"Better." Schmid shrugged, glanced up at the stars, then back at Eversmann. He wasn't surprised that Ev was the first person to come by and see how Beals was doing. All of that not-so-latent sense of responsibility at work. "Hanging in, y'know. Gave me a fucking scare, I'll tell you that much." "Don't guess he'll be out in the field with us anytime soon, huh." "Most likely he'll get shipped back home." Schmid laughed, but the sound was harsh, dry. "Can you imagine if he has a seizure in the middle of a deployment?" "Yeah." Eversmann drew the word out. "Guess that makes him lucky." "Captain'll probably put you in command." Eversmann held his hands out in surrender, started to back away. "No way, man. I'm not ready." "The hell you're not. Been giving us orders since we got here." Modesty was one thing in the real world, but out here in the Mog, it'd just get you killed. "Yeah, but it's not...look, I fucking panicked, alright," Eversmann blurted, looking as uncomfortable as all hell. "He was on the floor, choking on his own tongue, and I froze. But you, man. You were the shit. Maybe Steele'll put you in charge instead." Schmid clapped Eversmann on the back. He didn't even bother to contain his amusement. "That's the dumbest thing you've said to me this week. I'm a trained medic," he said. "We all have our talents. And yours is leading the rest of us." "Way I'm feeling right now, I couldn't lead a pack mule to water." Stubborn bastard. But it made him a good leader, and Schmid knew it. He grinned in such a way that he knew would make Eversmann's eyes narrow. "Bet you anything you want that you could get anyone in our chalk to do whatever you asked, no matter how crazy. The guys love you, man." Eversmann's brows rose, and a decidedly devilish glint shone in his eyes. "Anything, huh?" "Oh, no." Fuck, but Schmid should've known better than to open his mouth. Last time he'd gotten one over on Ev, it had been back in RIP. "Let's not be hasty now." "I'm not. You're the one that said anything," Eversmann pointed out, sounding perfectly reasonable. Which just made the hairs on the back of Schmid's neck rise. "Within reason." "Which means...?" Schmid tried to think of the most outrageous thing Ev would ask him to do. Which was saying something, since he'd seen Ev talk the guys into doing some pretty bizarre shit. There was that time at the Lemon Drop back at Benning... "Well, I'm not parading around the barracks in frilly panties or anything." Eversmann's laugh was low, delighted. "I wasn't gonna go there, but now that you mention it, you'd look pretty hot in frilly panties." "Don't even think about it. 'Sides, it's not like you have any." At least, Schmid was reasonably certain Ev didn't. "I might." "That's perverted." "They might be my girlfriend's." "Except you don't have one," Schmid reminded him. She'd broken up with him right before they'd gotten assigned to this lovely corner of the world. "Or from some admirer back in the States." Schmid blinked rapidly. "You try to tell me that girls ship you frilly panties in the mail?" "No, but now you're changing the subject." Eversmann gave him a sideways glance that did nothing to calm Schmid's nerves. "Besides parading around and showing off your admittedly girlish ass, what won't you do?" "Fuck, man, I dunno. Ask me to do something and I'll tell you if it's too far." "And give you the chance to say no? Fuck that," Eversmann grinned. He stepped close, poked Schmid once in the chest. "'Sides, I think I'd rather have you owe me." "Oh, no. No. I know that look, Ev, and you can forget it." "I'll find you later," Eversmann replied, and with the same cheeky grin in place, walked off. Schmid wasn't surprised to hear Ev whistling as he strolled away.
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