor excuse of a son, and soon the mighty Jason Hayes will realize you’re a poor excuse of a SEAL too and kick you to the curb. If you don’t get one of your team killed first.” Ash took another step forward, almost nose-to-nose with Clay. “What will you do then? Huh? Shunned from Team Three, discarded by Bravo. There won’t by anywhere else for your sorry ass to go. Maybe you should just ship yourself back to Liberia where you belong.”

Clay was saved by his phone. The familiar ring indicating a spin-up without Clay even looking at the message. He took a step back from Ash, his heart racing still at the words flung at him by the man who was supposed to be his father.

Bravo exited the Bulkhead moments later. Jason scanned the area before his gaze landed on Ash and Clay. “Come on, Kid. Time to go.”

“Coming.” Clay stepped around Ash and headed for his Nova, ready to put some distance between himself and the older Spenser.

As he drove for the base, Ash’s words were on repeat in his mind. His constant failures and mistakes over the last several years replaying in vivid color.

Maybe Ash is right. Maybe I am a poor excuse of a human. What if I don’t deserve to be on Bravo after all?

Clay closed his cage and headed for the briefing room. He was followed by Trent, the two the first to change once they reached base.

“So, I noticed you talking with Ash. Didn’t know he was in town.” Trent commented conversationally.

“Yeah, neither did I.”

Trent noticed Clay seemed off. The kid was quieter than usual, not even bantering with Sonny in the cages, and he couldn’t help but wonder what happened. He grasped Clay’s arm as they neared the SCIF where they held briefings. “Hey, you okay?”

Clay was anything but alright. But, he couldn’t let the team know. He needed to be out there to watch their backs and ensure they all came home. So he lied to one of his closest friends, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just been a long day.”

Recognizing he wasn’t getting the full truth, and that Clay wasn’t ready to share, Trent vowed to keep an eye on the Rookie. He planned to check in with him again once they were airborn and see if he could get the Clay to open up to him.

As the team took their seats, Cerberus did a lap around the room checking in on each member of Bravo before sidling up to Clay. Pushing his nose under Clay’s hand, Cerb rested on Clay’s thigh as Blackburn and Mandy prepared to begin the briefing.

Blackburn stood at the front of the conference room and eyed his operators, “I’m sure you’ve all seen on the news how tension in Peru has increased over the last month.”

Bravo all nodded their head. They’d been keeping tabs on things knowing that if something went down and a team was needed, they were the ones that would be sent.

Mandy brought up a picture on the screen, “James Clark ignored all travel warnings from the United States Embassy in Peru and travelled to Juanjui. He is now in the middle of one of the hotspots and our boots on the ground are occupied securing our Air Force Base and the Embassy. We have been asked to assist.”

Blackburn stepped up to a map of the area and indicated points of interest. “We will be wheels up to Chiclayo Air Base in thirty minutes. From there we have a Blackhawk that will take you out to the Juanjui Airport. Our target is holed up in a house a mile and a half from the north side of the airport.”

“Why can’t he just catch a flight out to Lima or to the Air Base?” Ray asked, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.

“The airport is closed for repairs for the foreseeable future. There are no flights in or out.”

“So how likely is it that our bird is going to attract attention?” Brock smiled at Cerberus who sat contentedly at their rookie’s side.

Jason stood and moved closer to the screen to get a better look at the map. “We don’t land at the airport. We go here.”

Davis noted where Jason pointed, a field Northwest of the airport, but still close enough for a hike to their target house. She zoomed in a bit in the right area so the team could see what they would be working with.

“It’s surrounded by trees, so could give us some cover.” Ray observed.

“The area has been pretty loud at night lately. It’ll help disguise your infil and exfil.” Mandy added.

“We are wheels up in thirty.” Blackburn dismissed the team before heading to his office to finalize the last minute details and grab his own go bag.

As soon as the C-17 reached altitude, Bravo hung hammocks to grab a bit of shut eye. The six hour flight to the Air Base in Chiclayo would afford them enough time to rest up for the mission.

Trent kept an eye on Clay as the youngest member of Bravo hung his hammock, but didn’t climb in with the rest of the team. Instead, he moved to the webbed seating along the side of the hold and pulled out a book.

“Whatcha reading?” Trent plopped down next to Clay and offered him a water bottle.

Clay accepted the water as he answered, “A book.”

“No shit, Sherlock.” Trent laughed. Recognizing the language to be Spanish, but not well versed enough to translate the title, he nudged Clay. “Come on, help me out here.”

“Fine, I’m reading the Spanish version of Huckleberry Finn.” Clay closed the book enough to show Trent the cover.

“Why in Spanish?”

“I have books in all the languages I’m fluent in, and some I’m not. I like to read a book I know well in the language of where I’m going to help me brush up on it before ops.” Clay shrugged like it’s no big deal.

“Kinda like I flip through medical textbooks to make sure I’m at the top of my game.”

“Exactly. Probably not really something I need, but it helps me feel better knowing I’ve refreshed the language before I head into a mission where I’ll need it.”

“We don’t acknowledge your skill soften enough, but man, Clay, you’ve got a ton of talents and we are extremely lucky to have you on Bravo.”

Clay swallowed the lump in his through as Ash’s words filtered through his brain, again. “Thanks.”

“So, you ready to tell me what’s going on between you and Ash?”

Clay shifted his gaze to the back of the plane as he considered whether or not he wanted to admit to Trent how fucked up his relationship with Ash was. The desperate desire to not go through life alone, even in a crowded place, won out and he met Trent’s gaze.

“Ash has always considered me a burden, and a fuck-up. In his eyes I will never measure up to his demanding expectations.” Clay drew in and then slowly released a long breath. “He's constantly reminding me that I’m a poor excuse of a human being, a poor excuse of a son, and his favorite … a poor excuse of a SEAL.

“He somehow has gotten a hold of some of our mission reports and is now using my mistakes in the field against me. Says it won’t be long before Jason strips my trident. I think he wants to end my career in the Navy.”

Trent’s heart ached for Clay. “Sounds to me like he’s jealous of your accomplishments, Clay.”

“Yeah, well, you’ll never catch him admitting that.”

“You know, Jason likes to pretend he didn’t want you on Bravo. But, I have it on good authority that the moment your name showed up on the list, he was ready to draft you.”

“Even when I made an ass of myself in front of he and Ray during Green Team?”

“Yeah, because he recognized your potential.” Trent smiled at Clay, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he decides to train you up to be the next Bravo One.”

“Nah, that’s Ray’s place.”

“Maybe.” Trent said non-committedly. “Or maybe there are wheels in motion you can’t see yet.”

“No one in their right mind is going to put Ash Spenser's son in charge of a team.”

Trent stood and faced Clay, ensuring the other man met his gaze before answering. “Maybe they don’t need Ash Spenser's son. Maybe all they need is Clay. I hear he’s a pretty exceptional operator.”

Clay watched as Trent walked away and climbed in his hammock. Thinking over their conversation, Trent’s words overpowered Ash’s comments enough Clay was able to shove them into a box and slam on the lid.

Finally, Clay stood and joined the rest of the team in the hammocks to rest for the op ahead of them.

Chapter Text

Clay stared out the side of the Blackhawks as it made it’s way across Peru. The almost one hour flight time gave him plenty of time to center himself for the task ahead. The conversation on the plane with Trent helped ease his mind more than he thought would be possible. Clay was able to get Ash out of his head long enough to get front side focused.

As they approached Juanjui, they could hear gunfire and spotted billowing smoke in the center of town. Their pilot deftly maneuvered the bird into the clearing to the Northwest of the Juanjui Airport and Bravo quickly dismounted, fanning out to maintain cover until the bird took off. It would maintain a holding pattern while they went in and retrieved their wayward citizen.

Once clear, Bravo moved quickly to the edge of the clearing.

“Five, take us in.”

Brock nodded before taking off towards the target house with Cerberus at his side. They moved swiftly and silently through the shadows of the dark streets. Most Peruvians remained inside in this area of town, possibly too scared to come out at night.

It was only a few short minutes later when Brock stopped at the corner of a house.

“Check the door.” Jason ordered, not wanting to chance the building exploding when they made entry into the dark house.

Giving the order to Cerb, he and Brock checked the back door before giving the all clear.

“Three.”

Sonny smiled as he stepped forward. After checking the door handle and finding it locked, he expertly kicked the door in.

As soon as the door was clear, Clay moved into the house. He moved silently keeping a look out for hostiles in front as the rest of Bravo silently and swiftly cleared rooms. When he came to a stairway he slipped around the banister and carefully made his way down, fully trusting his team to have his back as he led them through the small home.

The moment he reached the bottom, Clay spotted movement in the corner. He immediately followed the shadow and lowered his weapon upon spotting their target. “James Clark?”

“Yes.”

Jason stepped forward to address the shaking man. “We’re American military. We’re here to get you to safety.”

“Okay.” Still shaking in the face of six heavily armed men and one ferocious looking dog, James carefully stepped forward.

“Ray, take him.” Jason gripped the man’s arm and passed him off.

Trent did a quick assessment to ensure there were no injuries as Jason reported in.

“Bravo One to Havoc. Jackpot.”

Blackburn smiled as Davis marked off the checkpoint before radioing the Blackhawk. “Good copy. Exfil in twenty.”

“Copy.” Jason turned to the team, “Let’s go.”

Clay led the way up the stairs and back through the house. On the way out, Sonny, who had taken up security on the main level, fell in behind him.

This time, as they headed for the clearing where their bird would be waiting for them, Clay had to take multiple detours. In the short time they had been on target, the streets had become busy with several fighting age males weilding guns, fiery torches, and machetes.

Whether sheer luck, or a testament to the guys training, they arrived at the clearing without engaging. The bird landed, they loaded up, and were well on their way home all in the space of an hour.

“It’s never this easy.” Mandy muttered as she watched the Blackhawk making it’s way back towards Chicalayo Air base.

