While he awaited his lover's fate, Justin stared into space deep in thought, his face streaked with tears.  Brian had caught the bullet that was meant for him.  If Brian was taken away from him now, he didn't know what he was going to do.  
 
During the time they had spent together in their cell, they had exposed themselves physically, and emotionally.  Justin had also discovered that his superior was not just an arrogant prick after all.  Underneath his facade, he was an intelligent and cunning leader, and a man capable of  sincere acts of kindness, tenderness, and self sacrifice.  
 
The more Brian let his guard down, the more attractive he became to Justin.  As a result, Justin was a slave to his own desire, and greedily took all that Brian had to offer, and more.  Brian had tried to stop him in his quest to know Brian's body in a way no one had ever known it before.  Justin was well aware of the risk he would be taking by engaging in sex without protection, but he didn't care.   For Justin, experiencing the burn of flesh penetrating flesh, was indescribable.  He'd never known such pleasure.  It was in that profound moment that he surrendered completely to Brian Kinney, mind, body and soul.
 
Inside the operating room, the surgeon was closing the incision he had made to remove the bullet.  He was admiring his work, when he suddenly heard the nurse say, "His blood pressure is dropping."  '<i>Damn</i>', the doctor thought, 'why did this have to happen now?'  
 
Justin rose, and walked towards the surgeon.  The man's face said it all.  "I'm sorry sergeant, but we couldn't save your friend."  "NO!"  Justin shouted in disbelief.  This was not  happening.  He pushed his way past the doctor, into the operating room.  Brian was on the table, still hooked up to an IV and monitors.  
 
The doctor had followed Justin into the room.  He said apologetically, "I'm very sorry, but his blood pressure couldn't be stabilized, we couldn't bring him back."
 
Justin became enraged.  "No...Brian is strong, he's young, he wants to live."  "Try again",  Justin demanded.  
 
"We alread..." The doctor was unable to finish speaking because he was now facing the barrel of a gun.  Justin stood there, waving the gun in the doctor's face, his hands trembling with emotion.  "I said try again!"  
 
The doctor just nodded, and barked orders to the nurses who were standing there frozen.  "Get the paddles ready."  "Charging...clear."  Justin watched, as Brian's body arched and fell in response to the electric current shocking his body.  "Still no heartbeat", someone said.
 
"Epinephrine", the doctor directed, and grabbed the syringe from a nurse.  He injected it into Brian's heart, and then began performing compressions on his chest.  The nurses and doctors that had gathered, waited in silence, their eyes glued to the monitor.  
 
Justin heard a collective gasp from the hospital personnel, and he looked up to see the monitor registering an erratic heartbeat.  It soon transitioned into a steady rate.  Brian was alive!  
 
Justin lowered the gun, and the doctor conceded,  "I've never been one to admit that I was wrong, but what you did, just saved your friend's life."  "I'll give you a few minutes here, before we move him to the recovery room."  
 
Justin looked down at Brian, the color coming back to him already.  He touched his shoulder and remarked, "Lucky for you, you're one stubborn bastard."  
 
Justin maintained a vigil at Brian's bedside for the rest of the day.  He was lucky that he hadn't been arrested.   He had forgotten that he had picked up the gun Ashraf had held to his head before they made their hasty escape.  Something had told him to take it.  When the doctor annouced that Brian had died, his mind had snapped.  He instinctively reached for the gun in his distressed state, and acted without thinking.  He was desperate, and felt it was the only way he could get them to do what he wanted.  Justin knew that it wasn't Brian's time to die.  He had too much to live for.  
 
Brian stirred.  He was coming out of his sleep.  His eyes fluttered, and then opened.  "<i>I'm still here</i>."  
 
"Barely", Justin revealed.  "You almost didn't make it."  
 
"Where are we?"
 
"In a hospital.  American intelligence located us here, and we are now awaiting transport to a clinic in Germany."  "You should get some more rest Brian, it's been a long day."
 
The next morning, a helicopter landed, and Brian and Justin were greeted by a Pvt. Dunn.  Repeating his orders, he explained to them, "You'll spend a week in Germany to recuperate, and then get your clearance to go home."  "Watch your step gentlemen."  

Justin helped Brian get into the helicopter.  He decided that it was time to have a talk with Brian, especially since he would be a captive audience.  "What's going on with you Brian?"
 
"What do you mean?",  Brian asked, feigning ignorance.
 
"Ever since the day we escaped, you've been acting different...distant."
 
"Justin, I don't know what you're thinking, but we need to get something straight.  I don't do boyfriends.  What happened between us was because of our circumstances, and getting our needs met."  
 
"Is that what you think?"  Justin questioned with a hurtful look in his eyes.  "It was just a fuck?"  "I mean nothing to you?"
 
"Of course I'm concerned with what happens to you, we've been through a lot together, you've been through a lot."  "<i>Christ</i>, I warned you that we shouldn't fuck raw.  We both need to get tested when we get to Germany.  You took a risk that hopefully you won't wind up regretting."
 
"I already do."  Justin replied, obviously pissed off.  "So let me get this straight Lieutenant Kinney,  you're not only saying that we're over, and that you just used me, but now I'm foolish too?"
 
"You said it not me.  And I didn't use you, we used each other, or don't you remember that you were a willing participant?"  
 
"<i>Fuck you asshole!</i>",  Justin yelled.  He turned away from Brian, refusing to acknowledge him for the rest of the trip.