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Unsung Heroes: Mission One	By : RavenLadies Category: +G through L > G.I. Joe Views: 1213 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the cartoon(s) that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter Four

The week following Lifeline’s return to The Pit was relatively quiet. After making his mission report to Duke, the medic returned to his duties in the infirmary. Although their care had been assigned to other staff, Edwin kept tabs on the progress of Billy’s two injured team members, checking on them daily and apprising the Marine of their progress. Hancock’s recovery was coming along fairly well, the doctor in charge of his case apparently quite pleased with his progress. Freeman however, had not been so lucky and was still listed in critical condition. Her family had been notified as to the severity of her injuries, with her parents flying in almost immediately. Edwin made a point to stop by the private's room each day and talk to her parents for a few moments, hoping to offer them some moral support during what he knew was a difficult time.

The medic was in one of the main corridors, on his way to see Duke regarding an order for a new piece of equipment for the infirmary when he was almost mowed down by Beach Head and Gung Ho, the two men running down the hallway at top speed. ‘What the . . .?’ Edwin jumped back out of the way, but not quite fast enough as Gung Ho clipped his shoulder, the impact from the bald Cajun causing him to stumble backwards a few steps. “Sorry, Lifeline,” the big Marine called over his shoulder. “Can’t keep Duke waitin’.”

‘Duke?’ Lifeline’s dark brows quirked together in puzzlement. He opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but the two men had already rounded the corner.

Still puzzled, the medic adjusted his grip on the clipboard he was holding and continued on his way. He was just crossing the corridor that led back to the infirmary when he saw Main Frame. “Hey, Buddy,” the computer tech said as the two met up.

Lifeline gave his friend a quick smile. “Aren’t you out of your jurisdiction? I don’t usually see you down here.”

“That was before that cute blonde nurse got transferred in,” Main Frame said with a wink.

“Lieutenant Sorenson, huh?”

“Oh yeah. Quite a looker, isn’t she?” The tech asked, nudging at his friend. “Granted she isn’t a beautiful rich heiress . . .”

“Main Frame . . .” There was a slight tone of warning in Edwin’s voice.

“Gee, man, you have like no sense of humor.”

“Not when it comes to joking about Bree, I don’t.”

The computer specialist looked at Edwin. “Speaking of the lovely Ms. Van Mark, what’s up with you two? She hasn’t been around in a while. She finally dump you?”

“That’s really not any of your business,” the medic replied. “We’ve both been very busy lately.”

“Uh huh,” Main Frame said, nodding his head as he gave Lifeline a knowing look. Without giving the red and white clad man a chance to speak, the tech continued on. “Did you hear? There was another body. Duke’s got a team mobilizing right now.”

“What?” It was clear from his obvious surprise that the medic had not. “But two of Bil – Devil Dog’s team are still down.”

“It’s not them. He’s sending somebody else out to retrieve it and recon the area.” Edwin thought of Beach Head and Gung Ho running down the hall and he put two and two together. “Guess after what happened, Duke didn’t want to take any chances.” Main Frame said. “Anyway, I’ve got to be getting back. I asked Dial Tone to cover for me.”

Lifeline silently nodded his head, his brain mulling over this latest revelation. Clapping the medic on the shoulder, Main Frame continued on his way. Edwin remained in the corridor for several moments afterwards before turning back the way he had just come, intent on finding Billy.

He didn't have to look hard. Since his return, Billy had been splitting his time between his two wounded team members, and taking care of the paperwork that Hutchinson had been keeping in order for him. She seemed to sense his distress, and his overall dislike for paperwork, and hadn't complained a bit at the extra duties. It was something Billy was exceedingly thankful for, as it gave him that much more time to see to his two injured subordinates.