“You think we missed something?” Davis looked up from where she’d been keeping tabs on the guys via ISR.

“I don’t know. I just have a bad feeling.”

“Your gut feeling doesn’t often let us down.” Blackburn eyed the women. “What are you thinking, Mandy?”

“That’s just it. I don’t know!”

Thirty minutes into the one our flight ISR lit up and Mandy’s gut proved to be right … again.

Clay had just started to let his guard down and relax into the side of the Blackhawk when warning tones sounded from the front.

“RPG!” The pilot called over the comms.

“Countermeasures! Brace!” The co-pilot warned as they attempted to maneuver away from the incoming threat.

They were unsuccessful and the tail exploded with the impact, jarring all of the passengers as the Blackhawk began to spin out of control towards the earth.

Clay held on for dear life, and his heart raced as they hurtled to the ground, thankful they’d all strapped in. He’d managed to never experience a copter crash and the thought terrified him as the ground raced up to meet them.

Clay coughed as he rolled over, his gaze meeting a starry, clear sky. His ears were ringing and his breathing was rapid as he took stock of his surroundings. The burning tail of the Blackhawk lit up the crash site nearby.

When sound finally filtered in, he heard Blackburn calling for any Bravo element to respond.

“This is Bravo Six. Blackhawk downed by an RPG. Looking for survivors.”

“Copy Bravo Six, keep us updated.”

Recognizing the danger they were in, and concerned for his teammates, Clay pushed himself up and staggered a few steps towards his team. No one was moving except Clark who was curled into the side of the Blackhawk, rocking back and forth and crying.

“Hey, are you hurt?” Clay grabbed the man’s chin and looked at his eyes. Noting the man most likely had a concussion, Clay pulled him from the wreckage and up against a large rock nearby. “Stay. Here.”

Turning back to his team, Clay quickly surveyed the area. Spotting one of the med bags, Clay snagged it on his way to where Ray lay next to the copter. Dropping to his knees, Clay did a quick assessment and noted Ray had a broken arm and a concussion. Grabbing a hold of the back of Ray’s vest, Clay pulled him to safety.

He found Brock and Cerberus next. Their dog handler was just starting to come to where he was curled around his K-9 partner.

“Brock, you okay?”

“Cerb.”

Clay’s gaze shifted to the Maligator and noted the dog was breathing, but whimpering as if in pain. Unsure what to do for him, Clay gripped Brock’s shoulder. “I’ve got him. Can you stand?”

Brock nodded, and with Clay’s help made his way to his feet, wrapping his arm around his ribs as he did so.

Clay lifted Cerberus by his tactical vest and guided both to where Ray and Clark waited.

“I need you to watch for tangos.” Clay met Brock’s gaze and noted his reaction was slower than usual. Another with a concussion, and by the way he was holding himself, most likely his ribs were busted.

Brock nodded slowly, accepting the weapon Clay handed him, and his gaze roamed the surrounding hills.

Recognizing that was the best he was going to get out of Brock, Clay returned to the smoldering ruins of the Blackhawk. He next checked the pilots and found both were dead. Unable to help them, Clay forced his mind to remain focused as he turned in search of more of Bravo.

He found Sonny next. His best friend was unconscious but breathing. As with Ray, he grasped the back of Sonny’s tactical vest and deposited him next to Ray. He would address Sonny’s broken leg once everyone was a safe.

Jason started groaning just before Clay located him. There was a gash on the right side of his forehead, and the man was clearly dazed. Another concussion for the Master Chief.

“Come on, Jase.” Clay wrapped his arm around Jason and helped him limp over to Brock. His leg was clearly injured, but there was nothing Clay could do at the moment. He still needed to find Trent and the other med bag. “Stay here!”

After receiving a thumbs up from Jason, Clay went in search of their last missing brother. His stomach dropped when he spotted their medic. There was a piece of metal sticking out of Trent’s side. A quick assessment told Clay he was also suffering a concussion and most likely busted ribs. Digging through Trent’s med kit, he stabilized the metal so he could move Trent to safety.

Thankful he found everyone alive, although injured, Clay finally had a moment to breathe. However, he recognized they needed cover. He turned to Brock, the only semi-lucid member of Bravo.

“I’m going to clear the house at the top of the hill so we can hunker down while we wait for the QRT. Watch them!”

Brock nodded in semi-understanding. Clay realized it was all he was going to get from the dog handler, grabbed a weapon, and moved as quickly as possible to the structure. Thankfully the building was abandoned. Although falling apart, it would offer at least a hint of protection while he triaged the team.

The next several minutes was spent moving the team into the safety of the dilapidated building. Brock did what he could to help, but most of the work fell to Clay.

Finally, all of Bravo and Clark were safely inside the building and Brock was pulling security. QRT was on it’s way with medical and should arrive in the next fifteen to twenty minutes. Clay just hoped they wouldn’t be found before help arrived.

Starting with Trent, Clay began a better assessment of each of his teammates. The list of injuries was long, and the recovery would be as well.

He splinted Ray’s arm and Sonny’s leg. Pumping both full of morphine for the pain.

Jason also received a dose and orders to stay down in the corner and “let me work, Boss!” Clay also patched up Jason’s head wound, but couldn’t do anything for the vomiting.

Brock walked through how to help Cerberus until they could get him to a vet. Although nothing life threatening, Cerb appeared to have a broken leg. He did what he could for dog and handler before returning to Trent.

Their medic had yet to stir, even with moving him twice. The trip surely was uncomfortable. Aside from the wound in his side, Trent suffered from a concussion and several broken ribs.

“Six!”

Brocks frantic call grabbed Clay’s attention in an instant. Bravo Five was normally calm and collected. Closing the distance between them, Clay dropped to a knee at the window.

“We have company.” Brock pointed to the ridge opposite them where several clearly armed figures were cresting the top.

Clay keyed his radio as the first shot rang out.

“Troops in contact!”

Chapter Text

“We have troops in contact, how much farther?”

The pilot checked his instruments before answering over his shoulder. “We’ll be there in three minutes.”

“Put it down to the west. We have a hot LZ.”

“Copy.”

Blackburn rechecked his gear before reporting in to Mandy and Davis. “Havoc Actual to Havoc Base. We are three mikes out.”

“Copy, Havoc Actual. ISR shows Bravo engaged with twenty hostiles.”

“Copy.”

It wasn’t often Eric went into the field, not since his injury ended his kicking-in-doors days. Working with Bravo was typically enough action for him, and his wife. Every once in a while, though, he left behind the desk and screens of his position to help pull his guys out of a tough spot. He was, after all, a SEAL and once you’re a SEAL you’re always a SEAL. He wasn’t about to leave his men behind.

As the Blackhawk touched down, Blackburn and eight other men disembarked. Their bird and two others holding medics would keep a holding pattern until they’d cleared the landing zone.

Gunfire carried over the ridge as Blackburn led the men towards Bravo. He wasn’t sure what he would find once they arrived. He only hoped it was in time to save the lives of the men he considered brothers.

Clay switched to his sidearm, having gone Winchester on his rifle. He hadn’t been able to gather ammo from the guys before the gunfire started, and now he was wishing he had.

Brock had been assisting as much as able, considering his concussion and busted ribs, but the man caught a round in the shoulder early on and had since passed out.

Clay was out gunned, out manned, and out of options. He’d done everything he could to protect his team, and he was afraid it wasn’t enough.

It was at that moment a familiar form crested the ridge opposite where the tangos came from with men at his back. They made quick work of the hostiles approaching and it was mere moments before he heard his Lieutenant Commander’s voice.

“Eagle, Eagle.”

Clay responded in kind before dropping to his knees and sucking in a deep breath. He only paused for a breath, though, before turning to Brock and beginning to render aid.

“Six, status.” Eric entered the room and took in the carnage in the house Bravo had holed up in, noting the walls were scarred with bullet holes and all but one of the team lay injured and or bleeding. Spotting Clay working on Brock, he knelt beside the rookie to assist.

“Five took a round to the shoulder about five minutes ago. Been unresponsive for three. He’s lost a lot of blood. Also has a concussion and broken ribs.

“Cerberus has a broken leg and I’m unsure what other injuries he has. He’s been quiet.

“One has a bad concussion. Loss of consciousness twice. His hip is fucked up.

“Two has a broken arm, concussion, and busted ribs. His arm has been splinted not set. Has yet to regain consciousness.

“Three has a badly broken and splinted leg, and a bad concussion. Still hasn’t woken up yet.

“Four is the worst. Suffered an impalement in his side. I’ve stabilized the metal and started an IV. He is also concussed and has several broken ribs. He’s remained unconscious.”

Four medics who entered behind Blackburn began to assess the patients, keeping Clay's status report in mind. When one approached Brock, Clay balked at backing away.

“It’s okay, We’ve got this.”

Eric stood, gripped Clay’s bicep, and pulled him back to allow the medic to work on Brock. “Six, what's your status?”

“They’re all fucked up pretty bad. The pilots didn’t survive the crash.”

“I’m not asking about the rest of Bravo, I’m asking about you.”

Clay finally met Blackburn’s gaze, noting the concern in them. “I’m fine. Just want to get them out of here.”

Eric nodded before barking orders. It wasn’t long before all of Bravo, the two pilots, and James Clark all boarded helos and were headed back to base.

“Havoc Actual to Havoc Base, we are RTB.”

Mandy and Davis sagged with relief at the words. “Good copy, Havoc Actual. See you soon.”

If you asked any members of Bravo, Lisa Davis was a miracle worker. Today was no exception. The moment Blackburn radioed in they were on the way back, she jumped into action ensuring base medical had room for the team. Also aware Cerberus would need attention, she tracked down the vet and ensured they were on standby as well.

Then, knowing they would only stabilize the team here, she began coordinating with VA Beach and working on a list of things they would need for the flight. She would be sure her boys were well taken care of.

