“No sign of them,“ Ezra reported as he continued around the building. “I can’t…YES!” Ezra roared, spotting his partners rounding the side of the building. They were leaning on each other... the wounded helping the wounded. Their faces were blackened with soot and they were coughing violently, but they were unburned and both were very much alive. “YES! YES! They’re alive.”

“YES!”

“Father in Heaven we thank you.”

“Where? Where are they?”

Ezra raced toward his companions whose lungs were convulsing uncontrollably. “I’ll get some oxygen,” he shouted, detouring and racing for the chopper.

*****

Vin stopped walking when he and Chris were several feet away from the burning building. Through the sooty tears cascading from his throbbing eyes, Vin searched for Chris even as he fought to expel the smoke from his choked lungs. Chris was bent over, his hands on his knees coughing relentlessly. Vin reached out and placed his hand on his partner’s back as some sort of support. He knew the coughing would be agony on Larabee’s injured chest. Nathan, Josiah and Ezra appeared, the latter with two masks and canisters of oxygen.

“Chris,” Vin insisted. Ezra immediately assisted Chris into an oxygen mask. Nathan snatched the other one and after threading one on Vin’s face, he ran his eyes over his blackened colleagues. Their coughing gradually eased.

“Pablo,” Chris demanded, removing his mask. He coughed several times, briefly replaced the mask to suck in some pure oxygen and then thrust it at Ezra.

Buck rounded the corner and catapulted forward, tackling Chris, his huge arms wrapping Chris up firmly.

Chris grimaced but patted his friend‘s back. “I‘m okay, Buck…my ribs.”

Buck‘s body shuddered and he pulled away, tears brimming in his eyes.

Chris nodded assurance.

Buck then grabbed Vin. “Thank you. Thank you, kid.”

Vin gently pushed his friend back, squeezing his arm.

Chris coughed a few more times and then began issuing orders. “Round up Pablo and his men. We can’t afford for them to be captured. They can identify us. If the rebels or the army of Abanstan find out we were here, it could be an international incident. Both the rebels and the army will have heard the chopper and they‘ll be able to see the smoke. We need to be away from here in thirty minutes with all evidence of Americans with us.”

“It‘s going to be a bit tight on the chopper with so many,” Ezra stated.

“We‘ll manage.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Go… all of you,“ Chris snapped when none of his men responded.

Nathan lingered a few moments. “You two take it easy. I’ll be back as soon as the prisoners are on board. And both of you put those oxygen masks on,” the medic finished, before darting off to carry out his colonel‘s orders.

Vin, who was leaning against a tree, glanced up at Chris over the top of the small mask that was covering his mouth and nose, noted the glare raining down on him and pulled his own oxygen mask off. He winced as he lifted his weary and aching frame upright. It was time to face the wrath of his colonel... or more correctly, what he liked to call, Larabee Logic. Chris’ comment about not letting Vin die in the fire like Sarah and Adam had not gone unnoticed. Chris was on the edge and Vin needed to get his friend through the pain which would manifest in unbridled anger. Buck wasn’t here to do so this time, so it was up to Vin.

**

Chris was feeling nothing but unadulterated rage. The pain in his chest was nothing but a dull throb compared to the overwhelming fury that was billowing within him.

He glared at Vin. Vin had almost died in the fire. Died like… Noting Vin’s clear discomfort, Chris took Vin by his good shoulder and guided him back so he was resting against the tree again. Without a word, Chris opened the first aid kit Ezra had left. “Looks like it’s dislocated. Broken?”

“I’m not sure. I think it‘s my collarbone,” Vin coughed again, the jarring causing him to groan. He reached for his own elbow and tried to support his shoulder.

“Put the oxygen mask back on,” Chris instructed as he searched the first aid kit. The gritty taste of acid and smoke remained in his mouth. Flashes of the fire continued in his mind… of Vin… of Sarah… of Adam.

“I’m fine. How’s your chest? Broken ribs?”

“Yeah. A couple,” Chris grunted, withdrawing a piece of white material. He eyed his trembling hand… knew it was anger but couldn’t control it.

“I better tape them for you.”

“NO,” he roared aggressively.

Vin blinked at him.

Chris swallowed, consciously trying to calm himself. “Ribs are fine for the moment. Nathan can tape them once we‘re away.“ Chris wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and then examined Vin’s shoulder. “Collar bone’s definitely broken. I won’t touch it until Nathan has had a chance to look at it,” he commented without emotion. With great care he created a sling and eased Vin’s arm into it. Vin’s jaw locked as his shoulder moved. Chris looked up sharply. “Okay?”

“Just dandy,” Vin grunted. “Head’s spinning and stomach’s doing summersaults.”

