Precursors

"It might" Alexis smiled "but then again I might knock you out if you do that."

"Aww, why would you do that?" Frank smiled.

"Because that's my duty" Alexis said.

William left them heading down to the medics hoping ot catch the Ozzy nurse whose name he couldn't remember.

Frank nodded and took a drink. "Well if Aetos needs someone to help him fight then so be it." He smiled.

"I don't need anyone to fight for me" Aetos said

Vivian sat with a cup of coffee and newspaper having a break, she scratched her head and saw the shadow over her shoulder and turned to see William, "Oh, uh... please don't go. You'd know this one... you're British aren't you? The highest mountain in the United Kingdom?"

Frank nodded and looked at Alexis. "Well beautiful can you refrain from knocking me out when I spar with Aetos?" He smiled.

"I can" Alexis smiled

"Depends on if you're talking about the enite British Isles or just England" William said "Ben Nevis is the highest in all of the UK but in England the highest mountain is Scafell Pike. Then of course Snowdon in Wales and Slieve Donard in N. Ireland."

Frank smiled and nodded at her. "Thanks, so Aetos, whaddya say we use the tiny buzz from the Whiskey and take this to the Flight Deck?" He smirked.

"Hmm... no... Snowdon doesn't fit but Ben Nevis does, thank you," Vivian said folding it up, "Now I'm in your debt."

"Getting me drunk will not help you win" Aetos smiled "Let's go."


"ah, good cause I've got this cough that just won't go away" he said coughing " and this headache that makes it hard to concentrate."

Frank chuckled. "I don't need you to be drunk. Besides I hope you Spartans aren't lightweights, cause we'll be doin' some drinkin' when we get back from missions." He said heading up.

"Oh, good. A talking conscious patient," she replied happily showing him a dummy that sat in a chair, "There are so many different types of coughs. Each type of cough is distinct and could help indicate what illness you have. How long has it been going for?"

"About two years" William said


"I can hold my drink" Aetos said heading to the flight deck.

Vivian pouted, "Then I must ask, are you a smoker William?"

"Good to know, cause once we get into some real combat you're buying the first round." Frank smiled.

"You got me" William smiled pulling out a golden cigeratte case


"What do you consider real combat?" Aetos asked

Frank smirked. "What we'll see in Vietnam against Volgin's men, not the conscripts we fought in Greece."

"Well, I will recommend keeping the case but chucking out the cigarettes. Use it to collect coins. Hey, this is pretty important... chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is dangerous. It might not form into cancer or anything life threatening, but bronchitis is a real bastard to catch. Have you brought up any liquids? bile?"

William sighed putting the case back "Well I see that approach won't work. Why don't we start again? Capt. William Wisdom of her majesty's Royal Marines. How would you like to go get a drink?"


"Well you'll have to fill me in on what combat is like there" Aetos said

"I will later." Frank said walking onto the flight deck.

"I'll hold you to that" Aetos said kickign him in the back of the knee and agian in the back hard. he dropped down on him burrying his knee into Frank's back as he pulled back on his neck

Vivian shook her head at him, "Oh, you should've explained yourself better. If you had said that you cough only when someone isn't paying you attention, I would have immediately disguised it as an attention cough. Now that coffee sounds perfect."

Frank started to laugh a little. "Oh little shit." Frank smiled rolling his weight one way forcing Aetos off and he got on top of Aetos, pinning his arms to the flight deck with his knees and he started to punch Aetos in the face a few times.

Aetos kneed him in the back getting out from under him and back to his feet.

"Not much of a coffee drinker, I prefer tea" William smiled