When the Blackhawks came into view, she and Mandy walked to the end of the C-17’s ramp and watched. Five men were carried to waiting vehicles on stretchers, two were offloaded in body bags, one man exited in civilian clothes, and the remaining Bravo member carried Cerberus to the waiting vet. Only after everyone was on the way to medical did Blackburn cross the tarmac to the waiting jet.

“How bad?” Mandy was almost afraid to ask.

“It’s pretty bad. The pilots are both KIA. Clark and Clay walked away but the rest are pretty beat up. It’s honestly a miracle anyone walked away from that crash. They’re headed to medical now to be assessed and stabilized. Trent got the worst of it so once he is stable enough to fly we’ll be headed back.” Blackburn moved to one of the crates where he removed his gear and stowed his weapons. Once done he turned to look for Clay’s go bag to grab a change of clothes when Davis appeared with a backpack.

“I’ve put a change of clothes in here for Clay so he can change as soon as you get to him. Will the rest need anything?” Davis would gladly gather the supplies, but she was also eager to go check on Bravo, particularly Bravo Three.

“Not until we get back to VA Beach.”

Nodding, Davis grabbed a small cooler with water and sandwiches for them and Clay before following Blackburn and Mandy to a truck that would take them to Bravo. They would sit with Clay and await word on the rest of the team.

Clay looked up from his clasped hands at the familiar sound of Blackburn heading his way. Spotting Davis and Mandy with him, his shoulders sagged in relief. He no longer had to carry this burden alone.

“Any update?” Blackburn asked as he dropped to the seat across from Clay in the waiting room. He could see the fatigue in their rookie and not for the first time he wondered if Spenser needed medical.

“Not much. They took Trent back for surgery, but haven’t heard anything about the rest.”

“Have you been checked out?” Davis lay a hand on Clay’s shoulder, concerned for the kid.

“Cleared.”

“We brought you a change of clothes. Davis has some food for you once you change.” Blackburn passed Clay his backpack and pinned him with the expression that declared he meant business.

“Yes, Sir.” Clay accepted the bag and headed for the restroom. Making quick work of changing out of his blood stained uniform and attempting to wash the blood off his hands, wanting to get back in case there was word on any of the team, Clay was soon headed back to the waiting room.

Returning to his seat, Clay settled in for a long wait. He could only hope he’d done enough in the field to save his teammates lives.

Twenty minutes after Clay returned in fresh clothes, Blackburn noted the kid passed out from exhaustion.

Chapter Text

The flight back to VA Beach was one of the longest of Clay’s life, and that’s saying a lot as he’d spent more than twenty-four hours on a plane before. All of his brothers were on a gurney. Trent, Ray, Sonny, and Brock were being kept sedated due to their injuries. They didn’t want the guys waking mid-flight in severe pain or them trying to get up and move around while they were in the air. Jason, although not sedated, was being carefully watched due to his severe concussion and injured hip. Clay hadn’t seen the Master Chief so hard on his ass during his time on Bravo.

The only silver lining, other than the fact they completed their mission, was that all the members of Bravo would recover. Even Cerberus who was sleeping in his crate.

“How are you holding up?” Davis passed Clay a water and settled into the seat beside him.

“I’m fine.” Clay sipped the water only so she wouldn’t bug him about it.

“You know you saved their lives, right? Every last one of them.”

Clay shook his head as he watched the steady rise and fall of Trent’s chest.

“You did. Clay, I saw the crash, the force you defended the team against, the distance you travelled the whole team.” Blackburn swallowed hard at the mental image. It hadn’t been a pretty sight. “If you hadn’t rendered aid, moved them to safety, and defended your position, you would all be dead.”

“Should have done more.” Clay muttered, refusing to meet his CO’s gaze.

“That is something we strongly disagree on, but I know that right now is not the time to debate it.” Blackburn stood and squeezed Clay’s shoulder. “Why don’t you climb in your hammock and get a couple of hours sleep before we get back to VA Beach.”

Clay blinked hard before looking up to Blackburn, “Sir, have their families been notified?”

“Yes, they’ll be waiting for us at the hospital.”

Davis rose and she and Blackburn made the rounds checking on the guys. All were resting and the medical team would ensure they remained as comfortable as possible for the relatively short flight home.

Clay wasn’t looking forward to seeing Bravo’s families. Despite what Blackburn and Davis thought, he knew he should have done more. He wasn’t fast enough or knowledgeable enough.

Ash’s words played on a loop in his head. Poor excuse of a SEAL … get your team killed. His chest constricted and his breathing became fast and shallow at the knowledge of just how close he’d come to losing the five men and a dog he considered brothers.

The call to strap in for landing was a welcome reprieve, and yet a knot suddenly formed in his stomach as he thought about how he would soon have to face Alana, Naima, Brock’s girlfriend Hannah, and Trent’s mother and explain to them why their men were coming back broken. Davis hadn’t laid into him for Sonny’s injuries, but Clay figured it would only be a matter of time.

When the back ramp opened, Clay remained glued to the side of the plane. He wanted to ensure the medical team could easily offload the guys and get them to the hospital as quickly as possible. Only after all the guys and Cerberus were taken to medical did Clay move.

“Come on, Spenser, you’re riding with us.” Blackburn knew he had a mountain load of paperwork that would need to be filed, but he needed to check in with the families before he did.

Clay dutifully followed his Lieutenant Commander and Davis to the truck that would drive them across base. The support staff would handle offloading all the supplies and ensuring gear was returned to the guys cage room.

When they reached the base hospital, Blackburn was given directions to where the families were waiting. On autopilot, Clay followed he and Davis into the private family waiting room and tucked himself into one of the hard plastic chairs in the corner. He needed to see his team again, to remind himself they had gotten out alive, but was instead relegated to waiting, again. In mere moments he was asleep.

“How are they? The doctors won’t tell us anything yet.” Alana stood and approached Blackburn the moment he entered.

The other women stood and gathered around, needing to hear any news on their men.

“Let’s have a seat.” Blackburn gestured to the uncomfortable chairs before sitting across from them with Davis at his side. “What all have they told you?”

“Bravo was involved in a helo crash and the guys were stable and being sent home.” Naima clasped her hands tightly in her lap.

“That is correct.” Blackburn drew in and slowly released a deep breath, aware none of the women in the room would like what they heard. “The team was returning to base when their helo was shot down. In the aftermath of the crash, Clay was able to render medical aid and move the guys to a more defensible position. He held off hostile forces long enough for the QRF to arrive and assist. Spenser is the reason the guys came home alive.”

All the women shifted their gaze to the young operator in the corner. The exhaustion clear on his young features even in sleep.

“Is he okay?” Naima carefully assessed the team’s rookie, looking for any sign of physical injury.

“He was cleared by medical. Other than a few scrapes and bruises Clay walked away from the crash. He’s barely slept since before they rolled out so is exhausted.” Blackburn eyed Clay, assessing to ensure he was still breathing easily before focusing back on the women.

“Jason has a Grade Three concussion and he hit his hip pretty hard. He is also sporting quite a few bruises and minor cuts. He will most likely need PT for his hip depending on the diagnosis from the doctors here. He will also need close monitoring with his concussion. However, they expect him to make a full recovery.”

Alana closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Although Jason would be out of commission for a while, he would heal and return to the team.

Eric shifted his focus to Naima. “Ray has a grade three concussion as well as cuts and bruises, and his ribs are bruised. He also sustained a broken right arm. They set the arm and have no reason to think he won’t make a full recovery.”

“Well, now he can say he’s broken both arms.” Naima chuckled sadly with a tears in her eyes. At least he would still be able to walk around. He was a bear if he was relegated to bed rest or crutches.

Although Davis was Sonny’s next of kin and medical proxy, Blackburn recognized the women would want to know the status of all of Bravo. “Sonny suffered a grade three concussion and a broken right leg. He’s going to need to take it easy for a while and let it heal, then PT will work with him. He’s going to be fine, just a bit of a handful until he can walk on his own again.”

The women chuckled when Lisa rolled her eyes. She was beyond thankful they didn’t have to hide their relationship with Bravo and family, even if they kept things discreet. Neither wanted to be the reason their relationship pulled one or both of them from Bravo, or the Navy.

Blackburn met Elaine Sawyer’s gaze, “Trent suffered the most severe injury. He, like the rest of the team, has a concussion and a few cracked ribs. However, in the crash a piece of metal lodged itself in his side and he lost quite a bit of blood. They have since removed the metal, repaired the damage, and given him a transfusion. His recovery will take a while, but as with the rest of Bravo they are certain he will be able to operate again.”

“That leaves Brock and Cerb.” Hannah shifted forward in her seat. She hadn’t been with Brock long but loved both he and Cerberus.

“Both are doing well. Other than a concussion, Brock had a through-and-though in his shoulder. He did lose a fair amount of blood, but they were able to stabilize and repair the gunshot wound without issue. As with all of the team they are keeping a close eye on him in case an infection takes hold, but they are fairly certain none of them are at risk due to Clay’s quick thinking and treatment in the field.

“Cerberus did sustain a broken leg, but Clay was able to splint it and the vet is confident our resident Hair Missile will recover quickly and without issue.” Blackburn met the gazes of each of the women. “They look beat up, and are sore, but all will recover in time.”

Alana grasped Eric’s forearm, “Thank you, Eric. For bringing them all home.”

Eric shook his head, “It’s not me you need to thank. It’s like I said in the beginning. None of them would have come home alive if it weren’t for Clay.”

“When can we see them?” Elaine was thankful her boy was home and safe, but she desperately needed to lay eyes on him for her own assurances.

“As soon as the doctors finish their assessments and get them settled. The nurse indicated they have a six bed bay they’re going to put them in if that’s acceptable to you ladies.”

Naima chuckled lightly, “I think that’s the best idea they’ve had in a while. Bravo would just roam the halls from one room to the next until everyone is released. If they’re all in the same room they won’t even have an excuse to leave their bed.”

