Shaded Soldiers || Gay MxM || Omegaverse

32. Guard Duty

We arrived at the hospital only minutes later. Chandler landed on top of the building and everyone else except for him and Keita hurried out of the chopper, and we followed Captain as he led the way. He gave his commands when we entered the hospital, and one by one, my teammates took a different hallway to protect. By the time we got as close to Mercer as the medical personnel allowed, it was just Reid and me with Captain.

"You two stay on my heel," he told us. "Riley, pay attention to what's happening, okay? Consider this a training day."

"Yes, sir," I said.

"Good boy. I need to check in with the base. Keep monitoring," Captain said and grabbed his phone.

I nodded and glanced at Reid. He had pulled his mask over his lower face, and he gestured for me to do the same. After I'd covered my face, he pointedly straightened his posture, holding his rifle close, and turned to glare at the hallway. I followed his example and tried my best to look as scary as he did. I was probably failing simply because the top of my head barely reached his shoulder, so I must've looked like a child next to him. I did my best.

My omega and I both scanned the hallway, taking in all the details. We counted every door, chair, and leaflet stand, then turned our attention to the only two people in the hallway. Francis Andrews was one of them, and he was holding...

Wait...

It was the kid! The alpha kid! Richard Campbell.

I turned to Reid, who sensed my eyes on him. He glanced at me, frowning a little as a question. I glanced at the Campbell kid, then back at him. He nodded. He'd noticed them, too.

I turned to stare at the kid. He sat next to Mr. Andrews, who had his arm around his shoulder. The kid was sobbing quietly, and the older alpha's red eyes told me he was either on the verge of crying, or had already done so. They both stared at the door across the hallway. Their clothes were covered in blood, but not their own. My omega felt bad for them. It could feel their distress and fear. It could feel their hearts breaking slowly as the minutes passed without any news of their loved one.

They were so worried... So was I.

Captain ended his call with the operator once he'd filled them in. He, too, turned his attention to the two alphas. Mr. Andrews glanced at him, but looked away almost immediately. He was not ready to speak to us yet.

"No news from the base yet," Captain muttered to us, then turned to Reid. "Well? How did our Rook do?"

"He did perfect, sir," Reid said. "Knows protocols and is very unfair with knives."

I smiled a little behind my mask.

"And did he follow your command?" Captain asked, giving me a softer glance.

"Yes, sir," Reid said. "And his aura is impressive."

"Is that so?" Captain said as he studied my face.

"Uh-huh."

"Well then. Looks like you won't be grounded," Captain told me, and stepped right in front of me. "You good? It's been a long day for you."

"I'm good, sir," I said, and I wasn't even lying that much.

"Good," he said gently. "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier."

"You've had a shitty day," I said quietly. "I get it."

Captain let out a deep sigh, then glanced at his phone. I had the feeling he was thinking about Nico.

"My personal issues are not a reason to lose my temper," he said, and looked back at me.

"We're all human," I said with a shrug. "Even you."