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Cruz stalked through the weaving hallways, her gun held tightly in her hands. Three steps forward, gun raised above, shoulders taut, checking for cameras or motion detectors. Bobby was in front of her, Joe bringing up the rear as they worked methodically to clear the warehouse.
Bobby set a charge on the door to her left, her right hand raised in a fist as she back peddled towards Cruz. She opened her hand, letting off the release for the charge. The door blew instantly, the three women charging in. Bobby swept the visible part of the room, Cruz checking the blind spot to left. Joe brought up the rear, muzzle in front of her to check for threats behind the door. The room was empty and the three quickly filed back out into the hallway.
They had three more doors to clear on their side. Tex, Two Cups and Randy were sweeping the top floor, with Josie and Tucker working the basement. The warehouse was the first part of their mission, as the coordinates they were given led through a courtyard and another smaller building before leading down to a suspected bunker. Josie had landed the bird in a covered area two miles south, the team hiking through wet heat to reach the start of their target.
“Anyone have contact?” Joe asked over the radio.
“Negative.” Josie answered.
“Nope.” Two Cups popped.
“Doors left?” Joe said.
“Three for Charlie.” Josie said.
“Four for Alpha.” Tex said.
“Got it. Two left for Bravo. Finish your doors, something ain’t right here. Meet at the east man-door.” Joe commanded.
The radio went dead, each unit focused on completing their floor. Just like before, all the rooms were strangely quiet, no sign of humans or if they had even been in use in the last twenty years.
“Bravo clear. Making our way towards meet-up.” Bobby said.
“Copy Sword one-two. Charlie is clear, heading your way.” Josie said. Her and Tucker were jogging to the set of stairs in the northeast corner. Tucker went first, his gaze steady over his gun, quickly making his way up the two flights. Josie stayed right behind him, carefully going backwards to make sure no one snuck up on them.
“Alpha is the same. ETA two minutes.” Randy answered.
The entire team met Joe, Bobby and Cruz at their meet-up point, “Alright, stick to the plan. Alpha, you take the right side, Bravo will take the left. Charlie, hold for thirty seconds for us to clear the courtyard and then push the middle. I want a charge on that final building in two minutes.” Joe instructed.
This time, Cruz led the Bravo unit. Bobby popped the door open with enough power it bounced off the outside wall, providing Cruz with an extra second cover as she pushed through the opening. Foot over foot, Cruz quickly ran to the left. She sent out a quick spray of bullets to keep any potential combatants in their hiding spots as Bobby and Joe joined her.
The courtyard was baren for the most part, only a few crates and old trucks provided cover. No one returned fire, which made Cruz frown as she pushed further into the courtyard. Her focus was strictly on the middle of the space, watching for anyone between the two buildings. Bobby was watching the opposite way, looking for an ambush coming from the sides of the warehouses. Joe was alternating between checking behind them and watching the roofs for snipers.
The intel hadn’t suggested the capabilities of snipers, but Joe had learned over the years not to hold the intelligence to their written words. That’s how people got killed.
On the other side of the courtyard, Tex, Randy, and Two cups were in the same position, clearing the right side of the courtyard.
“Contact.” Randy shouted over the radio. Tex was quick to take out the man charging from behind a stack of crates. No other gunfire was heard after the three shots from Tex’s gun.
“Charlie, you’re clear to move.” Joe said.
“Boss, you got a weird feeling about this?” Bobby asked.
“Absolutely.” Joe answered.
Cruz watched as Tucker led him and Josie out of the swept warehouse. The large marine was going at about eighty percent speed. Fast enough to make it across the courtyard within Joe’s time restraints, but with enough control to keep his gun aimed as he scanned the area.
Josie was staying close behind him, having to use a little extra speed to keep up with the longer strides of Tucker.
Cruz’s attention was broken as Bobby’s gun suddenly went off. She turned quickly and spotted the two men Bobby and Joe started to fire at. The marine also engaged, watching as the two men went down with the spray from their guns.
She was about to turn to keep pushing forward when she heard the scream. Her entire body froze as she recognized the pained scream of her wife who was suddenly on the floor, blood rushing from her shoulder. Cruz couldn’t make herself move, watching as Tucker quickly covered Josie’s body with his own, kneeling down over her to apply pressure to the wound.
A blaring screech ripped across the staging area freezing the training drill in its place. Instructors came flooding down from their viewing points and the rest of the QRF quickly joined Tucker by Josie, who by that point was grimacing in pain at the hole in her shoulder.
“What the fuck was that.” Joe screamed, ripping her helmet off. The team leader scanned the area, making sure Josie was being properly taken care of, before settling on the frozen statue that was Cruz.
“Cruz,” Joe said slowly. She swung her gun behind her, raising her hands to show Cruz she wasn’t a threat as she moved closer to the still frozen marine, “Cruz, hey, Cruz.”
The marine blinked a few times, hazy eyes clearing and landing on Joe. Unfortunately, the sudden clarity allowed Cruz to finally analyze what had just happened. She followed Joe in ripping her helmet off, also chucking her gun to the ground as she stalked towards the middle of the training ground.
It was a drill. The whole entire thing was a drill. The warehouse made out of plywood and wheels, the staging team rearranging the area every time the QRF reset. It wasn’t even for them, it was for a different clandestine program who was working their way off the ground. Their team was made up of mostly rookies and few senior officers from various special forces, but good, smart agents.
