Gunslingers

Rae slowly lifted her right arm about an inch. Her brow was covered in sweat and her face was bright red. It had taken a lot of her energy for her to get that one inch. Tears appeared in the corner of her eyes. Her arm collapsed back down on the table. Physical therapy was tough.

"You did good, Rae." I smiled at her.

She wiped her tears with her left hand. "No, I sucked."

Chuckling, I approached her. "It's your second day of physical therapy, babe. Did the feeling come back?"

She nodded and sniffled. "Mostly. Shoulder is still only partially there. Some days I can feel it and others I can't." She reached her left hand out to me, and I helped her up.

"Lunch?"

Rae nodded and followed me to the cafeteria. We'd had to put her arm back into a sling. I could tell how much it pained her to be partially immobilized.

"Can you help with my tray?" She asked quietly. She seemed uncomfortable to be surrounded by Marines and SEALs.

I nodded and put our favorites on two different trays. We'd spent so much time together lately I knew what she liked to eat. That's when I mentally face-palmed. She was right handed and could barely hot a fork in her left.

Setting down the trays, I sat next to her. "Rae, I'm an idiot and forgot about your issue with utensils."

"It's okay, Sanders. Just don't help me." She picked up her fork and shakily brought it to her tray and then her mouth. She barely spilled anything. "Stop staring, Matthew, and eat your food."

I chuckled and shoveled some of my chicken into my mouth. Meanwhile, Rae carefully took bites of her food. The good news was no one was looking at her.

"Matt, can we leave?" She put her fork down and looked at the ground. "We can get my food to go."

I picked up our trays and gathered the rest of her food, offering my elbow to her. She took it as I walked us down the hall to my room. She hadn't been here, and I was excited to show her it, even if it wasn't much.

She stepped inside and looked around. I had band posters that were signed framed on my living room wall. There was even a great picture Dan had taken of Avenged jamming in the courtyard recently.

"I love the pictures," she said, touching the one of me and Dan drunk and hanging onto a pole.

"Thanks. Do you need help eating?"

She nodded and sat down, waiting for me to help her. Rae smiled as I helped her spoon her food into her mouth.

"Matt, tell me more about your music?"

"What do you want to know?" I spooned some mashed potatoes into her mouth.

She swallowed. "Tell me about the song you sang to me in the hospital."

Coughing, I looked down at my feet. There was no way I could tell her I wrote it for her. I'd never be able to tell her I'd prayed the entire time we'd been leaving the compound. She would not react well.

"Just something that came to me." I rubbed the back of my neck, avoiding eye contact.

"Oh, come on. Tell me the truth. It was clearly about a girl." Rae motioned for more food.

Sighing, I fed her more potatoes. "It's about you, Rae."

"Why?"

"Honestly? I don't fucking know, Rae. I know I like you and that I'm pissed I fucked things up between us but--" I was silenced by Rae kissing me softly. Her lips ghosted over mine, and I pulled her in, grasping her neck.

Rae straddled my hips and wrapped her left hand into my hair and pulled. I growled and grabbed her ass. Rae chuckled against my lips and moved slightly. A scream split the air, and the mood quickly ended.

"Rae?"

She clutched her right shoulder and screamed in agony. Picking her up in my arms, I ran to the infirmary. Her first day out of the hospital, and I'd fucked her up again.

"I'm sorry, babe. I'm so god damn sorry."

She cried and screamed again as I ran down the hall. She gently grasped my neck, pain more than apparent on her face. Rae looked miserable, like we were back in Iraq.

I kicked open the infirmary door only to find Brian leaning against a wall. He was clearly waiting for Laura. He turned when he heard Rae's screams. His eyes widened as he looked at the two of us.

"Fuck, Sanders. Is she okay?" He came over to help me get to a nurse's bed.

"No, she's obviously not." Panic was setting in and that meant Asshole Sanders was coming out. "Sorry, I'm freaking out."

"It's okay. I'll get Laura." Brian left us to get his girl. She was the best nurse on base, and we definitely needed her.

Rae muffled a scream into my shoulder. "Matt!" My name came out gurgled.

"Babe?" I stroked her hair.

"Make it stop." Tears wracked her body. What had I done?

Notes

Another update. I am almost settled, just need to move in to my temp apartment.

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Heretic Blood