Chapter 65

Morning saw the normal checks, breakfast, then another MRI – and good progress had been made. Dr. Beckett asked, "How do you manage to recover so fast?"

Felix replied, "It's probably the good company and the really healthy diet here, Doc."

Beckett gave him a look that said 'ha ha' and then added, "Well, seeing as you have behaved the past few days, I'll let you out of the bed but you have your meals at the bed. Plus you will be starting the physiotherapy this morning – but don't push yourself too hard, Felix. Let yer body recover and heal for a change – all right?"

Felix nodded and replied, "Thanks Doc" and then waited for him to leave so he could sneak out and get more food.

As Felix was sneaking out and thought he had it made – he was stopped by one of the Marines who told him, "Sorry Sergeant, Dr. Beckett and Dr. Weir's orders – you have to stay here in the infirmary."

So Felix went back into the infirmary where he encountered Dr. Beckett looking at him with a frown as if saying 'I'm disappointed' and walked away shaking his head. After repeated tries to get out of the infirmary Felix was banished to his bed and told to stay there until escorted to go somewhere. That finally happened when he was in the middle of stretching and callisthenics when the physiotherapist came to get him for a session.

Later that evening Felix got a visit that he had been expecting but sooner – his three Marines finally came to see him. He was quite happy to see them as he shook their hands; "Hey guys – good to see you. Care to spring me out of here? I'm going stir crazy being stuck in here."

Corporal Adams shuffled forward and said, "Sahge, I jest wanted to apologize for screwing up the mission and..."

Felix raised a hand to stop him and cut in with, "You didn't screw up anything, Corporal Adams – if anybody did it was me, so forget about it. I already had this conversation with Dr. Weir earlier in the week – it boils down to this: all of us must learn from our mistakes. That's why I harp on you folks to use your brain as a weapon – to out-think and out-smart the enemy at every turn so we have the advantage."

He looked at their faces and saw comprehension; Corporal Adams added, "I don't know if I can do this anymore, Sahge. That last mission had me really freaked out – I mean you defused that booby trap as cool as a cucumber like the Colonel said." He motioned to Meach and Henderson and continued, "They told me how you ghosted about 40 enemy and barely even blinked an eye – I couldn't do that. Then they showed those two rifles – right down the scopes! I can't shoot like that – I just..."

He trailed off in obvious frustration while Felix spoke softly, "You were able to adapt to the way life became in Iraq – yeah? It took a bit but you adapted, and you can do the same here – just replace the Iraqis with aliens. Basically, it's up to you – I can't force you to adapt – you have to do that."

Adams thought about that and finally added, "I also wanted to say thanks – for pulling my butt out of there."

Felix gave Adams a small smile and replied, "No worries – all part of the service we provide. So what can I do to help you?"

They looked at each other and it was Henderson who piped up, "Just help us to adapt out here would be a good start, Sarge."

Felix nodded his agreement and said, "Okay then, if I were you I would go through as many mission reports as you can and look for certain patterns of events that you could use to advantage." The three Marines gave their boss a look that said 'what' so he added, "Talk to your fellow Marines and glean information from them, then compare irregularities and your notes. There are things to be learned in the reports that aren't always said."

Meach was the next one who asked, "So what about us learning about booby-traps like the way you know them? When can we start on that sort of training?"

Felix gave a chuckle as he replied, "I was wondering when that was going to crop up, and the answer to that is ... as soon as the Doctor springs me out of here we can start working on that aspect of life." He paused and looked almost pleading at his troops and asked, "I don't suppose I could interest any of you to get me out of here – please?"

Henderson answered, "I don't think that would be advisable Sarge – Dr. Beckett said we'd join you here if we tried."

Felix sighed in exasperation and thanked them as they left the infirmary so their boss could ponder his future. A while later he decided to see the nurses about borrowing a laptop so he could pass the time playing card games – when he received another visitor.

Kate Heightmeyer sat down in the chair next to the bed as she greeted Felix with a smile, "Hello Felix – how are you tonight?"

He held up a finger as he finished his game of FreeCell, put down the laptop and then gave his full attention to the blonde psychiatrist, "I'm doing well, thank you – et vous?"

Kate blinked a couple of times at his ease of Canada's second language; she managed to reply, "I'm doing well thank you. Um ... I came by to see if you needed anything or to see if you wished to talk some more."

Felix replied by asking, "Can you talk to Dr. Beckett about letting me out of here? I'm gradually going insane from boredom being stuck here 'recovering' until a machine tells him that I'm healthy enough."

Kate caught the underlying problem that had cropped up months earlier, so she decided to probe a bit further, "Is being stuck in the infirmary such a bad thing?"