The guns, airsoft mock-ups for their usual M4s. The armor was real, the weight important to learn with. Each gun had a bright orange tip, indicating their inability to shoot a real bullet. That’s what kept running through Cruz’s mind as she zeroed in on a young man, shaking purposely as he was speaking to another member of his team.
Fake, everything fake. Except the very real bullet hole in her wife’s shoulder. And the very real blood now staining the dirt floor under Josie’s body.
Cruz’s hand grabbed the man’s shoulder, yanking him away from the circle that had surrounded him. His gun was gone, no doubt confiscated by another member of his team or one of the training staff. She threw him to the ground and laid into him. She didn’t know for how long, or how hard she punched, or even if she said anything. All Cruz knew was one second, she was above a man with a pretty face, and the next Joe and Bobby were pulling her away from a broken and bloody face.
Bobby was shouting something, probably trying to get Cruz’s attention but her ears were ringing with the sound of Josie’s scream. Her vision was red, either from rage or blood, she was unsure.
Her cheek suddenly stung. Cruz looked up, her eyes settled on those of her commander.
“Cruz,” Joe shouted, “Cruz, I need you to fucking focus on me, marine.”
Cruz mumbled something.
“Manuelos, speak up.” Joe shouted again.
Cruz tried to speak but found her mouth dry.
“What the fuck was that. You just nearly killed a man with your fists. You killed your hands that’s for fucking sure.” Joe admonished.
Cruz finally looked down at her hands. All her knuckles were split, the gloves having torn with the force and angles of her blows. The skin was stained red and still dripping from a mixture of her own blood and that of the man she had beat half to death.
Slowly, Cruz started to come back to herself. The pain of her knuckles had set in and she was acutely aware of the moisture making its way down her cheeks. It wasn’t sweat, that would have started at her forehead, but these started in her eyes. She tracked the few that fell off her face, the salt mixing with her broken skin causing a shallow sting.
Finally, she was able to meet the fiery eyes of Joe, who looked beyond pissed.
“She’s pregnant.” Cruz stated, loud enough Bobby and Joe heard it.
The words were unmistakable, clear and enunciated.
Both of the senior officer’s postures shifted. Joe turned to Bobby, “Go. The medics need to know. Keep it quiet.”
“Yes, boss.” Bobby said. She squeezed Cruz’s shoulder before she set off in a dead sprint towards the boys and Josie.
“We were gonna tell ya, I promise,” Cruz said, her voice cracking, “We only found out yesterday. We were supposed to be on leave for another few days. Planned to fill it out then, but then we got called here and there was no time and-”
“Manuelos,” Joe said, not harshly, but enough to stop the marine from rambling, “I’m not upset. I know you guys would have followed proper procedure if you had the chance.”
They would have. Cruz even had the paperwork sitting on the dining room table, waiting to be filled out. But then their phones rang at five that morning and by nine they were drilling with the new unit. No live rounds, no real knives, no real punches. Proper drilling, forgiving drilling, protected drilling.
The day before had been a whirlwind. Josie had been feeling off for a few days before they finally decided it was time to bite the bullet and take a test. It was only their second round of IVF, and so unlikely to take Josie had simply chalked up her symptoms to anxiety.
But when two blue lines showed, they had frozen for half a second before Josie had let out an, “Oh my god.”
The pilot’s eyes found Cruz’s in the mirror, “Cruz, oh my god. Cruz.”
Cruz had simply picked her up and spun them around in the bathroom, her face bright with a smile and eyes slightly misty. She had set Josie on the counter and stepped between the pilot’s legs and kissed her.
Her hand found Josie’s stomach, still flat and taut with her abs. It had only been three weeks since the appointment, but they knew it had worked. They had decided to only do four rounds, and that if it didn’t work, kids simply weren’t in the picture for them yet.
Truthfully, neither had expected the treatments to take. Not with the high stress job Josie worked and her past medical history from four tours in Afghanistan and five extra years with the CIA. She was thirty-seven now, Cruz thirty-three and both decided it was now or never.
“Holy shit,” Cruz laughed, “You’re pregnant.”
Josie smiled, leaning in to kiss Cruz again, “I am.” Her hand covered Cruz’s on her stomach.
“You’re pregnant.” Cruz repeated, almost reverently.
The smile on Josie’s face only softened, “Yeah, baby. We’re gonna have a baby.”
Their elation lasted for hours, both still in shock from the news. The rest of the night was spent in a daze of shy, almost secret smiles, and sudden tears when the news rocketed back to the forefront of their minds.
“We’re gonna have to tell Joe.” Cruz said later. They were on the couch, Josie tucked into Cruz, both women’s hands on the pilot’s lower stomach.
“I know,” Josie whispered, “But we have a few more days of leave. We can fill out the paperwork tomorrow and turn it in first thing next week.”
Cruz kissed Josie’s forehead and let her cheek rest against the top of her wife’s head, “That sounds good to me.”
“Plus, I want to keep this between us as long as possible. I know Joe will have to know, and I’ll be sidelined but can we keep it quiet for bit?” Josie asked.
“Whatever you want baby.” Cruz replied. She also wanted the same thing as her wife, “We can say you’re being temporarily reassigned to tactics or something. Maybe that your leg is acting up and you need to rest for a bit.”