Lifeline found Billy sitting in Marcel Hancock’s room, the injured corporal sleeping comfortably after a round of tests earlier in the morning. Unlike Jocelyn Freeman, his family had been unable to make the trip out to Utah to see him, the elderly grandmother who had raised him being too frail to travel. Stopping in the opened doorway, the medic lightly rapped on the wooden frame. Billy looked up at Edwin, and it was clear from his expression that the Marine was none too happy.

Stepping into the room, Lifeline moved towards the bed. Ever the healer, his trained eyes flicked over Hancock’s prone form for a moment before turning his attention to Billy. "They found another one," Billy said softly.

Edwin nodded his head, “I heard.”

Billy looked away from the medic then, looking down at Hancock. "They're sending in another team."

“Have you seen Duke?”

Billy nodded. "Yeah, just for a couple minutes when I was on my way down here. All he said was that there was another body and they were mobilizing a fresh team..."

“Maybe he thought it was for the best since yours is down two members right now.” The medic offered up.

"Yeah...maybe."

Edwin could hear the defeated tone in his friend’s voice, and it was all he could do to keep himself from reaching out to him. Billy didn't really notice, his attention wandering back to Hancock as a frown touched his features. While the Marine was, in general, fairly well-liked, there were some among the denizens of the Pit who hadn't been too happy to hear about the Lieutenant being handed a new unit right off the bat. And truth be told, after everything that had happened, he wasn't so sure those nay sayers were wrong. “It’s not a reflection on you Billy,” Lifeline said quietly after a few moments. “It’s just one of those decisions that commanders have to make. Duke is just doing what he thinks is best under the circumstances.”

"Yeah, you're probably right," Billy said aloud, more to help convince himself than anything. "We're two folks down right now, after all...they just needed a team at peak performance..."

The medic tucked the clipboard he was holding under his arm. “Speaking of . . . I heard that Freeman is going to be transferred out to Walter Reed.”

Billy looked up at that, hand dropping toward the pack of cigarettes in his pocket before he remembered where he was. Catching himself, he let his hand drop to his side. "I hadn't heard that one yet..."

“I only heard about it earlier. Her progress hasn’t been quite what we were hoping for. The facilities at Reed are some of the best in the country.”

"When are they shipping her out?"

“Tomorrow, I think. Her parents are going with her.” Lifeline’s voice was soft as he spoke, his dark eyes glancing at the sleeping form of Marcel Hancock briefly before settling once more on Billy.

"Thanks for letting me know," Billy said softly, giving a final look to his unconscious subordinate before turning away from the bed. Although he was facing the medic now, the Marine's eyes were anywhere but on Lifeline.

Edwin’s dark eyes were full of concern as he looked at the man in front of him. In the time that he’d known Billy, the Marine had never seemed as depressed as he did now. Even when their situation had looked bleak, Billy had managed to keep his head together and not let things visibly get to him. But looking at the dark-haired man now, the medic couldn’t help but wonder if maybe his friend hadn’t taken on too much too soon – if Billy’s decision to join the Joes might not have been a little impulsive.

The Marine closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and composed himself before looking up at Edwin. Seeing the concern there, he said simply, "I told you too much time to think was a bad thing for me."

Lifeline briefly reached out and touched Billy’s arm. “You’ve still got five other people who look up to you as their commanding officer, Billy. We’ll take care of Freeman and Hancock, but you need to take care of them. If anything, it will give you something else to focus on.”

Billy smiled faintly at the touch, and nodded his head once. "You're right...And I've got a couple days off coming up, barring anything extraordinary happening. Maybe I'll head down to see Robby."

“I think that’s a great idea,” Edwin said with a faint smile of his own. “I’m sure he’d love to see you. It would be a nice surprise.”

"Might help me get my head back together, too. God knows if it hadn't been for you and Hutch helping me out, I'd be a lost damned cause."

“You are not, and never will be, a lost cause, Billy.” The medic admonished softly as he shifted slightly to put his back to the still slumbering Hancock. “Why don’t you come over tonight?” Edwin’s voice fell to almost a whisper. “I just restocked the fridge with beer.”

