Charles closed the screen after composing yet another email he wouldn't send to Molly. He wanted to congratulate her on her success with SF and apologise for what he'd said the last time they saw each other. He also wanted to know if she truly regretted him. It had hurt him every day since.
He was tired and weary and looking forward to wrapping this tour up. It had been a tough reintroduction to deployment and if he was 100% honest with himself, he didn't feel like it was for him anymore.
"You alright boss?" Kingy asked. Again. As Charles sat with his head in his hands "Fine sergeant. Tired, weary just like everyone else but we're on the home stretch now. We can do this"
Kingy had confessed his worries to Lane who in turn had caused him more worry by doing her usual of not following orders and getting involved where she wasn't needed and causing Charles a load more headache.
"I'm restricting you to camp Lane. For your sake as well as mine" Georgie rolled her eyes "Charlie, please..."
"It's Sir whilst we are on tour and don't argue with me. Do try to remember and respect the fact that I'm your superior and you will follow my orders. For fuck sake Lane you've become a liability"
He was of course referring to her involvement with a local woman that had seen them ambushed by a gang of drug dealers. "Drug dealers of all fucking problems to have" he shouted, pulling at the hair on top of his head so hard she thought he might scalp himself. His hand permanently lived at the back of his exasperated head, massaging his knotted neck with a face like a stressed, smacked arse.
"I'm sorry boss. Try and calm down, you're overly stressed. Are you talking to Molly yet... maybe that would help"
"That's completely fucking irrelevant Lane and you know it"
Georgie decided to put her big girls pants on and take the bollocking before being dismissed and firing off a text to Molly.
"He's cracking up here. Put him out of his misery Molly. He needs you"
Georgie appreciated she was a bit of a shit and that her going off piste was doing his head in but there was definitely more to it and had been since he stepped foot on the tarmac at Brize. The fire in his belly had gone, his heart wasn't in it.
Brains slotted himself into the narrow bench opposite Charles. He was struggling, it was easy for anyone who knew him to see. "Boss?"
Charles lifted his head from the coffee he'd let go cold 4 times before replacing it only to let it get cold again. "What is it Brains? You alright?"
"I'm good sir. Just wanted to check you were too. I know you're my Captain but we go way back, I hope that if you needed someone to talk too... then you'd feel you could talk to me. Even if it's about Molly. I'm here for ya boss is all I'm trying to say"
Charles returned his head into his hands "Thank you Brains. I'm good though. If you do speak to Molly, pass on my congratulations for making SF. She'll be brilliant" Brains smiled back at him and wondered how two people could be so stubborn.
-OG-
Molly spun the mobile between her fingers, dismissing the text as she and Bones downed the last of their celebratory drink. "You know when I said drinks were on you, I was actually joking. And that thing in your hand, does exactly what it says on the tin - it's mobile, you can put it down you know"
"I can pay my way. Always have, always will. And what's it to you? I'm waiting for a phone call"
Bones admired that about Molly. She had no desire to be kept or fussed after. She was a different kettle of fish to Lane who he'd found to be high maintenance. Yes she was beautiful but he liked the simple life. Molly seemed to be uncomplicated, that was until the subject of her ex-husband was brought up which was when she recoiled into herself as some kind of protection or coping mechanism. She was still hurting and pining after all this time, it was obvious to see.