“We’ll figure it out with Joe. I think she’ll respect our wish to keep it under wraps for now.” Josie said.
But their phones rang in the morning, and the night before became background noise as they grabbed their go-bags and hustled to headquarters.
Cruz let her head loll to the side, her shoulders propped up by the crate she was leaning on. She couldn’t see Josie, only the crowding of bodies around a figure. The entire QRF was around, Tucker and Randy atop of Josie, packing the wound with their med kits as fast as possible. Bobby was speaking with the commander of the operation, no doubt informing them the injured pilot was pregnant and that the incoming medical team needed to know.
Tex and Two Cups had closed the area off with their mere presence, but both were looking back between Josie and the rest of the arena.
Cruz felt her breath hitch at the sight.
“Cruz,” Joe said, grabbing the marine’s cheek and turning her head away, “Cruz, don’t look over there.”
“I can’t lose her,” Cruz said softly, “I can’t lose her, Joe.”
“Randy, give me status.” Joe called into her radio.
“Upper right shoulder. Through and through. We’re packing it now, medical is three minutes out.” He answered.
“Is she awake?”
“Awake and coherent. Cussin’ up a storm. Looks like a flesh wound, maybe clipped her collarbone but that’s it. We’ve slowed the bleeding.” Joe let out a small chuckle at Randy’s response.
“Copy. Keep her awake until medical gets there. No pain meds, okay?” Joe said.
There was a pause before Randy replied with a simple, “Copy.”
Joe turned back to Cruz, “Tucker and Randy have slowed the bleeding. They say it’s mostly a flesh wound and that your girl is cussing them out.”
“Sounds like her,” a breath and then, “How’d this happen, Joe? We all had airsoft. How’d he end up with a real one and no one noticed?”
Joe let out a breath from her nose, her own frustration bleeding through, “I don’t have an answer for you. But he won’t have a job at the end of the day and plenty of others will be fired or suspended.”
Cruz nodded.
“I know it won’t take back what happened. I know if you lose the baby nothing will ever feel like it was enough. I know if you lose her, you’ll lose yourself. But rest assured I’ll raise enough hell something will happen.” Joe reassured.
“Thank you.” Cruz whispered.
The sound of a helicopter came over head, “That’ll be medical. You ready to go over there?”
Cruz took a steadying breath before standing up, shaking out her knuckles. They were still slowly bleeding and her hand ached, probably from broken fingers and metacarpals. She still felt woozy from the scene and Joe took a half step closer, letting their shoulders touch to take some weight from the marine.
Bobby came jogging over, catching the other two women before reaching Josie, “Medical knows and will be discreet. Thunder’s asking for you.” Bobby said, looking at Cruz.
That was all Cruz needed to hear before breaking out into her own run towards her wife.
“Cruz incoming.” Tex said. Randy moved out of the way, and Tucker shifted over to Josie’s right side, no longer hovering over the woman.
The marine came to stop right beside her wife. She kneeled down and grabbed Josie’s hand, leaning down to speak softly to her, “How’re you feeling.”
“Like I have a fucking hole in my shoulder.” Josie gritted out. Her teeth were tightly clenched, and she was squeezing Cruz’s hand so tight the marine was sure if her hand wasn’t already broken, it would be from the sheer force of Josie’s grip.
“Sorry, Thunder. Gotta keep pressure on it.” Tucker apologized.
The medical team had made their way over, pushing Tucker to the side and taking over.
“You Cruz?” One of them asked.
“Yes.” She answered simply.
“We can only give her Tylenol right now. But it looks like your team did a good job packing the wound. We’ll get her in the air right away and to Walter Reed.”
Unconsciously, Cruz lightly pressed her other hand to Josie’s stomach, “I’m coming with.”
The man nodded, “It’s your right and I don’t feel like pissing you off. We’re going to put her under on the ride over and rush her for surgery.”
Cruz felt Josie stiffen under her, “Is that safe with, you know?” The pilot asked, gesturing at her stomach.
“Yes,” the medic said kindly, “We want to limit stress on the body as soon as we can. The surgical team is already preparing and will be ready on your arrival. If it’s just a flesh wound like we think it is, the surgery will only take about two hours.”
Josie was carefully lifted onto a transport stretcher, Cruz still tightly holding onto the pilot’s hand. An oxygen mask was placed over her face, and it didn’t take long for the feeling of drowsiness to take over. The helicopter was airborne again less than five minutes after it landed.
Cruz found Josie’s eyes which were clouded with worry, “I’ll be with you, okay? You’re going to be fine.” Cruz reassured and left a lingering kiss on Josie’s forehead. The pilot was asleep before her lips lifted.
One of the medics turned towards Cruz, “They also have a room prepped for you to take care of your hands. I promise you’ll be done before her.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“The best surgeon and anesthesiologist are on your team. I can’t promise anything, but I’d trust them to give you the best result.” Cruz only nodded. She wiped her eyes with the back of her arm.
The ride to Walter Reeds was fifteen minutes from the black site training location, and soon enough Josie was being offloaded and handed off to a group of nurses. Cruz stayed with her wife as long as she could, but eventually one of the nurses told her to stay put.
She paced the hallway for a few minutes before another doctor called her name and took her back to a separate room. They didn’t speak besides confirming her date of birth and last name. Cruz stared straight ahead, eyes glossy as the doctor worked around her, cleaning, stitching and wrapping her destroyed hands.
