Soldier x Soldier - Rescued (Closed to TertiusHuman)

[AlwaysFaithful]

She smiles, "Sounds like a really good plan." Kat watched as he went to get water before she sat down on the carpet to take instructions on the stretching. Chuckling half heartedly when he said she'd be swearing by the end. She began stretching slowly, following Thor's instructions. It was moments like these that made her feel utterly calm. Here with him, in a safe place, doing a normal thing acting like normal people. It felt really really good.

 

[TertiusHuman]

He stretched with her, making sure to work on working her muscles, forcing them to work like they had not worked since her capture. He knew that it will start hurting and he kept doing it with her to motivate her and to check for himself that it wasn't too strenuous.

"There we go, you are doing quite good for somebody who were still in bed a day or two ago."

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

Kat smiled and shrugged, "Yeah. Well, staying in bed isn't an option." She glanced over, "Besides, I'm gone staying put. I was forced to stay still in one way or another, I'm tired of it, my body is sick of staying put." She said, sure, it ached, as she stretched, but she wasn't a stranger of that dull ache. It had been her constant companion, both as a solider, she'd had to work twice as hard to keep up with the men, and then of course in captivity she'd gotten very use to pain.

 

[TertiusHuman]

"Well that does sound to a challenge for me to get you into shape. But you will also find that you will have need of rest along the way."

He gave her a tight grin and then continued with the stretching

"Dig deeper Lt, you want to feel the burn and not the ache. The burn is when it is working, the ache is when it is done wrong. Supple muscles gives tone and firmness, power through repetition."

He chuckled as he straightened from a position to move into the next.

"You will abide young grasshopper."

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

Kat hisses as he pushed her through the ache. "Yeah yeah, I remember the mantra." She'd always pushed through the ache. She kept stretching, knowing that she had to push herself. She may only have gotten back less than a week ago, but she couldn't just sit by any longer, she had to push, and she was thankful to have Thor, who understood that, and didn't try to coddle her and tell her to take it easy. She wanted to get back to her normal self as quickly as possible, at least physically. She kept working and stretching until she felt the dull burn move through some of her muscles, only then did she lean back and relax.

 

[TertiusHuman]

Thor sat back and picked up the water bottle he had brought along, handing it to her. "This is not a bad start, I am slightly impressed."

He got to his feet, allowing her to rest a bit, "Don't make plans to move yet Lt, we still have some work to do before you can take a walk and have a shower. I'll put on the water for some tea and when I come back, we go again."

He went to the kitchen and after switching on the now refilled kettle, he returned to the living room

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

Kat just chuckled faintly and nodded watching him go. She waited until he returned and began following his instructions once more. Physically it shouldn't take more then a couple months to get her back to the shape she should be in. I which would help immensely in trying to get her mentally back to 100% she could feel the aching spr Eding and she welcomed it as she did the various things Thor instructed.

 

[TertiusHuman]

Thor was impressed with her, not for the amount of work she managed, but more that even though she should be frustrated and hurting, she never uttered a word. When the tension in her breathing became the indication that she should stop, he stopped and leaned back onto his hands and then smoothly rose up.

"Good job Lt, room for improvement, but good job today."

He grinned, "And the best is yet to come. Tomorrow we get to stretch stiff muscles. Now come along, it's herbal tea time"

He held out his hands to help her up

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

((I'm going to jump us ahead about a month.))

The next month passed, leading Kat into a sense of normal. Her weight had jumped from a mere 96 pounds, to 115 pounds. A near twenty pound leap. She'd been careful to make sure the weight came back as healthy fat and muscle. She'd started learning how to shoot a weapon again with her screwed up hands. Her confidence was gaining in some regards, she was able to smile and laugh at somethings.

But in other ways she wasn't progressing well. She would wake up screaming some nights. And the one night she'd tried to sleep with a gun under her pillow, thinking it might make her feel better, she'd ended up putting six bullet holes in her bedroom wall when in her sleep she'd grabbed her gun and tried to fight off her dreams. Kat got increasingly frustrated about her inability to do some things with her hands.

Thor continued to be her rock, her calm within the storm. For which she was eternally grateful for. She still resisted therapy and medications, insisting this was all she needed, she just needed time to recover.

 

[TertiusHuman]

It was evening, Kat had just finished her shower and Thor was busy in her room when she walked in. The windows were covered, the lights off and candles littered the room. He motioned for her to take a seat on the bed. He didn't say anything until she sat down. He then placed a tray on the bed, on it a bowl with a drifting candle inside of it.

"I spoke to your therapist."

He held up a hand for silence.

"I am not here to argue, cojole or threaten. I am here to help and this is my way of getting you to get some sleep end fear less."

He motioned to the repairs done on the wall, it had taken him some time to fix it just right.

"To stop that from happening again. You have come a long way and you have reason to be proud of yourself, but you are not."

He then carefully sat down on the bed, crossing his legs and looked at her.

"I want to try something. Look at the flame."

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

Kat paused in the doorway, dressed in a pair of shorts and a sports bra. Her preferred sleeping attire. She raised an eyebrow at the room, eyeing Thor. But at his motion she crossed the room and sat down on the bed, pulling her legs in to sit cross legged. Her body was looking better, her wounds were almost all healed up and she looked stronger.

