The End of the Beginning

William awoke to his team surrounding him in his hospital room. Jake and Nancy were there as well.

“Captain,” said Seong. “Captain.”

“Lieu… Lieutenant,” William mumbled. He had a bruise on his swollen face the size of a tennis ball.

“How you feeling Bossman?” Simba asked.

“I don’t feel anything,” said William, looking over his body. “Is that bad?”

“No,” laughed Heather. “Those are the pain killers, Captain. Be glad you can’t feel anything. You took quite a beating. You have a broken left elbow, a cracked rib, your missing a molar, and you lost a fair bit of blood. Fifty-seven cumulative stitches took care of that. Compared to you though, Hernandez got it way worse.” “He’s alive?” asked William. “What happened to him?”

“He is still alive… barely,” said Vega. “He is in the ICU. The crash broke over half the bones in his body they say.” “How long was I out?” William groaned.

“Just over a day. It’s Saturday,” Vinny informed. “Hurry and get better so we can have a weekend. We got training again on Monday!” Everyone chuckled.

“You did it, Captain,” phrased Mario. “You stopped Hernandez from taking over this base. You stopped Terra Nova.” “My brother thanks you, sir. I thank you,” bowed Sergey.

“Yeah,” agreed Paul. “And, an attack never came. Terra Nova was blowing smoke.”

“The US and Russian navies have secured St. Lawrence; the world leaders are safe and returning to their home countries,” said Jake. “The feds are here now though. FBI and Homeland Security. They are taking Hernandez once he his healthy enough to move. I don’t think they trust ISAF anymore… or UNIRO.” “That trust will have to be rebuilt,” said William, looking at Jake. “And it will. We’ll rebuild it, together.” “Yes, we will,” smiled Jake, holding Nancy’s hand.

“Where is John?” William asked hesitantly.

“He is currently in surgery,” said Nancy. “His second surgery… The bullet just missed his heart.” “I need to see him,” William moaned, trying to sit up. “I need to see him.”

His left arm was is in sling. He removed IV’s from his good arm with his mouth. Heather tried to stop him but Vega stopped her.

“Capt - ”

“Let him go,” she said softly.

William groaned as he stepped off the bed. DJ and Heather helped him catch his balance but he waved them away.

“I’m okay, I’m okay…”

As William reached the door to the hospital room he said wholeheartedly, without turning around, “Thank you all. I didn’t save the base or stop Hernandez, we did.”