“I want x-rays of those, but given the day you’ve had, it can wait until tomorrow.” He said before leaving the room. Her discharge paperwork sat on the table next to her, signed and ready to go.
She sat there in silence for a while longer before Bobby found her. The glossy look hadn’t left the marine’s eyes, and she didn’t react when the team leader entered the room.
“Let’s go, Cruz,” Bobby sighed, “The team’s waiting outside. And I’m sure as hell not leaving you alone until we know she’s okay. Until we know if both of them are okay.”
Bobby steered her out of the room and into the private waiting area where the rest of the QRF sat. Her body folded into the chair next to Tex, who put an arm around her shoulder. The team had shed their gear in the time it took them to get to the hospital. It was only after looking at them Cruz realized she still had all her tactical gear on.
“It’s been forty minutes,” Joe informed her, “A nurse came back a few minutes ago and confirmed it’s a flesh wound. They’re clearing for any fragments of bone or bullet.”
“Did it get her collarbone?” Cruz asked, her voice scratchy. Two Cups handed her a water bottle.
Joe shook her head, “Didn’t look like it but they’re being thorough. They should be closing her up within the hour.”
Cruz nodded, letting the good news wash over her.
Joe turned to the boys, “Boys out. Tex, go find Kaitlyn and bring her back here. The rest of you are dismissed for the day. Go home or stay here but give us the room until Thunder is awake.”
“Boss you can’t expect us to leave.” Two Cups argued.
“I’m not asking, I’m telling. You can stay here if you wish, but not in this room.” Joe said.
Two Cups went to argue again but Randy put a hand on his shoulder, “Drop it,” he turned to Cruz and Joe, “We’ll be in the waiting room. Let us know when she’s awake, yeah?”
Cruz nodded, “Yeah. Thank you.”
The boys left, leaving Bobby, Joe, and Cruz alone in the room. Bobby started to undo the straps on the marine’s tactical gear and Cruz felt her shoulders drop with the weight shed.
“She’s not far enough along to monitor any heart rate. But they’re keeping a close eye on her blood and hormones. It’ll probably be a few days before they can say with certainty what’s going to happen regarding her pregnancy.” Joe explained gently. She watched Cruz’s face closely, making sure the marine was absorbing the information as best as possible.
“Did they say anything about chances?” Cruz asked.
Joe exhaled, “No, but the most important thing is to keep her relaxed and reduce any stress on her body. They’re going to keep her under for an extra day. Real light stuff they use on pregnant women to minimize any risk.”
Cruz sat back in her chair, head tipped back against the wall, “I know it’s too early to have formed an attachment with something that doesn’t even have a heartbeat yet, but fuck.” She dragged her hand down her face, wincing as she pulled on her stiches.
“It doesn’t have to make sense, Cruz,” Bobby said lightly, “You just found out your wife is pregnant less than twenty-fours ago. It’s new, shocking and exciting. And then she got fucking shot, I think it’s normal.”
“That was awfully profound, Bobby.” Cruz joked.
Bobby shoved her shoulder, “Fuck off. But what’s important is that Josie’s okay.”
Cruz nodded, “She’s the most important thing in my life. If we lose the pregnancy, we’ll be devastated but keeping her healthy and alive is the priority.”
“Can I ask how long you’ve been trying?” Joe asked.
“Only a few months. The first try didn’t take, which was to be expected. We didn’t think this one would either, but Josie had been feeling weird, so we took a test just to see.” Cruz said.
Kaitlyn entered the room a few seconds later. She had on her usual perfectly pressed suit and characteristic don’t fuck with me look. In her left arm, she had a thick packet and in her right hand a phone that she had clearly just hung up.
She placed the folder on the table in front of the chairs, “This is the write up of what happened today. Joe, I need you to read it and sign off. I just got off the phone with Byron, that entire team has been fired.”
The case officer nodded, “Will do.”
Kaitlyn turned her attention to Cruz, “I know that packet means nothing in the grand scheme of this royal fuck up, but I hope it offers some solace.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Cruz answered.
“I understand the basics of what happened between yesterday and today. There will be no punishment or write up on you both. If everything works out, Josie will be moved to tactics until she is ready to return. If the worst happens but you decide to keep trying, the same offer applies.” Kaitlyn explained. She kept her voice low, not wanting anyone to overhear.
“I appreciate it ma’am. But Josie will make that decision for herself.” Cruz said.
Kaitlyn nodded and offered a small smile, “Keep me posted on everything. I have to go deal with this mess, but I offer my best wishes.”
Cruz nodded and Bobby walked Kaitlyn out. Joe was already reading through the report, making small annotations in the margins. The marine leaned back again and closed her eyes. She felt Bobby return to her seat and start to flip through whatever magazine was on the table.
Time passed in a weird sensation for the next hour, both fast and slow. Eventually the doctor came in, scrubs and surgery cap still on.
“The Captain is stable. We were able to clean the wound and remove a small fragment of the bullet. As for her blood work, everything checks out with a normal three-week stage pregnancy. We’re going to monitor that closely along with her stress hormones.” He explained.
Cruz let out a breath she hadn’t realized had lodged itself between her lungs until then, “Thank you.” She said sincerely.
“I assume you’re Cruz? The Captain’s wife.” The doctor asked.
“Yes.”
