All characters who engage in sex are to be considered over the age of eighteen years.
~~~
September 2009
"Who are you kidding? She will never come. I read her file," Timothy said, looking over the desk.
Salem leaned forward before standing at his full height of 6' 3" inches. His hand moved along the collar until a finger caught in his blue tie, pulling it away from his throat. He wasn't used to wearing suits and it showed. "I just want a chance at her. I think she would be an asset to the team."
"There is no doubt she would. Hell, I think we should have approached her while she was in recovery, but that was an error on Blake's behalf. He didn't see the potential in her. But someone who makes more money than you or I does. And she already has medical training, and it won't hurt. I will tell you what, you get her to come to an interview and I'll owe you one."
Owe you one...
The silent thought danced across Salem's features as he settled in the booth of a local Waffle House. The place was empty except for the wait staff and one cook. To the right side was a thin woman with blonde hair who was wearing too much eye makeup. The cook was leaning against the oak rail reading what looked to be the Herald. He was tall, pushing six feet, and robust. His ginger hair did seem to match the tattooed tan skin of his arms. Most likely the color came from a bottle, probably an attempt to be someone else in this tiny town. The third was still in the back room. He only noticed the missing person when the door swung close as he sat down.
Salem was in town to visit an old friend from the Corp, a woman who saved his hide more than once. She was a demolition expert back then and a true Marine. He hoped to convince the woman to interview for a new program he was himself joining. A bunch of veterans had all joined after the VA failed to help. Some were given new prosthetic limbs while others tried new medicines to help cope with PTSD and flashbacks. Personally, Salem was in the drug trials. Now instead of being up all night with panic attacks and reliving the explosion, he slept dreamlessly in a state of bliss. The FDA would be giving the go-ahead for new clinical trials in the next few months. With luck K-101 as it was named, for now, would be readily available for veterans who have been suffering since coming home.
The former Marine waved off the blonde as he checked his cell phone. It was only 8:00 am and his breakfast meeting was still thirty minutes away. Hope had told him that she worked the night shift and could make it by 8:30 am provided they had a slow night.
Slow night, the thought brought a smile. It was after all only Monday and not a full moon, so the odds were good, she would show up on time. There was one constant to all of his former chalk: they kept up with time, never being late or avoiding situations that could and would detain them. If he was right about Hope she would be entering the doors in a few minutes.
Glancing at the waitress once more he nodded, giving her the international signal he needed something.
"What can I get you, dear?" The young woman asked, slipping her hand to the table, and laying out the utensils. The name on her tag read Alice.
"Coffee, black with a side glass of ice, no water, just ice." He offered a slight smile.
"Coming right up," she turned on her heel and semi-bounced away.
Though her hair was up under the black hat, he could see a few spirals flopping down the middle of her back. Other than the eye makeup blunder she seemed to be an attractive female. If only he was here for personal reasons he might flirt with her.
By the time Alice returned, Salem could see a small blue Jeep Grand Cherokee pulling in, and he saw the telltale sign of wild unruly strawberry blonde hair. There could be only one driver-Hope. The tension he had been feeling eased as he watched his longtime friend cross the parking lot.
"Make that two," he said in Alice's direction. As the door opened Salem got to his feet to greet the woman he had not seen in over a year. "Staff Sergeant Mills," he said, bringing her into his open arms for a shoulder hug before taking her hand.
"Gunnery Sergeant Johnson," she returned his embrace. "Damn good to see you again." She hadn't seen him since she departed Germany to come home. She could still see him in the terminal with others as the overhead speaker announced her flight. They had been close those last 11 months, closer than brother and sister some might say. The bonds forged in fire were hard to break or ignore.
"I'm glad you called. It has been forever." Hope lost track of him a few months back. After Afghanistan she went to college and became a paramedic, deciding to save people here after all the death she had seen there. She tried to keep up with text messages and Skype calls but life became a blur of nightmares and booze, and old friends fell to the wayside. "And it's Howard now," she added, though she didn't wear a ring. She and Alex were mated and did the civil ceremony for the public.
"Congratulations?" He asked in a questioning tone. It wasn't like either of them to be married to anything but their respective jobs. The husky man motioned his hand to the booth and the two coffees Alice had brought. "I can't believe you settled for anyone."
