Tempering

Ringing woke him.

Dick aimed a fist at the alarm clock, but it kept ringing at regular intervals. It finally occurred to him it was the phone and he struggled up, reaching over Rock to grab it. ''Wha?''

''Rock?'' It was a woman, a crying woman. ''Rock? Are you there?''

Shit. ''Jus' minute.'' He shook Rock. ''Wake up.''

Rock rolled and growled at him, even baring his teeth. ''Some chick asking for you.''

''Chick?''

''She's crying.''

Rock was still half asleep, but Dick was getting more awake by the second, he could still hear the woman crying. He pushed the phone at Rock. Rock grunted into the phone.

He looked around for the clock. Where the fuck was Rigger?

Dick had never seen Rock turn grey before, but he'd seen him bark orders and he'd seen that blank faced focus in the field. ''What happened? How bad? Where? Stop fucking crying, Julie and tell me where.'' Rock threw the phone on the bed and headed for the closet. ''Put some fucking clothes on. We gotta go.''

He was halfway dressed, obeying Rock implicitly, before he even thought to ask. ''What's wrong?''

''Rig's been hurt. He's in the ER on his way to surgery.'' Rock threw on a t-shirt and grabbed his boots. ''Move it, corporal! I'm not waiting for you.''