He replied, "People come here to either die or get better – I'm much better, so yes I'd really prefer out of here."

Kate pushed the issue as she continued, "Would I be correct in saying you don't like small spaces?"

Felix had already figured out what she was doing to him but did reply honestly, "I can handle small spaces quite well but I also believe in getting better – away from here." He gave her an enquiring look as he then asked, "What's really on your mind, ma'am? You don't normally visit me unless something is bothering you or you were 'recommended' to see me – even though I do enjoy your company."

She looked down at her hands and then back up at Felix and answered, "I just can't figure you out Felix – at least ... not all of you. In some situations that would leave most people scared – you aren't – and that isn't normal. I still remember the EEG that was ran months ago – you still defy the odds and come back. Help me to understand you."

That started Felix laughing so hard that tears were coming down his face as he enjoyed the irony of her statement; finally he managed to gasp, "Oh that's priceless! According to Dr. McKay I'm nuts and off my rocker – and he's the smartest one here!"

His continued laughter brought a nurse in to see what if anything was wrong; Kate rose from the bedside chair looking a bit flustered by his reaction, which was in her opinion - not normal. She told the nurse, "Everything is fine here," to which the nurse raised her eyebrows and then walked away shaking her head.

Finally Felix stopped laughing as his stomach now hurt, then he told Kate, "I'm sorry Doc, but I see myself as a wide-open book: what you see is what you get." He paused while he looked right into her eyes and it seemed into her soul, and then he told her, "I would love to get inside of your mind to see what makes you tick."

It was the way that Felix looked into Kate that caused her to blush then mumble something and leave the infirmary almost in a hurry. The rest of the night was uneventful except for the pleasant dreams Felix had – the nurses saw an impish smirk on his face as he slept peacefully for the first time in a long while.

After another couple of days, morning came with breakfast, doctors rounds again, a break for another relaxing bath, then a complete set of scans and a very thorough exam by Dr. Beckett and the physiotherapist. Just before lunch Beckett came in and told him, "I can't see any reason to keep ye here anymore Felix – ye have more or less behaved, and yer recovery is progressing well. But I do want ye to take it easy for a couple of days – nothing strenuous – understand?"

Felix was out of bed and changed in less than 30 seconds, shook a startled Dr. Beckett's hand, let out a loud "Yes!" and just about ran from the infirmary.

Beckett looked at the nurse and said, "He isn't going to listen – is he?"

Down the hall in plain view of several people Felix did a couple of cartwheels, which definitely got him a few strange looks.

He didn't care – he was free from the infirmary to be back at his job; once back at his room he changed into a set of faded CADPAT pants, t-shirt, and a pair of comfortable desert boots. The Diablo was strapped onto a thigh – the gun's sarcastic comments ignored completely, then Felix went to the dining hall with a happy smile permanently on his face. He joined the tray line-up, then went to the sandwich bar for a Caesar salad and a tuna cheese melt sandwich, along with 2 large glasses of milk – then scoped for a table.

Initially nobody was looking his way, so he picked one of the long table and sat at a bit gap; when he sat and began to devour his meal he caught some looks and subdued conversations about his colourful bruising for all to see.

A few minutes later he noticed Drs. Heightmeyer and Weir sit down one set of tables to his front, with Kate facing towards Felix. When eye contact was made with Kate, he gave her the same knowing smile from the previous night at the infirmary; she started blushing.

Elizabeth noticed her Friday evening poker partner becoming flushed – which wasn't normal for her, and asked, "Something wrong, Kate?"

All she got in return was a lowering of her eyes and a mumbled, "Nothing is wrong – I just find it warm in here is all."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow as she caught the quick glance over her shoulder; she followed where the glance had been directed and saw ... Felix eating his lunch voraciously. She turned her head back to Kate and asked, "Felix making faces again?" even though she had an inkling that wasn't it.

Kate shook her head and tried burying her face in her food unsuccessfully – she could feel Elizabeth staring at her in amazement. Finally she leaned forward a bit and whispered to Elizabeth, "When I visited Felix last night he ... he said he would ... love to get inside my mind to ... to see what makes me tick. That threw me off my assessment – and the way he looked at me was ... as if he saw right inside of me. It's..." she trailed off.

Elizabeth finished the sentence by adding, "Unnerving?"

Kate answered before thinking of what she said, "No, it's just the opposite Elizabeth – I found it to be quite..." Kate stopped when she realized what she was about to say aloud and blushed all the more when she felt Elizabeth looking at her in wonder again.

Dr. Weir looked at her friend the psychiatrist and asked softly, "Something I should know between you and Felix? Oh, do tell."