When Clay woke, it was to a room full of women and Blackburn. How he got there was a bit hazy, but he would recognize a hospital waiting room anywhere. Rubbing his eyes, Clay sat and carefully considered the events that brought him here. As his thoughts cleared, his stomach rolled. Doing his best to not draw attention to himself he stood and moved quickly from the room in search of a restroom. He barely made it inside and the door locked before the meager contents of his stomach resurfaced.

Once finished, he slowly stood and made his way to the sink where he rinsed his mouth out and splashed cold water on his face. The coolness did little to ease the throbbing in his head. Gripping the sink with both hands, he lowered his head and took a few slow breaths. His body was aching from the crash now that he’d had time to get a little bit of rest. Clay knew he’d be feeling it for several days while his body recovered from the jarring descent the Blackhawk made into the ground.

When he was sure he wouldn’t vomit again, Clay began the trek back to the waiting room. He really wanted to crawl into his bed and sleep for a week, but the need to be by Bravo’s side trumped even his own exhaustion.

Halfway back to the waiting room, the group of women exited and began to head down the hall. Blackburn was the last to exit the room and looked around for him, smiling softly when he caught sight of Clay headed his way.

“They’ve got the boys settled in and have approved for everyone to head in.”

Nodding, Clay fell in step beside Blackburn. “Have any of them woken up yet?”

“Not that they’ve said. Most of them were sedated for the flight so it’s just a matter of waiting for it to clear their system and the boys to decide to wake up. None of which is concerning at this point. It shouldn’t take too long for them to all be up and complaining.”

“Yeah, I bet Sonny’ll be bitching about things before he even wakes up.” Clay let out a small laugh.

Crossing the threshold of the large room Bravo was assigned, Clay stopped and took in the room. There were six beds arranged around the room. Curtains were hung between the beds, but all were drawn back to allow clear line of sight between the patients. Each of his team lay sleeping, but none appeared to be in pain which was a relief for Clay.

Moving to the foot of the first bed, Clay took in Jason’s appearance. He sported a bandage over his right eye, a result of the head trauma which caused his concussion. Other than a bag of fluids, the Master Chief appeared to only be resting.

“How is he?” Clay looked to Alana who sat at her husband’s bedside holding his hand.

“Resting. Doesn’t appear to be in any pain for which I’m thankful.” Alana looked up and met Clay’s gaze. “Thank you, for pulling him out of there and bringing him home to us.”

“He’s done the same for me.” Clay admitted softly.

“Hey, won’t don’t you see the rest of the guys, then go get some rest. You’ve got them this far, we’ve got it from here for a while.”

Clay simply nodded then turned and headed for Ray and Naima. “Hey, Naima. How is Ray holding up?”

“He’s as good as can be expected. He is going to be grumpy about his arm for a while, but frankly I’m thankful. Things could have ended up so much worse.” Naima offered him a small smile. “His vitals are strong, there is no sign of infection … he’s going to be fine in a few weeks.”

“Good to hear.”

“You look exhausted. Why don’t you go get some rest once you’ve seen everyone. We’ve got them.” Naima knew if Ray were the one uninjured he would balk at leaving his team. But, Clay clearly need some time to rest and recoup from the mission. She simply hoped he’d take care of himself as well as he took care of Bravo.

“Please let me know if his condition changes.”

“Of course!”

Nodding, Clay moved on to Sonny and Davis. “Hey, Lisa.”

Davis stood and gently pulled Clay into a hug. “I don’t know if I said it already, but thank you for bringing him home. I know Sonny can be a Texas sized pain in the ass, but I love him. I don’t know what I would do if I lost him.”

“He’s my best friend. I’d take him pitching a fit over being on crutches any day over the alternative.”

Eyeing him carefully, Lisa noted how worn out Clay was. Realizing he was running on little to no sleep the last couple of days, she hoped he would listen to her words of advice. “Clay, why don’t you head home and get some rest. You look like you’re running on fumes.”

“Just a little tired.” Clay wanted to argue, but knew Lisa wouldn’t hear of it.

“It’s okay, We’ve got this.”

Clay squeezed Sonny’s uninjured ankle before turning to the next bed. Unlike Jason, Ray, and Sonny, Trent still appeared a bit pale.

“He’s alright.” Elaine smiled up at the young operator. Trent had shared many stories about Bravo’s rookie and although she wished it was under different circumstances, she was glad to meet him. “Compared to some of his other injuries, this is just a scratch.”

“I was really worried. Didn’t know if …”

“Hush now.” Elaine stood and drew the young man into a hug. “You did everything right. My boy is going to recover and be back by your side in no time because you did everything you could for him. Thank you for saving my boy.”

Clay melted into the motherly embrace and fought back the emotions that threatened to overflow.

“I can watch over him for now. You need to take care of yourself too, young man.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Clay took a step back, took one last, long look at Trent, and moved to the next bed.

Hannah smiled at Clay as he approached. “They say he should be waking up soon.”

“That’s good news.” Clay offered a small smile. “I need to thank him.”

“From what I hear it’s us that should be thanking you. You saved them.”

“I had help. Brock was concussed, but he helped me protect the guys until he was hit. Even injured he walked me through how to help Cerberus.”

“Probably made you take care of Cerb first, too.”

“Yeah, but that’s okay. Cerb is one of my best friends. All of Bravo loves him.”

“Vet said he’s doing well.”

“I’m glad. I’d hate for him to be retired due to injury.”

Hannah smiled softly at Clay. “You look like you could use some rest yourself.”

“I’m fine.”

“Really, Clay. We’ve got the guys. You go take care of yourself for a few hours and by time you get back they’ll all be awake and pitching a fit.”

“I guess you’re right.” Clay drew in a slow breath before turning and heading for the door.

With each step everyone’s words replayed in his head. Poor excuse of a SEAL … we’ve got this … go home … get your team killed … get your team killed … we don’t need you!

Clay’s breaths came is short gasps as his chest constricted. His team didn’t need him. They had their families. He wasn’t wanted. Not by his father, not by the women, and certainly not by his team.

Clay’s world descended into darkness…

Chapter Text

Jason woke to a soft bed, beeping in his ear, his head throbbing to the beat of his heart, and a warm hand in his. It only took moments for him to realize he was in the hospital in VA Beach and his lovely wife was at his side. Slowly turning his head so as not to upset his concussion rattled brain, he smiled softly when Alana came into view.

“Hey.”

Alana’s face broke into a wide grin at seeing him awake. “Hey there yourself. You’re back in VA Beach, your team is with you, and all are alive. Mission success.”

Jason closed his eyes for a brief moment, thankful she knew he would immediately need to know if his team all came home in one piece. Although he remembered bits and pieces of the helo crash, he was missing some moments in time.

When he opened his eyes again, he spotted Spencer talking to Naima. Ray was in the bed directly beside him and seemed to still be sleeping.

“The kid okay?”

“Docs cleared him in country.” Alana offered Jason a sip of water to help with his parched throat.

Jason sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment before looking around the room, taking in the rest of his sleeping team and their families, thankful when Alana began to give a rundown of each man’s condition.

Ray tensed as he woke. The memory of the Blackhawk plummeting to the ground, warning bells ringing loudly as the pilots worked to minimize the destruction they would cause, and Jason’s calls to “Brace! Brace! Brace!” shifted to Naima’s soft voice in his ear and the beeping of monitors.

“It’s okay, Ray. You’re home, safe, and so are all of your brothers.” Naima caressed her husband’s cheek, wishing she could take some of the physical and mental pain from him.

“Naima.” Ray whispered as he blinked his eyes open and looked around.

“Right here. Are you in pain?”

Ray took a long moment to consider the question before slowly shaking his head.

“Let me know if that changes.”

“Team?”

“All alive and here with you. They put you all in one big medical bay so you won’t be wandering the halls trying to annoy one another.”

Thank you God. It was a small thing, but it was proven the team recovered better when together.

“What’s their status?”

Naima explained how each member of Bravo was doing as simply and quickly as she could. She knew with his injuries on top of the travel and time change, her husband wouldn’t be awake for long.

Ray listened to Naima’s status as he watched Clay move slowly around the room and spend a few moments with each of the team. At least one of us walked away.

Sonny woke to the feeling of someone squeezing his ankle. The sensation was quickly overwhelmed by an ache in his other leg and a throbbing head. Due to his many stays in a hospital bed, it didn’t take long for him to recognize he was there … again.

Rolling his head to the left, he slowly opened his eyes, spotting Davis at his side.

“Hey, Sonny.”

“Lisa.” Sonny breathed out in relief, until he remembered what put him here. “The guys?”

“All good. They’re here with you. All alive and in one piece.”

“Good.” Sonny closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He decided he could get more answers later. Right now, though, he just wanted to hold Lisa’s hand and go back to sleep.

Trent groaned as the pain in his side pulled him from a medically induced slumber.

“Easy, Trent. You’ve been injured.”

Slowly opening his eyes, he found his mother at his bedside. Her eyes were watery, as if she’d been crying, and he instantly felt bad for being the cause.

“I’m okay.”

Elaine laughed softly. “You most certainly are not. But you will be in time. Your side was impaled in the crash. Everything is fixed, but you’ll be feeling it for a bit. They gave you a pump to help you manage your pain.”

At the mention of the helo crash, Trent began to sit up only to fall back with a groan.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Elain gently pressed Trent back to the bed before pressing the button for his pain meds.

“The guys ...”

“Look around you, son. They’re all here and waking up.”

“How?” He didn’t remember much, but he knew it had been bad.

“Clay cared for each of you. He got you to safety and watched over you until your Commander Blackburn could rescue you.”

Trent closed his eyes and let out a long breath. If Blackburn came out with QRF then it was worse than he’d thought.

Brock slowly came to awareness to the sound of Clay’s and Hannah’s voices, and the incessant beeping of hospital equipment. Slowly, his memory returned as the aches in his body made themselves known.

