Page 27 of Alpha Infected
Ice nodded his understanding.
Hazard didn’t protest either. He’d expected them to do as much. He just hoped he’d be allowed to visit Ice once they were officially released from the mission.
Gibbs signaled for three of the soldiers to break off from their line. They stepped forward to surround Ice and escorted him away. The few personnel who were around gawked at the alpha as he passed them.
Although Hazard hated to see his mate taken away, he had to shake his head in amusement. Ice’s legend as an elite soldier would no doubt be even greater now that he’d survived being turned into a zombie. Especially once they heard the part about him saving the woman and her daughter while he was infected. And Hazard definitely planned to tell any and everyone who would listen. He was proud of his mate and loved to talk about his exploits in the field.
“As for you three, get to medical for examinations. If the docs see one toothmark on you, you’ll be sent to quarantine along with Captain Anderson. The guards will stay with you until you’re cleared.”
Hazard nodded along with his squadmates. “Yes, sir.”
The decision to keep them under guard made sense. It would be foolish to risk one of them starting an outbreak on base when they were so close to ending this thing.
“Dismissed.”
With the armed escort at their back, Hazard, Ortiz, and Jax went to medical. A med staff officer directed them to the contamination ward, which was a large open room. There were cots, but they weren’t told to lay down. The officer ordered them to strip naked, then left them alone to wait for the doctors.
After stripping out of his gear, mask, and uniform, Hazard stood there with reluctant patience, toes curling against the cold tile floor.
As soon as the doctors arrived - one for each of them - they immediately got to work with the exams. Using a headlamp, Hazard’s doctor examined him from head to toe. She even had him raise his arms so she could look at his arm pits. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Ortiz and Jax were receiving the same thorough treatment.
Hazard tried not to flinch when the doctor examined his penis with gloved hands. He’d never expected anyone but Ice to touch him there after they’d mated.
“If I’d worn a protective cup during the mission, would you still be handling my junk?” he grumpily asked.
“Unfortunately, yes, Corporal Mitchell. Don’t want to miss a bite mark because of your modesty and have that be the reason you end up running around snacking on your fellow soldiers’ faces.”
Hazard laughed at that. She had a point.
“Let me just check your hands to finish up.”
Hazard held his hands out, fingers splayed. The doc examined each one. When she didn’t find any tooth marks, she turned off her head lamp.
“You’re all clear. Once you’ve hosed off in the decontamination shower, you’re free to go.”
Ortiz and Jax were also cleared and given the same instruction. The three of them padded barefoot over to the bank of decon showers while the most senior doctor dismissed their guards.
Hazard got in one of the showers and stepped on the pedal to start it. A thorough rinse would ensure that any saliva or other fluids from the infected were removed from his skin. As he stood there under the tepid, chemical smelling water, the adrenaline started to drain from his system, leaving him exhausted. He usually crashed after a mission, but he had a feeling that this come down was going to hit him especially hard.
When the flow of water stopped, Hazard grabbed the towel on the hook next to the shower to dry off. Their gear had been collected to be decontaminated and would be returned later. They couldn’t strut back to their barracks naked as jaybirds, so a soldier handed each of them a pair of standard issue Legion sweats and hospital grippy socks.
“I’m ready for food and eight hours of sleep,” Jax said as they exited the contamination ward.
“Me too,” Hazard agreed with a yawn. Unfortunately, his hopes for food and rest were dashed when he saw that Gibbs’ aide was waiting outside the ward’s exit.
“Don’t suppose you’re about to tell us to have a good night’s rest?” Ortiz tiredly asked him.
The aide shook his head. “Brigadier General Stone wants a debriefing right now instead of in the morning.”
Hazard sighed. He was weary down to his bones. But he trooped along with his squadmates to their briefing room where Stone and Gibbs were waiting. Both men sat at the conference table.
The 448 stood at attention and saluted the officers. When Stone didn’t release them to sit, Hazard knew they were about to be called on the carpet. He didn’t need to guess why. They’d disobeyed Stone’s order.
“Mission report, Major Ortiz,” Stone briskly said.
Ortiz gave the details of the mission, including an estimate of turned civilians they’d had to kill. She finished up with their short casualty list.
“Captain Anderson was bit by one of the infected but there were no other injuries.”