Chris examined Vin’s badly dilated pupils. “It’s amazing you’re on your feet,” he commented quietly. An image of Vin smashing into the wall of the factory was one that would remain with him for some time. He had honestly thought that... “How do you feel?“

“In comparison to what?” Vin forced a smile, but it faded quickly. He blinked twice, obviously trying to clear his vision which was blurring in and out of focus of its own accord.

Chris frowned, placed his thumb on the tip of Vin’s chin and tilted his head back. Vin almost lost his balance and would have fallen but for the fact Chris anticipated the reaction and steadied him. Chris frowned, his suspicions confirmed. “You’ve a concussion. You‘re going to need a head X-ray. How bad‘s the pain?”

“Bearable.”

“Vision?”

“Blurred.”

“Blood in your mouth?”

“No, but my head feels like an elephant sat on it. You want me to tape your ribs? You shouldn’t be moving around so much. Could do internal damage.”

“They’re fine.” The two men had been avoiding full eye contact until this point. Now, their eyes came together.

**

Chris’ lips became thinner and his gaze harder. “I gave you an order.” The words were a hushed whisper forced out through his tightly clenched jaw. “I gave you several orders and you ignored them.“

Vin snorted, rolling his eyes. He’d guessed this would be the cornerstone of the ‘discussion‘. He could point out that Chris was mistaken, but at this point that would probably be suicidal. Instead he said simply, “Next time.”

Chris glared. “Next time I‘ll wring your damn neck!”

Vin smirked. It was time to commit suicide. “Technically...”

“It doesn’t work that way,“ Chris cut him off.

Larabee was beyond listening. Vin knew he needed to let his friend get it out of his system so he simply nodded and felt the back of his head. There was an egg the size of a fist there which explained why he felt like he was going to pass out. He withdrew his fingers and studied the blood.

“… and we both could have been killed,” Chris ranted, taking out a medical pad and pressing against the back of the younger man’s head. “Your death would have been unnecessary. From now on you follow orders like everyone else or so help me… are you listening to me?”

“Are you going to let me answer?“

Chris glared. “I should place you on report for insubordination. Next time, I will! I expect you to follow orders. That is the way this team works. You know the rules. No matter what is going on, there is no excuse for disobeying orders. None. Personal feelings don‘t come into this job. Have you got that?!”

“I hate to be the one to point this out to you, Cowboy, but I was in charge from the moment you were captured. As you say, that is the way this team works. So if anyone was disobeying orders, it was you.“ Vin reached up and took over holding the pad in place.

Chris blinked, surprise blanketing his face. “What?”

“I realize you were a bit groggy after falling on you’re your thick skull and that the last time you took orders from anyone you were knee high to a grasshopper, but I was in charge in there -- chain of command when someone is injured. That’s team protocol. I’m really disappointed in you, Larabee. This is fist time I got to give you orders and you disobeyed me. Do you know what that does for my ego?” Vin winked at his colonel.

“No… I…” Chris was clearly flabbergasted. He reached for his ribs and his face twisted with discomfort.

Vin ran his fingers along the curve of his partner’s ribcage. “Four, by the feel of it. They’ll have to be taped before we leave.”

“No… they’re… you were in…”

Vin nodded and grimaced again. He began blinking. Unconsciousness was calling his name. Before he knew it, his legs were crumbling beneath him.

**

Chris’ arm encircled Vin’s back and he held his friend on his feet. Larabee’s ribs burned, but he maintained his grip. “Come on. Let’s get you on the chopper before you pass out on me.”

They shuffled to the chopper, assisting each other. Once on board, Vin sighed and allowed his head to rest against the back of the seat. Pain, fatigue and his concussion combined sending him closer to the darkness beckoning him.

“By the way, I should place you on report for insubordination, Larabee. Next time, I will. When I’m in charge, I expect you to follow orders. That is the way this team works. You know the rules. No matter what is going on, there is no excuse for disobeying orders. None. Personal feelings don‘t come into this job. Have you got that?”

Chris glanced across at his smartass partner and couldn’t help but smile.

Vin rolled his head toward his friend. “You back?“

Chris shook his head in disgust, but he knew what Vin meant. He’d taken out his fear on Vin. He‘d honestly thought he was going to watch Vin die… in a fire… just like Sarah and Adam had died in a fire. It hadn’t entered his head that Vin was in charge at that moment. Actually, it hadn‘t mattered to him. He‘d just wanted to prevent the tragedy happening again. “Yeah. Sorry.“

“Oh, and I hate to admit this, particularly as I’ve got you on the ropes and down for the count, but I guess that technically, the moment I was injured, Ezra was in charge, so…truce?“

Chris’ eyes narrowed and then he smirked. “Truce.” They continued to stare at each other. “Vin… I…“

Vin smiled. “Me too, Cowboy.“ His eyes closed, his chest heaved and his breathing slowed and became deeper as he started to slide toward the painless world of oblivion.

Chris reached his hand out and squeezed his best friend’s good shoulder. "Thanks, Vin.” He smiled with great mischief. “… but next time…”