He recalled the crash and Clay finding him and Cerberus, then moving them … twice. He had a vague memory of explaining to Clay how to help Cerb, then a gunfight. The ache in his shoulder reminded him he took a round. But, no matter how hard he tried, he didn’t recall anything after the searing pain in his shoulder.

As Clay’s voice faded, he was finally able to open his eyes. A few seconds later Hannah came into view and smiled at him.

“Good to see you awake.” Hannah recognized the expression on Brock’s face meant he was in pain. “Cerb is fine, so are the rest of the guys. Give me just a moment and I’ll get some more pain meds on board for you.”

As she reached pressed the button on the pump, Brock’s gaze found Clay walking away from him. The kid was moving much slower than normal, but he was too sore and tired to think much of it.

Alana was incredibly relieved to have Jason wake. Although she knew her husband would soon fall asleep again, simply seeing his eyes open did wonders to ease the fear the news of the helicopter crash brought on.

As she looked around the room she smiled, it appeared the guys were waking as Clay made his way around the room. Although none of them spoke to him, it was as if his voice alone brought them all back from dreamland. She met Naima’s gaze for a moment and they shared a brief smile of relief before Naima’s gaze shifted, her eyes widened, and she sprang from her seat.

Clay hit the ground … hard.

“Eric, get help!” Naima slid to her knees at Clay’s side as Lisa and Alana joined her.

Blackburn ran to the nurses station without hesitation.

“Alana, hold his head steady. Lisa, help me roll him over.” Naima instructed, slipping into the role of a nurse in the split second she recognized Clay was in trouble.

“What’s going on?” Jason pushed up and peered at his Rookie laid out on the floor.

Trent ignored the pull in his side, and the deep ache that accompanied it, as he attempted to leave his bed to help Clay.

“You will stay here, young man!”

“Mom, he needs help!”

“Naima is a nurse, we are in a hospital, and you are in no condition to be getting out of this bed. Now lay back down before I knock you out myself.” Elaine ordered even as she adjusted Trent’s bed to allow him to sit and keep his attention on the situation unfolding.

Once they got Clay to his back, Naima began a thorough assessment.

“Everyone move!” A doctor dropped beside her and tried to push her out of the way, but Naima held her ground.

“I am a nurse and was here when he collapsed.”

Alex recognized he could use her help until the rest of his team arrived. “What do we have.”

“He was involved in the same helicopter crash as these men approximately twenty-eight hours ago. Pulse is thready, pupils are dilated, and breathing is labored.”

“Patient has a pneumothorax on the left side. Broken ribs. Must have shifted and punctured his lung.”

More medical personnel spilled into the room with a gurney in tow.

“He’s not breathing.” Naima swallowed down the panic at the realization.

“Bag him!”

Naima was unceremoniously pushed back as additional hands worked to stabilize Clay, move him to a gurney, and rush him from the room.

Alana, Naima, and Davis stood in shock for a long moment once the team disappeared down the hall.

“What the hell just happened?” Jason demanded, pressing a palm to his forehead as the stabbing pain in his head increased.

Shaken back to the present, the women made their way back to Bravo’s bedsides.

“He stopped breathing.” Naima dropped to the seat beside Ray, closed her eyes, and fought to hold back the tears which threatened to fall. She was used to helping people, but not typically one of her extended family.

“Trent!” Jason ordered, needing answers and as always looking to the team's unofficial medic to provide them.

“Collapsed lung.” Trent gratefully accepted the water his mother offered him. “I don’t know why they didn’t catch it in Peru, but he must have been injured in the crash. Probably a concussion too.”

“Eric!”

“Jason, I don’t know. He, and the doctors, told me he was medically cleared.” Eric scratched at his beard as he thought back over the last day.

“Did he show any symptoms?” Trent asked, his mind spinning at all the possible things that could be wrong with Clay.

“He was tired, but barely slept. Didn’t eat much. Been quiet.” Eric listed off.

“Did he pass out, vomit, have trouble breathing at any point?” Trent knew the chances Clay had a concussion were high. But, he was out of it from the moment the helo crashed so he had no idea what state his teammate was in.

“He fell asleep quickly once he sat down. Since he was cleared by medical we figured it was due to exhaustion.” Davis admitted, wracking her brain to see if they missed anything. “He didn’t eat the food I brought him, and barely touched the water.”

“Aint your fault, Davis.” Sonny squeezed her hand. He was worried sick about Clay, but he knew Lisa and Eric did everything they could for his little brother.

“Why didn’t he say something?” Brock wondered aloud.

“Adrenaline is a hell of a thing.” Trent shifted, then wished he hadn’t. “He may not have realized his symptoms pointed to more than just exhaustion. But that doesn’t explain why medical cleared him.”

“I can find out who examined him, see if I can figure out why they let him go when he was clearly injured.” Davis squeezed Sonny’s hand before she stood, intent on figuring out what happened to Clay.

“No, sit. I’ll have someone bring your laptop so you can stay here while you work.” Blackburn pulled his phone out and sent off a few texts to have both his and Lisa’s computers brought to the hospital. Once done he dropped into a chair and waited for word on one of his men.

This mission ended up Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition … and heads were going to roll.

Chapter Text

Full Metal volunteered to help put up Bravo Team’s gear. His brothers, his friends, had a hell of an op and ended up with all but one of the team in the hospital. Although, he wasn’t sure how Clay walked away from a crash that put all of Bravo on their asses.

As he shifted the gear from the cart it was brought in on, Metal set it on the table according to who it belonged to. He liked Davis and didn’t mind doing little things that made her job a bit easier, especially since she had to put up with Bravo Three on a regular basis.

He was stacking Clay’s gear when something caught his eye.

“What the hell happened, Six?”

His task forgotten for the moment, Metal headed for the medical building.

It took way too long for Bravo to hear back on Clay’s condition. While they waited, doctors and nurses made their way through the room checking on patients, ensuring pain meds were on board and effective, and issuing orders to “Stay in your beds!”. The threat of moving them all to different floors and not allowing access to Spenser proved to be enough to keep them compliant … for now.

Trent refused to go back to sleep until he heard word on Clay. Not knowing what went down after the Blackhawk crashed, the medical knowledge he possessed had him thinking up the worst case scenarios. The fact he was unable to assess and treat Clay himself didn’t help matters.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Captain Alex Rabon strode back into Bravo’s medical bay.

“How is he?” Trent adjusted his bed, again, and regretted it, again. But ignored the pain as he took in the doctor’s guarded expression.

Rabon met Blackburn’s gaze. The young operator only had his CO listed as his emergency contact. Something that always saddened the doctor as it typically meant the sailor didn’t have anyone aside from their team. “Lieutenant Commander, am I cleared to share Spenser’s status with everyone in this room?”

“Yes.” It would save him having to repeat everything.

“Spenser suffered quite a few injuries, and frankly I’m appalled you didn’t get him medical treatment before he collapsed.” Rabon got right to the point, pissed the young man’s team didn’t look out for him better.

“Whoa, now you fucking hold on there just one fucking minute …” Sonny geared up to yell at the man.

“Sonny, pipe down!” Jason ordered before Sonny could get out of hand.

“I assure you, he was seen in medical. He, and I, were informed he was cleared before we returned.” Blackburn didn’t appreciate being accused of not caring for one of his men. But, he would have drawn the same conclusions if the roles were reversed. He was thankful the Captain was looking out for Clay’s well being. “I and my team are already looking into what happened and we will handle it.”

Relief flooded Rabon. He’d seen operators ignored and abused by their teams in the past and vowed to never let it happen under his watch. Based on the reaction of the men in the room, he believed Blackburn. He too would look into the matter and figure out which knucklehead signed off on Spenser.

“Please, how is he?” Trent needed answers and if he didn’t get them soon he would go in search of Clay’s medical chart on his own.

“Stable. He seems to have suffered a grade two concussion, broken ribs, and bruising and cuts consistent with a helo crash.” Rabon ran a hand through his hair. “He also has severe bruising on his chest.”

“What bruising?” Brock’s brows furrowed, not recalling Clay mentioning his chest hurting at any point.

“It’s what I would expect when an operator takes rounds to the chest plate. Do any of you have any insight?”

Everyone looked to Brock, the only one who was coherent enough to remember anything after the Blackhawk went down.

Thinking back over the firefight, Brock couldn’t remember any instance where Clay reacted as if he’d been shot. “I don’t know.”

“Blackburn.”

Everyone turned to the door to find Full Metal standing before them. Noting the gear in his hand, Eric made an executive decision. “Alana, Naima, Mrs. Sawyer, Hannah. I’m going to need to ask you to step out for a few minutes. I need to speak with the team.”

Alana nodded, stood, and headed for the door. She didn’t miss the fact Scott held something behind him. “Let’s go grab these boys something to eat. None of them like hospital food.”

Although not necessarily wanting to leave the guys, the women recognized the team needed to have a conversation they couldn’t, and probably wouldn’t want, to hear.

Once they were out of the room, and the door closed behind them, Eric turned to Full Metal. “Talk to me.”

“I was helping put up Bravo’s gear and came across this.” Scott held out the equipment in his hand.

“Clay’s?” Jason asked, spotting the dusty, bloody body armor.

“Yes.” Metal answered simply. “Look closely at the front.”

That’s when he spotted it and his eyes widened. “Son of a bitch.”

“Blackburn?” Sonny asked. “What happened to Six?”

“He took three rounds to his plates.”

The guys all stared at their CO in shock.

“That would explain the broken ribs.” Ray muttered.

“Why didn’t he say anything?” Brock wondered aloud for the second time.

“Adrenaline is a hell of a thing.” Trent would have shrugged if he wasn’t so tired. “He may not have realized it at the time. But that doesn’t explain why medical cleared him.”

