War Dog

Chapter 65

After Ghost has run out without further explanation of what he was up to, I spend the time finishing of the sudoku puzzle book I'd been working on. When I finish up with it, I drop it onto the pile with all the rest I'd completed in the last couple of days. I picked up the next puzzle book, only to find it was a crossword book. In Spanish. Fucking Rudy had a sense of humour. I suppose this was his way of getting me to practice. I quickly realised it was made for children, which helped immensely as I had not picked up as much Spanish as I would have liked while I was here.

I had to google translate a lot of the words on the first puzzle, and quickly realised it was all about landforms and landmasses. Which would be appropriate for detailing navigation and communication when dealing with the wilderness. 

Una pequeña bahía protegida. Two of the words I recognised. A small. Good start. Helps that Alejandro had been calling me little this entire time. Good gave me the other two. A small sheltered bay. Hmmm.. To google. A cape? Wasn't that an article of clothing? I shrug, pen between my lips and then translate how to say cape in Spanish. Cabo.

Satisfied that I'd finally managed to complete the puzzle, the door opens revealing Alejandro.

"Pequeña Lobo, have you seen Ghost?" Alejandro's rough voice thick with his Spanish accent drags me from my satisfaction. 

"Alejandro, Hola a ti también." Hello to you too.

"Hermana! ¡Has estado aprendiendo! Muy bueno."

"Sorry, I didn't catch that. I don't think I've learned that yet."

"Not a problem, Pequeña Lobo. I said I see you have been learning. Very good."

"Slowly," I grin pleased. The expression of pleased surprise on Alejandros face had been worth learning how to sound sarcastic in Spanish. 

"How are you finding the conjugations?"

"Your language is fucked, Ale. What language needs feminine and masculine words? And then! The conjugations are whack." I sigh, exasperated. Google translate had been a huge help with the crossword puzzle I had completed, but I knew I'd likely need a Spanish speaker to teach me how to conjugate the words properly. Alejandro on the other hand just laughed. 

"English is harder. I remember learning English and thinking who the fuck came up with this language?"

I grin at Alejandros comment, as I remember a saying I'd heard. "They say the English language rifled through the pockets of all the Latin based languages at gun point stealing all the leftover grammar."

"Ain't that the truth! Now Pequeña, as much as I would love to stay and chat language with you, I am in need of Ghost. Have you seen him?"

I shake my head. "To be honest, I thought maybe he was with you. He ran out of here like a man possessed and didn't tell me where he was going."

"Maldita sea."

Without further explanation, Alejandro leaves much in the same fashion as Ghost had without giving me a moment to interrogate him further. I was starting to get sick of my promise to Ghost that I'd stay in the med bay until one of my doctors cleared me for action again.

Several hours after Alejandro had spoken to me, Ghost finally came back. He stood in the door, and I could scent the nervousness on him and I wondered what he had been doing that made him so nervous.

"So." He started off, the word shakier than I knew Ghost was capable of. "I know you love food as much as I do, but that didn't seem like enough." He showed me a bag that he'd bought in with him, and I raised an eyebrow at him confused.