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Nothing about their mission goes as planned. Nothing. They should've been on their way back by now, but instead, they got caught up in a huge mess. Eastern Ukraine was rife with Russian military and everything was always sort of tense. But somehow, in the middle of their exfil, everything had literally exploded. The building they were set to rendezvous in was leveled and smoking, power in this part of the city was knocked out, and of course it had started to snow.
Beside him, McGuire stumbled. It wasn't enough that anyone else would've noticed it, but Amir wasn't anyone else. He did a quick recalculation and ducked down a side street instead, shouldering open the closest door of what looked like an abandoned building. The inside was barren and close to pitch-black, but there was a window somewhere and enough moonlight filtering through to just barely be able to see.
Maneuvering them into a darkened corner, Amir gestured to the floor. "Sit," he muttered, impressed when McG obliged, and then worried because he had.
"Shit," the medic hissed.
Amir tested comms again but got nothing. He knelt beside McGuire, pulling out his maglight. "What happened?"
"Everything got blown to hell?" McG joked weakly. Amir spared a chuckle but it lacked amusement. The lower half of the other man's leg was covered in blood. "Think I caught a stray bullet."
"Yeah." Amir stuck the end of the flashlight into his mouth to free his hands, cutting away the bloodied fabric of McGuire's pants. He found the entry wound right below McGuire's knee.
"Few inches higher and I'd be in a lot more trouble," McG remarked, digging out his med kit. Amir couldn't help but notice his hands were trembling.
"I think this is enough trouble for now." He took the kit, noting Joseph's lack of objection.
"You know how to use that stuff?"
"You work on your own undercover long enough, you learn to make due." He took out the cleaning supplies and went to work cleaning the wound. "Through and through, at least."
"Yeah, just a flesh wound, right? No biggie," McGuire hissed through clenched teeth. "So, what's the plan?"
Amir had been asking himself the same question. The second rendezvous point was at least two miles away and the streets were a mess. With McG injured, it didn't seem smart. "We'll have to lay low until morning."
"That's what I was afraid of," McG mumbled. "Means you have to put up with my gimp ass all night."
Amir let out a surprised laugh at that. "Yeah, well. I'll find some way for you to make it up to me. How's that?" He gestured to his handiwork, holding the flashlight so McG could survey it, too.
"Not bad, Raisani. If you ever get tired of being absolutely terrifying, you wouldn't make a bad medic."
"You think I'm terrifying?" Amir asked, a little proud at the distinction.
"Let's just say I'm really glad you're on our side," McGuire replied, tipping his head back against the wall. "Jesus, it's fucking cold. I tell you, as much as I hate the desert, there's something to be said for not freezing your ass off."
The temperature had dropped a good ten degrees since they'd found their hideout, and it hadn't exactly been warm to begin with. Now that they'd stopped moving, Amir was definitely feeling it. He couldn't imagine McG was any better off,what with the blood loss and missing half his pant leg.
"You're gonna owe me at least a month's worth of bathroom duty for this," Amir commented,sinking down next to Joseph, pressing against his side. He dug the one blanket they had out of his pack and draped it across their knees.
"Are we cuddling?" McG asked, the amusement evident in his voice.
"Only as long as you aren't an ass about it," Amir grumbled.
"If you wanted to snuggle, you coulda just asked." McGuire's arm slid around Amir's shoulders and the weirdest part was how comfortable it felt. He wasn't used to being touched,hadn't been for a long time. But tonight it felt easy.
"Bathroom duty," he said.
"For a month. Yeah, yeah, I heard you. Relax," McGuire laughed.
And they stayed like that, Amir holding his gun, McGuire holding Amir, until the sky turned from black to grey and the snow let up. And when it was time to go back to work, for the first time in his memory, Amir found himself wishing they could wait just a few more minutes. Because despite the cold and the ache and the stiffness borne of sitting on cement all night, he somehow felt better than he had in a long, long time.