“I believe this gives me the answer I was looking for.” Captain Rabon looked at the body armor Blackburn held, noting two of the three rounds were almost on top of each other. “He is getting a few more tests done at the moment, but we’ll bring him in here once finished. If you need anything at all, please let us know.

“Thank you, Captain.” Blackburn shook the man’s hand.

“I’ll keep the door closed for the moment. When you’re done with your debrief please open it back up so my nurses, and their families, know it’s alright to come back in.”

The boys waited until the door swung closed behind the doctor before they all started speaking at once.

Eric allowed it for five seconds before he whistled to get their attention. “That’s enough! Nothing we do now is going to change what happened in the field. I know you’re all tired, in pain, and concerned for Clay so I’ll keep this simple. How many of you were conscious after the Blackhawk went down?”

“It’s a blur. I have moments of light, pain, nausea, but nothing concrete.” Jason admitted.

“I don’t remember anything after Jason’s order to brace in the helo.” Ray wished he had. Maybe then he would know what happened to Clay and could have helped him.

“Only thing I remember is pain in my leg, Clay saying he had me, then waking up in medical.” Sonny’s heart ached for his best friend.

Trent hated that he didn’t remember anything. “I’m blank from the time we boarded the helo with Clark.”

“I woke up on the ground beside the helo. Was curled around Cerb, tried to protect him. Clay picked him up and helped me to safety. Told me to watch the guys as he pulled you all out.” Brock closed his eyes, searching his hazy memory. “He found somewhere for us to hole up until QRF arrived. He somehow got us all up the hill and inside. I posted security best as I could. He was beside me and Cerb, tending to him, at some point. Next thing I know my shoulder is on fire and I’m waking up in medical.”

Davis met Blackburn’s gaze. Appears they knew more about what happened, and they were in TOC.

“Alright, you all rest. Nothing we can do but be there for Spenser when he wakes up.” Eric stood and opened the door moments before staff wheeled Clay into the bay and set him up next to Sonny.

All of Bravo took in their youngest member. He was pale, had several tubes and wires, but was thankfully breathing on his own.

“He’ll still be out for a while. We’ll be in to check on him, and all of you, regularly.” The kind nurse smiled at the men before heading back to her station. She had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

Chapter Text

Davis texted Alana when debrief was over and Clay was brought in. She knew the other women would be itching to get back to the medical ward and keep an eye on the guys. Not to mention all the Bravo boys were worked up and getting them to get the rest they so desperately needed would be quite the feat.

Alana entered the ward and paused to take in the state of the room. Clay now took up the space between Sonny and Trent, and all the men were sporting differing expressions that ranged from furious, to guilty. All appeared as though they were moments from jumping out of their beds to sit by Clay.

“Alright, you boys better listen up because I’m only going to say this once.” Alana waited a beat for all the men to look her way. “Are you listening?”

There was a chorus of “Yes, Ma’am.” around the room and Hannah, Elaine, and Naima stifled a laugh. Jason may lead Bravo in the field, but on home soil Alana held just as much if not more authority over them. Especially when they were thinking about doing something stupid.

“I am aware all of you are concerned about Clay. I don’t know for sure what happened out there, and frankly I don’t want to know.” Alana paused to draw in a deep breath. “What I do know for certain is that none of you are in any state to be up and about. You all need your rest in order to heal from this clusterfuck of a mission.

“So, here are your orders and you will follow them or you will face the wrath of an angry Navy SEAL wife, and trust me … you don’t want that.” Alana eyed each of the men to ensure they all grasped the gravity of her words. Once she was sure they all understood, she continued. “When you were in the field, injured after your helicopter went down, Clay did everything he could to help you. He stood the watch until you were safe, just as you all would have done for him were the roles reversed.

“It’s our turn.” Alana gestured to all the women and Blackburn. “You trust us to keep the home front going when you’re gone. Now it’s time to trust us with Bravo. It’s our turn to stand the watch.”

“Alana, I don’t want to disrespect you, but Clay don’t got no one.” Sonny gestured to the five men in the beds around the room. “We’re the only family Clay has, and where we have someone to stand by our side while we’re bedridden, Clay don't.”

Naima’s heart broke, for Sonny who dearly loved Clay, and for the young man whose family didn’t care for him. “Sonny, I promise you he won’t be alone. We’ll all take turns sitting by his side so when he wakes up he knows his family is here for him. Like Alana said, you guys can rest easy now. We’ve got the watch.”

“It’s going to be difficult for you all to wind down to rest. Do you want us to ask the doctors to give you something to help you sleep?” Alana wanted to make sure the guys were all able to get the healing rest their bodies needed.

There was a chorus of ‘no’ around the room, which didn’t surprise anyone in the slightest.

As the women dispersed around the room, Blackburn approached Alana. “Thank you.”

“No thanks needed, Eric.” Alana offered Jason’s CO a smile. “I know how difficult these guys can be. But listen, the order to let us look over them wasn’t just for the guys. You need to rest too, and I bet you have a wife that will be more than happy to have you home.”

Eric smiled briefly. “As much as I’d love that, there is work that needs to be done. I need to figure out why Clay was discharged in Peru considering his injuries.”

“How about a compromise then?”

One of Blackburn’s brows rose in curiosity.

“You go home, see your wife, eat a hot meal, get a shower and a fresh change of clothes. Take a couple of hours to decompress and clear your mind. Then you can come back, check in with the guys, and get to work. I can promise you things will be a lot clearer if you take a bit of time for yourself.”

“Alana’s right. You can’t work yourself to death while expecting the guys to stay put and rest.” Naima backed up her good friend.

“Fine.” Eric held his hands up in surrender. “Two hours, and you will call me if there are any changes with any of these guys.”

“Promise.”

Nodding, Eric turned and made his rounds, speaking briefly with each man.

He promised Jason he wouldn’t stop until they learned what happened with Clay.

He promised Ray he would look after himself.

Sonny made him swear that Clay would receive the best medical care, a promise Eric was happy to make, and was sure he could keep with Captain Rabon in charge of Clay’s care.

He reminded Clay that he wasn’t alone. That Bravo had his six just as he had theirs.

Trent needed reassurance that each of the guys really was going to be alright. The medic was struggling to deal with his entire team being down and not being able to do a thing about it.

Brock asked him to check in on Cerberus, the K-9 always at the forefront of Brock’s mind.

When Eric and Metal left the hospital it was with the assurance that Bravo was being cared for by an excellent medical team, that the women would ensure the guys got the rest and support that they needed, and that they needed to do better at watching out for their youngest.

Once Ray finally fell asleep, Naima blew out a long breath and looked around. The rest of the guys were settled down and quiet, and would soon join her husband in sleep. Standing, she placed a gentle kiss on Ray’s forehead, lingering for a moment to take in his scent and the fact he was home safe. After adjusting his blanket one last time she turned and strode for Clay. She settled into the empty chair at his bedside and took in the state of the young operator.

A look at Clay’s vitals showed Naima he was improving. His heat rate was steady, oxygen levels were rising, and his color was slowly returning. She reached out and gently took his hand in hers.

“You’re going to be alright, Clay. We’re all here for you.” Naima closed her eyes and thought back over what Eric told them about the crash, remembering her husband wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for the young operator. “Thank you, for watching out for Ray and the rest of the guys. I don’t know how you pushed through your own pain and kept them safe, but I am forever grateful.

“Thanks to you the love of my life is home safe, I still have a husband, and my children still have their father. You have proven time and again that you would go to the ends of the earth for Bravo. I just hope you know they’d do the same for you, and we will stand by your side through hell and high water.”

Hannah placed a hand on Naima’s shoulder and smiled at the older woman. “I can sit with him for a couple of hours so you can get some rest.”

Nodding, Naima rose, squeezed Clay’s hand, and returned to Ray’s bedside where she curled up in the reclining chair.

Hannah settled into the vacated seat and began her vigil.

“I don’t know if you realize it yet or not, Clay, but Brock thinks the world of you.” Hannah grasped Clay’s hand, taking in the bruising and small cuts from the crash as she spoke. “He told me that from the very beginning Cerberus took a liking to you, and let me tell you, that pup can be picky. The fact you cared for Cerb when he was injured, well, Brock won’t ever forget that. You treated him like an equal member of the team, you always have, and it speaks volumes to your character.

“I also owe you a massive thank you for bringing Brock home to me. That man is my whole world and I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t survived.” Hannah let out a shuddering breath at the thought of getting a knock on the door. “So, you rest now. You’ve done our part, now let us take care of you all. You just focus on getting better.”

“He still resting okay?” Alana asked as she stood at the foot of Clay’s bed.

“Hasn’t so much as even twitched.” Hannah replied, looking over her shoulder at Bravo One’s wife.

“Good. Get some rest. I’ve got him for a bit.”

Nodding, Hannah headed back to Brock and Alana settled in.

“You, young man, have caused quite the stir in Bravo.” Alana lay a hand on top of Clay’s. “I know Jace was wary of drafting you to Bravo, but thankfully Ray talked some sense into him. I think he was hesitant because he sees a lot of his younger self in you.

“You’ve proven time and again that bringing you on was the right choice. This isn’t the first time you’ve made sure my husband has come home to us. Emma and Mikey still have their father thanks to you.

“Now, you rest up, because I have a feeling Bravo One will be pushing the team pretty hard to get you all back into shape.” Alana leaned closer and whispered. “Besides, someone needs to show Jason and Ray that they’re not as young as the used to be. I, for one, get quite a kick out of Jace coming home and complaining about how you ran laps around him.”

Davis was used to being up for hours on end. Her job as Bravo’s logistics specialist took up way more time than she ever imagined it would when she first started the job, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. The guys treated her as one of the team, a valuable asset, part of the family.

When she noticed Alana starting to doze off, she rounded Clay’s bed and lay a hand on her shoulder. “You’re exhausted. Why don’t you go get some rest.”

