“Oh, my God,” she said in complete horror, her eyes fixated on the floor.
At the words, Malory gave up her hiding place and approached the doctor from behind. “What’s the big deal?” she asked curiously.
Corky could only bring a hand up to her mouth in mortification and Malory gently nudged her out of the way to see what had the doctor’s complete attention. Her eyes landing on a pack of cigarettes and lighter, lying within an ashtray that someone had thoughtfully provided. With a stifled laugh, she bent down to pick them up and prodded Corky back into the room, closing the door behind them.
Leaving the doctor standing, she reclaimed her seat on the cot and opened the cigarettes, popping one into her mouth and lighting it. “I haven’t had a cigarette in over ten years,” she said conversationally.
“My God, someone heard us,” Corky finally rasped in dismay.
Malory smiled in amusement. “That’s not quite right, Dr. Rivers,” she said, taking a long drag on her cigarette. “I was occupied.”
A startled gasp.
“Yes,” Malory said knowingly. “Someone heard you. Actually, I would be surprised if everyone didn’t. There’s probably not a limp dick in the compound.”
“Jesus,” Corky choked. “I can’t imagine anything more embarrassing.”
“Come to bed, I’ll kiss it and make it better,” Malory said sweetly.
“How do I show my face tomorrow, or the day after for that matter?” she asked dismally.
“Come to bed,” Malory repeated, snuffing out her cigarette and holding out a hand.
Corky rushed over to bury her face between Malory’s breasts. “God, what am I gonna do?” she whined pitifully.
Malory stroked her hair. “Tell you what,” she said with a grin. “First thing tomorrow, I’ll make an announcement ordering everyone not to make fun of you for twiddling your diddle.”
A quickly stifled snicker followed by an annoyed swat. “That’s not funny,” she mumbled. “How would you feel if the situation was reversed?”
“I’m the boss,” she said simply. “No one would dare say anything to me. They’d just laugh behind my back.”
“You’re not helping,” she said irritably.
Malory kissed the top of her head and reached down to pull the blankets over them both. “Go to sleep,” she said softly, hugging her tightly. “It won’t be so bad in the morning.”
A pathetic sigh was the only reply and she reached out to turn off the light.
05/06/02 - 0655 hours
Malory rose with a luxurious stretch and gently disengaged herself from the soundly sleeping doctor so she could answer the call of nature; poking around the room curiously when she was finished, interested in everything that had to do with the little woman. Noting the photographs of her parents and smiling at a family of Teddy bears that resided upon one of her shelves.
The shrill blast of the alarm startled her and she leaped across the room to shut it off, chuckling at the small arm that was irritably swatting at it from underneath the blankets. She immediately dove under the covers and playfully snuggled up to the waking woman.
“You gonna get up?” she whispered into her ear, leaving a kiss behind.
“No,” came the pathetic croak.
“Why not?” Malory asked teasingly.
“Were you wearing your gun last night?” Corky asked quietly. “I need it.”
“Why?” Malory asked with a chuckle.
“Because I have to kill myself,” Corky said seriously.
Malory laughed. “Gee, it’s not the end of the world. So what if everybody thinks you were in here thumpin’ the man in the little canoe? It’s not that big a deal.”
Corky turned in Malory’s embrace to regard her seriously. “Why do you say that?” she asked curiously.
“Well shucks, Doctor,” she said patronizingly. “You’re a young, healthy and, as far as everyone knows, single woman. What’s there to be embarrassed about?”
“I was screaming like I was being burned at the stake,” Corky said dryly. “If I had overheard that, I’d wonder what in the name of God had that woman been doing to herself.”
A snicker.
“It’s not funny,” Corky said sternly.
“Geez, you’re a doctor,” Malory said amusedly. “You of all people should know that masturbation is normal and everybody does it.”
“Do you?”
“Hell no!” Malory said vehemently. “What do you think I am, some sort of sick freak?”
Corky snorted in annoyance and pulled the covers up over her head to hide, ignoring her delightedly laughing companion.
“Oh, come on,” Malory chortled. “If anyone says anything you can just tell them you weren’t alone.”
“What if they ask who?” Corky inquired from under the covers.
“Say it’s none of their business. They’ll spend days mumbling amongst themselves trying to figure out who the lucky person was.”
“What if someone asks you?”
“Asks me what? If I was the one banging the doc?”
“Yeah.”
“Corky, there isn’t a person in this place that will come out and ask me to my face about my sex life.”
A sigh. “I wish I was the Commander,” she said childishly.
“No you don’t, the pay sucks.”
“Really?” Corky asked curiously. “I assumed you were pretty well off in that department.”
“I do alright. I mean I make enough to keep me in tampons and ‘roid cream.”
A silent pause and then a chuckle. “You are so disgusting.”
“But you love me,” Malory said knowingly.
An ambiguous grunt. “Did you mean what you said last night?” she asked quietly.
“What did I say last night?” Malory asked teasingly.
“You know,” Corky said softly.
“Yes, I do know and yes, I do.” Malory said starkly. “Now are you gonna come out of there? I’m horny.”
