| Chapter 4 | Epilogue |
Chapter 5
Time: CY 9816 AugustLocation: Forged in Flame's med deck
Theo limped into the sick bay moving as quietly as he could not wanting to wake up any sleeping patients. He coughed softly to get the attention of the duty nurse then pointed to one of the curtained off areas. The nurse nodded his head in affirmation and Theo walked up to the curtain and slid it aside. He was relieved to see that the patient he was looking for was awake.
"How you feeling, Cat?" he asked.
Cat put down the flexie she had been reading. "As well as could be expected under the circumstances."
Theo, still limping, walked over to Cat's bedside. "You look like Hell," he said. "What's the other guy look like?"
"A lot worse than I do," said Cat, a smile crossing her face at Theo's attempt at a joke.
"Top says he's going to put you in for promotion to First Sergeant after we get back to Tizona and you've fully recovered."
"Big deal," said Cat. "By that time I'll have satisfied my time in rate and be eligible for promotion anyway. And it wont be much longer after that that you'll be eligible for promotion to Sergeant."
You're also getting a twin comet out of this. I'd say that's a big deal.
They should call the stupid thing the nowhere to run and hide medal. Wouldn't you know it but my unit landed in the only place on the planet where the local Home Guard had its act together. Once they got their anti air defenses up and running we couldn't run away so we had to fight.
You kicked their asses though
Cat pointed to the IV in her arm and the medical equipment monitoring her vital signs. . They kicked back pretty hard. If it wasn't for those madmen in the evac boat I'd either be dead or in a Lundmark prison hospital ward and your dad would be busy working out the details of a prisoner exchange.
Before Theo could think up a comeback, Seraphina manifested herself in the cubby. "Well. are you going to give it to her or not?" she asked.
"Give me what?" asked Cat.
"Top was planning to give it to you in a formal ceremony but I convinced him that you might appreciate it more if it came from Theo," answered Seraphina. She turned her attention to Theo. "Come on, don't just stand there after all the talking I did to convince Top to let you present it to her. Give it to her."
"Give me what?" asked Cat one more time, this time with a bit of impatience in her voice.
Theo reached into one of the pockets of his shirt and took out a small object. It was a triangular metal pin embossed in the triangle was the image of a snarling lion. There was a spear or arrow embedded in the lion's shoulder but the beast was still erect and obviously still fighting. "It's the Wounded Lion" said Theo
"It's traditional to pin it to their bed coverings in situations such as this," said Seraphina to Theo.
Somewhat awkwardly Theo bent over Cat to pin the medal to the sheet covering her bed. As he bent down Cat grabbed him by his ears and pulled his face towards her and kissed him soundly.
"You're right, Sera," said Cat. "I did like it better when Theo gave it to me."
"Actually Theo earned one was well," said Sera.
"I saw you limping," said Cat. "A leg wound?"
"Not exactly," said Theo seemingly suddenly uncomfortable about the turn the conversation had taken.
"Then where...Oh no," Cat's tone of concern changed into a stifled giggle.
"Theo is taking his meals standing up at the moment," said Sera in way of confirmation.
"I gotta go," said Theo hurriedly. "Top says if I can stand I can work."
As he limped away he heard Sera talking to Cat. "According to the
after action reports Theo was wounded when..."
| Chapter 4 | Epilogue |