Page 30 of Love and Loyalty
As she sprinted across the chaotic battlefield, her heart palpitating with every step, she suddenly collided with a figure and tumbled to the ground. Apologetic, she looked up to see Izzy's familiar face etched with concern and exhaustion.
But it was what Izzy was holding that made her heart skip a beat: a young lieutenant, his eyes glazed with pain, a bloodstain spreading across his uniform from a bullet wound to his ribs.
She felt sorry for him. Yet, amidst the ear-splitting gunfire, Drew felt an unexpected calm wash over her as she gazed at Izzy. It was as if in this moment of utter chaos, she had found a beacon of hope, a reminder that they were in this together and that they would get through it as a team.
Izzy's eyes widened in astonishment, her face pale with shock. For a moment, she seemed frozen, unable to speak or move.
Drew didn't hesitate, swiftly scrambling to her feet. With a gentle yet firm grip, she grasped the injured lieutenant's shoulder, supporting him. Together, they sprinted toward the waiting aircraft, protected by a defensive perimeter of soldiers who held off the insurgents.
The air was thick with the smell of smoke and sweat hanging heavy as Drew and Izzy rushed to escape the chaos, their footsteps pounding out a desperate rhythm.
With a gradual yet deliberate pace, the defense team fell back into the aircraft, their weary faces etched with relief. Though battered and bruised, with a few injuries sustained during the intense firefight, they had held their ground, protecting their comrades and securing their escape.
As the last of the team members boarded, Drew swiftly switched places with Jack, her hands moving with practiced ease over the controls. With a deep breath, she lifted the aircraft off the ground, soaring into the sky as the insurgents' frustrated shouts faded into the distance.
The team's exhausted silence filled the cabin, punctuated only by the soft beeps of the instruments and the steady hum of the engines as Drew flew them back to the safety of their base. Drew let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.
That was a close one. Too close.
When they arrive on base, Drew accompanied the injured lieutenant to the medical center to get a chance to talk with Izzy, but she was busy instructing her medical team to prep for surgery.
“I’ll be leading the surgery,” Izzy barked. “Prep my equipment, I’m scrubbing in.”
A few hours later, Lieutenant Colonel Patel summoned both of them to work on the mission report and corroborate their contributions and roles. Drew saw this as the perfect opportunity to talk to Izzy concerning their personal issues.
As they walked, she trailed closely behind Izzy, her footsteps echoing Izzy's steady pace. Upon arriving at the office, they entered in silence, the door closing softly behind them.
The familiar surroundings seemed to fade into the background as they settled in, their attention drawn to each other. The air was charged with a newfound awareness, and the intensity of their shared experiences had created a connection between them, making them overly conscious of each other.
Drew sat opposite her desk, watching her closely, but she seemed more engrossed in turning her laptop on, her expression stern and focused.
The air between them thickened with emotions and unspoken words, and Drew knew she was intentionally avoiding eye contact. “Izzy, say something, please,” she said, hating the tension that was engulfing the room.
“You will address me as Lieutenant Colonel, and I suggest we focus solely on why we're here. This report is a bit complicated, and we need to get our facts right.” Her tone was firm.
The words flew from Izzy’s mouth and stung Drew as sharply as a whip, leaving her feeling raw and exposed, the venom in her words lingering in the air.
She swiftly gathered her emotions like a stormy sea retreating from the shores. “I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel. I overstepped my boundaries.” Izzy looked at her, uneasiness stretching over her face like a thin layer of frost.
She knew her words had hurt her. Heaving a sigh, she said, “Professionalism is an important aspect of our job. This job requires unwavering dedication, relentless attention to details,and a commitment to excellence in every task, no matter the challenges, circumstances, or personal feelings.”
She paused, presumably to let her words sink in. “Never put a mission at risk because of your personal feelings. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma'am,” Drew answered, but her head was buried in her own thoughts.
Drew knew Izzy was avoiding a conversation about their personal lives and using professional advice as a smokescreen to mask the underlying tension between them, a clever tactic that allowed her to maintain a sense of control and distance while also keeping her at arm's length.
She decided to let it go this time.
As they worked on the report together, she thought of the other things Izzy had said about feelings interfering with her job. Perhaps she wasn't the only one who was guilty of this.
The clear difference between her and Izzy, though, was that she was bold enough to admit her mistakes while Izzy shied away from it. This left her perplexed and struggling to reconcile Izzy’s tough exterior with the fragility that her refusal to face her fears revealed.
“Just face it!” She gasped. She didn't mean to say it out loud.
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing, ma'am.”