Playing With the Boys

Chapter 8

The medical team gave me the all-clear. I was told to rest. Viper told me to shower and then meet him in his office to discuss what happened. I wanted to stay in the shower, just to let the water run over me, but I knew I should not keep Viper waiting. I dressed in my khaki uniform and headed to his office.

Passing by the window to stand by the door, I could see that bulldog was already in there. I could not hear what was being said, but Viper and Jester's faces did not look happy, and all I could see what Bulldog's back. I was only standing for five minutes before the door opened and Bulldog came out, he started to walk away when I called his name, asking if he was ok, but he kept walking.

"Rose"

Viper called to me. I walked into his office, holding my head high. I know I did nothing wrong, or I hope I did not. Jester stood leaning on the window sill as Viper sat at his desk, his hands cupped together and rested on his desk,

"Do you know what happened up there?"

Viper asked me. I shocked my head,

"No, sir, all I know is that my RIO was behind me one moment, and the next, he was not. I don't know if there was a malfunction in the yet,"

I told him. Viper nodded his head before turning his head to look at Jester,

"Did anything else happen?"

"No, sir"

Viper looked back at me again as he leaned back in his sit,

"Are you positive?"

I did not understand his questioning. It felt like they knew something but wanted me to tell them when I didn't know what it was they wanted to know,

"Rose, BullDog, told us he ejected because he worried for his life that you would do something stupid. What the stupid was, he would not say. He just said that what he felt in his gut."

I could not believe what I was hearing at first,

"Sir, I don't understand."

I did not. Why would BullDog say he was worried for his life? I have never put his life in danger. He's my RIO. It's my job to keep himself, so why would he say that after two years of working together,

"Rose, until we know that you were not in the wrong, we temporarily place you on RIO work. I know you have had training in that before. We are just waiting on a new Pilot. Until he comes, you are grounded, but you are still to attend any fight briefing."

I was lost for words, RIO work, not that there was anything wrong with that, I just felt like I was getting punished for something I had not even done,

"I know you are a good pilot, but when someone feels they have a strong need to eject from a jet because they feel their pilot is unsafe, we need to investigate it,"

Viper then added. I nodded my head. I understand what he is saying there. Rules are rules,

"Yes, Sir, I understand, sir."

"Go, now we have an after-flight briefing to go to,"

I was not paying much to what was being said. They were just going over Ice and Hollywood run, I was sitting between Mav and Goose as always, but I could feel people's eyes on me, I saw BullDog as I walked in, sitting by Slider at the back of the room, but I did not say anything to him, I could not even look him in the eyes I just found my set and sat down,

Charlie walked back and forth, pointing at a screen with our flight data. Viper and Jester were here until they were called away to deal with something, leaving just Charlie,