“The nurses are getting her settled in recovery, you’ll be able to see her soon. Did someone tell you about the sedation?”
Joe looked up from her file, “Yes, and she understands the potential complications.”
The doctor nodded, “It’s my professional recommendation, but you have the final decision.”
“I want whatever the medical professionals want. Her life is the most important and please do whatever you need to do to keep her alive.” Cruz said.
“Understood. I want to warn you that we can only give her Tylenol. She will be in pain, but we’ll try to manage it.”
“When can I see her?”
“A nurse will get you shortly. Have a nice day officers.” The doctor said before he left.
Bobby turned to look at Cruz, “You doing okay, kiddo?”
“Don’t call me that.” Cruz gruffed.
“You’re younger than me, you get called kiddo.”
“I just want to see my wife.” Cruz sighed.
“You’ll see her soon, Cruz. How’re your hands?” Joe said.
Cruz shrugged, “Cleaned and stitched. Probably broken but the doctor said we can wait until tomorrow to get an x-ray.”
Joe frowned but wisely didn’t push, “Bobby will make sure that gets done. Keep me posted, okay?”
“You’re leaving?” Cruz asked.
“I need to get this to Kaitlyn,” Joe said, holding up the packet, “and you need time to spend with your wife. I’ll drop by later with your clothes from base and watch Thunder while you shower. Plus, I doubt the boys will be leaving at all.”
Cruz laughed lightly, “I guess you’re right.”
A nurse knocked before entering the room, letting Cruz know she could go see Josie.
The pilot’s room was two floors up and down a weaving mess of corridors Cruz didn’t bother to memorize. It wasn’t like she was planning on leaving her wife’s side.
Josie was in a private room with a window that overlooked where the medical helicopters landed. Cruz privately wondered who called in a favor. The nurse gave her the quick run down of what to expect over the next twenty-four hours.
Vital checks every hour and bandage changes every four hours. They’d draw Josie’s blood every six hours and have results back quickly as Josie was labeled a priority case.
Halfway through her explanation of how critical the next day was going to be the nurse stopped, “Something tells me you’ve heard all this before.”
“Unfortunately. I seemed to have married someone injury prone. Plus, the team I work on isn’t renowned for our personal safety.” Cruz said.
The nurse smiled, “Well I won’t bore you with the explanation then. You’ll see me for the next few hours before nightshift takes over. The call button is on the table right there. Oh, and I’ll change your dressings after I’m done with the Captains.”
“That’s not necessary.” Cruz said, tucking her hands between her knees.
“That wasn’t a suggestion.” The nurse fired back. She didn’t give time to let Cruz argue further as she left through the door.
Cruz pulled the chair closer to the bed and got her first real look at Josie since the helicopter. Her right shoulder was heavily bandaged under the gown, and the arm was draped across her chest, in a sling to keep it immobilized. A blanket was pulled up to her mid chest and wires disappeared under it from the IV. A heart monitor was attached to Josie’s upper chest, and a nasal tube was under her nose.
Her skin was paler than it had been, but not nearly as bad as it had been after operation Skyhawk and the compound fracture she had suffered. The sight still made her sick to her stomach but there was no reason to believe Joise wouldn’t make a full recovery.
The marine shifted closer and caught a figure out of the corner of her eye. Bobby was standing outside the door, blocking the entrance into the room. Her hands were behind her back, stance just wide enough to be comfortable and Cruz could make out the outline of a pistol under the team leads jacket.
Cruz smiled and turned to Josie. A bandaged hand covered the pilots and the other one rested on her lower abdomen, “The doctors think you’ll be just fine, baby. Bobby is outside guarding the door, no doubt checking the credentials of anyone who tries to enter.”
She squeezed Josie’s hand, ignoring the pain in her own, “They’re keeping a close eye on your hormones. Right now, everything is normal for a three-week pregnancy. They’re going to do everything they can, but your safety is my priority.”
“Rest up baby, I’ll be right here. Joe’s going to come at some point to let me shower, but I’ll be quick. I won’t leave you for long.” Cruz reassured. It didn’t matter Josie wouldn’t hear the words. Cruz left a long kiss on the pilot’s forehead before leaning back in her chair and watching the steady rise and fall of her chest.
Four hours later, Cruz knew because that’s how many times Nurse Hillborrow checked Josie’s vitals, Joe entered the room. She had Cruz’s duffle slung over one shoulder and Cruz’s phone in her other hand.
The senior case officer placed the duffle by the door and handed the marine her phone, “I let the boys know she’s holding steady but that she won’t wake up until tomorrow. They’re going home for the night.”
“Thank you.” Cruz said.
“How’s she doing?”
“Nurses are pleased with her vitals. They’re going to change her bandages this hour and draw her blood the next.” Cruz explained.
Joe nodded, “Good. And what about you?”
Cruz looked down at her feet, “Tired, stressed, anxious as hell. My hands feel like I ran them over with a tractor but that’s the least of my worries.”
“I’m not surprised they feel that way. You didn’t leave that man with much of a face after you were done with him.” Joe said. Bobby poked her head into the room and handed Joe another chair.
“I’m not sorry about that.” Cruz stated.
Joe shook her head, “Good. Now, go shower and change.”
“Yes ma’am.” Cruz said and grabbed the bag from the floor. She passed Bobby as she left, “You know you don’t have to stand guard.”
