It had been another day of no contact, something which despite the conversation she had the previous day with Brown, still filled her with worry. The sensation in the pit of her stomach was telling her something was wrong. She had tried to distract herself, the gym was a brief reprieve, however, as the rain continued to pour outside it only enhanced her already foul mood.
It was mid-afternoon and Cara found herself sat in the common area. The echoes of raindrops against glass windows were the only background noise. Diesel was at her side on the sofa, relishing in the petting Cara was giving when shouts from down the corridor halted her. Cara got up from the sofa, following the anger-filled noise, it was coming from Brown’s office. She reached the door, about to enter, when the door swung open and her dad stormed out. Pushing past her, he didn’t utter a word.
*THE PREVIOUS MORNING* The mission hadn’t gone as planned, the team had been following a lead on an asset in Al Nasirah when their group were attacked. The streets they patrolled were quiet, too quiet. Usually street vendors and kids roamed around them, locals would be chatting amongst each other. It was a friendly town that was known for its hospitality with visitors, yet something didn’t feel right. They had reached the small town of Kasrat Adhaa, halting their patrol to take on water when all of a sudden they heard gunfire. Johnson took the lead, flicking his cigarette to the ground nonchalantly as he picked up his rifle in haste. O’Connell flattened his body to the floor, taking cover behind a parked jeep. Archer threw his bottle behind him and in one swift motion he had taken aim ahead, resting his torso across the truck bonnet. Dust flicked up from the ground as round after round darted past the team. The remainder of their patrol were located to t
Archer had been in the hospital a week, his wounds were serious and every moment was recorded and monitored by multiple machines and medical staff. Archer had pierced a lung and shattered several ribs along with a multitude of trauma including severe haemorrhaging. His armour had taken some of the impact but had left him in an unstable condition. Induced into a coma to allow his body to repair safely, Cara never left his bedside. Holding his hand, just like he had for her during those sleepless nights. She heaved a sigh loudly, containing the tears that were inwardly drowning her. Nurses and doctors would visit regularly, checking his vitals and making sure Cara was okay. He looked so peaceful, despite the tubes invading his body. The machine in the corner, beeped and hushed as Archer’s chest rose and fell. Pads stuck to the smooth planes of his chest, monitoring his heartbeat while the mask around his nose and mouth obstructed the sight of his sharp jawline. His jaw
It had been another week that Archer had been comatose. The doctors had no more information or hope for Cara. “He’ll wake up when his body is ready.” The doctor told her as she examined Archer’s chart. “Can he hear me?” She asked. The doctor looked up from the chart, her focus flicking between her and Archer’s motionless body. “There’s no way of knowing,” Was the doctor's response. Cara’s shoulders dropped at the disappointment, gripping tightly to his hand. “Although, it won’t hurt to talk to him.” The doctor encouraged. Her smile was honest, caring and welcoming. She ushered the nurses out with her before turning to Cara. “He’s going to be okay.” She reassured Cara before stepping out of the room.
It had been a few more days of sitting beside Archer, watching his still body, talking to his silent figure. Johnson had visited every day, offering her a break but she never took it. He would sit opposite her, making conversation or just sitting in silence. Neither interaction was preferable, having company was all they needed.Cara was sat nursing a coffee that Johnson had brought for her. The warmth absorbed through her palms and radiating up her arms, soothing the chill that ran up her spine every now and again. Nausea had become her enemy over the last few days, she hadn't been eating properly and could only put it down to lack of sustenance."You look ill," Johnson observed Cara's features. "You need to eat more." He threw a packet of crisps at her. She looked down at her lap, picking up the crisps. She opened them carefully, the crinkling sound echoed th
** Trigger Warning** This chapter contains scenes of abuse and violence. Please read at your own discretion. _____________________________________________________________________ Archer’s weak form was no longer motionless, he was creaking and groaning with effort as he tried to sit up on the bed. “You’re awake!” Cara clutched his body, wrapping her arms around him. Archer groaned under her weight causing her to jump back. Tears were welling in her eyes, happiness drowned her at the sight of Archer awake. Her heart lurched in her chest, wanting all but to jump into his arms. She reached over pressing the buzzer to alert the nurse's station. She cupped Archer’s face in her hand, smiling down at him as tears fell. Ar
Archer awoke to the sound of commotion outside of his hospital room. Much to his reluctance, he had been ordered to stay in the hospital for final observations before being discharged. Archer focused on the conversation being held outside his room, Cara was standing on the other side of his room window with her father and his doctor. He couldn’t make out the discussion being had, but the look on Cara’s face worried him. She turned her head through the window, catching Archer’s gaze. Within moments, she was entering the room, plastering what he could tell to be a fake smile. “What was that about?” Archer asked, placing a soft kiss on Cara’s hand before pulling her towards him. “Dad wants you to stay but the doctor said you want to leave?” She nuzzled her face into Archer’s neck, wrapping her arms around his chest as she lay down next to him.
“No, no, no.” Cara paced her bedroom, her hand rubbing her forehead. “Cara?” Jessica caught her by the arm. “What’s wrong?” Cara stopped still in her tracks. “I missed it.” “Missed what?” Jessica’s brows knitted together in confusion. “My period.” Cara collapsed onto her bed, her face buried in the pillow. Jessica stood shell shocked, her mouth wide open. She didn’t know how to react, it was never something either had thought about and Jessica felt stupid. She was usually the one with the words of wisdom. Snapping out of her spinning thoughts she sat down next to Cara. “Have you got a test?” Cara shook her head that was still buried in the pillow. “Right, let’s finish packing and we can pick up one on the way.” Jes
Johnson sat opposite Archer on the sofa, his jaw had not closed since hearing the news. Cara had left for work, after a weekend of more or less silence between her and Archer she was glad to get out of the apartment. Besides the usual pleasantries, the discussion of Cara’s pregnancy had not been revisited. “So how are you both feeling about it?” Johnson finally asked him, taking a sip of his hot mug of coffee. “I don’t know mate, I’m still in shock. It’s not something I wanted, I’ll tell you that much.” He scoffed lightly. “And what about Cara?” Archer stared blankly back at Johnson. Over the whole weekend, he hadn’t asked Cara how she was feeling about the pregnancy. He knew it was out of the question to ask her whether she wanted to keep it but he hadn’t been there for her when he should have been.