“No way,” Corky said quickly, pulling the blankets around her tightly. “Everyone would think I was a pervert.”
“I could gag you,” Malory offered.
“Shut up,” Corky said indignantly.
Malory sighed. “I should probably go anyway, McNeely will be looking for me any minute.”
Corky poked her head out from under the blankets. “Will I see you tonight?” she asked shyly.
“I’d like to see you.”
A small smile.
Malory leaned in to place a soft kiss on her mouth. “Last night was unbelievable, thank you.”
A chuckle. “I should be the one thanking you.”
“You will later,” Malory said with a goofy smile and rose to start dressing herself.
Corky smiled and cast worried eyes to the ceiling, trying not to imagine the horrors that were waiting to assail her when she emerged from her quarters.
Malory leaned over again to place a kiss on her cheek. “Ya gonna be okay?”
“I suppose I’ll live,” Corky said bleakly.
Malory chuckled. “If anyone says anything inappropriate, you come tell me.”
“I’m a big girl,” Corky said, smiling at the offer.
“You sure are,” Malory said with grin. “I’ll see you later,” she added and turned to exit the room.
Corky waited for the door to close and pulled the blankets back up over her head.
———
Corky snuck into Medical, foregoing her morning coffee for fear of entering the mess and encountering anyone. As a result, she had spent a cranky morning looking up sharply whenever she heard footsteps in the hall and sighing in relief every time they passed. Her thoughts swinging back and forth between contemplating the consequences of her inevitable humiliation and elating in the memory of the time shared the night before with Malory.
She was in the midst of reminiscing one of the latter thoughts when the sound of gunshots brought her out of her chair in both surprise and alarm. Seconds later,
the klaxon went off followed shortly thereafter by rapidly pounding footsteps racing down the hall.
She ran into the hall and was almost trampled by Reynolds and DeSoto as they raced by, the Chief yelling into his radio.
“Say again?”
“They need a stretcher and…” the Commander’s voice faded as the Chief got further away.
Corky waited in agitation, not knowing what was going on and somewhat surprised that nothing had been said over the intercom. At least she knew Malory was okay, relieved to have heard her voice over the Chief’s radio. She looked up at the sound of another set of approaching footsteps and gazed at the approaching Lieutenant with anticipation.
“Dr. Rivers, you’ll need to prepare Medical to receive wounded,” Ring said grimly.
“ETA?” she asked.
He reached for the radio on his belt. “ETA on that, Sergeant?”
“Thirty to forty minutes, out,” Alvarez answered tersely.
“From excavation I presume,” Corky guessed.
“Yes, Doctor,” he said politely.
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” she said and turned to reenter Medical.
The time passed slowly and she was eaten alive with curiosity and worry, hoping that all of her friends were okay and wondering why a weapon was fired. Thirty-five minutes later, her radio called for attention.
“ETA 5 minutes, Dr. Rivers,” Percy said. “Ballenger incoming with suspected hip fracture, possible internal injuries. Currently stable and conscious.”
“Understood,” she answered. “Anyone else?”
“Nothing priority, out.”
She took a deep breath to prepare for their arrival.
———
It was a little over two hours later when she emerged from behind the divider to find her domain filled to capacity with people waiting anxiously for news of their colleague. Percy followed behind her and she caught his arm, standing on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear.
“Excellent work today,” she said sincerely.
He smiled at the compliment and made his way through the crowd toward the exit.
“Well?” Clovis asked the question everyone wanted the answer to.
“He’s okay,” Corky said loud enough for everyone to hear. “But he’s on his back for the duration and will be on the first flight out.”
The news was met by communal relief and then disappointment.
“How bad…”
“Make a hole,” Malory interrupted tersely from the doorway, waiting with a furious look for everyone to get out of the way so she could enter the room. She strode through their parting bodies and leveled a look at Clovis.
“Mr. Stokes, report to my office and wait there until I arrive,” she ordered, her voice cold. “Now,” she barked when he didn’t immediately rush from the room, startling him and sending him packing.
“Airman Daly, report to the hall outside of my office and stand at attention,” she added her voice harsh and the man almost ran from the room. “The rest of you return to your quarters or stations immediately,” she ordered and waited for the room to empty before she turned to Corky.
“How is he?” she asked, her voice noticeably gentler.
“Fractured pelvis, a good deal of internal bleeding,” Corky reported sadly. “Could’ve been far worse if it had taken much longer to get him here. He’ll be alright, but he’ll need to go out with the first flight.”
“I see,” Malory said tonelessly.
Corky had a hundred questions to ask but settled for the most important. “Are you okay?”
Malory smiled with an effort. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” she said with a nod. “I’ll see you later, I have things I need to do.”
“Okay,” Corky said reluctantly, watching her hesitate as if she wanted to say something else and then turn to walk from the room.
———
Daly stood in the hall anxiously, the Commander had passed fifteen minutes prior to enter her office, not sparing him a glance and slamming the door shut with enough force to make him wince.
His only hope was that the tirade she was directing at Mr. Stokes would tire her out before it was time to deal with him. Her voice occasionally thundered from inside the room and earlier he had heard something smash against the wall with enough force to shatter.
