Chapter 29 #5
“Huh?” Shaun touched the back of his hand to Zenko’s forehead. “You’re not burning up. Shit, maybe I did the wrong thing bringing you out of the hospital, especially before insisting the doctors check you over.”
Zenko opened his mouth, but Shaun kept going. “I knew if I didn’t help you leave, you’d do it under your own steam, even if you had to fucking crawl. I don’t want you having another setback, thank you very much.” He frowned. “And what the hell is a GWS?”
“Great White Shark.” Zenko kept his voice low. “It happened during one of our long swims in BUDs. The class was spread out in the water off Coronado.”
Shaun nodded as he bent to tie the lace on Zenko’s left boot. “Go on.”
“The instructors were in boats, moving from dude to dude and offering ‘encouragement,’ food, whatever they thought might get somebody to quit on the spot.” Zenko snorted. “You can imagine our response to that.”
“I’m guessing your answer meant ‘Get fucked’ even if the words used weren’t exactly those.”
“Truth.” Zenko started to roll his shoulders, then stopped with a grimace that had Shaun immediately watching him more closely.
“This swim was different. The instructors in the boat seemed to be singling Noble and me out. They kept following us, but they weren’t offering ‘encouragement’ or trying to get us to quit. ”
“Noble was your swim-buddy, right?” Shaun settled beside him. “You know, we haven’t had much time for this stuff.”
“What stuff?”
“The little stories people should know about each other.” Shaun bumped his shoulder against his. “You know I’m a bear without coffee, and I know you live to cause trouble, but this stuff, your history… I like knowing it.”
“Yeah, he was.” Zenko shifted over to make more room for Shaun.
“After a while, the instructors were still motoring along beside us. Their behavior was starting to unnerve the fuck out of us because we couldn’t figure out what game they were playing.
” He rested his head on Shaun’s shoulder and continued as though sitting together like this in the middle of the base was the most natural thing in the world.
Shaun’s cell buzzed in his pocket, but he made no move to pull it out.
Zenko nudged him. “You gonna get that?”
“Nope. Whoever it is can wait.” Shaun shifted slightly beneath Zenko’s head. “Probably Drax telling us we’re clear to head back to the CHU anyway.”
“Anyway, back to the swim.” Zenko apparently decided to let the phone go. “I was sure we weren’t in last place, but those instructors were definitely shadowing us.”
“You fucking loved it, didn’t you?” Shaun asked.
Zenko turned his head slightly. “Loved what?”
“Being a SEAL. Serving.” Shaun gave him a sideways look. “God freaking help all of us when you have to retire. A bored Zenko means trouble with a capital T.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Zenko waited until Shaun stopped laughing before continuing.
“So like I was saying, the instructors were shadowing us, and I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. I thought it was one of them coming to fuck with us, so I shoved Noble out of the way and came face to face with fucking Jaws.”
“Shit.”
“Yup,” Zenko muttered. “I nearly fucking did shit my pants.”
“Ouch.”
“Instead, I felt fire streak across my ass cheeks.” Zenko chewed on the corner of his thumbs. “I thought a second shark had grabbed my ass.”
“Obviously not.” Shaun’s gaze dropped pointedly toward Zenko’s ass. “I’ve seen the scar across both cheeks. What happened?”
“One of the instructors hit the shark with a bang stick. Basically, it fires a shotgun shell when you drive the end of the pole into the target, except I got my ass between the fucking thing and Jaws when I shoved Noble out of the way.” Zenko gave him a rueful look. “One of the fuckers shot me.”
“Fuck.” Shaun sucked in a breath and stared at him. “You know something? A world without you in it would be a very fucking sad place. My idiot, the pain in my ass and the love of my life nearly got himself eaten by fucking Jaws.”
“Eh, the swims were okay. They were easy for me.” Zenko settled more comfortably against Shaun.
“What I fucking hated were the long beach runs in fatigues and boots. The instructors would run us into the water first, so everything was soaked and heavy as shit, then we’d be back on the beach with the salt and sand chafing the fuck out of us.
Add a chunk of telephone pole or a rubber boat on your head, and I’d rather take my chances with the Great White. ”
“Damn.”
Shaun’s phone buzzed again. This time he pulled it out and glanced at the screen. “Drax.”
Drax: All Clear.
“Drax says we’re clear.” Shaun got to his feet and waited until Zenko stood beside him. His cell buzzed again before he could put it away.
Drax: MASH called. Noble Pissed.
“Da-Dum...Da-Dum...Da-Dum-Da-Dum-Da-Dum.” Shaun hummed the theme tune to Jaws under his breath. “He knows.”
“Then let’s go face the music, shall we?” A smirk spread across Zenko’s face, and Shaun had the distinct impression the asshole was looking forward to it.