Bobby glanced back into the room, “Can’t say I really want to leave.”
Cruz placed a hand on Bobby’s shoulder, “Then at least go sit down in there. I’m going to shower but after that, go home, Bobby.”
The team leader hesitated but nodded in acceptance. Cruz watched as she disappeared into Josie’s room and made her way down to the shower area the QRF somehow had access to. She carefully unwrapped her hands, leaving only the sticky padding that protected her stiches. Her clothes followed and she stepped under the warm, not hot, never hot there, water and let the day wash off her.
Tear tracks washed down the drain along with blood no one had scrubbed off. The sweat from the hot July day in Virginia was next and Cruz finally felt like a human again. But she didn’t linger, still too anxious to get back to Josie.
Her clothes went on quickly, a pair of sweatpants and a Westpoint hoodie Josie had slipped into her bag one day and Cruz had never returned it. Joe and Bobby were still in the room, both sitting quietly watching as the nurses worked to change the shoulder dressings.
“No signs of an infection. Sitches look good, we’re just cleaning the area before putting new bandages on.” One of the nurses explained when Cruz entered the room. Bobby immediately stood from the chair, moving to the corner of the room where she could observe everything.
Cruz sat and waited until they were done. One of the nurses left while the other grabbed a new set of small bandages for Cruz’s own hands. The nurse, a woman in her thirties with red hair and brown eyes, crouched down to start applying the dressings.
“No physical signs of a miscarriage. I don’t want to get your hopes up since we don’t have recent blood work, but that’s a positive sign.” She explained quietly. Joe pretended not to hear, and Bobby pointedly looked out the now dark window.
Cruz exhaled, “That’s good to hear. Thank you for keeping me updated.”
The nurse smiled, “It’s my job, plus it’s clear how much you love and care for her. I’ll be back to draw her blood in an hour. I’m going to bring ice for your hands too.”
“Understood.” Cruz said.
After the nurse left, Joe stood and motioned for Bobby to move towards the door, “We’re going to head out, let you guys have the night.”
Cruz nodded, “I feel like I’ve been saying it all day, but thank you, truly.”
Joe nodded and dropped her voice, “If you get bad news, call me. Don’t let yourself sit here by yourself with it. You can grieve when she’s awake, but do not try and process it when you don’t have someone to be there with you.”
“Yes ma’am.” Cruz’s voice cracked on the last syllable.
Joe stood there for a moment, making sure Cruz would do as she was told. When she was satisfied with what she was looking for, Joe turned to the door, Bobby opening it for her and closing it behind them.
An extra blanket had appeared during her shower and Cruz draped it over herself and leaned back in the chair, one hand holding loosely onto Josie’s, their fingers intertwined. There was only an hour until the nurses were due again, but the marine was determined to get a few minutes of sleep, wanting to have some energy for the day ahead, good or bad.
Josie was going to need her regardless of news and Cruz had learned from her wife that sometimes taking care of someone else meant also taking care of yourself.
The sleep she got couldn’t be counted as restful, but it was more than nothing which counted in her book. The chair was uncomfortable and her neck couldn’t find a position that didn’t strain it, but when the nurse came in, Cruz realized she must have dozed off during the hour.
“Sorry,” the nurse whispered, “I’m just checking her vitals and then grabbing a blood sample.”
“No need to apologize. You actually probably did my neck a favor.” Cruz joked as she popped the sore joints.
The nurse only smiled back, hands busy carefully drawing the needed vial of blood.
“Results should be back within two hours. I won’t bother to wake you if everything is good.”
“Got it.” Cruz said and settled back into her chair, ready to get another few hours of poor sleep.
Cruz woke to the sound of the door opening and felt her heart drop to her stomach. The last conversation with the nurse echoed in her mind. It was bad news. Either Josie wasn’t recovering as they expected or they were going to lose the baby.
She shot up in her chair, heart already hammering in her chest and tears welling up in her eyes. But when her eyes settled on the figure at the door, a small amount of hope came back. It wasn’t the same nurse as before and Cruz knew shift change didn’t happen at four in the morning.
Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall opposite the bed and found it was close to eight in the morning. She looked back at the nurse. The day shift nurse from the day before, not the nightshift nurse who took Josie’s blood sample at two in the morning.
“Didn’t mean to startle you. I’m here to check her vitals.” Nurse Hillborrow explained.
“Did I sleep through the rest of the visits?” Cruz asked, her heart rate was still high.
“Sounds like it. They didn’t have any reason to wake you, so the night shift nurses tried to be extra quiet.”
“Didn’t have a reason to wake me,” Cruz repeated, “wait does that mean her hormone levels still seem normal?”
The nurse smiled comfortingly, “Everything is still on track. We’re going to take her off the sedative in a few hours. The doctor just wants to see everything for himself first.”
Cruz let out a long exhale and ran an injured hand through her hair, “I can’t express to you how happy I am to hear that. All of it.”
Hillborrow smiled but caught the slight wince on Cruz’s face as she moved her hands, “Right, that reminds me. There’s a blonde woman with a toothpick threatening people to give you an x-ray? I’m guessing that’s for those.” She said, pointing at Cruz’s hands.
“Fucking Bobby,” Cruz muttered, “How long as she been here?”
“Since I got here, so longer than an hour. But we told her to stay put until you woke up. We have a room holding for you.”