He mentioned her therapist and she opened her mouth to argue, she could get rather snippy during conversations about therapy. But she tried her hardest to not get snippy with Thor, he didn't deserve it.

He was right though she wasn't proud of where she was at. She never was. She always wanted to be farther along. She'd always been that way. Since his tone left no room for arguement she nodded and looked down st the flame focusing on it as it danced and flickered.

 

[TertiusHuman]

He watched her as she focused on the flame. He was sure that she obeyed his suggestion on a basis which went beyond just being trained to be a soldier. He thought it had a lot to do with the fact that they had worked through a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get where they were. He took a slow breath.

"When we were taught sniping, our instructors had us focus on breathing and heart beat. To be able to find, range and pull the trigger. You had to be able to pull the trigger between heart beats and the only way to do it all, was to be calm."

He reached out with one hand and lifted the drifting candle slightly.

"This is you."

He lowered the candle and lifted his fingers out of the water, which rippled and threatened to capsize the candle.

"The water is your mind. It is troubled and can only be conquered and calmed by you. When you jog, your heart races, you breathe harder to provide oxygen to your body, especially your heart. When in panic, you hyperventilate to provide oxygen to your heart."

He rested his hands on his knees

"Now. Focus on the flame and listen to my voice. Clear your mind, empty it and look only at the flame... Breathe in through your nose... Out through your mouth... Again in... And... Out... Keep your mind empty and see how the waters calm around the candle."

He went silent, watching her perform the basic meditation breathing and focus technique

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

This was why she needed Thor, not a therapist. He put things in terms hse could understand. Kat was an excellent marksman and had often been utilized as a sniper. So it was easy to fall into that pattern of breathing. She watched the flame, the floating candle, the rippling water.

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out

She breathed, faster at first, it was oddly hard to quiet her mind, something hat had been os second nature, the moment she'd picked up her rifle, her mind had emptied of all but the target.

Her breathing slowed as hse stared at the flame, a single form of focus that had a intensity to it, she was hardly blinking, She listened to Thor's words, and slowly her breathing settled into a slow, almost unnaturally slow pace, her heart soon followed. She could count her heart beats, and she could feel that millisecond between beats.

All in all it had taken her probably close to 10 minutes to reach a state of mind that she use to be able to reach in the blink of an eye. She could feel the constant thoughts, the constant fears, the worrying and mental pacing, it all drifted away, it finally felt like Kat could breathe freely even if it was just temporary.

 

[TertiusHuman]

He waited for her to reach that point where she had to be, he studied the water to get a measure since his own breathing was where it should be.

"The flame is you. You are the light in your own darkness. You have faced a void and you came away from it. Slow your breathing, think of nothing."

He patiently waited for her and then continued

"You are the light. The water is your mind. Calm the mind, find calm in yourself. You have endured much. Now look me in the eyes and name your fear."

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

She kept listening to him as she stared at the flame, her pale eye reflecting it back. She took a moment, trying to do s he asked. Then she lifted her gaze to meet his. "Everything." She finally whispered. "Every little thing in the world terrifies me." She swallowed hard. She'd tried her hardest to just ignore her fear, to tell herself to suck it up. "I know it's irrational. But when we walk in the forest, I imagine someone jumping out to get me. Or getting separated from you." She murmured, glancing back down at the flame to try and keep her calm as she talked. "At the store, I picture someone pulling a gun out, starting to shoot. A car passes by on the street, and I imagine it's them looking for me. At night, it thunders and I don't hear thunder, I hear an explosion. And every night in my sleep, I relive everything that happened in that cell. Everything they did to me."

Kat had rarely spoken of what had happened to her, since coming home. Though Thor knew at times that she was scared, and knew she had nightmares, Kat never really volunteered any information about it. This was the first time she'd really admitted to being afraid of the world.

 

[TertiusHuman]

It was as bad as he had thought. He had picked up bits and pieces, especially the screaming fits when she woke from nightmares, the word less cries. It now made more sense.

"Still your mind when you recall these fears. They trouble you all the time. Keep looking at the flame Kat, just keep looking and breathe deeply."

He watched her and continued in a soft murmur, "The cause of fear is the fact that it makes us feel powerless. You are powerless no more, but we will have to take a journey to let you realize that."

He urged her to keep breathing and then when she became calm again, he reached out and pinched the wick. Snuffing out the focus point and with it, his short trip down her hole of fear.

"That concludes tonight's session."

He rose from his position and lifted the tray from the bed, setting it aside. He turned to face her and then looked around the room. He chuckled then. "Well with the right music and some flower petals this might become romantic instead of functional."

He sat down on the bed then and took her hands in his own, "You will most likely live with the fear for a long while. But you don't have to be its slave. I will help you to be able to sleep better and we can talk about it when and where ever you wish. Do we have a deal?"

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

Kept looking at the flame listening to him until he snuffed the flame. Kat blinked several times as she came back to herself. He mentioned the room being romantic. She snickered. "Is it weird that, that was the first thing I'd thought of when I walked in?" She said amused. Her voice sounded a bit tired. Just admitting her fears and trying to calm her mind, it had exhausted her.