"Not settled, not really, more like blindsided, but that is a story for another time. I'm certain you didn't ask me here to talk about my love life. So what's up? How the hell have you been? Your message was kind of vague."
Salem settled his large frame into the booth. He looked squished compared to his companion. As he added ice to his coffee, he made a huffing sound. "I wouldn't even know where to start. Hell, the last few months have been a whirlwind. When I got out I ended up in the VA hospital for treatment, but you and I both know that was a joke." He stirred the ice into the hot liquid and then pulled a medicine bottle from his pocket. There was a vial inside containing a clear liquid. Seconds later he dosed his beverage with it.
Looking at the vile he shrugged. "It helps with the ghosts," he confessed. "After I left the hospital I ran into Michael and Sarah." Two soldiers they had both known in country. Sarah was barely eighteen when she lost her right arm, and Michael was 22 when he lost both legs. He and Hope were with them when the IED went off. Hope had taken shrapnel to the chest blocking the debris from hitting Salem full force. He always knew he would have been dead if she had not been there.
"They told me about a program a private company was offering. Anyways they were paired with Mangadoom Pharmaceuticals and offered Vets help free of charge. So Michael and Sarah got new limbs and I got this." He nodded to the empty vial. "But I am getting ahead of myself." He sipped his coffee again. "Let me back up," Salem smiled. "You know as well as I do that the government won't do shit for us. It is like we are their dirty little secret. So I investigated this program and found out they were on the up and up. They are cutting-edge tech and damn reliable in my opinion. You should see what they are doing with prosthetics now. But that is only one part. They also understand that it is hard for us to find jobs. It's not like I can go back to teaching, and you, I'm sure you have your moments at work."
Hope nodded several times. "Hell yeah. There are nights I can't do shit. A strange noise or a scent triggers it and I'm toast. I'm right back there and it's a nightmare. Or worse, I can't sleep through the night. So," she used her chin to point to the empty vial. "What are you taking?"
"K-101," he said in a firm voice. "I signed up for the trials and now I am part of the next phase. It works, I'm not sure if the technical terms but it stop the dreams and the flashbacks. Hell, I sleep like a baby now." He looked her in the eyes. "It's kind of why I am here. They are officially opening up the clinical trials this month. I thought about you. You'd be perfect to try it. Now, I won't lie to you, there are some side effects with it. Mainly I get a headache every couple of weeks, but I can live with those."
It almost sounded too good to be true. The strawberry blonde sat quietly listening and wondering if this new drug would be worth a try. "Sounds tempting?" She finally said. Hope spent most of her nights on duty or alone, and often used alcohol to induce sleep on nights Alex wasn't around. More and more he spent his nights off with the Council, which didn't bother the woman as much as it used to. She was beginning to accept that her marriage would be a long and arduous journey given he was a council enforcer.
"I have to say it would be nice not to have dreams or hit the floor when a car backfires." That had happened on numerous occasions, she would be on a call, or at the market and a sudden loud noise had her on the ground surveying the area for insurgents. Even now in this diner, she was all too aware of her surroundings. It would be a novelty to not be on duty 24/7. "I might be interested in checking this out. What do I have to do?"
"I was hoping you would say that. I'm putting together a team so to speak. The way they want this to go is six member groups, some on K-101, some on a placebo," he explained. "The six of us will stay in contact through the trials and compare notes with one another. The trial lasts six months, but there is a catch. They are located in Dublin, Georgia, and would prefer all test subjects to be there in case there are unforeseen side effects. It means you would have to move there. And before you ask, they will be offering everyone a job while there." He reached across the table, placing his hand over hers before continuing. "I'm not asking you for an answer right now, just want you to think about it. You would be working for Mangadoom instead of running the streets. Think of all the good we could do together."
"When do you need an answer?" She said, thinking seriously about this opportunity. She knew the money would be better, but she wasn't sure if she could go without Alex for that long of a time. No, Hope would have to talk this over with him in the near future. She was certain he wouldn't mind the extra money or time away in he could devote to his duties. It wasn't like they were a normal couple, the type to cuddle half the night and have toast together in the morning. No, they were red hot embers when they were together or at each other's throats. She couldn't stand to be around him for more than a few hours, so perhaps Dublin would be a new beginning.