Cruz nodded and stood up, folding the blanket to place on the chair, “I’ll go and get her. Which floor is x-ray on?”
“Second and just say your name. A tech should bring you back quick.” The nurse said as she finished filling out Josie’s chart.
“Thanks.”
Ten minutes later, Cruz was standing in the x-ray room. The tech had removed all the bandages and gave the marine a sideways look when he saw her exposed hands. Bobby stood somewhere outside the room, a toothpick loosely hanging from her lips as she updated Joe.
The x-rays themselves only took twenty minutes. The tech kept having to reposition Cruz’s hands to get clear images of the damage. The man may have kept his professional demeanor in front of Cruz, but she heard him whistle once after the first image.
“How bad did she screw her hands up?” Bobby asked when Cruz and the tech emerged from the room.
“The doctor will go over the imaging with her. But let’s just say, I’m glad I wasn’t on the receiving end of those punches.” The tech said, handing Cruz back her file. He walked away after, leaving the two operators alone in the middle of the x-ray wing.
“They say where to meet your doctor?”
Cruz shook her head, “No, but I think the nurse taking care of Josie will rewrap my hands.”
Bobby lifted an eyebrow, “You’re letting someone else, besides your wife, take care of you?”
“Shut up,” Cruz rolled her eyes, “My hands are very much broken, I wouldn’t be able to do it myself.”
“Fair enough. Speaking of your wife, let’s go see her.” Bobby said.
The team lead led the way through the mess of corridors, hallways, and elevators until they finally reached the private room where Josie was still asleep. Another nurse was in the room, assisting the doctor with checking the state of the bullet wound. Nurse Hillborrow, came in after them and went straight to the computer, comparing different numbers from when Josie was first sedated to the present.
The doctor replaced the bandage and scribbled something down on his clipboard. He turned to Cruz, “I’m pleased with everything. No sign of infections and the wound is healing well.”
“She’s barely been out of surgery for twenty-hours, how can you tell the wound is healing?” Bobby asked.
“And you are?” The doctor asked, an unimpressed look on his face.
“That’s classified.”
“Ignore her,” Cruz interrupted, “How long until she get’s taken off the sedative?”
The doctor turned his attention back to Cruz, “The nurses are prepping now. Given the pregnancy, I want her off it as soon as possible. Less than thirty minutes.”
Cruz nodded, “And recovery?”
“I want to keep her here for another two days to monitor her blood work. I’m not worried about the wound, it’s about as simple as a GSW can be. The pregnancy is my main concern. Doctor Roak, an OBGYN, will serve as her primary doctor from here on out.”
Cruz exhaled, “Thank you.”
The doctor nodded, “You’ll see me a few more times until she’s discharged but not often. The nurses are ready to remove the sedative, so I’ll leave you guys alone. Have a good day.”
“You as well.” Cruz said. Bobby glared from the corner.
Cruz watched as the nurses pulled an IV from Josie’s arm and removed the nasal line. It was all over in a few minutes.
“She should wake up here soon. I’ll let you have a few minutes alone.” The nurse left the room, Bobby followed.
“I’m going to get the boys. I’ll be back in an hour or so. Text me when she wants to see visitors.” Bobby said.
“Thanks, Bobby.” Cruz said. She had moved the chair closer to the bed again, her mangled hand lightly clutching Josie’s.
Five minutes later, Josie started to shift uncomfortably in her bed, her face pinched. Her hand tightened around Cruz’s, who made a strong effort to not let out a pained grunt. Soon, the pilot’s eyes fluttered open, confused and unfocused.
“Hey,” Cruz whispered, “You’re okay. You had surgery to fix the bullet wound.”
Josie nodded, eyes finding Cruz and locking onto the familiar sight of her wife. Cruz handed her a cup of water, straw outstretched.
Josie took a few controlled sips, remembering her time after her leg surgery and the unfavorable outcome of drinking too quickly, “Thanks.”
Cruz smiled and placed the glass down on the table, “How much do you remember?”
“I remember getting shot and loading onto the helicopter. Nothing after that.” Josie said.
“That’s good. You’re not missing anything then.”
“Cruz,” Josie said, “How the fuck did I get shot? It was a goddamn training exercise.”
Cruz shook her head, her anger at the situation still ebbing through her, “No one knows. Joe is looking into it but everyone on that team got fired.”
“Small miracles.” Josie said sarcastically.
“How’re you feeling otherwise?” Cruz asked, leaning up to kiss Josie’s forehead.
“My fucking shoulder is killing me, and I still feel sorta foggy.”
Cruz gave a sympathetic smile, “Yeah, they can only give you Tylenol. None of the good shit you got after your leg.”
Josie looked at Cruz confused, “Why only Tylenol,” before Cruz could answer, Josie answered her own question, “wait, fuck. Cruz, am I still pregnant?”
The pilot sounded scared, the anger from getting shot replaced by the fear the secret they shared was gone, “Everything looks okay. The doctors have been monitoring your hormone levels.” Cruz reassured.
The marine stood up and sat on the edge of the bed, her left hand coming to rest of Josie’s lower stomach, “Everything’s okay. Bobby and Joe know now, but they’re keeping it a secret.”
Josie sniffled, trying to keep the tears that had suddenly made their way to her eyes from falling, “You’re sure?”
“Hey,” Cruz said lightly, right hand coming up to wipe the tears from her wife’s face, “You’re both okay. The doctors are going to keep you here for a few extra days to monitor everything, but you’re okay.”