Billy nodded at that. "Count me in. Should I bring over something for dinner?" He asked, his own tone just as soft.

“If you want, or we could just order something in. Whatever you want.”

"We'll figure it out tonight, I guess." Billy exhaled a breath. "All right, I guess I should get going. I've got shit to do I've been putting off way too long. See you tonight."

Edwin nodded his head, giving the Marine a faint smile. “Just let yourself in.”

Slithering through the cool metal of the ventilation shaft, the black-clad figure paused momentarily to adjust the pack strapped to its back. Continuing its forward movement once again, the figure silently made its way through the maze of man-made tunnels, its route and destination committed to memory by several prior practice runs. It was late into the night, most of the compound’s inhabitants asleep and unaware, content in the security of their base – a mistake that they would realize all too soon.

Another fifteen minutes of shimmying through the shaft brought the silent invader to a metal grate and the figure paused once again, its eyes peeking through the screen and flicking around the dimly lit room. As quietly as possible, the figure pushed and removed the grate, settling it on the side of the metal tunnel before lithely dropping down to the floor below. On silent feet, the infiltrator moved towards the large mass of ventilation equipment in the center of the room. Slipping the pack from its shoulders, the figure knelt down and opened it.

Climbing back up into the ventilations shaft, the masked figure replaced the grate and gave the room one last look, a slight smile tugging at its lips as its gaze locked on the device that had been attached to the side of the ventilation unit and filtered into the system. Backing up slowly, the unknown invader began to retreat back the way it had traveled while a small red light on the device it had left started to flicker as the black box began to pump its contents into the compound’s ventilation system.

The almost deafening ring of the alarm sounded throughout The Pit, stirring the Joes into action. “This is not a drill. I repeat this is not a drill.” The voice that sounded over the compound’s public address system was calm and authoritative, repeating its message over and over.

Dashing down the hallway from his office, Edwin skidded to a stop as he entered the Infirmary proper. “What’s going on?” he asked of no one in particular, the Infirmary’s staff hustling to and fro.

“Something was found in the ventilation system, “one of the orderlies responded, his arms laden with several bright orange environmental suits.

Lifeline’s dark brows knitted together, his eyes falling on the suits. “Good god.” Just then, the comm on his wrist came to life, a series of beeps issuing loudly from the device. “Lifeline here,” he answered, holding his wrist up so that he could hear over the general alarm.

“Get down to the basement level, stat.” The words barked out from the comm.

“On my way,” The medic replied, already moving towards the door. “What’s the situation?” He asked, hurrying down the corridor while trying to keep from colliding with any of the other staff also bustling on their way somewhere else.

Dial Tone’s voice answered him. “Security sweep found something in one of the main ventilation shafts. Tripwire is down there now with Flint and Sci-Fi. Whatever it is, it’s not a bomb – or at least not anything they’ve ever seen.”

Edwin frowned as he listened, pushing open the door to the fire stairs and darting down them. Pausing on the landing, the medic quickly switched channels. “Tripwire?”

“Who is this?”

“Lifeline,” the medic answered as he continued his trek down the stairs, with only a few more floors to go before reaching the utility basement. “What’s the situation?”

“Routine security sweep turned up something – some kind of device hooked into the ventilation system. It’s not a bomb as far as I can tell, but it’s pumping something into the ventilation shaft.”

Lifeline blanched. “Jesus H. Christ!” Hitting the bottom step he quickly pulled open the fire door and darted down the hallway in the direction of the main utility room.

“You ain’t kidding,” the Joe’s explosives expert replied.

As he rounded the corner, Edwin slowed as he sighted the small group just outside of the door to the main utility room. “Lifeline!” Flint hailed the medic, immediately zeroing in on the red and white clad man. “Over here,” he said with a wave of his hand.

