Splash!

The water slapped at Bodie's face and memory. He knew he should be doing something...



"Come on, Bodie."

"What are you doing?"

"I thought that much was obvious." Doyle tossed his bucket of sea water on his partner's back.

"Oi! What are you on about?"

"Come on, get up you lazy git."

"We're on holiday."

"Of course, not at work, are we?"

"Exactly. I'm on holiday."

"So get your clothes off and let's go swimming."

"Don't have swimming trunks."

"Exactly, don't need them--we're alone here."

"Ray."

"Haven't got anything I haven't seen in the changing room."

"Ray!"

"Don't care about the scars, Bodie."

Bodie sighed and turned his head. Ray's understanding was his undoing. Bodie sat up. He cocked his head to the side, "Everything?"

"Don't worry, I'm not planning to ravish you."

Bodie sighed again and thought, 'if only.'...



He felt wet all over now and knew he should be doing something, only he couldn't remember. Doyle was sure to be ticked off, but he couldn't remember why...



"Damnit, Bodie, when you have a problem like that, tell me. I coulda helped and sure as hell don't like being kept in the dark."

"Didn't want you hurt, as well."

"We're mates, damnit. We have each other's backs. You always have mine. Why can't you let me have yours?"

'Anytime, sunshine,' Bodie thought to himself. Aloud, he said instead, "Wasn't work related."

"And your point?"

"He killed the last of my old mob, couldn't let'em get at you."

"Ah, Bodie, you've got to try..."



...To breathe. That's what he was supposed to remember, but not here. Here breathing was dangerous. Holding the breath was good, but for how long?...



Did Doyle know how long he'd been watching him? The bloody sod was always posing. He was always leaning against something--did the bugger do it on purpose? Bending, going up the stairs in front of him, and the tight jeans, good lord, how was he to survive the tight jeans? How could he survive?...



He wouldn't. Bodie knew that now, he remembered too late to not take that dangerous breath. Damn. His eyes closed.

"Damnit, Bodie, breathe!" Doyle demanded as he hauled his partner out of the river. Heart in his throat as he looked for any signs of life. He dragged Bodie up the bank and pushed on his stomach, trying to expel the water.

With great satisfaction, Ray watched river water gush out of Bodie's mouth. He then felt for a pulse and got nothing. He pushed on Bodie's stomach once more before he began the rescue breathing.

Ray pushed his fear aside, fear that had began when he saw his partner knocked out and thrown into the river. Fear that grew as he had tried to guess where the current would drag him. Fear that he wouldn't get to him in time and mostly the fear that Bodie would die before they had ever begun.

Doyle pushed on Bodie's stomach once more and was again rewarded with additional water. He bent an ear over his chest and was sure that he could hear the heart beating. He did more rescue breathing.

After a large inhale of Raybreath, Bodie coughed more water. He coughed it up on his own.

Ray let his head collapse onto Bodie's chest. It was definitely rising and falling.

Weakened-voice, Bodie stated, "Didn't know you cared."

Ray lifted his head and made eye contact. "Always have, you moron."

Bodie thought a second. "Yeah, guess you have." He coughed up more water and smiled. "Could use more rescue breathing."

-- THE END --

March 2007