Josie sucked in a few deep breaths, “Okay, okay. I’m okay, you’re okay, the little thing that’s growing inside of me is okay.”
Despite the situation, Cruz couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, still pushing back the hair from Josie’s forehead, “Everyone’s okay.”
Josie frowned, “What’s wrong with your hands?”
As Cruz went to respond, the door to the room opened, revealing Joe, “She beat the shit out of the man who shot you. He won’t be getting lucky anytime soon.”
Josie brought her eyes from her commander to Cruz, lifting an eyebrow, “How bad is it?”
Cruz let out a suffering sign, “Knuckles are busted, twenty stiches across both hands. Went in for x-rays while you were sleeping. Don’t need them to tell me they’re broken though.”
“Cruz,” Josie exclaimed, “Why’d you do that?”
“He shot my pregnant wife in a drill that was not supposed to have real guns. I think beating the shit out of him was justified.” Cruz defended.
“My valiant protector.” Josie said, not bothering to hide her smirk.
Joe rolled her eyes from the doorway, “It’s good to see you up, Thunder. Given that I didn’t get a call, I assume everything went well?” Joe said, looking at Cruz.
“Nothing to report.” Cruz said.
Joe nodded, “Good. Then I won’t keep you guys long. Thunder, you’re on leave for the foreseeable future. When you’re cleared, you’re being moved to tactics until you’re back from maternity leave. Cruz, you’re on leave too until she’s cleared.”
“Thank you.” Josie said.
“You guy’s deserve some time together after all this. A word of advice if I may?” Joe said, looking at Josie. The pilot nodded.
“Take it easy, especially with the wound. You’re going to be exhausted from not only the pregnancy but also your body dividing up its energy between that and healing. Make Cruz do everything.” Joe said.
“Oh, I like that advice.” Josie joked.
“Not like I was going to let her lift a finger anyway. Shot or not.” Cruz mumbled. Josie and Joe both laughed.
“Alright, well, rest up Captain. Call me if anything changes. Congratulations you two.” Joe said, patting Josie’s knee that was under the blanket.
“Thank you, Joe.” Josie said smiling.
The commander left but a nurse walked in, starting to explain the procedure that the pilot went through to Josie. They also met the new doctor, who explained that making sure Josie’s stress levels remained as low as possible was extremely important and that the IV’s were helping to give her pre-natal supplements.
“You’re very lucky, Captain. But I see no reason with a few extra days of close monitoring and extra supplements why you won’t have a successful and healthy pregnancy.” Doctor Roak said.
Later, the rest of the team filed in, offering well wishes to Josie and to call them if they needed anything with Cruz’s hands also being broken. Only Bobby offered a small congratulations once the boys left, making sure to keep the couples secret until they were ready.
The two days that followed went without incident, both doctors pleased with their respective roles regarding Josie’s health. Her stress levels were slightly elevated, but Doctor Roak said that was to be expected with the gunshot wound and that she wasn’t worried. She also let the couple know Josie’s hCG levels were progressing as expected and that they were measuring well within the normal range of a healthy pregnancy.
“I want you guys back here every two days for the next two weeks. After that, you’re welcome to find your own OBGYN but I do have availability if you want to stay here.” Doctor Roak said as she handed Josie her discharge paperwork to sign.
They thanked the doctor for everything and said they’d let her know by the end of the week what their decision was. When they got home, it was clear Bobby had been by. All the laundry had been done, and the fridge had been restocked with all their favorites along with pre-natal vitamins they definitely didn’t own prior.
The small farmhouse smell cleaned as well, “I think Bobby’s nesting.” Josie commented, running her fingers along the mantel and finding not a spec of dust.
Cruz laughed from the kitchen, her braced hands reorganizing the fridge, “She’s not even the one that’s pregnant. But that does seem like her.”
Josie’s right arm was in a supportive sling, taking all the pressure off the shoulder and wound. The doctor had said he expected it to take six weeks until Josie could start physical therapy, but that in four weeks she could ditch the sling. The pilot folded onto the couch, grabbing her favorite blanket that also smelled suspiciously like their detergent.
Joe hadn’t been lying about how exhausted she would be. The ride from the hospital hadn’t even been twenty minutes but Josie had dozed off, only waking when Cruz had opened her door.
Cruz emerged from the kitchen, two bottles of water in hand and Josie’s vitamins for the afternoon. She handed Josie the pills and cracked the water while the pilot popped the pills in her mouth.
“Move over.” Cruz murmured.
Josie did, leaning up and scooting slightly forward on the couch, letting Cruz slip in behind her. The marine’s legs bracketed Josie’s body and the Captain leaned back into Cruz’s chest, her shoulders relaxing under her.
Cruz pulled the blanket up over them. Her hands came to rest under the blanket, on the small strip of exposed skin from where Josie’s shirt had ridden up. Josie’s good hand covered Cruz’s, both of them relaxing as their hands stayed on the pilot’s stomach.
Cruz kissed Josie’s temple, “I love you.”
Josie smiled and turned her head to lay a kiss on Cruz’s neck, “I love you too.” She lightly squeezed the hand she held, mindful of the wrecked hand, “and you too, little one.”
Cruz let her right hand splay flat over Josie’s stomach, lightly brushing the skin, “and you too.”