Training camp

Past medical Part 2

She was quiet at dinner and he wanted to let her know he'd noticed. He shook his head, he didn't do relationships very well, and definitely not with recruits. He chose not to say anything then, but changed his mind when he heard someone moving around that night.

"It's eleven o'clock," he commented, "you have to be up and ready at 7,"

She nodded, "so do you,"

"What are you doing here at this time?" He asked, although it was pretty obvious. She stood in shorts and t-shirt, a theraband in her hand as she balanced on one leg on a bosu.

"Trying to strengthen this shoulder," she smiled, pulling on the band and lifting it up over her head.

"How'd it go?"

She smiled, changing legs and repeating the exercise, "she was nice, not patronising... I'm sorry about earlier," she admitted, "I don't talk or think about that part of my life very much and sometimes when I do... It's still a bit overwhelming."

"When your done here, I have something to show you," he nodded and she couldn't help but smirk, "get your mind out of the gutter Chase," he couldn't help but laugh as she shook her head.

He sat next to her outside by the still warm fire and rolled up his trousers, she couldn't hide the look on her face as she looked up at him, "you must think I'm such an idiot," she uttered.

"What?" He asked, "that wasn't the reason I've shown you my war wounds," she looked at him and shook her head,

"I moaned to you over having to reveal my scars... And you have a prosthetic leg... Corp... I'm sorry..."

He couldn't help but push her hair behind her ear gently, "I'm showing you this so you know I know how you feel," he admitted, "it's easier in the summer when we wear shorts... But when we're in trousers I'm never sure whether to tell people or not..."

"You're still so strong... And fast..." She admitted, "I had no idea..."

"Scars make you stronger," he nodded, "I know that all too well."

"Does it hurt?" She asked and he shook his head, "no... I've never got phantom limb pain either,"

"What happened?" She asked, "you don't have to tell me I just..."

"I stood on an IED," he admitted, "I had six months of rehab, and to be honest I came back far stronger than I've been before."

She pushed up her top to reveal a scar down the side of her stomach from where the skin graft was taken, before moving her bra to show him the long silver scars on the underside of her breast. He placed his arm around her shoulders and she leaned against him, "tell me about why you went into the army Corp."

He realised she'd fallen asleep and he manoeuvred her so he could lift her easily. He Stopped outside the tent she was sharing with Chloe, before requesting quietly that she opened it.

Chloe did as he asked, raising an eyebrow as he lay Connie down on the bed, covering her with the sheet.

"She okay Corp?" Chloe asked tiredly as he nodded,

"I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Night Corp."

"Well your push and pull ups have improved ladies," he remarked and Chloe rolled her eyes,

"They better have done," Connie remarked, "that physio is a menace and so is Chloe when I think about it,"

Chloe smirked, "I couldn't leave her without a training partner could I?"

Connie smiled, she found that she was liking her time here much more than she had originally thought.