David had already spent several hours on her laptop working to figure out what happened with Clay in Peru. When Blackburn stopped by earlier, she’d shared all her intel with him and he headed back to the office to look into the matter more and make some phone calls. Lisa had a feeling that by time the sun rose Blackburn would have the situation well in hand.

“Are you sure? I can stay a bit longer.”

“Positive.”

Settling in, Lisa couldn’t help but think about how young Clay looked when he was sleeping. No wonder Sonny calls him little brother.

“You know, you gave everyone quite the scare. Sonny about jumped out of his bed when you fell, broken leg be damned.” Lisa squeezed Clay’s hand and she swallowed a lump of emotions. “I can never thank you enough for what you did out there. When we got the call the helo was going down, I thought for sure I’d told Sonny ‘I love you’ for the last time.

“I don’t know why you didn’t tell us you were hurting. Especially once the guys were safe and getting medical care. You’ve got some pretty pissed off SEALs over it so you better have a damned good reason why you hid your injuries from us, especially Trent. You know how he is about transparency with injuries.

“We need to you understand just how much you mean to this team, Clay. You’re life means just as much as everyone else's, no matter what Ash may have told you. These guys … none of them would be the same if they lost you. I’m pretty sure it would be the one thing that would break Sonny. You’re the little brother he never had. You’re an integral part of this family, so make sure you come back to us.”

Elaine squeezed her sleeping son’s hand before rounding the bed to Clay’s side. “Hey, Lisa. Time for you to get some rest. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Thank you, Elaine.” Lisa stood and stretched. After making sure Sonny was still asleep, she turned back to Trent’s mother. “I’m going to go grab a coffee, would you like anything?”

“Oh, no. I’m good for now. Thank you.”

Lisa nodded before heading out. She’d stop by the canteen, but then planned to check in with Blackburn.

Once Lisa headed out, Elaine turned to Clay. She tucked a stray lock of hair out of his face before gently taking his hand in both of hers.

“Hello, Clay. I’m Trent’s mother, Elaine. I’m happy to finally meet you, but wish it was under much different circumstances.”

Trent had spent hours regaling her with stories of Bravo. The tales of the young man before her often amused her as Trent loved to share with her Clay’s and Sonny’s pranks. It reminded her of when Trent was growing up and the trouble he would get into. When he joined Bravo he found a fellow prankster in Brock. At times Elaine felt bad for Jason Hayes as he had two dynamic duos on his team that liked to reign havoc everywhere they went.

“I’ll be sure to tell you again when you wake, but I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my son’s life. Trent has always been the one to care for people up when they’re injured. But then you came along and recognized he may not always be able to do so. You saw a need within Bravo and quickly and quietly filled it. There has been more than one time Trent would not have come home to me if it weren’t for you.

“Trent has shared with me some of your family history. I am sorry your father isn’t a better man. You deserve people in your life who love you, are proud of your accomplishments, and are there to lift you up when you’re down.

“I want you to know that you will always have a place in my family. You are always welcome in my home and there will always be a place for you at my table.”

The women of Bravo were thankful for Clay Spenser, more than words could express. They accepted him as part of the family and couldn’t wait for the chance to prove to him he had a home.

Chapter Text

Jason allowed Alana to wrap her arm around him as he stood. His concussion was still wreaking havoc on him, but the doctor said he could get up and walk around as long as he listened to his body and didn’t overdo. Alana had been quick to step in and assure the doctor she would see to it.

“Hey there, Boss Dog.” Ray held up his uninjured arm for a fist bump.

Jason gently tapped his fist to Ray’s as he looked over his best friend. “How you holding up?”

Ray gestured to his casted arm. “Wing’s a bit sore, but doc said it was a clean break. Should heal up just fine. You?”

“Dizzy, nauseous … alive.”

Ray nodded slowly, his own head still pounding from his concussion. “Was a close one.”

“Yeah.”

Alana and Naima met each other’s gaze. They knew it had been a close call and both were beyond thankful their husbands made it out alive.

“Come on, Master Chief. If you want to see all the guys you gotta keep it short.” Alana encouraged her husband to move on, aware he wouldn’t last long being up today and he wanted to speak with each of his men.

Ray met Jason’s gaze, “I’m good.”

Jason allowed Alana to guide him across the room to Brock.

“Hey, Boss.” Brock greeted with a small smile.

“How’re you feeling?” Jason gestured to Brock’s bandaged shoulder.

“Good.”

Hannah rolled her eyes at her boyfriend’s assessment.

“Pain is under control, I don’t have an infection, and I’ll be back to work after a little bit of PT. So yea, I’m good.”

“Just don’t push yourself too hard.” Alana leveled him with a motherly glare.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Captain Rabon was finishing changing Trent’s dressing when Jason walked up. “How is he, Doc?”

Rabon met Trent’s gaze and waited for a nod from the operator before answering.

“He has a slight infection. We caught it early and already have him on antibiotics.” Rabon removed his gloves and turned back to the SEALs. “Whoever patched him up in the field did an exceptional job.”

“That would be Clay.” Jason gestured to where the youngest was still sleeping.

“Well, then, you’re lucky to have two medics on your team.” Rabon met Trent’s gaze. “Keep your pain under control. This afternoon we can see about getting you up and moving around a bit.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

“Hayes, you better be making your way to a seat soon or I’ll send you back to your own bed.” Rabon pinned Jason with a no-nonsense glare.

“Just checking on my men, then I’ll rest.”

Nodding, Rabon headed for the door. “Let us know if any of you need anything.”

“I’m alright, Jason.” Trent could see the concern in his Master Chief’s eyes.

“Just hate seeing all of you down.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling.” Trent had been dealing with a shit ton of guilt over Clay’s condition. If he’d not been injured he would have recognized Clay was in pain and could have help him.

“It’s not your fault, Trent. We don’t know why he hid his injuries. We’ll have a conversation with him when he wakes up, but for now just trust he’s in good hands.”

“It’s hard when they're not my hands.”

“Get some rest, Four. We’ll all still be here when you wake up again.”

Trent nodded and drew in a slow breath, trying to ignore the pain in his side.

Jason looked to Alana and gestured to Sonny. The two slowly headed towards the Texan who was balking at being bedridden.

“You better not be thinking about getting out of this bed.” Jason leveled Sonny with a glare.

“Oh, you’re one to talk.” Sonny growled. “Hate being on my ass.”

“I’ve been reminding him that things could be worse.” Davis commented, nearing the end of her patience with Sonny who wanted nothing more than to close the few feet between he and Clay.

“Yeah, I could have Rabon move you down the hall to your own room so we don’t have to listen to your bitching.” Jason would never actually follow through. He knew how important it was to each member of Bravo to have eyes on their brothers after things go sideways.

“Fine. I’ll be good. Just, tell me he’s okay.”

Alana recognized the desperation in Sonny’s words. She had been surprised when the gruff Texan took such a liking to Clay, especially since he was so reluctant to the idea of Clay joining Bravo. They truly were brothers in all but blood. The two shared a bond similar to that of Jason and Ray, and Brock and Trent.

“He’s going to be fine, Sonny.” Alana squeezed his shoulder. “He’s banged up like the rest of you, but he’s as stubborn as all of you too. Just give his body time to rest up.”

Sonny swallowed hard and nodded. Noting a slight sway to Jason he leveled his Master Chief with a glare of his own. “Shouldn’t you be on your ass too?”

“Headed that way.” Jason didn’t want to admit he was about out of energy.

“Good thing there is a chair on the other side of that bed.” Sonny pointed to the recently vacated seat next to Clay.

Jason nodded and allowed Alana to help him around the bed. He hated relying on other people, especially in front of his team, but he quickly recognized Alana's need to help.

Alana stood back as Jason grasped Clay’s hand. The tender expression on her husband’s face, the gentle way he held Clay’s hand, the way he tucked back Clay’s curls so they didn’t lay in his face. Her husband probably didn’t realize it, but he treated Clay with the same fatherly love he showed Emma and Mikey.

From everything she knew about Ash Spenser the young man could use a fatherly figure in his life. It appeared as if her husband was filling that void, whether he intended to or not.

“Hey there, Sunshine.” Jason drew in a deep breath. “The team’s okay. I promise. You did good out there. Brought us all home safe. Now you need to wake up so we can all see that you’re alright too.”

Jason settled in beside Clay’s bed to keep watch, hoping Clay would wake up soon.

Trent took slow, careful steps around the room. He still had an ache in his gut, but it felt good to be up and about.

“I think that’s enough for today. Let’s get you back in your bed.” Trent’s nurse kindly suggested, recognizing the exhaustion in the operator’s features and movements.

“Can I sit by Clay’s bed for a bit?” Trent was the only one other than Sonny that hadn’t been by to check in on Clay and he was chomping at the bit to do so.

“For a short time. You’re still in recovery yourself and I’m sure I don’t have to remind you how much you can set yourself back if you don’t get the rest you need.”

“Thank you.”

Once Trent was situated, his IV pole close at hand, the nurse let him know she’d be back in a bit to get him back to his own bed. “Let me know if you need to move sooner.”

Out of habit, and almost without realizing, Trent reached over and placed a hand on Clay’s wrist, taking the man’s pulse to assure himself Clay was still alive. When Clay hit the floor, Trent’s heart dropped to his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to rush to his aide but had been unable to do so. Lying in his bed, waiting for word, had been some of the longest hours of his life.

Now, though, with Clay’s steady pulse under his fingertips, and the monitors all displaying normal readings, Trent was finally able to relax.

“I don’t know why you didn’t tell anyone about your injures, Clay. You scared the shit out of us when you collapsed.”

“I’m sorry.”

The words were so quiet, Trent almost missed them. “Clay?”

“Didn’t … hide.” Clay’s head rolled to the side, slightly unfocused eyes meeting Trent’s.

Ignoring his pain, Trent pushed up to better see his teammate. “Hey, easy.”

Davis appeared at Clay’s other side with a cup and a straw. “Here, Clay. Have some water.”

By this point everyone in the room knew Clay was waking and everyone but Sonny made their way over.