Picking up his pace a little, Lifeline quickly closed the gap between them, frowning slightly as it dawned on him that none of those assembled were wearing environmental suits. As he joined the ranger, the medic’s eyes fell on Tripwire and Sci-Fi, the two Joes just inside the doorway to the room. “It’s in here,” Flint said hooking his thumb over his shoulder before turning to head into the utility room. Without any hesitation, Lifeline followed the other man.

Tripwire and Sci-Fi both nodded in greeting, the two men standing to the side to reveal the box like device that was definitely not a part of the original ventilation equipment. “I almost thought it was a dummy until I heard the hissing,” Tripwire said, moving back a bit more so that Lifeline could get a better look. “I can’t smell or see anything, but the thing is definitely releasing something.”

Edwin looked at the device, his eyes following the tubes that flowed from it and into the main ventilation shaft. His ears picked up the soft hiss that Tripwire had mentioned, his stomach feeling like it was being tied in knots as he realized the implications. “We’ve got to quarantine the base, Flint.” The medic’s dark eyes looked up at the ranger. “We’ve got to lock it down now!” There was an almost frantic tone to Lifeline’s voice.

Without a comment, Flint raised his arm. “Dial Tone?”

“Right here, Flint.”

“Sound general quarters, we’re locking down the base.”

“If anyone complains about so much as a headache, a sniffle or a cough, send them down to the main ward.” Lifeline’s tone was firm and serious as he moved among the triage stations, checking on the Infirmary staff.

Within fifteen minutes of the base lock down, the Pit’s medical staff was mobilized and ready. Four basic triage units had been set up in the long corridor that led to the hospital ward proper. While the substance that had been released into the ventilation system had yet to be identified, it was deemed prudent to begin checking for signs of possible poisoning or biological infection. Unit by unit, the Joes, their recruits and support staff were being filtered through the Infirmary for physical examinations and blood screenings. Despite the wait, there was very little grumbling from those in line, the seriousness of the situation having been impressed on everyone from the outset. Anyone who had a complaint, no matter how small, was kept aside

Elsewhere in the Pit, Billy and his own unit were suited up, giving their weapons one last once-over, and waiting anxiously to find out news about what was going on elsewhere. As soon as he had everyone armed and accounted for, Billy flicked on his comm and set it to Lifeline's frequency, knowing the medic would have a better idea than anyone what was going on. After waiting far too long, and and getting no reply from Edwin, and no further information about the alert, Billy finally decided to head for the Infirmary. His unit was antsy for some kind of clue as to what was going on. Not only did it give him a perfectly legit reason to seek Edwin out, it also gave him something to do, which kept him from going stir-crazy. As he reached the Infirmary, and saw the unusual amount of activity, it only gave him a little more purpose to his step as he sought out the medic.

Lifeline clicked off the small pen light and straightened up, the Green Shirt whose eyes he had been examining blinking several times to clear his vision. “Follow the hall down to the main ward and someone there will be with you shortly,” the medic ordered, making a few notes on the man’s chart before handing it to him. “Give this to the nurse at the table.”

“Yes, Sir.” The recruit stood and saluted before heading towards the indicated direction.

Taking a few moments to discard the latex gloves he was wearing and replace them with a fresh pair, Lifeline signaled for the next patient. It didn't take Billy too long to find Edwin, but he remained on the fringes of the crowd, his desire for news outweighed by his desire not to get in the way of whatever the hell was going on. Moving at a brisk yet thorough pace, Lifeline moved through the examination, questioning the recruit as he worked. Satisfied with the answers and his own findings, he then prepped the soldier and drew a sample of blood, carefully labeling the tube and placing it in the near full tray to be screened in the main lab. Taking a moment to quickly scan the other stations before calling for the next patient, the medic’s gaze found Billy hovering off to the side.

When Billy met Edwin's eye, he skirted around the edge of the group and murmured. "Mind filling me in on just what the hell's going on? We've been mobilized for the better part of an hour, and no one's telling us a thing."

