It was dark outside, dim inside the canvas tent. The lanterns were hanging on either end gave off little light. The makeshift infirmary held only a few beds, most of which were empty.

Miles Matheson looked around for the patient he'd been told was here. He sighed and headed toward the back, away from the rest.

"Charlotte Patricia." he spoke quietly but got his niece's attention right away.

"It was an accident!" she protested.

"Doesn't matter, Charlie."

"You can't play favorites with me. It isn't fair to the others."

"I don't care. I'm the general, remember? Means I'm in charge and everyone else has to do what I say. Except apparently you." he glared at her.

She glared back.

The glaring match probably would've continued except the the medic choose then to push his way through.

"You're stubborn, you know that, Miss Matheson?"

Miles snorted, that was most likely the understatement of the century. "Her stubborness is why we're all in this mess." He crossed his arms and then asked, "What's the verdict?"

"She's stubborn and lucky. A few inches deeper and Miss Matheson would've bled out on the scene." The medic flipped through a stack of notes, while beside him Charlie suddenly got very pale. "I've put in sixteen stitches, that ought to hold her together. I don't want her in action for several days, just to make sure she doesn't reopen the wound."

Miles raised his eyebrows at Charlie. "Just a little accident, huh?"

"Accident it may have been, but it is still a serious knife wound." the medic replied, severely.

"Sword." Charlie whispered.

"Well, that just makes it even more fun." Miles answered. "You wanna explain how you get a sword cut by accident?"

"Not really."

"Okay. Well, I'd rather Miss Matheson goes to your quarters as usual tonight - I may need the bed." the medic met Miles' eyes. "Sir."

"It'll be done as quickly as possible." he assured her.

"Thank you. I would like the patient to return tomorrow, so the bandages can be changed."

"Duly noted."

"Sitting right here." Charlie muttered as the medic left.

"Because you take care of yourself so well." Miles told her.

"I do so."

"Yeah, whatever. You just took ten years off my life. How am I going to explain this to your mom?"

"You're not. She said they weren't coming back."

"Where is the cheerful voice of hope that dragged me and everyone else into this mess?" Miles sighed. "Never mind. It's been a long day and I certainly didn't need to end it with Jason running into my quarters like a bat out of hell, telling me you'd been hurt."

"He wasn't suppose to do that!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Did you think I wasn't going to notice? Or that the medics would keep it quiet for you?" Miles attempted to stifle his anger. Anyone else, he'd have them in them in the brig but Charlie? He couldn't do it.

"Didn't I say not to play favorites?" It was almost as though she could read his mind at times, which was a scary thought.

"Do I care? I'm the one in charge, not you. I get to make the rules." he informed her, dryly.

"Fine. Let's get out of here, then you can tell me all about the rules I broke."

There were times he really hated having made that promise to Rachel. Then again, Charlie would've come along anyway, so Miles supposed in the long run, it didn't truly matter. The girl was just too much like him and it scared the crap out of him like nothing ever had.

"Okay. We can go."