“Mr. McNeely report to my office, please,” her voice suddenly blared over the intercom.
He stood ramrod straight, afraid to let the Sergeant Major see him at anything less than a rigid attention. Shortly, he heard the man’s approaching heavy footsteps and McNeely paused in front of him to clap him on the shoulder.
“Stand easy, Daly,” he said sympathetically. “You might be out here awhile,” he added, rapping a short knock on the Commander’s door and stepping inside.
He sighed and slumped against the wall until the door opened almost half an hour later and Mr. Stokes stepped out. The huge man plodded silently down the hall looking as if he had just been spit out of a combine. He grimaced internally and braced himself; it didn’t look good.
“Airman Daly,” the Commander barked. “Your turn. Get in here.”
He stepped into her office crisply and stood at attention, noting the shards of a broken coffee cup in the corner. “Commander,” he said respectfully, not meeting her eyes as she sat glowering at him from behind her desk.
“Rest easy, Airman,” she said in a friendly tone. “Take a seat,” she said gesturing to the chair next to the silent Sergeant Major.
He blinked confusedly but did as he was told.
“I’m glad I spoke to Mr. Stokes first or I would’ve had a lot of egg on my face,” she said mildly. “Since it was my original intention to have your ass removed for discharging your weapon for no apparent reason. However, I’ve been informed that you probably saved Ballenger’s life. Tell me, were you aware that Mr. Stokes allowed Ballenger to unclasp his safety rope?”
“No, Commander.”
“That’s what I hoped you’d say,” she said in satisfaction, rising from her chair. “On your feet, Airman,” she added authoritatively, waiting for him to rise. “In recognition for your quick thinking and action in the performance of your duty, I’m pleased to award you the JSAM. I’ll make it official as soon as the new season permits. Do you have any objections?”
He smiled. “No, Ma…” he started, “…I mean no, Commander,” he corrected quickly.
“Good, now go grab something to eat,” she said with a grin. “Dismissed, please shut the door on the way out.”
He saluted crisply before turning on his heel and marching out the door, immeasurably relieved and terribly proud of himself.
———
Corky stripped out of her scrubs and summoned Coy to watch over her patient for the night so she could make a beeline to the mess to collect the gossip. As soon as she entered, she was beckoned over by Dr. Lenard and company so she collected a tray and hurried over to join them.
“So what’s the story?” she asked as she seated herself.
“We hit another pocket in excavation,” Watkins said. “Not as bad as the first but Ballenger was right on top of it without a safety rope.”
“Oh my,” Corky said. “I guess that’s why the Commander was so pissed.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “She confined Clovis to quarters.”
“Why Clovis?”
“He gave Dr. Ballenger permission to disconnect his rope, it was giving him problems,” Lenard explained.
“So what happened?” she asked curiously.
“The pocket was situated right above the section we were working to uncover. He fell about twenty feet and landed on an exposed section of the spacecraft. We got down to him as soon as we could but there was a large sheet of ice pinning him down. We couldn’t lift it so Daly used his rifle to break it in half and we were able to get him out of there,” Watkins reported. “So how is Dr. Ballenger?”
Corky went through the medical laund
ry list. “… we’ll have to watch him for the next few days, but I’m confident he’ll fully recover.”
“Damn,” Lenard said sympathetically. “It’ll kill him not be involved in this.”
“At least he has his life,” Corky pointed out.
“Very true.”
“Hmmm,” Corky grunted. “So you found a big piece of the flying saucer?”
“Yes,” Watkins said happily but then scowled. “No telling when we’ll be allowed back down there though.”
“Why?” Corky asked.
“When Lovecraft found out Dr. Ballenger disconnected his safety rope, she threw a fit,” Lenard said.
“A fit?”
“Oh yeah,” Watkins said. “Threw her hat on the ground and kicked it. Then told us all we’d be lucky if she allowed us to return and if we couldn’t follow simple instructions for our own safety, perhaps the NSF could send another team that could.”
“Ouch,” Corky said. “So how long is Clovis incarcerated for?”
“He didn’t say, but he looked like he had been read the riot act and I’m sure he’s feeling bad over Dr. Ballenger. He told him to take off the rope only long enough to fix it,” Lenard said. “It was just freak chance that what happened did when it did.”
“Speaking of freaky things,” Watkins said slyly. “Did you hear that screaming last night?”
Corky immediately tensed and reddened guiltily, flushing darker as the men began to chuckle.
“My goodness, Doctor,” Lenard said with a teasing smile. “You shouldn’t save it up like that, it’s unhealthy.”
“Yes,” Watkins added. “For all of our sakes, please pace yourself in the future. I was jolted out of a dead slumber thinking I should run for my life.”
Corky ground her teeth and crossed her arms over her chest as they laughed jubilantly over their jokes, her face a solid scarlet. “Are you guys finished?” she growled irritably.
“Oh, come on, Corky,” Watkins chuckled. “You should take our advice, Grey here does it twice a day, isn’t that right?”
“Certainly,” Grey admitted casually. “Keeps me on an even keel and I don’t impose on my colleagues by carrying on loud enough to wake the dead.”
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