Rescued?

[neverwrongagent]

When the posters went up showing the two members of the Marine sniper team who'd gone missing, Carrie Mathison stood and stared at them. She didn't see two Marines in their uniforms, though, she saw only one of them half dressed on a rooftop looking up at the blanket of stars. She saw a sweet smile from a man who was too far from home and was trying to hold onto his humanity. Every time she passed the posters, even if she didn't turn to look, she was as aware of them as if someone had reached out and grabbed her. Months went by and the sensation never weakened.

Then came word that they'd been found, that two Marines had been found in neighboring camps. Both men were in rough shape: dehydrated, beaten and demoralized. One was worse than the other, but first reports didn't make it clear which it was and Carrie held her breath until she knew that Brody was in better physical shape. Not that she asked or spoke to anyone about knowing him. The moment she said a word, they'd pull her out of it all and that wasn't happening.

The men were kept apart while they were cleaned up. Carrie read both files, but it was Brody's she kept going over and over in her head. She knew every detail of what they'd found out so far. On the outside it probably seemed cruel to interrogate the men so soon, but the sooner they got it done, the better. These men were headed home, at least for a while, and it would be harder to get solid information from them when they were there.

It wasn't until minutes before she walked into the room that Carrie knew for sure which man she was going to debrief. She was ready to bounce out of her skin by the time she walked in, a feeling that vanished immediately when she saw him. "Sergeant Brody? I'm Carrie Mathison. I'm here to ask you some questions."

Comments

[neverwrongagent]

Carrie didn't hide her smile. Like the food joke, it was the usual kind of masculine posturing Marines would do. She had the freedom to show her amusement at it. If she met Brody's eyes in that instant, it didn't mean anything. That her colleague was scowling at the banter, which only made it better.

"There's a ringing in my ears," Walker replied. "And I've got a bunion." He looked Brody over. "You?"

[posterboymarine]

"Jock itch." He smirked again, then leaned in close. "Glad you're in one piece. I was worried."

[neverwrongagent]

Walker nodded briefly, then leaned in slightly. He didn't move nearly as close, but it still had the effect of closing the two men off from the others emotionally. That didn't mean his words were muted at all. "Takes more than them to put an end to us, right?"

Carrie's eyes narrowed very slightly at the amazingly vague nature of that statement.

[posterboymarine]

Brody noticed the distance but didn't comment on it. That would have been silly and would have blown the plan. Instead, he nodded. "Damn straight."

[neverwrongagent]

Carrie watched the set of Walker's shoulder, his jaw, but he was hurting physically and that masked a lot of other markers. She was suddenly sorry she hadn't spent any time with him while he was still in a hospital bed.

"They tell you when we're getting out of here?"

[posterboymarine]

Brody was having as hard a time reading his shooter as Carrie was. It certainly didn't help that half the people in the room knew that Brody had beaten Walker fairly severely. And, hopefully, the other half wouldn't ever know.

"They haven't told me shit. But I would love to get out of here. I've got a list of things I'd like to do."

[neverwrongagent]

Nodding slowly, Walker watched Brody's hands for a long moment, then he met his eyes. "Me, too. Whole long list that start the moment I truly breathe free air." There wasn't any particular bite to his tone, more a sense of frustration that they were being guarded and marched around after everything that had happened.

[posterboymarine]

Brody also looked at his hands. Then he nodded again. "Like feeling the sun on your face. Looking up at an unobstructed view." He bite his lip. "Seeing old friends."

[neverwrongagent]

Carrie wished he would look up so she could give him even the smallest smile. When this meeting was over, she was taking him back to the fountain immediately. She could feel the tension in him.

"After this, we might not see our friends for a while." Walker's gaze never left Brody's hands. "We'll go home to heal up. Won't see anyone."

[posterboymarine]

Walker was right. They would get sent stateside. But they wouldn't stay there. Not for long. "Old friends at home, too. And we'll be back. They always send us back."