She gripped his hands and nodded. She knew this fear would be her companion likely for a long time. "I really want to sleep." She whispered. "I know I need to talk about it. I don't like admitting I'm afraid. There was a time I wasn't afraid of anything. I wouldn't think twice about my safety." It had drove her team insane. She'd never worried for her safety, her team had taken to calling her "Lucky" because of her ability to get out of life threatening situations, which was why she'd gotten the tattoo of the clover on her hip, as a joke because of her call sign.

 

[TertiusHuman]

He smiled and gave her hands a gentle squeeze.

"Don't worry. We will make you Lucky and fearless again. It will some time, a lot of exhausting introspection and a bit of professional help."

He got up and stretched out.

"Well I got clearance for a nice day on the shooting range tomorrow. You will enjoy it I think. Get some rest and yell if you want a glass of water."

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

Kat smiles and nods, "I think I will enjoy a couple hours of shooting." She said, though silently she wondered if she'd be able to hold her weapon enough to shoot. But she planned on trying her damnedest. She settled in and let herself relax. She actually slept for a solid four hours, the longest stretch she'd had since coming home. She figured it had a lot of do with the meditation that Thor had her do. She woke from a minor nightmare and even though it was only three in the morning she decided to get up for the day. She went downstairs silently, to the basement, dressed in a pair of shorts and a sports bra. In the basement was a small home based gym, she got on the tredmill and started jogging slowly. She often worked herself close to exhaustion, now that her body had the stamina to actually work out. Once she'd jogged for a mile and a half she moved over to the weight machine, she was working hard to strengthen her body, and it was a good way to kill time in the early mornings when she couldn't sleep.

 

[TertiusHuman]

Thor woke when Kat got up, he listened to her movements and when they disappeared into the home gym, he closed his eyes and slept further. He knew she would be pushing herself, he had trailed her often enough to make sure. He needed the rest though and it was just before sunrise that he woke up again.

He went through his morning routine and made certain that the weapons were ready and that they had enough ammunition before making his way down stairs to the kitchen. He wasn't sure where she was and he didn't keep tabs on her all the time. She had improved a lot and he just allowed her to continue. Soon he would be able to find out what intel she carried and give it through to HQ

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

Finishing her workout she took a shower and changed clothes then headed to the kitchen. She managed to make coffee without too much incident, then she started in on breakfast. It was messy and it took a while, but she made scrambled eggs and bacon. Smiling when she saw Thor enter the kitchen. "Morning," SHe greeted. "I made breakfast,I make no promises it tastes good, but I tried. " She chuckles as she poured coffee into mugs and added sugar to hers.

 

[TertiusHuman]

"Good morning Lt."

He took in the mess and nodded, "Well the bacon is not raw, nor is it burnt. The eggs are made from real eggs and not the package stuff we get in the ratpacks, so bar you having dumped too much salt into the food, I can't see why it can't be good."

He took the coffee from her, took a sip and nodded, "Strong, that is good."

He helped with portioning the food, gave Zero his food and sat down at the kitchen table, tasting the eggs and the bacon.

He nodded, "Yup, you may bring me breakfast in bed."

He chuckled and saluted her with the coffee cup

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

Kat sat down across from him. Smiling as he seemed content with his meal. "Good." She chuckled. She tucked into her own meal, eating it rather quickly. She still ate quickly, but no longer was she on the verge of making herself sick.

Once she finished her food, she stood up and started cleaning. SHe enjoyed cleanliness, perhaps it was from being held in a dirty cell, but she did not like things out of place. Most would probably acquiring some pretty serious OCD, but she didn't mind that.

"So we're going shooting today?" She asked curiously as she finished cleaning. She was honestly really looking forward to getting to shoot again. SHe thought it would do her a lot of good.

 

[TertiusHuman]

He watched as she started cleaning and helped where he could. Nodding at her question, drinking the last of his coffee, before cleaning the cup.

"Yes, I managed to sneak out a carbine, with enough rounds, so we are going to have a bit of fun today."

He leaned against the counter with his back and looked at her. The scarecrow was gone, the sheen returned to her hair and when he managed to get a laugh out of her, her eyes sparkled. All in all, she had come physically as good as he could get her.

"But before we have fun, there must be work. So since you had a nice gym session earlier on, let's get to stretching those muscles and then do some roadwork."

He pushed away from the counter and paused, "It might be a silly question, but as Intel officer, did you have tactical shooting training?"

 

[AlwaysFaithful]

She groans, "Aw come on," When he said there must be work before fun, but she grinned good naturedly, she really didn't mind. He asked if she had tactical shooting skills, she nodded, "Yes, I do. Quite a but actually. Even though I was Intel, I worked closely with some special ops guys, so they made sure I could handle my self." She said wit ha smile as she went to the living room and plopped down to do the assigned stretches.

She was amazed at how her body was healing and returning to what it had been before her captivity. Now she just needed to get her mind back to where it was. But for now she'd be content with the fact that she no longer looked like she ws starving and bony. So she did her stretches and she enjoyed them.