Trip chowed down with Doc, Cap and Tin Can while Watts, Benson, Fly and Bear worked a four-point perimeter around the 'hospital'.

"It's not that I don't trust the hospital guards to watch the place, but I don't expect them to put us and our charges in very high priority," Cap had said when he'd assigned the guard duty. They'd all switch over in another six hours or so. Cap didn't figure they'd be there long. Once his friend was fixed up, the second kid they were guarding was likely to head home or at least somewhere for reinforcements.

Trip hoped they dumped him back in Jakera, while the pay was first class, it was a hell of a lot easier escorting goods through the jungle than protecting these activists.

There were a lot of locals here at the hospital. Guards with rifles, but also families, women going to and fro, kids running around and getting yelled at whenever they got underfoot. It looked like a pretty big operation, which jived with the amount of money the eight of them were getting to wander through the jungle with Fric and Frac, their baby activists.

"You think the kid's gonna be all right?" Cap asked Doc.

Doc shrugged. "Hell if I know. If he'd been bleeding bad he wouldn't have survived getting here. What was he doing up that tree anyway?"

"Surveying." Cap shrugged when they all turned to look at him. "That's what he said. I don't ask questions anymore than you do. We do the job; we get paid. That's how it works."

Trip tossed his can into the garbage pile and licked his fork clean, putting it back into the pack he was sitting on. A brew would have hit the spot about now, washing away the tinny taste of their rations and the damp and dust of traveling.

The doctor wandered over, scrubs stained and bloody, emerald eyes tired. "He's going to be fine. Can't move him for at least ten days, though, so y'all'd best get settled. There's stew, if y'all want. I'm fixing to go wash."

Trip groaned, Tin Can and Doc's grunts of displeasure joining in.

"We'll call in and find out what the men with the cash want," Cap told him. "And we just ate -- wish we'd known about the stew earlier."

"Yeah, sorry. I was busy and the boys get nervous. There's the food tent. Two hots a day, random stash of beer. Soap and makeshift showers there, but I prefer the river." The doctor lit up, cigarette held tight in his teeth. "Make yourselves at home. I've been working with Rick over ten years. Y'all aren't going anywhere 'til I give the green light."

"All right, we'll set up six hour rotations on/off for perimeter duty. We're not putting your people out by chowing down with you are we?" Cap was a decent man and he kept them all in line.

Trip grinned and sat back, enjoying the long skinny view in front of them.

"Nah. Part of my funding goes to this sort of situation. 'Sides, MREs? Suck hairy donkey balls and I haven't seen a one with a beer." Tall and tanned, the man didn't have a pound of fat on him. Hell, the heaviest part of him had to be the waist-length braid, gold and thick as his wrist.

"You got that right," laughed Cap. "Thanks, Doc." Cap chuckled. "Well that's gonna get awkward as we've already got one of those."

Trip chuckled. "Bones suits."

Oh, that was a sweet, sexy low laugh. "Yeah, I reckon it does. The locals call me el esqueleto -- the skeleton."

Trip's own chuckles turned into laughter. Oh yeah, that made sense. A dip in the river was suddenly sounding very appealing. "That river of yours far?"

"Nah, 'bout a ten minute wander. You want; you can come with me."

"Cap?"

"Your free time is your free time, Trip. Just make sure you've got your piece with you -- I don't want anyone caught with their pants down."

He nodded and stood, stretched.

"You got somewhere for us to bunk, Bones?" Cap asked. "We'll double up so we'll only need four beds."

"That big assed tent over there? Y'all can take it. It's the guest quarters." Bones winked, grinned. "Classy damned accommodations."

Cap chuckled. "Thanks again, Bones. Any of you want to go swimming, I'll hump your gear."

"I'm going for some zzzs," said Doc.

"I need to check the radio," put in Tin Can.

"Look like it's just you and me, Bones." Trip gave the doctor a grin.

"Yeah, cool. Come on, it's down this way." Bones sauntered off, hips swaying nice and easy. "You're Trip, right?"

"Yep." He followed, feeling loose and good. Ten days was a long time to sit around doing nothing, but this time it was looking up.

"Cool." Another cigarette was pulled out, a long draw taken. "Fuck, but it's been a busy day. Don't repair livers every fucking afternoon."

"His liver, eh? Sounds like something necessary. Doc knew there was something twisted up inside, but not what." The way the man was working that cigarette, it was starting to make him hard.

"It's a touch challenging to live without one, yeah, but his'll heal up pretty and he'll have a scar to brag about." Those green eyes were picking up every bit of color in the jungle and just shining. He couldn't help but grin at Bones; the man was obviously easy in his skin, happy. It was nice, too, to meet someone who knew not to ask questions, not to be curious. Trip figured Bones saw lots of guys, lots of people coming in and out, because he wasn't even getting curious looks. The jungle opened up, a pool widened out beside the quickly moving river. "Watch out for the fucking monkeys. They steal shit."

He chuckled. "Maybe I should have left my piece back at camp."

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