[neverwrongagent]

"Might." He shrugged. Carrie could see enough of his face to see a slight smile. "Might not. Might treat us like mother fucking heroes."

Carrie found herself nodding. They'd made the news and unless she could prove something was going on, soon, they'd be doing the rounds of interviews instead of going straight back to duty.

[posterboymarine]

Brody snorted softly. "Always wanted to be a hero. Put on the blues and go to parties. Hobnob." He looked at his own hands again, then glanced at Carrie for a brief moment. But he caught her nod.

[neverwrongagent]

It wasn't until the fantasy of standing at his side, dressed for a gala where he wore those fancy blues, was fully formed that Carrie realized she'd even gone there. She blinked hard to get herself refocused. The worst part wasn't that she'd had the idea, the worst part was how bad she wanted something so unrealistic.

"Think we'll get a medal? Meet a Congressman or something?"

[posterboymarine]

"Oh, we're getting medals. Several of them, I'm sure." Brody's smile broadened. "Probably meets lots of Congressmen."

[neverwrongagent]

Walker's gaze went to Brody's and his expression hardened for an instant, then he laughed. "Make 'em come here to do it, show 'em what it's like."

[posterboymarine]

"Those guys couldn't handle it here. Not the sand, the heat, the people. Nothing. That's why they send us."

Brody rubbed his face and leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "Tired of being in a hole, man."

[neverwrongagent]

"And we do what has to be done, what they can't." Basic truths of the soldier, but Carrie thought she heard some edge to that, something more. Of course, she couldn't be sure she wasn't projecting that.

"Won't be much longer, brother."

[posterboymarine]

Carrie wasn't sure, but Brody was. There was something else there. "What are you gonna do first, once the guard's gone?"

[neverwrongagent]

"Gonna go right back to the mission." Again Walker stiffened some and then Carrie was sure again. If only she could figure out what that mission was. "Can't let them think they can keep us out of the game."

[posterboymarine]

Brody nodded. That was not like Walker. He was always talking about weekend passes and down time, never really about the mission. Or, maybe being in the hole had given Tom something to seek vengeance for. Brody could understand that better than his friend being a traitor. Maybe it was all just Walker covering both their asses, to get them back in, to get revenge.

Trying to keep any of that from showing on his face was not easy and he had to go back to looking at his hands.

[neverwrongagent]

Carrie's counterpart was starting to look bored and he shifted in place, letting it show in a way Carrie would never allow herself. Walker seemed to see it and a moment later his shoulders sagged some. He'd been sitting straight despite his injuries, not letting it show, but now he seemed to let exhaustion roll over him. "Won't let us see the cameras until we look a little better." He looked Brody over. "Of course, you'll never be as pretty as me." He glanced at the MP, as if asking him to make the call about ending the meeting instead of looking at either of the handlers.

[posterboymarine]

Brody gave Walker a weak smile. "Yo momma." He needed to get clear, too. Seeing Walker break character gave him permission too and he rubbed his eyes and sighed.

The MP took the hint and, in spite of the CIA or because he was a Marine, he stood up and loudly cleared his throat.

[neverwrongagent]

Carrie didn't have to act at all in the great shuffle of people. Her co-worker very nearly bum rushed Walker out of the room, barely giving the two men time to exchanged goodbyes, which annoyed her as she wanted time to watch them interact.

Then everyone was gone but her and Brody and she watched him for a moment before smiling encouragingly. "You did great."

[posterboymarine]

Brody snorted his disbelief, then rubbed his eyes. "Can we get out of here, please? I feel like I need a shower."

[neverwrongagent]

"Shit. Yes, absolutely." She headed for the door. On the other side was another guard who looked too intimidated by her to argue when she told him where they were going. It wasn't much further than across the street, so if someone really needed to find them, they could throw a damn rock.

Once they were there, she stood back some and watched to see what he needed.