“Gave us quite the scare there, Blondilocks.” Sonny was relieved to have his little buddy awake again. He was starting to get scared when Clay didn’t wake with the rest of them.

“Hey, Kid. How’re you feeling?” Jason asked, leaning against the end of the bed.

“Hurts.” Clay’s hand lifted to touch the bruising at his chest, but Trent caught his hand before he could.

“You probably wanna leave that alone. You’ve got some broken ribs.”

Clay’s brows furrowed. “What happened?”

“You took three rounds to the plates, that’s what happened.” Brock answered, frustrated at his teammate.

“What?” Clay was sure he would have remembered that.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone you were injured?” Trent pressed, needing to know why Clay hid injuries after their many discussion on the topic.

Clay met Trent’s gaze again. “Huh?”

“Clay, you were cleared by medical in Peru. Blackburn is looking into who treated you and why you were released when clearly injured.” Ray filled in. “What we want to know is why didn’t you tell the doctors there, or Davis and Blackburn, that you were hurt.”

“I did.” Clay defended himself. “Told the doc chest hurt … Said I was imagining it … was fine.”

“You did?” Sonny was getting pissed now, and not at Clay.

“Yeah.” Clay gratefully accepted another drink from Davis. “Knew Trent would be mad … It hurt … They made me feel stupid.”

Jason’s heart clenched at the hurt in Clay’s eyes. He lay a hand on Clay’s foot, drawing the young operator’s attention to him. “We’re sorry, Clay. We believe you. Don’t know why they didn’t listen to you, but sounds like you did everything right.”

“Don’t want Trent mad.” Clay’s eyes slipped closed, he hadn’t been awake long but was already exhausted.

“It’s alright, Clay. You rest. We’ll be here when you wake up.” Trent squeezed Clay’s hand in reassurance.

As Clay drifted back to sleep, Bravo slowly made their way back to their beds. All were pissed off. Clay told the medical team in Peru that he was hurt, and they brushed him off and sent him on his way. Kid could have died due to their careless actions.

Two hours later Lieutenant Commander Eric Blackburn stood in the doorway to Bravo’s med bay. “I know what happened to Clay.”

Chapter Text

Blackburn stared at his wall for several minutes as he processed the information given to him. He finally discovered what happened with Clay in Peru. Turned out it was a chance encounter that ended badly. As horrible as it was that Clay was the one to suffer, Eric recognized that had it been any of the rest of Bravo, things could have ended much worse.

Knowing he couldn’t wait forever, Eric stood and headed for medical. On the way in he stopped to get an update on the guys and was pleased with the answer he received. All but Sunny and Clay had been up and moving throughout the day. Concussions were healing, and Jason at least would be discharged in the morning. Clay was improving steadily and Captain Rabon had no reason to suspect he wouldn’t make a full recovery with the rest of the team.

Heading to the medical bay, Eric drew in a deep steadying breath in preparation of sharing the news with the team. He expected a couple of the guys to lose their temper when they heard, and fortified himself for the inevitable.

Standing in the doorway, Eric took in the state of the room. The women were all absent, and he hoped that meant they were taking a well deserved break to eat a good meal and freshen up. The guys, well, they all appeared more relaxed and he suspected it was because Clay had woken.

Recognizing he couldn’t put it off any longer, Eric drew in a deep breath. “I know what happened to Clay.”

All eyes turned to Blackburn as he strode into the room and was surprised when Clay’s eyes opened too. He moved to the Rookie’s side. “How are you holding up?”

“Hurts, but fine.” Breathing, and by extension talking, was still painful. “What happened.”

Eric shifted so the room could hear him, but continued to address Clay. “First, I want to apologize. I should have recognized you weren’t doing well and ensured you received the medical care you deserved. I failed you as a commander, and for that I am deeply sorry. Second, it turns out the man who assessed you in Peru was not, in fact, a medical doctor.”

A ripple of confusion went around the room, but Eric ignored them and kept on with his explanation. “Thirty minutes after we were wheels up, the hospital was overrun by over fifty armed men. They were upset that the local hospital was treating American soldiers and apparently decided to do something about it. Thankfully, you were the last Americans there and no US citizens were harmed, but they did burn down an entire wing of the hospital and there were casualties. From what we’ve been able to put together, then man who supposedly treated you, Clay, was the first one in to assess the hospital. He dressed as a doctor, and got pulled in when we arrived.”

“So, he had no idea what to do when Clay told him what was wrong.” Trent closed his eyes. He was pissed Clay hadn’t been treated, and hurt for Clay because he had done everything right and been brushed off as a nuisance due to the flag on his uniform.

Anger boiling just under the surface at the way Clay had been treated, Jason met Blackburn’s gaze. “This can’t happen again!”

“I concur.” Eric squared his shoulders and met Jason’s gaze head on. “We will put safeguards in place moving forward. Any time you are seen at a local hospital, there will be a mandatory follow up with a doctor of our own. I will not allow your lives to be put in danger again because we didn’t do our due diligence.”

“Not your fault.” Clay stated firmly. “Yeah, it sucks, but better me than Trent, or Brock, or even Jason or Ray.”

“We are all equally important, Clay. You aren’t any less than the rest of us just because you’re the most recent draft.” Ray was afraid Clay saw him as worth less than the rest of Bravo due to his Bravo 6 designation, or who his father is.

“I know.” It had taken a while to understand the dynamics in Bravo, but Clay was now fully aware of how much each man meant to the others, himself included.

“Did you really not know you’d taken rounds to your plate?” Brock asked, still unable to comprehend how Clay kept moving after.

Eric hid his surprise. He hadn’t had a chance to debrief with Clay yet so didn’t know the kid hadn’t been aware of his own injuries.

“No.” Clay shifted slightly, and winced at the ache in his chest. “Although I am definitely feeling them now.”

“Clay, are you able to tell us what you remember?” Eric was curious what happened on the ground between when the Blackhawk crashed and he arrived with the QRF.

“I remember the alarms sounding in the helo. The pilots warning us we were going down and Jason yelling at us to brace. The crash itself is a bit of a blur, but I know when I pulled myself up after all I could think about was the rest of the guys. The dizziness and nausea were inconsequential when the rest of you were all unconscious.

“Found Ray and Clark first, moved them away from the helo. Brock was next and he was semi lucid. He held security while I pulled the rest out.” Clay took a moment to get a small drink of water, ignoring the pain in his chest from the talking as he needed the guys to know what happened. “The helo went down in a small valley, and since they launched an RPG I knew it would only be a matter of time before they found the crash. There was a building on the hill so I moved everyone there, triaged, and Brock helped me set security.

“I don’t know how long it took them, but they found us. Brock and I did what we could to defend our position, but he took a round to the shoulder. Everything after that is a blur until we got to the hospital. I told them my chest hurt but they supposedly examined me, told me I was fine, and to be on my way. When I pressed them, because I knew something was off even if I didn’t recognize the full extent at the time, he reiterated I was fine and told me to suck it up and deal with it.”

“Is that why you didn’t say anything to myself or Davis?” Eric asked softly.

Clay nodded. “I’d already been told once I was overreacting, by someone I thought was a doctor.”

“Concussions and adrenaline will do strange things to a person sometimes.” Trent offered. “You probably didn’t feel the rounds hitting your plates because you were the only thing standing between us and a hostile force. You were so focused on protecting us that at the time nothing else registered. Your concussion would have muddled your thinking and made it difficult for you to recognize something was off at the hospital.”

“Which is where myself, Davis, or even the support staff, should have noticed you needed more care than you received.” Eric would carry the guilt for some time. He’d failed his team and that always set heavy with him. Even if it wasn’t entirely his fault.

“I think we’ve learned two valuable lessons here.” Sonny piped up with a smirk.

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” Ray noted the mischievous glint in Sonny’s eyes and was almost hesitant to know what the Texan was thinking.

“First, we can’t trust no local hospitals. They suck!”

“Amen to that.” Trent heartily agreed.

Brock laughed, “And second?”

“Bam Bam, here, is a fucking badass!”

4 Months Later

Clay led the team through the streets quickly and quietly with Trent at his side. They encountered a few hostiles, but nothing they couldn’t easily handle . Reaching their target building, the team held security as Sonny set up the breaching charge and cleared the way for them to enter.

Bravo expertly moved through the building, locating and retrieving the hostage in record time.

On Jason’s order, Clay and Trent moved back into the street to clear the way to exfil. Bravo came to an abrupt stop at a corner, however, when a sniper’s fire impacted the wall mere inches from Clay’s head.

“Sniper!” Clay called out and the team fell back and took cover.

“Where’s the fire coming from?” Jason moved to the front to confer with his two snipers.

Clay quickly and carefully used a small mirror to peek around the corner, and spotted the man as another shot rang out. “Across the street, second story, window on the far left.”

Jason nodded and met Clay’s gaze, “Can you make the shot?”

“Did he seriously just ask Clay that?” Sonny scoffed. “When has Claymation ever missed?!”

Trent hid his laughter at the Texan being offended on Clay’s behalf.

Clay looked around and spotted some crates that would make a good place to fire from behind. “Just need a distraction.”

“Two, go with him.” Jason ordered before turning to the guys. “Cover fire.”

With a nod to Ray, Clay bolted across the empty space and slid to a stop behind the crates. He then peeked over the other side, lined up his shot, and pulled the trigger.

Gunfire came to a stop and Jason looked over to them.

“Sniper eliminated.” Ray confirmed.

With a smile, Clay took the lead and brought the team through to the end of the street.

A bright light lit up the area and Blackburn’s voice rang out, “Endex, Endex, Endex.”

Bravo came to a stop and raised their nods, smiles on their faces.

“Well?” Jason strode to the front of the group.

Blackburn smiled, “Bravo is cleared hot.”

The guys cheered, all ecstatic now that everyone had returned.

“Bravo is back!” Jason yelled.