“Dang darlin’! What do you think I am, a human pin cushion?” Wild Bill’s Texas drawl rang out from one of the stations, drawing Edwin’s attention momentarily before he turned back to Billy, his manner a bit hesitant as he looked at the Marine. After a few moments, he turned away towards the next closest station. “Davidson, take over here.” Snapping off the gloves he was wearing, he tossed them in the trash bin before signaling for Billy to follow him.

Lifeline led Billy a short distance away to a juncture in the hallway that led to the main ward in one direction and his small office in the other. The Marine followed in silence, already knowing he wasn't going to like what Edwin had to tell him. The medic continued on until he was about halfway down the hall that led to his office before stopping and turning towards Billy. Halting a few steps after Edwin did, the Marine crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the medic. He remained silent, the edgy feeling in the pit of his stomach not subsiding a bit. “What have you heard?” Lifeline asked without preamble.

"Nothing at all. The high alert went into effect, my team was mobilized, and we're supposed to wait for further instructions. No one's said anything to me since. I've heard some rumblings in the hallways about something in the air system, but nothing real specific."

Edwin nodded his head a bit. “There was something planted in the main ventilation unit. Security found it during their monthly sweep.”

"Shit. Lemme guess," Billy said, jerking a thumb back toward the direction they'd come. "We don't know just what it was."

“Or how long it’s been there,” the medic added.

"So where is it now? The device, I mean."

“It’s down in the containment lab, not that it’s going to do much good now but . . . Tripwire is down there with a group analyzing it to see if they can find out just what it was emitting.” Edwin replied.

Billy shook his head, silent for several moments before he spoke again. "And the base..."

“Is locked down and under quarantine until further notice,” the medic said grimly.

With a soft sigh, Billy nodded and shifted his weight to one foot, leaning against the wall. Bringing his wrist up, he reset the frequency. "Hutch, come in."

A few seconds and a small crackle of static later, Hutchinson's voice came back. "Go ahead."

"Tell the boys and girls to stand by. They're going to need to report to the Infirmary for a check over."

"What's going on over there?"

"Found something suspect, and they're locking down the base. Everyone's getting a once-over by the med-techs. Make sure all of our unit is checked. No excuses, no exceptions."

"Ten-Four. Hutchinson out."

Edwin stood quietly, his eyes on Billy while the Marine communicated with his second in command.

Billy lowered the communicator, his hand dropping reflexively for his cigarettes before he hooked a thumb in his belt instead. "Well, shit."

“That’s an understatement,” Lifeline said dryly.

"Something I've been told I'm good at," Billy replied just as dryly. "...I need to find a way to call off-base, though. My kid needs to know I'm not going to be able to come out like I planned."

“Anything outside is strictly emergency or official business only.”

"Tell me something I don't know." Billy said, pushing away from the wall irritably. Shaking his head, he turned to head back down the hallway, sparing the medic a glance. "Thanks for the info."

Lifeline’s dark eyes settled on the Marine as he seemed to debate something within himself for a few moments before speaking. “I’ve got my cell phone in my office.”

Another few moments of silence stretched between them, before Billy spoke. "...It get decent reception out here?"

The medic nodded his dark head. “Not too bad. Main Frame . . . ‘tweaked’ it for me.” He said with a small smile.

"You sure you don't mind?"

Edwin waved off the Marine’s concern. “Just try to keep it short – just in case.”

"Shouldn't take long."

Lifeline dug into the front pocket of the fatigue pants he was wearing and pulled out a small key ring. “The door is locked,” he said as he handed the keys over to Billy. “It’s the one with the red cover. The phone is in the top right hand drawer.”

Billy nodded as he took the key ring. "Alright. Thanks. I owe you one for this."

“I’ll collect later,” The medic said, smiling a bit as he looked at Billy.

Returning the faint smile, Billy nodded and with a soft sigh, headed for the office to find the phone. He really wasn't looking forward to making the call; he had a feeling his son might understand, but talking to Heather... ‘Don't think about it til you have to, Coen’, he told himself firmly.

