Alex Rider: Living with the SAS

Chapter 5

Another week have passed, a few of the kinder ones and more mature ones has finally plucked up the courage to try and be Alex's friend. Alex found out that they were merely trying to seize up her abilities before they could trust her. Not a bad move. I would do that to if I were them.
"Hey Cub!"
"What's up lemur?" Alex asked, looking up from the gun she is cleaning. "I was wondering what was wrong..." He trailed off looking a little nervous and embarrassed. "What do you mean?" Alex asked as she set the gun down on her lap. "You've dismantled and assembled the gun three times and cleaned it."
Alex raised an eyebrow. Did I really clean it 3 times? Alex thought and looked at the gun subconsciously. She can almost see her reflection. Damn. I don't know if cleaning the gun three times is a good or bad thing... Meh. Whatever. "Nothing. I was just thinking."
"A penny for your thoughts?" Lemur sat down beside her at the base of the tree. Alex could tell Lemur really cared. He was a pretty experienced and mature soldier. Lemur must have kids at home because he is especially concerned about Alex. Even though Alex has kept many secrets, including her gender, they trust her a lot. They realise that you didn't need to know someone's entire life story to trust them.
Alex stayed silent for a while, choosing to play with the gun in hand and to phrase the answer correctly. Lemur doesn't seem worried that the person beside him is playing with a gun which is readily available to put a bullet through his brain.
"... You know about PTSD right?" Alex asked even though she knew that the soldier sitting beside her probably would know even without having it. Lemur paled slightly at where the conversation is going. PTSD is a post traumatic stress disorder. Lemur has lost a few close friends to PTSD and the kid beside him probably has it too, to start a conversation with that.
"You have it don't you?" He asked, knowing the answer. Alex nodded, refusing to look at him. "... I... It just sucks you know?" Alex said, in a quiet, pain filled voice. Lemur wisely kept his mouth shut. People sometimes only want you to listen not give bloody advice. Well, for boys that's the case. For girls when they talk they usually need advice. But Alex isn't that type of girl. She just needs someone to listen to her. To truly pay attention to what she is going through. The pain look from Alex's eyes disappeared as Lemur noticed she casually held to gun in a ready to fire position. It wasn't up but knowing Alex, Lemur knows she can easily shoot without hesitation and find her mark without even looking. Cub's a trained one. Well trained. Lemur observed as he too reached back to clench the handle of his gun as they stood up. Alex felt the tingle on the back of her neck, the one she would always feel when ever someone is about to shoot at her. She fired to her left and pushed Lemur away before two shots were heard, almost matching each other's timing. Lemur rolled to a upright position just in time to see the bullet hitting their Cub in the neck. Blood splattered out and started spilling everywhere. There was some leave rustling above them and someone fell from the tree. The one that Alex shot, a bullet to the head, quick and clean death. Alex staggered a little as blood escaped her lips and she fell onto her knees, clutching her neck. Lemur dart over to catch her before she fell into her face. "Hey cub? Look at me. You're gonna be alright. Stay with me." He said gently as he shifted her into a more comfortable position. "Stay with me alright? Listen to me. You're going to be alright." He said as he whipped out his radio. "I need medics here right now! We have a soldier down with a gunshot wound to the neck!" Lemur barked into his radio then he dumped the radio to his side while trying to stop the flow of blood spurting out from a severed artery. There's gonna be hope. Even though it's a severed artery. He's gonna make it. Lemur chanted in his mind.
The radio cackled on and they listened. "Shit!" The sarge cursed and yanked the radio up to his mouth. "Where is your location?!" Lemur rattled out the coordinates and he could hear the sarge barking at the medics to get a move along. Please don't be cub. Please don't be cub. Sarge prayed as he gingerly brought the radio back up to his mouth. "Who is it soldier?!"
"It's cub, sir." Shittttttt. Where is God when I desperately need him?! Sarge thought as he rubbed his temples. Please be fine. Wait. Cub is GOING to survive this! He still owes me about his thoughts when I asked him! He hasn't shared any shit with me! I need to find out shit! I need to help him! That emotionless veteran look... It doesn't belong on him. Sarge thought as he prayed.