Edwin watched Billy for a moment before turning and heading back out to the triage area. “Sir!” A female voice hailed the medic as soon as he emerged from the hallway. Looking up, Lifeline saw Lieutenant Sorenson hurrying towards him. “What is it Lieutenant?”

“Station two is getting low on needles,” came the quick reply. “I tried to get into the supply room, but the door was locked.”

The medic nodded his head and reached into his pocket and frowning slightly before recalling that he’d just given Billy his keys. “I’ll be right back, the keys are in my office.” Turning on his heel, Lifeline headed back down the hall.

As he neared the office, it was possible to hear a muffled voice, one that was easy to identify as Billy's. He was doing his best to keep his voice down, but it was also clear the Marine was pissed. The door was slightly ajar, Billy’s voice louder and clearer as Edwin paused just outside, unsure as to whether he should enter or not. "Look, I can't stay on the phone long...just put Robby on the phone..." There was a sigh. "No, I can't tell you what's going on. Work shit that I'm not allowed to talk about..."

Quietly pushing the door open a bit more, Edwin peered inside, Billy’s back to him, the phone pressed to the brunette’s ear. Billy gritted his teeth as a voice blared out of the phone, the words unintelligible. "Look, I'm not calling to argue with you...Don't even...no, don't you even bring that up," he snapped, sagging against the desk a little. "Heather, I can hear him in the background."

Knowing that he was intruding, but reluctant to leave, Lifeline’s dark eyes settled on Billy as he listened. There were a few more moments of silence on the other end, Heather's voice again blaring through the ear speaker, before the line went dead and Billy let loose with a string of swearing that was more for the benefit of venting his own anger than anything. He set down the phone with a barely restrained rage, his arm trembling with the effort it took not to hurl the machine across the room.

Edwin closed his eyes for a moment, a sad look on his face. He had known that Billy and his ex-wife had a rather tumultuous relationship, the Marine had spoken of it several times, but this was the first time he’d been a witness to it. Opening his eyes once again, he looked at Billy for a few moments before reaching to pull the door closed. Billy nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the door closing, and looked over his shoulder. "Hey...sorry, was I getting too loud?"

“Oh, uh . . .” Lifeline could feel himself blushing. “I, uh, just, uh, came to get my keys. The, uh – the supply room, the key . . .” The medic’s words tumbled out, a bit embarrassed to have been caught listening in on Billy’s conversation.

Looking down at the key chain in his hand, Billy tossed it to the medic. "Sorry you had to hear that."

Edwin deftly caught the keys in his hand. “I, uh, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

"Don't worry about it," Billy said, slipping the phone back into the drawer. "You'd have heard it sooner or later..."

Stepping into the office, Edwin reached back and softly closed the door. “Did you get to talk to Robby?”

"No, the fucking bitch hung up on me."

“I’m sorry,” the medic said softly.

"So'm I..." Billy shook his head. "At least I know some message'll get to him. Just wish it could've been without her commentary." With a sigh, the Marine closed the drawer and straightened. "Thanks, by the way."

“No problem,” Edwin said, mustering up a small smile for the Marine.

Billy walked around the desk and stopped in front of Edwin, forcing a small smile to his own lips. Lifeline met Billy’s gaze, seeing the disappointment and anger reflected in the Marine’s dark blue eyes. "I'll be okay," Billy murmured.

Reaching out, Edwin put his hand on the other brunette’s bicep and gave it a slight squeeze as he nodded his head a bit. Smiling weakly at the touch, Billy brought his hand up to cover Edwin's. "So what did you need those keys for again?"

“Huh?” The medic looked puzzled for a moment. “Oh! The supply room! Sorenson needed more needles.”

"You'd better get to it, then," Billy said with a weak smile. "Wouldn't wanna raise any eyebrows."

“Yeah,” Lifeline murmured, blushing faintly. “I mean no.”
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Unsung Heroes: Mission One